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Knox includes not only a "shaded" font, but a pair of separate layers for the background and highlight, making it possible to create complex color typography easily.
In addition to its "shaded" font, Knox comes as two separate layers — Highlight and Background — which can be superimposed to create complex typographic effects. All three fonts are designed to be used in register, allowing print designers to more closely control overprints (and choke and spread), and giving web designers the added flexibility of working with each font in its own Photoshop layer.
Varying the color of the background and foreground can dramatically alter the mood of the type. Certain tonal combinations can even extend the usefulness of these display types into unusually small sizes.


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McDonald's "festive menu" by Leo Burnett
AgencyLeo Burnett
McDonald's has launched a campaign to promote its festive menu. A TV spot, created by Leo Burnett, tells the story of a postman who braves the elements to deliver festive joy to the British public. After a tough day's work, he rewards himself for his efforts with a McDonald's Winter Warmer and banter with his workmates. The work was written by Alison Steven, art directed by Liam Bushby and directed by Jim Gilchrist through MJZ. Tony Malcolm and Guy Moore were the creative directors. Post-production was by The Moving Picture Company. The spot is supported by outdoor activity that builds on the idea of festive deliveries. It was also created by Steven and Bushby, with photography by Jason Lowe.

subset: commoncrawl


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How would you like to have more control over your home? Increased security for you and your family? Better energy efficiency? Or just more enjoyment out of life?
New technology can help you can achieve all of those things – for less money than you think, and with less frustration, too.
You've undoubtedly heard about the "connected home" concept. And you've probably laughed at some of the more ridiculous-sounding ideas, like internet-enabled refrigerators. But there are real benefits to these connected devices; benefits way beyond surfing the web while you're looking for a midnight snack.
Here are just a few of the possibilities:
- Allowing guests or service providers access to your home, without the risk of hiding a key outside, thanks to smart door locks.
- Seeing what's going on inside your home, no matter where you are, with web-connected cameras.
- Relaxing with streaming music in every room of the house at the touch of a button.
The best part? You don't have to figure it all out on your own.
A new website, www.tryshelter.com, can help you get started – even if you think you don't know much about technology, or if you're interested but a little intimidated.
All you need to do is choose the option on the site that matches what you want to achieve, such as "Monitor My Home from Anywhere" or "Manage My Energy Use." Shelter then recommends devices that fit your goals, explains what they do and includes links where you can purchase them.
They all work together, so you don't have to worry about buying "connected" devices that don't connect. And you don't even have to worry about installation questions, because Shelter has tips to help you on that front as well.
Many of these devices can protect you from the hassle of an insurance claim, too – for instance, alerting you to a water leak when it happens, or helping you stop a minor kitchen flare-up from becoming a full-blown fire. Want to chat more about those benefits? Give me a call.


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HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS — The debate will last until Kobe Bryant, in full uniform and cleared to resume his duties as the face of and force behind the Los Angeles Lakers, sets foot on an NBA court in a regular-season game.
Then and only then will we know for sure how long it took to return from the Achilles injury that didn't allow him to finish the Lakers' tumultuous 2012-13 season.
All the folks who have weighed in up to this point, however, have to be as shocked as I was to see the Mamba running in that anti-gravity treadmill (he posted a video of himself getting it in on Instagram):
I said it when he went down in that game against the Warriors, that whatever the supposed recovery time was for his injury, Kobe would beat it. Jim Buss, Mitch Kupchak and just about everyone else affiliated with the Lakers have weighed in with their own predictions of when Kobe would make it back. But this is the best piece of evidence I have seen.
I'm upgrading my prediction to sooner rather than later and requesting to alter that to training camp if he keeps progressing at this rate.
When I told someone last week that Kobe was moving pretty well in the videos we saw of him on the Nike Basketball tour in Asia, he suggested I was making too much out of it. I then phoned a friend who tore his Achilles and needed 15 months to get back to feeling comfortable on his surgically repaired leg. He said that what he saw on those videos was nothing short of remarkable.
Kobe is just five months removed from his injury and he's already running, albeit in an anti-gravity treadmill. It's still pretty remarkable. And the best part is, the NBA's resident social media king will keep us all informed of his progress.


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Gevrey ChambertinPosted by Martin Field on 18 July 2011 in Wine Tasting
We visit the Cote de Nuits village of Gevrey Chambertin. Leaving Dijon, the bus sign for the Route des Grands Crus reads like labels on the top shelf of your fine wine store: Gevrey Chambertin, Vougeot, Vosne-Romanee, Nuits-St-Georges, etc.
After wandering around the quiet and ancient village we finally find the establishment of Domaine Pierre Naigeon, where it's time for a glass or two of pinot noir with winemaker Pierre Naigeon himself. Read the rest of this entry


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Former Browns GM Heckert Joins Broncos
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) - Former Cleveland Browns general manager Tom Heckert is the Denver Broncos' new director of pro personnel.
Heckert replaces Keith Kidd. He'll work closely with Executive Vice President John Elway and Matt Russell, the Broncos' director of player personnel.
Heckert is entering his 23rd season in the NFL. He started as a scout for the Miami Dolphins in 1991. Before his three-year stint with the Browns beginning in 2010, Heckert spent nine seasons with Philadelphia, including his final four years (2006-09) as the Eagles' general manager.
Three of those seasons (2006-08) were spent working with Russell, who was a college scout for the Eagles during that time.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Toogoolawah literally set in stone an eternal memorial to 'Our Boys Honour' when its citizens commissioned the first WWI memorial outside a cemetery back in 1916. The obelisk, crafted by Frank Williams and Co of Ipswich, was unveiled on 31 March 1917. It bears marble honour rolls and an engraved wreath with the words 'Our Boys Honour'.
Until then, only Private Victor Denton's monument in his family plot at Nobby cemetery on the Darling Downs stood as a tribute to the European heroics of young Queenslanders.
Originally set apart from the rest of the park by a picket fence, gardens were laid out by 1921 and a WWI gun was installed adjacent to the memorial on Anzac Day of that year. Memorials to subsequent conflicts have been added over the years.
The park's land was donated to the community by Brisbane Valley pioneering pastoralist family, the McConnels. It's believed they also donated the nearby bandstand.


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Rosewill Second Generation Mechanical Keyboard Review: RK-9000, RK-9000BR, RK-9000BL, RK-9000RE
Rosewill produces a whole lineup of products with seemingly incongruous variety. You can get matching brands for your blood pressure monitor, your wine opener, your DSLR bag, and your computer power supply. The vast majority of Rosewill's distribution flows through Newegg.
Their RK-9000 mechanical keyboard was manufactured by CoStar under the Rosewill branding. With that product, they brought a high quality mechanical keyboard to North America for a very decent price of just under a hundred dollars. For what might as well be considered a Filco keyboard, that is an outstanding price. It did not have media keys; it did not have backlighting; but it was a solid keyboard which felt great to type on and had outstanding performance.
Check out our video review of the Rosewill RK-9000 second generation and read on for the written review
At some point Rosewill decided to discontinue the RK-9000 without an official announcement. Beyond a sudden and sustained drop in availability, there was no evidence that the keyboard was no longer produced. A few silent months went by until Rosewill officially announced a second generation of RK-9000 mechanical keyboards. It was then clear why the RK-9000 was discontinued: it was being replaced and updated.
We were approached by the company to conduct a review of their recently released mechanical keyboards. Included was not just the Cherry MX Blue switched RK-9000, but also its three newly introduced siblings: the MX Brown switched RK-9000BR, the MX Black switched RK-9000BL, and the MX Red switched RK-9000RE. A little under three months ago we have received the review units and have been in the process of testing them ever since.
What Rosewill was unaware of was that I am a proud owner of the original RK-9000 keyboard. This review is more than a review of Rosewill's new products, but also will be a comparison between the new product and their original offering. Despite sharing a Newegg product page with its ancestor, the new keyboard is not identical. For good measure, I also have a Razer BlackWidow Ultimate lying around -- slightly dilute the oversaturation of the letter R in tested product names… albeit, not the company names.
A new contender has enterkeyed.
If you happen to have an original RK-9000, is it time for an upgrade? If you are interested in all of the hoopla about mechanical keyboards, is this the correct time and place to dive in?
Check out our meticulous review of the new Rosewill RK-9000 mechanical keyboards.
All keyboards, with the exception of really funky ones like laser grids or touch screens, consist of a keycap which presses down upon some mechanism that signals a key press. The majority of keyboards are designed around a membrane that is pressed down upon and connects an electrical circuit. These keyboards can be very cheap to produce and are part of the reason for the revolution of cheap and disposable keyboards over the last couple of decades.
A scissor-switch keyboard connects the keycap to the mechanism by two pieces of plastic which form a crisscross with each other for a very thin travel distance. A scissor-switch key is also very likely non-removable, so do not break your laptop by trying to pick off a key. Scissor-switch keyboards are also relatively quiet, and tend to have a long lifespan; they are also more expensive than a membrane keyboard.
So stop picking keys off your laptop! I can't put them back on!
A mechanical keyboard differs in that each mechanical key has a full mechanical switch beneath it. For those mechanical switches, you have several choices depending on what your personal requirements are.
Video News
No input lag test? With high speed cameras as cheap as they are today? For shame.
Great review Scott, thanks & keep up the good work!
$99.99...really? I bought the Corsair K90 for $99 at Fry's and it is far superior to the cheap Rosewill in every way! The Corsair is like an Audi, while the Rosewill is like driving a Hyundai. I thought the Rosewill would be $50, considering it offers nothing other than mechanical keys! The Corsair K90 is the best looking, aluminum chassis, MMo buttons, blue backlit keys, USB port, wrist support, etc. it just looks awesome! Not sure if the Rosewill is even worth more than $40, IMO...when compared to Razer, Corsair, etc. Rosewill doesn't look like it offers any features or creative design value for the money. Sorry for the harsh opinions, Rosewill, but you have to a LOT better and think outside the box!
Unfortunately the corsair IS NOT fully mechanical.
Don't listen to this guy people. For one thing, are you a gamer? If you are, then by all means... Razer and Corsair will offer you more features because they are geared towards you! However, if you are not a gamer, but a serious workaholic, like me, who has a bit of money to splurge on a superior, serious looking keyboard than the Rosewill fits your niche. The Rosewill is an excellent keyboard in every way and on top of not making you look like a 16 year old, it comes with Newegg's excellent warranty as well as superior internals, in my opinion, and better construction. The Rosewill has a very excellent red back plate that makes that occasional deep cleaning much easier. To each his own, but I say that keyboards like Rosewill RK 9000 are what seperate the keyboard enthusiast men from boys. The men can truly see and appreciate the engineering and aesthetic behind Rosewill's design instead of just looking at how many backlit LEDs and Macro keys your keyboard has. To each his own.
great animated GIFS! Great breakdown of what eash swtich is and how they work
Great review
Would love to Win one
"Join us as we rattle away on the lovely mechanical keyswitches of Corsair's aluminum-clad Vengeance K60 and K90 keyboards."
... what?
I would have loved to see a new IBM type M keyboard (they are still made by Unicomp) as a compairison in this test as well. Those are the keyboards that all other "clicky" keyboards are measured by.
I grew up with the IBM keyboards. They weren't that fantastic. I did use a sponge pad keyboard for a while until it burned out and found it to be the fastest and most accurate keyboard I'd ever used. They had to be cleaned periodically so that made them unpopular. They were also huge, heavy, ugly but they worked like a charm. They are no longer available and not compatible with any of the PC/Mac/Unix worlds of today.
I'm having a huge problem and would welcome comments by anyone:
I'm looking for a production level dual-detent keyboard. It used to be available with hall effect switches but I cannot find that configuration any more either. The problem with the cherry switches is that the detent happens before the character is registered. I used to use the detent to register the character and then began to withdraw my finger. I can't do that with the cherry switches. The only thing I can do with them is use an "o"ring. The action would then be depress, detent would pull the key away but that would not signal my finger to withdraw so I'd have to use the o-ring for resistance but that's too strong so it becomes an effective bottoming out.
I'm also thinking that I add a foam pad under the keycap to replace the O-ring and that would serve as the soft bottom but if I'm thinking about it, surely someone has already done it so I'm wondering how that's working out?
Any other suggestions/comments?
If you want a full mechanical keyboard you should check out http://www.dsi-keyboards.com/mechanical-switch-keyboards.aspx they have a few one them on their site.


