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The Big East, meanwhile, is in danger of losing another school before replacing the three that already have bailed on the league.
Acting quickly to make sure it maintains a 10-member lineup, the Big 12 approved bringing in West Virginia to replace Missouri when the Tigers complete their move to the Southeastern Conference, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Big 12 had not announced the conference board of directors on Monday unanimously approved inviting West Virginia when Missouri's spot comes open.
The move is another step toward stabilizing a Big 12 that seemed on the verge of collapse about a month ago when Texas and Oklahoma were pondering a move to the Pac-12.
On the other side, West Virginia's pending departure from the Big East, which has lost two members and one member-to-be in the last six weeks, leaves the embattled conference facing another crisis.
The Big East is trying to reconfigure as a 12-team football league and has been courting Boise State, Navy and Air Force as football-only members and Central Florida, SMU and Houston for all sports. Commissioner John Marinatto met with officials from some of those schools Sunday in Washington.
Because there is no timetable for Missouri to complete its expected departure from the Big 12 — and the league's board of directors expressed "a strong desire" for Missouri to stay — there is no timetable for West Virginia to receive a formal invitation, the person said.
But West Virginia will accept an invitation from the Big 12 once it is offered, the person said.
During an interview Tuesday with KFRU-AM in Columbia, Mo., Missouri Chancellor Brady Deaton said it would be "days" or "a week or two" before the school announced its decision.
Interim Big 12 Commissioner Chuck Neinas has said he expects Missouri to compete in the Big 12 in 2012, though Deaton has said that if Missouri does make a move, he'd like the Tigers to be playing in their new conference next fall.
Missouri would become the SEC's 14th member and join Texas A&M, which made its move from the Big 12 official earlier this month.
A report reviewed by Missouri officials and obtained by the AP earlier this month stated a move to the SEC from the Big 12 could net the school as much as an extra $12 million in revenue a year.


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
The National
Center for Transgender Equality estimates there are between
750,000 and 3 million transgender people in the U.S. And as
Barbara Walters showed recently in a 20/20
story last spring, questioning one's gender identity
can begin at a very young age. With that in
mind, we pulled together some literary inspiration
worth passing on to the inquisitive teenager in your
Luna by Julie Anne Peters (Little, Brown; 2004)
For years Liam
secretly transforms himself into Luna each night with the
help of his sister's clothes and makeup. As he yearns to
reveal his nighttime identity, his sister Regan finds
it more difficult to keep Luna a secret with each
passing day. Are Liam's family and friends ready to
accept Luna into their lives? Julie Anne Peters's
well-received novel was a 2004 finalist for the
National Book Award in Young People's Literature.
Freak Show by James St. James (Dutton; 2007)
James St. James's
story of a teenage drag queen at an uptight private
academy is the classic tale of an outcast wanting
acceptance. Our hero, Billy Bloom, however, wants to
be homecoming queen. St. James's irreverent humor and
lively writing make this an endearing and entertaining
read that shirks the idea of being confined to a label of
Choir Boy by Charlie Anders (Soft Skull Press; 2005)
Berry, a
12-year-old church choir darling, is starting to notice the
effect of puberty where it matters most to him: his voice.
After a botched attempt to castrate himself, he
decided to use hormones intended for men transitioning
to women to keep his high vocal range. The story
may seem cartoonish, but this Lambda Literary Award
winner's emotional, sexual nature may be best for older
Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger (Simon & Schuster; 2007)
awkwardness in being a girl prompts her to chop her hair,
tie down her breasts, wear boys clothes, and change
her name to Grady. While his family is hurt and his
best friend ignores him, Grady finds support in a geek
and a popular older student. Meanwhile, he writes a report
on parrotfish, which are naturally able to change
Morgan in the Mirror by C.C. Saint-Clair (BookMakers Ink; 2004)
Morgan is a
23-year-old post-chest-op trans man who has been able
to pass as male for most of his life. Eventually he
makes the decision to make the full transition.
Saint-Clair steps away from lesbian subject matter to
delve into the topic of gender dysphoria.


text:
According to E! RPattz and KStew are seated next to each other at next week's Teen Choice Awards - whether anyone is inbetween them (fnar) or that this means that they'll be:
a) Holding hands
b) Mackin' out
c) Emse Isling it up
d) All of the above and then some
remains to be seen ;)
Also in their row:
- Lorabell
Jackson Rathbone, Justin Chon, Ashley Greene, Taylor Lautner, Kellan Lutz and Nikki Reed. Director Catherine Hardwicke is directly behind them... Sadly, it looks like Rachelle Lefevre will be skipping the festivities.
P.s. When did the Teen Choice Awards get use of "TCA"? Chuh!


text:
I took off a half day of work so I could go to a local quilt show nearby. There weren't many people there which was a good thing! I paid $5 to get in, and had to be reminded to enter my name in for the free drawings. Heck yea! I'm game for anything free. Well I walked around and looked at all the quilts and vendors and was just about to leave out the front door when I heard them annoucing something. SO I went by in and they were calling names for door prizes. The very last name they called was mine!!!!!
That was too close!! Well I got my choice of goodies they were giving away so I chose the June Tailor Twist n Stitch Ruler! Whoo Hoo! I got my $5 worth for sure! Plus I had already bought a Creative Grids 6x24 ruler so great day!
I did take many pictures of the quilts and will post later this weekend. I was amazed at how many of the quilts were Hand Quilted ! I know I was drooling while looking at the wonderful hand work. :D


text:
BBC NEWS | UK | England | Lincolnshire | Jet-powered wheelchair surprise
Giuseppe Cannella had a big surprise for his mother-in-law when he put a jet engine on the back of her wheelchair.
Mr Cannella says the chair can now do top speeds of more than 60mph and has proved the star of a model plane championship during the Bank Holiday.
Not wearing a helmet in the picture. He'll be needing his own wheelchair soon.


text:
New head Hog relishing fast-paced rebuilding effort
By Robbie Neiswanger
Arkansas News Bureau
FAYETTEVILLE - The walls in Mike Anderson's Bud Walton Arena office are bare. So, too, are the shelves that sit just behind his desk.
It has been three months since Anderson was named Arkansas' coach, accepting the task of rejuvenating a program that has experienced a decade of frustration since he was a Razorbacks assistant under Nolan Richardson. The empty office is an obvious sign the work of making the program relevant once again has just begun.
But Anderson said he couldn't be more eager about the process in an interview
last week.
"There's a lot of work to be done," Anderson said as he looked around the room. "But day one, when I got here, that's what we've done. We rolled up our sleeves and went to work."
Don't call it a rebuilding job, though. It's a term Anderson doesn't like to use when describing his goals with the Razorbacks. He doesn't think it fits a program that has enjoyed as much success as Arkansas basketball, even if most of it came more than a decade ago.
So instead, Anderson prefers to call it the remodeling of Arkansas basketball. It's a multi-layered job, no doubt, but one Anderson has jumped into head first since his arrival.
"That means physically, mentally and in all aspects," Anderson said, describing his plans to remodel the program. "Whether we talk about the players remodeling, getting their mindset right. Our fanbase and the physical parts of this building, too. It's remodeling. We have the right to do that because we own the building."
Of course, the past two months have been a harsh reminder it won't always go smoothly. It started when Arkansas was docked one scholarship because of its poor Academic Progress Rate. It was a penalty Arkansas expected to serve in 2012-13, but now may accept next season.
The reason? After a relatively quiet two months void of transfer talk, three players left the program in June. In addition, signee Aaron Ross isn't expected to be academically eligible.
So the departures mean Arkansas will likely enter the season with 10 scholarship players, which isn't ideal in the up-tempo style the Razorbacks plan to implement. But assistant T.J. Cleveland - Anderson's nephew who has worked with him at Alabama-Birmingham and Missouri - said the Razorbacks won't stray from their plan.
"I won't even call them unexpected twists and turns because we've been through this before at two different schools," said Arkansas assistant T.J. Cleveland, who also is Anderson's nephew. "It's not like we don't know what we're getting ourselves into. Nothing is unexpected.
"We're going to go with what we've got and in the end it usually works out."
There was a big blow, though, when leading scorer Rotnei Clarke went public with his desire to transfer and said Anderson refused to grant his release. Clarke eventually got his wish with Arkansas explaining athletic director Jeff Long had to sign off on the release, something that couldn't be accomplished immediately because he was out of town at the time of the request.
Anderson declined to discuss the Clarke saga, saying his side of the story was told in Arkansas' press release. Deserved or not, he took a public relations hit. But Anderson simply chalked up every departure to the transition.
"In transition a lot of things take place," Anderson said. "But I think at the end of the day, Rotnei got his release and he has moved on and I wish him well. I wish Jeff Peterson well and Glenn Bryant. ... Maybe they can find some happiness somewhere else."
Arkansas' focus now is making sure the six returning scholarship players and four signees on campus are all on the same page.
The coaching staff got a chance to get to work with the returning players during individual workouts in April, but can't get hands on with them again until the fall. The signees - who remained committed - are now on campus getting adjusted to college life and Arkansas' program.
By all accounts, the guidelines of what Anderson demands from his players is clear.
"We're going to put in work," freshman Hunter Mickelson said. "We're going to practice and we're going to get ready for the season."
Anderson said it expands off the court, too.
"They're going to work hard and they're going to be accountable on and off the floor," Anderson said. "They're going to represent this university in a first-class manner. We're going to work to put ourselves in position to have a chance to win and that's what it is all about.
"It's more not necessarily just about winning, it's about winning the game of life. That's my job as a coach. And even though I'm just getting here I'm still their coach. That's how we've always done it and it seems to work."
Success isn't necessarily immediate. UAB won 21 games his first season, then reached the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 in the second. Missouri won 18 and 16 games before going 31-7 with an Elite Eight trip in Anderson's third season.
But Anderson is confident Arkansas basketball will be back. And many Southeastern Conference colleagues believe he's right for the job.
"Mike's done a great job wherever he's been and done it for a long time," Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury said during the SEC coaches' summer teleconference last Monday. "There's a reason why back in the early '90s when Mike was there in Fayetteville, they were awful successful ... He had great success at UAB and he had great success at Missouri, so I think there's a common thread there and somewhere along the way you can pull on, and I think that's probably Mike Anderson."
It may take some time to get rolling, but Anderson said it's common with remodeling.
Take that empty office, for instance. Anderson has plans for what he wants the place to look like and discussed them with Long last week.
A lot of work will have to be done, but Anderson knows it eventually will be transformed to what he imagined. And Arkansas' new coach can't wait to see the finished product.
"I guess I'm one of those guys I like the newest trend and the wow factor," Anderson said about his office, before turning his attention back to the actual remodeling of Arkansas' basketball program under his guidance. "It's a new era. More than anything, it's a new era."


