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NEW YORK (AP) — The metaphor is an easy one, overused and perhaps even a bit overwrought. We are forging forward into a digital frontier, leaving convention behind, traveling without guides into an uncharted virtual land where progress and profits are forever around the next bend.
Sound familiar?
In the 19th century, Americans expanded into a physical frontier — a geographic edge of society brimming with opportunities and dangers and challenges and setbacks. So began the notion of manifest destiny: the idea that, no matter what, the United States pushes outward to the farthest edge of the most distant place possible.
Today, almost two centuries after that term was coined, American expansionism is playing out vigorously at society's latest cutting edge: the social space of the Internet. Friday's high-octane, $16 billion IPO of the global juggernaut that is Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook is, for better or worse, the most recent example of how the new frontier has been cultivated, colonized and commanded by entrepreneurial Americans.
As the manufacturing economy reconfigures, you often hear the lament that "America doesn't make anything anymore." But then there's this: Most of the world's digital centers of gravity have been, and remain, American. Apple and Microsoft. Google and Yahoo. YouTube and Amazon and eBay. Facebook and Twitter and Instagram. Kickstarter. Netflix. PayPal. Akamai, the content-delivery behemoth. Intel, the internal combustion engine of the whole shebang. And for that matter, the Internet itself and the organization that regulates its domain names were both born and raised in (you guessed it) America.
A digital manifest destiny is playing out, built upon the notion that the United States' outward expansion continues apace on the virtual frontier. What the self-defined sense of American exceptionalism built in the physical world, it is now building in the digital one.
"It's a projection of American values — what international experts would call soft power," says Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project.
Look at what the digital space disseminates, he says: freedom of the press, of information and of assembly; knowledge and scientific advancement; free-market mechanisms and entrepreneurialism. "It's hard to think of a cluster of ideas and architectures that would more allow basic American cultural values to propagate," says Rainie, co-author of the new book, "Networked: The New Social Operating System."
Technological progress has always walked hand in hand with American expansion. Where would the settlement of the West have been without Robert Fulton's steamboat, Samuel F.B. Morse's work in telegraphy and, later, the inventions of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford? Not to mention the old-time data pipelines themselves — the postal system, the railroads and eventually the interstate highways?
In those cases, innovation helped drive development and physically shape the frontier; now innovation itself is the frontier. And the American tendency to glorify the inventor's spirit remains a key engine. As Alexander Graham Bell went, so goes Mark Zuckerberg.
"In this country, you're a hero if you invent something. To be an inventor in America, that's as good as being an explorer," says Julie Fenster, author of "The Spirit of Invention: The Story of the Thinkers, Creators and Dreamers who Formed Our Nation."
"The notion that 'I can invent my way out of problems' — that always fueled a sense of hope and expansion in this country," she says.
That parallel between the frontiers of the road and the mind has not gone unnoticed by politicians and leaders looking to cast America's newest progress in the context of the old. President Barack Obama, speaking to Carnegie Mellon University's National Robotics Engineering Center last year, called for tech innovation this way: "That's the kind of adventurous, pioneering spirit that we need right now. That's the spirit that's given us the tools and toughness to overcome every obstacle and adapt to every circumstance."
The nation's digital innovators have been placing virtual progress into the context of American expansionism for years. Sometimes they're oblique about it, sometimes they're explicit. "There is never a reliable map for unexplored territory," wrote Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who in 1995 likened the early Internet to the Oregon Trail. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs put it this way in 1985: "In a society where information and innovation are going to be pivotal, there really is the possibility that America can become a second-rate industrial nation if we lose the technical momentum and leadership we have now."
Manifest destiny and its first cousin, American exceptionalism, aren't popular notions everywhere. The idea of U.S. domination in everything from cultural frontiers (Hollywood) to geographic ones (outer space) can set the world on edge. Just as irritatingly to some, America's ability to occupy these spaces rests upon not only actual innovation but the oomph to amplify it on a global level — in effect, to shout the loudest in a crowded, if now virtual, room.
"Manifest destiny justifies a certain behavior. One could call it rapaciousness on one end, but someone else could call it being an entrepreneur, being a founder," says John Baick, a historian at Western New England University in Massachusetts. That reflects back upon the original manifest destiny imperative to push outward at all costs; expansion, on any frontier, can also mean overrunning the people who are already there.
What has helped this dominance along? Is it the American penchant for R&D, which fuels innovation? The rise of venture capital over the past half-century, particularly in places like Silicon Valley? Is it the combination of creativity and Barnum-style snake oil that matured into the marketing culture that helps define America today? Is it the nation's higher-education system, which has vigorously pushed the relationship between technological innovation and entrepreneurialism?
Or — and this is where it really gets interesting — is it the ability and willingness of an increasingly connected planet to adopt American innovation and take it to a global level, encouraging U.S. digital expansion in the process?
"We might look at our contributions . and fail to see that what really helped them to take off in many cases was the participation of other people globally," says Joel Kline, an internet developer and digital strategist who teaches business technology at Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania.
Last year in southwestern China, long a hotbed of brand-name electronics knockoffs, a fake Apple Store turned up — an entire store. A blogger's photos depicted an elaborate lookalike operation complete with Genius Bar, hardwood floors, Helvetica-typefaced signage and sales associates in blue T-shirts who apparently actually thought they were working at the real thing.
Think about that. It wasn't enough to fake the gadgets. The counterfeiters wanted to fake the FEEL of innovation that Apple markets so adeptly. The entire process, exported by an American digital company, had been swallowed whole. It was the idea that was being sold. Something intangible, but very real — the foundation of the virtual economy.
"People say, 'Oh, you've got to invest in the tangible things — land, gold and silver, other precious metals.' They're solid," says Rich Cooper, vice president for research and emerging issues at the National Chamber Foundation, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's think tank.
But, he says, "In this new era of exceptionalism, you're now on an entirely different plane. You're not holding dirt. You're not holding a piece of real estate in your hands. You can't touch it and taste it. It's an entirely different medium, and that's hard for people to understand and accept."
The American frontier's most renowned historian, Frederick Jackson Turner, made his name writing about the end of it. In 1893, he proclaimed the frontier closed, finished, conquered, settled. But he hardly thought that meant the end of manifest destiny.
"He would be a rash prophet who should assert that the expansive character of American life has now entirely ceased," Turner wrote. "Movement has been its dominant fact, and, unless this training has no effect upon a people, the American energy will continually demand a wider field for its exercise."
That remains the case, even if that field is now composed of an endless stream of ones and zeroes and Zuckerbergs that, to Americans, represent the latest evidence of the old story of exceptionalism — the desire to lead the world, now from a shining SimCity upon a hill.
"People seem to think there are no other frontiers for America to explore and that America's sitting on the bench now," Cooper says. "But there are a whole set of frontiers we don't even know about yet."
EDITOR'S NOTE — Ted Anthony writes about American culture for The Associated Press. Follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/anthonyted


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Cluthra glass is a two-layered glass with small bubbles and powdered glass trapped between the layers. The Steuben Glass Works of Corning, New York, first made it in 1920. Victor Durand of Kimball Glass Company in Vineland, New Jersey, made a similar glass from about 1925. Cluthra was made in many different colors. Durand's pieces are listed in the Durand category. Related items are listed in the Steuben category.
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subset: commoncrawl


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For Maverick Meerkat we're continuing improving the ARM support for Ubuntu. With Lucid we got the first release optimized for ARMv7 (Thumb2 and SoftFP but not NEON), and for Maverick the plan is to keep the same ARM optimizations as base, but improving board support and user experience.
Currently the main target boards are the ones based on OMAP 3 and OMAP 4, like:
– BeagleBoard (C4 preferred)
– BeagleBoard xM
– PandaBoard (still to be released)
The main decisions to support these boards are basically the upstream support, solid community around them, easy hardware access and CPU power (standard Ubuntu is quite heavy, so we need a good and powerful machine).
At the moment we already got a good support for them, and the Beta release is somehow usable already! There are some development on-going to have a full working 3D interface (unity) for OpenGL ES much the same way we have for normal OpenGL devices. The only bad thing is that currently most of the 3D drivers for ARM (if not all) are closed source, so the development is a little bit harder than the usual.
If you just got your BeagleBoard xM, or want to try Ubuntu on your C4, please give it a try. For Maverick the idea is to give the users a pre-installed image, that you just need to 'dd' to your SD card, boot and adjust the environment.
Here are the instructions needed to get Ubuntu up and running at your OMAP device: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ARM/OMAPMaverickInstall
In case you don't have any of these boards, but want to use Ubuntu with different devices remember you can always try to build a 'rootfs' with RootStock. You'll only need a working and compatible kernel and boot-loader.
And please, in case of you find any bug, want to help testing and getting Ubuntu better on your ARM device, just poke us at #ubuntu-arm (freenode). We'll for sure be happy to assist you with any problems you may find.
Note for Beagle xM users: in case you find that your Maverick Beta image doesn't boot with your board, please check bug https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/628243. This means that you have a Numonyx memory chip, and unfortunately the fix didn't make Beta. To work around it just mount the first partition of your SD card (after giving 'dd') and replace your MLO with http://people.canonical.com/~rsalveti/maverick/boot/xM/MLO. After this just umount the partition, put it at your board and boot it.


