text:
So I've never been able to tap into the lucrative "pre-planned trip" market for visiting fans. All those sites that package together airfare + hotel + game tickets, all those fans who have never been to Manhattan and want to see their Steelers play a guaranteed-win game in the big city, all those older-father Raiders fans on Long Island who only get to see them once every 5 years, the Saints fans who travel in groups hitting the Big City.
So if I routinely get 2x face value for the big games every year (Patriots, 49ers, Dolphins) in last-minute fashion the week of the game methinks I've got a lot more money coming my way for Row 1 Mezz A's from out of town travel agencies, ticket brokers, package-deal people, as well as Birthday/Father's Day early buyers out there. Row 1 makes a huge difference as does the very affordable face value of $125 compared to other sections.
The secondary market is working its magic and for the sections I'm interested in sitting, you won't find a better deal next year. The club market has pretty much bottomed.
The problem is not the PSL price, it is the ticket price.
Regardless, you are then essentially defeating the purpose of having Season Tickets. The whole concept of sitting in the same seat, with the same (general) people and not having to worry about looking for tickets (time is money, etc.) is worth something to some people and is one of the main, non-financial reasons to have STs.
Personally, I don't mind buying tickets last minute. I enjoy the search and don't mind the uncertainty. But there have been instances where I do devote significant time wading through tickets waiting til the night before/morning of the game in order to pull the trigger. But some people don't want to spend their time doing that.
The StubHub fans aren't in it to buy seats at face value. They want to buy seats at a deep discount. And the deep discounts dry up when the PSL holders dry up.
If you watch StubHub the way I do you'll see that there are around 9,000 seats available during a typical week of a typical game. Sunday night and Monday, the good locations get scooped up. By the time Thursday rolls around, you're down to 4,000 seats. Then everyone drops their drawers and all 4,000 sell out very quickly for the last few days at stupid prices.
The tickets won't be "harder" to get. I never said that. But $150 seats being scooped up for $40 will stop. That's the point. The people who think that giving up PSL's will allow them to have any seat they want in the house at a stupid price gets harder and harder with every PSL owner who gives up their licenses.
This is nonsense anyway because the Jets won't have 80% of their fans defaulting on PSL's, but the point is that the StubHub "option" you think you have doesn't exist. Fewer seats in fans hands means we can raise our prices, more seats in the Jets hands means more seats at face value. StubHub is a gift that PSL owners give to the non-PSL owners. Least they could do is say "thank you".
Today's epiphany is a real mind-bender for the anti-PSL crowd. Not sure they're going to grasp it. They seem to forget who's their daddy when it comes to the StubHub free-for-all and how quickly it goes away if they screw themselves by giving up their PSL's.
My problem is that I don't believe that you can't extrapolate that game to Club Mezz and that is really the only place in the stadium I care to sit. I'm sure that is why so many of these club PSLs can be had for dimes on the dollar...
And I'm thinking that my Raiders tickets make a great Father's Day present on June 25 for someone and I've never listed seats that early before.
It will be interesting. Worst case, I don't get the money I think I've got coming and I just go to the games anyway, will be fun to boo Rex Ryan some more, something worthy of my lungs in this terrible period we're entering.
you say "more seats in the Jets hands means more seats at face value". as we've seen in the upper deck, that's not the case. it means "more seats the Jets will have to reduce the price on, if they want to sell them"... whatever forces are at play that result in PSL owners defaulting, to whatever degree, will also be at play when the Jets try to find other buyers for those seats. be it team performance, starting quarterback, primetime games, pre-season-requirement, locusts, or plague. doesn't matter.
Lets say I get $180 for a $125 ticket from a Buccaneers fan, a typical nice bump.
That Club seat right next to mine is $200 a ticket face and he'll ask for $250 which helps my ticket sell and later in the week he'll be lucky to get face value in light of what I'm offering mine for, in many cases has to match my price, he loses 10% while I've made 44%.
Mezz Clubs are resale poison. Go lower level or shoot for a Mezz A corner. It's a compromise to the view, but the tradeoff on the financial side is immeasurable.
the more tickets/PSLs that are dumped back on the Jets, the less the Jets will be able to charge new buyers for those tickets. if you don't see that, then you don't get the point. and it's pointless to explain it further.
The box office market from the Jets themselves is fixed.
The "supply and demand" argument works on the StubHub side only, the Jets fix their prices and do not discount outside of a perk like free parking to entice a PSL commitment.
As stated earlier, there are really only 4,300 seats in the whole building that meet the criteria of affordable + good view. The rest of the seats, especially the upper deck, are crap. So for every fan that gives up a PSL that's fewer seats on the market that meet the criteria.
Just look at yourself, for example. You said earlier that you're lucky to get 50% of face value for your seats. Well, that means that some StubHub fan out there got a great deal. If you give your seats back to the Jets, your seats either sell for face value or they don't sell at all. That's what I'm talking about. The StubHub ecosystem is not sustainable, especially if the team gets good again.
Let's pretend, for the sake of argument, than 15% of those fans decide to bail out and default on their PSL's.
The Jets are charging face value to the 80% of PSL-holders. They will then try to sell the remaining tickets at the same face value. If they go to the box office and drop the prices on those seats, the PSL owners will raise hell and want a price reduction instead. So what will the Jets do? They would raise prices 10% on existing PSL owners, try to sell those 15% of PSL seats for face value, and use the price increase to offset whatever losses they'd get from the defaulted PSL seats. And in the end, that means 15% less tickets on StubHub at cheap prices.
The only thing that will come of this theoretical "mass PSL defection" is that remaining PSL owners will get price increases to offset the PSL seats the Jets are stuck with. The PSL defectors will have fewer seats to choose from on StubHub and thus the remaining PSL owners will raise their prices making many fans choose to buy tickets at face value from the Jets.
Again, the PSL owners are the supply-chain for StubHub. If we dry up, StubHub dries up. The Jets don't have to worry about the 15% of the PSL seats that are unsold because they have the other 85% of PSL owners to make up for it, not to mention the money they kept when you defaulted and the bump they'll get once they re-sell your PSL's to someone else in 5 years when we're good again. The Jets don't get hurt when PSL owners leave. PSL owners do. StubHub cheapskates do.
You feelin' the epiphany yet?
the box office market from the jets is not fixed.
the Jets have discounted prices a lot more than your free parking example. They completely re-priced many PSL sections when sales were bad. they completely re-priced the upper deck when they found themselves back in possession of thousands of tickets. they would do the same in the lower 2 levels, if they found themselves in the same position. they won't just not sell the tickets. they'll do what they need to, ie lower face prices.
Having LSL seats in 135 gives us a great opportunity to sit practically anywhere we want because the resales on 135 have been way better than expected. Phenomenal as a matter of fact. Certainly disproportionate to resales in mezz corners and probably anywhere else. I am enjoying selling those then buying clubs for way under their face, usually less than the face for my LSL on the day of the game. The only thing is you have to wait until the night before or morning of the game to get those discounts.
One Saturday night we watched 30 yard line Mezz clubs drop from $225 to $140. Then, on Sunday morning they continued to drop and we bought 4 of them for $85 each for a 1:00game. We grabbed them at 10:45am and off we went. We had sold the 5 LSL weeks earlier for $225 (minus 15% stub hub commission). 5 LSL @ $145 cost us $725. Sold them for 5 X $190 (appx net price after commission) for a total $950. Then bought 4 clubs @ $85 each. Net cost to me was $115 for 4 clubs on the 30 yard line. Not too shabby. Then factor in the cost of all the food we bought in the clubs (instead of tailgating) and therin lies the catch.


text:
'A Raisin in the Sun' Hits $1 Million in Second Week
"A Raisin in the Sun," starring the Tony and Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington, earned $1.1 million in its first full week of previews, the Broadway League reported Monday.
The 2014 revival of the Lorraine Hansberry play is directed by Kenny Leon and in addition to Mr. Washington, stars LaTanya Richardson Jackson, who replaced Diahann Carroll after the latter actress dropped out. It is slated to run until June 15 at the Barrymore Theatre.
According to the Broadway League, "Raisin in the Sun" played to full houses in the week ending March 23 as well as the prior week, when it began showing previews. Average ticket prices last week were $132. It officially opens April 3.

subset: commoncrawl


text: "Philbrick here takes on an oft-told tale, replete with its dashing, flawed main character, its historically doomed, noble Native chief, and a battlefield strewn with American corpses.... Judicious in his assessments of events and intentions, Philbrick offers a rounded history ... enhanced by his minute examination of the battle's terrain and interviews with descendants in both camps. Distinctively, too, he takes no sides. In his compelling history, Philbrick underscores the pyrrhic nature of Sitting Bull's victoryit was followed by federal action to move his tribe to a reservation."Publishers Weekly (starred review)