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Preprocessor Defines
|The ROBOTC Compiler supports several different preprocessor defines
that contain information about the compile time environment. Recently
added are defines that indicate which features are enabled in the IDE.
The predefined symbols can be used in include files and user programs for conditionally compiling code based on features. The preprocessor defines include:


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No piece of furniture in the modern nursery demands the kind of selective care as a crib. Babies spend most of their young lives sleeping, and this justifies buying modern cribs with great care and consideration, ultimately choosing the safest and most comfortable designs affordable.
Our wide selection of contemporary cribs have been chosen for their adherence to both safety and esthetic standards. Featuring elegant designs, eco-friendly choices, and easy-to-assemble options, our modern cribs are thoughtfully designed to seamlessly grow along with your baby. When outfitting your modern nursery, ask yourself some fundamental questions about the essential features you're looking for in a crib:
This is an important question because the design of some cribs—the lack of visible bells and whistles, for example—may lead parents to believe that a baby's safety may somehow be compromised. This is not true of course, because the best modern cribs adhere to the the most stringent safety standards, and the exceeding simplicity of a design, in an of itself, shouldn't be any cause to worry. The more salient point is to carefully research and examine whichever crib design you select for your modern nursery, and ensure that the strictest safety guidelines have been followed.
Absolutely. Well-made, good-looking cribs are no small expense, so there's no doubt that you'll want to get as much for your modern nursery budget as possible. Today's contemporary cribs include immensely adjustable and convertible designs—mattresses with varying heights for easy access as your baby grows, designs that convert from crib to toddler bed—are smart choices that a maximize your budget, but are also wise from a practical standpoint, and for the environment. After all, why throw away a perfectly good modern crib when, with a few adjustments, it turns into a modern toddler bed?
The term eco-friendly means many things to many people, but when it comes to cribs, its meaning should relate primarily to the safety of your child. In an ideal situation, sustainably sourced or recycled wood, for instance, would be an optimal eco-friendly choice of materials from which to construct a modern crib, but more important for the wellbeing of your baby would be the quality of the paint or finish used to finalize the look of your crib. A crib that's been painted with toxin-free paints or finished with PBA-free coatings that pose no danger to your child is an eco-friendly option that, in this case, is worth paying more for. Obviously sustainability should always be a consideration when shopping for baby furniture, or any furniture, but when it comes to your modern nursery, focus first on those eco-friendly features that ensure your baby's immediate safety.


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With the rise in cases of terrorism and theft, there is need to have a more advanced form of the brightest light that can deter them. It is worth noting that there are several tactical flashlight to choose from, including Shadowhawk X800 that can be used in self-defense. Such devices can be your perfect companion that assist you to explore dark places of your home.
When choosing a tactical flashlight, it is essential to consider the following: durability, brightness, size, cost, versatility and more. Apart from choosing a flashlight that suit your needs and budget, you should keep a variety of flashlights in your home, in different locations, so that you can get to them in any form of crisis or emergency in the dark.
What Is A Tactical Flashlight?
A tactical flashlight refers to device used in conjunction with a firearm, especially during the dark night. In other words, it is a mission-vital piece of equipment suitable for any operation, and can mounted to a gun for low light shooting. Here are the top leading brands available on the market today: Steamlight, Shadowhawk, Pelican, Fenix, Surefire, Brite Strike, Blackhawk and more.
The Shadowhawk X800 Top Tactical Flashlight
This is one of the best flashlight that is worth every cent of your money. The Shadowhawk X800 LED technology is a sophisticated flashlight, which is made of aircraft aluminum. It comes with a powerful disorienting strode mode, which allows an individual to flash a blinding strode light into the burglar's eyes, leaving them disoriented far beyond belief.
XPE LED Flash Light
If you have been looking for the most powerful as well as bright bulbs on the market, then look no further than Shadowhawk X800. Moreover, X800 has up to 800 lumens of illuminating power along with a waterproof of a depth of 6 feet for about half an hour.
Other features include aircraft-grade aluminum, military –grade seldf-defense, 5 telescopic zoom focusing beam technologies and more.
Shadowhawk X800 works by disorienting the assailant and making him or her temporarily blind. The strode mode allows you to flash a blinding strode light into the assailant's eyes.The strode mode feature plays an important role to ruin assailant's eye sight, therefore they cannot see, giving you advantage to attack or flee if need be.
You can use a flashlight as a personal defense tool for low light shooting. It can help you to identify and aim your target in the dark. Whenever you come across a likely threat, shine your tactical light directly in the eyes of your attacker to disorient him or her. This will make the attacker semi-blind giving you enough time to attack or run away.
Reasons Why You Should Carry a Tactical Flashlight
There are several reasons why one should carry a tactical flashlight for self-protection. These reasons includes:
–Ease of use
–They can be used as an improvised weapon
–Tactical flashlights are flexible
–You do not have to train to use them
–Use of these weapons is not prohibited across the world


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5 Great Secret Santa Gifts
With the Christmas season upon us, it's time for secret Santas. It doesn't seem to matter if you work or not, just about any group, club or job you do will have a secret Santa exchange. The hardest part of being a secret Santa is knowing what to get for someone else, especially when the someone else is someone you don't know very well.
I find it helpful to not get too specific when trying to get a gift for someone you might not know too well. I also think it's a good idea to stick with holiday related items too. To help you pick out a not-so-lame gift for that special assigned someone, I've compiled a list for you. I hope it helps.
Gift card
You can get a gift card to pretty much anywhere nowadays. Most people would love a gift card from a local coffee shop, their favorite department store or from one of Missoula's best restaurants.
Holiday spirit
The cold winters in Montana make drinking hot beverages a necessity. What goes better with hot beverages than a bottle of Irish cream, Kahlua or rum?
Baked goodies
I know that there are tons of Christmas cookies and fudge floating around during the holidays, but that is part of what makes them so great. Just about everyone gives up on their diets and lets themselves enjoy the deliciousness the holidays have to offer. Help them satisfy their sweet tooth.
Mug or cup
I know it sounds cliché, but if you work in an office like I do, then you're constantly drinking all day long. Whether it's coffee in the morning, soda with lunch, or water in the afternoon, I drink nonstop all day long. This gift will help reduce waste from disposable cups and, it will also keep you from accidentally drinking out of someone else's cup (which I have done a time or two).
I know this may seem weird, but come on, we live in Montana. Who wouldn't live a nice big juicy elk roast or a pack of antelope steaks for Christmas? If you're not into game, you could always be more traditional and give a ham, turkey, jerky or smoked meat.


