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Edythe Abdullah, Luther Coggin, Ann Hicks, Bruce Taylor, Jerry Watterson
Toni Crawford
Carol Thompson
Chair Hicks called the meeting to order and asked for a motion to approve the minutes. The motion was proffered by Trustee Taylor, seconded, and approved unanimously.
Chair Hicks asked Dr. Serwatka to discuss the Y-Axis item. President Delaney added that Agenda Items 3 and 5 were related and would be discussed together.
Dr. Serwatka passed out the draft of the Board of Governor's strategic plan, noting that the plan contained a number of quantitative measures in terms of degree capacity as well as a smaller number of qualitative criteria to measure the stature of programs. He said that recently the BOG chair, Carolyn Roberts, had written to the universities asking what they would do to contribute to the numbers and measures of success discussed in the BOG strategic plan. Responses were due October 15, which meant the Board of Trustees would need to review the response at the October 14 meeting. Indicating the attachment, Dr. Serwatka said the first two pages provided the goals set for the state university system by the BOG. The final page gave UNF's numbers, detailing the number of degrees the University would be producing broken down by level and estimating the number earned by individual minority groups.
Dr. Serwatka said the figures were taken from the five-year enrollment plan submitted earlier this year. He added that the estimates were relatively aggressive. In previous years, the University's predictions had been conservative, which ultimately cost the institution in subsequent funding for student enrollment. He said President Delaney had brought about the change in policy.
He noted that the Board of Governors also wanted degrees classified in terms of critical need, high wage, and high demand. High wage was considered $32,000 or more a year. The amount of research dollars generated was also considered. Dr. Serwatka observed that those estimates were conservative and the actual numbers could well be greater.
BOT Chair Thompson asked from where the increase in research dollars would be derived. Dean Serwatka replied that the engineering program, as it was a new program, was just beginning to obtain federal monies, which were likely to increase given time. Also, he believed some other avenues for significant funding were untapped at present.
Another item discussed was the number of patents. Specifically, the University hoped to have one patent per year. Additionally, Dr. Serwatka said the number of doctoral degrees reflected University administration's plan to bring a new doctoral degree in physical therapy before the Board in the future. He said that at this point, the master's degree was still predominant but the doctoral degree was growing faster. The BOG also asked for less defined characteristics such as national research. As UNF was not a Research I institution, this prediction was not given for the ten-year period.
Dr. Serwatka said, in regard to the item on centers of excellence, that two years ago, FAU, UCF, and UF had received $30 million for their centers of excellence. The BOG had asked if other universities would apply if money was available. After surveying the institution's colleges, UNF's administration came up with four possible centers: (a) an advanced weather information systems research center; (b) a center for remote sensor technology; (c) a center for the study of improved designs and materials for affordable housing capable of withstanding hurricanes and other environmental stresses; and (d) a center for the study of the genomics and biotechnology of mosquito control and possibly tick control as well. Though these would be the centers applied for, it was unlikely that all four would be approved as the application process would be highly competitive. The BOG was examining three characteristics in determining possible centers: technology transfer; ability to attract external funding, the centers must be able to build partnerships with non-university entities; and the number of patents produced.
In response to a question from Dr. Abdullah, Dr. Serwatka said the first two possible centers listed had shown significant success and brought in funding already. The University had a federal project for sensor technology and one for advanced weather technology working with the NOAA. The third possible center had been proposed by the new chair of the engineering division who felt it was time to examine this issue in Florida. This area had not yet established a history but there was a beginning track record in terms of mosquito control. The COAS had also found another faculty member interested in the field. President Delaney added that the affordable housing component was primarily concerned with manufactured and mobile homes. He believed the topic would be of strong interest to the legislature and the State in the future.
Dr. Serwatka went over another item requested by the BOG, other forms of national recognition for outstanding academic programs the universities might be willing to pursue. He said this would satisfy the strategic plan's commitment to establishing flagship programs. Responding to a question from Chair Thompson related to the Board's promise to the public to establish flagship programs, President Delaney said that although UNF's reply did not detail possible programs other than the Jazz program, he hoped to have a couple of programs outlined by next year and the rest selected the year after.
The final item asked about by the BOG had to do with unique areas of focus in terms of meeting community needs and the institutions' own individual missions. The University hoped to provide an outstanding undergraduate education and experience in addition to the flagship programs. The response document listed UNF's efforts in community service and research and included the centers involved.
President Delaney summarized, stating that the BOG had set up an outline of its strategic plan, indicating the number of degrees it hoped to produce in the State and asking what each university planned to contribute to meeting that goal. The BOG wanted to make sure critical needs were addressed and examined the number of research dollars, how much faculty were producing, as well as whether or not the research was relevant to the community at large. He added that UNF's Board of Trustees had done particularly well in meeting the deadlines given by the BOG, even though the universities had often been given a rather narrow window for responding. He also explained the meaning of the terms X- and Y-Axis, indicating that the Y-Axis was the list of what the BOG wanted to accomplish and the X-Axis was how well the universities were hitting those goals.
Trustee Abdullah asked if it would be beneficial to refer to the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce and JADC for reports that indicated what the community has said about addressing community needs and the University's relationship with the community. President Delaney agreed, stating that it was a great idea to list how targeted industry needs had been met according to the community.
Trustee Watterson asked why the projection from the State had not been included on the first page. Dr. Serwatka replied that the BOG did not yet have the projections, but had a proposal to hire someone so they could do the projections themselves.
Chair Hicks asked if there were any other questions or comments. Trustee Taylor pointed out that centers of excellence at the other universities used reasonably broad descriptors: biomedical marine biology, etc. He felt the descriptors given for possible UNF centers were too focused. He suggested reexamining the concepts behind the centers so as not to limit the university, allowing more latitude and allowing the programs to mature. President Delaney agreed.
Trustee Abdullah noted that the targeted program degrees on page 3 showed a decline from 2002-03. She was uncomfortable showing a decline in an area listed as a high need area by the BOG. President Delaney said that the decline was a result of the targeted enrollment projections already submitted to the BOG with the five-year enrollment plan. Dr. Serwatka believed it would be difficult to resubmit the enrollment plan. Trustee Abdullah asked if there was any way to put an asterisk by the item with a note to explain the anomaly. Dr. Serwatka said it would be done.
Chair Hicks asked if a motion to take the document to the full Board as enhanced would be appropriate. President Delaney agreed that it was a good idea to approve the document as augmented by the committee. The motion was made by Trustee Taylor, seconded by Trustee Watterson, and passed unanimously.
Dr. Serwatka directed trustees to attachment 5A, stating that the University had been asked in the summer to send in the projected growth for different categories. He said that in the past, universities were taught never to overestimate enrollment so there was a history of underestimation. However, he said, there had been a penalty for underestimating enrollment as it watered down the cost of a degree, resulting in less money by the following year. Under President Delaney's leadership, university administration decided to get closer to the numbers the University would actually produce. He said the chart broke down the number of degrees by discipline, stating that the prediction was not sacrosanct but was revised every year according to the rate of growth. There was no penalty for overestimating the numbers so long as the discrepancy was not severe. He informed the committee that the enrollment plan had been submitted to the BOG over the summer and was presented for the Board's information so did not require approval.
Chair Hicks thanked him for the report, stating that he has done a wonderful job, as always.
Chair Hicks asked Ms. Kaye to discuss the annual student profile, remarking that this was one of her favorite parts of serving on the Educational Policy Committee. Ms. Kaye passed out some materials, including the new viewbook to be distributed to students for next fall. She said the viewbook had been developed in-house for the associate director of Admissions and she thought it would go a long way in helping with the recruitment process. Trustee Abdullah said the pictures in the book were wonderful. Ms. Kaye told her the photographer was a former UNF student.
Ms. Kaye said she was very pleased to report that enrollments had exceeded expectations this year due to much hard work on the part of University staff. Indicating the first page of the viewbook, she said the bullets highlighted the most important details of this year's profile. At the opening of the semester, there were just under 15,000 students. She joked that though parking had been a topic of some conversation, they had managed to fit everyone in classes. Of great surprise was the increase in the freshman class, with 300 more students than had been enrolled last year over summer and fall. She said it was a remarkable increase. Students' average GPAs had remained about the same, but average SAT scores had increased and student diversity had increased a great deal.
Ms. Kaye said housing continued to be a challenge; because of the influx of freshman, the University had to triple the occupancy of 338 rooms. Housing was at 115 percent capacity. She expected the institution's capacity to be stretched again next year but after that the new student housing building should be able to house all of the students who wanted to come to UNF. She noted that many of the incoming freshmen were from outside the service area due to recruitment out of the region. There had been almost a 4 percent increase in these enrollments and this figure would be affected in the future by word of mouth as UNF students and graduates went home and talked about their experiences here. Geographic diversity had increased, but minority diversity had been put forward as a focus for the year.