text:
Return to gridlock: it's down to business for a house split in two
WASHINGTON: The election sorted out winners and losers, but it left intact a polarised governing structure in Washington that has been unable to produce much more than gridlock during the past couple of years.
The President, Barack Obama, seemed on track to become the first president in modern history to be re-elected with a smaller share of the vote than he got in his first bid. And while voters opted to keep Congress in the same hands as the past two years, congressional approval ratings are at near-record lows.
After an intensely negative campaign in which both parties defined themselves by who they were not and where they would not compromise, neither can claim voters gave them a mandate to actually accomplish anything.
But as they return to Washington and a set of immediate challenges, starting with the year-end ''fiscal cliff'', the election has given them a new understanding of what they are up against.
Mr Obama won not by presenting a positive and detailed agenda but by convincing voters that Mitt Romney and the Republican Party were unacceptable. If he hopes to achieve anything significant in his final term in office, he must first forge the kind of national sense of purpose that the election failed to provide.
''The role of the president is to build a consensus in America, and that's the way you build a consensus in Washington,'' Ken Duberstein, a Republican lobbyist who was White House chief of staff during Ronald Reagan's second term, said.
Meanwhile, Republicans have squandered what once looked like a promising opportunity to regain both the White House and the Senate. Amid the recriminations, they will be grappling with the tensions within their party and the outside demographic forces, such as the growing political power of Hispanics, that are shrinking their political base.
And for both Democrats and Republicans, there will come a reckoning with a new political system in which outside money, most of it ideologically driven and averse to compromise, has arisen as a potent force.
Mr Obama has told aides he plans to spend more time outside Washington during the next four years.
''One thing he does not want to do in his second term is get caught in the bubble,'' said one White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
''I think that I've learnt some lessons over the last four years,'' Mr Obama said at a September forum in Florida. ''And the most important lesson I've learnt is that you can't change Washington from the inside. You can only change it from the outside.''
Most instructive to the President, according to White House aides, was the contrast between his failure to achieve a ''grand bargain'' during the debt-ceiling crisis in the summer of 2011 and his success several months later in forcing Republicans to extend a payroll tax cut for 160 million Americans.
In the earlier effort, Mr Obama invested his energies in negotiating with congressional leaders; in the latter, he prevailed by taking his case to the country.
He also plans to be more aggressive in taking actions that do not require congressional approval, as he has done during the past year with an initiative that the White House has branded ''We can't wait''. Among them have been programs to hire veterans, assist homeowners in refinancing their mortgages and give waivers to states seeking to boost education standards.
''He does think that's going to be the new normal,'' another White House aide said.
Mitt Romney's defeat seems likely to ignite an intense debate among Republicans over whether he failed because he wasn't true enough to the party's conservative philosophy or because the GOP as a whole is not inclusive enough for an increasingly diverse nation.
Also likely to be questioned is the influence of the intensely conservative Tea Party faction.
This was the second election in which Republicans didn't pick up as many Senate seats as they had expected because they nominated especially conservative candidates, such as Todd Akin in Missouri and Richard Mourdock in Indiana, who alienated moderate voters in GOP-leaning states.
Recent history suggests that losing two presidential elections in a row can force a party to reorient itself, as the Democrats did after 1988 and the Republicans after 1996.
White House strategists think that this time around, it is likely that Republicans will come to the table to hammer out immigration reform. They are less hopeful for common ground on tax reform.
The Washington Post
Get the Morning Edition
Sign up for our daily wrap of the news you need to start your day.


text:
The head of a seafood supplier who says Market Basket overpaid his company by nearly half a million dollars is suggesting that the move may have been a deliberate effort by new management to sabotage the beleaguered grocery chain.
Tim Malley, CEO of Boston Sword & Tuna, said in an open letter that the turmoil at Market Basket, kicked off by the ouster of longtime CEO Arthur T. Demoulas, has seriously hurt his company.
The seafood wholesaler is cutting ties with Market Basket's current management group after a 10-year business relationship with the chain. Malley believes the company can save itself only by bringing back its fired workers.
Market Basket has been roiled by employee protests, customer boycotts and near-empty stores for months, ever since a long-running boardroom family feud culminated in the June ouster of the man workers affectionately call Artie T. by allies of his cousin, Arthur S.
Malley says that after he tried and failed for more than a week to reach executives who had promised to offset the costs, Market Basket gave his company two checks overpaying him by nearly $500,000, once by $83,000 and the second time by more than $415,000.
"In my mind there could be only two answers to these accumulating mistakes and self-destructive strategies. One was that the CEOs were way over their heads," Malley wrote in the letter. "The only other explanation seemed to be a deliberate attempt to sabotage the future of the company."
"Could the Arthur S. side of the family be so embittered by the defiance of Arthur T. and all the stakeholders supporting him that their plan is to sell him – at full pre-conflict price – a pile of smoking rubble?" he went on to wonder in his letter.
According to Malley, Boston Sword & Tuna provided the supermarket chain with more than 30,000 pounds of Atlantic salmon weekly, as well as 15,000 to 30,000 pounds of other seafood. He says his company has a two-way contract with his partners who farm the salmon in Norway and with Market Basket.
Without Market Basket buying the product, Malley said, Boston Sword & Tuna had to sell the fish at a significant discount and faced potential layoffs.
"We're concerned about the inconsistencies with some of the statements and there's been inconsistencies with some of the financial arrangements. And we felt that we had an obligation to go public so that the shareholders, all the shareholders would know what's going on," Malley said.
Malley said that Market Basket proposed that Boston Sword & Tuna provide one box of 10-20 pounds of seafood to each of the 71 stores Tuesday.
"We didn't really see this as being a practical solution," Malley told NECN, adding that he wasn't sure they even had the staffing to distribute the product. "That's such a small amount that it makes us question their strategies and their priorities."
While he believes the chances of Market Basket being saved are dwindling, Malley voiced his hope of a return to the way things were.
"We've had such a good relationship with Market Basket. The former management treated us very well," said Malley. "We hope that they're restored to their positions and that we can all go forward, because we certainly do want to continue to do business with Market Basket."
Market Basket's new management responded to Malley's letter Monday afternoon in a statement that blamed the employee walkouts for the damage.
"When a distribution network set up over decades is shut down in one day, it is naive to assume any company would not suffer. The longtime employees that ran Market Basket's buying and distribution system walked out on their jobs, their customers and their vendors on July 18. That is precisely the reason Market Basket's stores have had only limited perishable items in stock since," they said. "We have been diligently working with vendors to limit the damage the walkout has caused."
Market Basket employees and customers insist they're not backing down until Arthur T. Demoulas returns.
NECN asked fired district supervisor Tom Trainor what would happen if ATD doesn't come back.
"I haven't really thought that far ahead yet. We'll see what happens. I have full faith in Artie. And he said that he would never leave us. And I believe him," he said.


text:
Kathie Lee Gifford and her "Today Show" cohorts have signed a letter of support for Matt Lauer, who's been hit with bad press since co-host Ann Curry's ouster last year -- and can you guess who's name isn't on it?
Gifford says not to read too much into the fact that Curry hasn't signed. Lauer has denied that he played any role in forcing her from the show last June.
Also read: Matt Lauer Less Popular Than Polio, Says Matt Lauer
Gifford told the New York Daily News that she simply hasn't seen Curry lately to get her to sign. The rest of the "Today" cast and crew have, including Al Roker, Savannah Guthrie, Willie Geist and Hoda Kotb.
"She's just not part of (the show) day-in and day-out anymore," Gifford said. "This wasn't about Ann, this is about our love and support for a different member of our family."
Curry still retains ties with NBC as a roving reporter.
Also read: Ann Curry's Last Days on 'Today': 'A Form of Professional Torture'
Gifford intended to publish the letter in USA Today, but dropped the plan at Lauer's request, the Daily News said.
"We the people of the 'Today' show who work side by side, day by day, year in and year out with Matt Lauer are tired of unfounded and unrelenting stories by faceless characters regarding his character and reputation," the letter reads. "No one has coerced us to sign this. With our signatures we stand in support of our colleague and friend."
Also read: Brian Stelter Reveals How 'GMA's' Robin Roberts Avoided the Ax
Gifford said she wrote the letter because she was tired of seeing her colleague criticized.
"I've been through it," Gifford said. "I also knew what he must've been going through internally."
Related Articles:
Matt Lauer Less Popular Than Polio, Says Matt Lauer
Anderson Cooper Not Replacing Matt Lauer on 'Today,' NBC Says
Ann Curry Double Indignity: Cruel TV Chyron, Ironic Magazine Cover


text:
Many consumers—including many women—feel buying a car can be a contentious process. TrueCar's commitment has been to create common ground for consumers and car dealers by informing and empowering all car buyers.
Our request is simple: Please allow TrueCar to discuss its side of the issue before publishing or broadcasting any story.
Regardless of race or gender, being a more informed car buyer benefits consumers. This particular ad is pro-consumer and pro-women. It was developed by our creative director, who is a woman, and it addresses a real consumer issue in the marketplace.
[RELATED: Learn the 7 elements of storytelling with video at this one day video boot camp.]
Home | Social Media | Media Relations | Crisis | Marketing | Writing & Editing | Events | Training | Awards | Videos
Ragan.com | HealthCareCommunication.com | Ragan Consulting | RaganTraining.com | PR-University.com
About Us | Contributors | Contact Us | Host a PR Daily Event | Sponsorship | Custom Workshop | Custom Content
FAQ | RSS | Store | Privacy Policy | Site Map


text:
Kim Jong-il Had an Otherworldly Birthday
We were told ahead of time that "colorful events will take place" for Dear Leader Kim Jong-il's birthday on Wednesday, but we could have never guessed just how awe inspiring the celebration of his 69th year of life would be. According to the Korean Central News Agency, a "mysterious natural wonder" took place above Kim's magical mountain birthplace, Mount Paektu:
"The bright sun rose up, throwing its brilliant rays and the area of the Paektusan Secret Camp turned into a fascinating picturesque of spring. Then rarely big and bright halo persisted in the sky above Jong Il Peak for an hour, starting at 09:30."
We can all just shut up now about Kim's rumored kidney troubles and alleged strokes — he was brought to us from the heavens and will never leave.
[via Reuters; image of an unimpressed Kim with birthday gifts from China via AP]


text:
I'm a lifestyle journalist and I've been writing about office productivity software for a long time. Here you'll find handy hints, tips, tricks, techniques and tutorials on using software as diverse as Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access and Publisher from Microsoft and other applications that I love. My publishing credits include PC Magazine, Windows XP mag, CNet, PC User mag, SmallbusinessComputing.com, Winplanet and Sydney Morning Herald.
Labels: Excel 2003, sound.
Please feel free to add your comment here. Thank you!