text:
MIAMI — The game had all the earmarks of low-stakes September baseball, with a small crowd and two spot starters in a matchup of first- and last-place teams.
Bring on Freddy Garcia.
The well-traveled 36-year-old right-hander earned his second NL victory since 2007, and his first since he joined the Atlanta Braves in August, pitching six innings to help beat Miami 6-1 Thursday.
"Freddy wore the MVP pants today," teammate Freddie Freeman said. "What he did was pretty awesome."
Freeman had three hits on his 24th birthday, including his 20th home run. Chris Johnson also had three hits to raise his average to .330.
Garcia (1-1) allowed five hits and one run. What was working for him?
"Everything," he said with a smile.
"He's a veteran guy," manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He knows how to maneuver himself through a major-league lineup – put a little on it, take a little off and never give you the same look."
Garcia made his first start for the NL East leaders in place of rookie left-hander Alex Wood, whose turn was skipped to give him a breather. A two-time AL All-Star, Garcia lowered his ERA since joining the Braves to 1.32 in 13 2-3 innings.
He could be valuable in October, when the games become much more important.
"Hopefully I'll continue to pitch the way I've been pitching," he said. "Whatever they need me to do, I'm ready for."
Three relievers completed a seven-hitter. Jordan Walden, who had been sidelined by a groin injury, pitched a scoreless seventh in his first appearance since Aug. 21.
"We wanted to give him an inning and make sure he's OK," Gonzalez said. "That's a big piece we haven't had. That will take a little burden off some of the other guys we have been using a lot."
There were no testy encounters less than 24 hours after a bench-clearing confrontation during the Braves' victory Wednesday night.
The crowd of 15,274 was the Marlins' smallest at home since July 1. They're last in the NL in attendance.
Brian Flynn (0-1), making his second major-league start, walked six and allowed six runs in four innings.
"After an emotional night last night, we needed somebody to go out there, really pound the strike zone and put up some zeros," Miami manager Mike Redmond said. "And that just didn't happen."
Flynn was given the start in place of Nathan Eovaldi, who was scratched because of a stiff back. Eovaldi won't pitch until Monday at the earliest.
The Marlins went 2-5 on their homestand. They have the NL's worst record and have lost 27 of their past 38 games.
Evan Gattis and Johnson hit consecutive two-run doubles in the third after Flynn walked the bases loaded to start the inning. Freeman's two-out, two-run homer in the fourth made it 6-1.
Freeman reached the 20-homer milestone for the third year in a row, leaving him 11 seasons behind former teammate Chipper Jones' 14-year streak.
"We always jab at each other," Freeman said. "Three down, 11 more to go. I guess I can shoot him a text message, and that's another one down. But I've got a long ways to go."
Donovan Solano had a two-out RBI single in the third to score Miami's run.
Notes: Marlins LHP Brad Hand will make his first start of the year Friday when the Marlins open an 11-game trip against the Mets. RHP Henderson Alvarez and RHP Jacob Turner will start for Miami in a doubleheader Saturday. ... Atlanta won the season series 13-6. ... In the past three games, the Braves have hit .158 (6 for 38) with runners in scoring position. ... Solano improved his average with runners in scoring position to .371.


