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Military robotic systems funding steady as the systems continue to save lives
U.S. warfighters often sing the praises of unmanned ground vehicles like iRobot's 510 PackBot because it saves lives in areas such as improvised explosive device detection (IED). In this Q&A with Tim Trainer, Vice President, Robotics Products International, iRobot Defense & Security business unit in Bedford, Mass., he discusses how UGVs have impacted the warfighter from a safety and efficiency standpoint and covers the outlook for robotics technology in the military. Edited excerpts follow.
MCHALE REPORT: Please provide a brief description of your responsibility within iRobot and your group's role within the company.
TRAINER: I am Vice President of Robotic Products International at iRobot. I cover everything outside North America including the Asia/Pacific and European regions. My legacy is from the defense side, as a retired U.S. Navy Captain. My early years at iRobot were in the defense market and it has been a nice transition to the international business as that market focuses on what is successful and working in the U.S. market.
MCHALE REPORT: The Department of Defense (DoD) released its FY 2016 budget request in February with an increase in overall funding, almost a reverse trend from the last few years. How do you see the funding outlook for unmanned ground vehicles? Has the DoD clearly defined what missions it will need these platforms for over the next five years?
TRAINER: There is evidence of increased funding that we can see within the DoD and in major programs. The military and Army have regrouped and taken a look at what they need for ground robotics. That vision had taken a pause and is now refocused. This is good news that has not been seen for the last couple years.
The major programs focused on ground robotics include Common Robotic Systems- Individual (CRS-I), a 20-pound vehicle that is getting research and development funding; the Man Transportable System (MTRS) Increment 2, which has funding; and the Squad Multi-purpose Equipment Transport (SMET). New mission requirements for ground robotics will drive industry and government investment. Some will be joint programs with the Army and Marine Corps generally, while some will go DoD wide and involve the Navy and Air Force as well. Special Operations Forces (SOF) will also have unique opportunities that will often be more customized.
The budget reductions and troop drawdowns aside, all folks see that and understand that the Army and other services will need to sustain current systems, which also makes us feel fairly good about where the market is going.
Internationally it's a dangerous world out there that can benefit from robotic systems. Aside from the military, we've also deployed our platforms to help secure major events in Brazil, including the Papal visit, World Cup, and the upcoming summer Olympics. Growth has been very good internationally.
MCHALE REPORT: Please provide an example of current unmanned ground platforms iRobot supplies to the U.S. and International countries.
TRAINER: Our most popular military platform is the 510 PackBot, of which 4,500 are deployed to U.S. military and domestic customers around the world. We also have a new HAZMAT configuration kit for the multi-mission PackBot system.
iRobot also provides robotic solutions to state and local first responders, nuclear facilities, industrial applications, and for the expanding chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) mission set. Counter-improvised explosive device (IED) work also continues, especially with the risk of chemical weapons attached to an IED. We are always looking at new sensors to enhance mission effectiveness.
MCHALE REPORT: What types of payloads do iRobot's unmanned ground vehicles carry? ISR sensors? Have any been weaponized?
TRAINER: We have not weaponized any of our robots, but do have a payload we call a disruptor, and that some call a water cannon. It is essentially a shotgun barrel attached to the robot that can fire a water charge at high velocity and at short range to separate an IED initiation device from its explosive charge, rendering it safe. It can also discharge clay and steel rounds.
From there we also have thermal cameras for ISR capability, two-way audio, and GPS for mapping and to allow operators to understand where the robot is to map out suspected hazards. Recently the Canadian Department of National Defense for their Recce system requirement competitively selected our new PackBot CBRN HazMat suite.
MCHALE REPORT: What is your approach to using COTS embedded computing technology and open architectures in your payload and control systems?
TRAINER: For payloads we prefer to buy those from the market then integrate them onto the robot so we can focus on what we do best, which is robotics.
We have leveraged commercial computing technology for our new uPoint Multi Robot Control (MRC) system – a universal control system for all the company's defense and security robotic platforms. It incorporates at touch screen tablet that runs on the Android operating system. Prior control stations leveraged a laptop with a joystick for control. The MRC uses an Android app that has touch screen control virtual joystick that enables operators to touch and drag anywhere on the main video feed to control the robot. It also enables users to share data with other team members. Through networking technology it can tie into the cloud to offload some computational requirements to provide even greater processing capability.
The Army has also looked at Android tablets and the CRS-I system is also expected to leverage the Android technology.
MCHALE REPORT: Reduced size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements are hitting all applications in defense electronics. How are they impacting your unmanned ground vehicles and their payloads?
TRAINER: Historically operators want something that weighs nothing, costs nothing, and does everything. In other words SWaP has always been an important consideration especially in dismounted missions. Our five-pound 110 FirstLook was designed with SWaP in mind. It is so light an infantry soldier can carry it with him and actually throw it into a target area.
Extending the endurance of these systems and increasing computational capability are also critical design factors. More and more things are driving autonomy in these systems. As we shrink the platforms we are also enabling more computational power with each generation of processing chips in the same footprint. An example of this would be the uPoint MRC mentioned above, which while smaller has more computational capability than previous control stations.
MCHALE REPORT: What type of training is involved for using your ground robots on missions?
TRAINER: Ideally we wouldn't have to provide much training. An example of a platform with minimal training requirements is the 110 FirstLook system. If an operator has to deploy the system into a village or an unknown situation we want the task of remembering how to operate the device to be intuitive and easy so they can focus on the mission. This is also an issue with first responders and police, who are not always training with their robots, often only using it once a month. Therefore ease of use is paramount.
MCHALE REPORT: What feedback do you get from military operators of your unmanned ground vehicles?
TRAINER: What we hear from them is that they are getting tasked with increased mission sets and are asking us to help them prosecute those different missions with robots. Our robots came in to the world as a counter-IED system and now they are used for checkpoint operations, SOF support CBRN support, etc. The growth of the systems happens with new capabilities and the addition of new missions.
MCHALE REPORT: What impact do you think robotic technology has had on the warfighter?
TRAINER: It really brings safety and standoff to the U.S. service person. For example, from an aviation perspective in Vietnam to attack a target we would send a whole squadron, in the first Gulf War, we would send a flight of aircraft, now we are sending one drone aircraft to attack multiple targets. Similarly, unmanned vehicles allow standoff and reduce the risk to the individual warfighter. The same thing is happening with unmanned ground systems, where we are separating warfighters from hazards and helping them perform these dangerous tasks more effectively and safely.
UGV mission sets will continue to grow as capabilities expand. We will see the same progression on the ground that we've seen in the air though the ground-based terrain environment, which poses a significantly more difficult physics problem than that faced by airborne vehicle.
MCHALE REPORT: Looking forward, what disruptive technology/innovation will be a game changer for unmanned ground vehicle designs and/or payloads? Predict the future.
TRAINER: The Holy Grail is autonomous operations. We won't get there in five years, but maybe in 10. This will reduce the workload on operators, allowing them to control multiple robots. Robots might be sent into hostile environments as a squad, entering a village or building to identify suspect packages and or people and then report back to central command.
What will help enable this is leveraging what works from the commercial side of our business and using it for defense platforms and vice versa. This trend has increased since we re-organized our engineering operations by merging the government and consumer divisions together. We married the higher tech from our lower volume markets with the expertise from our high volume markets. It provides an opportunity for cross-pollination and the germination of revolutionary ideas.
An example would be how we developed our Ava remote presence platform, where the robot moves about an office space providing high-definition video, teleconference capability with sensors that enable obstacle avoidance – all things that were originally developed on defense side of our house that has found a home in our remote presence business. Interestingly some of that technology is now finding its way back to the defense side.


