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Each week, MediaShift posts an ongoing list of upcoming events in the digital media and journalism world. These will be a mix of MediaShift-produced events and other events. If we're missing any major events, please use our Contact Form to let us know, and we'll add them to the list. If you'd like to pay to promote your event in the "featured event" spot of our weekly post, use the Contact Form to let us know. Also, be sure to sign up for our Events email newsletter to get notifications about future MediaShift events.
Featured Event of the Week
Collab/Space Chicago
Sept. 24, 2014
The event is an all-day, hands-on workshop spotlighting eight cutting-edge media startups in the Chicago area and beyond, and hosted by TechNexus.
Register here; use hashtag #CollabChicago.
Upcoming Events: July
Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference 2014
July 18-20, 2014
Grapevine, TX
The conference is a forum for journalists, writers, readers, students, educators and the general public to listen to, be inspired by and practice their craft at the highest possible level.
Register here; use hashtag #MaybornConference.
news:rewired Digital Journalism Conference 2014
July 23, 2014
The event will focus on what comes after the mobile revolution, digital storytelling, data journalism and growing social media communities.
Register here; use hashtag #newsrw.
Journalism and the Web@25: Lessons in Disruption, Evolution and Endurance
July 29, 2014
New York City
The event hosted by Poynter at the Ford Foundation will mark the web's 25th anniversary by bringing together journalism's disruptors, supporters and critics to study the Internet's past, examine the present and conjure the future.
Register here.
National Association of Black Journalists Convention & Career Fair 2014
July 30-August 3, 2014
This event invites black journalists to network, participate in professional development sessions and celebrate excellence in journalism.
Register here; use hashtag #NABJ14.
Upcoming Events: August
Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Conference 2014
Aug. 6-9, 2014
The AEJMC conference features sessions and panels on the latest research, teaching methods and public service within journalism and mass communication.
Register here; use hashtag #AEJMC14.
Asian American Journalists Association Convention 2014
Aug. 13-16, 2014
Washington, D.C.
The 24th annual convention is for media professionals and future journalists looking to network and grow in their careers through interactive discussions about industry and community issues, networking and one-on-one critiques.
Register here; use hashtag #AAJA14.
TEDxPoynter Institute: Disruption
Aug. 19, 2014
St. Petersburg, Fla.
Poynter's fourth TEDx event will tap into the minds of influential visionaries across media and technology, exploring the innovation that arises from disruption.
Register here; use hashtag #tedxpoynter.
Inside 3D Printing Conference & Expo 2014
Aug. 26-27, 2014
Hong Kong
The conference features the brightest speakers in the industry and exhibits from the organizations that are helping move the 3D printing revolution forward.
Register here; use hashtag #3DPrintConf.
Upcoming Events: September
Code/Media Series: New York
Sept. 4, 2014
New York City
The Code/Media Series brings together the most interesting minds in media and technology discussing the risk and opportunity that comes with change.
Register here; use hashtag #codemedia.
Excellence In Journalism 2014
Sept. 4-6, 2014
The conference hosts top news professionals from broadcast, print and digital newsrooms around the country, offering networking, breakout sessions and a keynote speech from Kara Swisher.
Register here; use hashtag #EIJ14.
Politics and Press Responsibility with Denver Post Editor Gregory Moore
Sept. 5, 2014
Columbia, MO
As part of Reynolds Journalism Institute's Gerald M. Boyd Lecture Series on politics and press responsibility, Moore will examine and analyze the media's coverage of major political issues of the day.
Register here.
TechCrunch Disrupt 2014
Sept. 8-10, 2014
San Francisco
This event features TechCrunch writers and editors, guest speakers, leading venture capitalists and entrepreneurs addressing the most important topics facing today's tech landscape, plus a hackathon.
Register here; use hashtag #DisruptSF.
American Society of News Editors Conference 2014
Sept. 15-17, 2014
This joint convention with the Associated Press Media Editors offers topical conference sessions that will explore key issues newsroom leaders are tackling; showcase innovations; and provide practical takeaways in such areas as improving content on mobile, increasing audience engagement and reach, and developing partnerships for greater impact.
Register here; use hashtag #editors2014.
Ad Age Digital Conference 2014
Sept. 16, 2014
San Francisco
The conference brings together big brands and young startups in emerging media and technology, with entrepreneurs who are building new consumer marketplaces and the next generation of mobile payments and services.
Register here; use hashtag #AADigital.
The Social Shakeup 2014
Sept. 16-17
The conference offers marketing, digital, and other professionals whose jobs combine social media and business an event discussing how social enterprise is changing the way we work, including content marketing, the customer experience, future tech and big data.
Register here; use hashtag #SocialShakeup.
Digiday Publishing Summit 2014
Sept. 17-19, 2014
Key Biscayne, Fla.
The event features insights from digitally native and legacy publishers in how they create and pay for content in a multi-platform environment.
Register here.
International Media Ethics Day 2014
Sept. 19, 2014
Various locations
The purpose of the annual IMED is to mobilize media professionals, IT experts, bloggers, students and interested citizens to discuss ethical dilemmas locally. Participants will examine case studies, and take part in role-plays and debates related to the various ethical dilemmas they might expect to face on the job and in life.
Get involved here.
Curtis B. Hurley Symposium
Sept. 23, 2014
Washington, D.C.
Secrecy, partisanship and technology are disrupting the channels of communication among citizens, journalists and the government. Come to hear Missouri alumni leaders discuss top issues in media and policy in Washington at the National Press Club.
Register here.
Online News Association Conference 2014
Sept. 25-27, 2014
This event calls highly engaged digital journalists to learn about new tools, techniques and technologies, discuss advancements and challenges in the industry, network and share best practices with peers.
Register here; use hashtag #ONA14.
Upcoming Events: October
Future of StoryTelling Summit 2014
Oct. 1-2, 2014
New York City
The summit is a gathering of technology, media and communications visionaries from around the world, designed to put attendees in direct contact with the most vital ideas, people and technologies that are shaping the way we tell stories.
Register here; use hashtag #FoST.
TEDGlobal 2014
Oct. 6-10, 2014
Rio de Janeiro
TEDGlobal 2014 features a week-long speaker program with a focus on the Global South's rise in influence and power in the form of tech demos, exhibits and more. Journalists Glenn Greenwald and Misha Glenny are confirmed to attend.
Register here; use hashtag #TEDGlobal.
The Lorana Sullivan Lecture on Investigative Journalism
Oct. 14, 2014
New York City
The first annual Lorana Sullivan Lecture, part of the All Class Lecture Series at Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism, will feature Dean Steve Coll, who will speak on his experience in investigative journalism.
Register here.
TechCrunch Disrupt Europe 2014
Oct. 20-21, 2014
This event features TechCrunch writers and editors, guest speakers, leading venture capitalists and entrepreneurs addressing the most important topics facing today's tech landscape, plus a hackathon.
Register here.
GigaOm Structure Connect 2014
Oct. 21-22, 2014
San Francisco
The event will discuss how to connect homes and business to the Internet with minimal disruption and maximum efficiency.
Register here.
Computation + Journalism Symposium 2014
Oct. 24-25, 2014
New York City
The symposium is a forum for discussing the ways journalism is and should be adapting in the face of the quantitative turn in society.
Register here.
Code/Mobile 2014
Oct. 27-28, 2014
Half Moon Bay, Calif.
The inaugural event features big names in the industry who are leading the mobile revolution, as well as those whose businesses are being transformed — those rethinking, reinventing and recoding the mobile industry.
Register here; use hashtag #codemobile.
Ad Age Data Conference 2014
Oct. 28-29, 2014
New York City
The event helps marketers understand big data and insights needed to making marketing efforts more successful.
Register here.
Upcoming Events: November
Street Fight Summit 2014
Nov. 4, 2014
New York City
The fourth annual event will focus on the application of hyperlocal platforms in the real world, including PayPal, Facebook, Google, Tinder, Pandora, Digitas, ReachLocal, Waze, Gannett and others.
Register here; use hashtag #SFS14.
ad:tech New York 2014
Nov. 5-6, 3024
New York City
The digital marketing event is a marketplace for buying and selling and an opportunity to discuss industry trends and initiatives.
Register here; use hashtag #adtechNY.
Third Coast Conference 2014
Nov. 7-9, 2014
The event brings together producers, audio artists, journalists, documentarians and students to enjoy each other's work, share ideas and expertise, and network.
Register here.
AllFacebook Marketing Conference 2014
Nov. 10, 2014
This conference discusses best practices for launching and maintaining successful advertising campaigns on Facebook.
Register here; use hashtag #AllFacebook.
Dodging the Memory Hole: Saving Born-digital News Content
Nov. 10-11, 2014
Columbia, MO
If you are interested in helping to bridge the disconnect between the short-term goals of news producers and the long-term needs of digital preservation, your expertise and solutions are wanted at this event.
Register here.
Newsgeist 2014: Exploring the Frontiers of New Journalism
Nov. 14-16, 2014
This free, invite-only "unconference" is a participant-driven meeting exploring the future of news at the intersection of journalism, technology, and public policy. The event is sponsored by Google and the Knight Foundation.
Register here.
Digiday Programmatic Summit 2014
Nov. 17-19, 2014
Bonita Springs, Fla.
The summit will address how brands, agencies and publishers are adjusting to the changing dynamics of modern media buying.
Register here.
Digital Media Asia 2014
Nov. 18-20, 2014
The conference will showcase international trends in digital media related to online content monetization, digital advertising, social media, tablet publishing and big data.
Register here.
Streaming Media West 2014
Nov. 18-19, 2014
Huntington Beach, Calif.
The event hosts content owners, viral video creators, online marketers, broadcast professionals and ad agencies to learn the latest online video technology.
Register here; use hashtag #SMWest.
The Walter B. Potter Sr. Conference: Innovation and Transformation in Community Newspapers
Nov. 20-21, 2014
Columbia, MO
The Potter Conference will bring together community news executives and leaders at the Missouri School of Journalism for an exchange and dialogue of best practices that will help sustain local journalism, especially in small and rural markets.
Register here.
Upcoming Events: 2015
International Consumer Electronics Show 2015
Jan. 6-9, 2015
Las Vegas
The show features exhibits giving a first look at consumer electronics like wearables, web services, digital imaging and photography, online media and video.
Register here; use hashtag #CES2015.
Digital Book World Conference 2015
Jan. 13-15, 2014
New York City
The conference and expo brings together media, publishing and tech professionals to discuss digital content and digital publishing strategies as well as industry challenges.
Register here; use hashtag #DBW15.
SXSW Interactive 2015
March 13-17, 2015
This annual event features the brightest minds in upcoming technology, networking events and a great lineup of startup ideas from the digital community.
Registration open in August 2014; use hashtag #SXSW2015.
Angela Washeck is a freelance writer and editor based in Dallas. She is a proud graduate of Texas A&M University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a journalism minor. Angela also writes for MediaBistro's 10,000 Words blog and TexasMonthly.com, and she once interned with the TV newsmagazine "Dan Rather Reports." Her work has been republished on Editor & Publisher, the American Press Institute and more. When Angela is not busy with PBS MediaShift work, you can find her watching "How I Met Your Mother" reruns, watching Aggie football and attending indie/folk concerts in Dallas. Follow her @angelawasheck.


