text:
~In the south and around the world.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Happy New Year!
Where ever you are, have fun and be safe. This isn't the ball you'll see in New York City, or the peach that will drop in Atlanta, or some of these other weird things that will drop at midnight...
Any idea where this one is?
Happy New Year Y'all!
One of my Slow Travel friends guessed... this is the Diana Memorial at Kensington Palace.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Do y'all have your list ready?
Friday, December 28, 2007
Are you out of date?
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Merry Christmas Y'all
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Christmas in the Kitchen
We had quite a treat over the weekend. We had a cooking lesson from our very own Mrs. Margaret Brown. Over the years she has perfected the art of making peanut brittle. Lucky friends in Auburn cherish their gift of thin, crispy peanut brittle year after year.
I have her permission to reveal her secrets to my closest friends...
Start with raw spanish nuts, with the skins on. Use fresh baking soda, not the one that has been in the fridge absorbing odors. A good candy thermometer is a must! She uses a heavy duty cookie sheet, set on a moistened dish towel.
Follow the instructions, and it will be perfect every time.Peanut Brittle
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Ready for Christmas?
The packages are wrapped and waiting for Christmas morning.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
A Novel Event
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Wrap It Up
Now I am a little more creative. I cut strips of netting for my bows. They make great big fluffy ties. Then instead of using tags, I write names right on the package. For the little one's this year I painted some big letters in black. MaryJoan can use her letters later in her room.
Merry Christmas y'all!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Centerpiece of the Month- December
This guy has been in the family for years. He just makes me smile!
Isn't that what Christmas is all about?
I have received several entries for December. I will post them at the end of the month. You still have some time to email yours.
I need to get busy wrapping gifts!
How 'bout y'all?
Friday, December 14, 2007
Ginger and Brad
Ginger grew up in the country in a very nice doublewide. Her parents had good taste.
Brad wanted more for his batter half. He decided to build her a mansion.
They lived happily ever after in their Ginger-Brad house.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Chocolate Ginger Cookies
I'll spill more on that after the holidays...
We all shared a pinch of a cookie from the Fickle Pickle. They have a gingerbread cookie that had me dying for more. Since we are a long way from Roswell, I got out my apron and started adding a pinch of dis and a pinch of dat.
It may not be the real thing~ but I'll bet my Georgia lotto ticket you will love these
Double Chocolate Ginger Cookies
1 box gingerbread mix
1 Tbs cocoa powder
2 Tbs butter
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup diced ginger
1 cup chopped dark chocolate
1 Tbs flour
Pre-heat oven to 375°
Combine mix with melted butter and water. Add cocoa powder and stir until well combined. Add diced ginger. Combine flour and chocolate chunks and stir until blended. Using a small ice cream scoop place rounded scoops of cookie dough about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-9 minutes. Cool on a rack.
Y'all enjoy!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Paying Up
First we have the winner of our Centerpiece of the Month. I promised a little sumpin' sumpin', and y'all voted for Kim at scrap-to-my-lu. Don't you just love that blog name? (why didn't I think of it first?) She had a timely centerpiece with pumpkins and berries for Thanksgiving.
I also need to pay it forward. I'm am putting a little something in the mail for Holley at Windy Corner and Kristen is dishing at Dine and Dish. They will in turn 'pay it forward' to their friends. I heard on the news today about a pay it forward at Starbucks, where each car was paying for the latte in the car behind them. That is the Christmas spirit! Just imagine what a difference we could make in this world if everyone would pay it forward.
So to everyone I am sending a pack of note cards. They are a collection of photos from our travels... I guess you could call it a whistlestop tour! They make fun cards for thank-you's or invites. Be thinking about your centerpiece for December. What's on your table today?
Y'all send it in!
Monday, December 10, 2007
Holiday Cookies
Holiday Cookies
Top each cooled cookie with a dollop of icing, spread to all the edges. Decorate with sprinkles.
This is a holiday tradition every year. I don't think there is anything more important than making cookies with your kids ~ fun too! Here our kids are grown, but they will be home in a week or two looking for some yummy cookies.Y'all think there will be any left?
The measure of a life~
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Pay it Forward
"I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this Paying It Forward exchange. I don't know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, which is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog."
Monday, December 03, 2007
Tis the season~
We are all in the gift giving mode and I wanted to let you know about this special Christmas Art Event. Wyanne is a wonderful multimedia artist and is having a special Blogging event on December 7th. Pop over and see what she has!
I will also mention that we have some great cookbooks and aprons~ shameless self promotion! We can get them off in time for the holidays. They make a perfect christmas gift. Visit our country store A Pinch of Dis and A Pinch of Dat for some gift ideas for that hard to find gift.
I'll even autograph my cookbook for blogging friends. Our kitchen is always full of friends and good food. The kitchen tree is decorated with candy canes and cookie cutters. It makes baking easier when everything is right at your fingertips.
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Centerpiece of the Month~ November
My entry was a simple bunch of gerber daisies in a vase of asparagus.
Joan sent in a picture of this centerpiece. The vase has golf balls in the bottom, can you see? She said that she has also seen it with eggs in the bottom~ which would have fit in with our theme.
Don't forget to send me a link for December~ what's on your table? I know there are some great holiday centerpieces out there.


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Wild Jew
|Jewish stuff
|More Jewish stuff
"It started off as a joke!"
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH the Jew Claw!"
"Stop comparing me to Jews!"
"Ohhhh, Yes! Yes!...YES!"
"'Naughty squetta'! & 'Fancy a bong'?(Kenzie)"
The Wild Jew is a small apelike creature that is found mostly in the Colombian Rainforest.
They are a difficult animal to find as they stay reclusive during all but the late spring and early fall seasons when the weather is just right, on the rare occasion that they do come out of hiding during other time periods they tend to complain and bitch about even the smallest imperfection.
Origin and Background[edit]
Wild Jews were first recognized by science in the year 1984, but natives had told stories of them ever since they settled this land. Common stories of these beasts usually involve either a group of hunters running into one out in the woods or a rampage caused by a Wild Jew who has revealed it's self during winter or mid-summer. Science has recently discovered the cause of these rampages to be the large amount of unsatisfactory conditions at any certain point in time.They are believed to be searching for small change but they will accept any amount or kind of currency.
Wild Jews were officially discovered by renowned scientist Tony Hawk while he was off shooting his skateboarding video entitled Skating the Shitholes. At this same time he was collecting research on the endangered Colombian Douche Frog. We have little information about the evolutionary/genealogical background of the Wild Jews but at the moment there are 2 widely accepted theories.
- Theory A): Wild Jews were once a human race who traveled across the oceans from the modern day Israel area, this theory is based on single set of bones found in Israel in 1990. These bones look to be half Human half Jew and said bones have also sparked debate as to weather of not the North American Bigfoot is really just a branch off from the now scientifically recognized Wild Jew.
- Theory B): Wild Jews are an evolutionary break off of the same family as humans, like the Gorilla, Sasquatch or Chimp.
The Wild Jew's Behavior isn't well documented as of yet,and the only full study conducted was in 1993 by Dr. Joshua O. Rosenblat. But what is known about them is astounding and shows a true difference to any other known creature.
What's That On Their Heads?[edit]
These are called "Jew-beanies" (also Yid Lids, or Targets if you're German) . Originally created for bald jews to save money on suntan lotion, they are universal in size, but vary in style. The more elegant Jew may wish to decorate his/her Jew-beanie with ornaments, such as beads and mirrors to compensate for the Christmas Tree. Young Jews regularly nag their parents for a more stylish Jew-beanie ("Mummy can I have that Jew-beanie? Malachi has it!"), and this is understandable, as the more maxxed the Jew-beanie, the more powerful the Jew, and consequently no more Jew-to-Jew name calling in the local synagogue. On top of that, a "tricked out" Jew-beanie causes for Jew women, or sex-bags not to like you, maintaining your faith and loyalty to the rabbi.
Also, these caps become handy in times of conflict. As they have paper-thin edges along the rim of the skull piece, they are ideal throwing weapons. One simply tosses the hat like a Frisbee at their foe and stands back as they watch their opponent become decapitated by their Jewish wrath. For example, "Kung Lao" from Mortal Kombat. Or Oddjob from James Bond are both famous Jews.
The Wild Jew tends to eat mainly plant matter and fish as other meats make them "geassy" and no matter what the circumstances a Wild Jew seems willing to starve to death rather than eat any pork or shellfish.
The Wild Jew tends to prefer to live in nests woven of twigs on high ground or high trees in remote areas of the Colombian Rainforest. They will always try to get the highest perch to build their nest.
The Wild Jew's mating habits tend to be far different than any other species known to man. The Wild Jew does not gain a mate with a display of bright colors, dance, or through violence amongst other potential suitors. No Wild Jew's have developed a truly remarkable mating ritual. The males will go out at varying times thoughout the year and dig with their hands, beak and hand like feet in search of gold. And then when mating season comes the females will choose a mate based on whomever has the most gold. After their mating partner has been discovered the male will the bow down and do whatever the female demands of him for 3 weeks, these demands almost always involve making a nest, gathering food and gold, and cleaning the gargantuan blubber lined body of the female. After the 3 weeks the Jews will mate and 2 months alter the female will lay a Jew Egg which will hatch into a Jew chick in about a month. The females are the ones who defend the nest from the various scavengers who try to steal the eggs, she does this by yelling at the intruders in a nasally screeching voice and attacking them with her large beak. But the females will leave the nest after getting fed up with their eggs's failure to succeed, leaving the males to defend their nest for the last week before hatching. However the males have no preverbal "spine" and will flee from any invaders. It is suspected that this is the reason for there being so few Wild Jews.
The Study also noted that "It seems as though the Jews will abandon anything and everything they are doing if they have an opportunity to get some gold.
The Rosenblat Study[edit]
The Rosenblat Study was a study conducted in 1993 by Dr. J.O. Rosenblat. Rosenblat took a wild and radical approach to studying these creatures. This new approach is what allowed him to get the first and only study to this day that well documents these rare animals. Rosenblat, a Hebrew zoologist from the Golden Zoo, in Kafeltafish Israel realized that previous studies into these creatures had some up blank or unreliable and after seeing a documentary on Jane Goodall [1] he came up with his theory. And so Rosenblat began to collect gold and ceased eating pork in order to try and create the appearance that he himself was a Wild Jew. After months of trying he was finally accepted into a small tribe or temple of these creatures. Impressed by is gold accumulation the Wild Jews accepted him with open arms. After being accepted into the temple he spent a year taking notes on the animals. These notes revealed the basic behavior and mating patterns of these magnificent creatures. Upon the year's end he tried to leave and was mauled by a group of large female Jews. His Notes were later found by a lost Hispanic haberdasher who sold them to the Israeli government for 56 lbs. of gold.
Spelling of Jew[edit]
The common spelling of Jew can also be replaced with "Joo" or, for the l33t, "j00". The Cockney spelling of "Jew" is "teapot". Jew originates from ancient Christianese to translate to 'messiah killers', or, alternately, 'bagel eaters' or the more common 'Sexy Goat' and 'Piano-morphs' Also you can also correctly spell jew, according to the Torah by uttering the words "David Munk", which translated into hebrew meaning dirty, ugly dogface! Red is also stupid!
Famous Jews[edit]
- Ben Fatal Turpin
- Krusty The Clown
- Charlie Sheen
- Jeebus
- ...and Jeebus's brown wank, Mel Gibson (self-hating Jew)
- Father Christmas
- Darren (of Eastenders fame)
- ↑ A dyke who tried to molest several chimps by conviceing them he/she was one of them.