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Clio is a fairly expensive Korean make up brand (in comparison to Skinfood, Etude House et al) and is also quite tricky to find if you are ordering from the UK! I have a real eyeliner obsession and spotted these super cool looking gel pencil eyeliners called Gelpresso – like Gel and Espresso!!!!!
Oh wait….Gel…Express….O. For some reason I have coffee on the brain.
Although these pencils are about £15 each I bought 6 of them (I have a problem) because there are so many pretty colours!
There's only 5 here because I had a dopey moment and didn't remember the 6th pencil.
The Gelpresso line is promoted by Korean superstar Lee Hyori…
God I want her catsuit!….
The Gelpresso eyeliners are supposed to have a few benefits:
1. The smoothness of a gel liner
2. Easy to use pencil
3. No sharpening, just twist it up and shape the end with a built in…erm…..sharpener….
4. Waterproof
Here are the pencils – very slick:
All of the colours in the range have a metallic edge, or shimmer particles. They are very pretty colours although you may want to look else where if you want a shimmerless eye pencil. The other gel eye pencils I have tried (like Milani Liquef Eye and Avon Supershock) I love very much for their softness and pigmentation, but I also hate because they are so squidgy they run all over the place. They definitely are not waterproof and inevitably smudge with my watery eyes.
Are these any different?
Well, these are very pigmented, soft and creamy too. Not as much as the Milani which almost melts on the skin before it even touches but it still is a gloriously creamy pencil. It doesn't need any warming up to get it soft.
Impressively, it's also hard enough to use as liner across the top of the lid – I say this because I find most pencils too soft (lack of definition) to line my upper eyelid, or too hard and scratchy. With this pencil I can apply liner quickly with a little flick and it is precise so looks like I used a liquid. I personally don't find that most pencil liners offer that amount of pigment or preciseness.
It also lasts well. It is not foolproof – it does smudge a little on my sitting just under my lower lashes (but my eyes really do water a lot). It it very water resistant but I wouldn't go diving wearing it.
Colours I bought from left to right –
01 Beige Shine
02 Jade Green (but it looks more blue)
03 Golden Khaki
04 Dark Choco
07 Golden Black
05 Star Purple
The shades can be blended – they have a guide on their website on how to layer the colours for a complete eye look which you can do. I found that applied as eyeshadow, it had a tendency to crease on my eyelids.
Although these are hard to find, I think they're really lovely and are now my staple funky everyday eye pencils! They're so quick to use and last well!
(I bought these from eBay)


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BSU Catalog Home | Graduate Social Work Program | All-University Courses and Descriptions
5760 MENTAL HEALTH SOCIAL WORK (2 credits) Designed to enable the student to develop a knowledge base for beginning social work practice in the field of mental health. Students are introduced to theories of mental health and concepts of: mental health-illness, determination of needs, service systems, scope and variety of interventive methods, role of interdisciplinary team, evaluation, supervision, and impact of discrimination.
5830 GERONTOLOGY: SOCIAL WORK PERSPECTIVES (2 credits) Enables students to understand adult development and aging and to apply this knowledge to social work practice. Theories of aging are examined and applied to practice assessment and intervention strategies. Focuses on areas of particular relevance to practice with older persons in terms of expected life transitions and accompanying challenges (retirement, family relationships, etc.) and life crises and problems (loss and dependency, addictions, abuse and neglect, Alzheimer's). Impact of ageism, diversity, and physical, psychological, and social issues and changes in the aging process. Accompanying health, social, and family needs; the relationship of public policy to meeting these needs; and the development and delivery of services.


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Homeless Man Gets Winning Lotto Ticket
A guy who does pranks on YouTube recently decided to be a good Samaritan for once. And his newest video is pretty awesome.
He gives a homeless guy a lottery ticket, and tells him it's a winner . . . which isn't actually true. But he set it up so the cashier at a nearby store would PRETEND it was. And he gave him $1,000 to give to the guy.
But the amazing part is how the homeless guy REACTS. First, he seems to think it's a mean joke or something. Then when the clerk actually gives him the cash, he tries to SPLIT IT with the guy who'd given him the ticket. But the guy refuses.
And the look on the homeless man's face is just amazing. Then he breaks down in tears.


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Talking the Future of Minecraft
January 27, 2012 Page 1 of 4
In December, Markus "Notch" Persson handed the reins of Minecraft development to Jens "Jeb" Bergensten, who became the lead developer so Notch could move onto another project. "[It's a] scary move, but I feel strangely confident," Persson told Gamasutra at the time. "I guess we've worked close enough for long enough for me to feel confident about it."
Gamasutra traveled to the Mojang offices in Stockholm in December to speak with Bergensten about his plans for the game -- a busy day for the developer, because in his other role, as the co-founder of Oxeye Game Studio, he had made the decision to launch Cobalt that day. Cobalt, still in alpha, is the first game from another developer Mojang has chosen to publish.
Still, Bergensten's primary focus is Minecraft development. In this interview, he explains what the future holds for the massively popular indie game, how he feels about taking control of the project from Notch, and what he expects to concentrate on as far as additions go.
You're the cofounder of the Cobalt developer, Oxeye, but at the same time you're in charge of Minecraft, so you must have a lot going on.
Jens Bergensten: Yeah, yeah. It's kind of busy. [laughs] I work full-time on Minecraft, and I work on Cobalt during evenings and weekends.
You took over for Notch, basically, is the way to put it?
JB: Yeah. He wanted to try new things. I took the design lead for Minecraft so he could have free hands to do other things.
How is that going to affect the game?
JB: That specifically won't affect the game very much because Notch and I have very similar game design philosophies and ideas. The things we are doing are quite similar.
But it's 1.0 now, and we are such a small team that we can't compete with the rest of the world with content. So, there's a change in priorities, that we really need to open up the game for other developers to add mods, and share mods, and run servers more easily. So, what I mean is I will work less on features, and more on the engine part of the game.
Is there a difference between someone building something versus just sharing it, and actually a team just working on something within the context of Minecraft? Have you seen that?
JB: You mean like the comparison of building stuff in Minecraft and adding stuff to Minecraft?
JB: Yeah. There will definitely be much more content -- tools and blocks and mobs and stuff added to the game -- that other people can use in their constructions. There are already a lot of mods that add a lot of stuff, but they are quite complicated to install. So that's what we're trying to do.
Simplify that process, so more of the community can actually enjoy those things.
JB: Yeah. And also, Minecraft is a sandbox game, so people have very different opinions about what you're supposed to be able to do in the game. Like, some people really hate the adventure and RPG part of the game, and some people want more of that, more dragons and whatever.
Some people want more engineering tools. Some people hate engineering tools because they don't understand how Redstone works anyway. So, the good thing about mods is that then we can let people who really want to specialize on one part of the game, we can tell them, "Here's a really great mod. Just install it. You'll have fun."
Are there any plans to curate or point users to mods? Because right now, I guess, all of that stuff is out in the wild.
JB: Yeah.
Do you feel like it's part of your responsibility to point people towards things?
JB: Well, I don't feel I have the responsibility to do it, but I kind of envision that in the game, there will be featured mods, popular mods, and then you just click on them, and you can play them. In that way, we can put popular mods into focus.
You want it to be that simple.
JB: Yeah. Preferably.
Do you think there's a point where -- this is a really weird analogy, but it's sort of the best I can do -- you could enable a Counter-Strike of Minecraft, where it becomes a new game.
JB: Yeah. I mean, that would be really cool. But we would have to put a lot of effort on the mod API because that will have to allow the game to really change. So I'm not sure if you've heard of a game called Ace of Spades. It's a Minecraft game but with rifles, so it's kind of like Day of Defeat combined with Minecraft. And it would be really cool if you could actually do that without actually hacking the client. If everything just sort of started the game in that setting, and that worked. I mean, it will take us a while before we have reached that point, but it will be nice.
You guys tend to release often.
JB: Yeah.
Is incremental functionality something we're going to see, or are you going to save this until it's a little more done? Do you have to make these kinds of decisions?
JB: Yeah... We're used to doing things incrementally. I think that's probably how it will turn out. Sometimes we will have to say, "Sorry, modders. We broke this. You have to adjust your mods." Sometimes that will probably happen.
I think the initial mod release will take kind of a leap. There are already mod APIs that are based on modifying the JAR files. And I'm trying to get help from those communities to, already when we do the first version of the API, all the mods that are working on those [laughs] are working in the full game as well.
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AddOn Arista Networks AR-SFP-1G-DZ-1470 Compatible TAA Compliant 1000Base-CWDM SFP Transceiver (SMF, 1470nm, 80km, LC, DOM) Item # 654426
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There was a bombshell report in the New York Times this weekend revealing that New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has launched an investigation into whether or not financial firms, including Bain Capital, have "abused a tax strategy in order to slice hundreds of millions of dollars from their tax bills."
More specifically, what Schneiderman wants to know is whether or not private equity firms, hedge funds, and venture capital firms alike have been converting management fees into fund investments so they can be taxed at a lower rate (15% — the capital gains rate rather 35%).
When Gawker published hundreds of pages of Bain's internal financial documents online, it was revealed that "at least $1 billion in accumulated fees that otherwise would have been taxed as ordinary income for Bain executives had been converted into investments producing capital gains..." said the NYT report.
Among the firms to receive subpoenas are Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Company, TPG Capital, Sun Capital Partners, Apollo Global Management, Silver Lake Partners and Bain Capital, which was founded by Mitt Romney, the Republican nominee for president. Representatives for the firms declined to comment on the inquiry...
Schneiderman's office isn't talking either.
Either way, people have been talking about the issue itself for a while. Ever since Mitt Romney entered the Presidential race, the private equity especially has been under scrutiny. His campaign released a statement saying that he never benefitted from this practice, though it's perfectly legal.
The Private Equity Growth Capital Council, the industry's official lobby group, had this to say about the probe (h/t Politico's Ben White):
"Management fee waivers are legal, widely recognized, and often part of negotiated agreements between the alternative investment community and investors, including pension funds and endowments."
According to Politico's Ben White, a number of industry execs think that Schneiderman is just playing politics, and trying to make a splash during the Democratic National Convention. However, he also points out that if Schneiderman really wanted to do that, he wouldn't have made this investigation known on a Sunday over a holiday weekend — that's no kind of political theater.