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Atlanta (CNN) -- Seven Atlanta educators have stepped down after being issued an ultimatum to quit or be fired.
They were among 178 Atlanta Public Schools employees, including 38 principals, whose jobs are on the line after allegedly being involved in a widespread standardized-test cheating scandal that has spanned 44 schools. Atlanta Public Schools Interim Superintendent Erroll B. Davis Jr. issued the edict last week, giving those implicated until Wednesday to resign or face termination proceedings.
According to a release from Atlanta Public Schools Wednesday, two teachers resigned, while another four teachers and one principal went into retirement.
"I don't know that there was any surprise here," Keith Bromery, director of media relations for the school system said, when asked whether there was any expectation of a mass exodus when the ultimatum was made. "They can actually resign at any time, past today. But this is the [three-day] window that we would allow to have them resign without getting a termination letter."
It's still unclear as to the status of the remaining 171 employees, who were listed on a report conducted by state investigators as having confessed to or having been implicated in testing improprieties regarding standardized competency exams.
"Even though the superintendent has said those named on the report would never be put in front of the kids again, the decision hasn't been made yet," Bromery said. "They may be reassigned or put on administrative leave."
Termination proceedings, once underway, will not necessarily be swift.
The school district must first send a notice of termination called a charge letter, documenting the list of evidence or witnesses for which the employee is getting dismissed for. The employee is entitled to counsel at a hearing over his or her issue. A tribunal will then render the decision whether to terminate but that still needs to be reaffirmed by the superintendent and school board.
The 171 individuals still left in consideration will be dealt with one by one, contingent on the availability of the information investigators who compiled the report, Bromery said.
"We'll need all of their background information -- logs, video or whatever they have in evidence -- in moving forward with the terminations. It isn't a blanket sort of thing, we have to take it on an individual, case-by-case basis."
The Atlanta schools cheating scandal has caught the attention of federal officials.
"We've been in conversation with the inspector general about these cheating scandals and I believe they are looking at them," U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said earlier this week.
Duncan spoke with Superintendent Davis at length about the cheating revelations, and current response plans, Bromery said.
"They (federal officials) have been very helpful in providing advice and counsel as our schools go through this," he said.
The Department of Education has the power to withhold or add preconditions on federal funding provided to states if it believes efforts to rectify corruption aren't enough. So far, no federal investigation of Atlanta Public Schools has been launched, but officials say they are weighing several options to support state-led measures to protect against cheating.
Earlier this month, investigators revealed the systematic falsification of standardized test results, concluding that dozens of teachers and administrators in 44 of 56 schools examined were involved. In total, Atlanta Public Schools has 104 schools in its district.
Last week, Davis replaced four area superintendents and a school principal. He told CNN then that the system had failed children and "we can't allow that to happen, and we can't allow anyone who was involved with that remain in our system."
The school board has given Davis approval to mandate ethics training for employees and provide remedial help to perhaps thousands of Atlanta Public Schools students who may have improperly advanced because of the cheating.
"We will identify those children, and we will make the requisite investments to remediate the wrongs that were done against them," Davis said.
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal said prosecutors will decide whether to bring criminal charges against those involved. The state investigation confirmed widespread cheating in city schools dating as far back as 2001, and said 82 employees acknowledged involvement.
Investigators said the educators implicated were either directly involved in erasing wrong answers on a standardized test, or they knew or should have known what was going on.
Six principals declined to answer investigators' questions and invoked their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, Deal said.
The state's report indicated there was a climate of cheating and a performance-at-all-costs atmosphere during the tenure of previous Superintendent Beverly Hall. Hall has denied the allegation.
Davis said there had been "a culture of fear and intimidation" that needed to be changed.
"People felt that it was easier to cheat than to miss their goals and objectives," he said. But he also agreed with board members who said it was important to remember that many Atlanta teachers did their jobs well.
"There were so many teachers who have not made ethical compromises who were doing wonderful things on a daily basis," Davis said.
The cheating was brought to light after the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported about unusual test-score gains at some schools. Investigators discovered a pattern of incorrect test answers being erased and replaced with correct answers.
In a bid to increase stability as it seeks to overcome the scandal and receive full reaccreditation, the board extended Davis' contract through June 2012. He recently retired as chancellor of the University System of Georgia


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Deep Time
Quantitative concepts: big numbers, exponential growth and decay
Deep Time - the geologic time scaleby Jennifer M. Wenner, Geology Department, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Jump down to: Relative vs. Numerical age | Timescales | How do we know? | Religion | Examples & Exercises
Essential ConceptsThere are 5 main concepts with which students struggle when thinking about Deep Time - the concept that Earth has a multi-billion year history:
- imagining or comprehending big numbers,
- the difference between relative and numerical age,
- the concept of "timescales",
- the ways we know about the age of the Earth and other materials, and
- resolving perceived issues with religious beliefs
Big numbers - How many zeros?!?When we tell students that the Earth is 4.6 billion years old, that number may have no meaning to them. Even when they are told that a number that large has 10 digits, they cannot comprehend anything that large (particularly that amount of time). It is even difficult for many geoscientists to really come to a true understanding of how long 4,600,000,000 years really is.
In fact, many geologists find that it is easier to think about numbers (ages) like millions of years relative to the total age of the Earth or the length of geologic time. To understand the time since the Earth's inception, we need to put it into perspective that we can understand. To do this we often use analogies for the length of time rather than the absolute value of that time. Here are a few examples in which significant events in Earth history are plotted relative to some known (and easily comprehended) quantity or object:
- The roll of toilet paper: Imagine that all of geologic time is represented by a 1,000 sheet roll of toilet paper (Scott tissue works well) - each sheet is 4,500,000 years. Unroll the toilet paper and mark off significant events in the history of the Earth. (This can be a delicate operation but if the paper rips, tape can be used to fix it.)
- Trip across the country: Imagine that all 4.5 billion years of geologic time are represented by a roadtrip from Washington, DC, to Seattle - about 4500 km. Mark out specific time periods in geologic time along your route across the country.
- The football field: Imagine that all 4.5 billion years of geologic time are represented by the length of a football field. Mark out specific time periods in geologic time along its length.
- The calendar year: Imagine that the deep time of Earth's history is compressed into one year. Calculate (to the fraction of a second) when significant events in geologic history happened. Assume that January 1 is the formation of Earth and milliseconds before midnight on December 31 is present day.
- The yard/meter stick: Imagine that geologic time is represented by the length of a yard, or better yet a meter, stick. Make a scale model of the geologic time scale to within fractions of inches or centimeters.
- The beer glass: Imagine that geologic time is represented in the volume of a beer glass (it works well to imagine Guinness in a 20 ounce imperial pint - each ounce represents 230,000,000 years). Calculate the volume (this can also be done by %) of beer that represents time before present to significant geologic events.
- The clothes line: Stretch out a clothes line of known length. Have students calculate the where they should place a clothespin on the clothesline for a specific geologic event.
- Length of the hallway: With a measuring tape, have students measure the hallway outside the classroom as the geologic time scale with one end representing present day and the other end, Earth's birth. Give each student a geologic event (with its age) and have them stand at the appropriate distance from "present day".
Clearly, there are numerous analogies out there for deep time, make sure you choose one to which your students can relate. Or, let your students choose the one that makes the most sense to them.
Relative vs. Numerical AgeSome students have difficulty with the concept of relative vs. numerical* age. Particularly that the geologic time scale was first conceived through an understanding of the relative age of fossils. For many years, the geologic time scale had no units of 'time' attached to it. Only with the discovery of radioactivity could geologists attach numerical ages to time periods.
*Often numerical age is called absolute age - however, "absolute" is misleading because numerical ages have associated errors and geologic ages are adjusted as new techniques are developed.
Relative time/ageBecause we understand and observe the effects of physical forces acting on earth materials (e.g., gravity), we can infer stories about the sedimentary rocks found on Earth.
Suppose I gave you a list of "Relative" events:
- My mother's birth
- My maternal grandmother meets my maternal grandfather
- My father meets my mother
- My mother's birth
- I graduate from high school
- My maternal grandmother's birth
With a few clues, could you reasonably put them in chronological order? How did you do it? There are certain conditions that must be true in order for a sequential event to occur (e.g., my grandmother must be born and know my grandfather before my mother can be born). The same is true for geologic events - there is a well understood set of principles that govern the deposition of sediments that can help a geologist tell a story about the history of the rocks.
Numerical time/ageDespite the fact that you can put the above events into a relative chronological order, you have no idea how much time occurs between each of the events. Are they spaced evenly from the first event to the last (i.e., 25 years betweeen each event)? Are the years between them the same for each person (e.g., did we all start 1st grade when we were exactly 6 years old?)
- My maternal grandmother's birth - June 20, 1918
- My maternal grandmother meets my maternal grandfather - September, 1936
- My mother's birth - May 30, 1944
- My father meets my mother - October, 1964
- My birth - May 6, 1970
- I graduate from high school - June, 1988
Although your "relative" list should be in exactly the same order as mine, the "age" of the events will not be the same. This is the concept of numerical age. You can put "relatives" in chronological order just by knowing their relationship to one another; however, when you have done that, you have no idea what the numerical age of any of those relatives is.
Ways of representing geologic time
The geologic columnToday, the geologic timescale has numbers associated with the boundaries between eons, epochs, periods, etc.
- The sedimentary principles are:
In this image, A is younger than C (superposition), C is younger than I (inclusions), I is younger than D, E and B (cross-cutting), D is younger than E and B (cross-cutting), H, F, K and J have been tilted or folded (original horizontality), G is younger than B, H, F, K and J (baked contacts). In order from youngest to oldest, the sequence is as follows: A, C, I, D, E, G, B, tilting, H, F, K. J.
- principle of uniformitarianism:
- physical processes acting today also acted in the past at comparable rates -- the present is the key to the past;
- principle of superposition:
- younger sedimentary rocks overlie older rocks because a layer of sediment cannot accumulate unless there is already a substrate on which it can collect
- principle of original horizontality:
- sedimentary rocks are deposited relatively horizontally because they settle out of fluid in a gravitational field -- folds and tilted beds indicate deformation that postdates deposition;
- principle of original continuity:
- sedimentary rock units accumulate in continuous sheets, a layer exposed on one side of a canyon likely spanned the canyon at one time;
- principle of cross-cutting relationships:
- a feature that cuts across another is younger than that it cuts;
- principle of inclusions:
- igneous and sedimentary rocks that contain inclusions of other rocks must be younger than the rocks they include;
- principle of baked contacts:
- an igneous intrusion "bakes" the rock surrounding it.
- definitions modified from Earth: Portrait of a Planet by Stephen Marshak
- one piece of bread was there for me to spread the PB (or J) on (principle of superposition);
- the bread had to be (relatively) flat for me to spread the peanut butter on it (principle of original horizontality);
- the peanut butter probably covered the entire piece of bread (principle of original continuity);
- if I slice the sandwich, all those layers (PB, J and bread) had to be there for me to cut through them (principle of cross cutting relationships;
- if there is jelly in my peanut butter, I put the jelly on first - and vice versa (principle of inclusions).
- Some grains of sand in Australia have been dated at 4.2-4.4 billion years - this suggests that there were rocks around at that time even if they are no longer there,
- Rocks collected from the Moon have yielded ages as old as 4.6 billion years old,
- Nearly every meteorite that has the same composition as the Earth has an age of 4.6 billion years.
- That would be like polling the University and having 90% of the students have exactly the same birthday! How likely is that?
- For more information about teaching to Creationist students, SERC's Starting Point has a number of pages on addressing Creationism.
- Geologic timescale with 1000 sheet roll of toilet paper contains teaching notes for using this as a demonstration in class, a modifiable table and possible assessment techniques. Also included are links to other pages with information about using this activity in class.
- Geologic timescale using a pre-measured length of calculator tape contains teaching notes for using this as an activity for small groups.
- SERC at Carleton College has an excellent site on teaching entry-level geoscience with an Earth history approach.
- Included in these pages, there are links to teaching about the geologic timeline with resources about the timeline.
- There are also links to teaching about evolution.
Students can relate to the making of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich - this is a great way to help students understand the sedimentary principles listed above:
When I make a PB and J sandwich, I can say that:
The geologic timescale
The numerical geologic time scale is in a constant state of flux as geochronologists (geologists who date rocks) find (or bracket) more precise ages for the fossiliferous rocks used to construct the original geologic column. The discovery of radioactivity allowed us to put a scale on the geologic column.