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Petrópolis, city, central Rio de Janeiro estado (state), southeastern Brazil. It is situated in a valley at 2,667 feet (813 metres) above sea level, in the Órgãos Mountains, about 25 miles (40 km) north of Rio de Janeiro city.
Petrópolis was founded in 1845 by Bavarian immigrants under the sponsorship of Pedro II, the Brazilian emperor for whom it was named. The emperor was attracted by the site's relatively cool climate and held court there during the warmer months. His possessions, along with those of Pedro I and João VI of Portugal, remain in the ornate royal palace, now the Museum of the Empire. Petrópolis served as the state capital from 1894 until 1903. A treaty with Bolivia was signed there in 1903 for an exchange of lands and a Brazilian commitment to construct the Madeira-Mamoré Railway in Rondônia state. The city has diversified industries and is the seat of the Catholic University of Petrópolis (1961). Petrópolis is also a popular tourist destination, and many weekend and summer homes are located in and around the city. In January 2011 torrential rain afflicted the city with flooding and mudslides that devastated property and killed dozens of people. Pop. (2000) 270,671; (2022) 304,758.

subset: commoncrawl


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Big Data 2014: Powering Up the CurveDecember 9, 2013 No Comments
Featured blog by Quentin Gallivan, CEO, Pentaho
Last year, I predicted that 2013 would be the year big data analytics started to go into mainstream deployment and the research we recently commissioned with Enterprise Management Consultants indicates that's happened. What really surprised me though is the extent to which the demand for data blending has powered up the curve and I believe this trend will accelerate big data growth in 2014.
Prediction one: The big data 'power curve' in 2014 will be shaped by business users' demand for data blending
Customers like Andrew Robbins of Paytronix and Andrea Dommers-Nilgen of TravelTainment, who recently spoke about their Pentaho projects at events in NY and London, both come from the business side and are achieving specific goals for their companies by blending big and relational data. Business users like these are getting inspired by the potential to tap into blended data to gain new insights from a 360 degree customer view, including the ability to analyze customer behavior patterns and predict the likelihood that customers will take advantage of targeted offers.
Prediction two: big data needs to play well with others!
Historically, big data projects have largely sat in the IT departments because of the technical skills needed and the growing and bewildering array of technologies that can be combined to build reference architectures. Customers must choose from the various commercial and open source technologies including Hadoop distributions, NoSQL databases, high-speed databases, analytics platforms and many other tools and plug-ins. But they also need to consider existing infrastructure including relational data and data warehouses and how they'll fit into the picture.
The plus side of all this choice and diversity is that after decades of tyranny and 'lock-in' imposed by enterprise software vendors, in 2014, even greater buying power will shift to customers. But there are also challenges. It can be cumbersome to manage this heterogeneous data environment involved with big data analytics. It also means that IT will be looking for Big Data tools to help deploy and manage these complex emerging reference architectures, and to simplify them. It will be incumbent on the Big Data technology vendors to play well with each other and work towards compatibility. After all, it's the ability to access and manage information from multiple sources that will add value to big data analytics.
Prediction three: you will see even more rapid innovation from the big data open source community
New open source projects like Hadoop 2.0 and YARN, as the next generation Hadoop resource manager, will make the Hadoop infrastructure more interactive. New open source projects like STORM, a streaming communications protocol, will enable more real-time, on-demand blending of information in the big data ecosystem.
Since we announced the industry's first native Hadoop connectors in 2010, we've been on a mission to make the transition to big data architectures easier and less risky in the context of this expanding ecosystem. In 2013 we made some massive breakthroughs towards this, starting with our most fundamental resource, the adaptive big data layer. This enables IT departments to feel smarter, safer and more confident about their reference architectures and open up big data solutions to people in the business, whether they be data scientists, data analysts, marketing operations analysts or line of business managers.
Prediction four: you can't prepare for tomorrow with yesterday's tools
We're continuing to refine our platform to support the future of analytics. In 2014, we'll release new functionality, upgrades and plug-ins to make it even easier and faster to move, blend and analyze relational and big data sources. We're planning to improve the capabilities of the adaptive data layer and make it more secure and easy for customers to manage data flow. On the analytics side, we're working to simplify data discovery on the fly for all business users and make it easier to find patterns and catch anomalies. In Pentaho Labs, we'll continue to work with early adopters to cook up new technologies to bring things like predictive, machine data and real-time analytics into mainstream production.
As people in the business continue to see what's possible with blended big data, I believe we're going to witness some really exciting breakthroughs and results. I hope you're as excited as I am about 2014!


