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- Gloria Borger: Prospect of deep budget cuts was designed to compel compromise
- She says the "unthinkable" cuts now have many supporters
- The likelihood that cuts may happen shows new level of D.C. dysfunction, she says
- Borger: President may want a 2014 House victory, but action needed now
(CNN) -- So let's try to recount why we are where we are. In August 2011, Washington was trying to figure out how to raise the debt ceiling -- so the US might continue to pay its bills -- when a stunt was hatched: Kick the can down the road.
And not only kick it down the road, but do it in a way that would eventually force Washington to do its job: Invent a punishment.
Gloria Borger
If the politicians failed to come up with some kind of budget deal, the blunt instrument of across-the-board cuts in every area would await.
Unthinkable! Untenable!
Until now.
In fact, something designed to be worse than any conceivable agreement is now completely acceptable to many.
And not only are these forced budget cuts considered acceptable, they're even applauded. Some Republicans figure they'll never find a way to get 5% across-the-board domestic spending cuts like this again, so go for it. And some liberal Democrats likewise say 8% cuts in military spending are better than anything we might get on our own, so go for it.
Opinion: Forced budget cuts a disaster for military
The result: A draconian plan designed to force the two sides to get together has now turned out to be too weak to do that.
And what does that tell us? More about the collapse of the political process than it does about the merits of any budget cuts. Official Washington has completely abdicated responsibility, taking its dysfunction to a new level -- which is really saying something.
We've learned since the election that the second-term president is feeling chipper. With re-election came the power to force Republicans to raise taxes on the wealthy in the fiscal cliff negotiations, and good for him. Americans voted, and said that's what they wanted, and so it happened. Even the most sullen Republicans knew that tax fight had been lost.
Points on the board for the White House.
Now the evil "sequester" -- the forced budget cuts -- looms. And the president proposes what he calls a "balanced" approach: closing tax loopholes on the rich and budget cuts. It's something he knows Republicans will never go for. They raised taxes six weeks ago, and they're not going to do it again now. They already gave at the office. And Republicans also say, with some merit, that taxes were never meant to be a part of the discussion of across-the-board cuts. It's about spending.
Politics: Obama more emotional on spending cuts
Here's the problem: The election is over. Obama won, and he doesn't really have to keep telling us -- or showing us, via staged campaign-style events like the one Tuesday in which he used police officers as props while he opposed the forced spending cuts.
What we're waiting for is the plan to translate victory into effective governance.
Sure, there's no doubt the president has the upper hand. He's right to believe that GOP calls for austerity do not constitute a cohesive party platform. He knows that the GOP has no singular, effective leader, and that its message is unformed. And he's probably hoping that the next two years can be used effectively to further undermine the GOP and win back a Democratic majority in the House.
Slight problem: There's plenty of real work to be done, on the budget, on tax reform, on immigration, climate change and guns. A second-term president has a small window of opportunity. And a presidential legacy is not something that can be kicked down the road.
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The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Gloria Borger.
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I recently met an entrepreneur who was raising money for his startup. Six months prior, he had raised seed money (<$1M) from one of the increasingly popular seed programs big venture firms are offering (big venture firms = roughly $100M fund and larger). As a potential investor, the first question I asked him is "is the big venture firm following on?" The answer was no. What this means is the entrepreneur is going to have a *really* tough time raising any more money at all, because what all potential investors think is "if this top VC that has hundreds of millions of dollars and knows this company the best doesn't want to invest, why would I?" What the entrepreneur didn't realize is that when you take any money at all from a big VC in a seed round, you are effectively giving them an option on the next round, even though that option isn't contractual. And, somewhat counterintuitively, the more well respected the VC is, the stronger the negative signal will be when they don't follow on.
Even in the good scenario when the VC does wants to follow on, you are likely to get a lower valuation than you would have had you taken money from other sources of funding (angels, micro-VCs like Y-combinator). This isn't obvious if you haven't done follow on fundraising before, but I've observed it first hand many times. The reason is you won't have the freedom to go out and get a true market valuation for your company. Suppose you have venture firm X as a seed investor and they offer you, say, a $6M pre money valuation for your follow on round (usually called the Series A). Suppose furthermore that if you were free to get a competitive process going that the "true valuation" for your company would be more like $10M pre. If you now go to another firm, Y, and pitch them, one of the first questions is going to be "Is X investing?" You say yes, X has made you an offer. Now what Y is thinking is either 1) "I should call up X and offer to co-invest at $6 pre," thereby keeping you at an artificially low valuation, or 2) if that's not an option (e.g. because you already have 2 VCs in the deal, because X doesn't think Y is a high quality enough firm to co-invest with, etc) Y is going to hesitate to offer you a term sheet, for fear of being used as a stalking horse. This is industry lingo for when the entrepreneur uses firm Y to get a higher priced term sheet which X then matches and excludes Y. VCs really don't like to be used as stalking horses. So what having a big VC in as a seed investor does is prevent you from getting a competitive dynamic going that gets you a true market valuation.
Why are big VCs doing this? If you have a, say, a $200M fund, spending, say, 5% of your fund to get options on 50 companies is a great investment. You could look at this from an options valuation perspective (seed stage startups have super high volatility – the key driver of options price in the Black-Scholes valuation model). More simply, just think of it as "lead gen" for venture capitalists. Basically big VCs are spending 5% of their budget generating captive leads for their real business: investing $10M into a companies at the post-seed stage.
These seed programs are relatively new so we are only starting to see the wreckage they will eventually cause. I predict in a few years, after enough entrepreneurs get burned, what I've said above will be conventional wisdom. Unfortunately there are a lot of good companies that will die along the way until that happens.
Disclosure: I sometimes compete with big VCs for investments, so I am not disinterested here.