Ms. Kaye said that Admissions had been very serious about increasing minority enrollment and had succeeded in strengthening those numbers, raising them by 5 percent. She added that an increase of this kind was quite a feat, particularly as minority enrollments had gone down this year at other institutions. President Delaney observed that the Chancellor had brought that figure up specifically; UNF led the State with by far the biggest jump in enrollment of African American students. Ms. Kaye said many strategies had been in place to make that happen. UNF was committed to increasing diversity on campus and ensuring that students had the support necessary for retention and graduation.
Chair Hicks asked what strategies had been used in this endeavor. Ms. Kaye answered that the number of recruiters had been doubled with soft money. A decision had been made to do the same this year. Further, she had made it the business of everyone in the Admissions office to do this type of recruiting; it was the goal of all of the staff members. Additional focus had been given to recruitment activities. The African American Student Union had been instrumental in bringing students to campus. Close to 100 students had signed up for the AASU prior to starting class. Ms. Kaye said the leadership of the AASU organization had been instrumental. Admissions officers also called to seal the deal, she said, in a sequenced email, letter, and telephone campaign to yield the students and bring them back to campus.
President Delaney added that he thought minority enrollments would go up again next year, stating that the scholarships approved by the Board would assist in making that goal a reality. Trustee Watterson said he wished reiterate what the AASU had done for the campus and for minority enrollments. He said many of the students involved with the AASU were involved in student government as well and that collaborative efforts with the union had been awesome.Indicating the last bullet, Ms. Kaye said that though at first glance it might appear negative, it was due to the increase in the amount of student need. She said the increased need had often resulted in greater student loan debt for students. In response to a question from BOT Chair Thompson, she said that approximately 77 percent of freshmen received state funding.
Ms Kaye noted that the yield rate of those who applied to UNF versus those who were able to attend varied greatly among transfer and non-traditional students due to the state of the economy from year to year.
Ms. Kaye said the enrollments given would not be finalized and presented to the Board until mid-October. She pointed out several other items of interest in the booklet, then ended her report stating that she knew the committee had a full agenda. In one final comment, she added that the Admissions office believed it could hit the aggressive enrollment target set for next year through the Board's generosity with the scholarship funds they had approved. The Office planned to guarantee scholarships to very high profile students on top of any funds they may be receiving from Bright Futures or other avenues. Chair Hicks thanked Ms. Kaye for a fabulous report, stating that her excitement about UNF was really recharged when she heard reports such as Ms. Kaye's.
Trustee Coggin asked about UNF's philosophy concerning the future student profile. President Delaney replied that, of ten Florida universities, UNF ranked the fourth highest for SATs and GPAs behind the University of Florida, Florida State, and the University of Central Florida, consecutively. He added that if the scholarship offers were successful, the institution's rank could be raised even higher. Mr. Coggin wondered if UNF's increased averages for SATs and GPAs would affect access to the University. Chair Thompson said she thought the question posed by Trustee Coggin was very important and said it was one the Board had struggled with throughout the process of improving the University.
Dr. Serwatka noted that there were two ways of coming into the University: incoming freshmen and transfer students, including some from FCCJ who may have struggled during their academic career and might not have the same SATs or GPAs of other students but had shown that they could compete academically. President Delaney remarked that those who transferred from FCCJ graduated with a higher GPA than those who began at UNF as freshmen. Ms. Kaye said that another way access was provided was through academic potential. Students came to UNF during the summer probationary period. If they succeeded in the summer term, they received support throughout the following year to help with retention and graduation. Trustee Coggin said he thought it was wonderful that UNF had achieved an average GPA of 3.63 and average SATs of 1153, the highest in UNF's history.
Trustee Taylor asked what percent were transfer students. Dean Serwatka replied that it was over 50 percent. Dr. Taylor noted that the figure was significant to Dr. Serwatka's point and said it spoke well of what UNF was doing and of FCCJ. Trustee Watterson asked what percent of the summer APP program succeeded. Ms. Kaye answered that the success rate was 90 percent; the average retention rate was 85 percent. Chair Hicks thanked Ms. Kaye again for her report.
Regarding the item on application to Division I, President Delaney said a couple of elements must be tied to the decision about whether to apply or not: there must be no decrease in academic quality, UNF's student athletes historically had high SATs and GPAs and such standing must be maintained; also, the move must be self-funding. He said funding came from two sources: the student fee for athletics and booster money. President Delaney quoted a previous applicant for the presidency, stating that Division II had been referred to as a no man's land without the recognition of Division I and not voluntary like Division III. He said he felt a move to Division I would enhance the feel of campus life, linking students and their alma mater. He said that should the two qualifications previously mentioned be met, the move to Division I would be a positive one for the University.
In examining the financial aspect of the decision, President Delaney pointed out that there would be increased costs for remaining in Division II. These costs could be somewhat allayed by incrementally raising the student fee by 50 cents each year if the fee cap allowed it. The legislature had recently approved a one time increase of $2 in student fees for institutions looking to move from Division II to Division I. With this in mind, it would not cost much more to move toward Division I than it would to remain in Division II, he said. The next consideration he discussed had to do with whether UNF could compete in Division I. He said the institution's facilities were better or equal to those of the Atlantic Sun Conference. Another consideration was the need for an equal average offered in scholarships. President Delaney said university administration had a proposal for meeting or exceeding that average. He noted that the student fee committee had already voted positively on the $2 fee increase and that Trustee Solano, the faculty representative, also felt positively about the move, as did student government. He asked Vice President Shuman to go over the financial implications of moving to Division I.
Ms. Shuman said that the proposal had been worked on by Student Affairs and Athletics many times. She passed out alternative outcomes based on remaining in Division II with no fee increase and with incremental 50 cent increases for four consecutive years. She said the two alternatives were based on the two possibilities resulting from the dictates of state statute. UNF was currently at the state cap of 40 percent. Without a tuition increase, student fees could not be raised any higher. Even with a tuition increase, there would be competing factors for additional student fee monies. Under both scenarios, additional funding from UNF's boosters would be needed to remain in Division II until 2009-10. However, due to the new legislation, universities opting to move from Division I to Division II would be allowed to instate a one time student fee increase of $2, which would not affect the 40 percent fee cap. According to the proposal for moving to Division I with the instatement of the $2 fee, which Vice President Shuman said was a conservative proposal, no additional funds would be needed, and, in fact, an additional $304,000 would be available to put toward the additional scholarships needed for equity with other Division I schools. Thus any other monies raised by the Boosters could also be put toward scholarships.
Ms. Shuman discussed the UNF logo and said that Michael Boele was attempting to make UNF apparel available outside the UNF bookstore. She also spoke of NCAA postseason travel, noting that though the University would lose postseason travel by moving to Division I, it would gain even more in game guarantees as other universities would want to play UNF, particularly in men's basketball, and would be willing to pay believing they would beat the University. However, Ms. Shuman added, the other universities would have no idea what they were up against with UNF. Also, the NCAA allocation would begin after five years.
Vice President Shuman said that the cost of operations, including salaries, would remain much the same, but the institution would have to hire new coaches to remain in compliance with Title IX, regardless of whether it remained a Division II school or moved to Division I. She said the big issue in moving to Division I would be the number of scholarships needed to reach the average of schools in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
In addition to the positive cash flow created by the $2 fees, she said the Boosters had offered to do all they could to help with fundraising to enable UNF to offer more than the average amount of scholarships for members of the Sun Conference.
Trustee Watterson reiterated student support for the fee increase. He said the students would prefer to pay the increase up front and become a Division I school rather than gradually increasing the fees over a four-year period and remaining in Division II.
Trustee Coggin said that if he remembered correctly, the issue of a move to Division I had come up before. He said the Board had listened to pleas from a number of constituent groups and been given a strong presentation in favor of the move. He said he personally, and he felt the majority of the trustees as well, had wanted to take the steps to move to Division I, but at the time had seen significant problems with the move as the University had an interim president and provost and the $2 fee had not been an option. He believed that the Board had been much in favor of the move once the time was right. He said that it appeared to him that now might be the right time.
President Delaney added that the University had also had an interim vice president in Finance at the time. He said he had hesitated even last fall to recommend the move to Division I as he wasn't yet comfortable with the budget and hadn't seen that the move could pay for itself without affecting academics. He noted that the Boosters were eager to help with fundraising for the move to Division I and felt they would be even more successful once the move had been instigated.