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WORD OF MOUTH: Colleen Ross
Colleen Ross
The usual key to staying on top in the murky world of politics is to control the narrative. And, by all linguistic accounts, Barack Obama's control of the oil spill narrative has slipped away.
Lonely warrior. Barack Obama counting tar balls on a Louisiana beach in May 2010. (Larry Downing/Reuters)
In his first prime-time address from the Oval Office recently, Obama attempted to take back the reins by employing warrior-like language.
In his best Churchill impression, he spoke about "the battle we're waging against an oil spill that is assaulting our shores and our citizens," going on to vow that "we will fight this spill with everything we've got for as long as it takes."
The president then talked about creating a battle plan as well as the need to develop energy independence and to "fight for the America we want for our children."
Click Here to Listen to Colleen Ross' Podcasts
The president then talked about creating a battle plan as well as the need to develop energy independence and to "fight for the America we want for our children."
In fact, Obama's rhetoric around America's biggest environmental disaster has intensified in recent weeks.
Accused of not being angry enough at the company that has still not managed to fully plug a gushing oil well, "No Drama" Obama, as he was once known, is using tougher language and framing the oil spill as an environmental 9/11.
He also uttered the now oft-quoted explanation of why he's spending so much time talking to experts: So he can "know whose ass to kick."
Oil-spill enabler
But in this unfolding drama, with a wavering protagonist, a motley crew of characters and a slick, unrelenting enemy, one is compelled to shout in frustration: "Words, words, words!"
Duelling narratives
(An unscientific, comparison)
BP: Use remotely operated underwater vehicles to try to reactivate blowout preventer.
Political narrative: Remotely control response, i.e. let Coast Guard handle it.
BP: Introduce small tube into burst pipe to slow flow.
Political narrative: Introduce oil spill commission and temporarily stop offshore drilling
BP: Drill relief wells, this is going to take awhile.
Political narrative: Drill home the need for relief/compensation (this is going to take awhile)
Therein lies the problem, says language analyst Paul Payack. Words alone mean nothing if they are not backed up by action and, as a result, Obama has lost control of what he wants to say.
"He who wins control of the narrative controls the story in terms of political capital," says Payack. And at the moment, Obama isn't doing so well, which could hurt his party in the November mid-term elections.
According to Payack, the most important storyline currently defining the president is "Obama as oil spill enabler."


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ABC's Diane Sawyer described Robert Bork, who passed away Wednesday at age 85, as "an icon to conservatives" and NBC anchor Brian Williams called him a "conservative icon," but CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley decided he was an "arch conservative." He then played, without censure, a portion of Senator Ted Kennedy's disgraceful attack and offered up an innocuous definition of "to Bork," which Pelley asserted simply "means to attack a nominee for political reasons."
On FNC's Special Report, however, James Rosen more accurately conveyed: "So epic and nasty was the battle over Robert Bork's nomination to the Supreme Court in the summer of 1987 that the process gave rise to the verb 'to Bork,' which the Oxford English Dictionary defines as 'systematic vilification in the media to block a person's appointment to public office.'"
From the Wednesday, December 19 CBS Evening News:
SCOTT PELLEY: Remember Robert Bork? He first came to fame in 1973 when he was the U.S. Solicitor General. Bork carried out President Nixon's so-called "Saturday Night Massacre," firing the Watergate special prosecutor. Payback came when President Reagan nominated Bork to the Supreme Court. The Democratically-controlled Senate rejected the arch conservative after one of the most contentious confirmation hearings ever. This is part of Senator Ted Kennedy's opening statement.
SENATOR TED KENNEDY: Robert Bork's America is a land in which women would be forced into back alley abortions.
PELLEY: Bork denied that and while he didn't make the court, he did make the dictionary. "Bork" means to attack a nominee for political reasons. Robert Bork died today of heart disease. He was 85.


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Catholics gathered at the Cathedral of Christ the King and stood on both sides of Peachtree Road quietly reciting the rosary and holding placards expressing opposition to abortion. The event attracted over 1,000 people, according to Peggy Sinanian, archdiocesan pro-life director.
The action is completely silent and those taking part are asked to be peaceful, prayerful and polite in both word and deed. They block no streets, intersections, driveways or sidewalks.
Participants held signs saying, "Abortion Kills Children," "Adoption: The Loving Option," "El Aborto Mata Ninos" or "Abortion Hurts Women." Clergy held signs that said, "Jesus Heals and Forgives."
Following the Life Chain hour of witness, Archbishop Donoghue gave a homily and led participants in Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.
"We are here to recognize and to solemnly memorialize the heroic deaths of millions of innocent children, who though infinitely simple in terms of the complexity of all creation ... lost their life in the cause of truth," Archbishop Donoghue said.
The archbishop told the congregation to remain steadfast in their efforts no matter the cost. "And though the cost of this alliance may be great indeed -- though it may cost us friends, popularity and social acceptance -- we measure this cost as slight, when held up to the treasure of the holy alliance we have formed -- the alliance which links us, through all who have died in the cause of life, to Jesus Christ, who is and will be, the Lord of all life and the world."
Th archbishop said that God sees the whole battle and the hardships of their struggle and that in the end "the army of life ... will remain in possession of the field to fly high the banners of Jesus Christ, our conquering king."
The archbishop told the congregation that the strength they have shown will summon others to join them on the battlefield as they continue their fight for life. "For Christ welcomes the valor of our struggle, he joins it to his own suffering on the cross, and he will enfold it finally into the glory of his resurrection, and the victory of life."
At the conclusion of his homily Archbishop Donoghue received a standing ovation. Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, encouraged the Life Chain participants to continue their efforts because "victory is within our grasp."
Earlier in the week Father Pavone met with clergy, leaders of the pro-life movement and Catholic laity during several talks given throughout the archdiocese Oct. 2-3.
Life Chain began in 1987 in Yuba, Calif., and has been held in cities all over the country. It was organized to provide a visual statement that Christians of all denominations are united against abortion.
National Life Chain Sunday is intentionally held on the first Sunday of October, the day set by the U.S. bishops as Respect Life Respect Life Sunday.