text:
OCEAN CITY – While the area's representatives in Annapolis all agree resolving the state's projected $1.5 billion deficit will be the top issue in the upcoming General Assembly session, they clearly disagree with slots as part of the debt-busting equation.
Local legislators, in Ocean City this week to brief resort business leaders on issues of local import in next year's General Assembly session, all agreed the biggest obstacle to overcome was the state's estimated $1.5 billion structural deficit. With spending pulling away from projected revenue, the state government will have to reconcile the debt with a variety of methods including, but not limited to, cutting funding for state and local agencies or increasing various taxes and fees or a combination of both.
Looming out there, as it has for the last several years, is the issue of legalized slot machines in Maryland, which is viewed by some as an instant panacea for the state's budget woes. Given the choice between slots and the alternatives, which include cutting programs and/or raising taxes, many state lawmakers are looking to the gaming machines as a way out of the financial crisis.
After several failed attempts, many believe this could be the year slots are approved in Maryland, including lobbyist Dennis Rasmussen, who represents the Ocean City Chamber of Commerce in Annapolis. Rasmussen told resort Economic Development Committee (EDC) members this week this could be the year the gaming machines are approved in Maryland given the state's current economic climate.
"Clearly, slots are going to be a very, very big issue," he said. "I really believe this is the year the governor and the General Assembly take a real hard look at passing slots."
It remains uncertain how the general public in the area feels about slots, and only a referendum or straw poll on the issue would truly provide a barometer for local opinion on the issue, but the resort business community has taken a clear stance in opposition. During the Maryland Association of Counties (MaCo) meeting in Ocean City last month, many resort businesses boldly boasted the message "No Slots in Maryland. Period," on their marquees, in an effort to let state lawmakers know how they feel about the divisive issue. The Ocean City Mayor and Council have also taken a formal position in opposition to slots, particularly anywhere near the tourism-dependent resort area.
For their part, local legislators have attempted to follow the will of their constituents for the most part, although it has become increasingly difficult with the projected deficit and the alternatives of cutting programs or raising taxes on the table. State Senator Lowell Stoltzfus (R-38), who represents Worcester and much of the Lower Shore, told EDC members on Wednesday he remains adamantly opposed to slots anywhere in the state. Stoltzfus cited the potential impact on tourism in Ocean City and the rest of his district as reason enough to oppose the gaming machines.
"You all know how I feel," he said. "I'm opposed to slots everywhere, especially in Ocean City. If they spend out at the racetrack, they're not spending it in here."
Stoltzfus said he has listened to his constituents on the issue and hasn't heard any unified voice in favor of slots. He also said if state lawmakers choose slots as a means to resolve the budget issues, he would continue to oppose them anywhere near his district.
"I haven't heard any group in Ocean City say they want this," he said. "If they do come to Maryland, I will do everything I can to keep them out of Ocean City."
Delegate Jim Mathias (D-38B) was less adamant about his opposition to slots, although he stopped short of flat-out opposing them. For years when Mathias was mayor of Ocean City, he often testified against the gaming machines, particularly at Ocean Downs, but when it appeared they might become inevitable, he softened his fierce opposition to what amounted to a 'if you can't beat them, join them' approach.
His reasoning, which he calls consequence management, believes if slots are approved somewhere on the way to Ocean City and the resort area, some of the tourist's dollars would be absorbed before they get here. Mathias also said on Wednesday slots could be a means to avoid tax increases.
"Back when I was mayor of Ocean City, we started talking about consequence management," he said. "Maybe slot machines at a minimum can be a mechanism for tax maintenance."
Mathias said this week slots opponents like to point out the potential disasters involved in other states where they are already up and running, but he said there is no evidence of any pending disasters.
"Opponents look at Delaware and West Virginia and say look at the train wrecks happening there," he said. "Well, I'm still looking for the train wrecks to happen. Their economies are still moving forward."
The local delegate said he would keep an open mind when he goes into the session this year and listen to all of his constituents on the slots issue.
"When I hear you say 'this isn't good for us,' I get that. I understand," he said. "But when I get in the car and start heading west on the shore, I hear 'we need this to save our farm.' I have to be open-minded. Maybe there's a way to manage and control it."


text:
When you have a large area of your quilt that will have a unique quilting pattern such as a center medallian, do you draw that whole pattern out on paper and perfect the design before quilting? Is marking with a quilter's ponce the best way of marking black fabric? I'm working on the center section of my quilt and I think I should quilt it now before I enlarge it more. I want the pattern to be large fleur des lis. I can see it in my head, I'm just foggy on the detail of getting it out of my head and onto the fabric. Plan B is just to assemble the whole thing and send it to a LA, but I would still have to tell her what I had in my head, right? Help this beginner out here, ladies. I so obviously need it. I have a couple of books on how to copy designs, but none give the steps on designing patterns, making the patterns fit the space, etc. The center section is 44"x44" -
all one piece with a very large applique centered on it. Quilting pattern will essentially be the 4 corners.


text:
Cook's laborious outing ends in loss
Recently tabbed All-Star allows seven runs over 7 1/3 innings
By Jeff Birnbaum / MLB.com
On the one hand, Cook had been notified before the game that he had been selected to his first All-Star Game, but on the other hand, he had taken the loss after giving up seven runs in 7 1/3 innings.
"It's kind of bittersweet," Cook said. "I wish I could have done better."
Colorado snapped its season-high five-game winning streak. But despite the loss, the Rockies (37-52) finished their homestand 5-2 and put themselves in a position to make a second-half run as they begin a seven-game road trip in Milwaukee before the All-Star break.
"One game's not going to take away from the good feeling we've created," manager Clint Hurdle said. "We're in a better position at the end of the homestand than we were when we came in. Now the next step is to go get after the Brewers."
After winning the first three games of the series, the team looked fatigued on Sunday.
"There's only so many punches to throw in certain games," Hurdle said. "Today we just got underneath them and couldn't get back on top."
Marlins pitcher Chris Volstad (1-0) earned the victory in his Major League debut after pitching two shutout innings of relief.
Even though Cook (11-6) clearly didn't have his best stuff, Hurdle kept his ace in the game until Cody Ross hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning that gave the Marlins a 7-4 lead.
"Really, I think I could have lived with the outing had I not given up the home run to Ross right there," said Cook, who labored through 110 pitches on Sunday after throwing just 79 pitches in his first-career shutout against the Padres on Tuesday.
The Rockies got on the board in the second inning when Brad Hawpe, who homered Saturday, hit his 13th homer after a nine-pitch at-bat. The Rockies grabbed a 4-3 lead in the fourth after Cook, who has done double-duty as a pinch-hitter this season, doubled to center to bring home Jeff Baker. Ryan Spilborghs then hit a broken-bat single to score Hawpe and Cook.
Spilborghs finished the series with eight hits, including three doubles and two home runs. He also had seven RBIs and scored seven runs. Spilborghs was filling in for Willy Taveras, who has been hampered by a sore left quadriceps.
"It's just looking for fastballs down the middle," Spilborghs said. "I'm just trying to be patient and get a good pitch to hit."
Cook retired the side in order in the fourth and fifth, but ran into more trouble in the sixth, when he gave up four hits in the inning and the Marlins scored two to pull ahead 5-4. Ross's two-run shot to left in the eighth put the game out of reach.
Unlike a majority of the games during this homestand, Colorado struggled to produce hits with men in scoring position on Sunday. Clint Barmes, who went 0-5, hit an inning-ending fly to center with the bases loaded in the sixth, and Yorvit Torrealba lined to short with two on and two out in the seventh.
The Rockies will have to find a way to carry the recent momentum they've built onto the plane with them when they head to Milwaukee. At this point, they can't afford to slip too far in the standings and hope to play meaningful games after the All-Star break.
"It's been an up-and-down first half for us," Matt Holliday said. "We haven't played nearly as well as we thought we would. But we're still in striking distance, which is all we can ask for."
Jeff Birnbaum is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
The Lakers came crashing down with the thunder of a Blake Griffin dunk on Thursday.
And after struggling to open their eyes, they looked around and realized they'd hit rock bottom.
It can't get any worse then this, can it?
They can't fall any further than an embarrassing 142-94 blowout loss to the Clippers, the most lopsided in Lakers history, can they?
"The worst loss I've ever been a part of," said Jodie Meeks.
"It was draining," a weary Wesley Jonson said.
"We're all pretty pissed off," said Robert Sacre.
The question is, can the Lakers possibly fall any further?
With 20 games left to play in this pitiful season, what do you think?
Cover your eyes, Lakers fans.
This is about to get really, really ugly.
If the Lakers can't get up to play a home game against their Staple Center rivals, what hope do they have against anyone else?
They hopped on a plane to Denver late Thursday night and you just know the Nuggets were waiting at the airport with a red carpet.
Need a win?
Call the Lakers.
They've finally gone complete tank.
"I didn't think we quit," Meeks argued. "We just didn't play well."
That's debatable.
While the Clippers ran and rolled and laughed and dunked, the Lakers just went through the motions.
With Griffin towering, the Lakers just cowered.
When DeAndre Jordan rose up, the Lakers merely covered up.
The Clippers walloped the Lakers with a 73-point first half.
And then crushed them with a 69-point second half.
"It's embarrassing," Meeks said. "There really isn't much else to say."
No one communicated.
No one hustled.
No one played defense, and whatever offense the Lakers played, it was executed with minimal teamwork or cohesion or care.
"We made it tough on ourselves," Sacre said. "And it kept getting tougher."
They let the Clippers do whatever they wanted, and the Clippers obliged by walking all over them.
"When it started going their way, it really went their way." Johnson said.
This wasn't a basketball game, it was a concession speech.
The Lakers gave up on the season, if not officially, certainly symbolically.
All that remains now is playing out the rest of the schedule, as painstaking as they might be.
And then figuring out who survives to live another season.
Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash, neither of whom is healthy enough to play, are under contract for next season.
Pau Gasol is a free agent and at odds with coach Mike D'Antoni, so you figure one of them will not be back.
If not both.
Beyond that, there isn't a player that took the floor on Thursday that is a lock to return.
Sadly, they played like they couldn't care less one way or another.
"For whatever reason, we didn't come to play and they did," Meeks said.
As for D'Antoni, it's getting harder and harder to defend him.
He's an an obvious target, the so-called leader of this talentless team.
He couldn't get Dwight Howard on board last season and he can't reach Gasol this year.
That's two All-Star big men essentially turning their back on D'Antoni, which doesn't bode well for his future.
Yes, he once enjoyed success in Phoenix.
But he failed in New York and he's done nothing in Los Angeles to illicit confidence he's the coach to lead the Lakers out of the darkness.
It's might be unfair to judge D'Antoni based on the cast of misfits he coaches every night, but with every loss the respect for him dwindles just a little bit more.
On Thursday, his team didn't even show up for him.
Coaches can survive losing seasons, but only if their teams compete for them.
When players stop trying, it's another story.
The Lakers have 20 games left to show they respect D'Antoni enough to play hard for him.
But it's impossible not to wonder if they've already tuned him out.