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Sleep duration is commonly studied in children, but less is known about the potential impact of adverse sleep environments, particularly at preschool ages. We examined the frequency of suboptimal sleep environments and tested for associations with sleep duration or nocturnal sleep time among low-income preschool children.
Parents of Head Start preschoolers in Michigan (Detroit and greater Lansing) completed questionnaires on children's sleep schedules and sleep environments. Respondents indicated how often their children slept in a place "too bright," "too loud," "too cold," or "too hot" on a scale of 1 = never to 5 = always. A suboptimal sleep environment (SSE) was defined when one or more of these conditions were reported for ≥ 1-2 nights/week. Weeknight sleep duration or reported time that the child went to sleep was regressed on SSE as an explanatory variable, with adjustment for age, race/ethnicity, gender, maternal education, and average daily nap duration.
Among 133 preschool children, mean age was 4.1 ± 0.5 (SD), 48% were male, 39% were white, and 52% were black; 34% of parents had ≤ a high school degree. Parents reported that 26 (20%) of the children slept in a SSE ≥ 1-2 nights per week. In regression models, SSE was associated with 27 minutes shorter sleep duration (β = -0.45, SE = 0.22, p = 0.044) and 22 minutes later time child "fell asleep" (β = 0.37, SE = 0.19, p = 0.048) on weeknights.
Among these Head Start preschool children, environmental challenges to adequate sleep are not uncommon, and they may have consequences. Clinician or preschool assessment of sleep environments may open opportunities to improve sleep at early ages.
Wilson KE; Miller AL; Lumeng JC; Chervin RD. Sleep environments and sleep durations in a sample of low-income preschool children. J Clin Sleep Med 2014;10(3):299-305.
Sufficient sleep is critical for children's overall health, growth, and development.1 Insufficient sleep is associated with a number of daytime consequences, including lower cognitive performance on intelligence testing and more teacher-reported attention difficulties.2,3 In preschool children, inadequate sleep is linked to poor school performance and hyperactive behavior.4 However, many US children may be sleep deprived, and this problem can begin even in early childhood.5 Although sleep needs of children at specific ages, as opposed to the amounts of sleep that children actually obtain, require additional study and better definition, many preschool-age children do not obtain the 11-13 hours of sleep that are often recommended.6
Minority and low-income children may be at particular risk for shorter sleep duration, which could create an important health disparity and public health issue. Minority children tend to sleep less than their white peers.7,8 Children living in low socioeconomic status neighborhoods rather than more affluent areas are more likely to obtain insufficient sleep,8 report bedtime difficulties,7 and have an irregular bedtime routine.9 In this context, a better understanding of environmental factors that may affect sleep duration, particularly in minority and low-income children, would be useful.
Despite the importance of getting adequate sleep and the growing recognition of health disparities in sleep, sleep habits of low-income preschool-age children remain understudied. More specifically, the impact that a child's basic sleep environment may have on sleep has been scarcely addressed in the literature. To our knowledge, only two Belgian studies have reported on children's environmental exposure to light or noise in the home during sleep.10,11 Kahn et al. found that about one-quarter of children slept in an environment with exposure to either noise or light and that these were each associated with poor sleep.10 Spruyt et al. reported exposure to "intrusive" light in 43.7% of bedrooms and noise in 9.9% of bedrooms; however, they did not test the association of light and noise exposure with poor sleep.11
Current Knowledge/Study Rationale: Little information exists on the frequency and potential consequences of suboptimal sleep environments among low-income preschool children in the US. The aim of this study was to examine the frequency of potentially challenging sleep environments and to test the hypothesis that they are associated with shorter sleep duration and a later nocturnal sleep time.
Study Impact: Suboptimal sleep environments were reported for 20% of this Head Start preschool sample and were associated with both shorter sleep duration and later sleep times. Clinicians should inquire about the home sleep environments when they see preschool children from low-income settings.
To our knowledge, no studies have investigated the burden of challenging sleep environments among US preschool-age children and the potential association with sleep duration. Data on this age group could be particularly important, because increasing evidence suggests that sleep problems at early ages could have lasting, newly emergent, or irreversible consequences years later.12–15 Moreover, school readiness established at preschool ages has lasting influence on subsequent achievement.16,17 We aimed to better define the frequency of suboptimal sleep environments within a sample of low-income preschool children in Michigan, and to test for associations with shorter sleep duration and a later nocturnal sleep time.
For this cross-sectional study, participants were recruited by flyers sent home to all parents with children enrolled in Head Start (federally funded preschool for low-income children) at participating sites in greater Lansing and Detroit, Michigan. Multiple recruitment efforts were made including sending home flyer invitations to attend a monthly parent meeting to "learn how to get a better night sleep" for their child for all families in Lansing and approximately half of the Detroit families. The remaining Detroit families received a flyer to "welcome [parents] to a new school year" and announce the upcoming sleep education program that would be coming to their Head Start later in the school year. Flyers also invited parents to participate in a research study "about their child's sleep." For the Detroit sites, parents were also recruited in person during Head Start orientation to attend the upcoming parent meeting either to learn about their child's sleep or to welcome them to the new school year and to participate in the research study. However, attendance at Head Start orientation was not required for subsequent study participation. Head Start staff also encouraged attendance at the parent meeting.
Surveys were sent home to all parents in advance of the parent meeting and were also available at the beginning of the parent meeting. Although many parents completed the surveys independently at home, additional time to complete them was also given at the beginning of the meeting. All but a small minority (n = 7) of the surveys were collected at the parent meeting prior to the start of the educational program. All parents who provided data analyzed in this report provided written informed consent in person upon arrival to the parent meeting. All families who participated in this study met federal poverty guidelines and none paid Head Start tuition. This survey was approved by the University of Michigan Institutional Review Board, as a first component of a two-phase study in which families could also participate in assessment of a sleep education program. Each parent who completed the initial surveys for the parent study received a $10 gift card.
Six Head Start sites in Detroit and 7 sites in the greater Lansing area participated. There were several differences between sites including: (1) Detroit sites were in an urban setting whereas Lansing sites were rural in location, (2) Detroit sites were predominantly black whereas Lansing sites were white, (3) Detroit sites were full-day programs with a scheduled afternoon nap incorporated into the program, whereas Lansing sites were either morning or afternoon half-day programs without a scheduled nap while at school, and (4) Lansing sites were visited in January and February of the school year while Detroit sites were visited in October and November of the school year.
To be eligible, a child had to be enrolled at one of the participating Head Start sites; a parent had to be able to complete the written survey independently and be consented for the study in English. The only exclusion criterion was that the child could not be a foster child for whom the legal signer of consent would be the state. Parents were asked to complete the surveys in reference to their youngest child currently attending Head Start only.
Among 294 Detroit families and 374 greater Lansing families eligible to participate, a total of 152 families consented, including 87 families from Detroit (30%) and 65 families from greater Lansing (17%). Among those who consented, 19 families were excluded from analyses because of incomplete survey responses for child age, child race, or maternal education. Therefore the total sample size for the present analyses was 133 families: 73 from Detroit and 60 from Lansing (Figure 1). The large majority of survey respondents were mothers (94% in Lansing and 86% in Detroit).
Recruitment diagram
(more ...)
A sleep environment survey created for this study asked parents how frequently their child slept in specific environmental conditions that were "too loud," "too bright," "too hot," or "too cold" (Appendix). These sleep environment questions were selected based in part on published clinical recommendations on sleep environmental factors thought to be important for children's sleep.1 Questions were written at a 7th grade or lower reading level and reviewed by several sleep and behavioral experts, community sleep educators, and Head Start staff for appropriateness. Questions were also piloted for clarity with approximately 100 other Head Start parents prior to use in this study. Response options were "Never: 0 nights/week," "Rarely: 1-2 nights/week," "Occasionally: 3-4 nights/week," "Frequently: 5-6 nights/week," or "Always: 7 nights/week."
Parents reported the typical time their child "fell asleep" and "woke up" on weekdays and weekends over the past 2 months. Parents also reported the weekly frequency of their child's daytime naps (0, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, or 7 days per week) and the length of a typical nap. Basic demographic information included the child's date of birth, gender, race/ethnicity and maternal education level.
Statistical analysis was performed using SAS 9.3 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC). The primary explanatory variable in analyses was sleep environment. To create a single sleep environment variable, response options for each of the 4 sleep environment items were dichotomized as "Never" vs. "Rarely (1-2 nights per week) or more," and children were categorized as having a comparatively "suboptimal sleep environment" if ≥ 1 of the 4 questions was answered affirmatively. Reduction in this manner to a binary variable was performed because an ordinal scale would have been highly skewed, and we targeted a sensitive cut-point in part to ensure that the sample of affected children would not prove too small for analysis. The primary outcome was average weeknight sleep duration, calculated from reported times that the child "fell asleep" and "woke up" on weeknights and weekdays. We focused the present analysis on weeknight sleep duration, and time the child fell asleep on weeknights as a secondary outcome, because these should have less variability than weekend schedules and should be more pertinent for daytime consequences in the school setting. A weighted average daily nap duration was calculated as (typical nap duration) × (typical number of naps per week) / 7.
T-tests, χ2, and Wilcoxon tests were used as appropriate to assess differences in participant characteristics by site location. We similarly assessed differences in participant characteristics, at the Lansing sites only, between participants and all Head Start enrollees, as we were able to obtain from the Head Start program aggregate data for demographic variables of child gender, race, and education level. To test the hypotheses that suboptimal sleep environment (yes/no) is associated with shorter weeknight nocturnal sleep duration and later time asleep on weeknights, we first used unadjusted linear regression models for our sample of 133 participants. Next, we adjusted these models for potential confounders including child age, gender, race/ethnicity (white and non-Hispanic vs. non-white or Hispanic), and maternal education (≤ high school [HS] degree or equivalent vs. more). Since nocturnal sleep duration can be affected by daytime napping, we also controlled for weighted average daily nap duration in our final adjusted model.
Table 1 shows participant characteristics for the entire sample and for each location (Detroit vs. Lansing). The mean child age was 4.1 (SD 0.5) years (range 2.9 to 5.2 years), with children at the Lansing sites being older by a few months, on average, than those at the Detroit sites (p < 0.001). Approximately half (48%) of the children were male. Overall, 39% of the children were white, 52% were black, and 8% were biracial or other. Children at the Lansing sites were predominantly white (87%), whereas children at the Detroit sites were 94% black (p < 0.001). Overall, 34% of the mothers had a high school (HS) degree/equivalent or less, with no statistically significant difference between sites. About half (49%) of the mothers had some college education, 8% had a 2-year degree, 8% had a 4-year degree, and 2% had more than a 4-year degree.
Sample characteristics (n = 133) stratified by site location
Aggregate data (not shown) available from Lansing sites suggested that the survey respondents were similar to all preschool families enrolled at the participating Lansing Head Start sites with regard to child gender and race (p > 0.05). However, survey respondents were more educated than aggregate families (63% mothers with > HS degree vs. 49% parents with > HS degree; p = 0.04).
On average, children were reported to obtain 10.2 (SD 1.0) h of sleep on weeknights and 10.7 (SD 1.1) h of sleep on weekends. Overall, 83% of children took naps and of those, the mean nap duration was 1.6 (SD 1.0) h on 3.4 (SD 2.6) days per week. The distribution of the weighted average daily nap duration variable was skewed to the right with a median nap time of 38 min (IQR 13-90 min) per day. In regard to children's sleep schedules, children were reported to fall asleep on average at 21:05 (SD 48 min) on weekdays and at 21:48 (SD 60 min) on weekends. Children woke up on average at 07:18 (SD 48 min) on weekdays and slept about an hour later on weekends waking up at 08:30 (SD 78 min).
As shown in Figure 2, parents reported that their child slept in an environment at least one night per week that was "too loud" (14%), "too bright" (8%), "too hot" (12%), or "too cold" (3%). In total, 20% of parents reported that their child slept in an environment that was either "too loud," "too bright," "too hot," or "too cold" ≥ 1-2 nights per week.
No statistical difference was noted between Lansing and Detroit.
Percentage of children sleeping at least 1-2 nights per week in different sleeping environments. No statistical difference was noted between Lansing and Detroit.
Associations of sleep environment with weeknight sleep duration are shown in Table 2. Suboptimal sleep environment was associated with a shorter sleep duration in the unadjusted model (p = 0.022), as well as when controlling for child age, gender, race/ethnicity, and maternal education, (Model 1, p = 0.046). This association persisted after weighted average daily nap duration was taken into account: children with a suboptimal sleep environment slept 27 fewer minutes than did children without a suboptimal sleep environment (Model 2, p = 0.044). Of the covariates, only white and non-Hispanic child race/ ethnicity was associated with longer weeknight sleep duration in the unadjusted model (p = 0.001) and Model 1 (p = 0.005), and trended toward significance in the fully adjusted Model 2 (p = 0.059).
Unadjusted and adjusted models with weeknight nocturnal sleep duration as the outcome
Associations of sleep environment with time child fell asleep are shown in Table 3. Suboptimal sleep environment was associated with a later time to fall asleep in the unadjusted model (p = 0.025), after child age, gender, race/ethnicity, and maternal education were taken into account (Model 3, p = 0.038). This association persisted after weighted average daily nap duration was also taken into account: children with a suboptimal sleep environment fell asleep 22 min later than did children without a suboptimal sleep environment (Model 4, p = 0.048). Of the covariates, only white, and non-Hispanic child race/ethnicity was associated with an earlier time to fall asleep in the unadjusted model (p = 0.039), but this variable did not retain significance in the adjusted models.
Unadjusted and adjusted models with bedtime as the outcome
A number of differences in sleep duration and schedules were noted between Detroit and Lansing sites. For example, Lansing children slept longer on weeknights than did Detroit children (mean = 10.5 vs. 9.9 h, p < 0.001), while Detroit children had longer weighted average daily naps than did Lansing children (median = 1.0 vs. 0.3 h, p < 0.001). Lansing children also fell asleep earlier than did the Detroit children on weekdays (mean = 20:53 vs. 21:16, p = 0.01) and weekends (mean = 21:52 vs. 21:35, p = 0.02). Lansing children also had earlier rise times than Detroit children on weekends (mean = 8:13 vs. 8:44, p = 0.02). There were no significant differences in sleep environments between Lansing and Detroit. Site differences could not be distinguished from potential differences based on race/ ethnicity because almost all students in Detroit were black and almost all in Lansing were white.
This cross-sectional study of 133 low-income preschoolers in Southeast Michigan suggests that 20% sleep in a suboptimal sleep environment at least 1-2 nights per week, and that this exposure is associated with a nocturnal sleep duration that is 27 minutes shorter, on average, and with falling asleep 22 minutes later on weeknights. As adequate sleep duration during childhood is widely believed to be a prerequisite for healthy cognitive, behavioral, and physical development, our data raise the possibility that modifiable adverse sleep environments may provide an often overlooked, yet worthwhile target for intervention.
The frequency of suboptimal sleep environments found in this study represents some of the first data from low-income US preschool-age children. In our study, 14% of children slept in an environment that was "too loud" at least one night per week. This is similar to previous reports that 9.9% to 23% of Belgian school children slept in a loud environment.10,11 We found that 8% of children slept in an environment that their parents reported to be "too bright" at least one night per week. In contrast, 26% to 44% of Belgian school children slept in a room that was bright.10,11 Our US low-income preschool-age sample differs from the previous samples of Belgian school-age children, who were not low-income overall. Spruyt et al. collected their sleep information in June, while our surveys were collected in the fall and winter months, and extended daylight hours at the end of spring may have increased the percentage of children who sleep in rooms that are too bright. Additionally, Spruyt found that urban children in comparison to rural children had a higher frequency of the environment being too bright, which may demonstrate differences in neighborhood environments in Belgium versus the US. Finally, the Belgian studies did not comment on the frequency of children who slept in an environment that was too hot or too cold. Therefore, our findings add to the minimal existing literature on the topic of suboptimal sleep environments during childhood. Our finding that a suboptimal sleep environment is associated with shorter sleep duration and falling asleep later also extends findings from Spruyt et al., the only group to study this previously, as they found that excessive noise or light exposure was associated with poor sleep as defined by sleep onset latency longer than 30 minutes and at least one nocturnal arousal occurring at least two nights/week.10
Although a difference of about half an hour in sleep duration, time of going to sleep, or sleep latency may not seem at first glance to be substantial, research on consequences for key neurobehavioral and metabolic outcomes linked to sleep suggest that sleep differences of this magnitude, based on suboptimal vs. better sleep environments, could have profound implications, especially when considered over chronic periods of time and on a population scale.18–20 For example, in one experimental study, children randomized to only 5 days of sleep extension slept 27 minutes longer on average, and experienced improved alertness, emotional lability, and restless-impulsive behavior, as assessed by teachers who were masked to treatment group.21 Conversely, in another study, boys subjected to an average of 46 minutes of sleep restriction for only one week showed deterioration of attention, speech perception, and executive function.22
We also found a difference in sleep patterns between the Detroit and Lansing children, with children in Lansing having longer nocturnal sleep duration and shorter weighted average daily nap duration, as compared to children in Detroit. Although comparisons between the two locations were not a main objective of our study, we were surprised to find such differences in sleep patterns between the Detroit and Lansing samples. The differences may reflect nap schedules in the full versus half-day preschool programs and previously reported cultural differences in naps. Although the daytime nap typically is eliminated during the preschool years for most children, cultural influences may affect the age at which the daytime nap is weaned.9 Specifically, minorities tend to wean the daytime nap at a later age.23 In our study, the largely black sites in Detroit reported more daytime naps than did the Lansing sites, which were largely white.
Our study does have several limitations that reflect the challenges of community-based research with children in low-income populations. Our response rates of 21% to 29% were good, in this setting, possibly as a result of efforts to maximize participation. However, respondents still represented a minority of targeted families, the overall sample size was limited, and the study was restricted to low-income preschoolers in one US state region. These factors limit generalizability of conclusions, especially to other socioeconomic groups, ages, and locations. Survey respondents in Lansing, compared to non-respondents, were more educated than Lansing Head Start parents overall, and may well have differed on other unmeasured characteristics. However, aggregate data reflected highest level of education of either parent, while our survey asked about highest maternal education level, which could account for some of the noted difference between our sample and the aggregate sample. The fact that parents were asked to complete written surveys independently also may have limited the sample to parents with a high enough literacy level to complete the surveys. Additionally, our recruitment efforts may have biased our sample to appeal to parents with more concerns regarding their child's sleep. Furthermore, as our study was not a randomized controlled trial of sleep environments, our findings cannot prove causality. Finally, all measures were based on parent reports. Our study included reported time the child falls asleep but did not include bedtime. This means that we cannot know whether suboptimal sleep environments were associated with later bedtimes or longer sleep latencies after bedtime. Future studies that include more objective evaluation of sleep latency, sleep duration, and sleep times, if not also sleep environments, could be illuminating.
Nonetheless, our current results do suggest a surprisingly low frequency of exposure to a suboptimal sleep environment in a low-income sample of preschoolers in Southeast Michigan. At the same time, however, those children who do have suboptimal sleep environments in comparison to their peers appear to be at risk for shorter nocturnal sleep duration and for falling asleep later. Identification of the underlying reasons may be helpful as we seek to address health disparities in sleep. Future studies that incorporate objective measures of sleep environment characteristics and associated daytime consequences are needed to better understand issues that could have significant public health implications. In the meantime, amidst commonly expressed concern that children do not obtain sufficient sleep, evaluation for the possibility of suboptimal sleep environments could offer new opportunities for clinicians and preschool staff to identify needs and improve sleep at early ages.
This study was funded by the Michigan Center for Integrative Approaches to Health Disparities (P60 MD002249 from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities) and by an American Sleep Medicine Foundation Humanitarian Award. Salary support for Katherine Wilson was funded by an NIH training grant (5T32 NS007222-30) and by a Physician Scientist Training Award from the American Sleep Medicine Foundation. Dr. Chervin has received research grants from the NIH, Fox Foundation, and University of Michigan. Through the University of Michigan he has received support for an educational program from Philips Respironics and Fisher Paykel. He serves on boards of directors for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, American Sleep Medicine Foundation, American Board of Sleep Medicine, Associated Professional Sleep Societies, and International Pediatric Sleep Association. He has consulted for Proctor and Gamble, Zansors, and MC3. He serves as a section editor for UpToDate and a book editor for Cambridge University Press. He serves as a volunteer on the advisory board of Sweet Dreamzzz. He is named in patents, patents pending, and copyrighted material related to sleep disorder diagnosis and assessment, and owned by the University of Michigan. The other authors have indicated no financial conflicts of interest.
Parents were asked to rate how frequently their child slept in a specific environment from never to always.
Please rate how often your child
…sleeps in a place that is loud or noisy.
…sleeps in a place that is too bright.
…during the summer, sleeps in a place that is too hot.
…during the winter, sleeps in a place that is too cold.
The authors are grateful to Ann Raftery, M.A., Director of Sleep Programs, and Nancy Maxwell, Executive Director, Sweet Dreamzzz Inc., for facilitating collection of data for this research; to Teresa Spitzer, Jeanne Kott, Eva Wilson, Sophia Burton, Capital Area Community Services, and Renaissance Head Start staff for their assistance; to Kenneth E. Guire, MS, for valuable assistance with statistical analyses; to Bianca Jiddou and Arshia Vahabzadeh for their assistance with database management; and to the families who volunteered to assist in this research.
Mindell JA, Owens JA, authors. A Clinical Guide to Pediatric Sleep: Diagnosis and Management of Sleep Problems. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2003.
Gruber R, Laviolette R, Deluca P, Monson E, Cornish K, Carrier J, authors. Short sleep duration is associated with poor performance on IQ measures in healthy school-age children. Sleep Med. 2010;11:289–94. [PubMed]
Gruber R, Michaelsen S, Bergmame L, et al., authors. Short sleep duration is associated with teacher-reported inattention and cognitive problems in healthy school-aged children. Nat Sci Sleep. 2012;4:33–40. [PubMed Central][PubMed]
Montgomery-Downs HE, Jones VF, Molfese VJ, Gozal D, authors. Snoring in preschoolers: associations with sleepiness, ethnicity, and learning. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2003;42:719–26
Mindell JA, Meltzer LJ, Carskadon MA, Chervin RD, authors. Developmental aspects of sleep hygiene: findings from the 2004 National Sleep Foundation Sleep in America Poll. Sleep Med. 2009;10:771–9. [PubMed]
National Sleep Foundation. Children and Sleep. Accessed May 5, 2012. http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-topics/children-and-sleep.
McLaughlin Crabtree V, Beal Korhonen J, Montgomery-Downs HE, Faye Jones V, O'Brien LM, Gozal D, authors. Cultural influences on the bedtime behaviors of young children. Sleep Med. 2005;6:319–24. [PubMed]
Spilsbury JC, Storfer-Isser A, Drotar D, et al., authors. Sleep behavior in an urban US sample of school-aged children. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2004;158:988–94. [PubMed]
Hale L, Berger LM, LeBourgeois MK, Brooks-Gunn J, authors. Social and demographic predictors of preschoolers' bedtime routines. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2009;30:394–402. [PubMed Central][PubMed]
Kahn A, Van de Merckt C, Rebuffat E, et al., authors. Sleep problems in healthy preadolescents. Pediatrics. 1989;84:542–6. [PubMed]
Spruyt K, O'Brien LM, Cluydts R, Verleye GB, Ferri R, authors. Odds, prevalence and predictors of sleep problems in school-age normal children. J Sleep Res. 2005;14:163–76. [PubMed]
Touchette E, Petit D, Seguin JR, Boivin M, Tremblay RE, Montplaisir JY, authors. Associations between sleep duration patterns and behavioral/cognitive functioning at school entry. Sleep. 2007;30:1213–9. [PubMed Central][PubMed]
Bonuck K, Rao T, Xu L, authors. Pediatric sleep disorders and special educational need at 8 years: a population-based cohort study. Pediatrics. 2012;130:634–42. [PubMed Central][PubMed]
Bonuck K, Freeman K, Chervin RD, Xu L, authors. Sleep-disordered breathing in a population-based cohort: behavioral outcomes at 4 and 7 years. Pediatrics. 2012;129:e857–65. [PubMed Central][PubMed]
Chervin RD, Ruzicka DL, Archbold KH, Dillon JE, authors. Snoring predicts hyperactivity four years later. Sleep. 2005;28:885–90. [PubMed]
Barnett WS, Frede EC, Mobasher H, Mohr P, authors. The efficacy of public preschool programs and the relationship of program quality to efficacy. Educ Eval Policy Anal. 1988;10:37–49
Lee VE, Brooks-Gunn J, Schnur E, Liaw FR, authors. Are Head Start effects sustained? a longitudinal follow-up comparison of disadvantaged children attending Head Start, no preschool, and other preschool programs. Child Dev. 1990;61:495–507. [PubMed]
Sadeh A, Gruber R, Raviv A, authors. The effects of sleep restriction and extension on school-age children: what a difference an hour makes. Child Dev. 2003;74:444–55. [PubMed]
Magee C, Caputi P, Iverson D, authors. Lack of sleep could increase obesity in children and too much television could be partly to blame. Acta Paediatr. 2013 Oct 4. [Epub ahead of print].
Suglia SF, Duarte CS, Chambers EC, Boynton-Jarrett R, authors. Social and behavioral risk factors for obesity in early childhood. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2013;34:549–56. [PubMed]
Gruber R, Cassoff J, Frenette S, Wiebe S, Carrier J, authors. Impact of sleep extension and restriction on children's emotional lability and impulsivity. Pediatrics. 2012;130:e1155–61. [PubMed]
Molfese DL, Ivanenko A, Key AF, et al., authors. A one-hour sleep restriction impacts brain processing in young children across tasks: evidence from event-related potentials. Dev Neuropsychol. 2013;38:317–36. [PubMed]
Crosby B, LeBourgeois MK, Harsh J, authors. Racial differences in reported napping and nocturnal sleep in 2- to 8-year-old children. Pediatrics. 2005;115 1 Suppl:225–32. [PubMed Central][PubMed]