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News Release: Florida Senate
Updated: April 8, 2014, 4:45pm
TALLAHASSEE— As Republican lawmakers continue to stall any action on raising the minimum wage, Florida Democrats who have joined Senator Dwight Bullard's challenge to live on the meager income for a week will hold a press conference tomorrow to discuss their progress.
"For the everyday minimum wage workers putting in 40 hours, they're still having difficulties putting food on the table each week," Senator Bullard (D-Miami) stated. "It's amazing to see how many of those who oppose any increase are afraid to accept the challenge to live for a week on the status quo. What are they so afraid of?"
Senator Bullard's "Live for a Week on Minimum Wage" began this past Monday, when he and other Democratic lawmakers challenged opponents to his minimum wage bill to survive on the average minimum wage salary of $317 per week (before taxes). So far, none of the Republicans have accepted.
At the event on Wednesday Senator Bullard will be joined by Florida House Representatives Cynthia Stafford, Kionne McGhee, Shevrin Jones, Bobby Powell, Ricardo Rangel, Victor Manuel Torres Jr, and Jose Javier Rodrigues. All of them have been pushing for legislation, including Senator Bullard's SB 456, raising the state's minimum wage to $10.10 to be heard in this year's legislative session. Just past the half-way point, however, neither the Republican-led Senate nor the Republican-led House have made any effort to hear the bills, despite overwhelming public support for the increase.
The press conference is scheduled for this ,b>Wednesday April 9, 2014 at 9am in the Capitol in front of Senate chambers.
News Release: Florida Senate
TALLAHASSEE—As Republican lawmakers continue to stall any action on raising the minimum wage in Florida, one Senate Democrat is challenging them to walk a mile in the shoes of millions of minimum wage earners they refuse to help.
Beginning next week, Senator Dwight Bullard (D-39) will live for 5 days on a typical weekly salary of minimum wage earners – approximately $317 before taxes. And he's challenging his legislative colleagues to join him. "I can think of no greater matter of importance than someone's ability to work and earn a decent wage," Senator Bullard stated. "Let those who would deny it try to live on it for just a week. They need to realize that there are real life consequences from their inaction in Tallahassee."
Earlier this year, Senator Bullard introduced SB 456 which would increase the state's minimum wage to $10.10 an hour. As the legislative session hits the halfway point, neither the Republican-led Senate nor House have made any effort to hear the bill.
This will be second time Bullard has participated in the minimum wage for a week challenge. Last year, Bullard was joined by Broward County Commissioner Marty Kiar.
The minimum wage in Florida is currently $7.93. In January this year, a Quinnipiac University poll showed that 73% of Floridians support a minimum wage increase, with support cutting across political and demographic groups.
The minimum wage challenge would require that individuals use roughly $200 on housing, $40 for groceries, and $60 for transportation miscellaneous needs. The minimum wage week challenge is scheduled to begin April 7th 2014.


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CINCINNATI, OH — Even though he sold his nine clubs in Ohio, Joe Moore has found a home at Fitworks, the company that purchased his clubs from him in July. And the fit seems to be working for Moore and Fitworks.
Moore, who has been in the club business for more than 33 years and is on the board of the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association, sold his four Moore's Fitness World clubs in Cincinnati and five clubs in Dayton, OH to Fitworks, the largest health club operator in Ohio. Moore now serves as the Dayton area director for Fitworks. While the company had not been in Dayton prior to the purchase of Moore's clubs, it had planned a move into the area.
Moore's clubs in Dayton became Fitworks clubs while the locations in Cincinnati were closed and memberships were transferred to Fitworks clubs, most of which were within a mile or two of the Moore's Fitness locations, said Moore. That added up to about 20,000 member transfers in Cincinnati and about 50 cancellations of memberships after the sale, said Moore.
As friendly competitors in Cincinnati, Moore and John Janszen, COO of Fitworks, found they had similar philosophies about how to operate clubs. Over a year and a half, the two developed a mutual trust and respect until one of them mentioned the possibility of working together.
"The more we talked about the possibility of combining the two operations, the more sense it made," said Moore. "I had a pretty big operation and by melding that with Fitworks, that makes it an extremely large operation."
As a one-man operation with nine clubs, Moore said he wasn't eager to expand, but by working with Fitworks, he now has the support to expand and aggressively look for new acquisitions and buildings in the Dayton area.
"Joe did a great job for one guy," said Janszen. "He did as much as one guy could do without an investor. So, we said, 'What could he do with an investor behind him?'" Fitworks has those investors, Janszen said.
Moore also brought with him a staff — some with 20 to 30 years of club experience — that impressed Janszen. Most of the employees at Moore's Cincinnati clubs were hired by Fitworks for its Cincinnati clubs or were transferred to Dayton clubs.
"I wanted my staff to come with me," said Moore. "They've been with me a long time, and I respect and trust them. And the Fitworks people liked their experience." The move gives the staff an opportunity to be part of a larger organization that shares the same customer service orientation of Moore's clubs, he said.
Moore's new job feels familiar to him. "I'm still pretty much doing what I did before," Moore said. "It's been a long transition from starting a health club business in a garage 30 years ago to now being acquired by a large fitness club."
If Moore and Janszen have their way, that large club will grow even larger with the addition of Moore and his staff as well as other planned expansions.
"The idea is to be able to grow Fitworks as a larger regional chain and at some point maybe a national chain," said Moore.


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Want to take a stand with your haircut, manicure or facial?
Want to take a stand with your haircut, manicure or facial?
Anybody who comes into the Gastonia Paul Mitchell cosmetology school next month will be asked to sign a peti-tion seeking additional resources to prevent human trafficking.
All of the Paul Mitchell schools across the country will take part in the �31 Days of Freedom� campaign during July.
�Our goal is to collect 1,000 signatures �,� said school director Nancy Smith in a press release. �North Carolina is a target state for sex trafficking and we will do what we can to stop it.�
Not planning to make a trip to Paul Mitchell next month? You can sign Resolution Hope�s Petition to End Slavery in America by texting your full name and ZIP code to email@example.com or signing the petition online.
Give the Paul Mitchell school a call 704-864-8723 for more information.
Notice anything new on the business landscape lately? Business reporter Amanda Memrick wants to hear from you. Call me at 704-869-1839, send an email to email@example.com or send a tweet shout out to @AmandaMemrick on Twitter.