text:
Title: Acting - The Contentless Scene
The Contentless Scene is a wonderful method for exploring the foundations of acting: objectives, obstacles, tactics. Additionally, the actors have the opportunity to work with vulnerability, projection, and the person-to-person contact and tactical interplay that characterize dynamic relationships.
Standard(s): [AED] TH2 (6-12) 8:
Title: The Roaring Twenties
This activity involves comparing turn of the century music with the music from the Jazz Age. Students will listen to musical selections and analyze how the change in the music reflects the change in cultural attitudes. They will also work in groups to create their own radio shows.
Standard(s): [SS2010] US11 (11) 5:
Title: Audio Broadcasts and Podcasts: Oral Storytelling and Dramatization
Students create their own audio dramatization of a text they have read, after exploring Orson Welles' 1938 broadcast of H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds.
Standard(s): [ELA2015] (12) 33:
Title: Happily Ever After? Exploring Character, Conflict, and Plot in Dramatic Tragedy
By exploring the decisions points in a tragedy, students consider how the plot of the story can change if the key characters make a different choice at the turning point.
Standard(s): [ELA2015] (12) 40:
Title: Dramatizing History in Arthur Miller's ''The Crucible''
In this EDSITEment lesson, students consider how Arthur Miller interpreted the facts of the Salem witch trials and how he successfully dramatized them in his play, The Crucible. Students examine some of Miller's historical sources: biographies of key players and transcripts of the Salem Witch trials themselves. The students also read a summary of the historical events in Salem and study a timeline. The students then read The Crucible itself.
Standard(s): [SS2010] US10 (10) 2:
Title: 'Hamlet'' Meets ''Chushingura'': Traditions of the Revenge Tragedy
This lesson, from EDSITEment, contains two activities for students to explore similarities and differences between cultures by comparing Shakespearean and Bunraku/Kabuki dramas. These activities involve literary comparison of Hamlet and the Japanese drama Chushingura, and analyses of different cinematic and theatrical adaptations of both plays.
Standard(s): [ELA2015] (12) 29:
Title: 'Hamlet'' and the Elizabethan Revenge Ethic in Text and Film
This lesson, from EDSITEment, contains a set of five activities for students to explore the themes of honor, loyalty, and revenge in selected scenes from Hamlet. These activities involve literary analysis of the text, discussions of characterization and motive, and comparison with a cinematic adaptation of the play.
Standard(s): [ELA2015] (12) 29:
Title: 'You Kiss by the Book'': Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
This lesson, from EDSITEment, complements study of plot and characterization in Romeo and Juliet by focusing on Shakespeare's use of lyric forms and conventions to spotlight moments in the drama and thereby heighten the impact of the action on the stage. Students examine the first meeting between Romeo and Juliet as an enactment of figurative language in a context of competing poetic styles, explore the use of poetic forms to impart perspective in later episodes of the play, and gain experience in close reading and the interpretation of verse structure and imagery.
Standard(s): [ELA2015] (12) 39:
Title: Live from Antiquity
The goals of this EDSITEment lesson are to gain an appreciation for Greek drama through study of a play by Sophocles, to explore the cultural and historical context of Greek drama and its role in Greek society, and to reconstruct the experience of seeing a Greek drama performed and share that experience in an imaginative report.
Standard(s): [ELA2015] (12) 40:


text:
News Release
Please note: As of January 20, 2017, information in some news releases may be out of date or not reflect current policies.
MSHA News Release: [06/19/2013]
Contact Name: Amy Louviere
Phone Number: (202) 693-9423
Email: email@example.com
Release Number: 13-1214-NAT
Holmes Safety Association embraces mine rescue component
ARLINGTON, Va. The recent decision by the Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association to create a separate mine rescue program represents a critical component in a three-year effort by the Mine Safety and Health Administration to address gaps in how the nation responds to mine emergencies.
"We now have a new partner a national organization to support and provide the necessary guidance for mine rescue," said Joseph A. Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health.
The Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment and change to its bylaws to create a mine rescue component during its annual meeting June 4-6 in Virginia Beach, Va. The association will provide a forum for the mine rescue community to collaborate on best practices, procedures and training to enhance mine rescue capabilities for coal and metal/nonmetal mines. It also will serve as a vehicle to disseminate guidelines, training and tools to the mining community.
"Mine rescue is among the most dangerous and challenging types of rescue work undertaken in this country, and we owe those who volunteer for these high-risk missions the best training and support we can give them," said Main. "This month's vote returns mine rescue to its roots within the Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association."
Since May 2010, MSHA has hosted three summits and held a number of events with the mine rescue community to discuss the latest improvements in mine rescue, identify remaining gaps in mine emergency response and preparedness, and decide what further actions are needed to ensure a swift and comprehensive response from government, industry and others in the event of a mine emergency.
A meeting to establish the executive committee and officers of the new mine rescue organizational component of Holmes will take place on Oct. 29, 2013, at the National Mine Health and Safety Academy in Beaver, W.Va.
The Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association, founded in 1916 to promote health and safety in mining, was named for Dr. Joseph A. Holmes, a mine safety pioneer and the first director of the U.S. Bureau of Mines. Holmes was instrumental in establishing and organizing mine rescue teams and training during the early part of the 20th century. The nonprofit organization consists of representatives from federal and state governments, mining organizations and labor.


text:
Hi apologies if this is in the wrong section, but it's my first post!
My Granny has asked me to help identify this type or fungi that has started growing in her garden. We think it might belong to the bracket group?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks :-)
It looks like one of the species of honey fungus, Armillaria.
There are a few other species that look similar, but one of the key things that IDs honey fungus is the presence of black 'bootlaces' (rhizomorphs) - see 2nd photo in the gallery half-way down this page
- http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=180
Note that the toadstools usually appear in trhe autumn; was that when the photo was taken?
Was the tree cut down because it died of some at-the-time-unknown illness? If so, the pathogen may have been the honey fungus.
Hi Mike thank for getting back to me so quickly!
The photograph was taken on 4th October 2013, there were no black bootlace thingies associated with it, and the tree had been a perfectly healthy Lawson's Cypress which unfortunately outgrew the garden.
Let me check: you scraped down below soil level in searching for the bootlaces, yes?
I did think it might be sulphur tuft, but I see now from your photo the gills are the wrong colour
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypholoma_fasciculare
The other one I had in mind was/is velvet shank, Flammulina velutipes,
which occurs on rotting sumps
- http://www.first-nature.com/fungi/flammulina-velutipes.php
But I don't think it is quite right.
Could do with other opinions...
Hi Mike, my Granny reports back that she didn't scrape down but she's now looked at further pics of velvet shank and believes it to be that. She passes on her thanks and is grateful to finally put a name to it.
I'm glad your Granny is satisfied.
If you get a chance, however, have a surreptitious scrape around for those black bootlaces.