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Living in Ukraine I could not leave chicken kiev out of my foodie tour of the world. Now there is a lot of speculation about the origins of chicken kiev. Obviously Ukrainians think they own the dish as it's named after their capital city. You find chicken kiev on all the restaurant menus in Ukraine. Russia claims chicken kiev as belonging to them. And there are those in France who say one of their esteemed chefs created the recipe. Wherever it came from, Ukrainians have made it their own, and you get all kinds of chicken kiev in Kyiv. Some are balls of chicken which resemble crumbed bull's testicles, and others are made to look like a giant drumstick. But one thing they all have is the garlic and parsley butter inside. Ukrainians add in dill as well.
4 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 bunch fresh parsley finely chopped
1 bunch dill finely chopped (optional)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 cup rolled oats or breadcrumbs
oil for deep frying
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U @ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

subset: commoncrawl


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Saturday, 10 November 2012 11:35 AM
Residents said they would take to the streets for a second day outside the Long Island Power Authority in Hickville. There are still over 400,000 customers without power nearly two weeks after the storm, and more than 170,000 are on Long Island.
Meanwhile, New Yorkers faced their second day of gasoline rationing. Under the system, which was introduced in New Jersey last week, cars with odd- and even-numbered license plates can fill up only on alternate days.
In Far Rockaway on Saturday morning, more than 500 people lined up with empty fuel cans. Word had spread through the hard-hit seaside community Friday night that a tanker truck carrying 8,000 gallons of free gas was to arrive around 10 a.m., thanks to an anonymous wealthy donor.
A New York Police Department captain, who declined to give his name because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the mystery donor had arranged to have the gas sent.
"The guy didn't want his name used, but he wanted to get gas to these people," the captain said. "Pretty decent thing to do ... these people need it bad."
More than a quarter of gas stations in the New York metropolitan area did not have fuel available for sale on Friday, the same number as on Thursday, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said.
Millions still face difficulty commuting with large crowds waiting for trains that are still running on reduced service after transport networks sustained major damage.
Authorities warned that for coastal communities where thousands of homes were washed away, flooded, or burned to the ground, full recovery would take a long time.
"This is not going to be a short journey," New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said at a news conference on Friday.
Thousands were in temporary shelters, and in New Jersey a tent city on the edge of Monmouth Park racetrack was home to hundreds. Authorities in the region said they did not have access to enough alternative housing or hotel rooms for all those who have been displaced.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who toured the Jersey Shore on Friday, said many popular vacation spots will not be fully rebuilt by next summer.
"This is our Katrina," he declared, referring to the hurricane that washed out New Orleans in 2005.
Still, homeowners were set to return to an 18-mile (30-km) barrier island off New Jersey's Atlantic coast on Saturday, giving some of them their first view of the devastation wrought by Sandy.
Long Beach Island, an enclave of mostly affluent vacation homes, took a direct hit from Sandy, with some homes washed full of sand and seawater and others completely destroyed.
The island, with about 10,000 year-round residents and perhaps 10 times that number in the summer, has been closed to residents except for brief visits to retrieve belongings.
Sandy smashed into the East Coast on Oct. 29, killing at least 120 people and causing an estimated $50 billion in damage or economic losses. It destroyed homes along the New Jersey Shore and around New York City, cut off electricity for millions of people and knocked out much of the public transportation system.
As homeowners were to return to Long Beach Island on Saturday, an emergency website operated by towns on the island warned that some areas were still without sewer, water and electric service and the entire island was without gas. (http://lbieoc.org)
One community, Holgate, on the island's southern tip, would remain closed because it was still too dangerous to enter.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said New York City would work with federal authorities to provide electricians, plumbers and carpenters to help fix the worst-hit homes. He said he hoped to get people back into their homes by the end of the year.
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Medical treatments for temporal arteritis include corticosteroid therapy and aspirin, states Healthline. The doctor may also recommend regular bone density screenings, taking calcium and vitamin D supplements, quitting smoking and exercise, such as walking.
As of 2015, temporal arteritis is incurable. Treatments of this condition aim to reduce tissue damage from insufficient flow of blood caused by temporal arteritis, notes Healthline. If temporal arteritis remains untreated, it can cause blindness, stroke or massive internal bleeding. The doctor may order a C-reactive protein test to measure protein levels in the liver, a hematocrit test to measure the volume of red blood cells and a hemoglobin test to determine the amount of hemoglobin in the blood.


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Drew, Field Day was again much fun for all here in Lynchburg, Va. The satellite station was a success and AO-51 was a big part of that. The 1.2 gig up link seems to intrigue those that have no experience with anything above 450 mgh. This year was much easier as WA1ZMS was nice enough to lend his Icom mobile radio. My suggestion for next year would be a return to the QRP transonder that we had a few years back. One of the most unique contacts we ever had was that year. We did it in the middle of the night using a Kewood D-7 handheld and a Arrow antenna. The crowd present included a banker who pointed the antenna, a lawyer who held the remote speaker, a retired school teacher who logged the contact, and myself a retired Deputy Sheriff who did the calling. The excitement when we finally made contact with a VE station just as we approached to the edge of the foot print was shared by all. This is the kind of stuff good field day memories are made of. Lets do it again. 73's << John On Wed, Jul 2, 2008 at 5:04 PM, Andrew Glasbrenner <email@example.com> wrote: > In reading through the e-mails to -bb, it seems L/U was well received among > the membership on Field Day? I'd be interested in feedback about Field Day > for consideration of next year's mode. Feel free to cc the -bb, as I'm sure > it's of interest to many. > > 73, Drew KO4MA > > PS Congratulations to the handful of stations who were listening to AO-16 > Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. I manually turned the satellite on > several times on each of three passes, and several stations managed QSOs in > the brief periods the old bird stayed on. Myself and the other command > station will continue to try to restart the repeater when available, and > maybe as temperatures change it will stay on a little longer, but no > promises can be made. > > _______________________________________________ > Sent via firstname.lastname@example.com. Opinions expressed are those of the author. > Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! > Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb > -- N4QWF Amateur Radio Operator AO-7,AO-16,AO-27,SO-50,AO-51,VO-52 Internet email@example.com Echolink node #110903 Formerly KC4AHW VK3FEZ Amsat Member #27845 DXCC #33,478 VUCC SAT #135 WAS SAT #296 51 on 51 #13 LON -79.256 LAT 37.459 Grid FM07il >From the Foothills of the Blueridge *Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming - "WOW, What a ride!" _______________________________________________ Sent via firstname.lastname@example.com. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
AMSAT Home