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Home >
Post >
Student Life & Services >
Departments & Offices >
Division for Student Success
LIU Post is distinguished by its supportive community dedicated to seeing you succeed in your education, your career and your life. The Division for Student Success prides itself on its superb support programs to help you succeed in college. We provide professional academic and career advisement; cooperative education and experiential learning; tutoring in all subject matters; health and wellness counseling; study abroad opportunities; and faculty and peer mentorship programs. We will help you achieve a great balance between your education both inside and outside of the classroom. LIU Post is a community of staff and faculty members committed to making you feel welcome and comfortable on your journey toward earning a college degree.
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WASHINGTON — Inspired by the five-year fight over Keystone XL, U.S. Rep. Gene Green is pushing legislation that would smooth the approval process for pipelines and power lines that cross U.S. borders.
But the success of that bill depends on divorcing it from the high-profile Keystone XL pipeline fight.
"We have to get past Keystone," said Green, D-Houston. "This does nothing to Keystone XL. This is for the future."
The bill introduced by Green and Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., aims to write new rules for the federal government's review of border-crossing energy infrastructure projects that have yet to be proposed, effectively replacing an ad hoc presidential permit process created by a smattering of executive orders.
For instance, the State Department is tasked with vetting proposed oil pipelines, like TransCanada's Keystone XL project, under an executive order issued by former President George W. Bush in 2004.
Moving forward: TransCanada to finish southern Keystone line by end of month
But when it comes to natural gas pipelines that would cross U.S. borders, a 60-year-old presidential directive gives the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission the responsibility for issuing or denying presidential permits.
And for electric transmission infrastructure, the presidential permit decision rests with the Energy Department, under executive orders signed in 1954 and 1978.
Martin Edwards, vice president of legislative affairs for the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, called the current approach a "not-very-coherent process that has grown up over the last 50 or 60 years without a lot of thought to it."
Some energy analysts and industry representatives warn that presidential permit reviews could bog down even more, as companies look to build new pipelines and power lines moving North American electricity, oil and gas across Mexico, Canada and the United States.
"We're trying to bring some certainty to the process," Green said, noting that Keystone XL showed that "the process for cross-border pipelines is pretty confusing."
He predicts more pipelines and power lines in the future.
"We are going to see these cross-border pipelines and electricity grow," he said. "If we really are going to have a North American energy market, we need to be able to easily move that product back and forth."
The demand for infrastructure to move more oil, gas and power could be fed by greater production across North America, as energy companies use hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling to extract newly accessible fossil fuels from dense rock formations. Energy reforms in Mexico also could spur more activity.
Bill co-sponsor Upton says the continent's expanding energy potential requires a new "architecture of abundance."
"As energy production grows across the United States, building the infrastructure to move these supplies to consumers is emerging as the real challenge of the 21st century," he said.
Keystone XL director: Mandate on Obama delayed pipeline
Upton, head of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, scheduled a subcommittee hearing on the legislation last week, kicking off a process that could put it before the full House later this year. That hearing was canceled because of the government shutdown but is expected to be rescheduled.
Bill supporters hope to capitalize on concerns raised by TransCanada Corp.'s five-year quest to build the Keystone XL pipeline between Alberta and the Gulf Coast — without tethering the legislation to the politically charged project. Their mantra: "This is a forward-looking bill."
"Keystone XL is always going to be around, but we don't want it to be the calling card of this bill," said a congressional aide supportive of the legislation. "When the focus becomes that, you lose sight of the fact that there are a lot of other projects that may not have been filed, that people are holding back on (because of uncertainties with the current process)."
The State Department is now reviewing comments on a draft environmental assessment of Keystone XL as part of its determination of whether the project is in the "national interest." If any one of eight separate federal agencies disagrees with the State Department's decision, that would launch a process that ultimately would put the final verdict in President Barack Obama's hands.
Although some Keystone XL critics are wary of the bill — and want to explicitly make sure the legislation wouldn't provide new openings for the TransCanada project — the measure is drawing support from some lawmakers in the Northeast, where most of the United States' 40 border-crossing power lines are located, straddling the border with Canada.
Bill backers also plan to appeal to lawmakers' typical preference for Congress set rules for interstate commerce instead of leaving decisions up to executive orders that can be changed at any time.
A draft of the Upton-Green bill would put border-crossing oil pipeline reviews in the hands of the Commerce Department, natural gas pipeline requests before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and electric transmission projects in front of the Energy Department.
Maritime border: New website tracks tar sands shipments to West Coast
The measure would affect only the presidential permit stage of review and would not touch other local and federal regulatory hurdles, including scrutiny from pipeline regulators and environmental assessments.
It also would not apply retroactively to Keystone XL or roughly a dozen other border-crossing projects already waiting for presidential permits, including some that have already been built. They include:
- Enbridge Energy's request for changes in the presidential permit governing its Alberta Clipper (or Line 167) pipeline that crosses the U.S.-Canada border, so the company can boost its capacity to 880,000 barrels per day.
- Kinder Morgan's proposal to boost the capacity of a natural gas pipeline at the U.S.-Mexico border.
- Plains All American Pipeline's request to formalize a change in ownership and get permits to operate pipelines it recently purchased, including six at the U.S.-Canada border and another crossing the Detroit River. At least one of the pipelines already was the subject of a State Department application pending since 2007 because of a previous ownership change.
While Keystone XL gets all the attention, other border-crossing energy projects have had long waits, including a planned wind farm set to be built a half-mile south of the U.S.-Mexico border.
In 2007, Sempra asked the Energy Department for a presidential permit allowing it to build and operate a power line that would link the planned Energia Sierra Juarez wind farm in Mexico with U.S. power facilities owned by San Diego Gas & Electric.
The federal government issued a presidential permit five years later.
Border crossings
Electricity: The U.S. has 40 electric transmission lines carrying power across its borders with Canada and Mexico. Five applications for presidential permits for electric transmission infrastructure are pending before the Energy Department.
Natural gas: Fifty natural gas pipelines cross U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico, with applications for presidential permits for two more in Arizona and Texas pending.
Oil: Nineteen oil pipelines cross U.S. borders, with 17 straddling the U.S.-Canada line and two others running into Mexico. Seven existing or planned cross-border oil pipelines are pending presidential permits from the State Department.
Source: Congressional Research Service
Also on FuelFix:
Protests or not, they have a pipeline to build