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While I am now back from a short medical leave... now I have to ask for your support and patience here.
We have a bug. Seems like a major one. We need your support at a very difficult time. I am asking for that now.
EPIC and Scarlet are complicated cameras. Probably the most complicated cameras ever attempted. We have a crack team on it. The amount of development for this program is unprecedented. But somewhere in the complication... we have a bug. It has held us up now for two months. We have working cameras, as you know. But we aren't going to release anything until the cameras are done and bug free. And we have stumbled on an issue that has caused us considerable grief. It is unexpected and it has us baffled.
The fix could be tomorrow. Or not.
We have been a "lucky" company up to this point. The moon and stars lined up for us for the RED ONE (since we didn't have a clue what we were doing in the beginning) and the RED ONE did all we asked. The M-X sensor is incredible... as you know. Our new ASICs for the EPIC and Scarlet are complicate times a million. And they work. Another miracle. Everything was late but on track. Then we hit a snag.
We have an army working on this. 24/7. Trust me when I tell you that we have been humbled. I have questioned our aggressive goals every day.
So what does this mean? Obviously another delay. To compound matters, the company that was to make Scarlet has made an incredible
announcement recently and has significant issues. You can probably figure out who this is. This will force us to find a new manufacturing partner for that product. When we 1st got wind of this, we decided to make EPIC in the US, hoping that the company would find a solution in time for Scarlet production. That now seems unlikely so we are now scrambling for a new partner.
I have started two companies... Oakley and RED... and have never seen anything like this in 35 years of business. We will get past these obstacles. No question about it. But we are going to need patience from our customers.
Now that I am back, I will promise to keep you informed. Good news and bad. We have added a new SWAT team to help... over 20 people whose sole job is to find the problem and solve it.
RED has pushed the envelop in every way. We have pushed ourselves and our competitors. We have laid out a roadmap for everyone what the future of image capture should be. I can only hope that counts for a bit of your consideration.