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For Wiggles hospital birth, I ended up bringing SO much stuff, and so little of it I used. So with Miah, I'm packing light!
My packing is split up into three bags. Wiggles overnight bag(Flash is going back to his moms if we go into labour when we have him.), my bag, and the baby bag.
Each bag is split up into pre-pack, and a list of things to grab before we leave, which is then pinned onto the bag so we can grab it as we leave the house.
Wiggles Bag
- Two sleepers
- Two outfits
- Sweater
- 10 diapers
- Wipes
- Diaper Cream
- Tylenol
"Running List"
- Can of Formula
- 4 Bottles
- Bag of Milk
- Snacks
- 2 x Pacifiers
My bag
**I ended up using none of this, as I left the hospital right after I gave birth.
I maybe used the fuzzy socks, and that was pretty much it. I guess the change of clothes.
I maybe used the fuzzy socks, and that was pretty much it. I guess the change of clothes.
- New package of underwear
(I loved the hipsters fit ones from Walmart.)
- Shampoo, soap, deodorant, hair brush, tooth brush, and tooth paste.
- Sweater
(Something with a zipper for nursing.)
- 1 pair of fuzzy socks, 2 normal pairs.
- 2 books.
- Hair elastics.
- Cell phone
(the service is turned off, I use it as an ipod.)
- Going home outfit
(Screw pretty. My old PJ pants, a big baggy sweater and a maternity shirt is perfect.)
- Breast Pads
- Change of clothes for after birth.
- Change of clothes for Caleb.
"Running List"
- Laptop and Charger
- Calebs cellphone/Charger
Baby Bag
All of this was pre-pack.
We used the NB outfit when we went home, and the receiving and fuzzy blankets, that's all out of this bag.
- 1 Newborn going home outfit
- 1 0-3 months going home outfit
- 1 light sleeper 0-3 months
- 1 fuzzy sleeper 0-3 months
- NB onesie and leggings
- 1 fuzzy NB sleeper
- 2 receiving blankets
- 2 fuzzy blankets
- Carseat
- 1 pair socks
* I don't bring shampoo, baby soap, diapers, formula... anything like that. The hospital provides that. I also strip the room before we leave.
It seems like a lot, but it's really not once it's all laid out!
Good luck!
- Adele


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Kansas City, Missouri (PRWEB) November 20, 2012
Dudley Koch Steel Buildings started as professional design/build steel building contractors in 1992 with the training and experience to construct pre-engineered buildings that meets the customer's needs, on time and within their budget. They do a complete turnkey building from zoning and concrete to the finished building, and because they are a local company and their commitment to quality they can solve problems fast if they arise.
Using their construction expertise, knowledge of, and leadership in the market, they are able to use the Design/Build method of construction and provide customers with all of the key construction services they may need under one roof. Put the next building project in their hands. They can provide information on several different options so it is possible to make that all-important decision of who will construct your next building.
Architects, general contractors, community leaders and small businesses have turned to Dudley Koch Steel Buildings Construction for commercial building solutions that include their single-source responsibility for construction services under one roof and they provide a 1 year warranty. They offer free estimates and meet with the customers to find out firsthand what they are looking for. They have plenty of repeat customers which says a lot about how they work.


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There are a significant number of Buses available from Mohakhali bus stand moving towards Mymensingh. If you want to go Fulbaria Upazila, then you may ride on a Bus name "Alam Asia". It will drop you at fulbaria bus stop. From fulbaria bus stop, you may ride on a CNG auto rickshaw moving towards Keshorgonj bazar. At Keshorgonj bazar, there are some auto-rickshaws available moving toward Bali ghat (বালি ঘাঁট). You may take a walk from balighat to the forest. Another option is to hire an auto rickshaw from Keshorgonj to the rubber garden.
How To Reach: Mymensingh District
Mymensingh city is located about 120 km (75 mi) north of Dhaka which is the capital of the country. There is no airport in Mymensingh. Dhaka airport is approximately 110 km (4.00 hours drive) from Mymensingh by bus. There are several bus services from Dhaka to Mymensingh. Buses leave from the Mohakhali bus stand (10 km south of Dhaka Airport) in Dhaka to the Mashkanda bus stand in Mymensingh. You can get on any of the following buses from the Mohakhali bus stand in Dhaka, which will cost around Tk. 350 ($4):
1. Shoukhin
2. Ena
There are several train services from Dhaka to Mymensingh. It takes almost 3 hours to reach Mymensingh from Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. You can get on from the Dhaka Airport or you could go to the main train station-Komlapur Rail Station.


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The 17-year-old midfielder put in a fine display.
Everton played their first game since the sacking of Roberto Martinez today with youth-team coach David Unsworth and former boss Joe Royle taking over proceedings for this weekend's game against Norwich City at Goodison Park.
Everton certainly looked more up for it and won the game comfortably, 3-0, with goals from James McCarthy, Kevin Mirallas and Leighton Baines.
Unsworth decided to bring in some of the young players to start the game, with Kieran Dowell and Tom Davies both starting.
Both played extremely well with Davies in particular impressing.
After the game Unsworth was speaking to the media and had this to say about the central midfielder:
"I thought Tom Davies was everything we want from an Everton midfielder."
"All action, good on the ball, saw danger. It was a great display."
The midfield maestro is undoubtedly a top talent and was invited to train with the England senior team at one point last season.
He is just 17-years-old but looks already to be a real star in the making for Everton – who have produced so many good youngsters in recent years.
Hopefully he will continue to get a chance in the Everton first-team throughout next season, as he looks like a player who could really make the grade at Goodison Park.


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Hot Temperatures and Hot Racing – Quebec Challenge 2014
Our racing colleagues from Team Durango Canada, managed by distributors Great Hobbies, have recently returned from the fiercely competitive Quebec Challenge.
The team found the race conditions a challenge, with Quebec being baked under extremely hot weather during the action-packed race weekend. Team drivers Yannick, Rene and Dan Leblanc were determined to make a fast impression against a field of local and National racing talent.
Joined by friend and fellow Team Durango fan, Andrew "Butters" Burghgraef from Ottawa, the guys set about tuning their Team Durango DEX408v2, DESC410v2 and Dnx408V2 vehicles for the early qualifying sessions.
The Circuit RC International dirt track was producing very high grip levels due to the scorching temperatures, and the Team Durango racers got quickly into the action with all drivers making great pace, but later qualifiers saw them plagued with electronics issues, largely attributed to the soaring temperatures.
A few fast switches of running gear saw the Team Durango Canada crew settling back into the action. They were happy to finish their qualifying track time with an E-Buggy 'A' Main place for the DEX408v2, another 'A' position for the DESC410v2 and a solid ninth in the Truggy 'A' main for the DEX408T.
Team mate Jamie Smitheram had to unfortunately miss day one due to an injury, but was really happy to join his race fellow Team Durango racers for the 'A' Main action by placing his DEX408T straight into the top ten.
With Team Durango Canada primed for the action of the events finals schedule, the guys were very happy to see young Yannick take third in 4WD Shourt Course with his DESC410v2. with Jamie taking sixth in his Truggy final piloting the DEX408T and Andrew graciously showing why his race maturity will always produce a strong team ethos, as he moved over in his 'B' Main final due to an electronics glitch.
The Quebec Challenge was a real team effort for the Great Hobbies and Team Durango endorsed race team. With some hot track action and blazing weather conditions to contend with, we send our congratulations to the team for a great set of results in difficult conditions.
Stay tuned to all the Canadian Team Durango race news by hitting the 'Like' button here now: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialTeamDurango
Find a Team Durango dealer in your region here: http://www.team-durango.com/where-to-buy.php
Share your TD race success with us directly: email@example.com