text:
Discussion in 'Star Trek Movies I-X' started by Captain Nebula, Aug 14, 2013.
I got the impression David used the protomatter cheat without the knowledge of Carol or the others.
Same here. I can't remember if I got that impression from the movie itself or the novel of the movie which I read.
Captain Nebula is asking the wrong question here. It isn't what happened to TSFS... the question is what happened IN TSFS. When I watch it now, I feel like there is this epic and intense story going on during the movie that we never see outside of some cryptic comments by certain characters.
DAVID: I used protomatter in the Genesis matrix.
SAAVIK: Protomatter. An unstable substance which every ethical scientist in the galaxy has denounced as dangerously unpredictable.
DAVID: But it was the only way to solve certain problems.
Yes, ST III makes David take the blame and responsibility. Still, according to ST II, his mother was in charge of the Genesis Project, and I have a hard time imagining her not to know what materials had come into use for the Genesis Matrix.
That was her responsibility and ST III made her look incompetent in a debatable retcon manner.
I sympathize with the efforts for rationalization of this mess, but this was really bad script writing, apparently as an excuse to have Spock age during the movie's running time and to have protagonist and antagonist fight it out on a planet that's falling apart.
@ Robert
I agree with every point you made about the movie in your post #19 (didn´t want to quote it all ). Whenever I watch the movie, I make it through the first half, knowing that the "great escape" and more shots of Grissom and Excelsior are still to come. I usually switch off as soon as the Enterprise sets course for Genesis ... everything after that I find just barely watchable.
Especially the refusing-Spock-with-his-Katra bit makes no sense at all: first, they tell Sarek that it hasn´t been done in ages and then really only in legend (which means: never). Then, after Sarek tells them he´s not quite sure of his logic anymore (!) they´re like, "well ok, if it´s your son then we go right ahead and do it". As if Sarek was the first Vulcan ever to lose someone close Also, if this procedure has never actually been done before and was thus not really an option, why was Sarek so upset with Kirk for not bringing Spock´s body to Vulcan? Or why would Spock store his Katra in McCoy in the first place? What makes Spock and/or Sarek soooooo special that they get the once-in-ages-super-special-VIP-treatment???
BTW, how would the Vulcans even know how to perform this refusion, if no one in living memory ever attempted to do it?
^ Spock put his soul in McCoy so it would be brought to Vulcan. I don't think he had any thoughts at the time of coming back to life.
This is also what Sarek originally came to Kirk about not about bringing Spock back to life.
However Spock was a special case due to genesis he did have a chance to come back to life. That was the ritual that had not been done for a long time (dead Vulcan bodies don't fall on Genesis every day)
Of course that is t to say there wasn't a lot of mumbo jumbo in the episode. How Spock came back is more fantasy then good science fiction but oh we'll the scenes with McCoy as Spock are great so who cares.
Ok, point taken. But that would suggest, there´s some sort of "soul graveyard" on Vulcan, where all the souls of the deceased are ... living happily ever after? Still sounds like mumbo jumbo
I couldn't agree more. I loved everything about Star Trek III.
I come away from STFS a bit confused about Katra-storage, ie is it a routine procedure for Vulcans (even if it's not normally put back in a cloned body!) and if so, why isn't Starfleet more aware.
Robert Comsol reminds me that Kruge's actions don't make a whole lot of sense. Still one of my favourite Klingons though, ruthless and a bit psychotic.
The bit about Protomatter was kind of un-ncessary. We could have believed Genesis was unstable - especially in a first uncontrolled planetary scale test without some secret forbidden ingredient. Maybe the writers wanted to give David a rash\risk taking side like his father?
Overall though I still find the film quite watchable. And maybe since I'm more aware of WoK's flaws these days (great film still, but, not great pacing) I find they fit together pretty well.
Katra-storage was not a routine procedure and katra-transference to someone else even less so. Until the 22nd-Century, many Vulcans even believed it was just a myth left over from ancient times.
And although Vulcans are one of the founding members of the Federation, not everything about them is known to non-Vulcans.
"Protomatter" wasn't in the novel. David's secret was much vaguer, as I recall. He said something along the lines of "I knew I should have rechecked a couple of those equations because something didn't seem quite right." It was only professional negligence in the novel, not a deliberate use of something forbidden and unethical. But I'm pretty sure David hadn't told anyone else about his misgivings.
Hmm ok. Sarek seemed to assume right away that Kirk would be carrying Spock's Katra and taking it to vulcan. Maybe that family are just big fans of old mysticism?
No I assumed Katra Storage was common but Katra Transfer was not.
And I don't see why Starfleet would have to know. They didn't know about Pon Farr either and that was pretty common to Vulcan.
heh, Pon Farr first appeared in TOS, right? I've not watched much so will take your word for it.
I find it weird that, if these things were common, starfleet would be so oblivious. I can see on the one hand vulcans being reluctant to discuss them with outsiders. But on the other, hard to see activities of a civillisation of millions staying secret!
^I kind of got the impression that a lot of Vulcan culture is not common knowledge to Star Fleet.
And yes Pon Farr was first introduced in TOS in the episode Amok Time from season 2. It's a really good episode so I recommend it. Certainly better & more interesting than the Pon Farr we see in this movie.
Warp drive but no Wikipedia!
It was an ancient custom that hadn't been openly practiced for millennia until Surak's katra was discovered in the 22nd-Century. By the 23rd-Century, it was more well-known on Vulcan.
Even though every Vulcan has the potential to create a katra, I think only a special few (like Surak's) are actually stored on Vulcan and even far fewer are ever rejoined permanently with a living body like Spock's was (Vulcan priests and scholars--and even some cranky Humans--can apparently hold katras for a time until they're transferred safely into a katric ark).
Same here. Those Vulcans are a very tight lipped bunch.
Agreed about Amok Time being better, but I was glad to see it in the movie however. I was waiting for it to happen as soon as we saw Spock aging so quickly.
Separate names with a comma.


text:
The report assembles information on subjects like tuition, the number of science graduates and the amount of research money coming into Minnesota. Officials intend to keep track of the data over time and gauge whether any areas require change.
Higher Education Commissioner Susan Heegaard said this first report already highlights some deficiencies that legislators or the institutions themselves can use to set priorities.
"The state's four- and six-year graduation rates -- the number and proportion of degrees earned in critical STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and health fields," Heegaard said. "The proportion of adults enrolled in higher ed stand out as areas with lots of room for improvement in our mind."
While Minnesota typically ranks high compared to other states for the number of people attending college, the report shows sagging rankings for the proportion of students earning degrees in STEM fields. The report also found Minnesota's proportion of degrees in health fields sank nationally to 40th in 2005, down from 37th the year before.
"It talks about how we need to produce more nurses, for example, and we've been doing that for the past four or five years."MnSCU's Leslie Mercer
Heegaard also said the picture concerning access for students of color is mixed. The data indicate areas where students of color actually outrank their white counterparts. But non-white students trail when it comes to earning four-year and graduate degrees.
"Students of color are underrepresented among those who complete a degree in general, and they're overrepresented in the health care programs in the associate level and below," she said.
Another area of concern the study highlights is a gradual increase over time in the amount of tuition the families from the lowest income brackets are expected to pay.
"One point five percent may not seem like much. But if you think about the lowest income tax rates -- 5.5 percent, I believe -- if someone suggested moving that to 7 percent for low-income people, you can imagine the conversation you'd have," said Mark Misukanis, research director with the Office of Higher Education. "It's just going to happen in higher education without any kind of policy discussion. This is a dramatic change in what we expect from families."
Such revelations are not entirely new. Minnesota education and business leaders are well aware of the state's education performance, and their concerns are making their way into policy decisions. Gov. Pawlenty's proposed budget includes a $25 million bonus for each of the two systems based on reaching similar performance goals.
But the report collects what its authors believe are key indicators for high priorities. It ties those indicators to five goals, such as improving success of underrepresented students or contributing to the state's global economic competitiveness. It attempts to also present information in a standardized form, so it's more easily comparable among the various institutions and to other states.
The study's authors also codify previously stated goals, such as the University of Minnesota's vision to become one of the top three research institutions, and MnSCU's plan to retain a more diverse student population.
MnSCU's Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Planning, Leslie Mercer, says the document validates plans the system is already reaching for.
"We've really been focusing the past year or two on improving retention and graduation of students of color, and this report talks about how we need to do even more of that," Mercer said. "It talks about how we need to produce more nurses, for example, and we've been doing that for the past four or five years."
Minnesota is one of only a handful of states now keeping track of such indicators of educational success. The report's authors hope the information will be a basis for decisions at the Legislature, where more than $3 billion will go to support publicly funded institutions.


text:
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text:
YOUR VOICES: U-Haul sign too tall?
On Feb. 8, the News-Ledger published a story detailing how U-Haul was taking the City of West Sacramento to court in a challenge to the city's sign ordinance. The ordinance — phased in 20 years — declares the West Capitol Avenue rental company's pole sign is just too tall and must go.
Last week on our Facebook page, we asked for your views. Here are most of your responses:
Robert Stroy: I think if the signs are well kept they should stay no matter the size. signs are often a great business boomer and the City should respect and encourage these types things and leave well enough alone.
Debbie Norton Johnson: West Capitol looks so much better now that it isn't littered with signs of all shapes, sizes and quality. Every other business has taken the 20 years (very reasonable time frame) to change their signage – except UHAUL.
I've never understood why they couldn't lower the big letters about half way in size. It is a monstrosity. The argument that people won't be able to find it, doesn't ring true for me because every truck on the property says UHAUL. I like seeing the trees and the nice sidewalks and landscaping down parts of West Cap and would love to see the whole Ave beautified.
Eve Westvik: I think the city totally turned the Avenue into a dull, uninteresting strip with no character. I don't even recognize the place anymore, it's so soulless now. A boulevard as wide as that needs something to give it personality or everything just fades into the background. It's no wonder there are few businesses of note there anymore. . . Thank goodness a large corporation actually wants to do business in West Sacramento. It looks better than the crummy little restaurants and liquor stores that now dot the Avenue here and there.
Shannon Gentry: Have they already removed it??The city needs to find something better to cry about…. The people do – like their depleating paychecks and increased everything else…. And you want to focus such an amount of energy on a "too high" sign that's been a staple for SO MANY years…
Cynthia 'Cindi' Islas: Who cares about the sign, get rid of the crappy, run down motels that consistently have garbage, matresses, tires, and overgrown weeds all around them. Fight a battle that will actually IMPROVE West Capital and Merkely cause right now, it's a big fat FAIL!
EDITOR'S NOTE: To comment on this article, visit the same article at WestSac.com by clicking here.
You can view the original article about the U-Haul sign here.
And you can visit the News-Ledger on Facebook here if you're a Facebook member. Don't forget to 'like' us at the Facebook page!
Copyright News-Ledger 2012