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LECTURES ON HOMŚOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICAby JAMES TYLER KENT, A.M., M.D.
Late Professor of Materia Medica in Hering College, Chicago.
Presented by Dr Robert Séror
Senegais an old lung tonic, and I suspect it has been an ingredient in most of the lung medicines for the last one hundred years.
It has been only partially proved, and needs further proving to bring out its particulars. When a medicine has beenfully proved, it can be said of it that its symptoms are so well known that they can be examined as an image, i. e., the drug has affected all portions of man in such a manner as to stamp itself upon all of his natural actions and functions in a way peculiar to itself. This remedy has done some wonderful things, and these results in many instances can be only attributed to mere guesswork. This is about all that can be said in favor of careless and loose. prescribing.
Chest: Senega is more especially a chest medicine. It is full of chest symptoms and its relation to the air passages makes it worthy of consideration, although many of the individualizing symptoms have not yet been brought out.
From its most striking action on the mucous membrane of the air passages, its chief use has been in chest complaints, asthmatic complaints, in various forms of dyspnoea, cardiac and asthmatic. There are violent pains in the chest, especially like those of pleurisy. It has also symptoms like pneumonia; one of its most useful spheres is in pleuro-pneumonia. The pleuro-pneumonia of cattle has almost found its specific inSenega.
The finding of specifics is more likely to be true of animals than of human beings, as a remedy that is only partially indicated - may cure an animal, but it requires much finer discrimination among remedies in dealing with human beings.
A violent attack of pleurisy associated with pneumonia, too deep and too vicious forBryonia, often finds its remedy in Senega. Senega is a sort of cross between Bryonia and Rhus tox. The violent symptoms are those of Bryonia, yet it is worse from rest, unlike Bryonia. The symptoms of Senega are not so much like Rhus tox., but it has an amelioration like that of Rhus tox., better from motion, the pains being worse when at rest.
The chest pains, rheumatic pains and inflammatory pains are worse during rest, but the cough is made worse from motion and the asthmatic troubles are made worse from the slightest motion. TheSenega patient cannot walk up hill; he cannot walk against the wind, because it brings on chest symptoms and dyspnoea.
The rattling in the chest is as marked as inAntimonium tartaricum the tenacious mucus is as copious, as gluey and stringy as in Kali bichromicum, so much is this the case that he can get it only part way up, and with a spasmodic effort he swallows it, like Spongia and Causticum.
Senega is a remedy of deep action, as well as an acute remedy. It is filled with sharp and acute sufferings, sufferings that come on with rapidity, from taking cold, or from a cold that involves the whole chest.
Eyes: There are some eye symptoms in the text that are worthy of attention.
"Paralysis of the muscles of the eyes."
"Iritis and specks upon the cornea."
"Paresis of the superior oblique."
"Aching over the orbits."
"Eyes pain as if pressed out."
It has cured opacity of the vitreous humor.
Larynx: Of the larynx the text says,
"Aphonia from severe cold or excessive use of the voice."
"Constant tickling and burning in the larynx, leaving the patient not a moment's rest and preventing him from lying down; fear of suffocation."
WhenSenega is indicated there is a dryness in the mouth and throat, and the cough is incessant; there is a constant metallic coppery taste in the mouth and throat, as if he were coughing up pulverized copper.
Mouth: A very little of this medicine in proving will produce such a dryness and metallic taste in the mouth, and such a tickling at the root of the tongue, the pharynx and larynx, and it will finally end in a copious, thick, gluey discharge.
"Grippe, with stitches in right eye when coughing."
"Laryngeal phthisis."
"Copious accumulation of tough mucus in air-tubes, which causes the greatest often ineffectual, efforts at coughing and hawking for its expulsion."
This thick, tough mucus will lead most routine prescribers to give such medicines asKali bichromicum, Lachesis and Mercurius corrosivus, entirely overlooking the usefulness of Senega.
It is a remedy of very wide range in complaints of the chest, larynx and trachea, in the severe "colds" that settle in these parts, especially when associated with tenacious mucus, so tenacious that he cannot cough it up; it seems at times that he will strangle; he will cough and vomit in the effort to expel the mucus, but it seems to disappear and he does not know where it goes.
"Sensation as if the chest were too narrow."
"Most violent suffocation with asthma."
"Short breathing and oppression of chest when going up stairs."
"Dyspnoea especially during rest."
"Dry cough with aphonia; worse in cold air and from walking," is like Phosphorus and Rumex.
Those two remedies cause a cough, which commences when he first goes into the air.Senega, has another feature like Phosphorus, in that the cough is so violent that it makes him shake from head to foot; it brings on a tremulous feeling all over the body. He coughs from inhaling cold air; the cough is violent and the expectoration most difficult. In old, chronic catarrh of the chest for the earlier stages of which Bryonia was the most similar remedy, with this thick, tough, ropy mucus,
Senega is most suitable, and even when the patient is in the last stages of consumption. The symptoms become most troublesome, the gagging and coughing and effort to expectorate because of the thick, ropy mucus, are very distressing.
He breaks out in a cold sweat, especially on the upper part of the body. The chest is full of coarse rales from the tough mucus which he cannot expectorate. We think in such a case of remedies likeAntimonium tartaricum, Pyrogen, Kali bichromicum, etc., but this remedy is just as suitable, especially when there is a great amount of dryness in the throat and larynx, dryness in the throat during sleep and observed on waking, and inability to expectorate the tough ropy mucus.
"Shaking cough," i. e., the cough is so violent that it shakes the whole frame.
The concussion from the cough causes discharge of urine involuntarily and causes violent pains in the head and over the eyes.Senega, is called for especially in those cases where the pleura has been involved at one stage or the other.
The pains are increased and it seems as if the chest would be torn on coughing.
"Walls of the chest sensitive or painful when touched."
"Profuse secretion of mucus in lungs of old people."
Senegais one of the leading remedies for the tough mucus and coarse rales in old people without any other symptoms. It very often clears the throat and helps to patch up an old man when he is breaking down.
"Great rattling of mucus in chest and flying pains in chest-"
It has sometimes cured pleuro-pneumonia when there was the extreme exhaustion ofPhosphorus and Arsenicum. In such cases Senega has caused reaction; it has such weakness. Especially is it suited in the advanced cases of phthisis, when those symptoms that I have mentioned are present.
It acts as a palliative. It does excellent patch work without serious aggravations, as it relates more especially to superficial conditions. It is not as deep acting asSulphur and Silicea. We give such remedies only when we have a reasonable assurance that we can cure, when the patient is yet curable.
But when we have given up all hope, then we pay more attention to the most painful parts; we pay more attention to the local symptoms, to the group which causes the most suffering and attempt to do patch work.
If the sufferings in the chest and the exhaustion become most severe it is true thatArsenicum will patch him up a little and make him feel more like life, and he will go on to the end with more comfort. If the pains in the chest are most severe such medicines as Senega or Bryonia will help him; if he is sore and feels as if bruised and he most move from side to side Arnica will relieve; but these are not the remedies to go deep into the life and eradicate a deep-seated disease like phthisis.
Yet with these one may take a consumptive patient in comfort to the very grave, by simply patching him up and prescribing for his immediate sufferings. Homoeopathic remedies give these incurable sufferers much greater comfort than sprays and anodynes.
The pains of the chest are worse during rest and on inspiring. Stitching pains in the chest when lying on the right side. Great soreness in the walls of the chest. Pain under right scapula when coughing. The chest pains are better while walking in the open air.
Copyright © Robert Séror 2000
Mise en page Copyright © Sylvain Cazalet 2000