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Halie Hilburn Sings Classic 'I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart' – With a Puppet – on 'American Idol'
In one of the strangest auditions not only of Season 12, but in the entire history of 'American Idol,' 27-year-old Halie Hilburn sang the country classic 'I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart' on Thursday night (Jan. 31) -- accompanied by a puppet dog named Oscar.
The aspiring singer has been a ventriloquist since she was nine years old, and she brought Oscar, her ventriloquist's dummy, into the audition room with her. The judges rolled with the unusual situation, which could have easily been one of the show's big audition train wrecks. Keith Urban asked the contestant her name, and when she replied, he retorted, "I meant him," indicating Oscar.
Despite her unusual audition choice, the newly-married Hilburn delivered an extremely strong, polished version of the song, which was a huge hit for Patsy Montana in 1935 and has also been recorded by artists including Suzy Bogguss, the Dixie Chicks, LeAnn Rimes and Nickel Creek. She even incorporated Oscar into the performance, having him sing the yodeling parts in the song -- which she delivered perfectly through clenched teeth with as little apparent effort as if she had been singing all-out.
After the judges recovered from their surprise, they asked Hilburn to sing another song without Oscar, and afterward they seemed torn between her excellent voice and bizarre audition.
"This is wild. What is this?" Randy Jackson said. "I don't understand how to vote. I'm a little confused."
"I think Oscar's holding you back," Urban said, while Mariah Carey told the singer, "I think you guys are going to have to sever the ties a little bit to pursue your career."
In one of the most unexpected decisions of the season so far, the judges voted to send Hilburn to Hollywood, but she'll be going alone. "Oscar will not be going to Hollywood -- as upset as he may be," Hilburn said.
Watch Halie Hilburn's Unusual Audition on 'American Idol'
Nalie Hilburn, Auditions Oklahoma ~ American... by HumanSlinky


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Our 2006 Prius topped 100,000 miles last weekend as we drove on Interstate 70 through Colorado's Glenwood Canyon, prompting my wife and me to wonder how much money we've saved. The result, calculated conservatively, is an eye-popping $34,441—most of which comes from becoming a one-car family living in an urban core when we bought the Prius. That's $10,000 beyond the sticker price of the car, so we could say we got a free car and paid for some nice vacations.
In March 2006, I started work at the Detroit Free Press, moving from Des Moines, Iowa. I had always lived inside the city whose name appeared on the newspaper where I worked, disdaining the idea of suburbs and sprawl. I had about a 15-minute drive to work in Des Moines—a local joke being that everything there was a 15-minute drive. I also was struck in my 18 years in Des Moines by the folly of sprawl, paving over farmland ever farther away from the core of a pleasant, safe city, creating unnecessary commutes, wasting time, money, land, and fuel.
In Detroit, Angye and I moved into a high-rise apartment downtown, less than a mile from my job. We were paying for two parking spaces and my car was sitting most of the time during the week because I walked to work or took the funky People Mover, an elevated train on a 3-mile loop.
We each had a Toyota Corolla and admired the technology and fuel economy of the Prius. "What if," we asked after we had been in Detroit about a month, "we traded in both of our Corollas for a Prius?" About a week later, we felt like we were in a spaceship as we pulled our "super white" Prius onto Southfield Road. (This is not meant as a Toyota endorsement. It's great to see many companies producing fuel-efficient cars these days and pushing new technologies.)
We had to make some adjustments—most having more to do with the oddities of living in Detroit, which lacks full-service grocery stores in the city limits and effective mass transit throughout the metro area—but never were inconvenienced. In fact, we walked home from baseball games, concerts, and festivals giddy that we weren't sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
I typically did not have access to a car during the day, but never was deprived. My dentist, barber, bank, favorite restaurants, and most other routine stops were within walking distance or a 50-cent People Mover ride. We planned weekend shopping trips for groceries, hardware, clothing, and other needs—trips that we likely otherwise would have taken separately. Having only one car added to our togetherness and our feel for our neighborhood.
In November, we moved to Basalt, Colorado, so I could work at RMI. We live six miles from work, and I wondered how it would be with one car. The answer is that it's no different. Now that it's warm, I can bike or run to work, and the mass transit options in the rural Roaring Fork Valley actually are better than in metro Detroit.
Before RMI's Reinventing Fire was written, we were among the people living its recommendations for using autos more productively. "We can eliminate the need for many trips entirely, and we can use vehicles in smarter ways, improving access to places or goods with fewer, shorter, or faster trips. …" the book says. "We must explode a deeply held myth—that efforts to reduce travel inevitably take away cherished freedoms, choices, and mobility."
Rather than lost freedoms, my outcomes were reduced stress from less time commuting, more time with my wife, and greater connection to community. Humans see and experience things around them much more richly on foot or by bicycle than in a car. Looking at our savings over six years—much more than we expected—it seems that if families can save a few thousand dollars a year along with hours of time by living closer to work and driving less, we can create demand to rebuild our cities into closer-knit, sustainable communities as we cut our dependence on oil and reduce environmental damage. That's a better life.
I assumed an average cost of gas at $3 a gallon. The U.S. average from when we bought our Prius in April 2006 until it hit 100,000 miles on March 25, 2012, comes out to $2.93, but prices in both Detroit and Basalt typically run above the national average. My other assumption was that our second car would have been one of the Corollas we traded in, which averaged about 32 miles per gallon.
(Individual results would of course vary. Urban parking and insurance costs are higher than for many Americans, but most Americans don't have two cars that get 32 mpg and many would have more costs in vehicle payments than calculated here. )
This all sounds good - but it really bothers me the way you have inflated the figures. Who on earth spends $1000/yr to maintain a new vehicle? We have a 2001 Honda Insight with 120K miles on it and spent less than $300/yr on maintenance. Our first actual non-maintenance repair was last year (at 115K miles) and cost us about $400. I agree with your premise in principle - just don't go throwing all these crazy numbers in there to justify your investment OK?
I sought to be carefully conservative with these numbers, leaving out, for example, avoided costs of annual registration for a second car. In calculating fuel savings, I was conservative by assuming that we would have driven about 6,000 miles a year less than the average for an American couple if we'd had two cars. We checked our credit card statements for the past two years on maintenance at the dealership, and it was $1,400 each year for the Prius. (That included a set of tires and an 80,000-mile checkup.) To be conservative, I dropped that amount down to $1,000 for the second, older car we didn't own. And, as I acknowledge, parking and insurance costs in an urban center are high, which account for a big part of the savings.
We also have a single car, and have for most of the 37 years we've been married. Our car is a 2003 Saturn VUE and it gets only about 18 MPG. On the other hand we drive it an average of about 6000 miles per year. We also save big time by insuring only one car. I go to work on the bus or, occasionally, by shanks mare. (It's only 5Km/3.1mi.) As a senior citizen, I pay $275/year for my annual bus pass. Our town (Mountain View, CA) is much smaller than Detroit but our grocery store, drug store and other conveniences are in the same shopping center two blocks away. We still have all our maintenance tickets (we had a 5-year extended warrantee, so nearly all of our maintenance until 2008 was "free") but we have had a few big ticket items in the past few years, so our recent costs may approach your experience--and, yes, we still go to the dealer, now a Cadillac dealer, for maintenance. I have not tried to calculate our total cost of ownership (TCO), as you have, but I doubt it's as low as yours. I'd love to have an electric car but I don't think it would save money, TCO, and I can't afford to do it just to save CO2.
I think the overall message is that people can downsize, drive less, enjoy life more, and save money. I agree that Randy's case was unique for many reasons, leading to higher savings than most: the move from Detroit to Basalt (insurance and parking), having owed money on their second Corolla which counted as savings, and their maintenance history. These add up to a significant amount of their total savings. Perhaps if the article could state more clearly (sometimes italics de-emphasize text) that most people actually won't calculate as much savings. It could encourage people more directly to crunching numbers, analyze use patterns, and seeing what they CAN save. Maybe even invite people to share their results as a step toward making a change. This might not involve the purchase of a new Prius. Some of the savings could be put aside for a new car (like a Prius) when the life of the current car starts coming to an end.
@Guy Marsden - No need to be bothered about the figures, they are pretty good for an American average. (I guess the average American isn't driving a new Honda). One good place to find an American average here is the Consumer Expenditures in 2006, released in February of 2008 by the U.S. Department of Labor's U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. You can find a nice table and summary of that report here:http://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/08/cost-car-ownership.aspObviously, your Honda is doing better than average, although I have to wonder how you got all the scheduled maintenance (see here: http://www.insightcentral.net/KB/faq-maint.html ) done plus tires for less than $300/yr. Possibly you get free oil changes and maintenance as part of the purchase price of the vehicle? In that case, you pre-purchased those services but you still paid for them.
Although you state in your very first para of your article that most of the savings came because of going from two cars to one, the headline misled me into thinking you were doing a 1 for 1 comparison. At the very least, you could have calculated what you would have saved by going from two Corollas to one. The difference would be the incremental benefit of the Prius. I feel that one has to be careful in writing an article like this especially under the banner of RMI because the naysayers could easily twist this to persist their view. Why give them that room?
I have to say the title is quite misleading. The vast majority of your savings came from downsizing to one car, not owning a Prius versus another car.
I generally agree with Ethan. It looks like most of the savings were from having one car which I can appreciate given your circumstances. Wouldn't you have saved about the same amount if you just had one older Toyota until it was no longer practical to drive? I like the idea of combining trips and spending more time walking or riding a bike to get around and the added benefit of spending time with family by combining those trips.
Randi, You are conflating two distinct actions: (1) changing your lifestyle to an urban habitat where you could walk and easily jettison one car that you already owned; and (2) buying a Prius. The fact that you did them both as once doesn't justify the headline or your thesis that your acquisition of the Prius saved you all that money. Perhaps you contend that you wouldn't have gone urban without having bought the Prius in particular. Financially, you should have run the numbers separately for the two events, as one is not dependent upon the other. If you had made your pitch as "how we went urban and automotively downsized from two cars to one hybrid," you're numbers may have validity. I'm disappointed that this kind of voodoo accounting came out of RMI. It is not the conservative (and therefore compelling) economic justifications that I see in "Reinventing Fire" or the multitude of economic and policy analysis that RMI is known for.
I teach environmental science and know for a fact that most people can't do these calculations without help, so I like seeing them published. However, a better comparison would have been buying a new Corolla to replace the two older ones. I understand with an older car, it can be nerve-wracking to have just one in case it won't start when you have an important appointment, so comparing keeping one older Corolla vs. buying the Prius may not be as good an example.As for maintenance, you paid 1400/year for years 5 and 6 for the Prius and assumed 1000/yr for the older cars. I have a 2000 VW Jetta TDI and I pay around 1k/year and I go to a shop that costs half of what the dealer costs, so 1k is a good guess.Also, if you wanted to be nerdier/more accurate, you would convert all cash flows to one point in time (e.g. we'd have 10k less today if...) using the time value of money. I would advise using the interest rate on your auto loan as the discount rate. I can't teach this method in one post, but look up time value of money and do some reading. In my experience, even Ph.D. scientists find the concept a bit strange at first, but the math is really easy for a scientist once you get the concept.
RMI Outlet, Rocky Mountain Institute's blog, explores topics critical to RMI's mission to drive the efficient and restorative use of resources.