Chair Thompson added that two major issues had been the financial impact and Dr. Kline's hesitance to recommend the move for a president who had yet to be appointed. She felt those issues had been resolved. Committee Chair Hicks said she felt a third issue, the academic standing of the University's athletes, had been resolved as well. Chair Thompson asked Vice President Shuman why no amount had been given for revenue raised by the Boosters on the chart outlining the financial implications of application to Division I. Vice President Shuman said the intent of the document was to present the worst case scenario so she had presented it as if the Boosters had not been able to raise any revenue, which had still shown in a positive cash flow for the University in the move.
Trustee Abdullah said she was in support of the move but asked if the increase to the student fees could be recouped by financial aid for those who received it. Dr. Serwatka answered that it could be recovered from any of the avenues for financial aid except for Bright Futures, though it would even be recovered from that over the four year period in conjunction with increases of tuition, which would raise the amount available under the mandated 40 percent fee cap.
Trustee Taylor said he felt the move to Division I was a desirable one. He asked if there were any potential ramifications to Title IX. Dr. Gropper replied that there were no gender equity issues entailed with a move to Division I that were not already presented by remaining in Division II. He added that the University was absolutely committed to being gender equitable. Dr. Taylor said he understood and was very proud of the institution's commitment.
President Delaney said the item had been posited for discussion only and did not require a vote. He noted that the move to Division I was not likely to include football for some time to come as the total number of scholarships would need to double. He said the only possibility would be a walk on program without scholarships.
Chair Thompson thanked Ms. Kaye for the UNF umbrellas she had presented to trustees with the admissions information, noting the timeliness of the gift as it was raining. Her comment was echoed by the rest of the group. Committee Chair Hicks thanked all who had attended for their participation and adjourned the meeting.
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Once in a while a film comes out of Ireland that seems to upend all the ones that came before it.
In 2008 it was the midlands epic "Eden" and the shoestring rock musical "Once" that wowed critics and audiences with their simple but affecting storylines and stellar performances.
Then last year Irish playwright Conor McPherson's chiller "The Eclipse" seemed to invent its own genre.
In 2010 the drama that looks unlike anything that's come out of Ireland before is "My Brothers," currently showing at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Written by Irish screenwriter Will Collins, 33, and directed by British man Paul Fraser, 37, it's a tender story about three young working class Cork brothers who take an impromptu road trip together as they struggle to cope with their father's imminent death.
As storylines go, that may sound like a grim one, but the performances by the young Irish cast and the assured direction lift this film far above its occasional contrivances to turn it into something deeply affecting.
As the film begins, their father (Don Wycherley) is already close to death and the eldest boy is busy storing his fears in a private journal.
"Soon it will be over," writes 17-year-old Noel (Timmy Creed). "Soon it will be every man for himself."
It's hard to tell if the film is autobiographical or fiction as you're watching it because it's so well observed that it feels personal, as if it was the record of an actual life experience replayed in front of your eyes.
But that's what makes "My Brothers" such an understated marvel. Director Fraser has filled it with so much emotional authenticity that it rings true in every scene.
There are no tricks, there's no flashy dialogue, there aren't any colorful characters or quaint scenes to distract you.
Instead "My Brothers" is a sparse but powerful new work, relying on its own elegant simplicity to make its points.
"If Daddy dies on the holidays," asks the youngest boy Scwally (T.J. Griffin), "do we still get time off from school when we get back?"
It's the slow motion death of their father and the three boys' individual responses to it that make for such an interesting film.
Noel, the oldest boy, is already haunted by the inevitable, but Paudie (Paul Courtney), the spirited 12-year-old middle kid, has decided the way to get through it all is by toughing it out and telling jokes (even though there's real pathos hidden beneath all his playacting).
That leaves Scwally, the 7-year-old Star Wars obsessed kid, who can't grasp the gravity of the situation that's facing them all.
With a setup like this it would be all too easy to tilt over into crass sentimentality, but miraculously "My Brothers" never does.
It's half funny, half heartbreaking questions like Scwally's mentioned above that keep the audience at a necessary remove from the three characters. Because the audience has the luxury of deciding whether to laugh or cry, but for the boys the choice is a bit more complicated.
So the emotional wallop of My Brothers slowly sneaks up on you, accumulating as each scene progresses. You'll barely notice how affecting it is until it hits you (and it can't fail to hit you). And that glacial pace and the gradual way the story reveals itself are what drew Fraser to it in the first place.
"Two years ago Will Collins showed me the script," Fraser tells the Irish Voice. "I thought it was beautiful and by then I had wanted to direct something. Finally he delivered a draft back to me that was just awesome.
"Collins' voice is also very similar to my own (Fraser is also an award winning author) when I write which is a strange situation to be in. About six months after meeting him I mentioned to the Irish Film Board that I wouldn't mind directing 'My Brothers.' From then on it just snowballed."
But "My Brothers" was already in pre-production before Fraser decided if he wanted to direct it or not. He had previously directed a series of short films, but he was still on the fence about moving into feature films.
So it became a case of fate taking over. The financing was in place and he decided to run with it.
"We had a tiny budget and we made it work on that," says Fraser. "The film is set during Halloween 1987 and we shot it in Ireland in November when the daylight hours felt like they stretched from half 10 till half 12.
"The shoot also coincided with one of the worst rainfalls Ireland's ever had. Except for the point it just wouldn't rain. We thought someone must be having a laugh. Why would an Irish film crew need to hire a rain machine in November?"
"My Brothers" has two distinct sections. First comes the road trip where we discover who the three lads are and what they're facing into, and there's plenty of comedy and adventures involved. Then the tone darkens and sibling rivalries break out, as does the awareness of what's coming up for them.
Actor Timmy Creed, at 17 the oldest and also the most accomplished actor of the three lads, knew he'd be a shoe-in for the role when he was asked if had a driver's license (his character steals a van for the road trip). For Creed the biggest challenge facing all three first time actors was becoming comfortable in front of the cameras.
"Paul told us to relax into our characters as much as we could and not be bothered by the crew and the lights," says Creed.
"After a few days we got used to it. It just seemed to flow from there. There was lots of improvisation and rehearsals before the shoot and we relied on them too."
None of the three boys look like each other at all, but their performances make you believe they're brothers. All the bickering and leg pulling and laughter are totally convincing.
Fraser turns on the camera and records it all, and that gives My Brothers its unexpected depth.
And just how important is a Tribeca Film Festival launch for producers and distributors? Well, just witness the extended travel arrangements that My Brothers producers Rebecca O'Flanagan and Robert Walpole (the producers of last year's "The Eclipse") made to get it here on time.
Fearing that the volcano eruption in Iceland would prevent them from flying over in time for the opening night, the intrepid pair planned a trip that would have made the great explorers of the 19th century think twice.
"The producers actually drove to the ferry port in Dublin and got on the ferry to Wales, then they drove the 400 miles to the south coast of England where they got the ferry across to France," says Fraser.
"In France they drove all the way to the one airport in Spain that was flying to South America. There they flew to Bogota, Colombia and then to Florida, and then to New York. They wanted to be sure to get here for the film's opening, and they brought the final edit of the film so they didn't want to miss the slot."
That's how important a showing at the Tribeca Film Festival is. Their epic journey actually made The New York Post last week.
Thankfully the air cleared and flights were finally permitted to take off, allowing the Irish cast to attend the opening night, which was held last Friday.
"My Brothers" is currently playing at the festival. It's worth a similar effort on your own part to see it. Visit www.tribecafilm.com.

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University of Vermont
2012-2013 Catalogue
Environmental Sciences Program
Contact InformationJoel Goldberg, Co-Coordinator
College of Arts and Sciences
Phone: (802) 656-3166
Email: email@example.com
Alan McIntosh, Co-Coordinator
The Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources
Phone: (802) 656-4280
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Donald Ross, Co-Coordinator
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Phone: (802) 656-0138
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Integrated across the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), and The Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources (RSENR), the B.S. degree program in Environmental Sciences (ENSC) draws from a breadth of scientific inquiry on the environment that reflects the diversity of this naturally multidisciplinary endeavor. All ENSC majors receive a strong foundation in the basic sciences coupled with an in-depth exposure to and experience in today's environmental sciences. This prepares students to successfully compete in the environmental sciences job market as well as continue their education in the environmental sciences or a related field.
Each unit has a unique perspective on the discipline, and students are free to explore the environmental sciences within a context that best fits their interests and future plans:
- In CALS, faculty research has a strong orientation toward applied environmental problems, not only in agricultural settings but also in the disciplines of plant biology, microbiology, soil science and international development. Students are engaged in experiential learning and hands-on research. Graduates have attained positions with environmental consulting firms, government and non-government environmental organizations, or continued with further education in a variety of fields.