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This is the Wine Economist's 100th post. The idea of a Wine Economist Top 100 — my 100 best blog posts — is therefore kinda ridiculous.
But my wine enthusiast friends hungrily devour Top 50 and Top 100 wine lists even though the idea that it is possible to identify and rank the Top X [fill in the number] wines is kinda ridiculous, too, although in a different way. This provokes a digression on wine rankings and a brief report on what I've learned so far from writing this blog.
Supply and Demand
Ranking wines from 1 to 100 is certainly not an exact science; there are literally thousands of wines on the market, so narrowing down the list to 100 and then actually ranking them from bottom to top (with no ties) is necessarily a problematic exercise when examined closely.
Individual tastes differ significantly and consumers are not uniformly able to detect even objective qualities in wine (much less make comparable subjective judgments), so it is hard to see why so many people take these ratings so very seriously. But they do. It's a matter of demand and supply.
Consumers demand wine rankings. They use Top X lists as guides to shopping (or investing) and sometimes as a means to establish status or credibility with other wine enthusiasts. This makes top wine lists a really useful tool for wine merchants and distributors, who supply what consumers demand (and sometimes try to help the demand along a little, too).
Wine critics must feel some pressure to supply what buyers and merchants want. The Top X lists get so much attention that any critic who fails to issue a ranking must be a little bit concerned about the effect of this action in the crowded wine opinion marketplace. If I ranked wines, which I don't, I'd sure want to publish a Top X list of some sort if only to draw attention to my other work. Everyone has an interest in these lists, so it's no wonder they are so popular.
It is interesting to consider how Top X lists and the attention they receive may have invisibly shaped the wine world. Cornell economist Robert H. Frank has written two books that are worth reading in this regard. The Winner-Take-All Society (co-authored by Philip J. Cook, 1995) looks at what happens when market attention is focused on a few top-rated products. The result, not surprisingly, is that everyone wants the best (or what is rated the best) and the nearly-as-good and really-quite-pleasant are left behind. Who wants to drink pretty good Chardonnay when you can get a 90+ bottle for the same price (even if you cannot really taste the difference yourself)?
The book's subtitle tells you where the argument goes: "How more and more Americans compete for fewer and bigger prizes, encouraging economic waste, income inequality and an impoverished cultural life." If you've seen Mondovino, you know what Frank and Cook are talking about.
Frank's 1999 book Luxury Fever continues the argument, looking more deeply at the impact of a world where status, identity and satisfaction are linked to money and the purchase of top-rated products. Frank talks about the high price that some consumers will pay for goods that are just a little bit better or harder to get. He calls it the "charm premium." Unsurprisingly, he cites the "charm premium" that highly rated ultra-premium wines receive as an important example (pp. 29-30).
Elite winemakers can mine the charm premium effect by offering increasing expensive variations on their main product: regular bottling, reserve, single-vineyard and so on. Each increase in perceived quality (or decrease in general availability) produces a disproportionate increase in price. Or at least that's how it is supposed to work.
Some wine merchants and producers see the charm premium in a different light. Wines that get 95+ points sell out immediately — they essentially don't exist. Ultra-premium wines that receive less than 90 points are hard to sell, because no one wants a merely very good wine when they can get an apparently excellent one. (I understand that there is at least one wine store that automatically discounts any wine that is cursed with an otherwise unsellable 89-point rating.) That just leaves the 90-94 point wines and large charm premiums are sometimes paid for what must be impossibly small absolute quality differences within this range.
Wine buyers are a diverse group and so it is dangerous to generalize, but a lot of them search not just for good wine, but for the best wine (or the best wine value). For better or worse, Top 100 lists have evolved to satisfy that demand and have therefore helped spread luxury fever and create the winner-take-all wine market segments we see today.
Lessons Learned
I've been writing this blog for about a year and a half and it has been a great experience — I've met a lot of thoughtful, interesting people and had some great wine conversations. Because my posts are a bit longer than most — about 900 words on average — the total 100-post output is equivalent to a short book. What have I learned from this process? Well, I know a little more about what internet wine readers are looking for.
The most popular Wine Economist article in its 100-post history is my piece on Decanter magazine (The World's Best Wine Magazine?), part of an occasional series on wine critics. This post gets a lot of hits because the web is crawling with people searching for "best wine," "best wine magazine" and "world's best wine." The winner-take-all dynamic this represents shows up everywhere, even in my blog stats.
Almost as many readers are searching for the best wine value, which explains why my posts on[Yellow Tail] Tales and Costco and Global Wine are the second and third most read articles on this blog.
Wine industry readers are worried about the future, as most of us are in this economic environment. This helps explain why How will the Economic Crisis affect Wine? and Big Trouble Down Under: Crisis in Australian Wine receive so many hits.
Finally, many readers come here looking to unlock the mysteries of the wine buying experience. What do the ratings mean? Who are the most credible wine authorities? This search leads them to posts onWine by the Numbers and Masters of Wine (and Economics), which get dozens of hits each week.
Thanks for reading The Wine Economist. I'll give an update on trends in reader interests and concerns in a few months, when I published the Wine Economist Top 150.


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Originally exhibited at P Design Gallery, Denver CO, March — May 2007
An exhibit in Denver, Colorado presented the perfect opportunity for Denyse to explore her conceptions—and misconceptions—of the American West. Many hours watching old Clint Eastwood westerns served as the major part of her research. At the time, Denver was blanketed with (and paralyzed by) several feet of snow, which determined for Denyse that each quilt would feature white on white backgrounds. Denyse began her exploration of the selvedge edge as design feature with this series.
Denyse sketched several compositional directions and then composed the sketches actual size by pinning pieces of fabric on her studio wall. Once the design is finalized, the next step is to stitch the top together as visualized, which is like assembling a puzzle.
Denyse wrote of her preparation for the exhibit:
"I have one day a week alone in the studio, so I lay out each quilt on my studio wall, and then sew for a few hours each afternoon until I get each top sewn together. I am using vintage woolens I picked up from a great old store in Bridgeport, CT that closed last year. I also incorporated some vintage odds and ends such as a small piece of embroidered silk, and a cross-stitched holiday quest towel, that I had been hoarding for years. It felt good to let go of things that were waiting for the "perfect" project. The horse fabric is a curtain I found at a yard sale, and I always thought I would make a skirt out of it – I'm glad it found a home in this quilt instead."