subset: commoncrawl


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Jul 7, 2009
I have neglected my garden this year terribly. First we had poor spring weather then I was busy doing other things like spending a week re-staining our deck. Old wood sucks up a lot of stain but that is a story for Met Monday.
In spite of my neglect things are growing, some better than others. Let's see what we have here:
Taken from the driveway you can see the perennial sweet peas dangling over the edge.
My advice to anyone who is planting Alostromeria is to keep it in a big pot and not in the ground. These suckers take over the whole area every year. My friend a couple blocks away is a great gardener and yet for some reason they won't grow in her yard. Apparently neglect appeals to them. I don't remember what this plant is but it blooms all season and needs a lot of dead heading. It is a great plant though. The white allysum is self seeded and comes back every year. You know I love the daisies. These were here when we moved in 26 years ago. I have moved them around and divided and shared them and they keep on going and going like the you know who bunny. For whatever reason this year my delphinium didn't collapse in a heap when I wasn't looking. It has been looking good for a couple weeks.Ah the yellow rose in my front yard. It is a short one but the flowers are so amazing. They smell great too.
My Victorian planter is filling in. It is on the top deck right outside my dining room French doors.This is a closer look at the begonia and impatiens in that stand.Every year I plant some Angel's Wings begonias or Devil's Wings depending on what I can find. They will be dragging on the ground by the time September comes around and you won't even see the sides of the pot it is in. Add to that a Beidermier Fuchsia and some more impatiens and this planter will be brilliant.
18 comments:
Lori, your garden is amazingly abundant! And I just love your delphiniums. There I go loving all things blue! :-) And the color of your yellow roses are incredible, too. You may say that your garden is neglected, but you just have a very green thumb, my dear! Flowers apparently like you lots. The proof is in the photos. :-)ReplyDelete
Happy Outdoor Wednesday...
Sheila :-)
Hi Lori,ReplyDelete
Did I read correctly that you had neglected your garden!, well you could have fooled me,Your garden is beautiful, and such a variety. Thank you for sharing these beautiful flowers with us.
Absolutely beautiful!!!!!! [We have the same problem with canna lilies...they take over and smother all that tried to grow next to 'em]ReplyDelete
By the way I LOVE your blog title!!!
Looks wonderful. I want the Victorian Planter!!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJuly 8, 2009 at 6:05 AM
What a beautiful garden, I love the 3 tiered plant stand.ReplyDelete
Your garden is delightful with all the varied plants!ReplyDelete
Beautiful flowers.ReplyDelete
What a great looking tour around your yard! I can't imagine how much more lovely it could be if wasn't neglected LOL You are right - that rose is quite a bloomer - beautiful!ReplyDelete
Hi Lori, your garden is lovely. I could stay there for a while!!!!ReplyDelete
Your yard looks like it is thriving and needs minimal care! That's the kind of garden I need.ReplyDelete
I forget what it was I had one time that after about an acre too late I read where you were supposed to keep it in a pot so it didn't "Take over!".ReplyDelete
Thanks but truly there are parts of my garden in the back yard that I haven't even weeded once this year. Bad, bad gardener.ReplyDelete
eloh: it could have been many things..bamboo, mint, family members...many things.
What a lovely garden. Your flowers and the pictures of them are terrific. Thanks for sharing them with us.ReplyDelete
Your flowers look a whole lot better than mine! Mine are a whole different story! The heat has hit them like a ton of bricks. And me too. Your garden is lovely!ReplyDelete
Beautiful garden!ReplyDelete
Your garden is beautiful! It certainly doesn't look neglected. I love all the variety in your plantings. But being from Texas, you know that the yellow rose is my favorite! Happy Outdoor Wednesday. KathyReplyDelete
What a lovely garden. Lot of beautiful flowers.ReplyDelete
Have nice day, Annemieke
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate every one of them and respond to all.


text:
Acuvue 1 Day Moist (90 pack)
Acuvue 1 Day Moist (90 pack)
Sale Sold out
Regular price $84.49 CAD
Regular priceUnit price per
Sale price
- Manufacturer: Johnson and Johnson Vistakon
- Parameters: Diameter 14.2
- Packaging: 90 lenses per box
- Availability: In Stock.
1 Day Acuvue Moist contact lenses are a convenient way to wear your contacts — just wear them one day and throw them away! A breakthrough in daily contacts, 77% of wearers report that these contact lenses felt fresh and new all day long. Enjoy the feeling of a fresh, clean contact lens every day with 1 Day Acuvue Moist from Johnson and Johnson.


text:
NEW DELHI – India's next prime minister, Narendra Modi, is the son of a poor tea seller who has long set his sights on the highest elected office in the world's largest democracy.
The top official in Gujarat state for over a decade, Modi often contrasted his humble roots with the posh background of his main rival, 43-year-old Rahul Gandhi, heir to India's most powerful political dynasty.
As the career politician led his Bharatiya Janata Party through a dazzling, high-tech election campaign, Modi called voters' attention to his mother riding a three-wheeled auto-rickshaw to cast her ballot earlier this month.
"I am the chief minister of a prosperous state ... And my 90-year-old mother goes to vote in an auto-rickshaw," the white-bearded Modi boasted, punching a fist through the air as he claimed his place by India's poor masses.
But despite playing up his folksy, common-man credentials, the 63-year-old Modi is widely seen as the darling of India's corporate world and a decisive, 21st-century administrator expected to revive job creation and economic growth.
Modi's singular message on the economy has helped him ignore or beat back criticism of his personal life — including his strong links to a right-wing Hindu nationalist group, as well as his four-decade marriage to a retired school teacher he had never mentioned publicly until last month.
Born in 1950, Modi will be India's first prime minister born after the country's violent 1947 partition and independence from imperial Britain.
His rise marks a paradigm shift for the secular democracy after decades of welfare policies that have emphasized lifting the country's impoverished. Modi has extolled the merits of trickle-down economics through industrialization.
He also has maintained strong links with the conservative, paramilitary Hindu nationalist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or RSS, which some describe as neo-fascist.
The RSS "will have a substantial check on Modi. He is not going to be entirely his own man," said political analyst Kamal Mitra Chenoy of the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi.
Modi grew up in a poor village family, and at 18 was married to a girl his parents had chosen five years earlier. The union never stuck, and Modi soon left to travel for several years before returning and joining the RSS as a propagandist in his early 20s. He and his wife never had children.
Having studied political science in Indian universities, Modi formally entered politics in 1985 with the BJP, regarded as the political arm of the RSS. He quickly gained a reputation as a talented orator and a workaholic, campaigning for the BJP in several elections before being chosen as Gujarat's highest elected official in 2001.
Modi and the BJP have been strategizing this campaign for years, launching Twitter accounts and promoting Gujarat's economy as one to emulate for development and modernity, though several Indian states topped Gujarat's average annual growth of 8.68 percent from 2001 to 2010.
Backed by enormous corporate wealth, Modi and the BJP ran an aggressive, tech-savvy campaign, sending out dozens of daily messages on social media sites and even having Modi appear virtually as a hologram at campaign events. Indian media quickly gave him the celebrity-like nickname of "NaMo."
"Wherever I went it was a delight to interact with local people. Social media also helped me understand their sentiments," he said in a Twitter message after balloting ended Monday.
Modi's links with the RSS, however, have alarmed liberals and secular critics who say he is not fit to lead a highly diverse nation roiling with communal tensions between castes, clans and religious groups.
Modi has also been dogged by criticism for failing to apologize for 2002 religious riots in Gujarat that killed at least 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, during his tenure as chief minister. Modi has denied any role in the violence, and the Supreme Court said there was no case to bring against him. But suspicions were enough for the United States to refuse him a visa in 2005, while Britain only ended its diplomatic boycott on Modi in 2012.
Modi stoked those worries again last week, as he railed against Muslim migrants from neighboring Bangladesh.
"You can see how Modi is tricky, but he's a quick learner and quick on his feet," Chenoy said. "Modi's idea of a statesman will be as a tough individual."
Analysts say Modi's success comes down to his ability to connect with the common man. He repeatedly has emphasized his origins outside New Delhi — and outside the country's elite classes. He usually speaks only Hindi, though he is reportedly working on his English now.
He constantly hammed it up for TV cameras while wearing colorful, traditional hats from various regions, always smiling.
"The kind of hope he's aroused is unprecedented. He'll have to deliver very quickly," political analyst Neerja Chowdhury said.