text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Jul 19, 2005
|Filing date
|Oct 20, 2003
|Priority date
|Feb 5, 1993
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Jay V. Clark, William L. Bramlett, Jr., Judith Moyer
|Original Assignee
|Ncs Pearson, Inc.
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (101), Non-Patent Citations (22), Referenced by (13), Classifications (15), Legal Events (5)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/425,775 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,749,435, filed Apr. 29, 2003, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/660,204, filed Sep. 12, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,558,166 B1, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/141,804, filed on Aug. 28, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,168,440 B1, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/003,979, filed on Jan. 7, 1998, now abandoned, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/561,081, filed Nov. 20, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,694, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/290,014, filed Aug. 12, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,521, which is a division of application Ser. No. 08/014,176, filed Feb. 5, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,554; and application Ser. No. 09/143,682, filed on Aug. 28, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,159,018, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/003,979, filed on Jan. 7, 1998, now abandoned, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/561,081, filed on Nov. 20, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,694, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/290,014, filed Aug. 12, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,521, which is a division of application Ser. No. 08/014,176, filed Feb. 5, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,554, are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The present invention relates to a system for processing answers to test questions.
The scoring of test answer sheets involves complex problems. These test answer sheets typically include a series of response positions such as, for example, "bubbles," ovals, or rectangles. A person taking a test would, for example, darken in an appropriate oval with a pencil to answer a multiple choice question. These test answer sheets may also include handwritten answers, such as essay or short answer questions. Systems for scanning and scoring the bubbles on such answer sheets are known in the art. Increased difficulties are encountered, however, when such answer sheets either include other types of answers, such as handwritten answers, or cannot be machine graded. For example, if the student has failed to include his or her name on the test answer sheet, the system may be unable to machine score the test answer.
The goals in scoring test answers that cannot be machine scored include efficiency and consistency. These test answer sheets are typically scored by test resolvers either by manually scoring the physical test answer sheet or scoring an electronic representation of the test answer sheet on a computer. Ideally, the scores provided by the various test resolvers for a particular test question should be consistent, since the scores are used in comparing performance of the students against one another. In addition, a test resolver should ideally work efficiently so as to maintain consistently high scoring rates. The test resolver should not have such a high scoring rate that the consistency or quality of scoring significantly declines; likewise, the test resolver should not have such a low scoring rate that the too few answer sheets are being scored. This manual scoring of test answer sheets, however, makes it difficult to monitor the consistency of scoring among the various test resolvers.
In many situations, test resolvers actually travel to a particular location so that all test resolvers may simultaneously score test answer sheets. Requiring the test resolvers to travel to a given location is inconvenient for the resolvers and expensive for those who administer the tests. Furthermore, tracking the performance of test resolvers against both their own performance and the performance of other resolvers can be very difficult with a manual scoring environment.
The process of resolving test questions is currently done manually, and this presents problems. A resolver is manually presented with the actual test answer sheets for scoring. This process is relatively inefficient, since the resolvers must score the answer sheets one at a time and in the order in which they are presented. Also, manual scoring systems do not have the capability to efficiently gather and categorize the test answers for subsequent analysis. Therefore, with a manual system it is very difficult to determine how teaching methods should be changed to decrease, for example, the number of incorrect answers.
A need thus exists for a system that promotes and achieves consistency and efficiency in scoring or resolving of tests.
The present categorized data item reporting method and system groups data items into predefined categories for analysis and review. In the method, a plurality of data items are received. The data items comprise an electronic representation of at least a portion of a person's work product. The data items are divided according to predefined categories. The divided data items are organized into separate groupings. Finally, the data items in the groupings are reported.
In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and in which is shown by way of illustration a specific embodiment in which the invention may be practiced. This embodiment is described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.
The system uses the scanners for reading in test answer sheets. These test answer sheets may comprise, for example, test forms with "bubbles" or ovals representing possible answers, handwritten essays, or other various types of written or printed information. After receiving the scanned test data, the system within the RISC servers can process those scanned test answer sheets to generate test items of interest from the answer sheets. A test item is, therefore, an electronic representation of at least a portion of a test answer sheet. The system may distribute these test items to the work stations for on-line scoring. A test scorer at a work station can then score the test item and enter a test score. The system receives the test scores via the network and the RISC servers and distributes the scores to an appropriate computer for subsequent printing and reporting; the appropriate computer may include, for example, the mainframe computer 20 or a server. The system may also transmit the test scores to, for example, a disk or telephone line.
The computer 24, preferably implemented with an HP 1000, is interfaced to the scanner 25 and PC 26 for controlling the operation of the scanning unit. The computer 24 is optional; the system may alternatively be configured such that all of the functionality of the computer 24 is within the PC 26. The computer 24 controls the scanner via the OMR logic 32 and thus controls when image data is scanned in and subsequently transferred to the PC 26. The PC 26 essentially acts as a buffer for holding the image data. The computer 24 further controls when the PC 26 will interrogate the image data for transmission to a server 27 for subsequent processing and scoring. The PC 26 can also electronically remove or "clip" an area of interest from the image data, which represents at least a portion of the scanned test answer sheets.
Examples of two systems for storing and extracting information from scanned images of test answer sheets are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,134,669 and 5,103,490, both of which are assigned to National Computer Systems, Inc. and are incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth.
The server 27 receives the image data, which includes test items, and provides for processing and control of the image data. This portion, which may be a test item, is then distributed to the work stations 28, 29 and 30 for subsequent scoring. A test resolver (scorer) at the work station typically receives the test item, performs the scoring, and transmits the score to the receiving computer.
The main processing module 45 controls the processing of test items. It controls the transmission of test items to the work stations for scoring and the transmission of scores to the mainframe computer 20. The main processing module 45 also monitors the performance of the test resolvers to maintain consistent and efficient resolving of test items, as is explained below.
The main processing module 45 typically contains the following basic functions, which are controlled by system management module 32. A work flow module 38 receives image data from the database 36 and controls the flow of data into an edit process module 39. The edit process module 39 may perform machine scoring of the test items. For those test items which cannot be machine scored, or possibly for other test items, the system transmits such test items to the job build function 40. The job build function 40 determines what type of subsequent scoring is required for the test item and, for example, which work station will receive the test item. A job send module 41 receives the test item and transmits it to a router 42, which in turn transmits the test item to a send/receive communication module 43. Edit work module 34 and edit server module 35 control the flow of test items into and out of server 27. Incoming data, such as test answers from the work station, are transmitted through modules 34 and 35 to a job receive module 44. The job receive module transmits the data to the edit process module 39 for subsequent storage within the database 36.
The system waits at step 55 until it determines that a test item is ready to be resolved or scored. If multiple resolution items are present within the image data, as determined at step 59, then the system sends the test item to multiple item processing at step 63. Otherwise, the system performs other resolution processes on the data at step 60 and stores the result in work-in-process storage 55 at step 61. Other resolution processes may include, for example, machine scoring, raw key entry, and analytic resolving.
Analytic resolving or scoring may include, for example, map comparisons such as bit-mapped comparisons between two test items. The map comparisons allow a test resolver to compare, for example, the answers of a respondent over time to track the respondent's progress. For example, the analytic scoring may involve comparing two hand-drawn circles by the respondent to determine if the respondent's accuracy in drawing circles has improved over time. Analytic scoring may also include, for example, circling or electronically indicating misspelled words and punctuation errors in an answer such as an essay.
The system typically transmits test items to a particular resolver based upon the resolver's resolution expertise. For example, a certain resolver may be assigned to score all of the test items relating to science questions. Resolution expertise may also comprise, for example, math, english, history, geography, foreign languages, or other subjects.
An example of an interface on the resolver display is shown in FIG. 14. The interface typically comprises a plurality of cells 74, with each cell containing one test item to be resolved. After displaying the multiple items in the cells of the resolver display, the system allows the resolver at step 72 to score the multiple items. A test resolver would typically indicate the score of the answers by using a "mouse," light pen, touch screen, voice input, or some other type of cursor control or input device.
In the example shown in
After scoring or resolving, the system receives the results at step 73 for subsequent storage in work-in-process storage 55. A test resolver typically transmits the results of resolving all displayed test items in the cells as a single unit for batch processing.
In addition, the system may merge an image of a test item with the corresponding score. In order to facilitate teaching of material to which the test relates, the system typically merges a test item representing an incorrect answer with the corresponding score. By reporting the actual test item, an instructor may gain insight into a thought process used by the student in arriving at the incorrect answer. Therefore, by having some knowledge of why a student answered a test question incorrectly, an instructor can take measures to change or modify teaching strategies to correct the situation.
The categorized item reporting normally comprises the following functions. The system at step 75 scans the work-in-process storage for items that are ready to be reported. If test items are ready for reporting, as determined at step 76, the system processes the data at step 77 for generating an appropriate report of the data. At step 78, the system scans the central application. repository for definitions of categorized (special) items. As special items are available for reporting, as determined at step 79, the system retrieves the special items at step 80 and can merge it at step 81 with other report information, such as the corresponding test items, as explained above. The system then distributes a report at step 82, which can be a printed report.
The system at steps 83 and 84 determines if items are available for scoring. At step 85, the system receives collaborative scoring requirements from the database and determines at step 86 if collaborative scoring is required. Examples of collaborative scoring requirements are illustrated below. If collaborative scoring has been specified, the system retrieves the item to be scored from the work-in-process database at step 87 and sends the item to resolvers 1 and 2 at steps 88 and 91. At step 140, the system can prevent resolver 1 and resolver 2 from scoring the same test item if they have average scores within predefined scoring criteria.
The system is further able to choose resolvers according to selection criteria at steps 89 and 90. The selection criteria of the resolvers for scoring answers may include, for example, race, gender, or geographic location. The ability of the system to assign test resolvers to score particular test items provides the basis for increased fairness and consistency in the scoring of tests. For example, the system may assign test resolvers to test items based on the same racial classification, meaning that the test resolver has the same racial classification as the student or respondent whose test the resolver is scoring. The system may also assign test resolvers to test items based on a different, forced different, or preferred blend of classifications. The system monitors consistency in scoring based on the selection criteria and, more importantly, can change the selection criteria to ensure consistent and fair scoring of test items.
The system records the scores from resolvers 1 and 2 at steps 94 and 95, respectively, and stores such scores in a temporary storage 96. At step 97, the system compares the scores according to criteria specified in the central application repository. Such criteria may include, for example, requiring that the scores be within a predefined percentage of each other. If the scores meet the criteria as determined at step 98, the system records the score in the work-in-process database at step 46. Otherwise, if the scores do not meet the criteria, the system determines at step 99 if the scores of the resolvers must agree. If the first two resolvers scores do not need to agree, then the system preferably transmits the test item to a third resolver to "cure" the discrepancy in the first two scores. At step 100, the system determines if the third resolver should see the first scores.
Instead of allowing the resolvers to work together to record an agreed-upon score, the system may optionally record either a greater value of the first and second test scores, a lower value of the first and second test scores, or an average value of the first and second test scores.
If the collaborative scoring criteria specifies that the third resolver should arbitrate the discrepancy and determine a score, then the system displays scores from the resolvers 1 and 2 at step 106 for resolver 3. The third resolver (resolver 3) then typically enters a score for the test item at step 107, and the system records the score in the work-in-process database at step 108.
If the collaborative scoring requirement specifies that the third resolver should not see the first two scores, then the system executes steps 109-111. At step 109, the system displays the test item for the third resolver. The third resolver then typically enters a score at step 110, and the system records the score in the work-in-process database at step 111.
The system then waits for a scheduled quality check at step 113. At the quality check, the system, at step 114, sends the known quality item to the scheduled resolver. At step 116, the system updates the resolver's quality profile based on the evaluation at step 115. If the resolver should receive a quality result, as determined at step 117, the system displays the quality profile to the resolver at step 118. At step 119, the system sends the quality profile to a manager for subsequent review. At step 120, the system takes action required to assure scoring accuracy.
Validity is typically measured by determining if a particular resolver is applying the scoring key correctly to test items or, in other words, scoring test items as an expert would score the same items. Reliability is typically measured by determining if a particular will resolve the same test item the same way over time (providing consistent scoring). Speed is typically measured by comparing a resolver's scoring rate with past scoring rates of the resolver or other scoring rates, such as average scoring rates or benchmark scoring rates.
At step 121, the system typically continually monitors the resolver's performance and updates the performance. Monitoring the resolver's performance may include, as explained above, monitoring the resolver's validity, reliability, and speed in resolving test items. The system periodically, according to predefined criteria, performs performance checks of the test resolvers. Predefined criteria may include, for example: a time period; recalls (how often a resolver evaluates his or her own work); requesting help; the number of agreements among multiple resolvers; the amount of deviation between the resolver's score and a known score, which may be determined using quality items; the frequency of these deviations; the speed at which a resolver enters a response during resolving of test items; the length of time between scores entered by a test resolver; a test resolver's previous scoring rate, an average scoring rate of a test resolver; average scoring rates of other test resolvers; or some predetermined benchmark scoring rate.
At step 122, the system determines whether it is time for a scheduled performance check according to the predetermined criteria. If it is time for a performance check, the system at step 123 compares the resolvers' current performance, as determined at step 121, with the stored performance criteria. At step 124, the system determines if there is a discrepancy in the resolver's performance according to the predetermined criteria. For example, the system may determine if the resolver's current scoring rate is within a predefined percentage of the average scoring rate in order to ensure efficient scoring by the test resolver. If there is no discrepancy, the system returns to monitoring the resolver's performance. In addition, the system may store the resolver's current performance values for later processing. Otherwise, the system reports the discrepancy at step 125.