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Ipkg (tutorial)
From DD-WRT Wiki
|Revision as of 20:36, 25 May 2006 (edit)
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|Revision as of 20:16, 31 August 2006 (edit) (undo)
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|=What if your jffs partition is full (routers with NO JFFS space avail)=
|=What if your jffs partition is full (routers with NO JFFS space avail)=
|You have to enable [[jffs]] anyway even if it is useless... and to create some required directory in your
|You have to enable [[jffs]] anyway even if it is useless... and to create some required directory in your share:
|~# mkdir -p /tmp/smbshare/tmp/ipkg
|~# mkdir -p /tmp/smbshare/tmp/ipkg
|Download then the packages directly to your
|Download then the packages directly to your share and type:
|~# ipkg -d smbfs install /tmp/smbshare/directory/package.ipk
|~# ipkg -d smbfs install /tmp/smbshare/directory/package.ipk
Revision as of 20:16, 31 August 2006
Brainslayer is working hard to merge the code base of DD-WRT with the OpenWRT firmware. This means that, for the most part, OpenWRT's package management system, ipkg, is available for DD-WRT. This allows for an easy way to add features not already in the DD-WRT firmware. Since ipkg is a command line program, you will need to either Telnet or SSH into your router to run this utility. You also need the JFFS File System enabled.
Commandline Structure
usage: ipkg [options...] sub-command [arguments...]
-d <dest_name> or Install, upgrade, or remove package from <dest_name> -dest <dest_name> where <dest_name> is '''either''' a folder path '''or''' a pre-defined path in /etc/ipkg.conf by default, ipkg on DD-WRT supports these pre-defined names: root /jffs ram /tmp -o <offline_root> Use <offline_root> as the root for offline installation. -offline <offline_root> where <offline_root> is a path -force-depends Make dependency checks warnings instead of errors -force-defaults Use default options for questions asked by ipkg. (no prompts). Note that this will not prevent package installation scripts from prompting.
Sub Commands
update Update list of available packages from <src> defined in /etc/ipkg.conf upgrade Upgrade all installed packages to latest version install <pkg> Download and install <pkg> (and dependencies) remove <pkg> Remove package <pkg> list List available packages and descriptions files <pkg> List all files belonging to <pkg> search <file> Search for a packaging providing <file> info [pkg [<field>]] Display all/some info fields for <pkg> or all status [pkg [<field>]] Display all/some status fields for <pkg> or all depends <pkg> Print uninstalled package dependencies for <pkg> - <pkg> may be a package name, or a URI to the *.ipk or *.deb file - arguments displayed in [ ] are optional
Finding Packages
OpenWRT.org hosts a list of Official Packages, as well as a Package Tracker and openwrt.alphacore.net listing all known packages. Packages from the tracker will usually have to be installed by using <pkg> as a URI rather than a package name, unless you've updated your /etc/ipkg.conf file to point to a different repository.
Another source of software for the wrt is here ipkg.nslu2-linux.org, most of the files in this directory works fine on DD-WRT.
Installing ipkg packages
The general steps for installing ipkg modules are as follows
-Pick a location to install to. Currently available locations are:
ram (/tmp)
root (the flash partition at /jffs)
mmc (/mmc)
smbfs (/tmp/smbshare)
Then from the command line, run the following commands:
- 'ipkg update' ....pulls latest list of package listing from the default sites.
- 'ipkg list' .....gives the list of ipkg's available
- 'ipkg -d <location> install <packagename>' ....installs the package of your choice
If the package you want is not in the list, substitute the URI of the package for the <packagename> you want to install.
Packages installed to ram will be deleted on reboot. There is more ram than flash space, however.
jffs must be configured and initialized before packages can be install to root
Ex: to install the noip package to ram
~# ipkg update ~# ipkg list
Since noip is not in the list, see Finding Packages
~# ipkg -d ram install http://www.ramereth.net/openwrt/ipkg/noip_1.6.0_mipsel.ipk
What if your jffs partition is full (routers with NO JFFS space avail)
You have to enable jffs anyway even if it is useless... and to create some required directory in your Sambashare:
~# mkdir -p /tmp/smbshare/tmp/ipkg
Download then the packages directly to your Samba share and type:
~# ipkg -d smbfs install /tmp/smbshare/directory/package.ipk
or download and install at the same time with the same command:
~# ipkg -d smbfs install http://www.ramereth.net/openwrt/ipkg/noip_1.6.0_mipsel.ipk
You should see some warning messages like these ones:
ERROR: File not found: //jffs/usr/lib/ipkg/lists/whiterussian You probably want to run `ipkg update' ERROR: File not found: //jffs/usr/lib/ipkg/lists/non-free You probably want to run `ipkg update'
which you can safely ignore.
Installing an ipkg on startup
Since the available RAM is larger, is it possible to set up a startup script to install an ipkg? That way, each time it's rebooted the router will automatically download and install the ipkg we need.
One way to accomplish this is to write a startup script


text:
$ 220.00
One of our favorite dresses, the Sammie short dress features pintuck details at bust with button closure at neckline and 3/4 sleeves.
Why we love this brand: Designed for the modern bohemian, Natalie Martin is the master of effortless chic. We love that her prints are hand-screened in Bali. This attention to detail makes her pieces uniquely beautiful.
Fabric & care information: This garment has been hand-screened and sewn by artisans in Bali. Minor flaws and slight variations in the color and fabric are a natural result of the intensive handmade process. These imperfections add to the unique charm and beauty of each piece. To ensure the longevity of this garment, treat with great care. Wash gently by hand and hang to dry. Dry cleaning is also recommended.


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– An idea needs to attract investors
Meet Thomas Andersson, our new Senior Advisor Business Development. How could he be of help to your startup company?
— The most important thing I do is to get the startup companies rolling.
Thomas Andersson, the new Senior Advisor for Business Development at Oslo Cancer Cluster and Oslo Cancer Cluster Incubator, looks dead serious as he makes this statement, but immediately after he lets out a smile and elaborates:
— A company needs to be investible. An idea needs to attract investors.
A lifetime of experience
Thomas holds a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Lund University in Sweden and has more than 30 years of experience from establishing, operating and funding start-ups in the life science field. He has a long background in business development in health tech startups, all the way back to the early 1980s.
— I'm that old! I went straight from my Ph.D. in biophysics into the problem-solving of business development.
In his career he has also taken on issues with patents and sales and he even bought a company that produced monoclonal antibodies with some friends and remodelled and sold it.
— What did you learn from this journey?
— I learned quite a lot, including the production business and the cell cultivation biotech business from the floor. I also learned how to lay out the production manufacturing facility.
See it like an investor
Thomas Andersson knows the biotech startup-scene from the investors' point of view. He started to work at the tech transfer office of Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. It was called Karolinska Innovations back then, now it is known as KI Innovations.
— We raised a lot of money there, formed 45 companies as a group and we had a fantastic time!
After 8 years he was recruited to Lund and worked in Lund University Bio Science and tried to vacuum clean the whole university for life science innovation.
— And we did find a lot! In the end there were about 20 investment proposals and those ended up in 9 investments, of which we turned down 5 or 6. Two of them are now at the stock market.
In total, Thomas Andersson has been involved in starting about 20 companies, of which 5 survived and are now on the stock market.
Normally, it is said that only 1 in 30 biotech startups make it.
Here for you
— How did you end up here at Oslo Cancer Cluster?
— I have had my eyes on Oslo Cancer Cluster for a while. I have liked the ideas that the cluster stands for. And I wanted to do something new in the end of my career. That is why I am here as a senior advisor now. I like it here! I am working on very interesting projects and ideas.
Our new Senior Advisor Business Development is present in Oslo Cancer Cluster Incubator nearly every week although he still lives in Lund, Sweden, on a farm in the woods where he can be practical and hands-on with hardwood and fly fishing.
— My door is open to people in the cluster and incubator with projects and ideas. I have a network that can help them and I have the experience of how investors, scientists and other actors can value a company. And being a Swede in the Norwegian system; I am basically here also to encourage you to think differently.
Interested in more funding opportunities for your company?
Check out our Access to Capital-page.