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Suggestions for Dealing with an All-Night Toddler Nurser
Frequent night nursing is characteristic of high-need children. It's like going to their favorite restaurant. The ambiance is peaceful, the server is familiar, the cuisine is superb, and they love the management. Who can blame the all-night gourmet? Yet as baby ages and turns into a toddler, nursing every few hours is not a necessity, rather a comfort mechanism. Try these suggestions for dealing with a toddler who wants to nurse all night.
How much of a "problem" is the frequent night nursing? This stage of high-level night nurturing will pass. Both you and your baby will someday sleep through the night. Yet, if you are sleep deprived to the degree that you are barely functioning the next day, you resent your nighttime parenting style (and your baby), and the rest of your family relationships are deteriorating, you need to make more of an effort night weaning.
A parenting principle we learned many kids ago is: IF YOU RESENT IT, CHANGE IT!
Even if you can't get your baby to sleep through the whole night, you can help him cut back on nighttime nursing, making the situation more tolerable for you. Here's how:
1. Tank your baby up during the day.
Toddlers love to breastfeed, yet they are often so busy during the day that they forget to nurse,
2. Increase daytime touch.
Wear your baby in a sling and give your baby more touch time during the day. It's easy when babies get older to greatly decrease the amount of touching time without realizing it. All-night nursing can sometimes be a baby's signal reminding mothers not to rush their baby into dependence. In developing a healthy independence, a child leaves and comes back; lets go and clings, step by step until she is going out more than she is coming back. Many mothers have noted that babies and toddlers show an increased need for nursing and holding time right before undertaking a new stage of development, such as crawling or walking.
3. Awaken baby for a full feeding just before you go to bed.
Rather than going off to sleep only to be awakened an hour or two later, get in a feeding when you retire for the night. This way, your sleep will be disturbed one less time, and you'll (hopefully) get a longer stretch of sleep.
4. Get baby used to other "nursings."
Try wearing him down to sleep in a baby sling. After baby is fed, but not yet asleep, wear him in a baby sling around the house or around the block. When he's in a deep sleep, ease him onto your bed and extricate yourself from the sling. This is a good way for dad to take over part of the bedtime routine. Eventually, your baby will associate father's arms with falling asleep, and he'll be willing to accept comfort from dad in the middle of the night as an alternative to nursing. Other ways to ease your baby into sleep without nursing him include patting or rubbing his back, singing and rocking, or even dancing in the dark to some tunes you like or lullabies you croon.
5. Make the breast less available.
Once your baby has nursed to sleep, use your finger to detach him from the breast. Then pull your nightgown over your breast and sleep covered up. A baby who can't find the nipple quickly may just fall back to sleep. If you can stay awake long enough to put the breast away, he may not latch on again so soon.
7. Just say "no" to the night nursing.
When our son, Matthew, was two, Martha felt desperate for sleep if awakened more than two times. I would wake up to hear dialogue like "Nee" (his word for nurse)…"No!"… "Nee!"… "No!"… "Nee!"… "No, not now. In the morning. Mommy's sleeping. You sleep, too." A firm but calm, peaceful voice almost always did the trick. You can manage to stay peaceful in this situation when you know you are not damaging your very secure, attachment- parented child.
8. "Nummies go night-night."
Now the marketing begins. Around eighteen months, your child has the capacity to understand simple sentences. Program your toddler not to expect to be nursed when she awakens, such as "We'll nurse again when Mr. Sun comes up." When you nurse her to sleep (or have the first or second-night nursing) the last thing she should hear is "Mommy go night-night, Daddy go night-night, baby go night-night, and nummies go night- night" (or whatever she dubs her favorite pacifiers). When she wakes during the night the first thing she should hear is a gentle reminder, "Nummies are night- night. Baby go night-night, too." This program may require a week or two of repetition. Soon she will get the message that daytime is for feeding and nighttime is for sleeping. If "nummies" stay night-night, baby will too — at least till dawn.
9. Offer a substitute for night nursing.
High-need babies are not easily fooled; they don't readily accept substitutes. Yet, it's worth a try. Remember, nursing does not always mean breastfeeding. Honor your husband with his share of "night nursing" so your toddler does not always expect to be comforted by nummies. This gives dad a chance to develop creative nighttime fathering skills and the child a chance to expand her acceptance of nighttime comforters. Martha notes:
One of the ways we have survived toddler's who wants to nurse frequently during the night was for me to temporarily go off "night call." Bill would wear Stephen down in a baby sling, so he got used to Bill's way of putting him to sleep. When he woke up, Bill would again provide the comfort he needed by rocking and holding him in a neck nestle position, using the warm fuzzy and singing a lullaby. Babies may initially protest when offered father instead of mother, but remember, crying and fussing in the arms of a loving parent is not the same as "crying it out." Dads, realize that you have to remain calm and patient during these nighttime fathering challenges. You owe it to both mother and baby not to become rattled or angry when your baby resists the comfort you offer.
Try this weaning-to-father arrangement on a weekend or another time when your husband can look forward to two or three nights when he doesn't have to go to work the next day. You will probably have to sell him on this technique, yet we have personally tried it and it does work. Be sure to use these night-weaning tactics only when baby is old enough and your gut feeling tells you that your baby is nursing at night out of habit and not out of need.
10. Increase the sleeping distance between you.
If the above suggestions do not entice your persistent night nurser to cut back, yet you still feel you must encourage him to do so, try another sleeping arrangement. Try putting him in a bedside co-sleeper bassinet, on a mattress or futon at the foot of your bed, or even sleeping in another room with a sibling. Dad or mom can lie down beside baby to comfort him if he awakens. Mom can even nurse, if necessary, and then sneak back to her own bed if continued closeness seems to encourage continued waking.
11. Sleep in another room.
If your baby persists in wanting to nurse all night, relocate "Mom's All-Night Diner" to another room and let baby sleep next to dad for a few nights. He may wake less often when the breast is not so available and when he does wake, he will learn to accept comfort from dad.
12. Let baby be the barometer.
When trying any behavior-changing technique on a child, don't persist with a bad experiment. Use your baby's daytime behavior as a barometer of whether your change in nighttime parenting style is working. If after several nights of working on night weaning your baby is her same self during the day then persist with your gradual night weaning. If, however, she becomes more clingy, whiny, or distant, take this as a clue to slow down your rate of night weaning.
Babies will wean and someday they will sleep through the night. This high maintenance stage of nighttime parenting will pass. The time in your arms, at your breast, and in your bed is a relatively short while in the life of a baby, yet the memories of love and availability last forever.
For more information on night weaning, visit our website.
If you would like to work with a Certified Health Coach during your pregnancy, or postpartum, you can find a Coach in your area.


text:
'Murderers' daubed on smashed bus window during protests in Athens
NZ Herald. Saturday Aug 17, 2013
ATHENS, Greece (AP) Greek youths clashed with riot police in Athens on Friday as they protested the death of a teenage trolley passenger during a ticket inspection, a death that anti-austerity groups have blamed on the government's harsh economic policies.
The violence came as 1,000 people marched through the working-class Peristeri district after the young man's funeral, chanting anti-government slogans. Some protesters set rubbish bins on fire and threw stones at police, who responded with stun grenades and pepper spray.
At least four people were detained, but no injuries were reported.
Technical school student Thanassis Kanaoutis, 19, fell to his death Tuesday night when the trolley bus doors unexpectedly opened following an altercation with a ticket inspector because he hadn't validated his ticket. The incident is under investigation.
Greece's main opposition party, the Syriza Radical Left Coalition, has linked the death with the country's severe economic crisis, saying the victim was unemployed and died because he couldn't afford the 1.20-euro ($1.60) fare.
Syriza also condemned Athens transport authorities' practice of giving ticket inspectors a cut of the fines they impose as an incentive to address widespread fare-dodging. The party demanded free transportation for the unemployed, low-income pensioners and students.
The anti-austerity "I won't pay" group, which advocates non-payment of public transportation fares, highway tolls and utility bills, hailed the youth as "the first dead fighter for civil disobedience."
Police temporarily suspended trolley bus services in Peristeri, for fear of attacks on transport workers, and closed two subway stations. Youths vandalized buses after Kanaoutis' death in Athens and Thessaloniki, where 13 people were arrested for spraying slogans on a bus.
Earlier Friday, hundreds of protesters marched through Peristeri to the local cemetery. Some stopped a bus on the way, damaging the windshield and spray-painting "murderers" on the glass.
In 2008, the fatal police shooting of a teenager in Athens sparked weeks of rioting across the country.
For more than three years, debt-crippled Greece has survived on huge bailouts from its European partners and the International Monetary Fund. To secure continued disbursement of the rescue loans, the country has slashed spending and incomes, repeatedly raised taxes, increased the retirement age and breaking a century-old taboo pledged to cut 15,000 public sector jobs by 2015.
The cutbacks have deepened a five-year recession so severe that many economists call it a depression and pushed unemployment to nearly 28 percent and about 65 percent among Greek youths.
Government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou said the death would be fully investigated, and accused Syriza of engaging in "populism bordering on grave robbery."