- In CAS, the environmental sciences serve as a hub for a broad-based liberal arts education. Drawing from traditional science disciplines, such as biology, chemistry and geology, this interdisciplinary degree program aims to develop in students the analytical skills and scientific background necessary for understanding the environment and environmental problems. By participating in active research programs involved in studying environmental problems, students are able to integrate and apply fundamental scientific inquiry with application to problems of environmental importance.
- In RSENR, an in-depth knowledge of the environmental sciences is coupled with a familiarity with the social/policy aspects of environmental issues in order to analyze and solve problems caused by human impacts on the environment. Blending hands-on field and laboratory instruction with real-world environmental internship, research, and study abroad opportunities, students acquire the skill set needed to tackle complex environmental problems. With the school's emphasis on such cutting-edge areas as ecological design, restoration of damaged ecosystems and environmental risk assessment, RSENR graduates are equipped with the latest tools to protect our woods, waters and landscapes.


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Actuator with reverse parallel motor mount
Tolomatic's ERD electric cylinders are now available with a reverse-parallel motor mount that makes a more compact package and belt reduction options that offer flexibility in sizing the motor. The motor is mounted in parallel with the actuator instead of inline, which reduces the length of the total package and, with the addition of a rear clevis pivot mount, provides greater versatility in mounting the actuator.
The ERD is an economical rod-style electric actuator designed as an alternative to pneumatic cylinders and an option for automating manual processes. The products are suitable for a wide variety of applications, including product changeovers, pick-and-place, pressing, diverting, heat-staking / sonic welding and more. The actuators can be built to order in stroke lengths up to 24 inches (609.6 mm).
The ERD electric cylinder family is available in four body sizes that are approximately equivalent to 5/8-in. (15.9 mm), 1-in. (25.4 mm), 1.5-in. (38.1 mm) and 2-in. (50.8 mm) bore pneumatic cylinders. The actuators are available in stroke lengths from 8 to 24 inches (203.2 mm to 609.6 mm), and forces up to 500 pounds (2,224 N). The ERD is compatible with most NEMA and metric mount stepper and servo motors to create a flexible, powerful electric actuator solution.


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The Columbus Oktoberfest returns this weekend with a new entertainment stage, comedy acts and traditional food and entertainment.
The Columbus Oktoberfest returns this weekend with a new entertainment stage, comedy acts and traditional food and entertainment.
The 48th annual event will celebrate German heritage Friday through Sunday, Sept. 27-29, at the Ohio Expo Center and State Fairgrounds, 717 E. 17th Ave. Hours are 5 p.m. to midnight Friday, noon to midnight Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Geoff Schmidt, owner of German Village-based Schmidt's Sausage Haus und Restaurant, which produces the event, said part of the fun has been adding to the traditions that have made the event a central Ohio favorite.
"And that's our goal down the road, to make it a bigger and better Oktoberfest," Schmidt said.
New this year is a glockenspiel stage, patterned after a cuckoo clock, where entertainers enter the stage from small doors on either side of the structure.
The stage was built by Dave Fox Design Build Remodelers on the Northwest Side. Bryce Jacob, vice president of Dave Fox, said the company spent about $10,000 on the project, including labor, material, and assembly of reusable panels.
In return, Schmidt's has agreed to promote the glockenspiel event and use the Dave Fox logo.
Negotiations over a Bahama Mama Reuben helped close the deal, Jacob said.
"We enjoy doing things within our community and have tremendous respect for the Schmidt's business," Jacob said.
"Like them, we have been a part of Columbus for a long time and we both felt that we had great business success stories to share. And who doesn't like Oktoberfest?"
Accordionist Dave Sabatka and the Toledo Bavarian Sports Club will perform throughout the weekend.
Admission to the Oktoberfest is free but parking is $8. Food and beverages will be sold by ticket only.
Several local restaurants and food purveyors will provide victuals for the event.
Schmidt's, for example, will supply its popular bratwurst, Bahama Mamas, frankfurters, fried bologna, potato salad, sauerkraut and cream puffs.
Mozart's will provide pierogies and weinerschnitzel, All About the Zel's will offer pork schnitzel, handmade pretzels and fried pickles, and the Hey Hey Bar & Grill will dish up sauerkraut balls and potato pancakes. Juergen's Bakery will contribute desserts and pastries.
Naturally, German beer will be a big part of the festival. Heidelberg Distributing will provide all imported beers, including Paulaner, Hoffbraus and Bittburger.
Also new this year, the Funny Bone comedy show will be held at 9 p.m. Saturday and feature local comedians Dan Swartwout, Keith Bender and Darrell Dawson.
Ladies and gents will have several opportunities to flex their muscles, appetites and pipes.
At the stone-throw competition, starting at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, men and women will have three chances to throw a stone the farthest. For men, the stone weighs 138 pounds and women, 75 pounds.
The cream-puff eating contest will be at 3:30 p.m. Saturday and 6 p.m. Sunday.
Making its return after more than 10 years is the yodeling contest, to be held 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
The audience decides the winner. Wayne Owens, who's in charge of entertainment at Oktoberfest, said the last time the yodeling contest was held a dog won it.
The State Farm Kinderplatz area will have a variety of activities for children, including inflatable amusements, jugglers and live music.
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium will bring animals Sunday afternoon. The Shazzbots will perform a rock 'n' roll variety show for kids from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.
"We're always committed to making this a family event," Schmidt said. "We want to expand on this being a community event and a family event."


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Camp Hyatt offers kids their own vacation fun at Hyatt Resorts in the US and Caribbean. Kids ages 3-12* can participate in activities and adventures that focus on the culture, history, and environment surrounding each destination. From Hula dancing in Hawaii, to painting pottery in Arizona, enriching experiences await. To learn more visit the property links below.
*The age range is 5-12 at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort Spa & Casino and Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa due to state law.


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We are now going to look at a number of MySQL functions. Again, the focus here is on the central premise of this chapter: replacing programming logic with SQL logic is a key optimization skill, and it is almost always the best course of action to make the database perform as much work as possible. You want to minimize the amount of filtering and manipulating data that you do in your programming code.
Of course, MySQL has quite a large number of built-in functions, and some of them have a great many possible arguments as well. We won't attempt to catalog all of them here—that's what the MySQL Manual is for, after all—but we will discuss and demonstrate those functions that, in our experience, have proved to be the most important and useful in terms of replacing programming logic with SQL logic.
Math Functions
MySQL has most of the standard mathematical functions you would expect to find in any programming language. These include rounding functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, and even trigonometric functions.
Rounding Functions
All of the following functions round a floating-point number to one with fewer digits to the right of the decimal point or to an integer in one way or another:
CEILING(): Returns the smallest integer that is not less than the argument. CEILING(2.45) returns 3; CEILING(-2.45) returns –2. It can also be written as CEIL() in MySQL 4.0.6 and later.
FLOOR(): Returns the largest integer that's smaller than the argument. FLOOR(2.65) yields 2; FLOOR(-2.65) returns –3.
TRUNCATE (N, D): Returns N truncated to D decimal places. TRUNCATE (2.45, 1) returns 2.4; TRUNCATE(-2.45, 1) yields –2.4. It is possible for D to be larger than the number of decimals in N; for example, TRUNCATE(2.45, 3) returns 2.450. Note that both arguments are required; TRUNCATE(2.45, 0) evaluates to 2. By using a negative value for D, you can round to the left of the decimal point as well; TRUNCATE(542.5, -1) yields 540 and TRUNCATE(542.5, -2) returns 500.
ROUND(N[, D]): Rounds N to D decimal places; if D isn't specified, then 0 is implied. Note that the manner in which rounding is performed is system-dependent. If portability is an issue for your application, or if you need to be able to depend on the exact behavior, consider using TRUNCATE(), FLOOR() , or a user-defined function (UDF) instead. Beginning in MySQL 5.0, you can also define a stored procedure or function that implements the exact rounding algorithm desired. (See Chapter 8 for information about user-defined functions and stored procedures.)
TIP MySQL also has a convenient function for formatting numbers for display: FORMAT(N, D) returns a number N formatted in comma-separated format truncated to D decimal places. For example, FORMAT(23456.789, 2) returns the string '23,456.78' .