At step 126, the system determines if it should recommend a break in scoring to the resolver. If according to predetermined performance criteria, the system should recommend a break in scoring, then the system signals the resolver at step 128 to halt scoring. Predefined performance criteria may include, for example, deviations in the resolver's validity, reliability, or speed of resolving test items. Examples of predefined performance criteria are provided above with respect to the monitoring of resolvers' performance.
When the resolver stops scoring, the system may provide the resolver with the option of requesting diversionary activities. Diversionary activities are designed to provide the test resolver with a rest period and "break" from scoring to increase efficiency. Examples of diversionary activities include computer games and cross word puzzles. If the resolver has requested such diversionary activities, as determined at step 129, then the system transmits a diversionary activity to the resolver at step 130. Otherwise, the system returns to monitoring the resolver's scoring rate when the resolver resumes the scoring.
If the system at step 126 does not recommend a break in scoring based on the discrepancy, then the system may optionally provide the resolver with diversionary activities as determined at step 127. If the resolver should receive the diversionary activities, then the system sends such activities to the resolver at step 130. Otherwise the system returns to monitoring the resolver's scoring rate.
At step 131, the system sends a test item to a resolver for scoring and displays the test item at step 132. If the resolver has requested scoring rules, as determined at step 133, then the system interrogates a stored scoring guide to locate scoring rules that correspond to a test question for the test item currently displayed to the resolver. The system retrieves those particular scoring rules at step 135 and displays them to the resolver at step 136. The system preferably uses a multi-tasking environment in order to simultaneously display the scoring rules and the test item. At step 134, the system waits for the resolver to score the test item. At step 137, the system stores the test score entered by the resolver into the work-in-process storage.
As described above, the present invention is a system that processes test items. The various functions used in processing the test items promote efficient, high quality, and consistent scoring of test items.
While the present invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that many modifications will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and this application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations thereof. For example, a different hardware configuration may be used without departing from the scope of the invention and many variations of the processes described may be used. It is manifestly intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and equivalents thereof.
|Cited Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Oct 23, 1965
|Oct 15, 1968
|Univ Illinois
|Versatile display teaching system
|Feb 16, 1968
|Nov 10, 1970
|Response Systems Corp
|Student-responder apparatus
|Jul 16, 1971
|Oct 2, 1973
|Lerali Sa
|Apparatus for the individual and automatic monitoring of replies given under examination
|Apr 18, 1973
|Jan 20, 1976
|Eastman Kodak Company
|Audio-visual learning system
|Sep 25, 1972
|Jan 25, 1977
|Ricoh Co., Ltd.
|Group response analyzing system
|Jun 7, 1978
|May 1, 1979
|Eric F. Burtis
|Machine for teaching reading
|Jul 3, 1978
|Jun 3, 1980
|Teknekron, Inc.
|Document processing system and method
|Aug 26, 1983
|Oct 23, 1984
|Kathryn Kaney
|Method for recording uncoded scores or ratings by multiple evaluators on a single automatic machine scannable document
|Jul 1, 1983
|May 21, 1985
|Volker Hepp
|Mobile event-module
|Aug 5, 1982
|May 21, 1985
|Conway Malcolm J
|Method and apparatus for effecting and evaluating action upon visual imaging
|May 31, 1983
|Nov 12, 1985
|Horst Froessl
|Document and data handling and retrieval system
|Aug 26, 1985
|Dec 9, 1986
|Jost Von Fellenberg
|Psychotechnological testing method and device therefor
|Feb 1, 1985
|Mar 3, 1987
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Method for providing an on line help facility for interactive information handling systems
|Oct 22, 1985
|Jun 9, 1987
|Keilty, Goldsmith & Boone
|Performance appraisal and training system and method of utilizing same
|Sep 13, 1985
|Sep 15, 1987
|Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
|Image information processing system
|Mar 27, 1986
|Nov 10, 1987
|Maron Melvin J
|Process of teaching
|Jan 7, 1987
|Nov 24, 1987
|Meadowbrook Industries, Inc.
|Work carrier for use in computer printing
|Dec 4, 1984
|Dec 29, 1987
|Ronald Lewis Shapiro
|Computer training system
|Mar 20, 1986
|Apr 26, 1988
|Computer Entry Systems Corporation
|Information storage, retrieval and display system
|Apr 20, 1987
|Jul 26, 1988
|Cognitronics Corporation
|Mark-reading apparatus for use with answer sheets
|May 27, 1986
|Aug 16, 1988
|Mcdonald's Corporation
|Student response system
|May 11, 1987
|Nov 15, 1988
|The Trustees Of The Stevens Institute Of Technology
|Remote teaching system
|Nov 30, 1984
|Dec 6, 1988
|E. I. Du Pont De Nemours And Company
|Neutral technetium 99-m complexes useful as radiodiagnostic agents
|Mar 31, 1983
|Jan 17, 1989
|Bell & Howell Company
|Interactive training method and system
|May 16, 1988
|Jul 4, 1989
|Fdr Interactive Technologies
|Telephonic-interface statistical analysis system
|Sep 24, 1987
|Sep 19, 1989
|The Trustees Of The College Of Aeronautics
|Audio visual instructional system
|Nov 3, 1987
|Oct 31, 1989
|Emtek Health Care Systems
|Method for generating patient-specific flowsheets by adding/deleting parameters
|Nov 2, 1987
|Jan 23, 1990
|The University Of Michigan
|Computerized diagnostic reasoning evaluation system
|Jan 21, 1988
|Mar 13, 1990
|Bell Communications Research, Inc.
|Hierarchical database conversion with conditional write
|Apr 6, 1987
|May 29, 1990
|Fan David P
|Information processing expert system for text analysis and predicting public opinion based information available to the public
|May 13, 1988
|Jun 26, 1990
|National Computer Systems, Inc.
|Method and system for creating and scanning a customized survey form
|Dec 6, 1988
|Sep 18, 1990
|Npd Group, Inc.
|Open ended question analysis system and method
|Jun 6, 1989
|Dec 18, 1990
|Educational Testing Service
|Free response test grading method
|Sep 25, 1989
|Feb 26, 1991
|Neonics, Inc.
|System and method for recommending items
|Apr 28, 1989
|Mar 26, 1991
|Electronic classroom system enabling interactive self-paced learning
|Dec 21, 1988
|Mar 26, 1991
|Recognition Equipment Incorporated
|Document processing system and method
|Jul 19, 1989
|Apr 30, 1991
|Educational Testing Service
|Machine-interpretable figural response testing
|Mar 6, 1990
|Jun 11, 1991
|Deniger David B
|Response form processing system
|Jul 24, 1989
|Jul 30, 1991
|Munson Electronics, Inc.
|Computer game teaching method and system
|Feb 12, 1990
|Aug 6, 1991
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Method and apparatus for adaptive image processing by recognizing a characterizing indicium in a captured image of a document
|Oct 24, 1988
|Oct 1, 1991
|Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield
|Method and apparatus for converting documents into electronic data for transaction processing
|Jun 27, 1988
|Oct 15, 1991
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Object management and delivery system having multiple object-resolution capability
|Oct 26, 1989
|Oct 22, 1991
|Educational Testing Service
|Computerized mastery testing system, a computer administered variable length sequential testing system for making pass/fail decisions
|Aug 24, 1990
|Dec 10, 1991
|Emtek Health Care Systems, Inc.
|Medical information system with automatic updating of task list in response to entering orders and charting interventions on associated forms
|Jan 31, 1989
|Feb 4, 1992
|Custom Command Systems
|Expandable home automation system
|Nov 27, 1990
|Mar 31, 1992
|Deesen Kenneth C
|Computer assisted coaching method
|Jul 6, 1990
|Mar 31, 1992
|Automated Tabulation Inc.
|Method and apparatus for optically reading pre-printed survey pages
|Jun 13, 1990
|Apr 7, 1992
|National Computer Systems, Inc.
|Method and apparatus for storing and merging multiple optically scanned images
|Jan 23, 1989
|Apr 14, 1992
|Nippon Kayaku Kabushiki Kaisha
|Method and apparatus for correlating respiration and heartbeat variability
|Mar 12, 1990
|Jun 2, 1992
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Method and system for locating the amount field on a document
|Jun 13, 1990
|Jul 28, 1992
|National Computer Systems
|Image processing system for documentary data
|Feb 2, 1989
|Aug 18, 1992
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Computer-implemented method for automatic extraction of data from printed forms
|Feb 2, 1990
|Sep 15, 1992
|Gross Theodore D
|Tachistoscope and method of use thereof for teaching, particularly of reading and spelling
|Apr 29, 1991
|Sep 29, 1992
|International Business Machines Corporation
|System and method for processing documents having amounts recorded thereon
|Apr 17, 1990
|Jan 5, 1993
|Hamilton Eric R
|Computer assisted instructional delivery system and method
|Dec 4, 1990
|Jan 19, 1993
|United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy
|Automated answer evaluation and scoring system and method
|Jun 8, 1990
|Mar 16, 1993
|Assessment Systems, Inc.
|Testing system including removable storage means for transfer of test related data and means for issuing a certification upon successful completion of the test
|Jun 8, 1990
|Apr 20, 1993
|Assessment Systems, Inc.
|Computer-controlled testing process and device for administering an examination
|Apr 25, 1991
|May 18, 1993
|Educational Testing Service
|Computerized figural response testing system and method
|Mar 20, 1991
|Nov 2, 1993
|System X, L. P.
|Information processing methodology
|Dec 13, 1991
|Nov 9, 1993
|Educational Testing Service
|Method and system for interactive computer science testing, anaylsis and feedback
|Dec 30, 1991
|Nov 16, 1993
|Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
|Electronic learning machine which is capable of giving learning problems matching the student's scholastic ability
|Feb 11, 1992
|Dec 7, 1993
|John R. Lee
|Interactive computer aided natural learning method and apparatus
|Jan 27, 1992
|Mar 15, 1994
|Jonathan Hartzell
|Teacher and parent interactive communication system incorporating pocket sized portable audio numeric terminals
|Apr 1, 1992
|Apr 12, 1994
|Corder Paul R
|Instructional system and method for improving communication skills
|Apr 30, 1992
|May 10, 1994
|Jostens Learning Corporation
|Instructional management system
|Nov 22, 1989
|Jun 7, 1994
|Gte California Incorporated
|Multimedia distribution system for instructional materials
|Feb 5, 1993
|Jun 14, 1994
|National Computer Systems, Inc.
|Multiple test scoring system
|Feb 1, 1994
|Sep 6, 1994
|Digital Image Systems
|Image based document processing and information management system and apparatus
|Dec 19, 1991
|Dec 27, 1994
|Zirm; Matthias
|Apparatus and method for teaching and learning microsurgical operating techniques
|Jan 28, 1992
|Jan 3, 1995
|Fleetwood Furniture Company, Inc.
|Test scoring system and method
|Feb 7, 1994
|Feb 7, 1995
|Corder; Paul R.
|Instructional system for improving communication skills
|Mar 20, 1992
|May 23, 1995
|Xerox Corporation
|Mark sensing on a form
|Feb 5, 1993
|Jul 18, 1995
|National Computer Systems, Inc.
|Categorized test item reporting system
|Feb 5, 1993
|Aug 1, 1995
|National Computer Systems, Inc.
|System for providing performance feedback to test resolvers
|Aug 26, 1993
|Aug 1, 1995
|Discourse Technologies, Inc.
|Remote teaching system
|Sep 13, 1991
|Sep 19, 1995
|Meadowbrook Industries, Ltd.
|Image capture and storage techniques in association with optical mark reading
|Mar 31, 1994
|Oct 17, 1995
|National Computer Systems, Inc.
|Dynamic on-line scoring guide
|Aug 12, 1994
|Nov 14, 1995
|National Computer Systems, Inc.
|Collaborative and quality control scoring system
|Jan 31, 1992
|Mar 5, 1996
|Hitachi, Ltd.
|Questionnaire system
|Aug 31, 1994
|Aug 6, 1996
|Peripheral Vision Limited
|Method and system for the capture, storage, transport and authentication of handwritten signatures
|Aug 12, 1994
|Sep 24, 1996
|National Computer Systems, Inc.
|System for preventing bias in test answer scoring
|Jun 22, 1993
|Oct 15, 1996
|Educational Testing Service
|System and method for computer based testing
|Jan 30, 1995
|Jan 21, 1997
|Morgan; Michael W.
|Method and apparatus for recognizing handwritten inputs in a computerized teaching system
|Jun 7, 1995
|May 27, 1997
|R. Alan Blau & Associates, Co.
|Method and apparatus for obtaining consumer information
|May 9, 1996
|Jul 8, 1997
|Peripheral Vision Ltd.
|Method and system for the verification of handwritten signatures
|Nov 28, 1994
|Sep 30, 1997
|Meadowbrook Industries, Ltd.
|Apparatus and method for scoring nonobjective assessment materials through the application and use of captured images
|Nov 20, 1995
|Nov 25, 1997
|National Computer Systems, Inc.
|Dynamic on-line scoring method
|Dec 18, 1995
|Nov 25, 1997
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Mechanism and architecture for manufacturing control and optimization
|Nov 20, 1995
|Jan 20, 1998
|National Computer Systems, Inc.
|Multiple test item scoring method
|Nov 20, 1995
|Feb 10, 1998
|National Computer Systems, Inc.
|Method for preventing bias in test answer scoring
|Nov 20, 1995
|Feb 17, 1998
|National Computer Systems, Inc.
|Method for providing performance feedback to test resolvers
|Nov 20, 1995
|Apr 7, 1998
|National Computer Systems, Inc.
|Collaborative and quality control scoring method
|Nov 20, 1995
|May 19, 1998
|National Computer Systems, Inc.
|Categorized test item reporting method
|Mar 7, 1996
|Nov 16, 1999
|Uniscore Incorporated
|Method for scoring and control of scoring open-ended assessments using scorers in diverse locations
|Mar 20, 1998
|Nov 16, 1999
|Educational Testing Service
|On-line essay evaluation system
|Mar 20, 1998
|Nov 23, 1999
|Educational Testing Service
|Computerized system for scoring constructed responses and methods for training, monitoring, and evaluating human rater's scoring of constructed responses
|Sep 19, 1997
|Dec 7, 1999
|Abelow; Daniel H.
|Customer-based product design module
|Aug 28, 1998
|Dec 5, 2000
|National Computer Systems, Inc.
|Dynamic on-line scoring guide and method
|May 1, 1999
|Dec 5, 2000
|Barnhill Technologies, Llc
|Enhancing knowledge discovery using support vector machines in a distributed network environment
|May 28, 1992
|Dec 14, 1993
|Norwood Donald D
|Hybrid information management system for handwriting and text
|Answer and Counterclaim, Aug. 14, 1998, pp. 1-9, Civil Action No. 98-CV-3568, District of Pennsylvania, Meadowbrook Industries, Ltd. vs. National Computer Systems, Inc.
|Author Unknown, ""Score Image" Processing of Constructed-Responses, Essays, and Writing Samples", Uniscore, Incorporated: 3 pages (1992).
|Author Unknown, "Image Processing of Open-Ended Questions", Uniscore, Incorporated: 3 pages (1992).
|Breland, H. et al. "Remote Scoring of Essays", College Board Report, No. 88-3, ETS RR No. 88-4, 43 pages (1998).
|Brown, P. et al., "Validation-Cost Effective External Evaluation", Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 6(2): 5 pages (1990).
|Complaint for Declaratory Judgment and for Injunction, Oct. 23, 2002, pp. 1-6, Civil Action No. 5:02-W-778-H(3), District of North Carolina Western Division, Measurement Incorporated et al. vs. NCS Pearson, Inc.
|Complaint -Patent Infringement and Willful Patent Infringement, Jul. 10, 1998, pp. 1-29, Civil Action No. 98-CV-3568, District of Pennsylvania, Meadowbrook Industries, Ltd. vs. National Computer Systems, Inc.
|Complaint, Mar. 1, 2001, pp. 1-5, Civil Action No. 01-CV-386 JMR/SRN, District of Minnesota, NCS Pearson, Inc. vs. Measured Progress, Inc.
|Defendant's Answer, Affirmative Defenses and Counterclaims, Feb. 1, 1999, pp. 1-8, Civil Action No. 98-CV-5913 (JBS), District of New Jersey, National Computer Systems, Inc. vs. Meadowbrook Industries, Ltd. and Uniscore Incorporated.
|Draper, S.W. et al., "Integrative evaluation: An emerging role for classroom studies of CAL", Internet: http://www.psy.gla.ac.uk/~steve/IE.html: 17 pages (Aug. 12, 1995).
|Draper, S.W., "Observing, Measuring, or Evaluating Courseware", Internet: http://www.psy.gla.ac.uk/~steve/Eval.HE.html: 10 pages (Feb. 18, 1996).
|Foxon, M., "Evaluation of training and development programs: A review of the literature", Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 5(2): 16 pages (1989).
|Gathy, P. et al., "Computer-Assisted Self-Assessment (CASA) In Histology", Computers & Education, 17(2): Front cover and 109-116 (1991).
|IBM Education Local Area Network and Tools (EdLAN), Tools for education: 16 pages (1991).
|IBM Multimedia Supplement to T.H.E. Journal, Special Issue, 41 pages (Sep. 1991).
|IBM Personal Science Laboratory (PSL), IBM Tools For Education, 12 pages (1990).
|IBM PS/2(R) MultiMedia for Microscopic Studies, 4 pages (1991).
|IBM Software for Education Catalogue, Pre-kindergarten to Adult Tools for Education, 86 pages, 1991/92 Edition.
|Kool, L. "The Scribophone: a graphic telecommunication system", Philips Telecommunications Review, vol. 38, No. 1, 11 pages (Jan. 1980).
|Plaintiff's Answer to Defendant National Computer Systems, Inc. Counterclaim, Sep. 14, 1998, pp. 1-2, Civil Action No. 98-CV-3568, District of Pennsylvania, Meadowbrook Industries, Inc. vs. National Computer Systems, Inc.
|Sims, R., "Futures for Computer-Based Training: Developing the learner-computer interface", Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 4(2): 11 pages (1988).
|Uniscore Proposal No. 92-11, to Delaware Department of Public Instruction (May 15, 1992).
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|May 23, 2005
|Jul 19, 2011
|Student reporting systems and methods
|Aug 20, 2003
|Mar 6, 2012
|System and method for the development of instructional and testing materials
|Feb 4, 2011
|Mar 15, 2016
|Poly-Clip System Gmbh & Co. Kg
|Method for measuring a storage frame
|Oct 19, 2007
|Apr 12, 2016
|Daniel W. Shinn
|System and method for tracking the fulfillment status of requirements for completing an objective
|Feb 10, 2015
|Oct 17, 2017
|Mcgraw-Hill School Education Holdings Llc
|Use of a resource allocation engine in processing student responses to assessment items
|Sep 21, 2001
|Jul 11, 2002
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Company diagnosis system, company diagnosis method and company diagnosis server, and storage medium therefor
|Dec 8, 2003
|Apr 6, 2006
|Jurgen Engelbrecht
|Dispensing device for fluid substances
|Aug 21, 2007
|Dec 20, 2007
|System and method for creating, assessing, modifying, and using a learning map
|Jun 6, 2006
|Dec 20, 2007
|Clement Edwin Hartman
|Method for reporting student relevant data
|Mar 14, 2008
|Sep 18, 2008
|Ctb/Mcgraw-Hill, Llc
|Method and system for redundant data capture from scanned documents
|Jun 19, 2008
|Jan 15, 2009
|Ctb/Mcgraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
|Image manipulation of digitized images of documents
|Oct 19, 2007
|Apr 23, 2009
|Shinn Daniel W
|System and method for tracking the fulfillment status of requirements for completing an objective
|Feb 4, 2011
|Aug 11, 2011
|Poly-Clip System Gmbh & Co. Kg
|Method for measuring a storage frame
|U.S. Classification
|434/322, 382/321, 434/362, 434/118
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Dec 22, 2008
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|Aug 8, 2012
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 8
|Feb 24, 2017
|Maintenance fee reminder mailed
|Jul 19, 2017
|Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees
|Sep 5, 2017
|Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee
Effective date: 20170719