text:
Insights Report Package
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Veterans face all of the same eye health issues as other people. Veterans of the Vietnam, Korean, or early wars are in or entering life stages when eye disorders like cataract, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy are more likely to occur. Also, like everyone in mid-life and beyond, veterans may find their near vision decreasing due to presbyopia ("aging eyes") and need reading glasses or another vision correction solution.
When it comes to eye injury, however, people in our military have a higher risk than many other people. And veterans of the Iraq or Afghanistan wars are more likely than those who served in earlier wars to have vision loss as a result of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Higher rates of TBI in these recent wars can be attributed to two factors: explosive devices have been a major cause of injury, and improved body armor has enabled soldiers to survive more serious injuries. Read more about TBI and vision loss.
Because eye care is complex and technology-driven, it is important that all veterans receive superior quality eye information and eye care. EyeSmart is dedicated to providing veterans with the comprehensive eye health information they need to make educated decisions about their eye care in consultation with their ophthalmologist. In addition to information about diseases and conditions, symptoms, vision correction, and eye-healthy living, you will also find guidance about when to see an ophthalmologist and how to find a VA ophthalmology.
Get important information about eye health topics of concern to veterans.
Learn more about organizations that provide valuable veteran services.
Veterans Eye Care Information
Get ophthalmologist-reviewed tips and information about eye health and preserving your vision.
Medical Professionals
Public & Patients
Museum of the Eye


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Quilt, about 1900
Our ideas about modernism focus on simple geometric shapes.
Quilt, about 1950
During the early 20th century, German artists organized the Bauhaus, an art school based on strict principles of design, a reaction to the Craftsman movement and Art Nouveau with their reverence for the natural line and the handmade object. Bauhaus principles emphasized that form must follow function. Design in the modern world should be created for mass manufacture.
Bauhaus aesthetics took direction from ideas such as Adolf Loos' 1908 manifesto Ornament and Crime, which foreshadowed architecture inspired by the unadorned box.
The Bauhaus in Germany
Like another trend setter Elsie DeWoolf, Adolf Loos may have had a bad childhood experience with the wallpaper.
Bauhaus ballet, costumes by Oscar Schlemmer, 1926
Too bad this fashion didn't catch on. Simple shapes CAN be figure flattering.
Model wearing a mask by Schlemmer in a Bauhaus chair by Marcel Breuer
The human face reduced to acceptable ornament.
Textile Design by Sonia DeLaunay, 1930
Acceptable ornament included the basic shapes of circle, square and triangle in primary colors.
'Patchwork' by Sonia Delauney
Folk art such as quilts influenced the modern designers
Patchwork dress by Sonia Delaunay, 1913
Good Design Exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in 1952
European modernism became the accepted standard for architecture and interiors.
My generation of Baby Boomers rejected the visual rules of International Style, one reason we were so drawn to crazy quilts and Art Nouveau. But taste changes; style swings between the curved line and the straight line...
between shelves full of doo-dads and the unadorned wall.
Read more about the Bauhaus and those enemies of ornament.


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Sepia Map of the United Kingdom
- From US$39
Your order is shipped in 1–4 days and shipping is always free. Wallpaper Paste Included.
We want all our customers to be satisfied. Just return your order within 30 days if you are not satisfied and we'll give you a refund.


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Better hygiene and safety in production
The food industry needs to meet especially stringent requirements in terms of hygiene and quality assurance. Production faults may be harmful to the health of consumers. Processes and plants are therefore designed in detail to meet the specific requirements of this industry - this includes the wheels and castors which are used.
These are used, for example, in production plants as well as in conveyor or storage systems. The usually damp environment and frequent cleaning, usually with aggressive chemicals, presents a great challenge: Both of these factors cause corrosion to the steel brackets of the castors and attack polyurethane treads, so that these wear and deteriorate quicker. This results in an increased risk of injury to employees and contamination of the goods.
Resistant to moisture and chemicals
The wheels in the POBS series, for example, manage to meet these stringent hygiene requirements. The tread is made from the premium reaction-injected polyurethane Blickle Besthane Soft, and is resistant to both moisture and aggressive chemicals. The wheels feature very low rolling resistance, a high dynamic load capacity and load capacities of up to 500 kilogrammes. The thick and soft-injected tread also ensures comfortable, low-noise rolling and does not leave any marks or discolouration on the floor. The bracket for the swivel and fixed castors in this series are made from high-quality stainless steel. This makes them corrosion-resistant and perfectly suited for conditions in the food industry.
Detection of detached fragments with metal detectors
Companies in the food sector also need customised solutions. For example, the company developed special nylon wheels for a customer where stainless steel fibres were included in the injection moulding process. With this, detached fragments can be detected with the aid of metal detectors. These wheels are used on butchers' trolleys, which are emptied directly over the processing plant. This enabled the company to guarantee a high level of safety by preventing fragments of material from entering the production process.


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Entrance and exit wounds are silvered clean,
The track aches only when the rain reminds.
The one-legged man forgets his leg of wood,
The one-armed man his jointed wooden arm.
The blinded man sees with his ears and hands
As much or more than once with both his eyes.
Their war was fought these twenty years ago
And now assumes the nature-look of time,
As when the morning traveler turns and views
His wild night-stumbling carved into a hill.
What, then, was war? No mere discord of flags
But an infection of the common sky
That sagged ominously upon the earth
Even when the season was the airiest May.
Down pressed the sky, and we, oppressed, thrust out
Boastful tongue, clenched fist and valiant yard.
Natural infirmities were out of mode,
For Death was young again; patron alone
Of healthy dying, premature fate-spasm.Fear made fine bed-fellows. Sick with delight
At life's discovered transitoriness,
Our youth became all-flesh and waived the mind.
Never was such antiqueness of romance,
Such tasty honey oozing from the heart.
And old importances came swimming back -
Wine, meat, log-fired, a roof over the head,
A weapon at the thigh, surgeons at call.
Even there was a use again for God ---
A word of rage in lack of meat, wine, fire,
In ache of wounds beyond all surgeoning.
War was return of earth to ugly earth,
War was foundering of sublimities,
Extinction of each happy art and faith
By which the world has still kept head in air,
Protesting logic or protesting love,
Until the unendurable moment struck ---
The inward scream, the duty to run mad.
And we recall the merry ways of guns ---
Nibbling the walls of factory and church
Like a child, piecrust; felling groves of trees
Like a child, dandelions with a switch.
Machine-guns rattle toy-like from a hill,
Down in a row the brave tin-soldiers fall:
A sight to be recalled in elder days
When learnedly the future we devote
To yet more boastful visions of despair.---From "Recalling War,"
Poems About War by Robert Graves
Copyright ©1938 The Trustees of
the Robert Graves
Copyright Trust
As quoted in
The Encyclopedia of WWI
P. M. Roberts, Editor


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Honors Program
The Honors Program at UAF provides superior undergraduate students with intellectual opportunities greater than those generally found in university lecture halls. Students in the Honors Program experience small classes, direct contact with top faculty members, a flexible curriculum and great encouragement to pursue their own intellectual interests. The Honors Program is based on the conviction that genuine achievement in college means broad competence in areas outside a student's major field of specialization as well as excellence within it.
Undergraduate students from all disciplines are eligible for admission to the Honors Program. New freshmen should have attained a high school GPA of no less than 3.6 and a composite SAT score of no less than 1250 (1875 on the latest version) or an ACT composite score of no less than 29. Sophomores must have a cumulative college GPA of 3.5 and clear admission to UAF. Upper-division applicants with a similar record are admitted as honors thesis scholars.
Admission to the Honors Program is generally in the fall semester. Applications must be on file by April 15 of the year applied for; late applications are considered on a space-available basis. A limited number of students may be accepted at mid-year. Credentials for admission to the university must be filed separately and should be forwarded to the Office of Admissions at the time of application to the Honors Program. Promising students already admitted to UAF may be offered enrollment in the program.
Students in the program must be regularly enrolled full-time undergraduate students. The designation of "Graduation with University Honors" is awarded to graduates who complete 27 credits of honors work and a senior honors thesis.
Honors Thesis Scholars complete 12 hours of honors credits and a senior honors thesis. Honors courses are offered in all disciplines, including courses specifically designed for the Honors Program as well as special enrichment sections of standard university courses. Students in the Honors Program may also do individualized study in their majors.
A typical semester's offering in the Honors Program includes three sciences, a mathematics course, English composition, one or more courses from the core Perspectives on the Human Condition, and four or more courses from speech, business, humanities and the social sciences. For more information and application forms, contact the Honors Program, Box 756282, UAF, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775. The Honors House is located at 520 Copper Lane. Phone 907-474-6612 or visit online at www.uaf.edu/honors/.