Powers, Exponents, and Logarithms
To obtain powers of numbers in MySQL, you can use the POW() or POWER() function (the two function names are synonymous). For example, 10 to the power of 2 (that is, 10 * 10 or 102) can be found using POW() as shown here:
The logarithm of X to the base Y is defined as the power to which Y must be raised is order to produce X. For example, the logarithm of 100 to the base 10 is 2, because 10 to the power of 2 is 100. Using mathematical notation, we would write this relationship as this:
log10100 = 2 • 102 = 100
The most frequently used base for logarithms in mathematics, physics, and engineering is the special value e, where e is calculated by this series:
Logarithms to the base e are known as natural logarithms (loge, often written as ln) and can be obtained in MySQL using the LOG() function. Enterprise applications don't have that many uses for natural logarithms. However, it can sometimes be quite handy to be able to calculate base-2, base-8, base-10, or base-16 logarithms, which you can do by making use of the fact that logxy = ln y / ln x. Here is an example, in which the second result tells us that we need six digits to express the base 10 number 100 in binary notation.
NOTE The logarithm of 1 to any base is always 0; the logarithm of any number less than or equal to 0 (to any base) is always undefined and in MySQL will return NULL. Attempting to obtain a logarithm to the base 1 or 0 will also yield a NULL result.
In MySQL 4.0.3, logarithmic functions were improved in a number of ways. The function LN() was added as another means for calculating natural logarithms, and the LOG() function was enhanced so that it became possible to find logarithms bases other than 2 without needing to perform division using the notation LOG(base, value). Here are a couple examples:
When used with a single argument, LOG() still returns the natural logarithm. The LN() function may take only a single argument and always return the natural logarithm.
TIP To learn more about natural logarithms and e,a good place to start is on the MathWorld web site at
The functions LOG2() (logarithm to the base 2) and LOG10() (logarithm to the base 10) were also added in MySQL 4.0.3.
To get the value of a number raised to the power of e, use the EXP() function, as shown in the next example.
NOTE POW(), EXP(), and LOG() always return decimal values, even if all arguments are integers.
POW(), EXP(), and LOG()
{mospagebreak title=Trigonometric Functions}
The trigonometric functions are useful for calculating lengths, arcs, and angles, as well as plotting curves and performing complex calculations involving waves.
NOTE We won't attempt to provide definitions or to explain trigonometry here. If you don't already know what they are or how to use them, check out the MathWorld web site, starting from
http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Trigonometry. html.
MySQL provides the following trigonometric functions, where X is an angle expressed in radians:
SIN(X): Sine of X
COS(X): Cosine of X
TAN(X): Tangent of X
COT(X): Cotangent of X
NOTE The secant and cosecant trigonometric functions (often written as sec and csc in mathematical notation) can be obtained in MySQL by using the expressions 1 / COS(X) and 1 / SIN(X) , respectively.
The radian is a unit of angular measure defined such that 180 degrees is equal to p (pi) radians. (The number p is represented in MySQL as PI().) To convert radians to degrees, you can use the DEGREES() function, and to convert from degrees to radians, use the RADIANS() function.
The inverse trigonometric functions all return angle values expressed in radians:
ASIN(X): Arcsine of X
ACOS(X): Arccosine of X
ATAN(X): Arctangent of X
ATAN(X, Y) or ATAN2(X, Y): Arctangent of Y / X
NOTE MySQL stores p and e as double-precision floating-point values. This should be of sufficient accuracy for 99% of all applications requiring the use of these values.
{mospagebreak title=Other Math Functions}
As noted earlier, ABS() returns the absolute value of its argument. The SIGN() function (known in mathematics as the signum function and often written sgn(x) ) tests the sign of its argument, and returns 1 if the argument is positive, –1 if it's negative, and 0 if the argument is 0.
To obtain the square root of a number, use the SQRT() function, as shown here:
It's often useful or necessary in programming to generate random numbers. MySQL provides this capability using the RAND() function, which returns a pseudo-random floating-point value from 0 to 1. An integer may be passed to this function as an optional argument; this serves to "seed" the function and allows you to produce a fairly random but repeatable sequence of values. You can also use RAND() to obtain a set of values in random order from a query by including it in an ORDER BY clause.
Conversion Functions
In nearly any programming application, you encounter situations in which it's necessary to convert data from one type to another. For example, you may have a variable whose value is the string "535" , and you may need to be able to treat this like the number 535 in order to multiply it by another value. Much the same is true in MySQL. In many cases, MySQL handles the conversion for you. For example, if you try to multiply the number 5 by the string "5", the latter is automatically converted to a number, so that the result is the number 25. However, there are times when MySQL's built-in type conversions don't do what you want them to, and you need to force the issue.
MySQL has two types of conversion functions for this purpose: the first is for casting datatypes to other datatypes (and in MySQL 4.01 and newer, for converting strings in one character set to another), and the second is for converting numbers in one base to another.
Type Conversions
While MySQL generally does a pretty good job of converting between datatypes, there may be times when it's necessary to perform such conversions explicitly. Beginning in MySQL 4.0.2, two functions are provided for this purpose. Both CAST() and CONVERT() take an argument of one type and attempt to return the same value converted to a different datatype. As of MySQL 4.1, CONVERT() can also be used to convert strings from one character set to another.
The CAST() function has the following syntax:
CAST(expression AS type)
where expression is a value or an expression that evaluates to a value, and type is one of the following datatypes:
- BINARY (Note that BINARY colname is an alias for CAST(colname AS BINARY))
- CHAR (available in MySQL 4.0.6 and later)
- SIGNED or SIGNED INTEGER
- UNSIGNED or UNSIGNED INTEGER
When used to convert between datatypes, the CONVERT() function has this syntax:
CONVERT(expression, type)
This function can use any of the same values for type as CAST() does.
These functions are most useful when creating a new table using CREATE … SELECT … or copying data between tables using an INSERT … SELECT … query. For instance, suppose that you have a TEXT column in a table that you would like to have sorted using case-sensitivity. Instead of using BINARY textcol in each of your queries, you can copy the table definition and use this statement:
CREATE newtable SELECT CAST(textcol AS BINARY) FROM oldtable;
or this one:
INSERT INTO newtable SELECT CAST(textcol AS BINARY) FROM oldtable;
In the latter case, you'll need to make sure that the column into which you're selecting was declared as BINARY. (If you copied the definition of the old table, you'll need to change the column type using ALTER TABLE.)
The second form of CONVERT() has the following syntax:
CONVERT(expression USING encoding)
where encoding is the name of a character set, such as in this example:
SELECT CONVERT('I like MySQL' USING utf8);
You can see which character sets are available on your installation by using SHOW CHARACTER SET; .
NOTE In this book, we assume the use of the default Latin 1 (latin1) character set and latin1_swedish_ci collation. For information about configuring other character sets and collations, consult the MySQL Manual.
{mospagebreak title=Conversion of Numbers Between Bases}
Four functions convert numbers from one base to another:
BIN(X): Converts a base-10 number X to binary form (base 2).
CONV(X, N, M): Converts the number X from base N to base M. The minimum allowed value for N or M is 2; the maximum value for either one is 36 (10 digits + 26 letters of the Latin alphabet for "digits" greater than 9).
HEX(X): Converts a base-10 number X to its hexadecimal equivalent (base 16).
OCT(X): Converts a base-10 number X to octal (base 8).
All four of these functions return their result as a string. More often than not, when you use these functions within more complex expressions, MySQL will automatically convert the result to a number, as shown in the following example.
Keep in mind that numbers containing characters other than the digits 0 through 9 need to be quoted.
CAUTION Do not confuse CONV() with the CONVERT() function! The latter is used to convert between datatypes, or to convert strings from one character set to another (see the previous section).
Encryption and Encoding Functions
Several MySQL functions encrypt or encode data. You can use these functions for purposes such as keeping passwords secure and ensuring that critical data hasn't been corrupted.
MD5() and SHA1() are one-way hashing algorithms that are useful for safeguarding application passwords and other sensitive data, as is ENCRYPT() on Unix systems. ENCODE()/DECODE(), AES_ENCRYPT()/ AES_DECRYPT(), and DES_ENCRYPT() / DES_DECRYPT() provide keyword-based encryption and decryption. PASSWORD() and OLD_PASSWORD() duplicate the algorithms used to encrypt MySQL's own passwords. COMPRESS() can be used to compress lengthy strings prior to storage and so save on space.
Here's some additional information about MySQL's encryption and encoding functions:
MD5(): Calculates a 128-bit checksum for a string and returns it as a 32-digit hexadecimal number using the RSA-MD5 Message Digest Algorithm. This function is supported in or has been ported to a number of programming languages, including C, Java, PHP, Perl, Visual Basic, and even JavaScript. For more information about MD5 and links to ports of it in various languages, visit http://userpages.umbc.edu/~mabzug1/cs/md5/md5.html.
SHA1(): Calculates a 160-bit hash for a string and returns it as a 40-bit hexadecimal number. Like the MD5 algorithm, the Secure Hashing Algorithm 1 (SHA1) has been implemented in a number of different programming languages. For more information about the SHA1 algorithm, see http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc3174.html.