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|By Cloud News Desk
Article Rating:
|February 3, 2009 05:00 AM EST
Cloud Expo Europe 2009, the first event outside the USA in the industry-leading International "Cloud Expo" series produced by SYS-CON Events, is to be held May 18-19, 2009, in Prague in the Czech Republic. The conference theme is "Deploying Cloud Computing in the Enterprise" and it is the perfect event for anyone looking for a jump-start on delivering and/or using massively scalable Enterprise IT as a service using Internet technologies.
The Cloud is changing not just the technology landscape but also the entire nature of the business models that underpin successful software and hardware companies.
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Our organizing principle is that through our intensive 2-day schedule of keynotes, general and breakout sessions, attending delegates will be assured of leaving Cloud Expo Europe 2009 with abundant resources, ideas and examples they can apply immediately to leveraging the Cloud, helping them to maximize performance, minimize cost and improve the scale of their endeavors.
So if you believe you have something timely and original to present about in a breakout session, submit your speaking proposal today! (Deadline for submissions: April 10, 2009.)
Submit Your Speaking Proposal Today !
We welcome submissions on all timely and relevant Cloud Computing subjects, including:
- SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS
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The event is co-located with Virtualization Conference Europe 2009, the sixth in SYS-CON's industry-leading International Virtualization Conference & Expo series.
Sponsorship and Exhibit Opportunities Now Available [Click Here]
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Cloud Computing Technology Contributors of 2009
10Gen, 3Leaf Systems, 6fusion International, Absolute Performance, Ajaxo, Alentus, Appirio, Appistry, Aptaria, Arena Maxtronic, Arista Networks, Asankya Networks, BitRock, BlueLock, Boomi , Box.net, Canaan Partners, Casdex, Chris Richardson Consulting, CITTIO, Cloud Architects, Cloud9 Analytics, CloudRamp, CloudScale Networks, Cloudscape.ws, CloudWorks, CNI Systems, CohesiveFT, CollabNet, Concentric, Cordys, Cronus Partners, CSRware, CuperTek, Cycle Computing, Dataline, Dell, DNAmail, eBay, Elastra, Engine Yard, Enki Consulting, Enomaly, Excelian, Flexiscale, Forrester, Fortress ITX, G.ho.st, Gear6, GigaSpaces, GoGrid, GraphLogic, GridGain, IBRIX, InfoQ, IntelePeer, IronKey, Iterative Designs, ITO America, Jamcracker, Joyent, JumpBox, Just Skill, Kaavo, Linxter, Mohr Davidow Ventures, MessageLabs, Mimecast, Model Metrics, Moderro Technologies, Moka5 (MokaFive), Mosso, Netmagic, NewServers, Ocarina Networks, Panorama Software, Parabon Computation, Parallels, ParaScale, Patni Computer Systems, Peer1 Networks, Platform Computing, PLX Technology, ProjectLocker, Promise Technology, Qlayer, QlikTech, Rackspace, RampRate, Red Hat, Reliance Globalcom, RightScale, Robson Taylor, Rogue Wave, rPath, Salesforce.com, Sapotek, Saugatuck Technology, ScanSafe, ServePath, ServiceCloud, SIMtone, SkillSoft, Skytap, SmugMug, SOASTA, Solace Systems, Spiceworks, SpiderOak, Symphony Services, Tap In Systems, Teneros, Terremark, Transitive, Trend Micro, Union Square Advisors, Unisys, Univa UD, uTest, Vertica, Weber Shandwick, Widen Enterprises, XCalibre, Zabovo.com, Zeus Technology, and Zuora.
Virtualization Technology Contributors of 2009
123Together.com, 361 Degrees, 3PAR, 8e6 Technologies, A10 Networks, Aastra, Accario, Accellion, AccessFlow, AceNet, ACMA, Acronis, Actional, activePDF, Acxiom, Adaptec, ADC, Adder, Adexis, Adtran, Agilysys, Agito Networks, AirMagnet, Akorri, ALADDIN Knowledge Systems, Alcatel-Lucent, Alert Logic, AlterPoint, Altor Networks, AMAX, AMCC, Amyuni, Apani, APC, APCON, APM Experts, Appistry, Applied Innovations, Apptio, Aquantia, Arastra, Aravo, Arbor Solutions, ArcSight, Areohive Networks, Array Networks, Arrow ECS, ARTEC - Computer, Asigra, Asoka USA, Aspera, Astaro Internet Security, Atempo, ATEN Technology, Attune Systems, AutoVirt, Avanade, Avaquest, Avaya, Aventiv-NomaDesk, Avocent, AVTECH, AXIOMTEK, BakBone, BBN Technologies, BDNA, BEA Systems, Bedsole, Benchmark Capital, Berkeley Varitronics, BigFix, Bivio Networks, Blade Network, Blue Lane, BlueArc, BluePoint, BlueStripe, Bobcares, Bosanova, Brigh Technologies, Brocade, CA, CalAmp, Capitial Trust Ventures, Cassatt, Catbird, Cayenne, CDG, Ceedo, Certeon, Champion Solutions, Check Point Software, Chip PC, CiRBA, Citihub, Citrix Systems, ClearCube, CommVault, Compass America, Compellent, Compugen, Computer Lab International, Concentsus, Configuresoft, Continuity Software, Coraid, Courion, Coyote Point Systems, cPanel, Credit Suisse, Crosswalk, CrystalTech Web Hosting, CSC, Data Domain, Databarracks, DataCore, DataDirect, Datagardens, DataPipe, DataSynapse, DC3 Solutions, Dell, EqualLogic, Desktone, Devon IT, Digipede, Doctrino Systems, DocuSign, DoubleTake Software, Dynamic Network Factory, DynamicOps, Ecora Software, eG Innovations, Egenera, Electric Cloud, Electrorack, Embotics, Emulex, Endeavors Technology, Enigmatic, Enomaly, Entuity, EqualLogic, Ericom, EVault, Evolving Solutions, Exinda, eXludus, Extentrix Systems, F5Networks, FalconStor, Faronics, FastScale, FastSoft, FOCUS Consulting, Fortinet, Fortisphere, Fugitive LLC, Fujitsu Systems, Fusepoint, FusionStorm, Gateworks, Getronics, Gibraltar Solutions, GlassHouse Technologies, GlobalFluency, GlobalSCAPE, GlobalSign, Green Hills Software, Grid Dynamics, GRIDtoday, groupSPARK, Hiperware, Hitachi Data Systems, Hubspan, Hurricane Electric, Hyper9, HyPerformix, Hyperic, I2 Technology, IGEL Technology, Ignite Consulting, Illumita, IMEX Research, Incipient, Insight Venture Partners, InstallFree, INSYSTEK,Integrien, Ipswitch, Isilon Systems, iTrinegy, KACE, Kaseya, KI Lipton, Kidaro, Kingston Technology, KnownHost, Lanamark, LeftHand Networks, Lenovo, Leostream, Liquid Computing, Lucid8, LynuxWorks, Magirus, Mailtrust, Mainline, ManageIQ, ManageSoft, Marathon Technologies, Marketo, Markitects, McAfee, Meridian IT, Metron, Microsemi, Microserv, Mid-Atlantic Computers, MIMOS, Mimosa Systems, Mindbridge Software, Miva Merchant, MonoSphere, Morph Labs, Mxi Technologies. mySoftIT, Nagarro, Namescape, Ncomputing, NEC, Nemertes, NeoPath, Neoware, Net Magic, NetApp, Neterion, NetEx, NetIQ, Netuitive, Network Appliance, Neverfail, New Age Technologies, New Idea Engineering, NewTek, Nexenta, NextIO. Nimsoft, Niyuta, NoMachine, Nortel, Novell, Old Road Computing, Omnitron, On The Avenue, ONStor, Opalis Software, Open Kernel Labs, OpenHosting, OpenSpan, Optaros, Opus Capital, PacketTrap, Palm, Inc., Panda Security, Pano Logic, Pattern Insight, Peak IP Solutions, PHD Technologies, Phoenix Technologies, Phurnace Software, Pillar Data Systems, Pinnacle Cart, Pivot3, Platespin, Proofpoint, ProServeIT, ProSync, Provision Networks, , Q1 Labs, QG Software, Qualys, Quest Software, R1Soft, Racemi, RACKWISE, Radiant Logic, Raritan, Raxco Software, Red Hat, Reflex Security, Regan Technologies, Resolution Enterprises, RF Code, Riverbed, RSA Security, Ruckus Wireless, Sagent Solutions, SanDisk, SAVVIS, ScaleMP, Scalent Systems, ScienceLogic, ScriptLogic, Seanodes, Secure Command, Secure Computing, Sentillion, ServInt, Shavlik, Silpion, SIMtone, Singularity Technologies, Sitemasher, SmarterTools, Socialcast, SoftLayer, SolarWinds, SolutionSet, Sonasoft, SSH Communications Security, StackSafe, Starfire, SteelEye Technology, StillSecure, StoneFly, Stonesoft, Stoneware, StorageCraft, StorageNetworking.org, StorMagic, Stratus, Sun Microsystems , Oren Tech, SunView, Supermicro,, Surgient, SWsoft, Sycros, Symantec, Systar, Telecompute, The 451 Group, The Israeli Association of Grid Technologies, TheInfoPro, ThinkEquity Partners, ThinPrint, Third Brigade, Tideway, Tigerpaw, TOA Solutions, ToutVirtual, Train Signal, TRANGO Virtual Processors, Tresys Technology, Trigence, Tripwire, Twisted Pair Solutions, UK-2 Limited, Ulteo, UniPrint, United Devices, V.i. Labs, VaST Systems, VDIworks, VeeAm Software, Veodia, Verio, VeriSign, Vicom, Vigilar, VirtenSys, Virtera, Virtual Computer, Virtual Iron, VirtualizationChat.com, VirtualLogix, Virtugo, Virtutech, Visionapp, VisionCore, VKernel, VM People, VM6, VMLogix, vmSight, vThere, Vyatta, Wyse Technology, XDS, XenoCode, Xiotech, xkoto, Xsigo.
AJAX & RIA Technology Contributors of 2009
3Tera, Abaque, Accenture, AccuRev, AccuSoft, Active Endpoints, Active Inquiry, ActiveState, Actuate, Adaptive Blue, Adaptive Path, Adobe Systems, Afrous Dashboard, Agitar Software, AGOSYS, AJAX 13, Akamai, Alfresco, Allurent, Alpha Software, Altova, Amazon.com, Appcelerator, Appeon, Apple Computer, Applibase, , AppTrigger, Apress, Aptana, Aragon Consulting, Art & Logic, Ask Pivot, Asperon, Astreya, Atlassian, Aztecsoft, Azul Systems,, BackBase, Barracuda Networks, Baynote, BEA Systems, Bizwhazee, Black Duck, Blogtronix, BlueFolder, BlueTie, BondDesk, Borland, BOSSdev, Bottomline, BScaler, Bungee Labs, Burton Group, CambrianHouse, Canoo Engineering, Cassatt, Cast Iron, Catalyst Resources, Cenzic, Chordiant, CIGNEX, Cisco Systems, Cision, Citrix Systems, Claria, Clearspring, CodeFlare, Codign, Coghead, Cognizant, ComponentArt, ComponentOne, Conference Guru, Coradiant, Corent Technology, CoreSpeed, Corizon, Crescendo Networks, CSS Group, cStar Technologies, CSW Group, Curl, Cybage, Cynergy Systems, Dapper, Dassault Systèmes, DataDirect, Day Software, dCongo, deCarta, Dell, Denim Group, Denodo, Design Universe, DeviceAnywhere, Dialcom, Dice.com, DiscountASP.NET, DotNetNuke, Drangonfly, DreamFace Interactive, Dynamic Toolbar, DynaTrace, EffectiveUI, Egnyte, Ektron, Elastic Path, Elementool, EMC, Encanvas, ENOVIA Matrix One, EnterpriseDB, Ephox, esnips, ESRI, Etelos Systems, etouch, Evans Data, Exadel, ezAJAX, F5 Networks, FeedbackFX, Fig Leaf Software, Finetooth, Fiorano Software, firstRain, FiveRuns, Foldera, Force10 Networks, Fortify, Forum Systems, Fotango, Freewebs, froglogic, Funambol, FundingPost, Furtherahead.com, Fusion Technologies, Gaggle.Net, GemStone, genius.com, Genuitec, Gizmox, Glassbox, GoGrid, Gomez, Inc., GreenHat, GreenPoint, GridApp Systems, Groupware Technology, Helmi Technologies, Hitachi America, Hosting.com, HostMySite.com, HP Software, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, Ibiza Software, IBM, ICEsoft, ILOG, Impetus, iNetOffice, Infinilogic, Infragistics, Ingres, Inimit, Innominds, Innoopract, inpowr, InsideView, Instancy, Instantiations, Integration New Media, Intel, IntelliObjects, Intelliun, Interactive Networks, InterSystems, Isomorphic, IT Mill, ITtoolbox, JackBE, JadeLiquid, JasperSoft, Javeline, JBoss, JellyCloud, JetBrains, Jive Software, K2, Kaazing, Kapow, Keynote Systems, KonoLive, Krugle, Laszlo Systems, Lightstreamer, M/Gateway, Magic Software, Mainsoft, Manning Publications, Marathon Technologies, Mashery, Mashmatrix, MaxiScale, MB Technologies, Metia Software, Microsoft, Midnight Coders, Molecular, MomentumSI, Morfik, Neocleus, Neotys, Netfective, Netmite, NetSuite, Nexaweb, Nextapp, NextAxiom, NextDB.net, Nirvanix, Nitobi, Northwoods Software, Novell, Novulo, OASIS, ObjectWave, OpenLink, OpenLogic, OpenSpot, OpenWave, OPNET, OpSource, Oracle, OrangeHRM, OSS Nokalva, Parasoft, Passport Corporation, Pentaho, Perforce, Pervasive Software, Primavera Systems, PushToTest, QLogic, Quasar Technologies, Quest Software, Rackable Systems, Radialpoint, RadView Software, Rearden Commerce, Recursion Software, Red Hat, Roaring Penguin, Salesforce.com, SAP, Saven Technologies, Scalix, Servoy, SkillBuilders, Skyway, SL Corporation, SlickEdit, SnapLogic, SOA Software, Software AG, Software FX, Sonic Software, SoonR, Splunk, SugarCRM, Sun Microsystems, Sybase, iAnywhere Solutions, Symphoniq, TeaLeaf Technology, Tele Atlas, telerik, ThinkFree, TIBCO Software, TriveraTechnologies, Valtech, Visual Mining, VMware, Vocus, WatchFire, WaveMaker, Web Spiders, WebAppCabaret, Webtide, Wipro, WSO2, XAware, Xenos, Xythos Software, Yahoo!, Zapatec, ZCubes, Zimbra, ZOHO, and Zoovy.
SOA / WOA Technology Contributors of 2009
/n Software, Aberdeen Group, Abovo Group, AccelTree, activePDF, ActiveServers, Actuate, AdventNet, AgentWare, Agilent Technologies, AgilePath, Altova, AmberPoint, AMD, Amentra, American Coders, Amyuni, AppSense, Apptricity, Aprimo, Arbortext, Attachmate, Autodesk, Azul Systems, BEA Systems, B-hive, Black Hat, BlackDuck Software, BlueNote Networks, BMC Software, Borland, BroadVision, Business Objects, CA, CalAmp, CapGemini, Catalyst Systems, CheckFree, ClearApp, Codagen, COGNOS, ComponentSource, Composite Software, CSC, Compuware, Covalent, DevelopMentor, DigitalAssets, Eclipse.org, Embarcadero Technologies, EnterpriseDB, Fair Isaac, Farata Systems, Fiorano, Forum Systems, Fuego, Fujitsu, Gartner Group, Gizmox Systems, Global Knowledge, Gluecode Software, GT Software, Gutenberg Communications, HP, HiT Software, Hitachi, HP Bluestone, Information Builders, Interwoven, Ipedo, iTKO, J9 Technologies, Jacada, JustSystems, Layer 7 Technologies, LogicLibrary, LogiXML, MacroVision, Maestro CMS, Magoo Software, McAfee.com, Mellanox, Micro Focus, Mindreef, MKS / Mortice Kern Systems, NASTEL Technologies, NEON Systems, NetIQ, OMG, Object Management Group, ObjectBuilders, ObjectFocus, Objective Solutions, Open Text, OpenLogic, OpenMake, OpenSpan, OpTier, Optika, Oracle, PaperThin, PerfectXML, Perficient, Inc, preEmptive Solutions, Progress Software, Prolifics, Rackspace, Red Hat / JBoss, Rogue Wave, RSA Security, SAP, Sapiens, Seagull Software, Seapine Software, ServerLogic, SOALogix, SOAMatrix, Sonic Software, SpikeSource, StrikeIron, Sybase, Telelogic, Teradata, Thinstall, Thoughtworks, TIBCO Software, Tidal Software, VeriSign, Versant, Versata, Vertigo Software, Visual Numerics, Vitria, Vordel, Wakesoft, Web Age Solutions, WebLayers, Webmetrics, Websense, Wily Technology, WinMill Software, WSO2, XMethods, XMLCities, ZapThink, and Zend Technologies.
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Civil rights advocates trying to 'shoot down' drones
Governor warned: U.S. is 'not a battlefield, and citizens are not insurgents'America is not a battlefield, and its citizens are not "insurgents in need of vanquishing," argues a civil rights attorney who is urging the governor of Virginia to move forward carefully in the state's use of the remote-controlled aerial vehicles.
"A rapid adoption of drone technology before properly vetting the safety, privacy and civil liberties issues involved would be a disaster," said John W. Whitehead, founder of the Rutherford Institute, in a letter to Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell today.
The governor said the abilities that made drones effective on a battlefield also would make them effective in America.
"What the Commonwealth needs are government leaders who understand that their primary duty is protecting the constitutional rights of its citizens," Whitehead said in his letter. "These drones – aerial, robotic threats to privacy and security – are being unleashed on the American populace before any real protocols to protect our privacy rights have been put in place."
WND recently reported the federal government is moving quickly to open the skies over America to drones for commercial and government purposes. Veteran Washington Post and Fox News commentator Charles Krauthammer is forecasting "rifles aimed at the sky all across America."
The comments from Krauthammer, who won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 1987 after serving as a speechwriter for Vice President Walter Mondale and then beginning his journalism career at The New Republic, were on the Fox News Channel's "Special Report" with Bret Baier.
"I would predict, I'm not encouraging, but I predict the first guy who uses a Second Amendment weapon to bring a drone down that's been hovering over his house is going to be a folk hero in this country," Krauthammer said.
The conversation arose as the federal government announced it is beginning to allow public safety agencies to fly unmanned aircraft – drones – with fewer and fewer restrictions.
According to a report from Bloomberg, police, fire and other government agencies now are being allowed to fly drones weighing as much as 25 pounds without special approvals previously needed.
The Federal Aviation Administration said on its website that the move was an interim step until the agency finishes rules that will open the door for commercial and government operation of drones.
Congress has adopted the position of encouraging more drone flights, with the "goal of adapting technology used by the military in Iraq and Afghanistan."
But Whitehead's letter said the beneficial uses for drones easily could be overshadowed by the possibility that "law enforcement agencies will find a whole host of clever and innovative ways to use drones to invade our daily lives and wreak havoc on our freedoms, not the least of which will be traffic enforcement and crowd control."
He said while drones can help spot forest fires, aid in searches and other specific chores, "without robust safeguards for the privacy and security of citizens … Americans will find themselves operating under a new paradigm marked by round-the-clock surveillance and with little hope of real privacy."
He said not only can drones spy on people, many of them now are armed.
"Vanguard Defense Industries has confirmed that its Shadowhawk drone, which is already being sold to law enforcement agencies throughout the country, will be outfitted with lethal weapons, including a grenade launcher or a shotgun, and weapons of compliance, such as tear gas and rubber buckshot.
"Such aerial police weapons send a clear and chilling message to those attempting to exercise their First Amendment rights by taking to the streets and protesting government policies – the message: stay home or you will be punished."
Further are the dangers from malfunctions, breakdowns and other mistakes, including a takeover by a terrorist hacker.
"A rush to adopt this technology before it is properly vetted for safety and privacy concerns will invite the wrath of many Virginians," he said.
Also raising concerns is the Electronic Privacy Information Center, which has told the FAA there needs to be transparency and accountability in drone operations.
The organization has recommended the development of privacy protections before drones are used widely in the nation's air spaces.
EPIC said it was part of a coalition of more than 100 organizations, experts and others who petitioned the FAA to conduct a formal rule-making procedure on the privacy implications of domestic drone use.
Several members of Congress also have expressed to the FAA their concerns about the privacy implications of drone use. In a letter to the FAA, the congressmen said, "There is … potential for drone technology to enable invasive and pervasive surveillance without adequate privacy protections."
EPIC noted that because of the design and technology, drone surveillance "often occurs without the knowledge of the individual being monitored."
"These vehicles can gather detailed information on individuals," the organization said.
The federal government already has issued 78 certificates for commercial drone operations, along with 273 active government licenses.
Among the specifics, EPIC reported: "The Miami-Dade Police Department in Florida used federal grant money to purchase a small drone vehicle. Reports dating back to 2008 explain that Miami was seeking to use a small drone … 'to gather real time information in situations which may be too dangerous for officers.'
However, police have admitted that the drone can be used to look into houses."
EPIC said that "the increased use of drones poses an ongoing threat to every person residing within the United States."
"Companies are developing 'paparazzi drones' in order to follow and photograph celebrities," the group said. "Private detectives are starting to use drones to track their targets. Google, Inc., has deployed street-level drones in other countries to supplement the images of Street View. Criminals and others may use drones for purposes of stalking and harassment."