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Are you tired of your Windows Mobile phone, and just itching to try on the Android phone, having heard glowing reviews from friends and co-workers? The guys at PC World have just the tip for you to make your transition a little easier. But be warned, the instructions require you to get rough with your phone. So those afraid of breaking their phones may feel queasy about following them.
David Pierce of PC World writes:
Over at XDA-developers, a forum where developers post hacks, tips, and software, a developer has released a beta ROM of Android 2.1 for four Windows Mobile phones, all by HTC: the Tilt for AT&T (AKA the HTC Kaiser), Vogue, Niki, and Polaris. That means that four phones that aren't built with Android at all have Android 2.1 before some native Android phones, like the Hero and the Droid Eris.
Installing the ROM requires "rooting" your phone, which takes some know-how, but for those not faint of heart or worried about breaking their phone, or maybe those just that tired of Windows Mobile, it's a great solution. There are detailed instructions, and a lot of helpful people, available on the XDA site.
It's a beta version, which means there are some bugs, including two notable ones: the Bluetooth features are totally unpredictable, and the camera doesn't work at all. For some other bugs, the XDA forum is talking about and fixing a lot of the problems people are having with their changes.
It's probably not the optimal solution for improving your cell phone fortunes, but if you're stuck with your phone for a while and can't wait to get to Android, it's a great solution.
Source: PC World.


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Too bad Obama's speechwriter Jon Favreau (no, not the actor) doesn't read The Pongo Blog. Heck, just three short weeks ago, our own Brianna Raymond posted about how employers are screening job candidates on Facebook. If Favreau had read it, he might have thought twice before copping a feel on a cardboard image of Hillary Clinton while cameras were flashing.
But alas, the compromising photo (seen here) soon made its way to Facebook. And now Favreau's personal brand is: "27-year-old chief presidential speechwriter and dude who got to second base with a life-size cutout of the secretary of state-designate."
What makes this recent kerfuffle even more ridiculous – beyond the childishness of the gesture itself and the colossally bad judgment of being photographed while doing it – is that it occurred not long after the comprehensive questionnaire given to all prospective Obama staffers went public. You know, the one that specifically asked whether they had anything potentially embarrassing on the web?
This Took a Whole Case of Dumbass
There are lots of dumbass mistakes people make along their career paths, but this one was a special kind of stupid. When they were writing the rulebook for presidential speechwriters, they probably thought "keep your hands off Hillary's hooters" went without saying.
Now, to cut him some slack, Favreau didn't actually post the photos on Facebook; a friend put them up and tagged them with Favreau's name. And the embarrassing images were taken down within two hours, but not before circling the world-wide web a few times.
Fortunately for Favreau, the Clinton camp has already put a positive spin on the incident, calling it evidence of "the new bonhomie" (good-natured friendliness) with their former rivals on the Obama side. Hmm. "Bonhomie" is pronounced a lot like "frenemy." Coincidence? I think not.
All in all, this particular career faux pas was only mildly offensive. The subjects in the photo did look like they were being silly, not malicious. And OK, it was pretty funny. In fact, Favreau's blunder seems to have already blown over. Not because it wasn't egregiously stupid, but because it's in the party's best interests to put up a united front.
And the Lesson Is...
I promise you, the rest of us would not get that kind of a pass if we appeared on the web making an immature, disrespectful, and sexist gesture toward a high-ranking executive in our organization, no matter how many giggles it inspired.
The recent presidential campaign provided plenty of job search lessons. And if we keep our eyes and ears open, there will undoubtedly be even more highly relevant lessons to be learned from the political hijinks of the workers of Washington.
For the record (are you paying attention, Mr. Favreau?), covering your web tracks is a very important part of job search success and proper career management.
What do you think? Was this situation handled appropriately? Should Favreau have been fired?


text: VITA Integrative Health Clinic is an environment where your health takes centre stage. We work in an effort to optimise your health while helping you prevent the occurrence of future issues. We are strong believers in the concept that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". With manageable conditions such as Obesity and Cardiovascular disease being leading causes of disease on our country everyone can benefit from prevention care. It is our desire is to help you discover the health and wellness tools you need to achieve your goals. Your time with us will open your mind and body to new ideas while providing ways to approach and live the life of your dreams. The research regarding the positive benefits of Complementary and Alternative Therapies continues to increase. Please take the time to meet the doctors on our team and explore the wealth of Information that can be found within our website. Once you become a patient at VITA we will personally tailor a wellness program specifically targeted to your needs, using the least invasive yet highly-effective techniques, services and therapies.