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The Mormon church's tradition of music, particularly vocal performance, is as strong as any. President Ronald Reagan dubbed the Mormon Tabernacle Choir "America's Choir." It counts Emmys and Grammys among its accomplishments and an extensive library of recordings.
Continuing in that great religious music tradition Saturday at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall was the Orange County Mormon Choral Organization, a local musical contingent of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS).
Hundreds of singers and an orchestra complemented the stage in Costa Mesa — which looked full and nearly to capacity — for "Beautiful Savior" at 2 and 7 p.m. The singers ranged from older adults to first-graders. They performed the whole concert impressively from memory, without the aid of sheet music.
The first half began with songs of praise, but also took a fun tone when the young children sang "Popcorn Popping" — a light-hearted song containing such verses as "It wasn't really so, but it seemed to be / Popcorn popping on the apricot tree."
Brandon Stewart, an Orange County native who recently moved to Gilbert, Ariz., performed the finale to Tchaikovsky's "Piano Concerto No. 1" at a brisk and energetic pace that showed off his mastery of the ivories.
Conducting the majority of the concert was Brett Stewart, brother of Brandon Stewart and an LDS member who lives with his family in Fountain Valley. The conductor-composer is a graduate of Brigham Young University, and received his master's at Cal State Long Beach and doctorate the University of Cincinnati.
Brett Stewart's compositional talents were clear in his orchestration/arrangements of "Popcorn Popping," "Beautiful Savoir" and "Jesus Is My Shepherd."
Brett Stewart also composed the oratorio "Messiah in America," written for mixed choir, children's chorus, four soloists and full orchestra. With Bruce Richardson he co-wrote its libretto, which is based on the Book of Mormon's account of Jesus Christ visiting the American continent after Jesus' death and resurrection.
"It would take a second oratorio of even greater length to capture all of it," Brett Stewart wrote in the program's introduction to the piece. "I have only attempted to relate the story and include some of the more precious and sacred scenes."
The four soloists were soprano Jennie Litster, alto Francesca Forsyth, tenor George Dyer and baritone John Huntington.
"Messiah in America" was quite the engaging listen, full of energy and memorable motifs that Brett Stewart said reached back, stylistically, to the Baroque, Classical, Romantic and more contemporary eras.
Saturday's concert was recorded for archival purposes, said Susan Stephensen, executive director of the Mormon Choral Organizations of America.
The organization consists of the Orange County Mormon Choral Organization and the East Valley Mormon Choral Organization, based in the Gilbert and Mesa, Ariz., regions.
The all-volunteer ensembles both work on a two-semester schedule, with each semester concluding with a concert. The Orange County concluded its fourth year Saturday at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts' premier hall, which Stephensen said is the group's home base for performances.
They usually rehearse at the Mormon church's stake center adjacent to the temple on Bonita Canyon Drive in Newport Beach.
Stephensen said members from Orange County and Arizona are heading to Salt Lake City this June to perform and record "Messiah in America" at Abravanel Hall. The hall is the home of the Utah Symphony and is adjacent to Temple Square, headquarters of the LDS church.
Most of the singers are LDS members, Stephensen said, but many in the orchestra personnel are of different faiths.
"I think that's what really makes it beautiful," she said. "You have people with all different religious beliefs come together to create really beautiful music."
For more information on the Orange County Mormon Choral Organization or how to get involved for the 2011-12 season, visit http://www.ocmco.org.
BRADLEY ZINT is a copy editor for the Daily Pilot and a classically trained musician. E-mail him story ideas at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text: Jewel-Osco, a retail grocery and pharmacy chain, is Chicago's largest grocer. The company traces its roots to 1899, when the Jewel Tea Co. began selling condiments in Chicago from horse-drawn wagons. In 1932 it entered the grocery store business and expanded in 1961 by acquiring the Osco Drug pharmacy chain. Today, the Itasca-based supermarket chain is the largest division of New Albertsons Inc., which owns grocery stores across the country.


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They didn't expect to be able to keep it a secret. They were worried it would leak. But the co-presidents of Naughty Dog managed to keep the fact that their Uncharted studio has been making The Last of Us for a while. Moments after the first trailer was revealed, the two chatted with the official PlayStation Blog and teased that the short trailer contains "lots of clues and little teases in there about what the game is about."
So scour it some more. We've rounded up some details about The Last of Us, but surely there are things we've missed.
Naughty Dog's First Comments on The Last of Us [PlayStation blog]