ENCODE() and DECODE(): ENCODE() takes as arguments a data string to be encoded and a password string, and returns a binary-encoded version of the data string that's the same length as the original. (If you wish to store the encoded string, be sure to use a BLOB column rather than a CHAR or VARCHAR column.) DECODE() also takes two arguments—the encoded string and the same password that was used to encode it—and returns the original string.
ENCRYPT(): Uses the Unix crypt() system call to encrypt a string. This function can take an optional second parameter in addition to the string to be encrypted, a "seed" string of two or more characters. This function does not work on Windows and other operating systems that don't support the crypt() system call; on these systems, it always returns NULL .
AES_ENCRYPT() and AES_DECRYPT(): Implement the U.S. Government's Approved Encryption Standard, also known as FIPS-197, and are the most cryptographically secure encoding functions available in MySQL as of this writing. Like ENCODE() and DECODE() , these functions require two arguments; the second argument is a password. For more information, see the AES home page at http://csrc.nist.gov/CryptoToolkit/aes/. This pair of functions was added in MySQL 4.0.2.
DES_ENCRYPT() and DES_DECRYPT(): Implement the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology's Triple-DES algorithm and are available only if MySQL has been compiled with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) support. For more information, check the MySQL Manual or http://csrc.nist.gov/CryptoToolkit/ Encryption.html#a3DES.
PASSWORD(): Same as that used by MySQL to encrypt passwords set using GRANT commands. It is strongly recommended that you do not use it in your application code, since it is liable to change between major releases. Prior to MySQL 5.0, this function returns a 16-digit hexadecimal number; starting in MySQL 5.0, the algorithm for PASSWORD() has changed, and the function returns a 41-character string that begins with the '*' (asterisk) character followed by a 40-digit hexadecimal number.
OLD_PASSWORD(): In MySQL 5.0, emulates the behavior of PASSWORD() in previous versions of MySQL.
COMPRESS() and UNCOMPRESS(): In MySQL 4.1.1 and later, COMPRESS() compresses a string using the zlib or equivalent library. The compressed string must be stored in a BLOB column. This can be useful for storing large amounts of textual data. The inverse of the COMPRESS() function is UNCOMPRESS(), which was also added in MySQL 4.1.1. You can find out how long a compressed string will be when uncompressed by using UNCOMPRESSED_LENGTH() on it before uncompressing it. If zlib functionality is not available, these functions will return NULL .
TIP It's usually better to compress data before trying to encrypt it.
CRC32(): Calculates a 32-bit cyclic redundancy check (CRC) for a string. This can be used as a hedge against data corruption. However, be aware that multiple errors can cancel each other out, so it is not 100% foolproof. (On the other hand, it's fairly reliable, and the larger the block of data, the less likely this is to happen.) If you're interested in knowing more, the MathWorld web site has some good technical information on CRCs and how they work at http://mathworld.wolfram.com/ CyclicRedundancyCheck.html .
{mospagebreak title=String Functions and Regular Expressions}
Another way that you can save on programming logic in MySQL-based applications, and gain optimization benefits, is by performing string manipulations as part of your queries. MySQL provides a large number of string operations and supports regular expressions as well. First, let's look at some of the string functions.
String Operations
MySQL has functions for joining strings, finding and extracting substrings, and performing other useful string operations. To obtain the length of a string (that is, the number of characters it contains), you can use the LENGTH() function for single-byte character sets. For multibyte characters, you must use CHAR_LENGTH() . If internationalization is likely to be a concern in your application, you should definitely use CHAR_LENGTH() .
For joining strings together, you might be tempted to use the + operator. Several programming languages allow you to do this, but when we try it in MySQL, here's what happens:
In MySQL, the + operator can be used only for adding numbers, and (as we discussed earlier) any strings occurring in an expression involving addition are automatically converted to zero. Instead, use either CONCAT() or CONCAT_WS() .
Both of these functions concatenate strings, but in slightly different ways. CONCAT() takes two or more quoted strings separated by commas and returns a single string containing all of them joined together.
This is a bit better, but is probably not exactly what we had in mind in this case. One possible solution is to insert a new string containing a space in between the strings we're already using, as shown in this example:
This is a little more like it. But there's a better way: using the CONCAT_WS() function. The "WS" stands for "with separator" and indicates that the first argument is to be inserted as a separator or delimiter between each of the strings to be joined.
You can see another example of using CONCAT() in the "improved" PHP 4 and Python coding examples in the "Replacing Program Logic with SQL Logic: A Demonstration" section at the beginning of this chapter.
NOTE Unlike many programming languages, MySQL does not have a concatenation operator like the & operator in Visual Basic or the . operator in PHP or Perl; you must use CONCAT() or CONCAT_WS() to join strings.
To extract substrings from strings, use SUBSTRING(), whose syntax can take either of the forms shown here:
SUBSTRING(string, position[, length])
SUBSTRING(string FROM position[ FOR length])
This function returns the next length characters of string beginning with the character at position, with the first character in string at position 1. If length is
unspecified, then all remaining characters of string are included in the returned substring. Here are some examples:
There are no differences in behavior between the forms using commas and those using FROM and (optionally) FOR. However, the latter syntax is SQL-92 standard and thus more portable between different databases. In the SQL-92 form, the FROM clause is required.
NOTE MID() is a synonym for SUBSTRING(), takes the same arguments, and works in the same way. However, it's not part of the SQL standard, and so is not likely to be supported in databases other
than MySQL.
You can use a variation on this function, SUBSTRING_INDEX(), to indicate a starting point for a substring in terms of where a given delimiter occurs within the string. Although it's not standard and not found in any other widely used database, it can be extremely handy on occasion. The syntax for calling this function is as follows:
SUBSTRING_INDEX(string, delimiter, index)
Here, string represents the string from which you wish to extract a substring, delimiter the delimiter string, and index how many occurrences of the delimiter to count. If index is positive, the delimiter count is from the left, and everything to the left of the final delimiter is returned; if it is negative, the delimiter count is from the right, and the substring returned is taken from the right of this delimiter, as you can see in the following examples.
Another way to extract a substring is by using the RIGHT() function. It takes two arguments—a string and an integer length—and returns the rightmost length characters from string.
For locating a substring within a given string, you can use LOCATE() , INSTR() , and POSITION() . LOCATE() has this form:
LOCATE(substring, string[, position])
The function returns the position at which the first occurrence of substring is found in string. If position is specified, the function returns the position at which the first occurrence of substring is found in string following position.
INSTR() works like LOCATE() with two arguments, except that the order of the arguments is reversed.
The POSITION() function works similarly, except that it has the following syntax:
POSITION(substring IN string)
Prior to MySQL 4.0, the functions LOCATE(), INSTR(), and POSITION() were case-sensitive. Since then, they are case-sensitive only if at least one of the string or substring arguments is a binary string.
NOTE POSITION() is standard SQL. LOCATE() is specific to MySQL. INSTR() is supported for compatibility with Oracle.
Now let's look at some ways to modify strings. These are similar to some of the string-handling functions found in programming languages like Perl, PHP, Visual Basic, and others.
To change the case of a string to uppercase, use UCASE() or UPPER() . To convert it to lowercase, use LCASE() or LOWER() .
NOTE UPPER() and LOWER() are standard SQL. UCASE() and LCASE() are for compatibility with Oracle.
A common task you'll encounter when working with strings is trimming excess spaces from the beginning or end of a string (or both). LTRIM() returns a string with all leading spaces removed; RTRIM() returns a string with all trailing spaces removed. TRIM() is a bit more sophisticated; it can be used to trim all leading or trailing occurrences of any substring from a string. Here's the complete syntax:
TRIM([[LEADING | TRAILING | BOTH] [substring] FROM] string)
The best way to explain how this function works is simply to provide a few examples. If substring is not specified, a space character is assumed:
If LEADING, TRAILING, or BOTH is not specified, BOTH is assumed:
The substring may be any group of one or more characters:
NOTE All three trimming functions are standard SQL and are supported in most other widely used databases, including SQL Server, Oracle, and PostgreSQL.
LPAD() and RPAD() do more or less the opposite of LTRIM() and RTRIM(): they pad out a string to a given length with one or more padding characters. LPAD() and RPAD() have the same syntax:
LPAD(string, length, padchars)
RPAD(string, length, padchars)
Both functions pad the string to length using the padchars. The difference is that LPAD() adds characters to the left of the original string before returning the padded string, and RPAD() adds the padding characters to the right. The following are some examples using LPAD(); RPAD() works essentially the same way.
If length is less than the length of string, then string is truncated to length and returned.