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In 2025, a shopper will walk into a store, try on clothes, pick the colors and a clerk will use a handheld device to have those items shipped to the customer's home address.
The store won't have a big inventory of clothes so shoppers won't walk out with big bags. The inventory will be held in a warehouse and then shipped out as if the items were purchased online.
This, according to a report from IBM, is the future of retail.
"We're on the cusp of a lot of change," said Stephen Laughlin, a vice president and general manager at IBM. "It's not just about the technology, but it's about business models… You need brick and click together, but the roles are going to evolve in terms of how they work together. We'll see the role of the store becoming a showroom."
By the middle of the next decade, according to Laughlin, many stores will be giving customers an experience and providing insight and information. Want new pants? Find your size and the style you like in the store. Looking for a new smartphone or tablet? Try them out at a store and have a clerk walk you through the different features.
"Today, a retailer has 10% to 15% of its business as Internet sales or consumer direct, meaning it goes straight from the warehouse to the consumer," Laughlin said. "In the future, that will be upwards to 50 or more percent. The store will be more of a showroom and a fitting room. That will mean there will have to be significant transformation in terms of retailer supply chains. Supply chains have been tuned for the majority of volume to go from warehouse to store, so there will be a lot of work to adjust to this."
It also means store associates won't be stocking inventory. They'll be focused on helping customers.
Laughlin's findings come from IBM's Retail 2025 report, which is set to be completed in February. Laughlin will be presenting some findings from the report at the National Retail Federation's Big Show conference in New York this week.
For years, shoppers have increasingly moved more of their purchasing to online. Now they are increasingly using their mobile devices to supplement their efforts.
If, for instance, someone wants to buy a new television, the buyer is likely to read reviews online. If the shopper decides to go to a brick-and-mortar store, it's likely the shopper will a use smartphone or tablet to compare prices and options at other stores before buying.
As Laughlin noted, "brick and click" have come together.
The changes that Laughlin sees coming will be in how that merging of physical stores and technology evolves.
Brian Kilcourse, an analyst with RSR Research, agreed that the time when some stores will switch to showrooms instead of traditional stores isn't far off.
"I think the demise of the store is close at hand," he told Computerworld. "By 2025, I think the number of stores that have turned into showrooms will be significant, but not a majority… I believe that [will call for] nothing short of a total wall-to-wall replacement of all the technologies they have in there."
According to Kilcourse and Greg Girard, an analyst at IDC, a retailer that wants to move from a traditional store to a showroom will need to overhaul the company's technology and physical infrastructures, such as how it handles warehouses, shipping and inventories.
That would be expensive, and could be overwhelming in terms of time, planning and execution.
Kilcourse said for many retailers, the answer will lie in the cloud. By using cloud computing services, retailers won't need to buy new technology, learn how to use it, set it up and manage it.
"There's no way many companies can afford to do that," he said. "It would be like changing the tires on a car while it's rolling down the freeway. The good news is the solutions, like marketing or pricing or merchandise managing, actually do work. They are very complete and work out of the box, and many are available on the cloud."
For CIOs working with cloud providers to get the technology they need for such a switch, it should be an exciting time, Kilcourse said,
But most companies will have time to make this switch, if that's the way they're heading, IDC's Girard added. "I think IBM is a little aggressive with their timeline. This will be incremental," he said. "We're heading that way already. By 2025, some retailers might only have 10% or 20% of the assortment that they have for sale available for purchase in the store."
Major national or global retailers are unlikely to be making this change in the next nine years. It's too much of a technology change to be done so quickly.
"There will be niche players coming in with this model as their foundational business model," Girard said. "That will be the disruptive force, not the incumbents shifting to this model. For the incumbents, it's not just about taking inventory out of the store, but backend processes will have to be built out to do this. They'll have to know they have inventory at hand. They'll need to know they can deliver it to a consumer at a particular time."
Laughlin agreed that small specialty retailers may be the first to make this move. However, Macy's, a major retail presence, has been experimenting with having limited inventory in certain stores and having products shipped to customers.
"I don't think we'll see a massive move in the next two to three years, but in the next five to seven years this will allow people to invest in technology in their stores to serve customers and get inventory moved out," Laughlin said.


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This article is more than 1 year old
Oi, Android, get gaming sorted out NOW
Reg Hardware's resident gamer vents spleen
Carry on up the Amazon
Our friends across the pond will wonder what all the fuss is about, of course. Thanks to Amazon's vastly superior Appstore, they enjoy a marketplace which not only categorises content intelligently, but also sells exclusives such as Plants vs Zombies and Peggle. But with no UK release date for the Appstore, UK Android gamers are left peering through the toyshop window like Tiny Tim.
Amazon's Appstore: we want it over here - NOW
Amazon's Appstore UK no-show is the lesser example of Android gaming's inherent problem, that of fragmentation. The real issue hindering Android gaming is that developers continue to struggle with the vast array of unrestricted hardware configurations and OS versions, with displays ranging from 240 x 320 up to 1280 x 800, and with variations in GPU and CPU speeds, touchscreens, accelerometers, memory and storage.
Take Gameloft, for example. One of the leading touchscreen developers, its library of games doesn't yet support Android 3.1 Honeycomb natively, so you can forget playing NOVA 2 HD or Shadow Guardian HD any time soon on your swanky new tablet.
Despite Android's increasingly dominant global market share, this underlying economies of scale issue skews profitability in favour of developing for the standardised operating system and hardware of the iDevices. Already problematic, the expected release of the quad-core Android devices at the end of this year will only compound the fragmentation.
It's not all doom and gloom, though. Following this year's Google I/O Conference, the Android app size limit was increased from a paltry 50MB to 4GB. And, although still not rolled-out in the UK, there was also a promise to improve Android Market by introducing new lists such as Trending and Top Grossing to better sort the wheat from the chaff.
Looking further ahead, there's also the game-changing prospect of the OnLive Player App. Due to arrive at the end of the year, OnLive has the potential to render any present doubts over the health of Android gaming utterly academic by delivering current generation PC and console games through the the magic of cloud gaming.
OnLive: Android gaming's saviour?
But I've got a sneaky suspicion the OnLive Player App will be limited to its spectator mode this side of Christmas, with full playability arriving sometime early next year. So if I can tear myself away from Battlefield 3 for an hour or two this Christmas Day, I'll likely celebrate my thirtieth gaming anniversary by taking a trip down memory lane, using one of the excellent free emulators that presently provide the most compelling gaming content on Android. ®
iGamer covers the best in mobile gaming, from Android to iPad, every other Wednesday. If you think there's a great game we really should cover, please let us know.