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Performance can include the four pillars to make it as close to perfection as possible with thw available technologyPerformanceSecurityManageabilityConnectivity
Systems engineering! Embedded systems, Industerial automation
Another good session. Thank you.
1. Security
2. Connectivity
=3 Performance
=3 Manageability
Still in east-London, UK; still working in eLearning & mLearning development.
Systems Engineering, Electronics.
Good information thank you Brian.
Not familiar
Hi from Oregon
useful apps
ecosystem apps
Thanks Brian and Alex; Great presentation
1 Security
2 Manageability
3 Performance
4 Connectivity
BTW if you go to TI and type in Energy Harvesting in the search boc you will get apps, training videos and suggested ccomponents. There is still lots of original research going on. It's one of the areas I have research in for commercial apps.
If you want to play a bit with energy harvesting -- here is a start..
Lots out there tho
See Texas Instruments Energy Harvesting for one.
Yes - there are some systems that run of scavenged power. Very low power devices and they get their energy from radio waves, motion, heat or solar.
MCLAUS: Is anybody successfully...
Yes -- many remote sensor networks exist. Old technolgy actually... many styles.
Is anybody successfully running a processor that can harvest energy from the environment without being wired for power from someplace and without needed some big infrastructure (solor arrays and converters etc)? That would be a slick way to put sensors where they could be very useful.
Paraphrasing Brian form Monday, Everthing eventually goes to analogue.
Well, I will see everyone here tomorrow. Lots to get through tomorrow, so I will have to talk fast!!
@mclaus - Yes that one would be worth pattenting, just like perpetual motion!
Ah, transeding physic,s the dream of every Computer Scientist.
@Jeffrey - agree 100%. It is a system design problem and system is HW + SW
now THAT would be the killer app.
"it is possible for the Hypervisor to have guaranteed performance" 100% agree. But you need to design for this and pick the right kind of HV.
It CANT create them!
Correct. The system has to contain enough resources to meet the needs of the application. It can cvreate them out of thin air.
So - the hypervisor can stop preemption from happening.
There must still be some kind of prioritization defined to guide the hypervisior if there are requests for more hw resoure than is availabale, correct?
@Juan - another thing to consider is that the hypervisor gets first crack at all of the interupts. It can decide to delay sending them to the OS if real-time tasks need to complete.
They operate as an independent company and still support other computer archs such as those made by Freescale, TI, etc.
Thanks Jeffrey
@Juan - if you have a need for a process, then the hypervisor can ensure access to the necessary HW - if it exists. That is perhaps the key. It is all part of the aplication development, but it is possible for the Hypervisor to have guaranteed performance.
Geeesh - missed that completely....:>(
July 2009
@mclaus - that was a couple of years ago now.
This is a strong statement "With virtualization a time critical trask can be guaranteed access to the resources it needs." Has it been proven theoretically?
After all, by definition, the actual hardware is shared among multiple applications.
Type 2 HV for sure (I think this a like clustering), but I don't see how you disribute a type 1. May just be my ignorance.
Did Intel acquire WindRiver? When did that happen?
Please let me know if I missed any questions. Difficult to keep up with all of them at the start of the chat session.
@Jeffrey. Hypervisors can be distributed in the same way that OSs can. Not sure exactly how they have implemented it.
@mclaus. I have read a lot of stuff recently about almost fights going on about the comms to use. Perhaps multiple busses will be the answer each tailored to either real-time or large data.
OK I can see that on a si=gle muticore chip but with INtime there is no single hypervisor.
@Jeffrey - yes , at least an attempt at it.
Thanks Rance - nice definition.
It will always be possible to load apps onto a system that may cripple its performance - for example. You could say this is one of the differences between iTunes and Android. Apple attempts to control things to make them more consistent whereas Google takes a hands off approach.
is this the answer to my question? Virtualization can help with determinism - especially if the hypervisor is partly copntained in HW. With virtualization a time critical trask can be guaranteed access to the resources it needs.
Frank P - "What ensures that the hypervisor isolates a certain critical system to a certain processr or virtual machine?" - Evidence presented to a qualified and objective third party to validate the claims that the hypervisor is correctly implemented. Ideally this evidence includes a mathematical proof that the hypervisor (hardware and software) simulates multiple independent machines that have no interference between them.
Thanks Brian and Alex.
Integrated System Vendors
So what is the underlying communication systems - something that can be fast and detertminsitic enough for suspension control and also handle media streaming and wide area network latency issues?
Virtualization can help with determinism - especially if the hypervisor is partly copntained in HW. With virtualization a time critical trask can be guaranteed access to the resources it needs.
thanks for the links Alex!
On slide 5, what is ISV. Should it be ESV: Ecosystem of system vendors?
Intel Intelligent Systems Framework page: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/embedded/intelligent-systems.html
Intel Embedded Design Center (registration required):
Brian, what happens to the determinism in a Distributed Computing System like INtime when you start making new connections that were not thought of at the design time as you were describing on Monday?
The hypervisor has control over all of the physical HW. No app can gain access to it without going through the hypervisor.
Thanks lecture Brian and Alex.
I am beginning to see advantages to virtualization. However, I also see host of issues related to deterministic behavior and hard real time issues.
Thanks Brian and Alex for another interesting session and more ideas to look at later.
See all tomorrow
consultant hw/sw
Great presentation
Yes - everyone is working in this area and forming alliances. That is testament to why the cooperation of people in the foodchain is so necessary.
Thanks Brian & Alex.
What ensures that the hypervisor isolates a certain critical system to a certain processr or virtual machine?
Brain, nice presentation. Thanks
Thank you for today's lecture Brian
I know they are doing stuff to advance the two areas seperately. I'm not aware of anybody putting both of these application spaces into single network within the car.
All the Well Known Car Co, ar doing all of this. Bosch, Conti, Delphi. IC companies etc.
Brian - are there initiatives in the automotive space that integrate the engine/suspension/transmisssion control networks (FlexRay/CAN/etc), with the Infotainment networks into a single architecture? Who is doing that work?
I object - don't blame the Brits for this!
I'm GOBsmacked
Cars Have BlackBox Now.
INtime Distributed RTOS is a fully preemptive 32-bit operating system, supporting 256 priority levels and round robin scheduling that can run several kernels at a time, each running process loop times of <50μS to meet the needs of the most sophisticated control SW applications. It features a unique Inter Process Communication (IPC) technology called GOBsnet that enables applications to run without modification on different system configurations, spanning the range from single-core processors to multi-core processor systems to multi-platform systems. INtime Distributed RTOS is based on INtime for Windows core technology, a tried and proven 32-bit RTOS for PCs that has been running some of the most complex and mission critical applications in the Industry for over 15 years.
Hello, everybody!
GOBSNet, sounds like RT CORBA?
Do you have links to information on INtime? There are several referenced on Google which are not what you are refering to.
What is the Layered approach called? GOBSNet?
Paper on Medical Devices and Secuity Pacemakers and Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators:
Software Radio Attacks and Zero-Power Defenses
@Bill T: AGreed actually I designed MES architectures so data collection systems could maintain local data and schedules and "catch up" when communications came back on line. Good point.
So how do you get a scalable Device Architecure if you do not have a scalable or inteoprable communication protocol. Even OPC-UA is limited in its interoprability scope, though it is very flexible.
Or which pillar do you need the most help with and which do you have well under control.
As is being said, all four pillars are extremely important. I believe connectivity could perhaps be sacrificed to a greater degree than the others, if need be, as long as the local, immediate task could successfully continue.
Maybe we should say that if one of the pillars is not adequate to the task -- the rest don't matter.
I was not aware of this Intel initiative.
2. Performance
3. Manageability
4. Connectivity
Not Familiar.
This is great, I was not aware of this Intel initiative.
I am very familiar with it.
I am not familar with it, but I would like to know more!
New to me - interesting if they are all really working together, not just talking about it.
not familiar with Intel intelligent systems framework.
Not familiar with framework.
However, all must be adequate and meet project standards.
1. Manageability
2. Performance
3. Security
How about using virtualization to implement the safety funtion on a virtial machine (or board)?
1. Performance -The unit has to work before you add security.
2. Security
3. Manageability
I think a better diagram is needed. Looks like a type 2 to me.
Security and performance are importants
For me, as a system designer connectivity is important. We can manage performance and manageability issues.
Connectivity is the biggest hurdle, the rest can be managed when that is solved.
security is top, then manageability and performance. product operates in sfaety critical systems
2. Manageability
3. Performance
General M2M, IoT, Intelligent Systems
Performance is most important to me!
Hello everyone
I using Google Chrome today and the audio is much better.
Consultant, Researcher, Educator.
seem to have lost the audio.......
@Jeff, not likely that we met then.
R&D Engineer HW/SW
Electrical Engineer/Software Developer
Rockwell Automation in Mayfield hts ohio
Systems engineering for factory automation systems.
@jeff, I'm over at Titan, what about you?
DanLafleur: Who do you work for? Your name is familar.
Hi all
Good morning all. Raining in SoCal today.
good morning all from Edmonton, Alberta
Good morning from St. Louis.
Good morning
Good morning from New Zealand where it's almost daylight
Good morning to all from Mexico.
Be sure to click 'Today's Slide Deck' under Special Educational Materials above right to download the PowerPoint for today's session.
The streaming audio player will appear on this web page when the show starts at 2pm eastern today. Note however that some companies block live audio streams. If when the show starts you don't hear any audio, try refreshing your browser. The player "like" Firefox better than IE.
I loggin in early just to grab the presentation, but I'll take a t-shirt!
hi all
Because I'm an Early worker (EarlyBird).
Ijust want to be Log on and switch back and forth with my other work which they call Multi-Tasking.
Good day from Huntsville, Al.
Good afternoon, everyone
Why are we logged in so early?? Do we get a tee shirt or something?
Good morning to all from Rockwell Automation in Mayfield Hts Ohio where it's a sunny 34F.
Good morning from Orlando 75°F and sunny.
Good Morning from San Jose, CA
It's 58°F and a High of 62°F. Sunny Today and Rain Tonight.
I am an electrical engineer (Telecommunications )
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The Presiding Genius of the Place by Alison Chisolm. WPI, Worcester, Mass., 234 pp., 2016.
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Aloha from EEWeb
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Just a few minutes ago as I pen these words, I posted this blog about this month's Cartoon Punchline Competition over on EEWeb.com.