NOTE LPAD() and RPAD() are nonstandard, but are also supported in Oracle. However, unlike with the Oracle versions of these functions, the padchars argument has no default value and must be specified.
To replace all occurrences of one substring with another within a given string, you can use the REPLACE() function, which has the following syntax:
REPLACE(string, substring_from, substring_to)
Here's an example:
Finally, here are a few miscellaneous string functions you may find useful from time to time:
QUOTE(string): Returns a copy of string in which all quotation marks have been escaped.
REPEAT(string, count): Returns a new string containing string repeated count times. (Returns an empty string if count is less than 1.)
SPACE(count): Returns a string consisting of count spaces. (Returns an empty string if count is less than 1.)
STRCMP(string1, string2): Similar to the C language function of the same name, this returns –1 if string1 sorts before string2, 1 if the reverse is true, and 0 if the two strings are the same. It uses the current character set. This function is case-sensitive before MySQL 4.0; in MySQL 4.0 and later, it is case-insensitive unless at least one of the two strings is binary.
REVERSE(string): Returns a string with all of the characters in string in reverse order. For example, REVERSE ('tram') returns the string 'mart' .
We have not provided an exhaustive listing of all of the string functions supported in MySQL, but instead covered those we feel are likely to be useful in helping you move the processing of strings from your application code into your MySQL queries. For a complete list, see the MySQL Manual.
{mospagebreak title=Pattern-Matching and Regular Expressions}
An often-overlooked feature of MySQL is its ability to perform pattern-matching, including the use of using regular expressions. For simple pattern-matching, the LIKE operator is used, with the following syntax:
string LIKE pattern
This operator yields either a 1 (TRUE) or 0 (FALSE), depending on whether or not a match for pattern is found in string. The pattern argument supports two wildcards:
- _ (underscore character), for any single character
- % (percent sign), for any group of characters
These wildcards can be used at the beginning, end, or anywhere inside of pattern. Here are some examples:
NOTE Unlike some other databases, MySQL does not support the grouping ([ ]) or negation (^) operators for use with the LIKE operator.
MySQL also supports full-fledged regular expressions, similar to that implemented in a number of programming languages (using the POSIX 1003.2
standard syntax). A regular expression is a sequence of characters and/or special characters (known as pattern modifiers) that forms a pattern for which a match is sought in a string. In MySQL, you test for a match using the REGEXP operator
and this syntax:
string REGEXP pattern
This will evaluate as true if a match is found, and false if it is not.
Regular expressions as used in MySQL accept the pattern modifiers shown in Table 4-2.
Table 4-2. MySQL Regular Expression Pattern Modifiers
Outside any group, marks the beginning of the string to be searched. Within a group, negates the pattern; for example, [^a-e] matches any character except the letters a, b, c, d, or e
End of the string to be searched
Matches any single character
Zero or more occurrences of the preceding group (equivalent to {0, })
Table 4-2. MySQL Regular Expression Pattern Modifiers (Continued)
One or more occurrences of the preceding group (equivalent to {1, })
Zero or one occurrence of the preceding group (equivalent to {0, 1})
Branch operator (OR); for example, dog|cat matches either dog or cat
Encloses an expression; for example, (aeiou) matches the sequence aeiou
Encloses a set or range; for example, [1-4] matches any one of the digits 1, 2, 3, or 4; [c-g] matches any one of the letters c, d, e, f, or g; [aeiou] matches any one of the letters a, e, i, o, or u. It is possible to combine sets and ranges in a single group; for example, [0-4g] matches any one of the following: 0g, 1g, 2g, 3g, or 4g.
Quantifies the preceding group; {N} indicates that the group must be repeated N times; {N, M} indicates that the group may be repeated from N to M times.
* To match a literal occurrence of any of the characters shown in the Modifier column, escape it with a backslash; for example, [why?] matches the string "why?" (including the question mark). To match a backslash, use a double backslash: \ .
The following are some examples of regular expressions.
MySQL doesn't provide any direct means to return matched expressions (only that a match was or wasn't found), but it's still possible to use REGEXP in WHERE clauses to achieve the same effect, as in the next example.
The RLIKE operator is also supported as an alias to REGEXP , and it works in the same way.
TIP For complete details on using regular expressions, see the Unix regexp(7) man page. If you're a Windows user, you can find this on the Web at http://www.unusualresearch.com/regex/ regexmanpage.htm.
Please check back next week for the conclusion of this article.


text:
Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States declared July National Ice Cream Month!! Take a peek at the proclamation that makes this month so creamy and delicious.
Do you want to enjoy ice cream as much as this little guy? There are many delicious ice cream places in Austin that you can try. This week, campers in the Museum's Home Grown Cooking camp will take a field trip Amy's Ice Cream and see where the famous Austin establishment makes their ice cream. Stop by Amy's sometime and try one of their seasonal flavors such as Girl Scout Thin Mint or Fresh Peach (with peaches from Fredricksburg).
If you'd like to be a Creator of Flavor, you can make Homemade Ice Cream in a Bag from this recipe:
What you need:
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 cup milk or half & half
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- 6 tablespoons rock salt
- 1 pint-size plastic food storage bag (e.g., Ziploc)
- 1 gallon-size plastic food storage bag
- Ice cubes
Tip: A 1/2 cup milk will make about 1 scoop of ice cream, so double the recipe if you want more. But don't increase the proportions more that that — a large amount might be too big for kids to pick-up because the ice itself is heavy.
Here is a list of fun-to-read books about ice cream you can all read together!
Did you know?
- It takes an average of 50 licks to polish off a single-scoop ice cream cone. Challenge your family to a Lick-A-Thon, and see who finishes first.
- The biggest ice cream sundae in history was made in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 1988 and weighed over 24 tons.
- Of all the days of the week, ice cream is mostly bought on Sunday.
- The United States produces the most ice cream in the world.
We hope you have enjoyed National Ice Cream month and find a smile in a good ice cream cone.


text:
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Like Calling a Slide Show A Television Program
This started with business cards. Yes, how on earth did I manage to forget until the end of June that I hadn't ordered business cards yet? I have my engraved business card holder, I fully intended to have cards done in time for Harrogate Crime Festival. But somehow, in between all the other things going on, it slipped my mind.
Until I was rearranging things in my office and looked at my collection of cards I received last year at Harrogate.
Well, how hard can it be? I thought. I do desktop publishing – I used to work in that. I could make my own cards if need be, although Kevin was adamant that I not.
As he said, having a card with bumpy edges because you printed off a sheet of perforated cards and handing them out says cheap.
Now, I don't think about stuff like that, because I don't often exchange business cards. In Mr. Business Analyst and Software Developer's world, they think about stuff like that. I think more about card stock and design – he thinks overall appearance of quality.
So, I decided to try looking at some designs online. I had a design I'd worked out on my computer, but I didn't know if it would be feasible.
What did I discover? That, in order to have the privilege of shopping for business cards online through the retailers here, I had to register as a customer. I had to give them personal information.
Absofuckinglutely not.
I won't give you "my right to privacy, part 2" but this was part of what got me about our government's planned internet surveillance bill. I'm loathe to completely knock it and be 100,000% against it until I actually see the bill. Why so level-headed, so unusually restrained, Sandra? It's simple. I also know the media can make a zit into a brain tumor. And our media have an anti-conservative bias, which means you can't always take what they report at face value. I went through classes on covering politics, I know the subtle ways media manipulate readers to sway political favour. So, when it comes to stuff like this, I bear that in mind.
That said, I will not give out personal information in order to just look at a product online. It's an absolute rule for me. And in cases like this, I'm tempted to write a company a letter and tell them how bad it looks, that a potential customer can't even look at business card designs on the website in order to decide if they might take their business there. What, exactly, is the point of the website then?
Incidentally, if you go into the stores I'm referring to, they have a book on their print center counter with all their design choices. I'm not even asking for something that doesn't exist, but there is no point having a website where people can shop from if you don't let people browse through your products.
They lost a sale over those websites.
Instead, I went to a place in Calgary that designs on site, and yes, it was a bit of a headache for me. I had to drive in and place the order in person. Then, the next day, I had to drive back and approve the proof.
Now I have to drive back to Calgary and pick up my cards. And believe me, three trips to the city, 45 minutes each way, give or take, depending on traffic? I can think of better ways to spend my time, not to mention the gas money.
But that's how strongly I feel about it.
What I really wish is that people who have websites, especially business websites, would realize how ridiculous they look sometimes. I debated on whether or not to pick on some sites, and figured I may as well. I've got to say that if you're selling something, you should have an indication of your product on the site, preferably the front page. I don't have a book cover myself yet, but that's why my front page talks about my writing. Not perfect, but it'll do for now.