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Airlines: The Future of Loyalty is Social
SimpliFlying has done some great research on how frequent travelers use social media. The Future of Loyalty is Social infographic summarizes some of the key findings from the research.
To dig deeper, we partnered with Cranfield University in the UK to conduct a study on how frequent travelers (who travel at least five times a year) use social media. And here are some highlights of what we found:
There are more airlines on Twitter than there are airlines with frequent flyer programs (191 vs 179)Almost 90% of frequent flyers use Facebook regularly, and over 65% "Like" at least one airline on FacebookTo frequent flierscheapest fare is the least significant loyalty factor among customer service, earning loyalty points and onboard experience72% of frequent fliers would join a social loyalty programOver 65% of frequent fliers would like to earn social loyalty points via check-ins or by contributing ideas to an airline's Facebook page.Over 80% of frequent fliers would like to earn social loyalty points by recommending the airline to a friend or providing positive feedback.
In the infographic below, we have summarized the findings of the study, and will soon release a detailed presentation of these findings too. Special thanks to Gavin Tan and Prof. Keith Mason from Cranfield University for their tremendous help with this study.
The simple, isotype-style illustrations are immediately recognizable since they are so similar to the figures used in airports and airline signage. I think the Frequent Flier Participation Ladder is some fantastic data, and should have been more prominent in the design.
A handful of things I would have changed about the design:
The initial visualization of social sites should have been in descending order. It's almost there except for Twitter listed first.
The Twitter factoid 'Frequent fliers "following" their favorite airlines on Twitter are steadily increasing' is not supported by the visual showing how many airlines are followed by frequent fliers. The statement claims a change over time.
The benefit percentages are shown on an odd shape of 10 squares. Is that supposed to be an airline seat? Hard for the reader to visually grasp the percentage since it isn't a simple square shape. A grid of 100 squares would have worked better.
The doughnut percentages are sorted in descending order, so the colors are in a different order in each doughnut. Very hard to interpret. The orders should have stayed consistent from Very Strong to Not at all in each doughnut. Doughnuts are also hard to compare with each other visually.
Some great research data, and an infographic was a great way to publicize it. They were very thankful to the professors at Cranfield University for their help with the research, but I wish they had credited a designer. Was this done by someone inside SimpliFlying?
Found on MediaBistro