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TEDx AlAin
I should probably pick up where I left off. In the last post I intimated I had a little date in the Middle East. Turns out it wasn't so little actually, an incredible opportunity to present some "basics" about The Habit Factor® at a TEDx conference in the founding city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) AlAin. The presentation was limited to about 18 minutes and given that the book is 230+ pages, identifying and consolidating a few choice ideas about habit and goal achievement was certainly a challenge however, it was also a great exercise.
While my invite was as certainly formal, it wasn't until the plane tickets actually arrived that I was certain it was going to happen. Largely because the timeline was so tight. The invite came late February and the event was early May. Although, having said that, A HUGE THANK YOU to the event organizers Chris Payne and Sajjad Kamal and the sponsors including Etihad Airlines (Wow!) That was the best business class flight I've ever experienced (by far). Highly recommend Etihad if you're flying to UAE. If the event itself and the people weren't so incredible the flight might've been the highlight of the whole trip! Find out more about the organizers and event at their facebook page here.
Remarkable people and such a rich and proud culture. I toured Dubai for a day with another presenter, a great artist named Wasel. You can find his art on the same page, or check youtube. Incredible stuff!! The other presenters were fascinating people. From a professor and PhD in robotics, Nikolaos Mavridis to Caterina Lo Mascolo, founder of UNIVERSKA and other local personalities. There was a great party afterward where all the presenters and all the crew who worked tirelessly to ensure the event went off without a hitch were able to celebrate and let off a little steam. I learned so much about the culture of AlAin and UAE. It was an unforgettable experience.
Kindle & iPad/iBook
The Habit Factor® finally cracked the iBook/iPad market and is now for sale in the iBook marketplace. That was probably more difficult than it had to be. iTunes (Apple) was hung up on one graphic that nobody else (Kindle, Nook) seemed to think was a problem so each time you have to edit/fix then resubmit you're looking at another ten days or so for approval. Kindle sales have been on fire (relatively speaking) and once again, I think I now understand why it's called "Kindle".
Other news
We expect to have the Google eBook in the Google marketplace this month. YES! the Audio Book is under development. THANK YOU for your continued interest in our Habit Factor for trainers and coaches program (Link above). If you are a trainer and coach and have an interest in strategically differentiating yourself from your competition and aligning with the #1 Goals and Habits mobile app and methodology, sign up today. There is a lot more happening but I'll leave it there for now. Have to go enjoy the holiday w/ the family.
Happy Fourth!
until next time.


text:
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Cincinnati, OH (SportsNetwork.com) - Adam Wainwright spun eight scoreless innings to become the National League's first eight-game winner and the St. Louis Cardinals blanked the Cincinnati Reds, 4-0, in the rubber match of a three-game set.
Wainwright (8-2) struck out 12 and scattered five hits and walked one for the Cardinals, who have won nine of their last 11 games.
"That's the epitome of pitching in my opinion," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said of Wainwright.
Ryan Ludwick and Zack Cozart had two hits apiece, combining for four of the six hits for Cincinnati. Mike Leake (2-4) fanned eight but allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks over six frames to garner the loss.
"He's pitching winning baseball every time he takes the ball," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "There's nothing he can do. He's competing, giving us a chance to win."
The Cardinals led 1-0 through five innings after Wainwright struck out Billy Hamilton with runners on second and third with two away. They then plated a run in the sixth and two more in the seventh to pull away.
Matt Adams began the sixth with a single and Allen Craig walked before Tony Cruz's base hit into right-center two batters later brought home Adams for a 2-0 Cardinals advantage.
Matt Carpenter banged a double into right to lead off the seventh, moved to third on Kolten Wong's sacrifice bunt and scored on Matt Holliday's infield single. Holliday advanced to second on the play following Devin Mesoraco's throwing error.
He scored on Craig's roller back up the middle to make it 4-0.
The Reds had runners at the corners with two away in the home half, but Wainwright fanned Skip Schumaker to end the threat.
Earlier, Wong's RBI single in the third opened the scoring.
Game Notes
The Cardinals were 4-for-11 with runners in scoring position, while the Reds finished 0-for-5 and left seven men on base ... Wong had two stolen bases.


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After eight years on the road as a technology consultant with Accenture, I decided to take a management position with Chicago Public Schools in 2008. Being in my home city everyday made it apparent that I had developed very few personal and professional relationships in Chicago. A valued mentor recommended that I expand my network and actively engage people on a deeper level. This interview series is the result of that exercise in self-development. In this part of my personal and professional journey, I will share the stories of the insightful, inspiring, talented and accomplished Chicagoans I meet along the way.
The inaugural profile of The Personal and the Professional features Jason Gilmore. Jason and I met in the fall of 2012 at a strategic planning session for the Chicago Chapter of the National Urban Fellows. He immediately captured my attention with his poise and presence but I quickly realized that he was a man of insight and substance as well. During the meeting, Jason was quick to contribute insights, ask questions and offer assistance. I immediately added him to my list of people to know. Jason was kind enough to answer some probing questions this past December. An extended version of this interview can be found on my blog at http://sherryclaytonworks.wordpress.com/executive-interviews/
The Personal
• Home Town: Detroit, MI
• Personal Moto: Have a vision and be demanding.
• Words of Wisdom: Be careful what you choose. You may get it.
• Currently Reading: It Worked For Me by Colin Powell
• Last Vacation Location: Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic
• Currently listening to: good Kid m.A.A.d city by Kendrick Lamar
• Favorite Past time: Running – ran Detroit marathon this year
• Supported Charities: Charity Water, Oceana, PAWS Chicago
• Alma Mater: University of Michigan
• Nickname: I was called "Juice" until I was 12 because I could "turn on the juice" and run really fast.
• Guilty Pleasure: Reality TV
• Biggest Wish: To race the Boston Marathon
• Favorite Sports Team: Detroit Tigers, Lions, and Pistons
• Favorite T.V Show: Game of Thrones
The Professional
Stylish, enigmatic and intelligent, Jason Gilmore creates quite an impression. He moved from Detroit to Chicago in October of 2010 where he is currently employed as Manager of Foundation & Government Grants for Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago. The majority of his time is divided between identifying and prioritizing activities to engage donors, managing and engaging with a portfolio of donors, and guiding cultivation and solicitation strategies for donors.
The only members of Jason's family in Chicago are his wife and his extended Greek family of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. His wife works for a national consulting firm which promoted her to a senior level position based in Chicago. At the time, Jason was working as a Chief Compliance Officer & Academic Grant Writer for Covenant House Academies in Detroit.
Eventually, Jason would like to return to Detroit and contribute to the resurgence of the city. The motto of Detroit is "Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus" which translates into "We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes". Jason believes he has a duty to try to embody that hope and contribute to the resurrection. This is no surprise. Afterall, he has always been interested in offering service to others.
In addition to being actively involved in the Association for Fundraising Professionals Chicago Chapter where he recently completed a fellowship, Jason is seeking to volunteer with a well-established and effective mentoring program geared towards young black men. His own uncle provided a vigilant and well structured guidance which helped him become the man he is today. All young men should be as fortunate.
Jason X. Gilmore | Manager of Foundation & Government Grants
Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago
115 West Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60654
Direct: (312) 640-2185TTY: (312) 640-2102
Thanks for reading and I hoped you enjoyed learning more about the personal and professional sides of Jason Gilmore. Expect to see a new profile soon and be sure to follow this blog so that you will receive the latest updates, interviews and articles.