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Several temperature records were broken along the East Coast on Tuesday, with the mercury reaching into the high 90s at all three New York City airports and parts further north, such as Burlington, Vt., where residents and businesses are ill-prepared for such heat. The heat wave is expected to continue through the end of the work week along the Eastern Seaboard, and severe storms are parked over the Midwest, causing floods in Duluth, Minn.
Hot weather is an often overlooked cause of death worldwide and in the U.S., especially in low-income urban areas where residents might lack air-conditioners. In fact, high heat is the number one weather-related cause of death in the U.S. In an average year, heat kills more people than floods, hurricanes, lightning and tornadoes combined, according to the National Weather Service.
This year has already brought higher temperatures than normal nation-wide, and that trend is expected to continue, in part due to global warming which is caused by rising concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The gases come primarily from coal-fired power plants and automobile exhaust. In the absence of efforts to curtail those emissions, should we expect more heat waves and other extreme weather this summer?
Join us below at 1:30 PM Eastern today (Thursday, June 21) to learn more during a live 30-minute online chat at Scientific American with David Biello, an energy and environment editor at SA for more than six years. We will turn on the capacity to log-in to the chat box below around 1:20 PM EDT.
Robin Lloyd
I'm the news editor at Scientific American, and I'll be hosting this chat. We'll be chatting today with SA editor David Biello. David has been covering energy and climate for SciAm for >6 yrs. He has been on the energy beat since 1999.
Hello, world!
Robin Lloyd
Hi David. Welcome!
David, it was shocking to hear Piers Morgan dismiss our extreme heat as 'just another summer' last night on CNN. How do you respond? It's not Fox News we're talking about, but CNN perpetuating this gibberish.
Robin Lloyd
Yes let's get started. Welcome WriterWeegs. Thanks for telling us about Morgan. What do you think about that, David?
Well, I can say that Piers is both right... and wrong.
On the one hand, every year has its share of extreme weather and every summer has its share of heat. On the other hand, this kind of unusual early summer heat (& record high temps over the winter) suggests climate change.
Yep, and therefore I feel his comments last night were very dangerous. I was shocked, frankly.
Was the mild winter and early spring heat a fluke or a symptom of global warming, and how can you tell?
@MsPoodry we can't tell... yet. Like I said, every year has its share of weird weather. But it's certainly indicative of the kind of thing we'd expect from global warming.
Shirin Fadaee
Hello, I was curious about Dave's biggest motivation. What is your biggest driving force in your studies?
Shirin: my biggest motivation is trying to put good info out there. That, and curiosity ;)
Shirin Fadaee
Thank you David, good luck with your chat.
Thank you Shirin!
Is it fair to attribute global warming entirely to human contribution?
@TheRealKamerman Pretty much. Given orbital conditions and the like, we should be heading towards an Ice Age. Instead, we're getting warmer.
Peter Dimitriou
Hi all.
Robin Lloyd
Welcome, Peter Dimitriou.
What can a private citizen do to help cut soot and methane?
@MsPoodry Cutting soot and methane is a good way to 'buy time'. And Vote! Help solve energy poverty: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/solving-energy-poverty-in-africa-and-the-world
Christopher Miles
Just saw Paul Gilding's TED debate with Diamandis. Can tech prevail, or will there need to be a great crash first before we act?
I'd say that tech can prevail, the question is whether human psychology requires a full blown crisis to allow it. Your guess on that is as good as mine.
Peter Dimitriou
Paul Gilding: The Earth is Full is the best TED talk of the year!!!
Christopher Miles
Thanks. I want to believe in the Diamandis view- but sadly keep coming back to Gilding.
Peter Dimitriou
Chistopher, I understand, we are heading headlong into the kind of crisis Giding describes because we have been fooled. Diamandis doesn't appreciate history and too many Americans have forgotten history, which is why crisis is inevitable.
I'd also recommend David Roberts's TED talk Climate Change is Simple.
Peter Dimitriou
I've seen the Roberts talk as well, good but everything Gilding has said has been reflected in the real economy, like flat growth (GDP).
My church is thinking of putting in a green roof as a way of helping with climate change.
@cgorman You gotta love them rooftop gardens! Also good for urban heat island effect.
Christopher Miles
@cgorman - Even a white roof and some surrounding additional tree planting might be good start for your church.
Greensulating is a good trend now.
Robin Lloyd
To what extent is it true that 'extreme weather is the new normal'?
It's not that extreme weather is the new normal. It's that the new normal includes a lot more extreme weather. A simple example is the atmosphere. Warmer air can actually contain more water vapor. That means more fuel for clouds and rain, which results in more intense downpours. There's a historic trend in that direction based on observations over the last century or more.
But isn't nature's natural carbon cycle also heavily contributing [to climate change]? Human contribution may speed the condition of global warming but it WILL happen regardless. Even if humans weren't in the picture, nature's carbon cycle creates ice age conditions and then normalizes.
@TheRealKamerman Nope, unless you count the emissions from a thawing Arctic. Which is thawing because of human GHGs. And now we're distorting the carbon cycle by liberating Cretaceous carbon.
Christopher Miles
What bothers me is that there is still so much waste in the system as the deniers continue to say how Global Warming cult will kill economy.
Waste is endemic for sure Mr. Miles. The trick will be solving energy poverty while reducing waste in developed economies. That is no simple trick. Food waste is the one that bothers me the most. https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/wasted-food-equals-wasted-energy-10-10-03
re: food waste: our NYC neighborhood greenmarket now has compost bins for food scraps. Because of the rat issue, food scraps are then carted to a Staten Island composting site.
Christopher Miles
Anyone been to an airport lately and see the empty vans/rental shuttles circle, and circle and idle? So much waste. I'm not going to plug, but I did cover some car manufacturing and airport efficiency improvements, that focused not on warming, but savings. Promising- VW plant in Chatanooga is LEED platinum, a good start.
Fred Guterl
Dave, are white roofs always better? Even in cold climates?
Fred: depends on your objective. If you want the building warm in an Arctic winter: no. But if you want to mimic the reflectivity of snow: yes.
Robin Lloyd
Can you explain more about your position, TheRealKamerman?
@TheRealKamerman Yes, the climate always is changing.
Rather than walking to an ice age we're running to one. Doesn't matter, we'll get there eventually.
@TheRealKamerman But we're tweaking it with our greenhouse gas emisisons
Rachel Leah
@TheRealKamerman Does this mean that we should not try to counteract it?
It can't be counteracted. Don't be so brash to think human intervention can thwart nature. The Earth laughs at people. We're just a pestilence that will be dealt with in time.
Robin Lloyd
In the long run, you're right, Kamerman. But we have 7 billion people to think about for now.
@TheRealKamerman Mother Nature bats last for sure. Hence the extreme weather.
Bats last. I like that.
Yes, David great line
Fred Guterl
Dave is a good softball player ;)
Peter Dimitriou
The U.S. is actually on target to meet its 2009 CO2 reductions according to Copenhagen agreement.
Christopher Miles
I don't think we should be too encouraged by 2009 numbers. Not one of our better years.
Peter: Yes! Global recession plus natural gas have led to reductions. But that's not exactly what we hoped for
Matt Cosad
But the Earth's climate is not static, it is constantly changing. Temperatures have been warmer before, sea levels have been much higher.
Matt: Yes, temps have been higher. There were crocs in the Arctic. But there wasn't human civilization.
Vikas Pakhe
Global warming is now taking a real peak. How to stop it? Only planting trees won't stop it. Also scientists think that due to change in the environment structure, the human race too will be changed.
It's amazing. Efficiency = reduced emissions and reduced cost (generally speaking)
Peter Dimitriou
What really counts the is the rate of change as compared to past climate events, we are at a faster rate today
Peter: exactly right! The rate of change is fastest in geologic record. Decades vs. centuries or millennia
Matt Cosad
@Peter, I'd like to see some supporting studies for that claim (not just the hockey stick). Consider the Paleocene-eocene thermal maximum
Peter Dimitriou
Also, coal is starting to lose its allure with the free market, this is good for alternatives
Unfortunately, Peter, coal is losing its allure in US, But not in China. China will be happy to burn the coal we don't. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/price-of-coal-in-china-climate-change
Peter Dimitriou
Right but the rest of the world is still devouring coal!
Christopher Miles
I wonder, with a world of 8+ billion in 2030 how much will Elon Musk charge to orbit the needed huge solar reflector?
Susan Falcon Soeder
We moved away from the Baltimore, Maryland, area because saltwater infiltration to the water table. It's not a rumour, my husband is a hydro-geologist.
Robin Lloyd
Wow, Susan, that is scary. Can you taste it?
Susan Falcon Soeder
No, can't taste it so much yet. The people impacted the most with saltwater infiltration are the farmers.
Peter Dimitriou
Susan, shh, we don't want to upset legislators next door in Virginia. They might pass a law against it!!!
Susan Falcon Soeder
We now live in West Virginia western highlands. The first winter here we had four feet of snow, last year I fed out of pasture all year.
Susan: yeah, sea level rise (and saltwater contamination) are going to be a *big* problem for East Coast
Here's some good basics on climate change: http://www.aip.org/history/climate/timeline.htm
Christopher Miles
@dbiello Excellent timeline. One for the permanent bookmarks.
As long as we're battling it out till the election, energy is just a hockey puck and we're all vulnerable.
So what's everybody doing to beat the heat? Water, rest, shade, right? ;)
Running a 5K.
@TheRealKamerman you are hardcore my friend!
Did one yesterday too. Love the heat.
@TheRealKamerman be sure to replace those salts!
Susan Falcon Soeder
Beat the heat here? Ice pack wrapped in neoprene stuck on lower back - lots of potassium and magnesium
Christopher Miles
With our white roof, our townhome is (relatively) cool- also have plenty of water in rain capture barrel to pour over the head.
Peter Dimitriou
Florida, not actually all that uncomfortable, but still warm.
Robin Lloyd
Here's an in-depth report David produced on extreme weather and climate change: https://www.scientificamerican.com/report.cfm?id=extreme-weather-and-climate-change
Matt Cosad
Climate change is happening rapidly, but it is arrogant of humans to believe that this period in earth's history is apocalyptic
Matt Cosad
Species come and go, and it's no different with humans. To think otherwise is over-inflated hubris.
Matt, it's actually arrogant not to see climate change for what it is...and yes, potentially apocalyptic.
Matt: yes, the 'Great Dying' at the end of the Permian was more apocalyptic.
Robin Lloyd
Fine, Matt. So should we stop going to the doctor, too?
Susan Falcon Soeder
Matt, you're right. That doesn't mean we can't educate as many people as possible about how we can deal with the results.
Fred Guterl
@matt, I see your point, but it may also be arrogant to assume we'll survive the changes we've started.
Fred: I believe you wrote the book on that ;) http://www.amazon.com/The-Fate-Species-Human-Extinction/dp/160819258X
Maybe what Matt meant to say was that this is not the only crisis we've had, historically.
Robin Lloyd
True, WriterWeegs and Matt -- we need to keep geological perspective, but geology doesn't save lives.
Matt Cosad
Weegs, believe me I see climate change. I'm a graduated ecologist. It's sweeping statements of impending doom that have been limiting.
But remember the dinosaurs and cave men were not burning greenhouse gases.
Matt Cosad
The general populace is tired of being threatened with the impending doom that's been 'coming' for 20 years.
Fred Guterl
Matt, don't be in such a hurry!
Fred Guterl - Unfortunately this may be humanity's last stand. http://mars-one.com/en/
Robin Lloyd
As I've heard said around the office here, we can't even make life work well here on Earth. Why should we do well on Mars?
Matt Cosad
There's no government on Mars.
Matt Cosad - YET.
Robin Lloyd
Social order happens wherever people go. Call it government or not.
Extreme weather aside, I think ocean acidification is long-term problematic.
Peter Dimitriou
Saw great report on NBC News last night about coral reforesting off Ft. Lauderdale.
Yes to coral nurseries! https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/coral-nurseries-bring-reefs-back-from-brink
Christopher Miles
Is there any technical fix that looks promising (that won't do any more harm than good?)
Robin Lloyd
Down to our final minutes here, all. Any 'burning questions' for David? He's on top of all questions on climate.
Any chance of turning the Earth into permanent Venus-like conditions?
@cgorman Stay tuned to Sci Am to find out! (We have an article addressing that in the September issue.)
John Bangert
Why is it so much hotter in the Northeast than in Florida today?
John: the quirks of the jet stream. And atmospheric highs and lows.
Thanks everybody for the illuminating discussion.?
Robin Lloyd
Yes, thanks everyone!
Peter: of course! Send me your latest and greatest ideas
Robin Lloyd
Especially David for taking the time to type fast and answer a lot of questions thoughtfully.
Robin Lloyd
We're going to shut this chat box down and try to put up transcript soon. Bye.
I think we broke Twitter.
Robin Lloyd
Ha ha. Always an aspiration of mine.
I do what I can. Happy to answer further questions another time. Stay cool!
Matt Cosad
We're just getting warmed up (pun intended).
Peter Dimitriou
thanks Robin, Fred and Greg!!!