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|Induction Class of 2003
|Men's Ice Hockey Coach
Barry founded the men's ice hockey program at Boston State in 1962 and was the school's only head coach for the program, compiling a 210-247-5 record in 20 seasons. The legendary mentor also began the Codfish Bowl, the second oldest college hockey invitational in the nation, and coached Boston State to six tournament titles. His finest season as a coach was the 1965-66 campaign that saw the Warriors finish with a perfect 20-0 record. After his coaching career, Barry became the UMass Boston Ice Rink manager and Development Coordinator from 1982-1985. Barry is also an accomplished golfer and started the golf program at Boston State. He also founded the UMass Boston Golf Classic, which has served as the main fundraiser for UMass Boston Athletics for years.


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Lenoir Community College program prepares students for future in engineering technology
LCC engineering group starts new year
The Computer Engineering Technology Club has started a new year at Lenoir Community College. The club consists of students in the CET department at the college. The organization provides freshman and sophomore students an opportunity to interact with each other and students at other programs at LCC in such events as the Fall Festival and the Spring Joust.
This year, the CET Club elected its new officers for the 2012-2013 academic year. These officers are Thomas White, president; Timothy Kennedy, vice president; Kevin Bannister, secretary; Nee Nanthanorath, treasurer; Justin Barr, reporter; and David V. Jones and Glenn Thompson, advisors.
The CET program focuses on training students with the skills to install, service and maintain computers, peripherals, networks, microprocessors and other computer-controlled equipment. This program, headed by David V. Jones, has included training in hardware and software with emphasis on computer systems concepts to provide students with a well-rounded view of how computer related equipment works together.
The CET coursework includes digital electronics, DC/AC circuit analysis, programming of Programmable Logic Controllers, upgrade and repair of personal computers, and programming Boe-Bots, or microcontrollers, which use stamp technology, a very popular technology used today in such devices as cell phones, microwaves, automobiles, etc. The students in the program study computers and computer related equipment.
The CET department can help students prepare for employment in electronics, digital electronics, computers, computer upgrade/repair, computer networking, routers and switches, industrial controls, PLCs, microprocessors, microcontrollers, sales, etc.
�Companies moving into Lenoir County need skilled employees in the areas mentioned above,� Jones said. �Now is the time to start your career in a field with above average salaries. It�s a career only you can control, a career with no ceiling.
�Do not wait until the companies start hiring only to discover you do not have a degree that qualifies you for the position you want,� Jones said.
For more information, contact Jones at 252-527-6223, ext. 102 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Phi Beta Lambda
If you are interested in developing leadership, communication, and team skills, or simply looking for an organization to meet and network with others at the local, state, or national levels; PBL is the organization for you. Imagine building a portfolio of documented accomplishment as a complement to your academic experience. During a job interview, you can demonstrate how you served in a leadership position for the largest collegiate business student organization in the world. At the same time, you will have entered one or more professional competitive events where you have finished as the very best in the state or even the nation.


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Posts Tagged 'Adaptive Architecture and Computation MSc'
Physical Computing Workshop @ UCL
Physical Computing and Interaction Workshop combining Adruino and Processing for MSc AAC and CAAD ETH at UCL
(draft page – to be fixed)
January 2011
interaction_computer vision_natural movement Workshop @ UCL
A three-day "interaction, computer vision and natural movement" workshop was held at UCL by Tasos Varoudis. Students of the MSc "Adaptive Architecture and Computation" were challenged to develop and implement ideas that involved interaction through computer vision and natural movement and to finally present their projects.
The schedule involved 2 days with "Digital Studio" module and one super compressed day with "Body as Interface" module.
The workshop was focused on Processing, as the students were getting more and more familiar with it, with implementations varying from native Processing to OpenCV and network OSC.
London OpenFrameworks Workshop 2009
Tasos Varoudis
June 2009
Teaching support for OpenFrameworks' Workshop lead by Mehmet Akten, Marek Bereza and Joel Gethin Lewis which was hosted by University College London's MSc Adaptive Architecture & Computation Programme.


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Many moons ago in the far off distant past, when daily Ambulance station duties included getting fresh hay for the horses, the subject of quality Ambulance uniform and especially appropriate footwear was never far from our lips.
I was issued with my first pair of black, lace up shoes with a shiny patent leather look in eighteen hundred and frozen to death. I was to transform from a fashionable man about town wearing platform shoes, 20″ Oxford "baggies", large collared (think Harry Hill) shirt, 3 Star decorated jumper and yellow and purple coloured "Budgie" jacket. My fashion sense was awesome!
Now I was kitted out in the kind of shoes that used to get kids beat up at school! My new attire was a dashing two piece tunic of blue with shiny silver buttons topped off with a peaked hat emblazoned with the County Ambulance Service badge of the time. Being ex forces I soon slashed my peak so it sat perched on the ridge of my nose, and shaped the top so that it sloped down both sides of my head. Looking back I must have looked like something off "On The Buses!"
For protection against the elements, and at RTAs, we were given a black knee length double breasted trench coat with waist belt. (This was followed shortly after with the issue of dark orange vests as worn by railway men due to the propensity of road staff becoming injured at night time.) A blue shirt was worn by us humble road staff and white shirts by Station Officers and the LAs (Leading Ambulancemen). A quantity of black neck ties were also issued (this is just shortly before the introduction of clip on ties).
For obvious reasons we were forever getting confused with the Police as their uniform was very similar to ours. This made attending drink related incidents interesting if not sometimes dangerous. Trying to reason with a drunk intent on taking on the world that you are not the Police when all he can see in his befuddled state is a blue tunic and silver buttons is the legend of times past in mess rooms up and down the country.
Of course in those days the job was different to todays shenanigans. Clinical assessment was the "Three Ps"
Pick em (from the floor/house/street)
Put em in (into the truck)
Piss off! (scoop & run to the nearest A/E)
Times have changed and the uniform now reflects our role on a more practical level. Non more so than that of the humble Ambulance foot wear. Over the years Ambulance staff have contributed to the design and development of a decent pair of "Dog Kickers." When the situation arises and the need dictates then there is no more satisfying sound than that of the "muffled tunk!" as steel toecap connects with canine rear!
The only down side to the new footwear is the tread….fine for the extra grip when trying to purchase a hold on the motorway embankment or making light work of the frozen footpath….but an absolute bugger for getting dog shit out of before going home!
Perhaps a University type bod out there may wish to take this up as a project. The design and development of the perfect Ambulance Boot (aka Dog Kickers) with the added bonus of easy clean tread! Can you guess what one of my most recent jobs involved?