text:
Internet hacktivist group Anonymous blocked traffic from CBS.com and deleted all of its files last night during Operation Global Blackout, a hackathon that began shortly after file-sharing site MegaUpload was shut down, and has its sights set on Facebook as its next target. In a YouTube video released this morning, the group (or an affiliate group) asks users to help take down the world's biggest social network at 12 a.m. on January 28th.
Your Facebook profile most likely holds tons of your most precious photos and videos, and like your computer, you should back up all that data just in case. Here, I'll tell you how to download all of your Facebook content — from wall posts to photo galleries — for safe keeping.
Download Your Data From Facebook
You can download a copy of all of your Facebook data right on the social network. Just head to Account > Account Settings > Download a Copy of Your Facebook Data (this link will be in the bottom left-hand corner of the Account Settings window). Included in the download is your contact info, photos, videos, notes, and wall posts as well as chat conversations, friend lists, events, and comments made on your wall posts. If you do choose to back up your Facebook data (it's recommended!), then be sure to keep it in a safe place, like a password-protected file on an external hard drive.


text:
a. Food: not everyone eats tacos and burritos;
b. Music: not everyone dances to salsa;
c. Dress: not everyone wears a sombrero;
d. Mexicans (lower education level, some may be undocumented);
e. Cubans (Political refugees, legal status, higher education level); and
f. They may say 'OK, OK' and pretend to understand, when they do not, just to save face.
[RELATED: Ragan's new distance-learning site houses the most comprehensive video training library for corporate communicators.]
Home | Social Media | Media Relations | Crisis | Marketing | Writing & Editing | Events | Training | Awards | Videos
Ragan.com | HealthCareCommunication.com | Ragan Consulting | RaganTraining.com | PR-University.com
About Us | Contributors | Contact Us | Host a PR Daily Event | Sponsorship | Custom Workshop | Custom Content
FAQ | RSS | Store | Privacy Policy | Site Map