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- Nelson Rice
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1 COMMUNITY GARDEN START-UP GUIDE By Rachel Surls, UCCE County Director With Help of Chris Braswell and Laura Harris, Los Angeles Conservation Corps Updated March 2001 by Yvonne Savio, Common Ground Garden Program Manager, UCCE This "Community Garden Start-Up Guide" is intended to help neighborhood groups and organizations along the path to starting and sustaining a community garden. Why Start a Community Garden? Many families living in the city would like to grow some of their own fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Some want to save money on their food bills. Others like the freshness, flavor and wholesomeness of home-grown produce. And for many, gardening is a relaxing way to exercise and enjoy being out-of-doors. There are also families from other cultures who would like to grow traditional foods not available in the supermarket. Community gardens beautify neighborhoods and help bring neighbors closer together. They have been proven as tools to reduce neighborhood crime--particularly when vacant, blighted lots are targeted for garden development. Community gardens provide safe, recreational green space in urban areas with little or no park land, and can contribute greatly to keeping urban air clean. Those who are lucky enough to have sunny backyards or balconies can plant a garden whenever they have the time and energy. But what about those who do not have a place to garden? For these people, community gardens may be the answer. Step by Step To Your Own Community Garden 1. Get Your Neighbors Involved There is a lot of work involved in starting a new garden. Make sure you have several people who will help you. Over the years, our experience indicates that there should be at least ten interested families to create and sustain a garden project. Survey the residents of your neighborhood to see if they are interested and would participate. Hold monthly meetings of the interested group to develop and initiate plans, keep people posted on the garden's progress, and keep them involved in the process from day one. 2. Form a Garden Club A garden club is a way of formally organizing your new group. It helps you make decisions and divide-up the work effectively. It also ensures that every one has a vested interest in the garden and can contribute to its design, development, and maintenance. It can be formed at any time during the process of starting a community garden; however, it's wise to do so early on. This way, club members can share in the many tasks of establishing the new garden. The typical garden club will have many functions, including: Establishing garden rules (see sample) Accepting and reviewing garden applications Making plot assignments Collecting garden dues (if any) Paying water bills Resolving conflicts The typical garden club has at least two officers: a president and a treasurer; although your garden club may have more if necessary. Elections for garden officers usually are held annually.
2 Find Land for the Garden 2 Look around your neighborhood for a vacant lot that gets plenty of sun--at least six to eight hours each day. A garden site should be relatively flat (although slight slopes can be terraced). It should be relatively free of large pieces of concrete left behind from demolition of structures. Any rubble or debris should be manageable--that is, it can be removed by volunteers clearing the lot with trash bags, wheelbarrows, and pick up trucks. Ideally, it should have a fence around it with a gate wide enough for a vehicle to enter. It is possible to work with a site that is paved with concrete or asphalt by building raised beds that sit on the surface or using containers. You can also remove the asphalt or concrete to create areas for gardens, but such a garden will be much more difficult, expensive, and time-consuming to start. A site without paving, and soil relatively free of trash and debris is best. The potential garden site should be within walking, or no more than a short drive from you and the neighbors who have expressed interest in participating. If the lot is not already being used, make sure the community supports establishing a garden there. It's best to select three potential sites in your neighborhood and write down their address and nearest cross streets. If you don't know the address of a vacant lot, get the addresses of the properties on both sides of the lot--this will give you the ability to make an educated guess on the address of the site. We suggest you identify at least three potential sites because one or more might not be available for you to use for various reasons, and you want to end up with at least one that works out. 3. Find out Who Owns the Land It is illegal to use land without obtaining the owners permission. In order to obtain permission, you must first find out who owns the land. Take the information you have written down about the location of the sites in step 3 to your county's tax assessor's office. The Los Angeles County Tax Assessor's office is located at 225 North Hill Street, Room 205. Or go to a branch office listed in the white pages of the telephone directory. At this office, you will look through the map books to get the names and addresses of the owner of the sites you are interested in. 4. Find out if Your Proposed Site has Water While you are researching site ownership, contact the water service provider in your area to find out if your potential site(s) has/have an existing water meter to hook-in to. Call your water provider's customer service department, and ask them to conduct a "site investigation". They will need the same location information that you took with you to the Tax Assessor's office. Existing access to water will make a critical difference in the expense of getting your project started. Depending on the size of your garden site, you will need a 1/2-inch to 1-inch water meter. If there has been water service to the site in the past, it is relatively inexpensive to get a new water meter installed (if one doesn't already exist). If there has never been water service to that site, it might cost much more for your water provider to install a lateral line from the street main to the site and install your new meter. 5 Contact the Land Owner Once you have determined that your potential site is feasible, write a letter to the landowner asking for permission to use the property for a community garden. Be sure to mention to the landowner the value of the garden to the community and the fact the gardeners will be responsible for keeping the site clean and weed-free (this saves landowners from maintaining the site or paying city weed abatement fees). Establish a term for use of the site, and prepare and negotiate a lease. Typically, groups lease garden sites from land owners for $1 per year. You should attempt to negotiate a lease for a least three years (or longer if the property owner is agreeable). Many landowners are worried about their liability for injuries that might occur at the garden. Therefore, you should include a simple "hold harmless" waiver in the lease and in gardener agreement forms. For more information on the lease, and the hold harmless waiver, see 8, "Signing a Lease". Be prepared to purchase liability insurance to protect further the property owner (and yourself) should an accident occur at the garden. For more information on the hold harmless waiver, and liability insurance, see 8, "Signing a Lease", and 9, "Obtaining Liability Insurance". 6. Get Your Soil Tested It might be advisable to have the soil at the site tested for fertility ph and presence of heavy metals. Contact a private lab. 7. Signing a Lease Landowners of potential garden sites might be concerned about their liability should someone be injured while working in the garden. Your group should be prepared to offer the landowner a lease with a "hold harmless" waiver. This "hold harmless" waiver can simply state that should one of the gardeners be injured as a result of negligence on the part of another gardener, the landowner is "held harmless" and will not be sued. Each gardener should be made aware of this waiver and should be required to sign an
3 agreement in order to obtain a plot in the community garden. A sample gardener agreement form is attached which your group can use as a model. 8. Obtaining Liability Insurance 3 Landowners may also require that your group purchase liability insurance. Community gardeners in the Los Angeles area can obtain inexpensive policies from Metro Farm Gardens. Contact Toby Leaman at (323) or fax (323) , for more information on obtaining an insurance policy. Once you have a lease signed by the landowner and liability insurance, you're free to plan and plant your garden! 9. Planning the Garden Community members should be involved in the planning, design, and set-up of the garden. Before the design process begins, you should measure your site and make a simple, to-scale site map. Hold two or three garden design meetings at times when interested participants can attend. Make sure that group decisions are recorded in official minutes, or that someone takes accurate notes. This ensures that decisions made can be communicated to others, and progress will not be slowed. A great way to generate ideas and visualize the design is to use simple drawings or photos cut from garden magazines representing the different garden components-- flower beds, compost bins, pathways, arbors, etc.--that can be moved around on the map as the group discusses layout. a. Basic Elements of a Community Garden Although there are exceptions to every rule, community gardens should almost always include: At least 15 plots assigned to community members. These should be placed in the sunniest part of the garden. Without plots for individual participation, it is very difficult to achieve long-term community involvement. Raised bed plots, which are more expensive, should be no more than 4 feet wide (to facilitate access to plants from the sides without stepping into the bed), and between 8 and 12 feet long (it is advisable to construct your raised beds in sizes that are found in readily-available lumber, or that can be cut without too much waste). In-ground plots can be from 10 x 10 up to 20 x 20 feet. Pathways between beds and plots should be least 3 to 4 feet wide to allow space for wheelbarrows. The soil in both raised bed and in-ground plots should be amended with aged compost or manure to improve its fertility and increase its organic matter content. A simple irrigation system with one hose bib or faucet for every four plots. Hand watering with a hose is the most practical and affordable for individual plots (and it's almost a necessity when you start plants from seed). Drip and soaker-hose irrigation can be used in all areas of the garden for transplanted and established plants, but especially for deep-rooted fruit trees and ornamentals. If no one in your group is knowledgeable about irrigation, you might need some assistance in designing your irrigation system. Seek out a landscape contractor or nursery or garden center professional to help you develop a basic layout and materials list. An 8-foot fence around the perimeter with a drive-through gate. In our experience, this is a key element of success. Don't count on eliminating all acts of vandalism or theft, but fencing will help to keep these to tolerably low levels. A tool shed or other structure for storing tools, supplies, and materials. Recycled metal shipping containers make excellent storage sheds, and are almost vandal-proof. Contact the Port Authority for leads on where to find them. A bench or picnic table where gardeners can sit, relax, and take a break--preferably in shade. If there are no shade trees on the site, a simple arbor can be constructed from wood or pipe, and planted with chayote squash, bougainvillea, grapes, kiwis, or some other vine. A sign with the garden's name, sponsors, and a contact person's phone number for more information. If your community is bilingual, include information in this language. A shared composting area for the community gardeners. Wood pallets are easy to come-by and (when stood on-end, attached in a U-shape, and the inside covered with galvanized rabbit-wire) make excellent compost bins. b. Nice Additions to Your Garden Plan A small fruit tree orchard, whose care and harvest can be shared by all the members. The orchard can also create shade for people as well as shade-loving plants. A water fountain. This can be a simple drinking fountain attachment to a hose bib (or faucet) you can purchase at a hardware store. Perimeter landscaping, which can focus on drought tolerant flowers and shrubs, plants which attract butterflies and hummingbirds, or roses and other flowers suitable for cutting bouquets. Herbs are also well-suited to perimeter landscaping and help to create barriers to unwanted pest insects who do not like the smell of their essential oils. A children's area, which can include special small plots for children, a sand box, and play equipment. A meeting area, which could range from a semi-circle of hay bales or tree stumps, to a simple amphitheater built of recycled, broken concrete. Building a shade structure above would be beneficial as well.