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*************** The ARRL Letter Vol. 27, No. 23 June 13, 2008 *************** IN THIS EDITION: * + Hams on Hand as Floods Sweep across Midwest US * + "We Do That" with Amateur Radio * + Look for the July Issue of QST in Your Mailbox * + Get Ready to Ride the Waves during the 2008 ARRL Field Day * + Spring Frequency Measuring Test (FMT) Results Announced * + FCC Enforcement Actions * Solar Update * IN BRIEF: This Weekend on the Radio + Firedrake Jammer on the Loose Again in Asia + New Extra Class License Manual Now Shipping ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration Jim Veatch, WA2EUJ, Wins May QST Cover Plaque Award ARRL Announces New DeSoto Cup Winner +Available on ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> =========================================================== ==>Delivery problems: First see FAQ <http://www.arrl.org/members-only/faq.html#nodelivery>, then e-mail <email@example.com> ==>Editorial questions or comments only: S. Khrystyne Keane, <email@example.com> =========================================================== ==> HAMS ON HAND AS FLOODS SWEEP ACROSS MIDWEST US When severe thunderstorms started to threaten the Midwestern United States with tornadoes, hail, severe lightning and rain starting on June 4, state agencies were quick to call on Amateur Radio operators for assistance. The Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) activated ARES members to help out with communication efforts, providing radios for those amateurs who offered to help. ARRL Indiana Section Emergency Coordinator Tony Langer, W9AL, said hams were instrumental in many ways, including assisting in Emergency Operations Centers, sand bagging, helping out in shelters and even aiding in rescue efforts. This storm brought 12 confirmed tornadoes to 11 Indiana counties, with some communities reporting up to 11 inches of water, Langer said; 20 counties were under a State of Emergency. On June 9, President Bush declared 29 counties in central Indiana a major disaster area, opening up the region to receive federal aid and FEMA assistance. Four people perished in the storms. In a call put out to Amateur Radio operators on June 8, IDHS said, "The flood waters have impacted several counties here in Indiana severely. Ham Radio operators have been operating continuously since activated and are growing weary. Some counties do not have a vast amount of active hams to relieve these tired operators." Specific areas needing amateur assistance were overnight relief operators at the Bartholomew County EOC, as well as the EOC and three shelters in Columbus County. Marion County (Indiana) Emergency Coordinator Mike Palmer, N9FEB, called on ARES members in his area to help out. "People might think, 'Why not just use telephones or cell phones?' Well, many phones are not working down there at this time. With the high waters, electric transformers are out all over; even those servicing cell towers are out. Even with today's technology, we find ourselves looking at ham radio to assist. If you can spare a few hours or an entire evening, please consider helping." Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels called in the United States Coast Guard to assist in evacuations and rescues. The Coast Guard responded by sending two helicopters to the state along with boats and personnel. The Indiana National Guard was called out to assist in evacuation and direct traffic and enforce road blocks on the many flooded roads. Torrents of rain also brought flooding to Wisconsin. On June 9, five counties had requested aid from Amateur Radio operators, ranging from backup communications to disaster assessment and flooding communications. One county called on ARES members to provide patrols of the flooded areas overnight on Tuesday and Wednesday. According to ARRL Wisconsin Section Emergency Coordinator Bill Niemuth, KB9ENO, approximately 90 ARES members responded to the call for assistance. "In Columbia County, ARES members provided dam monitoring communications early in the flooding. These communications gave critical information to public safety officials about two dams that were nearly compromised. Due to falling water levels, this activity has been discontinued, but hams remain on standby due to the threat of additional heavy rain," Niemuth said. Richland County ARES members remain activated, Niemuth said. "Hams are providing a variety of services, including fielding information calls in the County's Emergency Operations Center and providing specialized communications for disaster assessment by hover craft and airplane. These communications are in addition to providing traditional ham radio communication links between the EOC and evacuation shelters." On Thursday, June 12, more rains inundated the state and more counties requested aid from area Amateur Radio operators. Niemuth said Winnebago County ARES members are providing damage assessment assistance in the county and in the City of Oshkosh, while hams in Fond du Lac are helping out with shelter communications. ARES teams in Marquette and Outagamie are providing back-up communications and flooding reports to their respective Emergency Operations Centers. -- Information provided by ARRL Indiana Section Emergency Coordinator Tony Langer, W9AL, and ARRL Wisconsin Section Manager Don Michalski, W9IXG ==> "WE DO THAT" WITH AMATEUR RADIO The third ARRL Public Relations campaign -- "We Do That - with Amateur Radio" -- celebrates the technology side of ham radio <http://www.hello-radio.org/wedothat/>. According to ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, Amateur Radio means many things to many people. "What is it about Amateur Radio that arouses the interest of people?" Pitts asked. "You have the fun, friendship and hobby side. We showcased this side in 2006 with our 'Hello' campaign <http://www.hello-radio.org/hello/>. You have the emergency service side. We brought this valuable part of Amateur Radio to the public's eye in 2007 with 'Emergency Radio -- Getting the Message through for Your Family and Community' <http://emergency-radio.org/>. And now you have the technology and creative side. In 2008, we are capitalizing on this third prong, getting word out to the public that there is tons of stuff you can do with Amateur Radio." Unveiled at the 2008 Dayton Hamvention this past May, this new coordinated public relations effort shows the world the technological activities and creative imaginations that Amateur Radio's people love. Like the previous public relations campaigns, Pitts said, this is a campaign with several interlocking parts. * Public Service Announcements There are Public Service Announcements (PSAs) that commercial radio stations can utilize, getting word out to the public about the benefits that ham radio operators can provide. Check these out on the ARRL Public Information Officer Web site <http://www.arrl.org/pio/>; more will be coming out as the year unfolds. These mp3 files are easily downloaded and can be taken to local radio stations. "Many radio stations have a public service obligation they need to fulfill, and these PSAs are a great way for them to do so, while showcasing the neat things we do as hams," Pitts said. * Brochures ARRL has created an attractive brochure that celebrates ham technology <http://www.arrl.org/brochures/>. This brochure shows hams doing many exciting activities, from Green Radio -- Amateur Radio using renewable energy sources -- to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) through time and space itself. These brochures, in packs of 25, are available at no cost except for a small shipping fee. * WeDoThat-Radio.org A new special Web site has been created just for this campaign. "Maximizing the strong points of the Hello-Radio and Emergency-Radio Web sites before it, WeDoThat-Radio.org <http://www.wedothat-radio.org/> uses some of the newer technologies similar to the blog format, allowing for easy topic additions and changes, even providing a place for visitors to ask questions," Pitts said. * Stickers Let's admit it, hams and kids like free things and stickers are fun. So we made up a bunch to share. If you happen to have a presentation to students, it's a nice touch. These are "free while the supply lasts," Pitts said. * "Talk on a Disk" What began as an experiment in 2007 has since become a major success. The ARRL's "Talk on a Disk" was quickly snatched up and used by people making presentations to groups. This CD contains all the materials you need to make a good PowerPoint presentation before a non-ham group, including slides and supportive audio and video. "For 2008, we created a brand new 'Talk on a Disk' highlighting the technology campaign and coordinated with the brochures. It can make almost anyone look good in front of a group. Just follow the script! Or, you can modify it to meet local needs," said Pitts. If you have a presentation to make and want to talk about the technology of ham radio, please e-mail Pitts about it <firstname.lastname@example.com>. * "Swiss Army Knife for PIOs" The 2008 "Knife," Pitts said, is actually a CD with all the basic forms and information a Public Information Officer (PIO) should need -- all in one place. "Last year, we produced more than 1000 of these and they were all snatched up," Pitts said. With audio and video files, documents in computer forms that PIOs can modify to meet local needs, as well as hundreds of pointers and ideas, the "Swiss Army Knife for PIOs" has become a mainstay for public relations work. Disks are available for PIOs by sending Pitts an e-mail <email@example.com>. * Every Ham is a PIO "There is a saying," Pitts said, "that all news is local -- and it is true. If there is not a local or personal 'hook' to a story, it does not make it into the news. Because of this, the Public Information Officers in your area are critical to the local perception of Amateur Radio." When PIOs take these materials and modify them for local use, it affects everything from antenna regulations to club membership levels. But it is not just up to the PIOs to achieve positive publicity for hams, Pitts said. "There is another saying, 'Every ham is a PIO.' When people become curious about Amateur Radio they turn to the first ham operator they find and that conversation is crucial to the future. All the brochures, TV ads, radio and news stories are of no benefit if that initial conversation with a potential recruit is not positive. PIOs can only 'bring the fish to the boat.' It is up to every ham to be ready to bring them in by taking the time and effort to make the initial one-on-one contact a positive experience. In the end, 'It takes a ham to make a ham.'" * Need Help? There is a wealth of materials available on the ARRL PIO Web site for anyone to use <http://www.arrl.org/pio/>. Here you can find background information handouts for media, as well as all sorts of helpful files and tips. Each month, Pitts puts out "CONTACT!," an e-zine for ARRL PIOs that contains ideas, information and timely materials. The ARRL Public Relations Committee is also able to aid groups facing unusual problems or situations. These PR veterans have a wealth of knowledge you can draw upon. There is a public relations email reflector where PIOs from around the country share their problems, ideas and successes with other PIOs. * It's Up to You The energies that your club -- and you as an individual -- put into positive PR work will pay off for your radio future in many ways, Pitts said. "Go show the world that 'It's not just your grandfather's radio anymore.'" ==> LOOK FOR THE JULY ISSUE OF QST IN YOUR MAILBOX The July issue of QST is jam-packed with all sorts of things today's Amateur Radio operator needs. From product reviews to experiments to contesting, the upcoming issue of QST has something for just about everyone. John Stanley, K4ERO, discusses how looking at signals can improve our ability to listen to them in the second of his two-part article "The Beauty of Spectrum Analysis -- Part 2." Jack Morgan, KF6T, takes a look at a two element 15 meter Yagi that works great in the field. ARRL News Editor S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA, gives her impression on the sights, sounds and smells of the 2008 Dayton Hamvention in her article "Dayton Hamvention 2008: Wow, What a Show!" Former ARRL Senior News Editor Rick Lindquist, WW3DE (ex-N1RL), reviews FlexRadio System's FLEX-5000A HF/50 MHz transceiver. According to Lindquist, "The FLEX-5000A builds on the success of the SDR-1000, retaining the top-shelf radio performance and adding features. The package is far less complicated, shedding the many wires, cables, boxes and connectors that characterized the SDR-1000. Be prepared to experiment with the software and settings to get the most from this radio." If it's July, it must be time for the IARU HF World Championships <http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2008/iaru.html>. This is a great opportunity to contact many stations all over the world, especially the headquarters station of IARU Member Societies, including W1AW. ARRL Contest Branch Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X, takes a look at what you can do in the "contest off-season" to spruce up your shack and get those antennas and feed lines ready for the fall in "This Month in Contesting." The results of the 2007 ARRL 10 Meter Contest, the 2008 ARRL RTTY Roundup and the 2008 ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes are in. Did you top your score from last year? How did your closest rival do? Also, find out about upcoming contests in Contest Corral. Of course, there are the usual columns you know and love in July QST: Hints & Kinks, The Doctor Is IN, How's DX, Old Radio, Technical Correspondence, Hamspeak and more. Look for your July issue in your mailbox. QST is the official journal of ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio. QST is just one of the many benefits of ARRL membership. To join or renew your ARRL membership, please see the ARRL Web page <http://www.arrl.org/join>. ==> GET READY TO RIDE THE WAVES AT THE 2008 ARRL FIELD DAY The 2008 ARRL Field Day <http://www.arrl.org/fieldday> will be here before you know it, so now is the time to grab your rig, hang ten (a dipole or two will do) and plan to Ride the Waves June 28-29. Field Day packets can be downloaded from the ARRL Field Day Web site <http://www.arrl.org/contests/forms/fd-2008-packet.pdf>. ARRL Field Day Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, reminds clubs and groups that the deadline to order exhibit kits is drawing near. "We need to have all orders for kits and brochures no later than Tuesday, June 17. If we have your order by then, we will be able to package your order and get it to you in time for Field Day. Any orders received after June 17 will be fulfilled and may make it to recipients before Field Day," he warned. Exhibit kits can be ordered online <http://www.arrl.org/brochures/> at no cost; there is a small shipping and handling fee. If you are looking for a Field Day site to attend, or are looking to publicize your Field Day site, be sure to check out the Field Day Site Locator <http://www.arrl.org/contests/announcements/fd/locator.php>. For more information on this new service, please check out the Locator Site Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Web page <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/06/03/10021/?nc=1>. "More than 1100 Field Day sites have registered their sites on the Locator, with more being added every day," Henderson said. ARRL Field Day is the most popular on-the-air operating event in Amateur Radio. On the fourth full weekend in June, tens of thousands of Amateur Radio operators gather for a public demonstration of our service. Field Day is part educational event, part operating event, part public relations event -- and all about fun! Amateur Radio is about knowledge and growth. It is a hobby and service that truly offers "something for everyone." Amateur Radio embraces both the old and new. While CW may no longer be a testing element, it is still a strong and favorite operating mode for many. Many operators are embracing digital technologies -- from RTTY, to newer digital modes like PSK31 and Olivia. Phone operation also has new frontiers to be explored with digitized voice, VoIP and IRLP. And this is why Field Day -- the largest annual on-the-air operating event -- is so exciting. It gives all -- the old timer and the newcomer, the brass-pounder and the computer-assisted operator -- the chance to share and teach the broad range of modes and technologies we find in Amateur Radio. Field Day is truly the time in which we bring Amateur Radio to Main Street USA <http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2006/03/01/1/>. By setting up in parking lots, malls, Emergency Operations Centers, parks and even at home, Amateur Radio operators learn skills that will allow them to better serve their communities. Setting up in these public venues gives added public relations value -- their friends and neighbors can see and experience the fun and public service capability that their "ham radio" neighbors bring to the community. ==> SPRING FREQUENCY MEASURING TEST (FMT) RESULTS ANNOUNCED The results for the W1AW Frequency Measuring Test (FMT) <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/fmt/> held on May 21, 2008 are in <http://www.b4h.net/fmt/fmtresults200805.php>. Announced and reported completely online <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/04/29/10071/?nc=1>, the spring version of the exercise attracted 81 participants. The object was to measure the frequency of an audio tone, given the frequency of the transmitted signal's carrier. Since digital modes based on frequency-shift keying (FSK) require precise tuning, being able to measure frequency is an important skill. The actual frequency of the tone was 1240.3 Hz for all of the W1AW transmissions. The majority of the participants reported frequencies within 1-5 Hz of the exact value, a 0.08 to 0.4 percent error. Participants could use a variety of measurement techniques, some of which are described in the November 2004 QST article announcing an FMT with a similar focus <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/fmt/2004/04fmtsilver.pdf>. The online results include detailed descriptions from many stations of the methods and equipment used to make the measurements. W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, plans to run additional FMT exercises on a regular basis, so watch the ARRL Web Site <http://www.arrl.org/> for future announcements. If possible, a West Coast station will be added to future FMTs, improving signal quality for participating stations in that region, particularly on the lower frequency bands. Automated results collection and reporting will be supported for all future FMT events. ==> FCC ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS On March 1, Special Counsel in the FCC Spectrum Enforcement Division Riley Hollingsworth sent a Warning Notice to Fredrick C. Severa, AH8I, of Pago Pago, American Samoa, concerning Severa's out-of-band operation. In the letter, Hollingsworth said he tried contacting Severa at his Pago Pago address (his address of record) about the matter, but the letter was returned unclaimed, as were other letters sent to him at an address listed for the American Samoa DX Society in California; Severa is listed as trustee for the organization. Hollingsworth said that the Commission tried reaching Severa at another address for the American Samoa DX Society in California -- this one in Juneau, Alaska -- but to no avail. Finally, on March 27, Hollingsworth sent Severa a letter to a Chico, California address. Severa replied to the letter, stating "that [Severa] had operated out of band because it was 'dark in the vehicle and apparently I experienced a problem with improper VFO selection of the transceiver that I was using which caused me to transmit out of band.'" Severa's letter failed to mention, Hollingsworth said, why Severa "failed to respond to mail sent to your address of record." Hollingsworth advised Severa "that future instances of out of band operation will result in enforcement action against your license. Additionally, you are requested to update your license records within 10 days indicating the address at which you will receive Commission mail. Failure to respond to Commission mail sent to your address of record is a separate violation of Commission rules." Hollingsworth also sent a letter to residential owners in Phoenix, Arizona, regarding Part 15 devices in their home causing RFI to a licensed Amateur Radio operator. Direct all questions concerning the Amateur Radio Service Enforcement Actions Web postings via e-mail only to Riley Hollingsworth <firstname.lastname@example.com> in the FCC Spectrum Enforcement Division. ==>SOLAR UPDATE Tad "I swayed my leaves and flowers in the Sun" Cook, K7RA, this week reports: Sunspot 998 emerged this week, another old Solar Cycle 23 sunspot near the Sun's equator. Daily sunspot numbers for June 10-12 were 14, 11 and 13. Last Sunday, June 8, had the lowest 10.7 cm solar flux value I've ever seen -- 64.9 -- at the observatory in Penticton. The noon reading is the official daily sunspot number; the value observed that morning at 1700 UTC was actually a tiny bit lower at 64.8. The only value this low I have in my records was almost a dozen years ago near the last solar minimum, July 19, 1996. The 10.7 cm solar flux is a measurement of energy at 2.8 GHz gathered by an antenna in British Columbia. The facility is the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory (DRAO) that sits 168 miles northeast of my Seattle location at approximately 49.322 degrees north latitude, 119.621 degrees west longitude. The solar flux value is a general indicator of solar activity, but not as useful as sunspot numbers for predicting propagation. Geophysical Institute Prague expects quiet conditions for June 13, quiet to unsettled June 14, unsettled June 15-18 and quiet to unsettled June 19. Sunspot numbers for June 5-11 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 14 and 11 with a mean of 3.6. The 10.7 cm flux was 66.4, 65.9, 65.6, 64.9, 66, 66.2, and 65.7 with a mean of 65.8. Estimated planetary A indices were 2, 8, 12, 7, 5, 4 and 4 with a mean of 6. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 3, 7, 10, 5, 2, 1 and 3, with a mean of 4.4. NASA predicts more of the same quiet conditions, with slight possible unsettled conditions on June 18, with a planetary A index of 12. They expect solar flux to stay below 70 until mid-July. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation page <http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html>. To read this week's Solar Report in its entirety, check out the W1AW Propagation Bulletin page <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/prop/>. __________________________________ ==>IN BRIEF: * This Weekend on the Radio: This weekend is the ARRL June VHF QSO Party on June 14-16. Look for the NCCC Sprint Ladder and the Digital Pentathlon on June 13. The Portugal Day Contest and Asia-Pacific Sprint (SSB) are June 14. Look for the ANARTS WW RTTY Contest, the GACW WWSA CW DX Contest, the REF DDFM 6 Meter Contest and the West Virginia QSO Party on June 14-15. The Run for the Bacon QRP Contest is June 16, and the RSGB 80 Meter Club Championship (SSB) is June 19. Next weekend, look for the Digital Pentathlon on June 20. The Feld Hell Sprint and the AGCW VHF/UHF Contest are June 22. The All Asian DX Contest (CW) and the SMIRK Contest are June 21-22. On June 25, be sure to check out the SKCC Sprint and the BCC QSO Party. All dates, unless otherwise stated, are UTC. See the ARRL Contest Branch page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/>, the ARRL Contest Update <http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/> and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar <http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more info. * Firedrake Jammer on the Loose Again in Asia: Amateur Radio operators throughout the United States have reported hearing an intruder signal -- dubbed Firedrake -- on 20 meters. ARRL Field and Regulatory Correspondent Chuck Skolaut, K0BOG, said he has received reports from Intruder Watch monitors in Texas, Montana, West Virginia, Massachusetts, Colorado, Washington, Nevada and Pennsylvania hearing the jammer on 14.010 and 14.070 MHz. Hams in IARU Region 1 have heard the jammer on 14.000, 14.005, 14.010, 14.030, 14.050, 14.050 and 14.090; Uli Bihlmayer, DJ9KR, Assistant Monitoring Coordinator for Region 1 (IARUMS) <http://www.iarums-r1.org/> said he has had reports of hearing the jammer on three frequencies at the same time. Skolaut said he heard it on 14.070 at 1500 EDT on June 6 from ARRL HQ, but has not confirmed Firedrake on any other frequencies. "We have reported the jammer to the FCC's High Frequency Direction Finding (HFDF) facility in Columbia, Maryland. They have also heard the jammer and have sent a harmful interference report to the Chinese government," Skolaut said. The FCC has no authority to make intruder stations outside the US stop transmitting on Amateur Radio frequencies; such situations typically are dealt with through diplomatic channels. "All three IARU regions are coordinating efforts to collect observations and forward them to the proper authorities to follow up on this," Skolaut said. "As you probably remember, this jamming occurred almost two years ago <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/08/17/2/> and was primarily heard on 14.260 and 18.160 MHz." According to Bihlmayer, the jammer (whom Region 1 monitors have dubbed Firedrake) plays oriental-type music (click here to hear what Firedrake sounds like - <http://www.arrl.org/news/files/firedrake.mp3>) and originates from the Chinese government in an attempt to block out the Sound of Hope short wave broadcasts <http://sohnews.com/shortwave-broadcasts/>. The Sound of Hope refers to itself as "a Chinese language media network providing an alternative to China's state controlled media with news and cultural programming. Radio Free China (RFC) is Sound of Hope's project to reach listeners in Mainland China with programming beyond the control of China's omnipresent blockade of free information." Information on the Intruder Watch program can be found in the June 2007 issue of QST. * New Extra Class License Manual Now Shipping: The "ARRL Extra Class License Manual" <http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=1352#top> and "ARRL's Extra Q&A" <http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=1379> are your tickets to every privilege granted to Amateur Radio operators. Expert instruction leads you through all of the knowledge you need to pass the exam, including rules, specific operating skills and more advanced electronics theory. Everything you need to know to pass the 50 question Extra class exam is right at your fingertips -- both books contain the latest Extra class question pool and answer key. Study the "ARRL Extra Class License Manual" to understand the theory and applications needed to upgrade your license. With more than 700 questions included in the question pool -- valid from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2012 -- reading the "ARRL's Extra Q&A" is the best way to review for the exam with confidence. The Extra class license is the highest of all three US Amateur Radio licenses. To upgrade to Extra class you must already hold a General class license (or have recently passed all of the exams required for a General class license). Upgrading to an Extra license only requires passing a written examination. As an Extra class licensee, you will have full privileges on all frequencies authorized by the FCC for Amateur Radio. * ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration: Registration remains open through Sunday, June 22, 2008 for these online course sessions beginning on Friday, July 4, 2008: Technician License Course (EC-010), Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 1 (EC-001), Radio Frequency Interference (EC-006), Antenna Design and Construction (EC-009), Analog Electronics (EC-012) and Digital Electronics (EC-013). Each online course has been developed in segments -- learning units with objectives, informative text, student activities and quizzes. Courses are interactive, and some include direct communications with a Mentor/Instructor. Students register for a particular session that may be 8, 12 or 16 weeks (depending on the course) and they may access the course at any time of day during the course period, completing lessons and activities at times convenient for their personal schedule. Mentors assist students by answering questions, reviewing assignments and activities, as well as providing helpful feedback. Interaction with mentors is conducted through e-mail; there is no appointed time the student must be present -- allowing complete flexibility for the student to work when and where it is convenient. To learn more, visit the CCE Course Listing page <http://www.arrl.org/cce/courses.html> or contact the Continuing Education Program Coordinator <email@example.com>. * Jim Veatch, WA2EUJ, Wins May QST Cover Plaque Award: The winner of the QST Cover Plaque Award for May is Jim Veatch, WA2EUJ, for his article "The TAK-40 SSB CW Transceiver." Congratulations, Jim! The winner of the QST Cover Plaque award -- given to the author or authors of the best article in each issue -- is determined by a vote of ARRL members on the QST Cover Plaque Poll Web page <http://www.arrl.org/members-only/qstvote.html>. Cast a ballot for your favorite article in the June issue by Monday, June 30. * ARRL Announces New DeSoto Cup Winner: The ARRL's DXCC Desk announced June 3 that Fausto Minardi, I4EAT, is the winner of the 2007 DXCC Challenge DeSoto Cup <http://www.arrl.org/awards/dxcc/DeSoto-Trophy-lrg.jpg>. According to ARRL DXCC Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, Minardi achieved this honor with 3129 band points. Bob Eshleman, W4DR, placed second with 3124 band points; Leif Ottosen, OZ1LO, holds the third place spot with 3119. The DeSoto Cup was first presented in 2000 to Eshleman; he has received the award each year since. The 2007 race saw the closest point spread -- five points -- since the DeSoto Cup's inception in 2000. Moore said that in 2006, Eshleman was leading the race, but Minardi briefly pulled ahead; Eshleman recovered the lead in time to take the Cup for 2006. He continued: "In 2007, the same thing happened with Eshleman leading the pack, but Minardi pulled ahead again and kept the lead and took the title away from Eshleman for the first time ever. I wonder who will take the Cup in 2008." It looks to be another race this year, Moore said. "Showing no mercy, Minardi recently increased his lead even more by achieving a new level of 3139! Fifteen band points now separate the number 1 and number 2 spots!" The DeSoto Cup is presented to the DXCC Challenge leader as of December 31 each year <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2001/05/08/3/>. The DeSoto Cup is named for Clinton B. DeSoto, whose definitive article in October 1935 QST forms the basis of the DXCC award. Only one cup will be awarded to any single individual. A medal will be presented to a repeat winner in subsequent years. Medals will also be awarded to the second and third place winners each year. The DXCC Challenge Award is given for working and confirming at least 1000 DXCC band-entities made after November 15, 1945 on any of the amateur bands, 160 through 6 meters (except 60 meters). =========================================================== The ARRL Letter is published Fridays, 50 times each year, by the American Radio Relay League: ARRL--the National Association for Amateur Radio, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; fax 860-594-0259; <http://www.arrl.org/>. Joel Harrison, W5ZN, President. The ARRL Letter offers a weekly e-mail digest of essential and general news of interest to active radio amateurs. Visit the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/> for the latest Amateur Radio news and news updates. The ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/> also offers informative features and columns. ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> is a weekly "ham radio newscast" compiled and edited from The ARRL Letter. It's also available as a podcast from our Web site. Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or in part in any form without additional permission. Credit must be given to The ARRL Letter/American Radio Relay League. ==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!): firstname.lastname@example.com ==>Editorial questions or comments: S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA, firstname.lastname@example.com ==>ARRL News on the Web: <http://www.arrl.org/> ==>ARRL Audio News: <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> or call 860-594-0384 ==>How to Get The ARRL Letter The ARRL Letter is available to ARRL members free of charge directly from ARRL HQ. To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your address for e-mail delivery: ARRL members first must register on the Members Only Web Site <http://www.arrl.org/members/>. 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A few dozen nanoseconds, an imperceptibly slim interval in everyday life, can make all the difference in experimental physics. A European physics collaboration made a stunning announcement September 23, after having clocked elementary particles called neutrinos making the underground journey from a lab in Switzerland to one in Italy. The neutrinos made the trip 60 nanoseconds faster than they would have traveling at light speed, the researchers found. Faster, that is, than the rules of physics as we understand them would allow.
If confirmed, the results from the OPERA (Oscillation Project with Emulsion-tRacking Apparatus) collaboration would be huge, a once-in-a-lifetime revolution in how we understand the universe. But there are plenty of reasons to believe that Albert Einstein's long-reigning theory of relativity will survive this challenge, as it has withstood so many in the past. (Read more about challenges to relativity in this article.)
That is the opinion of a number of physicists we contacted, many of them on Scientific American's board of advisers. Their reactions to the OPERA announcement appear below.
Astrophysicist and cosmologist Martin Rees of the University of Cambridge
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. I think it will be perceived in retrospect as an embarrassment that this claim received so much publicity—the inevitable consequence of posting a preprint on the Web. Neutrinos were observed from SN 1987A more or less coincidentally with the explosion—not four years earlier, as would have been the case if the velocity difference had been the same as is now claimed (though, of course, the energies of the supernova neutrinos are much lower).
Theoretical physicist Steven Weinberg of the University of Texas at Austin, winner of the 1979 Nobel Prize in Physics
The report of this experiment is pretty impressive, but it bothers me that there is plenty of evidence that all sorts of other particles never travel faster than light, while observations of neutrinos are exceptionally difficult.* It is as if someone said that there are fairies in the bottom of their garden, but they can only be seen on dark, foggy nights.
Theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss of Arizona State University
It is an embarrassment as far as I am concerned. It was not unreasonable for the experimentalists to submit a paper with an unexplained result. But a press conference on a result, which is extremely unlikely to be correct, before the paper has been refereed, is very unfortunate—for CERN and for science. Once it is shown to be wrong, everyone loses credibility. Neutrino experiments are hard, and systematic errors at the limit of resolution can be significant. Moreover, because the experiment appears to violate Lorentz invariance, which is at the heart of so much known physics, one should be skeptical. One should be additionally skeptical because observations of SN 1987A showed, as I wrote in 1998, that neutrinos and photons travel at the same speed to one part in a billion, several orders of magnitude below the claimed effect. Now, the only way out of that is to have some energy-dependent effect, but all the ones that make sense don't wash here.
Physicist and MINOS (Main Injector Neutrino Oscillation Search) experiment co-spokesperson Jenny Thomas of University College London
There must be a more mundane explanation for the results. Let's hope we can find it.
Neutrino physicist Karsten Heeger of the University of Wisconsin–Madison
I think it is fair to say that many of us are stunned. This is an extraordinary result and we cannot even perceive all the implications if this result were true. All of modern physics as we know and teach is based on Einstein's special and general theories of relativity. If this effect were shown to be true, I would consider this the physics revolution of the century.
As an experimentalist, we are all very cautious of such extraordinary results. I watched the Webcast from CERN ... and was impressed by the detailed and careful work presented by the OPERA collaboration in their talk. However, even for a neutrino expert it is difficult to follow and understand all the technical details that enter this measurement. There could be systematic effects that have not been accounted for. Independent experimental tests are needed.
Theoretical physicist Alexander Kusenko of the University of California, Los Angeles
While this experimental group is very good and competent, neutrino experiments are notoriously difficult to perform. This experiment is particularly ambitious. One has to wait for a confirmation.
Neutrinos are fast, but science news travel faster!
Theoretical physicist Heinrich Päs of the Technical University Dortmund in Germany
It seems that the experimentalists were very careful, but this is really BIG news....
There are certain misunderstandings with people who are very cynical now: Even if true, this result neither proves Einstein wrong nor implies that causality has to be violated and time travel is possible. Things can move faster than the speed of light without violating Einstein if either the speed of light is not the limiting velocity as one can observe it for light propagation in media such as, for example, water. This can be modeled with background fields in the vacuum as has been proposed by [Indiana University physicist] Alan Kostelecky.
Or spacetime could be warped in a way so that neutrinos can take a shortcut without really being faster than the speed of light. As our three space plus one time dimensions look pretty flat, this would require an extra dimension (as proposed by [University of Hawaii at Manoa physicist] Sandip Pakvasa, [Vanderbilt University physicist] Tom Weiler and myself).
On the other hand, if something moves faster than the speed of light, causality violations—aka time travel—may be a possibility (for example, in models with two warped extra dimensions as proposed by [Vanderbilt physicist] James Dent, Pakvasa, Weiler and myself). And that, of course, would have really crazy and mind-boggling consequences, but even there can [there] be scenarios which are contradictory.
So, in short, this is really exciting. But since it is so exciting, I'm not sure whether one should be too optimistic that it will survive the tests of other experiments.
* Editor's note (9/27/11): The first sentence of this response was updated after publication to reflect new information from Weinberg.