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Experts pick Kentucky Derby winner; when to watch
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Based on the weather forecast, attendees at today's 140th Kentucky Derby won't have to worry about the flowers on their fancy hats getting watered, and the horses won't have to run in muddy slop at Churchill Downs.
Unlike last year's rainy Derby, the Weather Channel is forecasting mostly sunny skies today with a high of 73 degrees and a 10 percent chance of rain.
The Derby will be the 11th race on today's 13-race program. Post time for the Derby is 6:32 p.m. ET.
DERBY:2K for special mint julep
JOCKEYS:Brothers a part of Derby history
NBC Sports' TV coverage will start at noon on NBCSN and continue at 4 p.m. ET on NBC.
California Chrome is the 3-1 favorite.
Some media picks of the winner:
- Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times, California Chrome
- Jerry Bossert, New York Daily News, Wicked Strong
- Jennie Rees, Louisville Courier-Journal, Intense Holiday
- Tim Sullivan, Louisville Courier-Journal, Danza
- Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, Tapiture
- Frank Angst, The Blood-Horse, Wicked Strong
- Jeff Duncan, New Orleans Times-Picayune, Intense Holiday
- Gary Mihoces, USA Today Sports, Danza
- Ed McNamara, Newsday, Intense Holiday


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Made the roll using E's dicebot. 1 and 10 [total of 11].Also, my character's a Water Affinity. It's shown in the Spells area of his sheet.
That seems less simple. ^^UAnyways, 10, 7. +1 Investigation, Contrary.Is that applied at the beginning or at the end?
How are we handing Heritage rolls?
You can't take void spells unless you take Ishiken-do and you don't have a listed affinity. You can take second-level spells of your affinity.Anyways, for Kakita Artisan, would you be willing to either rule that Perform: Storytelling covers story writing as well, or allow Artisan: Writing to be added to the Kakita Artisan list of options? I'd like to live the rockstar double life of a celebrity pillowbook artist/secret agent. Also, for a Servant, would you allow Calligraphy as the Artisan skill for an Artisan? I need someone to write pretty to spread my pillowbooks.This game is shaping up to be positively Cranetastic, to the point it's shorter to list the Crane schools we don't have.Asahina Shugenja, Daidoji Scout (though this one, we should probably keep that way), Doji Magistrate.
Unicorn Right?Your ancestor was a highly successful merchant in foreign lands. You inherited a strange artifact from him, but no one has any idea what it does.
No. Crane. And I told you what it does; +1 Investigation, Contrary. Does that +1 apply at the beginning or the end?
Do we have to roll Heritage? I hate to be this blunt, but it is the second worst character creation system I have ever seen. The worst was of course FATAL and even that one didn't have random rolls affect characters personality IIRC.
You do have to in this game. I don't understand what you mean by a bad character gen. The Heritage Tables are a gamble yes. If you are really displeased then you can re roll once. Throwing a bit of random into a very unrandom character creation won't kill everything.
Well, you dodged a bullet there. Good job.
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Evidence Suggests RIAA Labels Behind 'Grassroots Citizen's Group' Supporting Canadian DMCA
from the surprise-surprise deptWell, this should come as little surprise, but as people have started to look into a so-called "grassroots citizen's group" in favor of Canada's version of the DMCA, they've realized that it appears to be an astroturf site set up by the major US record labels:
The copyright lobby, almost certainly led by the Canadian Recording Industry Association, has launched a major astroturf campaign in which it hopes to enlist company employees to register their support for Bill C-32 and to criticize articles or comments that take issue with elements of the proposed legislation. The effort, which even includes paid placement of headlines on Bourque.com, is still shrouded in some secrecy. A member list, which featured many record company executives, has now disappeared from public view. Requests to identify who is behind the site have been stonewalled thus far, with both ACTRA and AFM Canada explicitly stating they are not part of the site (this is no surprise since most creator groups have been critical of C-32).I especially like how after someone noticed that all its "members" were execs at big record labels, the membership list disappeared.
The heart of the site (which requires full registration) is a daily action item page that encourages users to "make a difference, everyday." Today's list of 10 items is a mix of suggested tweets, blog comments, and newspaper article feedback. Each items includes instructions for what should be done and quick link to the target site. For example, users are asked to respond on Twitter to re-tweets of an op-ed by Dalhousie law professor Graham Reynolds. The suggested response is "As an employee in entertainment, this Bill will protect your livelihood" or "The discussion around DRMs is largely fear mongering." Other suggested twitter activity includes twittering in support of James Moore and his comment that the Chamber of Commerce represents the best interests of consumers or to start following MPs on Twitter (in the hope they will follow back and later see astroturfed tweets).
Filed Under: canada, copyright, grassroots, lobbying