4 4 A community bulletin board where rules, meeting notices, and other important information can be posted. 10. Creating a Garden Budget Use your design to develop a materials list and cost-out the project. You will need to call-around to get prices on fencing and other items. You might be surprised at the cost. A community garden with just the Basic Elements (listed above) typically costs between $2,500 to $5,000. At this point, your group might decide to scale back your initial plans and save some design ideas for a "Phase Two" of the garden. 11. Where to Get Materials and Money While some start-up funds will be needed through determination and hard work, you can obtain donations of materials for your project. Community businesses might assist, and provide anything from fencing to lumber to plants. The important thing is to ask. Develop a letter that tells merchants about your project and why it's important to the community. Attach your "wish list", but be reasonable. Try to personalize this letter for each business you approach. Drop it off personally with the store manager, preferably with a couple of cute kids who will be gardening in tow! Then, follow-up by phone. Be patient, persistent, and polite. Your efforts will pay-off with at least some of the businesses you approach. Be sure to thank these key supporters and recognize them on your garden sign, at a garden grand opening, or other special event. Money, which will be needed to purchase items not donated, can be obtained through community fund-raisers such as car washes, craft and rummage sales, pancake breakfasts, and bake sales. They can also be obtained by writing grants, but be aware grant writing efforts can take six months or longer to yield results, and you must have a fiscal sponsor or agent with tax-exempt 501(c)3 status (such as a church or non-profit corporation) that agrees to administer the funds. 12. Make Sure Your Garden Infrastructure is in Place If you have not yet formed a garden club, now is the time to do so. It's also time to establish garden rules, develop a garden application form for those who wish to participate, set up a bank account, and determine what garden dues will be if these things have not already been done. This is also the time to begin having monthly meetings if you have not already done so. Also, if you haven't already contacted your city councilperson, he or she can be helpful in many ways including helping your group obtain city services such as trash pick-up. Their staff can also help you with community organizing and soliciting for material donations. 13. Get Growing! Many new garden groups make the mistake of remaining in the planning, design and fundraising stage for an extended period of time. There is a fine line between planning well and over planning. After several months of the initial research, designing, planning, and outreach efforts, group members will very likely be feeling frustrated and will begin to wonder if all their efforts will ever result in a garden. That's why it's important to plant something on your site as soon as possible. People need to see visible results or they will begin to lose interest in the project. To keep the momentum going, initiate the following steps even if you are still seeking donations and funds or your project (but not until you have signed a lease and obtained insurance). a. Clean up the Site Schedule community workdays to clean up the site. How many work days you need will depend on the size of the site, and how much and what kind of debris are on site. b. Install the Irrigation System Without water, you can't grow anything. So get this key element into place as soon as possible. There are plenty of opportunities for community involvement--from digging trenches to laying out PVC pipes. c. Plant Something Once you have water, there are many options for in-garden action. Stake out beds and pathways by marking them with stakes and twine. Mulch pathways. If your fence isn't in yet, some people might still want to accept the risk of vandalism and get their plots started. You can also plant shade and fruit trees and begin to landscape the site. If you do not yet have a source of donated plants, or don't wish to risk having them vandalized, plant annual flower seeds which will grow quickly and can be replaced later. Seeds for Los Angeles County community and school gardens can be obtained through the Common Ground Garden Program (323) d. Continue to construct the garden as materials and funds become available. 14. Celebrate! At this point, your ideas and hard work have finally become a community garden! Be sure to take time to celebrate. Have a grand opening, barbecue, or some other fun event to give everyone who helped to make this happen, a special thank-you. This is the time to give all those who gave donated materials or time a special certificate, bouquet, or other form of recognition. 15. Troubleshooting as the Garden Develops
5 5 All community gardens will experience problems somewhere along the way. Don't get discourage--get organized. The key to success for community gardens is not only preventing problems from ever occurring, but also working together to solve them when they do inevitably occur. In our experience, these are some of the most common problems that "crop-up" in community gardens, and our suggestions for solving them a. Vandalism Most gardens experience occasional vandalism. The best action you can take is to replant immediately. Generally the vandals become bored after a while and stop. Good community outreach, especially to youth and the garden's immediately neighbors is also important. Most important--don't get to discouraged. It happens. Get over it and keep going. What about barbed wired or razor wire to make the garden more secure? Our advice--don't. It's bad for community relations, looks awful, and is sometimes illegal to install without a permit. If you need more physical deterrents to keep vandals out, plant bougainvillea or pyracantha along your fence, their thorns will do the trick! b. Security Invite the community officer from your local precinct to a garden meeting to get their suggestions on making the garden more secure. Community officers can also be a great help in solving problems with garden vandalism, and dealing with drug dealers, and gang members in the area. c. Communication Clear and well-enforced garden rules and a strong garden president can go a long way towards minimizing misunderstandings in the garden. But communication problems do arise. It's the job of the garden club to resolve those issues. If it's something not clearly spelled out in the rules, the membership can take a vote to add new rules and make modifications to existing rules. Language barriers are a very common source of misunderstandings. Garden club leadership should make every effort to have a translator at garden meetings where participants are bilingual--perhaps a family member of one of the garden members who speaks the language will offer to help. d. Trash It's important to get your compost system going right away and get some training for gardeners on how to use it. If gardeners don't compost, large quantities of waste will begin to build up, create an eyesore, and could hurt your relationships with neighbors and the property owner. Waste can also become a fire hazard. Make sure gardeners know how to sort trash properly, what to compost, and what to recycle. Trash cans placed in accessible areas are helpful to keep a neat and tidy garden. e. Gardener Drop-Out There has been, and probably always will be, a high rate of turnover in community gardens. Often, people sign up for plots and then don't follow through. Remember, gardening is hard work for some people, especially in the heat of summer. Be sure to have a clause in your gardener agreement which states gardeners forfeit their right to their plot if they don't plant it within one month, or if they don't maintain it. While gardeners should be given every opportunity to follow through, if after several reminders either by letter or phone nothing changes, it is time for the club to reassign the plot. It is also advisable that every year, the leadership conduct a renewed community outreach campaign by contacting churches and other groups in the neighborhood to let them know about the garden and that plots are available. f. Weeds Gardeners tend to visit their plots less during the winter time, and lower participation, combined with rain, tends to create a huge weed problem in January, February, and March. Remember, part of your agreement with the landowner is that you will maintain the lot and keep weeds from taking over. In the late summer/early fall, provide gardeners with a workshop or printed material about what can be grown in a fall and winter garden. Also, schedule garden workdays for the spring in advance since you know you'll need them at the end of winter to clear weeds. If you anticipate that plots will be untended during the winter, apply a thick layer of mulch or hay to the beds and paths to reduce weed proliferation. Good luck with your community garden project! Yvonne Savio, Common Ground Garden Program Manager, University of California Cooperative Extension, Los Angeles County 4800 E. Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90022, Phone , Fax , Website: Master Gardener Gardening helpline: Lifetime Achievement Award, Los Angeles Community Garden Council 2007 Certificate of Commendation, Los Angeles Unified School District 2006 Certificate of Appreciation, City of Los Angeles 2004 "Feeding the Hungry" Garden Crusader Award, Gardener's Supply Company Since 1978, the Common Ground Garden program has helped Los Angeles County residents to garden, grow their own food, and healthfully prepare it. Our targeted audience and priority are to serve limited-resource residents and those traditionally underrepresented. By training community volunteers, we empower neighborhoods to create their own solutions. Our Master Gardener volunteers work primarily with community gardens, school gardens, seniors, and homeless and battered women's shelters.
6 Sample Community Garden CONTRACT (Information in parentheses is to be determined by individual garden) 6 Common Ground Garden Program, University of California Cooperative Extension, Los Angeles County P.O. Box 22255, 4800 E. Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, Los Angeles CA Phone (323) , Fax (323) , Rules, Terms, and Conditions for Participation Introduction A. The (organization/garden manager) is the highest governing authority at the (Name) Community Garden. B. Breaking any rules, terms, and conditions is cause for exclusion from the garden and loss of your plot. 1. You will receive one verbal warning from the garden manager. 2. If no response or correction has been made, you will receive written notice two weeks later. 3. In another two weeks, if no response or correction has been made, you will receive written final notification that you have forfeited your gardening privileges and plot. 4. You will be allowed to reapply for another garden plot only after one year, and only at the discretion of the garden manager. Rules, Terms, and Condition for Participation If accepted as a gardener, I will abide by the following rules, terms, and conditions. 1. I use this garden at the sole discretion of (Watts Family) Community Garden. I agree to abide by its policies and practices. 2. The fee for the use of the garden is ($32.00) per plot, per year (January 1 December 31), due on or before January 1). Fee for half a year after (beginning July 1 or later) is ($16.00). There are no refunds. 3. Once I have been assigned a plot, I will cultivate and plant it within two weeks. I will garden year round. My plot cannot be left fallow or unused for any period of three weeks or longer, more than one time a year. 4. My plot is (20 x 20) feet. I will not expand my plot beyond this measurement or into paths or other plots. I will keep all my plants within the limits of my garden plot and will not allow any plants to grow more than six feet high. I must keep my plot free of weeds, pests and diseases. 5. I will keep my plot, paths, and surrounding areas clean and neat. I will completely separate my trash into three groups: 1) dead plants, leaves, and other green waste plant parts; 2) rocks, stones, and asphalt; and 3) paper, plastic, cardboard, wood, metal, etc. I will put each type of trash only in the areas designated specifically for each. Anything I bring from my home I will take back home. I will not bring household trash and leave it at the (Watts Family) Community Garden. 6. If I now have more than one plot, I will give up my additional plots by the end of this gardening year (December 31). 7. I will not plant any illegal plant. I will not smoke, drink alcoholic beverages, use illegal drugs, or gamble in the garden. I will not come to the garden while under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs. I will not bring weapons or pets or other animals to the garden. 8. Guests and visitors, including children, may enter the garden only if I accompany them. They must follow all rules, terms, and conditions stated here. I will supervise my children at all times when they are in the garden. I am solely responsible for the behavior of my guests. 9. The garden manager will assign me general garden maintenance tasks each month, and I must complete them by the end of the month that I am assigned them 10. I will water my plot according to water-wise guidelines. (If I use more than the recommended amount of water, I will pay a fee each month to cover the cost of this additional water. 11. I will attend the regular (bi-monthly) garden club meetings. If workshops are offered, I will attend at least one of each of the following topics: soil preparation and maintenance, watering the vegetable garden, and pest and disease control. 12. I will not apply any pesticides in the garden without the approval of the garden manager. 13. I will not make duplicate keys of any locks at the garden or give my key or lock combination to another person. 14. I will not take food or plants from other gardeners plots. I will not take anything from the garden that is not rightfully mine. 15. I will respect other gardeners, and I will not use abusive or profane language or discriminate against others. 16. I will work to keep the garden a happy, secure, and enjoyable place where all participants can garden and socialize peacefully in a neighborly manner. 17. I forfeit my right to sue the owner of the property Commitment I have read and understand the application and accept these rules, terms, and conditions stated above for the participation in the (Name) Community Garden Signed Gardener Approved: Garden Manager Date: Date:
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text: Hi guys, Thanks for reading my post! I am inexperienced here and I found out my hard drive is failing (through disk utility). I want to upgrade to an SSD but I do not know how to go about finding the right one (SATA II/III...brand....speed...reliability) I have a Early 2011 MacBook Pro 13in ... if that helps. Hopefully someone can point me in the right direction! Thanks for reading this!