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Over the weekend, the Democratic National Committee website showed how the GOP was "letting down the troops. It even featured a soldier standing looking ashamed. Now we see why.
He's a Canadian solider, and probably just finished travelling to the event via a Sea King.
Across the U.S. right now, the big issue du jour seems to be Mark Foley, a Congressman? Congressional Aide? Does it matter? Dude was sending creepy emails to former House of Representative paiges. I'll just send you a few takes on it:
- Ann Coulter
The Democrats say the Republicans should have done all the things Democrats won't let us do to al-Qaida — solely because Foley was rumored to be gay. Maybe we could get Democrats to support the NSA wiretapping program if we tell them the terrorists are gay.
- Donald Lambro
The House page sex scandal is filled with seemingly contradictory, perhaps inaccurate, statements, finger-pointing and blame-shifting.
- Jay D. Homnick
This explains why these moral lapses breed Republican collapses. Half the party is content to allow the legal process decide outcomes. The man is accused of impropriety, so let it be investigated. If he is guilty, he should pay—civil, criminal and Congressional penalties. The other half is insistent that the moral absolutes should be adduced. The culture must be reinforced. The meretricious must be met with opprobrium. We must go to a more basic venue than the legal; to the moral, the philosophical, the cultural.
- David Limbaugh
You know the drill. You've read and heard the Democrats' sordid track record on these matters. They not only didn't condemn Democratic congressman Gerry Studds for his actual sex – not perverted flirting – with a page, they gave him ovations. Congressman Barney Frank remains a respected Democrat even though an aide ran a prostitution ring out of Frank's apartment. The Democrats told us that Clinton's defilement of the Oval Office was a private matter. They champion the advancement of the radical homosexual agenda and safeguard partial-birth abortion.
"No, no, no," they cry. This is about Republican hypocrisy. The GOP pretends to be the party of values and yet embroils itself in this salacious scandal.
But Republicans are not guilty of hypocrisy here – they immediately purged Foley when they discovered the extent of his disgraceful misconduct.
- Pat Buchanan
First, there is the deplorable instant messages of Foley, which all have condemned. Yet if Foley had had sex with pages, rather than write them lurid IMs, he would have violated no law. For under D.C. law, the age of consent has been dropped to 16. And there is no evidence Foley violated that law or had a sexual encounter with a teenage page.
How can Democrats credibly denounce a 52-year-old gay man for sending dirty instant messages to a 16-year-old, when Democrats have legalized sex with 16-year-olds in D.C.? Isn't that a mite hypocritical?
- Thomas Sowell
In these grim and foreboding times, our media have this year spent incredible amounts of time on a hunting accident involving Vice President Cheney, a bogus claim that the administration revealed Valerie Plame's identity as a C.I.A. "agent" -- actually a desk job in Virginia -- and is now going ballistic over a Congressman who sent raunchy e-mails to Congressional pages.
This is the frivolous media -- and the biased media. Republican Congressman Foley was wrong and is out on his ear. But Democrats in both Congress and the White House have gone far beyond words with a page and an intern. Yet the Democrats did not resign and Bill Clinton's perjury, obstruction of justice, and suborning of perjury by others were treated as if these were irrelevant private matters.
- Burt Pretlutsky
But how can you not get a chuckle out of Nancy Pelosi, she with her gay San Francisco constituency, running around like a headless chicken all because of consensual homosexual activity?!
- Star Parker
Democratic outrage about the Foley affair is a simple stage show to provoke voters.
Republican leadership leaves a lot to be desired. The party has got to get focused and tighten the reins of management. But there is little question that there is only one party that still gives credence to traditional values, and that is the Republican Party.
To flip power over to the Democrats, the party of social chaos, is simply to take a bad situation and make it worse.
- Mark Alexander
Space prohibits detailing all the sexual misdeeds of Democrats in recent years, but here are a few: Rep. Fred Richmond, arrested in 1978 for soliciting a 16-year-old girl; Sen. Brock Adams, accused multiple times of drugging, assault and rape beginning in 1988; Rep. Gus Savage, accused of fondling a Peace Corps volunteer during a 1989 African tour; and Sen. Daniel Inouye, accused throughout the 1990s of sexual assault by various women. Then there are Reps. John Young, Wayne Hays and the ever affable Sen. Ted Kennedy -- all Democrats involved in sexual escapades under Democrat majorities, all of which went unpunished by their colleagues.
It's clear, then, that issues of sexual impropriety don't faze Democrats any more than do serious breaches of national security or selling cocaine from the House Post Office, as happened under the Democrats' watch in the late 1980s. They see Foley's folly only as a political opportunity to drive a stake through the heart of the Republican leadership four weeks before the midterm elections.
Update, October 11 2006 1:43am: I have a new post in response to the comment posted below.


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Anatomy Essentials for Dummies
Perfect for those just starting out or returning to Anatomy after some time away, Anatomy Essentials For Dummies focuses on core concepts taught (and tested on!) in a typical Anatomy course. From names and technical terms to how the body works, you'll skip the suffering and score high marks at exam time with the help of Anatomy Essentials For Dummies.
Designed for students who want the key concepts and a few examples-without the review, ramp-up, and anecdotal content-Anatomy Essentials For Dummies is a perfect solution for exam-cramming, homework help, and reference.
- A useful and handy reference to the anatomy of the human body
- Perfect for a refresher or a quick reference
- Serves as an excellent review to score higher at exam time
If you have some knowledge of anatomy and want to polish your skills, Anatomy Essentials For Dummies focuses on just the core concepts you need to understand this fascinating topic.
Publisher,John Wiley
Publication Date,
Format, Paperback
No. of Pages,


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Easy logo patterns
Making patterns in real time in Adobe Illustrator with the new CS6? Well, it was about time! I've always wondered why Adobe hasn't inserted such a function… Looks like something that we can use when doing logos and logotypes. Brilliant for packaging paper and many more brand designs.Keep Reading →


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Ching's Champions
Each fall, Brian Ching and Kroger honored members of the Houston community who were chosen as "Ching's Champions." The Ching's Champions initiative was started by Ching and Kroger as a way to pay tribute to those members of the Houston community who are performing selfless acts for others and asking for little in return. Each of the Champions gets a 250-second shopping spree at a Houston-area Kroger.
The five "champions" were able to secure over $9,000 of groceries and merchandise during the 250-second shopping spree! Thank you Kroger!!!
A full recap of the 2013 event can be found here: http://www.houstondynamo.com/charities/chingschampions
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Ching and Kroger selected the eight champions from the group of nominees. Each winner received a Ching's Champions medal and a four-minute shopping spree at Kroger. In total, the eight teams collected more than $7,700 worth of groceries.
Click here to see photos from the shopping spree
Ching's Champions
Marvin Marcia – Active volunteer in his church, at the Boys and Girls club of America, local food banks and other local charitable organizations throughout the Houston area.
Susan Leining – Raised more than $20,000 over the past five years for The Snowdrop Foundation through her annual Chelsey's 5K Run.
Emily Newsome – Serves as a leader of Community Cloth, a micro-lending organization in Houston that helps refugee women create arts and crafts that they can sell to help support their families.
Gina and Mike Dockal – Started Zoey's Angels, which was founded to bring comfort to families who lose an infant child after a lengthy struggle in the hospital.
Steven David – Raises money and awareness for the Snowdrop Foundation, an organization dedicated to the fight against childhood cancer.
Gary Coffman – Organizes an annual food drive around the holiday season, which provided food for more than 150 families last year.
Renita Sheppard – Captain of Nita's Forget-Me-Nots, a walk team started in 2003 to help promote awareness and raise funds for the Alzheimer's Association.
Jim and Debbie Abney – Raised more than $14,000 for Sammy's Supporters, a benefit to assist with the medical costs for a local family whose son was recently diagnosed with leukemia.