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Toon team effort key for Krul
Newcastle United stopper Tim Krul insists the team are happy to take on anyone in the Barclays Premier League this term.
The Dutch international stopper has been in inspired form for the Magpies this term, helping them to a place in the top four thus far and a point at Old Trafford over the weekend in the 1-1 draw.
Confidence is flowing through the side from back-to-front, and Krul believes it's the effort and desire shown by the players which has been so crucial at St. James' Park so far this season.
"We can't be happier. We have had some great results this season, but this is right up there. The effort the lads put in was incredible," Krul told The Shields Gazette.
"They put their bodies on the line – what a game! The only way to sum up the period at the end of the game was mad! There were ricochets going in everywhere.
"It was just a fantastic feeling to go off with a point. Everybody went off smiling, because everybody was fighting for each other. We knew we had to be on our toes and work our socks off. We did more than that."
Krul was forced to admit that lady-luck was shining on the Toon against the Red Devils, unlike against Manchester City, but was adamant he and his teammates deserved the point against Sir Alex Ferguson's side.
He also reserved special praise for striker Demba Ba, whose goals have helped propel the Magpies into a Champions League qualifying position.
"The luck at Man City went against us. At Man United, it went for us. We definitely deserved it. We're just happy to walk away with the point. They came here for a great day and they got one," he added.
"To walk away with a point is more than pleasing. We just showed that we can compete with the best.
"Demba was fantastic. He's done it all season, and to step up in front of 70,000 with all of them whistling and trying to put them off is fantastic. He is so cool, and he has shown he's a fantastic player. To put it away was fantastic."News Now - Sport News


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Carrot Cake Icing Recipes
View All | View Summaries
Pumpkin Ricotta Cookies with Carrot Icing
11.09.09 by Jackie
The pandan ricotta cookies I made a couple of weeks ago for Halloween were such a hit that I decided to make some more.
I didn't feel like using pandan this time, so I flavored the cookies with pumpkin and smothered them in carrot icing. The cookies are moist and chewy and have an earthy sweetness that is perfect for the Thanksgiving season.
Full Recipe...


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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – As part of its ongoing efforts to make it easier for fans to see races, Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III announced that beginning with the Budweiser Speedweeks 2013, race fans can now select Bill Me Later, a PayPal service, as a payment option for ordering tickets online.
Bill Me Later is an easy, convenient, and secure way to purchase tickets for any of Daytona International Speedway's major motorsports events.
With Bill Me Later, race fans can buy tickets valued at $99 or more now, but pay for them over time thanks to 6 months financing* from Bill Me Later. It's a secure, instant, and reusable credit line.
Tickets for all Daytona International Speedway events, including the prestigious 55th annual Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 24, can be purchased online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.
Fans can follow NASCAR on Twitter (@NASCAR) and stay up to speed on the latest news by using hashtags #NASCAR and #DAYTONA500 and #NASCARBattle. In addition, fans can also stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest for all the latest news all season long.
*Bill Me Later is subject to credit approval, as determined by the lender, WebBank, Salt Lake City, Utah. Applicable for qualifying purchases of $99 or more if paid in full within 6 months. Customers check out with PayPal and use Bill Me Later.
Related Features
9.13.2019Tickets for the 50th Annual DAYTONA Supercross are on sale now.
9.11.2019Tickets for the 50th Annual DAYTONA Supercross go on sale Friday, Sept. 13.
8.28.2019Tickets are on sale now for The NASCAR Foundation's 2020 Taste of the 24 dining event.
8.21.2019Each Donor Will Receive A Free Ticket Voucher to the 2020 Coca-Cola Firecracker 250


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MIAMI - The Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office released its final report Thursday on the fatal shooting of an unarmed man by a Miami police officer during a traffic stop last year, saying the shooting did not violate any state laws.
In the 17-page final report on the fatal shooting of DeCarlos Moore, prosecutors said they had concluded that Officer Joseph Marin had "a basis for a justifiable use of deadly force."
Read: Prosecutors' Report
The report includes details, DNA results, interviews with civilian and police officer witnesses.
The shooting occurred July 5 on 16th Terrace in Overtown. Prosecutors said Marin and Officer Vionna Brown-Williams were patrolling the area when they ran the license plate on a Honda driven by Moore and it came back as stolen. The officers pulled Moore's car over and got out of their car.
According to the prosecutors' report, Brown-Williams testified that Moore got out of the car, walked toward the officers, then quickly returned to the Honda, reaching in through a window and turning toward Marin.
Marin said he saw something that looked metallic in Moore's hand as he faced them, according to the report. Marin told investigators he thought Moore was retrieving a weapon and fatally shot him in the head.
Prosecutors said no weapon was found at the scene, but some aluminum foil containing crack cocaine was discovered nearby.
The car actually was not stolen, but its vehicle identification number was similar to that of a motorcycle that was stolen in Minnesota, which likely caused the car's number to come back as stolen, according to prosecutors.
State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle released a statement Thursday saying the state was not going to prosecute the officer.
"After a thorough review of all the facts, evidence and witness statements and studiously examining existing Florida statutes, it is our conclusion that the shooting death of DeCarlos Moore did not involve any criminal violation of Florida law," the statement said.
William Matthewman, Marin's attorney, said many people were in an uproar because Moore was unarmed, but he said the evidence justified what Marin did.
"If an individual is unarmed but still acts in a way to make an officer believe that he was armed or fear that he was armed and puts the officer in fear of his or her life, then the officer is legally justified in using lethal force, and that's really what happened here," Matthewman said.
Moore's family was unavailable for comment.
The report was the first to come out in the investigations of seven police shootings involving the Miami Police Department.
Copyright 2011 by Post-Newsweek Stations. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed


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Looks Like Patent Trolls Have Won This Round As Even Weakened Patent Reform Likely To Die
from the history-repeats-itself deptWe suggested this was likely last month, but after two months of the Senate Judiciary Committee promising to move forward with its (increasingly weakened) patent reform bill, reports are that the bill is set to die thanks to patent trolls and patent lawyers ramping up their lobbying efforts. There has been some talk that Leahy may still bring forward a manager's amendment that has completely watered down the bill into being totally useless, but even that might not happen:
Oh, that revolving door. Helping patent trolls. Also, note that everything fell apart just as... Intellectual Ventures ramped up its political contributions. I'm sure that's just a coincidence, right?
According to a tech industry source, Leahy has changed his position in part as a result of pressure from the Coalition for 21st Century Patent Reform, a lobbying group whose law firm Akin Gump recently hired Leahy's long time chief-of-staff. The source added that Leahy is prepared to let the reform bill founder, and then draw political cover by casting blame for the failure on committee members' inability to produce a suitable compromise. Meanwhile, the bill's momentum has also been sputtering as a result of the trial lawyer bar pressuring other Senate Democrats to slow the bill.
This account of the Senate patent bill's slow death is consistent with a source cited by Reuters, who said "It's somewhere between sinking like a rock and air going out of it, like a balloon,"
And, of course, even if something does get squeezed out, much of the important stuff has already been wiped out of the bill. Late last year and earlier this year, most of our focus was on making sure that the covered business method provisions stayed in the bill, but we've been told they're long gone. This was the part of the bill that would allow the Patent Office to more quickly review business method and software patents to make sure they were legit. This already exists for certain financial patents, and it's been shown to be effective in tossing out bad patents. There is no reason to oppose this unless you have a bunch of bad patents... so of course, bad patent hoarders like Microsoft, IBM and Apple freaked out about it.
But even more basic ideas for stopping patent trolls are being stripped from the bill as well, according to Jeff Roberts over at GigaOm:
Staff members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, who did not want to be named, said by phone that the hold up is due to disagreements over two new points of contention: a provision that would require patent plaintiffs to provide detailed descriptions of alleged infringement in the pleadings they file, and one that would alter the legal process known as discovery (in which each side has to produce documents and witnesses). The latter reform is important because patent trolls rely on the economic asymmetries of patent litigation — especially the threat of discovery, which is extremely time-consuming and expensive — to force their victims into settlements.If you've been following the patent reform space for more than a decade, you'd recognize this pattern. Back in 2004, Senator Leahy had introduced a semi-decent (not great, but not horrible) patent reform bill... and the trolls (and pharmaceutical companies) went apeshit over it, killing it. Every new session of Congress, a new version would be introduced that would be watered down to appease the pharmaceutical companies. Seven years later, the America Invents Act was finally passed... once it had been stripped of basically all useful provisions. It did absolutely nothing to deal with the problems of the patent system (and actually may have created a few new ones).
These proposed pleading and discovery reforms have until now been uncontroversial.
Unfortunately, it looks like we may have a few more years of this kind of crap, and no actual end in sight to patent trolling. It's pretty clear that companies that abuse the patent system are now abusing the political process to make sure they can extract more cash from those who are actually innovating. It's profitable to destroy our innovation economy, apparently, so why not spend it on buying politicians who won't stand up for what's right?
Filed Under: discovery, lobbying, patent reform, patent trolls, patents, patrick leahy, politics
Companies: intellectual ventures