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PM, Ramesh asssured me of speedy clearance to Posco: Naveen
Pushing for expediting the Posco steel plant, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today said he has received an assurance from both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on speedy clearance for the Rs 54,000-crore project in the state.delhi Updated: Aug 23, 2010 23:22 IST
Pushing for expediting the Posco steel plant, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday said he has received an assurance from both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on speedy clearance for the Rs 54,000-crore project in the state.
However, the Orissa Chief Minister was evasive when asked if the Prime Minister has given a similar promise on the multi-billion dollar proposed mining project of Vedanta group, which has been accused of violation of tribal and forest norms, in Niyamgirl hills of the state.
But, he said, the State Forest Secretary U N Behera said will be meeting the Environment Minister tomorrow to see that the Vedanta issue is expedited.
Upset over key projects in his state being stalled, Patnaik had met the Prime Minister to apprise him of the situation and seek speedy approval for them.
"I met the Prime Minister and Union Environment Minister regarding large projects in the state that they should not be stopped as they will bring a great deal of investment to Orissa and generate employment opportunities. They should be expedited," he said.
He said Ramesh has promised to "hasten" the South Korean steel giant's proposed project, billed as the country's single largest dose of FDI, which is lying pending for the last five years in the absence of green nod from the Environment Ministry.
Confident that both the projects will sail through in due course, Patnaik dismissed apprehensions that the Korean steel giant and UK-based Vedanta Resources will pull out of the state due to delay.
"They have not said they would be pulling out at all," he said adding "I think everyone is quite aware about these projects and I do certainly hope they would be expedited".
The Chief Minister said some members of a Forest Ministry panel headed by Meena Gupta will soon visit the Posco project site at Jagatsinghpur in Orissa to review the compliance by the state government with the Forest Rights Act (FRA) and Forest Conservation Act while acquiring the land for it.
The Environment Ministry has set up the Meena Gupta panel after Orissa government opposed N C Saxena committee's interim report on Posco saying it was based on falsified documents and that no one had traditional rights in the area under FRA.
Regarding Vedanta's project at Niyamgiri Hills, he maintained "our state forest secretary will meet the Environment Minister tomorrow to see that these matter is expediated."
Ramesh further said that he has asked the Gupta committee to expedite the Posco project but did not discuss the Vedanta proposal with the Orissa CM.
First Published: Aug 23, 2010 22:02 IST