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Erica Allan and Eleanor Taylor
NORTH DARTMOUTH, MA-Five members of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's field hockey team have been honored by the Little East Conference.
Junior forward Eleanor Taylor (Fairhaven, MA/Bishop Stang HS) and junior defender Taryn Cardiel (Moorpark, CA/Moorpark HS) were named first team All-Conference, while junior forward Erica Allan (Amherst, MA/Amherst HS), sophomore midfielder Devon Herlihy (Stratham, NH/Exeter HS) and sophomore defender Victoria Dolce (Jamestown, RI/North Kingstown HS) have been named second team All-Conference.
Taylor led the Corsairs in scoring with 20 goals and five assists for 45 points. Cardiel was third with five goals and six assists for 16 points while playing an integral role on defense. Allan ranked second in scoring with 10 goals and three assists for 23 points, Dolce was fifth with five goals and two assists for 12 points and Herlihy had one goal for two points.
"After a two-year stint as starting left wing and being honored as the 2009 LEC Rookie of the Year and 2010 Player of the Year, Eleanor was asked to play a new role for the Corsairs this season and she was a contributor at the defensive line, the midfield line and the attacking line, interchanging throughout the season," said UMass Dartmouth Head Coach Nicole Castonguay. "Her strength on the ball and determination to bring this team to a new level is noticeable to players and fans. She is very deserving of this award and I'm glad to see her consistently growing as a player within this program. Her overall game level has continually strengthened and I'm excited to have another full year with her here as a team leader."
"Taryn has been an unsung hero for this team for her first two seasons, going overlooked in the conference ballot until no," Castonguay continued. "She was my starting sweeper since her rookie season and from that time; we have won two LEC championships under her belt. To me, my sweeper role is always considered to be the backbone of the field so Taryn gets a lot of 'coaching pressure' thrown her way. She is tough to beat and she's a player I have truly enjoyed watching compete here at UMD. She reminds me a lot of myself in my days as a sweeper at Connecticut and that's probably another reason I am able to put high expectations on her--because I know what her capabilities are."
"Erica is a hard worker and was recognized several times this season by her teammates for 'putting it all out on the field," said Castonguay."She is quick and feisty and worked hard for 70 minutes straight for every game I can remember this season. She is a force on the forward line and her work ethic has helped her to develop her game inside the circle, and results have shown this season as far as scoring and assists go. I'm happy for Erica--she deserves this honor and I know she will be thrilled to hear about it."
"Devon is only a sophomore and was a huge driving force behind our defensive unit," said Castonguay. "Her speed and ability to 'chase the play down' resulted in several big defensive plays this season. She has the ability to lift the entire team by making the big plays in the backfield, many times, leading to an attacking run for the team. It's great to see our younger talent getting recognized--it shows how much depth we have in our program as far as future seasons go."
"Tory was a starter for me since her very first game as a Corsair in 2010 and her drive, her tackle and her overall stick skills make her one of my most consistent players," Castonguay said. I always know what to expect from Tory and she is able to handle just about any situation with poise. She comes up with big tackles and clears in the field and in the circle she is a fierce man marker-denying several of the opposing team's offensive threats throughout the season."
"As a coach, I am thrilled that these players were recognized," said Castonguay."Each of them has been here with me to win an LEC title and this season was truly 'rebuilding', although as a team, we never called it that. These players have a new drive for the 2012 season and it starts now. These five are just a hand full of my returners who bring talent, heart and soul to this program every day they touch the field. I'm proud to coach this team and there's not another group of student-athletes I would rather spend my coaching days with."
The Corsairs finished 10-10 this season and advanced to the semi-finals of the Little East Conference Tournament.


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Potential 2016 Republican presidential candidates are trooping to Las Vegas this weekend to attend the Spring Leadership Conference of the Republican Jewish Coalition . But it's not the golf or poker tournaments they are focused on.
Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, Scott Walker, John Kasich are among those going to meet and shake hands with Republican super donor and board member Sheldon Adelson and others who are active in the Republican lobbying group and also major donors to Republican organizations, such as Super PACs, party committees and non-profit organizations. View board members .


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The NBCUniversal Foundation on Wednesday awarded $100,000 in grants to four local non-profit organizations helping to improve public secondary education in the Chicago area.
The recipients include" Aspire of Illinois, BuildOn, Lawrence Hall Youth Services and Puerto Rican Arts Alliance.
"We take our role of serving the Chicago community seriously," said Larry Wert, President of the Central and Western Regions for the NBC Owned Television Stations, which includes NBC5. "We are proud to support each of these organizations, which are all focused on ensuring a bright future for the youth of Chicago."
The sixth annual NBCUniversal initiative supports select non-profit organizations in cities with large employee populations and significant education needs. A total of $800,000 in grants also was announced in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami and Washington, D.C.
Since the Foundation's inception, nearly $7 million has been directed to non-profits across the country, including more than $600,000 in Chicago. The organizations chosen demonstrate a commitment to improving educational opportunities for public school students.
"By partnering with these organizations in Chicago, we are making an important investment in the futures of the young members of our community," said Celia Chavez, President and General Manager of WSNS-TV/Telemundo Chicago.


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Dear Friends at Pendleton;
Our first day on the Colorado started with a river rat breakfast, a ranger briefing of the do's and dont's of the Grand Canyon National Park, and a final equipment check before pushing off from Lee's Ferry in the late morning sun on a beautiful March day in the canyon.
The oars flexed light and the boat rode high as the afternoon wind picked up. After less than ten miles of sluggish rowing, we pulled into our targeted campsite. I eased the 1962 replica Portola to shore, tied up to a sand stake, "unwedged" the yellow dry bag from the side hatch of the boat, grabbed three oars and trudged up the steep bank to our first campsite on the 24 day adventure.
I would be crashing in "canvas and wool" each night – a nod to the natural material of the '62 trip we were so carefully trying to replicate. A wool camp blanket from Pendleton and a David Ellis bed roll of canvas would be my mattress and comforter for this trip (with an occasional canvas tent for foul weather and photo ops). The natural fiber of cotton and wool seems more "authentic" and consistent with the spirit and intent of this adventure.
The swirling sand in the breeze led me to pick a small clump of scraggly trees as a backdrop for my bedroll on that first night and I quickly lashed the oars together to form a tripod as I tied off the hood of the bedroll.
By the third night on the river (and every night thereafter) I was too tired to lug the oars. I simply chucked my bedroll and blanket onto the flattest space I could find in the vicinity of the campfire and called it "home" for the night. "Home" was also home to spiders, scorpions, snakes, and a few varieties of river rodents which occasionally crept into my dreams–but not my bedroll.
Through high winds, sand storms, light rain and chilly mornings, the canvas kept me dry and the wool kept me warm in the canyon. We took over 5,000 digital pics, shot over 100 hours of high definition video, and recreated dozens of photos from the 1962 trip. It was a fantastic project and so much fun to be a part of.
I've been asked to write a book about this adventure from the special history of the 1962 trip (which helped save the Grand Canyon from "dam proliferation") to building the replica boat to the trip itself. If I do it, there will be a chapter on Canvas and Wool….. your Pendleton blankets added a richness and depth to my own personal experience on this trip that I will never forget.
Thanks again.
Greg Hatten
Boat Builder and Rower of the Portola
Thanks, Greg. It was our pleasure to play along at home.
National Park Series blankets and Yakima Camp blankets can be found here. See them in action as you enjoy a slideshow of Greg's riverside camps, interspersed with artist Dan Burr's beautiful paintings.


text: We cater for all dog breeds and because every dog has their own way of sleeping, we have ensured our range covers them all. So if your dog likes to sleep curled up in a ball then one of our traditional beds will be perfect. If they are more inclined to sprawl out then we also sell a great selection of doggie blankets and cushions too. Combining style with practicality, we stock high quality, super stylish dog beds in a range of designs and fabrics from brands such as House of Paws and Danish Design.


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Financing Rural Oklahoma Communities & Agriculture
Support through consistent, reliable credit
Oklahoma AgCredit serves rural Oklahoma communities and agriculture with loans and financial services. Providing loans for rural property, farm and ranch land, country homes, livestock, equipment and operating costs is all we do. Our long-term fixed rates help you plan for the future, while our short-term loans provide capital you need to invest in your agricultural operation. Proud member of the Farm Credit System. NMLS ID 809962.
Equal Housing Lender and Equal Credit Opportunity Lender.


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All of you will be alerted and asked to report me about undesired behaviours, I expect your collaboration ;-)
Just wanted to add that the site has been very responsive over the last week. Significant improvement over a couple of weeks ago. I can actually read the forums in under an hour!
CrossRoads wrote:I couldn't even log in at work today to respond to anything.


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Wildfire near Grand Lake is 100 percent contained
The fire burning north of Grand Lake is 100 percent contained, said Kyle Patterson, public information officer for Rocky Mountain National Park, in an email.
Calm winds and higher humidity have assisted authorities fighting a fire about one mile north of Grand Lake near the Tonahutu Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park.
The fire is 1.6 acres in size, Patterson said.
Fire crews are working to clean up the fire's remaining hot spots.
As of Wednesday morning, Aug. 13, 25 firefighters including personnel from Rocky Mountain National Park, Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest and Grand Lake Fire Protection District had arrived at the scene.
The lower Tonahutu Trail from the junction of Green Mountain south to the trailhead and the spur trail from Kawuneeche Visitor Center are closed.
Authorities believe lightning caused the fire, Patterson said.
Start a dialogue, stay on topic and be civil.
If you don't follow the rules, your comment may be deleted.