text:
It's not a major accomplishment, but Robin and I each had a couple of minor victories last night.
I took her out to walk up and down our block and look at the people working in their yards across the street. We stood on the corner and watched a lady trimming her hedge, when another woman pulled up in a car about 6 feet from us, rolled down her window, and started talking to us. I was expecting the worst, and cursing the way people always try to come up to us while we're training...but Robin didn't spazz. And I remembered to click and treat while talking to the lady! Yay us!
Then the woman who was trimming her hedge started to walk over to us. Before she could cross the street, I called over that Robin is scared of people and we were working on it. She's a dog person, and respectfully stayed across the street. Normally, Robin would start grumbling, barking and growling at the sight of a stranger approaching. But the neighbor and I talked for about 5 minutes or so, hollering from corner to corner, and Robin, again, didn't spazz, and I clicked and treated. After a few minutes, I could see the tension releasing from Robin's body and curiosity starting to overwhelm that fear. I think I could have walked over to my neighbor and let them meet. But this was MY second milestone: I didn't push it. I decided not to risk ruining a very successful training session by going too fast.
We ended training last night on that great note.
I'm so proud of us!


text:
shatzy necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 201 diseños de 42 diseñadores freelance.
Need a fantastic design incorporating most (if not all) of my points outlined in the description. =)
*** want to edit and state that i would need a vector file for this project.
my apologies if this indeed causes any trouble with the submissions thus far. ***
A brief scan of my last contest will show a previous logo design for a florist I worked for. No longer under their employment, definitely seeking something cool for my own independent floral design business (aka FLAIR).
I adore the submissions from the previous contest. Looking for something similar in style (sleek, contemporary, trendy, etc).
Upscale/modern feel.
DO NOT feel obligated to use something floral in the design. Though I am a floral designer, I would like to convey a trendy yet striking commercial appeal. I am looking to use the logo in various web and print applications. Do not need/want anything bulky or overly detailed.
Nothing too feminine.
Feel free to use color as necessary but keep in mind that I would prefer a limited use of color. I would want the logo to look great regardless of what it is used on (ie various backgrounds, etc).
Would prefer a symbol to identify the business but would also want text. Keep in mind that the text and symbol SHOULD be able to work independently (ie. in stickers, stamps, etc). Similarly to previous contest, I like classic symbols like the fleur de lis, the heraldic symbol in my avatar, etc. Something applicable should work. Willing to give any symbol a chance providing that the designer can make it work with the business name.
I found this design challenge a bit daunting myself so I am hosting another contest. I have complete faith in the designers here.
business name: FLAIR
soon-to-be website: ADDSOMEFLAIR
(this information is just to give you an idea of how the name will be used. hopefully it will help in design.)
- sleek, contemporary, commercial, sense of style, classic
- clever, unique symbol
- symbol and text to work independently of themselves
- a careful use of color
- vector format file
- an elementary design
- something overly floral
- a design that reveals you haven't read my description
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


text:
It would be so much easier if you were here to hold my hand...
Jun 2, 2007
Dr. Bob.
I know you're busy, so here's the skinny. I made out with someone about 10 months ago. I have oral herpes...no outbreaks at the time, however, I did have chapped lips and have a tendency of biting the inside of my mouth. (there was no active bleeding that I can remember, however, I believe that he used to use drugs...do not know his status.) Recently I have developed a small cold (symptoms all went away, except post nasal drip that won't stop). Do you think that I even need to be tested? I was thinking...a test after every kiss...holy cow! I mean I was on vacation, just trying to have fun...now afraid that it cost me. Anyways, if you could please answer. I know you are busy. I know this is trivial. I have sent you a donation...not much, but it was something. Thank you. You are truly a God-send.
kiss of death?
Response from Dr. Frascino
My assessment and advice haven't changed since the last time you asked this question. See below.
Stop worrying!
Dr. Bob
DONATION IS IN THE MAIL...kiss of death??? NEED YOU PLEASE!!! Jun 1, 2007
DR. Bob
I want to start by saying that I think what you do is amazing. I am sending a donation in the mail and hopefully it will arrive soon. I admire you for being so strong and open about your illness. You are truly a god-send. Thank you.
My question may be dumb to many people, however, that does not ease the anxiety for me. I have oral herpes (do not recall any at the time of the incident) nor any other open lesions, however, my lips were sun-burnt. I took part in french kissing with a young man, whom I believe may have used drugs in the past, however do not know if he is hiv + or not. I have been driving myself crazy, going over thousands of websites and I keep getting mixed answers. I had been drinking and do not recall any blood from either party, but I can not say for sure (because I had been drinking). Please Dr. Bob. I respect your opinion and if you could please give me your take on this situation. Many are telling me that I do not need to worry but I keep seeing these other situations where people say "do not engage in kissing with hiv+ people, because there is a risk." I just want to go back to having fun...never thought I had to worry about hiv through kissing. I'm scared because I was kind of seeing someone at the time and hope that I did not put him at risk too.
It has been 10-11 months since the incident and I am having extreme headaches. I had a minor headcold(that went away after about 1 week), I have phlegm build up in the back of my throat that will not go away. I wake up every day with a dry mouth and I have a sore throat on and off. And, I did a "home candida test" and that showed that I had candida. Does any of this sound like hiv? Did I put myself at risk by making out with someone who quite possibly had hiv? Please Dr. Please answer. I truly respect your opinion. Am I worrying too much or am I in need of testing?
Please Dr.
Sincerely, Kiss of Death?
Response from Dr. Frascino
Kiss of Death??? No! As the famous song goes, "A kiss is just a kiss . . . as time goes by!"
You read "do not engage in kissing with HIV+ people, because there is a risk"???? Hmmm . . . that would mean I shouldn't kiss anymore because I'm "virally enhanced!!!" Oh, Steve (Dr. Steve, the expert in The Body's Tratamientos forum), my partner in kissing and much, much more for the past 13+ years, would not be at all happy with that situation!!! Please rest assured that we have a great deal of experience with magnetic couples (one poz, one neggie) like ours and kissing is not considered a transmission risk, unless there are bizarre extenuating circumstances. For example, if you're "necking" with Count Dracula and he decides to suck a pint or two of blood, well yeah, then there would be at least a theoretical risk. In your situation, your risk was nonexistent. Testing is not medically warranted. However, considering you have been so worried for the past 11 months, you could consider getting a single HIV rapid test just to quickly and permanently put these irrational fears to rest. HIV rapid test results are accurate and available in as few as 20 minutes. The results will unquestionably be negative.
Thanks for your donation! (www.concertedeffort.org) And don't forget: "You must remember this, a kiss is just a kiss . . . as time goes by."
Stay well! (Yes, you are indeed well!)
Dr. Bob
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text:
Administrative Rules*
The Board's administrative rules are in Chapter 351 of the Iowa Administrative Code. The rules expand upon and clarify requirements of the statute and have the force and effect of law.
Agency Rules Administrator
Rule-Making Docket
Iowa Administrative Code -updated
*The information on this page is provided by the Board's staff for guidance and does NOT take the place of the official Iowa Administrative Code. Please view the Iowa Administrative Code for the official rules.
*The individual rules are linked to the Iowa Administrative Code as supplied by the Legislative Service Agency. If the individual chapter does not immediately open, you can click on the PDF icon to open the adobe PDF version of the chapter.