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17 April 2013 - 17 April 2013
Abbotsford Campus
Issue with seniority and the collective agreement
The FSA has scheduled meetings on April 17 and 22 to discuss the situation, and a vote on whether to approve the Memorandum of Agreement is scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, April 23, 24, and 25.
A detailed explanation of why the current language of 15.3(b) is unworkable, and the solution that we are proposing, is presented on the attached memo. I hope this is a clear explanation of a fairly confusing situation.
We encourage staff members to come and ask questions and participate in discussion on:
Wednesday, April 17
4:30 pm
Abbotsford campus theatre, room B101
Monday, April 22
Chilliwack CEP campus, room A2201
A vote by staff members only will take place on:
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, April 23, 24, and 25.


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ohhh must put on wedding list
Intel's upcoming Nehalem-class mobile quad-core processors - codenamed 'Clarksfield' - may debut a little sooner than expected. Originally anticipated in October, the three CPUs - two mainstream parts and an Extreme gaming-centric chip - will actually be launched on 23 September, according to Intel documents website Xbit Labs …
Nice one!
I think I'll be sticking with my x9100 for a while longer though :-)
Wonder are there ESs out in the wild that us poor folk might be able to get our hands on yet?
Power!!! :-)
But I have to ask "Why?"
What do you actually use your laptop for that requires this level of performance? Sure, I'd love an i7 in my desktop and I may well do that soon but in a laptop?
I just don't get it. I'd prefer a full size laptop with atom + ion to power it. Such a jobby would have reasonable performance and extra long battery life to boot.
Unfortunately intel don't want me to have that and are artificially restricting the atom to 10" screens.
I just wish AMD would come out with something along the lines of the atom and proceed to rub intels arrogant nose in it.
So will Apple launch a new Macbook pro with Snow Leopard featuring i5,i7 processor P55 Chipset. The advantage being the new OS has the ability to use the Graphics processor for numbering crunching, and also the OS is tuned to running multiple cores.
The recent price drop of the macbook pro 13.3 to £787 @ dixons seems to make this look likely.
Seems a fairly steep price drop just to replace with a identical model with a different OS, which is a free upgrade. Apple have obviously got the numbers wrong on this particular model (and don't want to be stuck with old stock) , as all others are the same original price.
@Goat Jam, just look out for a machine with the Intel ULV Processor 3500 Solo, this is similar in spec to the Atom regarding power and doesn't have any of the restrictions - also being matched to NVidia Ion Chipset - see Acer's new Timeline series.


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Residents of Hope Mills, N.C., are upset over a Fourth of July parade float that stirred the ire of many onlookers.
The float, an antique tractor flying a Confederate flag, was pulling a wagon loaded with watermelons and sporting a sign that read, "White History Month, Hug WTE PPL." The spectacle made some in attendance question who would issue such a permit to the man pulling the tractor, reports ABC11.
Donnie Spell, a farmer, was the man behind the tractor shenanigans. Spell was able to get a permit from the town without a problem. However, Hope Mills administrators told ABC11 that Spell was not entirely truthful when he applied for the permit, saying that he'd only be pulling a tractor with a sign that read "Watermelons for Sale" at a nearby bank parking lot.
ABC11 visited Spell's home to try to get some answers about the prank, and camera crews were met by an unnamed neighbor who said that Spell's float was not done to be funny or vicious. Some residents were still upset.
"This should be over, all that stuff should be over," Hope Mills resident Suzanne Singletary told ABC11. "I don't understand why people are still living like this."
Meanwhile, town officials are looking into changing the parade registration process so that incidents like the one involving Spell's float can never happen again.
Read more http://newsone.com/2628423/north-carolina-white-history-month-july-4th-float/


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Can anybody help me to identify this moth it is very unusual with distinct black rings on the leg joints and the scalloped wing. I attach two photographs.
This is a lovely moth, they are called Herald (Scoliopteryx libatrix), these moths will find a place at some point and hibernate like some of our butterflies do, in a shed or outbuilding.
I quite agree Crystal - lovely; one of my favourite moths (I have quite a few!).
I used to see this feeding at sallow blossom in Surrey (its larvae also feed on sallow).
The larva is a fairly nondescript green colour most of its life, but the last larval instar is distinctive in having dark markings near the head - search for 'Vorpuppe' here - http://www.lepiforum.de/lepiwiki.pl?Scoliopteryx_Libatrix
In Europe, there is only one other species in the Calpinae subfamily - Calyptra thalictri, which is much duller


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Download Owl Sounds
Megascops asio
IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern
Yves Dery
If a mysterious trill catches your attention in the night, bear in mind the spooky sound may come from an owl no bigger than a pint glass. Common east of the Rockies in woods, suburbs, and parks, the Eastern Screech-Owl is found wherever trees are, and they're even willing to nest in backyard nest boxes. These supremely camouflaged birds hide out in nooks and tree crannies through the day, so train your ears and listen for them at night.
The Eastern Screech-Owl is a short, stocky bird, with a large head and almost no neck. Its wings are rounded; its tail is short and square. Pointed ear tufts are often raised, lending its head a distinctive silhouette.
Eastern Screech-Owls can be either mostly gray or mostly reddish-brown (rufous). Whatever the overall color, they are patterned with complex bands and spots that give the bird excellent camouflage against tree bark. Eyes are yellow.
Eastern Screech-Owls are active at night and are far more often heard than seen—most bird watchers know this species only from its trilling or whinnying song. However, this cavity-roosting owl can be attracted to nest boxes or, if you're sharp-eyed, spotted in daylight at the entrance to its home in a tree cavity.
Trees define the Eastern Screech-Owl's habitat. This owl is fairly common in most types of woods (evergreen or deciduous; urban or rural), particularly near water. It shuns treeless expanses of mountains or plains.
Eastern and Western Screech-Owl's ranges do not overlap, so almost all the time they can be safely identified based on location. The two species look extremely similar, but fortunately their vocalizations are quite different. Eastern Screech-Owl gives a whistled trill and Western a series of bouncing notes that accelerate toward the end of the song. The Northern Saw-whet Owl is slightly smaller than Eastern Screech-Owl and lacks ear tufts, so its head is always rounded. Northern Saw-whet Owl has heavy brown streaks on a white breast, with less intricate patterning than screech-owls have. Juvenile Saw-whets have a dark brown head and back, and are oddly buffy-orange on their breast and belly.
The "McCall's" Eastern Screech-Owl (Asio otus mccallii), inhabits south-central Texas and parts of northern Mexico. It may prove to be a separate species, as it is always gray and never gives the "whinny" call. The two common color morphs, gray and rufous, represent individual variation and don't vary consistently by region or subspecies.
Eastern Screech-Owls readily accept nest boxes; consider putting one up to attract a breeding pair. Make sure you put it up well before breeding season. Attach a guard to keep predators from raiding eggs and young. Find out more about nest boxes on our Attract Birds pages. You'll find plans for building a nest box of the appropriate size on our All About Birdhouses site. These owls also use birdbaths and will visit them to drink and bathe.
Listen in wooded areas at night for the trills and whinnies of this vocal owl. Your best chance of seeing an Eastern Screech-Owl may be to listen for the excited voices of songbirds mobbing an owl they have found. You can also look closely at tree cavities and nest boxes; especially on cold sunny days, you may see the owl sunning sleepily in the entrance.
Dissecting the food web: an owl pellet investigation, Birdsleuth
Raptors and Rat Poison, Living Bird, Summer 2015.
Learn to Identify the Distinctive Calls of Owls [video]
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BME 695L Lecture 14: Designing and Testing Integrated Nanomedical Systems
22 Nov 2011 | Online Presentations | Contributor(s): James Leary
See references below for related reading.
14.1 Introduction to integrated designs
14.1.1 "Total design" but there is some order in...
BME 695N Lecture 16: Assessing drug efficacy at the single cell level
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02 Nov 2007 | Online Presentations | Contributor(s): James Leary
Introduction and overview
Nanomedical treatment at the single cell level requires evaluation at the single cell level
For evaluation purposes, does structure reveal function?
Optical BioMEMS Microfluidic Technologies for Hand-Held, Point-of-Care, Medical Devices
23 Nov 2009 | Online Presentations | Contributor(s): James Leary
Portable, point-of-care, medical diagnostic devices could provide an important new component in more cost-effective healthcare delivery. Rapid measurements of blood samples during an examination...


text: The Czech publisher of Trek novels, Laser Books, has released a new cover for their edition of Kobayashi Maru: It was originally going to come out last year, but they've had a few hiccups with Enterprise because another publisher managed to get the rights to do the Romulan War books there. They've also delayed their version of Death in Winter, because they're trying to get permission from Pocket to print it with Improvisations on the Opal Sea: A Tale of Dubious Credibility, from Tales From the Captain's Table. If you're curious, I've elaborated on what their editor has let me know about all this and their other plans on my blog. I always found the cover for Kobayshi Maru a bit bland, so am glad to see something different appearing for it.