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text: Hi Domenico, VO-52 health is monitored on a daily basis by ISRO, the telemetry and all telecommand is on non amateur radio frequencies and hence is managed by ISRO. 73 Nitin [VU3TYG] Secretary, AMSAT INDIA ________________________________ From: i8cvs <domenico.i8cvs at tin.it> To: Nitin Muttin <vu3tyg at yahoo.co.in>; Amsat - BBs <amsat-bb at amsat.org>; Amsat India <amsatindia at yahoogroups.com>; eu-amsat at yahoogroups.com; VUHAMS <vuhams at yahoogroups.com>; pe1rah at yahoo.com Cc: Nitin Muttin[ VU3 TYG] <vu3tyg at amsatindia.org> Sent: Thursday, 1 March 2012 1:27 PM Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Re: VO-52 Not Heard Hi Nitin, VU3TYG I can't understand if AMSAT-India or ISRO is able and equipped and entitled to command VO-52 Since both transponders ,the AMSAT-India and Duch transponders on board of VO-52 have not channel telemetry it is impossible to know the battery conditions because the beacons of AMSAT-India transponder is only a steady carrier and the Duch transponder I remember has been used for only few days at the beginning and the beacon was transmitting only the same voice message from William Leijenaar PE1RAH. Now who take care to monitor the battery and transponder conditions of VO-52 without to have a channel telemetry ? Who is entitled and able to send a command to VO-52 and switch from the AMSAT transponder to the Dutch transponder ? AMSAT-India or ISRO ? Have AMSAT-India or ISRO already tried to switch from the AMSAT transponder to the Duch transponder ? Have AMSAT-India a VO-52 command station or not ? Please let us know. TNX 73" de i8CVS Domenico ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nitin Muttin" <vu3tyg at yahoo.co.in> To: <amsat-bb at amsat.org>; "Amsat India" <amsatindia at yahoogroups.com>; <eu-amsat at yahoogroups.com>; "VUHAMS" <vuhams at yahoogroups.com> Cc: "Nitin Muttin[ VU3 TYG]" <vu3tyg at amsatindia.org> Sent: Wednesday, February 29, 2012 9:24 AM Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: VO-52 Not Heard All, We are aware of the current situation. Myself and Mani, VU2WMY tried listening to the beacon and work thru the satellite during the 04:05 UTC pass over India ( 6 degree elevation) on Feb 29th but nothing was heard. I will post further updates when I hear from ISRO on the current status and next steps. Please submit your reports at www.oscar.dcarr.org or drop me a email. 73 Nitin [VU3TYG] Secretary, AMSAT INDIA Hi John, K8YSE Transponder and Beacon of VO-52 where also not heard over Europe at 17:55 UTC orbit Nr 36876 28 Feb 2012 73" de i8CVS Domenico ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Papay" <john at papays.com> To: <amsat-bb at amsat.org> Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 3:03 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] VO-52 Not Heard > VO-52 was not heard over the US at 1330z, 28Feb2012. > Reports on oscar.dcarr.org at 1100z also say that it > was not heard over Europe. > > Please listen for VO-52 and submit reports to > the oscar.dcarr.org website. > > 73, > John K8YSE _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB at amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb


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Given a line segment, denoted by it's $2$ endpoints $(X_1, Y_1)$ and $(X_2, Y_2)$, and a circle, denoted by it's center point $(X_c, Y_c)$ and a radius $R$, how can I tell if the line segment is a tangent of or runs through this circle? I don't need to be able to discern between tangent or running through a circle, I just need to be able to discern between the line segment making contact with the circle in any way and no contact. If the line segment enters but does not exit the circle (if the circle contains an endpoint), that meets my specs for it making contact.
In short, I need a function to find if any point of a line segment lies in or on a given circle.
My application is that I'm using the circle as a proximity around a point. I'm basically testing if one point is within R distance of any point in the line segment. And it must be a line segment, not a line.


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Integrating environmental concerns into the Common Agricultural Policy aims to head off the risks of environmental degradation and enhancing the sustainability of agro-ecosystems.
Around half the EU's land is farmed. Farming is important for the EU's natural environment. Farming and nature influence each other:
- Farming has contributed over the centuries to creating and maintaining a unique countryside. Agricultural land management has been a positive force for the development of the rich variety of landscapes and habitats, including a mosaic of woodlands, wetlands, and extensive tracts of an open countryside.
- The ecological integrity and the scenic value of landscapes make rural areas attractive for the establishment of enterprises, for places to live, and for the tourist and recreation businesses.
The links between the richness of the natural environment and farming practices are complex. Many valuable habitats in Europe are maintained by extensive farming, and a wide range of wild species rely on this for their survival. But inappropriate agricultural practices and land use can also have an adverse impact on natural resources, like
- pollution of soil, water and air
- fragmentation of habitats
- loss of wildlife
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has identified three priority areas for action to protect and enhance the EU's rural heritage:
- biodiversity and the preservation and development of 'natural' farming and forestry systems, and traditional agricultural landscapes
- water management and use
- dealing with climate change
The CAP ensures that its rules are compatible with environmental requirements and that CAP measures promote the development of agricultural practices preserving the environment and safeguarding the countryside. Farmers are encouraged to continue playing a positive role in the maintenance of the countryside and the environment.
This is achieved by:
targeting aid at rural development measures promoting environmentally sustainable farming practices, like agri-environment schemes
enhancing compliance with environmental laws by sanctioning the non-respect for these laws by farmers through a reduction in support payments from the CAP


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Eric Rücker Eddison
British writer
Eric Rücker Eddison (24 November 1882 – 18 August 1945), who wrote under the name E. R. Eddison, was an English fantasy writer most famous for his novels The Worm Ouroboros, Mistress of Mistresses and A Fish Dinner in Memison.
- Can a woman not keep her lover without she study to always please him with pleasure? Pew! then let her give up the game. Or shall my lover think with pleasing of me to win me indeed? Faugh! he payeth me then; doth he think I am for hire?
- Mistress of Mistresses (1935)
- The black arrowed swoop of the moment swung high into the unceilinged future, ten, fifty, sixty years, may be: then, past seeing, up to that warmthless unconsidered mock-time, when nothing shall be left but the memorial that fits all (except, if there be, the most unhappiest) of human kind: I was not, I lived and loved, I am not.
- A Fish Dinner in Memison (1941)
The Worm Ouroboros (1922)Edit
- The harvest of this world is to the resolute, and he that is infirm of purpose is ground betwixt the upper and the nether millstone.
- The Queen said, "Remember: when thou shalt see the lord thy brother in his own shape, that is no illusion. Mistrust all else. And the almighty Gods preserve and comfort thee."
Therewith the hippogriff, as if maddened with the day-beams, plunged like a wild horse, spread wide its rainbow pinions, reared, and took wing. But the Lord Juss was sprung astride of it, and the grip of his knees on the ribs of it was like brazen clamps. The firm land seemed to rush away beneath him to the rear; the lake and the shore and islands thereof showed in a moment small and remote, and the figures of the Queen and his companions like toys, then dots, then shrunken to nothingness, and the vast silence of the upper air opened and received him into utter loneliness. In that silence earth and sky swirled like the wine in a shaken goblet as the wild steed rocketed higher and higher in great spirals. A cloud billowy-white shut in the sky before them; brighter and brighter it grew in its dazzling whiteness as they sped towards it, until they touched it and the glory was dissolved in a gray mist that grew still darker and colder as they flew till suddenly they emerged from the further side of the cloud into a radiance of blue and gold blinding in its glory.
- Thou art nothing. And all thy desires and memories and loves and dreams, nothing. The little dead earth-louse were of greater avail than thou, were it not nothing as thou art nothing. For all is nothing: earth and sky and sea and they that dwell therein. Nor shall this illusion comfort thee, if it might, that when thou art abolished these things shall endure for a season, stars and months return, and men grow old and die, and new men and women live and love and die and be forgotten. For what is it to thee, that shalt be as a blown-out flame? and all things in earth and heaven, and things past and things for to come, and life and death, and the mere elements of space and time, of being and not being, all shall be nothing unto thee; because thou shalt be nothing, for ever.
- Ch. 28 : Zora Rach Nam Psarrion, p. 427
- Fling me to Tartarus, deliver me to the black infernal Furies, let them blind me, seethe me in the burning lake. For so should there yet be hope. But in this horror of Nothing is neither hope nor life nor death nor sleep nor waking, for ever. For ever.
- Ch. 28 : Zora Rach Nam Psarrion, p. 427
- Now he conducted her through his armouries where he kept his weapons and weapons for his fighting men and all panoply of war. There he showed her swords and spears, maces and axes and daggers, orfreyed and damascened and inlaid with jewels; byrnies and baldricks and shields; blades so keen, a hair blown against them in a wind should be parted in twain; charmed helms on which no ordinary sword would bite. And Juss said unto the Queen, "Madam, what thinkest thou of these swords and spears? For know well that these be the ladder's rungs that we of Demonland climbed up by to that signiory and principality which now we hold over the four corners of the world." She answered, "O my lord, I think nobly of them. For an ill part it were while we joy in the harvest, to contemn the tools that prepared the land for it and reaped it."
External linksEdit
- E. R. Eddison at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- The Worm of Ouroboros – Complete text at Sacred Texts
- Fan page