text:
Need for higher resolution oscilloscopes
1 Comment
Driven by engineers focused on the signal integrity of their electronic designs, and the performance of the power system supporting those designs, demand for higher resolution in oscilloscopes continues to increase, providing those engineers with the ability to see electrical behavior, increasing their confidence in their measurement results.
Much emphasis today is being put on low-power design for memory systems and mobile devices to preserve the battery and maximize the performance of those devices for longer periods of time. The mobile communications industry and the smart device community that focus on designing devices that are portable in nature are therefore looking for higher resolution in oscilloscopes. There are numerous applications that benefit from higher dynamic range measurements, and low oscilloscope noise is the key in delivering more bits of resolution. For example, development teams may want to characterize power consumption from mobile devices that are moving in and out of sleep mode, says Joel Woodward, Senior Product Manager with Agilent Technologies. Many teams also want to analyze the small signals riding on top of larger signals such as ripple on a power rail. Scopes with higher bits of resolution enable this analysis.
The growing importance of embedded design in those industries is expected to boost the demand for higher resolution in oscilloscopes going forward. The use of embedded devices in a mobile or portable fashion is growing beyond tablets and smartphones to include devices that do not necessarily have a phone mechanism in them. Many types of devices are coming out, driving the need for higher resolution in oscilloscopes.
Figure 1: This chart highlights the proliferation of connected devices in the future.
Source: Frost & Sullivan
In addition to higher resolution, engineers are also looking for the ability to evaluate and verify the different serial busses embedded in smart devices to ensure satisfactory communications between chips on the board and interoperability with other functions. The key reason for this is that they cant possibly be experts in all the functions featured in those smart devices and the respective serial busses that have been designed and optimized for each function. While serial busses are not new, the evolution and the number of those busses has grown substantially, says Chris Loberg, Senior Technical Marketing Manager at Tektronix. Design engineers are now faced with the challenge of mastering the understanding of the behavior of those busses that may be outside of their knowledge level.
Although the mobile communications and smart devices industry are key end-user industries asking for higher resolution in oscilloscopes, the demand for higher resolution is more widespread than that with engineers, in general, more interested in seeing more details and looking at very fine details on the waveforms they need to look at and measure. Oscilloscope manufacturers are seeing demand coming from the medical and aerospace and defense industries besides the mobile communications industry among others.
Over the years, oscilloscopes have become very serious, very fine measurement tools as opposed to just viewing tools, says David Graef, Chief Technology Officer at LeCroy. Customers expect much higher accuracy and resolution in oscilloscopes today than in the past. Having said this, on the high end of the market, the interest in higher resolution is restrained by the tradeoff that needs to be made with bandwidth. The demand for higher resolution is therefore currently concentrated in the 500 MHz to 1 GHz bandwidth range for oscilloscopes.
From a competitive perspective, there are a number of companies today making digitizers that could be turned into oscilloscopes. Featuring 10 and 12 bits of resolution, these instruments are increasing in frequency. Modular digitizers, although having little overlap with oscilloscopes in the design space, find greater use in the production and validation environment and are benefiting from the explosion of high-resolution analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). National Instruments is committed to bringing the latest and greatest technologies to PXI, asserts Jordan Dolman, Product Marketing Manager with the company. Specifically for high speed converters, this is reflected in our modular digitizers that feature high resolutions and high channel density.
>>Page Two: How to Achieve Higher Resolution (on EDN.com)


text: (Thread title should read Shady, btw ) One of the services we offer where I work is to shrink wrap things for people. It's a rarely used part of our repertoire but we do get the occasional shipping customer who wants their stuff wrapped before being sent out. However, we also get folks who want to shrink wrap items for more...nefarious purposes. On Saturday, one of my fellow employees took an order for some items to be shrink wrapped. Specifically, an iPod, an iPad and some video games. Now, we have a policy that if we're wrapping an item that was once shrinkw rapped at it's point of purchase, we slip a little card in with the item that states that we wrapped it. We'd gotten complaints from the local community college that people were trying to reurn used books under the guise of them never having been unwrapped for full refunds. Well, witht his order we found another good use for these cards. The dude who placed the order came in during my shift, paid for them and went on his way. Not 20 minutes later, a woman burst through the doors with the same box of items the man had left with and is demanding that we re-wrap them without the cards. She claims she is using these for her display cases and refuses to advertise for us on her products. She also complained about the quality of the wrapping and wanted that re-done anyway, and while we were at it we should leave the cards out. I explained the policy and she countered with the "I've done this before and never had this happen" claim and just generally started causing a scene. She claimed that the guy who placed the order wasn't told about the cards (later proven to be a lie). I told her we'd rewrap the but that I'd have to see what I could do about waiving the policy. So she leaves...and that's when I got curious. I start to wonder...why do the items need to be shrinkwrapped in order to be put into a display case? Not to mention this was a very random assortment of games. I also noticed that 2 of the game cases are the kind that a game store uses to sell pre-orders...they aren't even the actual retail game cases. So...I opened one of the game cases. I figured if anyone asked, I was checking to make sure the discs weren't warped by the shrink wrapper's heat. Did I find a game disc matching the case itself? I surely did not. I did find a disc though. A blank CD. I open another. Blank CD. Another. Another, much older game for an older system. For example, one game case was for Madden 2013 on the PS3. The disc inside...Madden 2003 for the original Xbox. The iPod and iPad boxes. Empty except for a few cheap accessories. Display case my ass. So, I rewrapped them, with the cards intact. I left a note for my morning crew should the woman or guy come back and sent my manager an email just to let her know about all of this when she comes in on Monday. When they didn't come in to pick the stuff up the next day, I left them a message to inform them that while their order was done, I was bound by policy and could not wrap without the cards. I mentioned why we use the cards in the first place, and mentioned that while I am not accusing them of anything illegal, (although they clearly are) that others have done unscrupulous things before and we have to do our due diligence. When I left tonight, the box was still on the counter and I'll be surprised if it's not there when I come in tomorrow. I'll leave it up to my manager as far as whether we'll be informing authorities of this. We have the order placer's name and phone number (which I presume belongs to the woman after hearing the voice mail greeting) and the game cases are evidence enough if they fail to pick them up. I was just blown away by the sheer stupidity of these people, thinking they could get away with hawking those fake games off as authentic. It's even more sad that I'm sure there are people out there who would buy them and be severely disappointed with what they'd find inside. At least I know I did what I could to keep these people from scamming some gullible fool into buying fake (and presumably stolen, as far as the cases go anyway) merchandise. I'm quite interested in what my manager will have to say about it all and what steps we'll take, if any. Anyone else have any run ins from people trying to pull similar crap like this?