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The UC Hastings Business Law Journal is proud to host a symposium exploring the new legislation recently passed in California that allows corporations to promote the public good. The symposium will feature representatives from B Lab, the legislation drafters, professors, practitioners in the field, and business advisors.
October 19th, 9am – 4pm
Alumni Reception Center, UC Hastings,
200 McAllister St. San Francisco, CA
The opening speaker will introduce the legislation's background and describe benefit corporations, as well as flexible purpose corporations, benefit limited liability companies, and low-profit limited liability companies (L3Cs). The morning panel will compare social benefit corporations to their counterparts, and explore why a corporation would elect to organize as one type of corporation over the other.
In the afternoon, speakers will shift their focus toward the practical aspects of running these corporations-How can social and environmental impacts be quantified? How should a board adequately consider their new stakeholders? The afternoon panel will then present the partisan viewpoints surrounding the legislation, arguing both for and against its need and expansion. Finally, our closing speaker will address the future of these entities-Will the legislation expand? What type of lawsuits can we expect?
Students, professors, practitioners, and business owners are welcome to join the event. Lunch and reception graciously hosted by DLA Piper, and a reception will follow the event. MCLE Credit will be available.
RSVP to: [email protected]


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Most gamers will tell you that Madden is much more than a game: To some, it's a seasonal event, one that helps mark the passing of seasons from summer into fall. To others, it's a religious experience, a pilgrimage that football fans eagerly take each year as a warm-up to the NFL season. But of course, Madden evolves from year to year, and the next-gen versions of the game are no different. What is the Madden Gamer Level? What is the Hall of Fame mode? How do these affect this year's Superstar mode? We went to David Ortiz, Lead Producer of Madden Next-Gen, for the answers to these questions and more.
IGN: There really hasn't been that much information released about the Madden Gamer Level. Could you explain what it is and the decision behind it?
David Ortiz: The Madden Gamer Level will be included on both the Xbox 360 and the PS3. The point behind the Gamer Level was that we wanted to give the users an opportunity to compare their skill sets against each other regardless of the area of the game they played. We've got guys that play a lot of Head-to-head, we've got guys that play a lot of the Franchise mode, and each mode has its own set of Madden skills that it takes to be successful. What we wanted to do was track everything that you do in Madden, give you a lot of things to go after and accomplish, and also give you a true sense of where you stack as a Madden Gamer.
The way it works is that within each section of the game, there are areas we track: We track your in-game play, as well as the Franchise, mini-games and Superstar modes. We have a series of tasks for each section, and as you accomplish these different tasks, you get a check mark next to it. You start to see your progress and your points accumulate associated to your in-game accomplishments. What's cool about it, in addition to taking your Madden experience to a deeper level, are the Hall of Fame players that are unlocked as a result of your accomplishments throughout. As your Gamer Level goes up, you unlock these players that you can then use in your Franchise mode or in Head-to-head play.
IGN: Cool. So what would make the Gamer Level different from the EA Bio from the 2004 series that unlocked features from the entire Sports catalog?
David: We definitely looked back at the Bio and other features we've done in the past as inspiration for the Gamer Level. I think the biggest difference is the sheer amount of depth associated with it and the rewards you get as a result of your accomplishments. We have a pretty relevant rewards system: the Hall of Fame players are something that users have always asked for and wanted, and we think this is a great way to earn them. As we move forward, we'll continue to find different ways to reward people.
IGN: Can you give me some examples of specific tasks that you can do in the Gamer Level, and what it would look like?
David: Well, from the top level of the game, you'll see the Gamer Level screen. Whenever you create the nickname for your profile, which will also be the name of the Gamer Level itself. There will be an overall progress screen that will show you what level you're at. There are fifty levels, and as you move through each one, your specific ranking will change from bronze to silver and finally gold. We'll show percentage of how much you've completed in each section, and as you select an individual section you can see what you've done and what you still have to do. So to give you examples of some of the tasks right off the bat (and there are a huge amount of tasks in there): 5 and 10 consecutive completions, 30 first downs, 200 yards on offense, complete 25 passes and more. They range from simple to incredibly challenging tasks and the accumulation of all of the points in that section will push your overall level higher.


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Hearing Loss: The Invisible Disability - Is your facility ADA Compliant?
Almost anyone can easily explain the purpose of a wheelchair ramp, wheelchair signage on doors, or signs translated into Braille. Less known are the effects of the "invisible disabilty", also known as hearing loss. In 2012, legislation went into effect that requires all new construction and renovations to meet enhanced ADA standards for assistive listening sytems. Listen Technologies has published a white paper outlining these new requirements that you can DOWNLOAD NOW.
Thinking Outside the Box with ListenIR - SIMPLY BRILLIANT
ListenIR systems use infrared light to transmit audio, much like a television remote control. An IR system is made up of a radiator, transmitter, and receiver. Unlike RF systems, an IR system incorporates line-of-sight technology, and is therefore very secure for confidential transmission fo the audio signal within a room. The ListenIR system is great for classrooms, corporate boardrooms, courtrooms and wherever a private audio signal is needed. Because of its versatility, ListenIR can be used for a wide range of unique applications. Listen Technologies has detailed many of these ideas in this blog that you can read here... Thinking Outside the Box with Digital Infrared.
Listening Assistance Value Pack System
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WILLIAMS SOUND Value Pack System, VP37 (1) T27 transmitter, (4) PPA R37 receivers with BAT 001 AA alkaline batteries, (4) EAR 013 single mini earbuds, (1) IDP 008 ADA wall plaque, (1) WCA 013 audio cable, (1) ANT 021 antenna, (1) TFP 036 power supply, (2) NKL