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A Cool Solar Mystery
February 20, 2007: One pole of the sun is cooler than the other. That's the surprising conclusion announced today by scientists who have been analyzing data from the ESA-NASA Ulysses spacecraft.
Ulysses is the only ship in the NASA or European fleet capable of flying over the sun's poles, a result of the spacecraft's uniquely-tilted orbit. Its ability to study the sun's unexplored polar regions is prized by solar physicists.
Right: Ulysses over the sun's South Pole, an artist's concept. Credit: ESA.
There's still no definitive answer to that question, but now at least researchers know the effect is real. Ulysses has returned to the sun's South Pole in 2007 and "recent observations show that the average temperature ... is virtually identical to what we saw 12 years ago," says Gloeckler.
Taking the sun's temperature is tricky business. The spacecraft can't descend to the surface and insert a thermometer. Instead, Ulysses samples the solar wind at a safe remove of 300 million km. "We measure the abundance of two oxygen ions found in the solar wind. The ratio O6+/O7+ tells us the temperature of the gas," explains Gloeckler. He is the principal investigator of the instrument onboard Ulysses that does this, the Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer or "SWICS."
Researchers believe the solar wind at Ulysses is telling them something about polar conditions close to the surface of the sun. "The solar wind comes from the poles," explains Arik Posner, Ulysses Program Scientist at NASA headquarters. "The sun's magnetic field opens up over the poles and allows some of the sun's atmosphere to escape." These openings are called "coronal holes," and the hot atmosphere that rushes out is the solar wind.
Back to the original question: What does the temperature difference mean? "Perhaps the structure of the sun's atmosphere over the two poles is different," he speculates.
We have an analogy here on Earth. The stratosphere over the South Pole is colder, on average, than the stratosphere over the North Pole. The reason has to do with the uneven distribution of land on Earth (most land is in the north) plus complex atmospheric circulation patterns.
In the case of the sun, the difference is not land but magnetism. Apparently, something about the sun's north magnetic pole keeps the solar atmosphere above it a trifle cooler. Proof: The "cool spot" follows the north magnetic pole when the sun's poles flip.
Above: Solar wind temperatures in millions of degrees Kelvin measured by Ulysses. Credit: R. von Steiger and G. Gloeckler. [
"The sun's magnetic poles have reversed polarity since the 1994 flyby—an effect of the 11-year sunspot cycle," notes Posner. Lo and behold, "the temperature asymmetry has also reversed. So it appears to be a magnetic phenomenon."
When Ulysses finishes its current South Pole flyby, it will proceed to the other end of the sun for a North Pole flyby in early 2008. This will provide more clues to what's shaping up to be a very cool solar mystery.
Author: Dr. Tony Phillips | Editor: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit: Science@NASA
|Web Links
Ulysses -- mission home page
South Pole Flyby (Science@NASA) -- the ESA-NASA Ulysses spacecraft is flying over uncharted territory, the mysterious South Pole of the sun.
Above: Ulysses' third orbit around the sun carries it over the South Pole in February 2007 and the North Pole in early 2008.
Cold Peril -- (Science@NASA) The NASA/ESA Ulysses spacecraft is perilously cold as it begins a newly extended mission to study the sun.
A Star with two North Poles -- (Science@NASA) Sometimes the Sun's magnetic field goes haywire. The Ulysses spacecraft has discovered how the effects are felt throughout solar system.
Solar Flares on Steroids -- (Science@NASA) Solar flares that scorch Earth's atmosphere are commonplace. But scientists have discovered a few each year that are not like the others: they come from stars thousands of light years away. The Ulysses spacecraft is crucial for pinpointing these "solar flares on steroids."
NASA's Future: The Vision for Space Exploration


text: Ransomware authors continue improving file-encrypting programs and infection methods for Windows and Android, making these nightmarish attacks harder to avoid.The biggest ransomware threat for Windows users is CryptoWall, a sophisticated malware program that encrypts a wide range of files and demands that victims pay a ransom in Bitcoin cryptocurrency to recover them.CryptoWall uses uncrackable encryption algorithms and hides its control servers on the Tor and I2P anonymity networks, making it harder for security researchers and law enforcement to shut them down.CryptoWall 3.0, the malicious program's latest version, was launched in January after a two-month break by its creators. One notable change: it no longer bundles local privilege escalation exploits, according to Cisco Systems.Privilege escalation exploits allow attackers to execute malware programs with administrator or system-level privileges instead of using the victim's local user account, which might be restricted. CryptoWall needs this level of access to disable security features on the compromised systems, so the lack of privilege escalation exploits in its installer -- or dropper -- might be surprising at first.In fact, this suggests that the CryptoWall authors plan to rely more on Web-based drive-by download attacks to infect systems, Cisco researchers said Monday in a blog post that includes a technical analysis of the new version.Drive-by download attacks are launched from compromised websites or through malicious ads and usually exploit vulnerabilities in browser plug-ins like Flash Player, Java, Adobe Reader or Silverlight. The tools used for such attacks are known as exploit kits and they already have the functionality to achieve privilege escalation, according to the researchers.[ Held for ransom by the digital \u2018mob\u2019 ]Exploit kits can affect many users and can be hard to defend against, as highlighted by the recent malvertising attacks that exploited zero-day -- previously unknown -- vulnerabilities in Flash Player. They likely have a much higher success rate than other methods of malware distribution such as malicious email attachments.That doesn't mean that ransomware pushers have abandoned email-based infection methods. Researchers from antivirus firm F-Secure reported Monday that they've observed a significant increase this month in infections with another file-encrypting ransomware program called CTB-Locker.CTB-Locker is most commonly spread through emails with a malicious zip file attachment. The rogue zip file contains another zip file which houses a .scr or .cab executable file, the F-Secure researchers said in a blog post. Running any of those executable files will result in a CTB-Locker infection.Like CryptoWall, CTB uses strong cryptography that makes it impossible for victims to recover their files without paying the ransom, if they don't have unaffected backups. The CTB ransom is 3 Bitcoins, or around US$650, higher than the $500 ransom asked by the CryptoWall gang.Android users are not immune to such threats either. After producing the first file-encrypting ransomware program for Android, the creators of Simplocker became the laughingstock of the anti-malware industry when it was discovered that they used the same hardcoded encryption key on all infected devices, making it easy to recover the affected files.But they're now back, researchers from antivirus firm Avast Software warn. And they've unfortunately corrected their error, with a new, more sophisticated variant of Simplocker that infected more than 5,000 unique users within days of being discovered."The reason why this variant is more dangerous than its predecessor is that it generates unique keys for each infected device, making it harder to decrypt infected devices," Avast researcher Nikolaos Chrysaidos said in a blog post Tuesday.Simplocker is distributed through rogue ads on shady websites that tell users they need Flash Player to watch videos. The Flash Player app served by those ads is actually Simplocker.By default, Android blocks the installation of apps that are not downloaded from Google Play. However, attackers often use social engineering to convince users to disable this protection and allow the installation of apps from unknown sources.Once Simplocker is installed, it will display a fake message that claims to be from the FBI and alerts victims that illegal pornographic material was detected on their devices. The message demands that victims to pay $200 to have their phones unlocked.Security researchers advise against paying such ransoms to cybercriminals, because there's no guarantee of getting the decryption key and because it encourages them to continue their scheme. However, there are many publicly reported cases of users, companies and even government organizations who gave in to the extortion and paid to recover their critical files.Because of this, it's important to establish a backup routine. Files should be backed up to drives or network shares that are only temporarily connected to the computer or that require a username and password to be accessed. That's because ransomware programs will also encrypt files from folders accessible over the network if they can write to them.