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The Daily Show is fond of pointing out that Americans learn their geography about other countries only when they go to war with them.
But international sporting contests are another source of information about countries and the Olympics is a good way to hear about countries that would otherwise never make the news.
For example, in looking over the official medals table yesterday, I noticed a listing for an entity known as 'Taipei (Chinese Taipei)'. I assumed that this was the island of Taiwan whose main city is Taipei. In looking it up, it turns out that this name was the compromise reached by the Chinese government with international sporting bodies so as to not give the impression that Taiwan is an independent country. (Another oddity I noticed in the medals table was that Germany had yet to win a single medal. True, it was only the second day of the contest but Germany used to be an Olympic powerhouse.)
Another source of endless confusion as to how they should be referred to, and not just for the Olympics, is that set of geographic regions known as England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, each of which has considerable political autonomy while still being part of a larger single entity. Great Britain consists of the single island consisting of England, Scotland, and Wales, while the United Kingdom refers to Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Then there is also the republic of Ireland, whose official name is simply Ireland, which adds to the confusion since Ireland also refers to the island that makes up Northern Ireland and the republic of Ireland.
In the United Nations, the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland' is listed as one member state while Ireland (the republic of Ireland) is another member state. So far, so good, all clear so far.
The problem is that in international sports, all manner of other combinations occur. When it comes to the rugby World Cup, the teams listed are England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. But it is not clear to an outsider (like me) if that Ireland is Northern Ireland or the republic of Ireland or the entire island Ireland. When it comes to international cricket, England, Scotland and Ireland field teams where Wikipedia tells me that 'Ireland' here represents all of the island of Ireland (Northern Ireland and the republic of Ireland). When it comes to the soccer World Cup, they are refreshingly explicit. The teams entered are listed as Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, England, and the Republic of Ireland.
But at the Olympics, things fall apart. The teams listed are Great Britain and Ireland. Is this Ireland the island Ireland (as in cricket) or just the Republic of Ireland? If the latter, what happened to the athletes who live in Northern Ireland? Commenter MorsGotha says that the team listed as Great Britain includes Northern Ireland. Why it is referred to by the locals as 'Team GB' and not as the more logical 'Team UK', I don't know.
On a more trivial note, when it comes to people, we speak of the English, Scottish, Welsh, and Irish. We also speak of the British. But there seems to be no way, as far as I know, of referring collectively to the people of the United Kingdom, which seems odd given that it is the official name of the sovereign state as listed in forums like the UN. (Maybe UKers?)
So come on, people of England/Scotland/Wales/Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland/Great Britain/United Kingdom! Help us out here with a system that the rest of the world can understand. We learned to deal with the British system of masses and lengths but these complications are just too much.
(After I had prepared this post, commenter Carl sent along this link that tries to clarify this issue.)


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Want an excuse to get dressed up...?
Contributed by Courtnie Mele on 11/18/13
Ithaca College's Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Club will be hosting its 5th Annual Dinner Dance on Dec 7th at 6pm. The event will take place at Celebrations in Ithaca. Come join us for a night full of good food, music, and fun- all while helping a great cause!
ICMSA is dedicated to raising awareness and funds for Multiple Sclerosis. The Dinner Dance is both an enjoyable night out (and a great excuse to get dressed up) and an educational event. During the first half of the night, dinner will be served and we will have several speakers talking about their experiences with MS as well as the most up to date research. The second half will be the dance portion. We also have great raffles that will be going on throughout the night!
Tickets are $15 a person, or $104 for a table of 8. All proceeds will be donated to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to help fund research and community outreach programs. RSVP by Nov 22nd for a definite spot at this amazing event. We will have limited slots open after the 22nd. Check out our Facebook event for more information:
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Dr. Fred Phillps Elected Fellow of AGU, Jan. 21, 2008
"For He's a Jolly Good Fellow!"
SOCORRO, N.M., Jan. 21, 2008 -- New Mexico Tech congratulated Dr. Fred Phillips, professor of hydrology, on his recent election as a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU). The AGU is very selective in awarding this honor; each year only one in a thousand of the members may be elected to Fellowship.
This follows hard upon the heels of Dr. Phillips' election last year as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
The AGU Fellowship will be formally awarded to Phillips on May 29, at a Joint Assembly of the AGU in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
For background on Phillips and his accomplishments, please see


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DuraClear® White Wine Glasses, Set of 6
Easy, hassle-free returns online and in-store for eligible items.Learn More
- Summary
These graceful white wine glasses have an incredible light-reflecting clarity—you might mistake them for true glass. Now made in the USA from an extremely durable polycarbonate, the stemmed glasses are perfect for poolside parties, picnics and barbecues.
- Set of six glasses, perfect for serving chilled wines and sparkling juices outdoors and poolside.
- DuraClear food-grade polycarbonate won't crack, shatter, break, cloud or discolor.
- Glasses maintain their clarity even through regular use and washing.
- For monogramming, please specify single or triple initials.
- For cold beverages only.
- Dishwasher safe.
- Dimensions & More Info
- 6 3/4" high.
- 8-oz. cap.
- Made in USA.
- Use & Care
- Dishwasher safe.
- To preserve the clarity and shine of your DuraClear pieces, make sure they avoid direct contact with other dishes when placed in the dishwasher, as such contact may cause scratches.
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Shipping Information
This item is shipped from our warehouse by UPS to arrive within
3-5 business days of our receiving your order.
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The shipping rate varies depending on your order total and shipping destination. View Shipping Options and Charges.
Next Day Delivery
For an additional charge of $17.50 per address, we can expedite delivery to most destinations. This service is not available for some oversize items, items shipped directly from the supplier (including perishable and custom-manufactured items), out-of-stock items and items to be shipped outside the contiguous 48 states.
Orders reciived by 9:00 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Thursday will arrive the next business day; orders placed Friday thorugh Sunday will arrive on the following Tuesday.
Return Policy
At Williams Sonoma, we take great pride in the quality and craftsmanship of our products. Attention to design, materials, safety and construction are our priority. Upon receipt, please inspect your purchase and notify us of any damage; we will arrange for a prompt replacement.
If within 30 days, you are dissatisfied for any reason, you may return your purchase for a refund of the merchandise value. An original receipt or gift receipt is required for all returns and exchanges. Returns with a gift receipt will be refunded in the form of a Merchandise Credit for the amount indicated on the gift receipt. Returns with original receipt will be refunded in the original form of payment, cash and check refunds over $100 will be issued as a company check (may take 14 business days from time of request).
For all cutlery returns (knife sets, single knives, cutting boards, knife sharpeners, and knife storage) please contact us at 888.922.4108 to initiate the return.
We cannot accept returns on monogrammed, personalized, special-order items, custom upholstery, food, items shipped direct from the vendor, or on items damaged through normal wear and tear. Final sale items ending in .97 or .99 cannot be returned.
For returns of items purchased from your Williams Sonoma Gift Registry, we will gladly provide a refund or exchange for the merchandise within 90 days of your event or within 90 days of purchase, whichever date is later. View Full Returns Policy.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Studio416 from Great summer wineglass I ordered these to use outside by the pool in the summer. They are a little thicker material than I had anticipated (the rocks glasses are thinner and resemble glass more), but they are very nice looking, a nice size, and are perfect for me and my guests. The reviews indicated that they got ruined in the dishwasher, but I have washed them multiple times and I haven't found that to be true. Love them.Date published: 2016-07-19Rated 5 out of 5 by Pr1210 from Great wine glasses Just the right size! The clarity is wonderful and the engraving is fantastic! These would make a great gift.Date published: 2015-07-12Rated 1 out of 5 by Foodlover from DuraClear White Wine Glasses NOT Dishwasher Safe I own many DuraClear glasses - small & large tumblers, faceted tumblers, stemless wine glasses and more. I've loved it all until I purchased these white wine glasses. They are advertised as being dishwasher safe BUT THEY ARE NOT DISHWASHER SAFE. After washing them once in the dishwasher they came out crazed. Returned those and got replacements. Washed the replacements once in the dishwasher and they too came out crazed. Returned the second set and while they were replaced, I was told not to put them in the dishwasher – but they're advertised as being dishwasher safe and that's why I bought them, so they didn't have to be hand-washed. I wash all my other DuraClear in the dishwasher all the time and have never had a single issue. They come out beautifully. For whatever reason, these DuraClear White Wine Glasses are DEFECTIVE and are NOT DISHWASHER SAFE. I'm very disappointed with these glasses and do not recommend them.Date published: 2014-07-20Rated 5 out of 5 by JBJM from Fit the Bill After reading many of the reviews with product "issues", I was reluctant to order these for our lake house. For the price of this product, I had high expectations. We have now used the new glasses on several occasions, and I am completely satisfied. The plastic is a little heavier than I expected, however, nicely made (I wish they were available in a color though). I do plan to continue with hand washing. The serving size is adequate. We look forward to using these for boat cruises without concerns for broken glass. I would highly recommend - just treat with respect to keep them looking new! Yes, I also ordered the red wine glasses in smoke because I was so pleased with this purchase.Date published: 2014-06-10