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Using Visual Methods in Challenging Contexts
From May 5-6, 2014, Dr. Linda Liebenberg led this two-day workshop to explore the use of visual methods in research with marginalized populations.
Image-based elicitation methods are gaining prominence in social science research. Researchers widely argue that images (e.g. photos, videos, drawings) and artefacts (e.g. clay work, songs, traditional clothing) facilitate participants critical reflection on what they may take for granted. This process of reflection presents an opportunity for both re-presentation of lived experiences and improved articulation of these experiences in the interview setting. As such, these methods particularly appeal to researchers exploring issues such as resilience that are relevant in marginalized communities.
The workshop reviewed the grounded theory behind elicitation methods, current approaches to using image-based elicitation, the value of these approaches in answering particular research questions, integration of these approaches into research designs, ethical considerations of elicitation research, and the limits and cautions to consider when using these approaches.
The workshop provided hands-on experience with the steps to organize and analyze image-based data, which included coding visual tools and developing coding categories. Where data sets centre around both narrative and visual data, and where the subjective construction of experience becomes the focus of analysis, grounded theory analytic techniques that emphasize reciprocity with participants can help to generate explanations for patterns of behaviour.
A step-by-step process to organizing and analyzing data was reviewed, including: conducting initial coding of the data; coding the photographs and video images; developing more focussed codes and categories; writing memos to facilitate more textured and meaningful understandings of the data; and developing theory through the use of coding teams.
Workshop Objectives
- To become familiar with the variety of image-based elicitation approaches used by researchers
- To become familiar with the paradigms and theoretical frameworks behind these approaches
- To add image-based elicitation to one's research toolbox and understand what types of questions it can best help answer and with which populations
- To address ethical considerations of image-based elicitation methods
- To apply a grounded theory approach to the analysis of image and text based data emerging from image-based elicitation methods.


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Aspen Environment Forum
Featuring Danielle Nierenberg
Worldwatch Institute's Director of the Nourishing the Planet program
Other 2011 Forum Speakers:
Kit Batten, Global Climate Change Coordinator, US Agency for International Development
Tim Appenzeller, Chief Magazine Editor, Nature
Will Allen, Founder and CEO, Growing Power Inc.
Thomas Lovejoy, Biodiversity Chair, Heinz Center
About the Aspen Environment Forum:
For the past three years, the Aspen Environment Forum has stimulated discussions on a broad range of topics – from climate change to renewable energy policy, from technology innovation to natural resource conservation. This year, in keeping with the spirit of the of the Aspen Institute, the 2011 Aspen Environment Forum not only seeks to address these issues but aspires to challenge and advance the thinking of all invited speakers and attendees, as well as build new levels of understanding that bridge cultural and political differences.
The Forum is part discussion and part celebration – a celebration of the wonders of the natural world and the continual discovery of it's aspects that describe who we are and where we came from. Many leading explorers, researchers and journalists who attend the Forum describe first hand accounts of the discoveries they are making and what new insights we can gain from them. By bringing informed dialogue to our campus, Aspen Meadows transforms into a venue that encourages all participants and attendees to share ideas that can spark creative insights leading to real solutions.
For more information visit: www.aspenenvironment.org


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THURSDAY, Aug. 8, 2013 (HealthDay News) -- The first rapid test to detect the HIV-1 antigen, as well as blood antibodies for the HIV-1 and HIV-2 strains, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The Alere Determine HIV-1/2 Ag/Ab Combo test can detect these markers for the AIDS-causing virus in human serum, plasma and blood specimens, the agency said in a news release.
Detection of the HIV-1 antigen may allow doctors to diagnose the viral infection earlier than detection of the antibodies alone, the FDA said.
Some 50,000 people are infected with HIV each year in the United States, the agency said, citing statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of the more than 1 million people living with HIV in the United States, about 20 percent haven't been diagnosed, the FDA added.
The new test is produced by Orgenics Ltd., whose parent, Alere Inc., is based in Yavne, Israel.
More information
The FDA has more about this approval.


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Cactus Connect
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To ensure the highest delivery rates in the industry, we uphold the highest standards when it comes to opt-ins and spam compliancy. Cactus Connect offers built in tools ensure users their messages are compliant before every send. We utilize dual servers, using one for single opt-in and another for double opt-in. This protects the integrity of our ISPs.
We demand a clean list and you should too. A better list means better delivery – and that means, better results.


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Mercury News: San Francisco - 'My Jihad' Islamic education campaign kicks off on Muni buses
An educational campaign led by the Council on American-Islamic Relations has put up dozens of advertisements on San Francisco Municipal Railway buses this week to reclaim connotations of the word "jihad," according to campaign organizers. The 35 "My Jihad" bus ads were up by the start of the new year to promote a more inclusive meaning of jihad as believed and practiced by a majority of Muslims, CAIR officials from the organization's San Francisco Bay Area office said.
There are alternate interpretations of "jihad" that are associated with violence and uprisings, spurring the campaign to reclaim the meaning of the word, which means "the struggle" and is the central tenet of Islam. The public ads show a diverse assortment of people sharing their struggles -- from difficulties finding time to work out to exercising more tolerance.
A social media component allows people to tweet or use Facebook to share their modern interpretation of "jihad" and their struggles to get to a better place.
The education initiative kicked off in Chicago in December before starting in San Francisco.
Copyright © 2013 by Bay City News, Inc. ... republication, re-transmission or reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.


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OSWEGO – The Oswego County Health Department offers a variety of services to all residents of Oswego County, including preventive health services, certified home health care, long-term home health care, certified hospice, and a maternal and child health program.
The health department accepts cash or checks for payment.
The department does not accept credit or debit cards.
Patients with private insurance, Managed Medicaid, Managed Medicare, Medicaid, Medicare, and Medicare Part B should bring their benefit cards with them to the immunization clinic.
No one will be turned away due to inability to pay.
The following services will be offered during the week of July 7 at the Nick Sterio Public Health Clinic, 70 Bunner St., Oswego.
– Immunization Clinic: Tuesday, July 8, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., walk-in clinic.
– Pregnancy Testing: Free pregnancy testing is available. Call 349-3391 to schedule an appointment.
– Sexually Transmitted Disease Testing and Treatment Services: Call 349-3547 to schedule an appointment.
– HIV Counseling and Testing Service: Call 349-3547 to schedule an appointment.
Immunization clinics are held every Tuesday from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at 70 Bunner St., Oswego, and the third Tuesday of every month from 9 to 11 a.m. at the H. Douglas Barclay Courthouse, Pulaski.
For more information about public health services, contact the County Health Department, weekdays, phone 349-3547 or 1-800-596-3200, ext. 3547.