text:
Thursday, December 12, 7 p.m.
Showlist DC and Hometown Sounds Present Heavy Breathing, Tereu Tereu, and The Jet Age
Tropicalia, 2001 14th St. NW
Rally behind local music boosters Showlist DC and Hometown Sounds for their inaugural showcase. It's a mighty line-up for their first bill – comprised of some of our favorite pop sensibility-laden music: the electronic-tinged Heavy Breathing, prog-poppish Tereu Tereu, and jangly alt-rockers The Jet Age. DJ sets from Screen Vinyl Image and Hometown Sounds' Paul Vodra will fill in the blanks. $10.
Deal nearby: Sacrifical Lamb Kabobs and Wraps
Friday, December 13, 11 p.m.
Ja Rule at Howard Theatre
620 T St. NW
He's not always there when you call, but he's always on time: Tonight, Ja Rule plays the Howard Theatre. Enjoy tunes from his latest musical effort, The Mirror, of which the rapper—whose "I'm Real" duet with Jennifer Lopez is firmly lodged into everyone's memory—says, "I want people to really get a glimpse on what it is to be Ja Rule, and the album is a reflection of that." (Reflection? Nice one Ja.) Expect nothing less than wonderful. $25.50 in advance, $35.50 day-of.
Deal nearby: Drafting Table
Saturday, December 14
Fête des Lumiéres Georgetown
L2 Lounge, 3315 Cady's Alley NW
The Fête des Lumiéres officially kicks off this on Friday with a party at Georgetown's newish, French-ish Malmaison, but the grand opening of this inaugural lights festival – which is centered around illuminated public art and takes its cues from the legendary French fête in Lyon, France – goes all weekend long. Tonight, mingle at L2 Lounge with the artists, who hail from France, Canada, Belgium and Spain, and whose largely participatory lit-up pieces will be installed around Georgetown until the 20th.
Deal nearby: Paolo's Ristorante
Sunday, December 15
Lines + Stars Circus Release Party
VeraCruz, 2108 Vermont Ave. NW, D.C.
Lines + Stars, a quarterly journal of poetry and short prose, has been steadily showcasing work by DC-area writers since 2006. The release party for its sixteenth and latest issue, Circus, promises special beverages, warmth, and music---and readings by featured writers Marie Abate, Marlena Chertlock and Dan Ferrara.
Deal nearby: Camino Real Restaurant
What To Do This Weekend, December 12 - 15
Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013


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A couple of months ago, I began to address the topic of education in St Maarten–specifically, special education (see previous post). At the time, I was going to review my notes, as well as check the local news for updated information. What I discovered over the next few days was that there was very little education-related news, and that there were no promised updates on the government web site. The official government pages do not contain much more than department contact information. [Click here for what passes as the official policy information page. (There are no public links beyond this page in either English or Dutch.)]
My attempts to learn more about official updates to education policy–or even news–have been rather futile. Except for a few special activities at specific schools–school or student awards, student activities, special events, charitable contribution presentations, etc.–information related to general elementary and secondary education policies and other government-related information has not appeared in local newspapers or government web pages for quite some time. Thus, what I have learned about education here in St Maarten comes primarily from "old" public and government information, much of which was uncovered during my original interest in the country's education system; and through general conversation with island residents, both "recent" and "native."
Here is what I have learned since my last post. Topics include general policy issues, ministry responsibilities, special education isolation, education funding, disappearance of "special education" language, teacher training, and "NCLB-like" programming policy.
- There is much vague language in what apparently passes for educational policies in publicly available documentation. In fact, this information appears to be limited to the "about" page of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Affairs. There appear to be no policy additions or modifications to the description of educational services on official Parliament ministry pages, except for some minor additions in Dutch which can only be found with much "digging." Noteworthy here is that, although Dutch is the official language of the country of St Maarten, the lingua franca is English, as a very large portion of the population speaks Spanish, French, Tagalog, various dialects of India and Asia, etc., in home and community. Thus, the majority of the population can neither read nor comment on what little official education policy information is available because such policy is available only in the Dutch language. It should further be noted that the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Affairs is the only cabinet department that had not made an English language version of their policies available until recently, and that–to date–the "policy" is more of a wish list of overly-generalized education department "mission statements" and objectives.
- Although one of the mission statements of the Ministry of Education (etc.) clearly addresses alignment of education with Dutch and international norms and practices, the lack of explicit language addressing special education services is like a black hole in the center of one's living room where the coffee table used to be. Perhaps one of the reasons for this is because the goals and objectives also encompass the "culture, youth and sports affairs," all of which may or may not be directly linked to educational outcomes per se. That no "Oxford comma" is present between "youth" and "sports" is also interesting, since–until recently–the version of English language instruction in St Maarten was British rather than American. What makes this interesting the disproportionately large financial resources that go to "culture" and "youth and sports" (or even "youth" and "sports") as compared to resources budgeted for education. Since special education services are expensive, the lack of explicit language allows each individual school to offer or ignore resources to students with special needs. In a private chat with the current Minister of Education, Patricia Lourens, I learned that her estimate of special needs students in public education is closer to 40% than my church-affiliated school estimate of 20% to 25%. If Minister Lourens' estimate is correct, then there is good reason to require that many special education services be available within the regular classroom. However, this would also require substantially better training for teachers through the local university, which attempts to offer special education "specialization" at the baccalaureate level as two courses, roughly equivalent to 6 credits or fewer at an American or Canadian university. (More on teacher preparation below.)
- A school building originally slated to become a stand-alone school for behaviorally (and socially or emotionally) disturbed students continues to stand empty. Vacancy appears to be due to some disagreement as to who should administer the school–one of the numerous religious affiliations with elementary and/or secondary facilities, or the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Affairs (official public/free education provider). That upgrades to the school whose purpose is to provide education to learning disabled students has been tentatively stopped may indicate that the government has plans to expand special education; or it may indicate that one of the country's church-affiliated schools has "won" oversight of the building and the program(s) to be offered there.
- Education funding has once again been cut severely for a variety of political and economic (openly legal or corruption-driven) reasons, including loss of tax revenue–but the latter will be discussed at some future time. Interestingly, a non-academics oriented high school has recently been awarded public funds that were "withheld" by the Ministry of Education (etc.) despite parliamentary budgeting for these funds. The local court apparently felt that it was illegal to cut funds from an already existing government budget.
- The topic of special education appears to have all but vanished from any dialog related to public responsibility, so much so that the single school for learning disabled youth, the Prins Willem Alexander School (PWA), has not been mentioned in the press for months. Until the beginning of the current school year, special education services were provided by this single school site officially and specifically reserved for learning disabled students. The problems with the PWA are that 1) the classrooms are overloaded with students presenting with behavioral and emotional issues that cannot be addressed within regular education; 2) the average class size is reportedly 20; and 3) teachers have not trained to provide special education services. Other than the worst cases of learning or behavioral/emotional difficulties, special needs students are expected to be handled within the regular classroom with some support from individuals whose official function is to serve as liaisons between school and home. The reality is that this latter group tends to serve instead as individual or small-group tutors, often with responsibilities that go far beyond the official job description. This is especially true of church- or foundation-supported but publicly funded schools.
- Teacher training and experience are inadequately defined by the Ministry's education policy, allowing private and church-supported schools to hire as teachers individuals who are straight out of high school/secondary-level education institutions, without a single post-secondary (college or university level) credit to their resumes. Granted, once hired, the individual must register in a teacher preparation program and show continual progress toward credentialing/certification. Teacher qualification does not require the attainment of a bachelors degree, especially at the elementary level (to be honest, I am not sure that a bachelors degree is required for secondary level teaching, either, as information is not readily available). Other islands in the Caribbean have grown to appreciate the skills and knowledge base associated with teacher training through programs leading to a baccalaureate degree–especially those programs that include liberal arts as part of the curriculum–but I believe that education is not as important a topic in St Maarten as in larger Caribbean countries.
- Despite apparent public documents in place prior to St Maarten's declaration of independence from The Netherlands Antilles ("10/10/10"), teaching continues to be done to prepare elementary school students for official grade-level year-end exams and the "FBE" Exit Exams given in the final year of primary level schooling (equivalent to what in the US would be sixth-grade). The testing and education policies for which the testing was created more closely resemble US No Child Left Behind (NCLB) policies than anything else I have encountered in international education standards and practices. Since, in the US, almost every one of the 50 states has elected to return to federally approved state-developed curricula–implying that NCLB did not meet local education needs–the success of the current (and two decades old) Dutch-established education system will be interesting to further observe and evaluate. Observation might be entertaining, as even the Dutch have recently declared the parent of these practices to be a grave mistake.
What is becoming more and more clear to me as I interact with the citizens of this country is that parents are becoming more accepting of causes other than home for their child's learning difficulties (specific learning disabilities, dyslexia and discalculia, attention disorders such as ADD and ADHD, autistic spectrum disorders, brain trauma, behavioral/emotional disturbances, etc.) and are asking why services to address such issues are not directly provided for their children.
It is unclear to me whether the lack of information related to education–especially education policy–is due to lack of further action because of funding or time constraints, the absence of forward movement, or the upcoming parliamentary elections which are tentatively scheduled for late August. As with many matters political, sometimes it is better to do nothing before elections and stand on one's old record than risk statements and/or actions that may be deemed as sensitive or unpopular. However, candidates and incumbents for office should consider that not all their citizens are as willing as they were in the past to simply vote for the familiar names and faces. The younger voters are questioning whether their needs might be better served by political representatives who appear willing to be more responsive to the constituencies they would represent.
More on St Maarten education soon…