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The Federal Government will Become America's Model Employer for the 21st Century.
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"...The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall serve as the Suitability and Credentialing Agent..." ~Executive Order 13467, as amended
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OPM's Human Resources Solutions organization can help your agency answer this critically important question.
Developing senior leaders in the U.S. Government through Leadership for a Democratic Society, Custom Programs and Interagency Courses.
Visit this federal site to search for our regulatory notices, proposed and final rules.
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On March 16, 2011, the National Council on Federal Labor-Management Relations met to discuss the progress agencies are making on establishing their labor management forums, implementing their collective bargaining pilot projects, a new training tool to educate Federal employees, managers, and union officials about the Executive Order, and to share success stories from DHS, USDA, and OPM.
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New releases offer crime flicks in the City of Angels, freedom fighter
This week, we begin in the City of Angels:
Gangster Squad -- In 1949, Los Angeles, police chief Parker (Nick Nolte) enlists World War II veteran Sgt. O'Mara (Josh Brolin) for a secret mission. The chief wants to rid his city of its rampant graft and corruption, most traced to crime boss Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn). O'Mara hand-picks a group of men, including Sgt. Wooters (Ryan Gosling). The group acts on its own, breaking up Cohen's casinos, bugging his home, and diverting drug shipments. Cohen believes it all to be the work of a rival gang.
Director Ruben Fleischer choreographs his scenes proficiently enough, but an uninspired script won't make anyone forget L.A. Confidential. Brolin remains square jawed and grim-faced throughout, while Gosling, as well as Emma Stone as the gratuitous girlfriend, languish in wasted roles. As Cohen, Penn snarls a lot, while Pronouncing. Every. Word. Rated R, 113 minutes.
The DVD, in all formats and combo packs, offers director commentary and about two hours of supplements. Includes the 46-minute focus points segment "The Set-Up," with 12 minutes of deleted scenes, and an episode of "Rogues' Gallery" featuring a 46-minute look at gangster Mickey Cohen. Plus: "Tough Guys With Style," a five-minute featurette on the film's costumes, and an eight-minute "Then and Now" segment.
A Whisper to a Roar -- This compilation documentary takes existing footage, whether in the form of newsreels or recent phone or Internet clips, and assembles a portrait of five countries that have suffered or continue to suffer under some sort of authoritarian control: Venezuela, Egypt, Malaysia, Ukraine, and Zimbabwe. The film also examines and how the countries built counter-activities against its dictators. Filmmaker Ben Moses also scored some impressive interviews with many involved, including former leaders of Ukraine and Malaysia, opposition leaders of Zimbabwe, as well as two pivotal Egyptian figures in the rebellion against Hosni Mubarak's regime. The interviews lend insight into the familiar footage, which is still harrowing. Narrated by Alfred Molina. Not rated, 95 minutes.
The DVD includes three additional interviews and a three minute segment on Ukraine's Termini Place incident.
Save the Date -- In this slight romantic-comedy-drama, Sarah (Lizzy Caplan) moves in with Kevin (Geoffrey Arend). Once there, he proposes marriage and she bolts. Meanwhile, her sister Beth (Alison Brie) prepares to marry Kevin's best friend, Andrew (Martin Starr). After the break-up, Sarah struggles to find balance in her life, even when moving on to another relationship. Director Michael Mohan takes familiar material and does little with it, restricting his field to clubs, bars, and apartments, and filling them with indifferent rock music. Not rated, 97 minutes.
The DVD contains about six minutes of deleted scenes and outtakes and a "Save the Date" storyboard and comic strip.
Warner Home Entertainment releases four unrated, manufactured-on-demand titles originally made between 1932 and 1934, when officials started enforcing the restrictive Production Code. These titles are distributed by Warner Archives.
Heat Lightning --, Blondie Johnson (), From Headquarters (1/2) and Alias the Doctor (1/2)
All films run between 62 and 67 minutes. Similar to Warners' "Forbidden Hollywood" series, this offering (call it "Forbidden Hollywood 5.5") showcases some lesser known titles starring once-popular players who pushed Depression-era boundaries. Heat Lightning takes place at an isolated rest stop run by two independent sisters (Aline MacMahon, Ann Dvorak). Eventually joining them and igniting the situation, are an ex-boyfriend along with two dangerous fugitives. Renowned director Mervyn LeRoy squeezes maximum suspense out of this minimalist character study.
Former Denton resident Joan Blondell stars as Blondie Johnson, a young woman who comes to the big city with her destitute family. She becomes an unrepentant gold digger, with various grafts and schemes that thrust her up the ladder of a local criminal gang.
From Headquarters is a rapidly paced whodunit with fast talking characters and an involving plot directed by Warners veteran William Dieterle. When a man is found dead, guilt shifts from his girlfriend (Margaret Lindsay) to his butler to his girlfriend's brother and then to a business partner.
Only a shrewd detective (George Brent) can get to the bottom in this well plotted mystery, which also gives a comprehensive close-up of the era's crime forensics.
Wooden Richard Barthelmess stars as the title character in Alias the Doctor, a strained melodrama about an honors medical student in Vienna who takes the blame for a bungled abortion performed by his fellow medical student brother. Several years after his release from jail, the defrocked doctor unintentionally poses as his now dead brother. Before long, he has gained acclaim while hiding his secret. From there, he must hide his identity and live a double life.
Escapee-- During a school field trip to a high security mental facility, an inmate (Dominic Purcell) physically confronts a student, Abby (Christine Evangelista). Unharmed but shaken up, she returns home to her two roommates. But wait. Later, on a dark and stormy night, that slippery inmate somehow escapes. And of course he wants to make contact once again with poor, frightened Abby. Bad things then happen in this moody yet formulaic fright-fest. Rated R, 96 minutes.
The DVD, also on Blu-ray, holds a 15-minute "making of" featurette.
And, finally, for kids this week:
Car's Life 3: The Royal Heist — Sparky (voice of Corrine Orr) the red sports car returns to animated action, greeting Queen Limousine when she arrives for a charity drag race. While there, however, the queen's jewels go missing, setting off a mystery only the Sparkman can solve. Not rated, 85 minutes.
The Magic School Bus: All About Earth — Scholastic Storybook Treasures celebrates Earth Day on April 22 with this collection of three new environmentally-themed episodes of the science adventure series. Subjects covered include seeds, volcanoes, and air pressure in, respectively: "The Magic School Bus Goes to Seed," "The Magic School Bus Blows Its Top," and "The Magic School Bus Goes on Air." Not rated, 78 minutes.
The DVD also includes a bonus episode: "The Magic School Bus All Dried Up."
Also on DVD: The Impossible, Jurassic Park 3D, Mr. Selfridge, Promised Land.