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Day's Best: They are not impressed
After a long, grueling presidential campaign, we were in the mood for a little levity.
And that's what we got when we saw a White House photo of U.S. Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney joined by President Barack Obama in displaying Maroney's "not impressed" look.
Maroney's dissatisfied scowl became an Internet meme after the London 2012 Olympics in which she won a silver medal in the individual vault competition. She had been favored to win a gold. Her unhappy mug gained traction on the Internet and was superimposed on images from history, pop culture and current events.
When the U.S. gymnastics team recently visited the White House, the president brought up "the face."
"We were about to leave and he said, `I want to talk to you one second about the face,'" Maroney told The Assoicated Press. "He said, `I pretty much do that face at least once a day.'"
And thus, a new meme was born. And an amusing moment was injected into a world of serious problems.


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Service key to national strength
America has had its share of traumas lately — the shooting in Newtown, Conn., the bombing in Boston, and disasters in West, Texas, and Norman, Okla. After letters and donations overwhelmed Newtown, its postmaster remarked: "This is just the proof of the love that's in this country." The citizens of Boston emerged from their homes to spontaneously cheer their law enforcement personnel and first responders, honoring public service and sacrifice. Contributions poured in to help the people of Texas and Oklahoma. In each case, Americans suffered together and overcame together. At least for a time, they felt — we all felt — like a single country.
That has been an exception in recent years. Our politics have little sense of common purpose. Americans are ideologically polarized. Sociologists tell us that participation in civic and community groups — and trust in many public institutions — have been on a downward trend for decades. New media has created forms of connection that still leave many isolated and lonely. Perhaps one reason Americans cheer for service and sacrifice — and respond so strongly in times of crisis — is because they miss these values and the hope they represent for uniting the country.
Story Continued Below
So how do we encourage a generation of Americans to take seriously the responsibilities of citizenship? How can we help connect the rising generation to one another and the country? How can we foster more leaders who, regardless of their political beliefs, work together to solve America's problems again?
Exhortation is not enough. What we truly value, we institutionalize. To educate, we build universities. To cure, we build hospitals. To make citizens, we must facilitate the shared experiences that cultivate civic pride and responsibility.
This should mean a period of full-time national service as a rite of passage for every young American, ages 18 to 28. Such service could be military or civilian. Young adults could choose the Army or Peace Corps, Marine Corps or AmeriCorps, the Navy or VISTA. National service would be optional, but expected. Every college admissions officer or employer must start to ask, "Where did you serve?"
Over recent decades, we have seen national service tackle our country's toughest problems at low cost and with compassion. Teams of college graduates teach, tutor and mentor students trapped in low-performing schools, helping put them on a path to college. Young people who have dropped out of school or are out of work find that a year of service reconnects them to both. And conservation corps clean up our national parks and waterways to preserve the majesty of America for future generations.
The bipartisan Serve America Act of 2009 envisioned growing national service through national corps to address these and other urgent challenges. These commitments in the law should be kept, and we don't have to reinvent the wheel. AmeriCorps, VISTA and other programs across government are harnessing the power of national service to address public challenges at low cost to taxpayers. The president should challenge every federal department and agency to use national service members to meet their missions as the new FEMA Corps, School Turnaround AmeriCorps and STEM AmeriCorps programs are doing today. Governors and mayors can do the same.


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TWAN Mystery October 2010: Dark Bands in the Sky
18 October 2010
What are the dark vertical bands on the right side of this recent aurora image from northern Canada? Are they black aurora or an atmospheric phenomenon? http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/mystery.asp
Each month The World at Night (TWAN) publishes a photo with a mystery. Share your thoughts with TWAN and its global viewers. While some of the photos display a real mystery of unidentified objects or phenomena, some others are already solved by TWAN team and appear on this page for educational purposes. TWAN post the explanation or the final conclusion at the month's end. This program is a collaboration with Unidentified Aerospace Phenomena (UAP) international project.
Search IYA2009 Updates
National Nodes: 148
Organisational Nodes: 40
Organisational Associates:33
National Websites: 111
Cornerstone Projects: 12
Special Task Groups: 11
Special Projects:16
Official Products:8
Media Partners:22


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Presented at the Paris Motor Show in 1954, the 250 GT Coupé represented Ferrari's first attempt at standardising a model destined for the normal motorist. Developed from the 250 Europa, it was fitted with a version of the Colombo Type 125 engine fed by three classic Weber 36 DCZ carburettors.
After building the first few, Pininfarina was unable to keep up with the demand, and while their new factory at Grugliasco was being built, production was taken over by Boano. Around eighty were produced in just over a year. The 250 GT Coupé, was the immediate successor to the 250 Europa model, and was presented to the public at the 1954 Paris Salon, initially also being called the 250 Europa. However, the GT suffix to the model title was soon added, to help differentiate it from its predecessor, and then it became known simply as the 250 GT.Read more
The overall shape of the majority of the series was virtually identical to that of the 250 Europa Pinin Farina three window coupe that preceded it, in fact unless you had a keen eye for dimensions, you would need a tape measure to tell them apart, the main difference being in the distance between the front wheel arch and the "A" post.
Full uniformity of line for complete series of a model was still to be achieved, as one example had special Vignale coachwork for Princess Liliane De Rethy in Belgium, and seven cars had varying designs of berlinetta bodies constructed in aluminium by Pinin Farina, that are often regarded as prototypes for the upcoming "Tour de France" berlinettas produced between 1956 and 1959. Also, even some of the "standard" coupes had some detail body modifications to suit a particular client's requirements, whilst some were bodied in steel, and others in aluminium. As with the 250 Europa series, some examples had a rear "seat", but in practise it was really an upholstered luggage platform.
The largest and most important differences between the 250 Europa and 250 GT Coupé lay under the bonnet. By exchanging the "long" block Lampredi engine of the former model for the Colombo "short" block V12 engine design, as used in the 250 MM etc, it enabled the wheelbase to be reduced by 200mm to 2600mm, without compromising cabin space, whilst concurrently the front and rear track were each increased by 29mm.
The chassis', with factory type reference 508, were numbered in the odd number road car sequence carrying a "GT" suffix, and comprised of two main longitudinal tubes, with cross bracing, and outriggers to support the body, with the main chassis tubes now passing above the rear axle, as opposed to under it on the 250 Europa/375 America series.
The suspension was independent at the front, initially with twin wishbones, lever type hydraulic shock absorbers, and a transverse leaf spring, which was superseded by individual coil springs during the production run, whilst the rigid rear axle was supported on semi elliptic leaf springs, and fitted with lever type hydraulic shock absorbers. Hydraulically operated drum brakes were fitted all round, and the handbrake was cable operated on the rear wheels. Apart from one car, all examples were left hand drive.
As noted, the engine, although still a 3 litre V12 unit, was completely different from that in the 250 Europa, being a development of the Colombo designed "short" block V12 unit, with a capacity of 2953cc, and a bore and stroke of 73mm x 58.8mm, fitted with a bank of three twin choke Weber 36 or 42 DCZ carburettors, with twin coil and front horizontal mounted distributor ignition, to produce a claimed 220bhp. This was coupled to a four speed all synchromesh gearbox, driving through a propeller shaft to the rigid rear axle, for which a range of ratios were available.
Perhaps an explanation of the "long" and "short" block descriptions would not go amiss at this juncture. The Lamrpredi "long" block design featured cylinder liners that screwed into the cylinder heads, which needed greater bore spacing than the Colombo "short" block design, which had more conventional push fit cylinder liners and a standard head gasket arrangement, which is more compact.
This model was an important landmark in the Ferrari production car story, as it had the largest relatively homogenous model production run up to that time, and it marked the point where Pinin Farina became, with only one subsequent exception, the sole designer of Ferrari series production cars to date.
Also the engine/chassis combination would, with upgrading and modification, form the backbone of Ferrari production car output, in the form of the various 250 GT models, for a decade.
Careful selection of the best shots of the Coupe 250GT in high definition. The photo gallery shows the distinctive features of this model Ferrari in 1954, focusing on the details and the most important parts.
|front, longitudinal 60° V12
|73 x 58.8 mm
|Unitary displacement
|246.10 cc
|Total displacement
|2953.21 cc
|Compression ratio
|8.5 : 1
|Maximum power
|162 kW (220 hp) at 7000 rpm
|Power per litre
|74 hp/l
|Maximum torque
|Valve actuation
|single overhead camshaft per bank, two valves per cylinder
|Fuel feed
|three Weber 36 DCZ/3 carburettors
|single spark plug per cylinder, two coils
|wet sump
|tubular steel
|Front suspension
|independent, unequal-length wishbones, transverse leaf spring, hydraulic shock absorbers
|Rear suspension
|live axle, single radius arm, semi-elliptic springs, hydraulic shock absorbers
|4-speed + reverse
|worm and sector
|Fuel tank
|capacity 100 litres
|Front tyres
|6.00 x 16
|Rear tyres
|6.00 x 16
|coupé, two-seater
|2600 mm
|Front track
|1354 mm
|Rear track
|1349 mm
|1050 kg (dry)
|Top speed
|230 km/h
|Acceleration 0-100 km/h
|0-400 m
|0-1000 m


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Un Techo Para Mi País
Every year SKF Argentina organizes volunteer days for SKF employees to support the organization Un Techo Para Mi País (A roof for my country), or just TECHO.
The non-governmental, non profit organization's mission is to promote community investment in slums and foster social awareness and action through a joint work between settlers, volunteers, companies and the underprivileged families.
"It was a beautiful experience; at that point we all were one trying to give a better future to a family. It was a day full of good vibes, fellowship, friendship and laughs, as if all of us knew for years. And the best part was to see the happiness in every face when the house was ready"
"Sometimes we see poverty as a very distant reality and that is why I consider that is very good to participate in this kind of activities, to feel you are been useful and you are making at least a small contribution to help others. I agree with the team of TECHO when they say that this is just a kick off, a first step for something else, because it helps people to develop a greater empathy and awareness of reality. I think it rocks that we can continue participating; it promotes the teamwork and allows volunteers to get to know each other a bit more. For me it was an amazing experience that would gladly repeat. Thanks for the willingness and energy."
"For me TECHO was a unique and unforgettable experience where it became evident that teamwork pays off."


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HLKX Far East Broadcasting FM 106.9 provides the best programming during the day.
The musical selection pleases the preferences of the public like for example: Religious.
In HLKX Far East Broadcasting you can listen to tracks like Religion and Spirituality.
To know more about their programming you can visit its website, or its social networks.