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Update: Speaker of the House John Boehner addressed reporters today and said tax hikes are off the table in the debt ceiling talks.
"A tax hike cannot pass the U.S. House of Representatives," Boehner said. "It's not just a bad idea, it doesn't have the votes and it can't happen.
Original: House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) pulled out of the debt ceiling negotiations this morning, a move a senior Democratic aide told TalkingPointsMemo said constituted Cantor throwing Speaker of the House John Boehner under the bus.
"This move is an admission that there will be a need for revenues in the final deal to cut our deficit," the aide said, "and Cantor doesn't want to be the one to make that deal."
Saying he would not participate in discussions on the debt ceiling until the President stepped in to negotiated with Boehner, Cantor is seeking to absolve himself of responsibility in the likely event the final deal includes any tax increases.
Cantor's announcement that he would quit the talks coincided with a Democratic strategy session at the White House on the debt ceiling discussions. The negotiations, currently led by Vice President Joe Biden, were scheduled to resume this afternoon, though it is doubtful they will continue without their most senior Republicans.
The Majority Leader said in a statement that he does not believe the Republican-controlled House of Representatives would support any new taxes, setting the stage for a showdown with the Obama Administration before the default deadline on August 2.
More: "OH NO: The US Debt Ceiling Negotiations Just Blew Up"