This website is one of my least favourite publisher websites. The front page officially puts the site as being about nothing. Even worse, look at how they do the author listing page.
Do you see why it bugs me? You have to go a few clicks in to even start seeing book covers that way. I have no idea what this press is about from their website.
This of it this way. You have a very limited amount of time to persuade someone to look further and be interested in your site. If I was looking to buy a book, I'd be very frustrated by this site. I don't even know what kind of books they sell.
Crap, people, remember consumers fly by and if all they see is children's books, they'll think children's books. If all they see is mysteries... get it? If you publish a variety, indicate that right off the top. I look at the author listing and book listing pages and think, "I'd have to know somebody to be looking for their book here." That is NOT a site that appeals to consumers.
On the other hand, look at Crème de la Crime. Book covers, as well as a "who we are' right on the front page. This is much better. It actually shows me that they publish books, and I can see the quality there of the designs. I'm far more interested in going deeper and looking around at titles on a site like this.
Another site that's not doing itself any favours. Bland front page. No graphics.
Okay, I don't want to see cheesy graphics and artwork that has nothing to do with books on a publisher's site either. But is this a real press or what? Then show me a book cover!
This is one of the best. Crisp, clean, easy to navigate. Looks professional. Scroll down for recently reviewed and upcoming events, getting front page prominence. That tells me they're paying attention to what happens with the books they put out and their authors.
Here are my basic rules for websites:
Show what you're about. There is only one flaw to this otherwise perfect site, and I bet you don't know what it is. It has nothing to do with site design, other than search engine optimization. Otherwise, this is a great author site. Atmospheric. Crisp and clean, easy to navigate. Easy to read.
If you want people to treat you like a serious business, act and present yourself like one. Here's one I'll give mixed reviews. I'm not sure I care what the outside of the store looks like. The cat is the mascot, otherwise I'd be wondering wth – and 2 pictures? But I suppose if you're physically looking for the store, an external picture would help. Still, the link list is small, the titles are long, and it doesn't put itself off as a place to shop right away.
Don't run ads for other businesses, especially across the top of a page. If you're going to do it, put it down the side or something. The top of the page is what grabs the eye first, and when I have to sort through ads for someone else, I'm put off. Here's a good example of an ezine with sponsors, placing them at the bottom of the page. It doesn't detract from the issue or what the ezine is about.
Less is more. Don't overcrowd your site. The site I referenced above as doing ads well? It doesn't do text so well. It's too small, the colours I find visually distracting.
Simply put, you can't be all things to everyone. But know what you're about, and design your site to reflect that. Cornelia's site is simple, understated and very effective. The uncluttered feel allows me to focus right in on who she is, what she's about. She doesn't have to say "author" because she has her book cover right there.
Yeah, I know, this is reading like Sandra's rules of web design. Something to think about, though. I had a hard time designing my website at first, because I originally designed it before I had a book deal. Then I changed the whole design in a hurry.
I've been thinking about redoing it for a while now. I'm still thinking. And going around to some sites that drove me nuts on the weekend has made me think even more about my website.
In fact, I might know what I'm doing instead of sleeping next week.
Okay guys, I'm sure I'm not alone. Share your website pet peeves with me!
26 comments:
- Bill Cameron said...
I have an opinion about this. Though, normally, I don't have opinions. (Really, I don't.)
Things I don't like in web sites are:
Sound. When I land on a web site in which involuntary sound begins, I click close almost instantly. I don't mind voluntary sound: "Click here to hear..." but don't surprise me.
Flash. Now, I happen to think Flash has a place on the web, primarily in the form of Strong Bad cartoons and Magical Trevor. What I hate is complicated whooshy interfaces that take a long time to load and just keep doing stuff all the time. Move your mouse a little bit and sproingy something happens there. Makes me crazy. The interface should NEVER be more important that the content.
There are exceptions to my Flash navigation rule -- sometimes elaborate Flash sites are cool in and of themselves, independent of the content.
Above the Fold. On the home page, everything important should be above the fold. But it shouldn't be crammed in so tight I'm looking at a wall of text/links/GIFs. Tell me what you're about, keep it simple and open, and then let me get to it. Once I click into your site, content may flow out the bottom of the page, but if I have to scroll to find anything on my first visit, I probably won't.
Now defining "above the fold" can be a bit tricky. For someone on a thirty-inch monitor, the browser window may be huge. But these days, you're safe to assume an average window area of 1024 x 768 pixels, and if your home page works within those dimensions, you're probably safe. And some stuff can appear below the fold -- less important stuff. But grab me with a single screenful, and give me access to everything critical from there. I'll love you for it.
Animation. This is similar to the Flash rule, which is that I don't want to see a lot of it. But a little is okay. And I do like feedback. If I mouse over something I can click I like it when something changes, color or shading.
Printer Friendly versions of pages are cool, but even the primary version of the page should at least acknowledge that someone might want to print it. Of course not everyone does a printer-friendly version of their pages, and for those, at least a tacit acknowledge that for long pages, folks might want to print it and read it offline is nice.
Poor Contrast. Grey text on dark grey? Yeah, it happens. Makes me cry. Light on dark, dark on light, I don't care about so much. Contrast is critical though.
I can go on and on and on and on. But out of courtesy to my host, I'll be quiet now.
I will, however, leave you with a link to the ultimate authority on web site design, Strong Bad.
- 11:38 a.m.
- Linda L. Richards said...
It's easy to deal with sites that require you to register in order to use them. Do what I do: just make shit up.
It's not like they're actually going to check or anything. I mean, you're right: it's invasive of a business to ask for information they don't need so that you can possibly shop with them. It makes no sense. So help our cause: next time it comes up, clutter up their database with useless information.
- 11:46 a.m.
- Sandra Ruttan said...
Bill, you can rant all day! I don't mind! Your thoughts are more specific than mine. I know some people have major issues with flash and sound.
Linda, great idea. I just get so indignant, I move on to the next site. But lying? That never even occurred to me (and I call myself a crime writer!)
- 11:48 a.m.
- Steven said...
Okay, but on the subject of business cards for writers, do you have cover art yet? If so, I'd think about using that for the front of your card. Then email or other contact info on the other side.
- 11:57 a.m.
- S. W. Vaughn said...
I am so totally with Bill on the flash and the sound. I hate having music or talking heads pop from my speakers unexpectedly. DESPISE it. If I hear sound, and I didn't click on something to activate the sound, I'm gone.
Flash does have its place, but not on the front page. I don't like being confronted with LOADING... when I type in a URL. Same thing as the music: if the page immediately starts with the loading screen, I'm gone (unless it's a game site and I expect an interface to start up).
And those stupid cursor animations that follow the mouse around... ARGH! They won't go away!
- 12:46 p.m.
- S. W. Vaughn said...
Oh yeah, Bill: StrongBad rocks! (Just ask him!)
I actuallly have a link to Something.com somewhere on my website. :-)
- 12:47 p.m.
- Sandra Ruttan said...
Sorry to say it Stephen, but no cover art. Otherwise, it would have been a definite plan. Margaret Murphy gave me her card last year, very nice job with the cover art. And yep, it made me go to the store and look for her book.
SW, I hear you. If there's something on a site I can't make stop, I'm likely gone.
- 12:51 p.m.
- anne frasier said...
cornelia's site is gorgeous.
i also hate sound and won't look at a site with sound/music.
- 2:03 p.m.
- JamesO said...
Oops. My site requires you to register before you can download any of my stories - and you don't really get any tasters either. It's actually something I've been thinking about for a while, but haven't got around to fixing, since I never get any hits anyway. I've a plan to use sessions to count a person's downloads, then when they've read three stories I'll prompt them to register before reading any more.
As to what bugs me most about site design. Apart from what's been said above, I hate complicated navigational structures. Three clicks to what you're looking for should be the aim.
And shopping carts that wait until you've reached the checkout before telling you the item's not in stock.
And people who charge £5 postage and packing for something that plainly cost 50p to send.
And... I'll stop now.
- 2:05 p.m.
- Sandra Ruttan said...
I can go either way on sound - it just depends on what the sound is. But Cornelia does have a great site, doesn't she Anne? Of course, it doesn't have the same atmosphere as Simon's, which I like.
James, you'd never make it as a con artist! LOL! Got to agree about those shopping carts!
- 2:29 p.m.
- Cornelia Read said...
Thank you for citing my site as a good one--I was just very very very lucky that Heidi Mack of xuni.com was willing to take me on as a client. She's amazing, and I love all of her author sites, especially Louise Ure's.
- 3:42 p.m.
- DesLily said...
Being on dialup I agree with all above! Any animation/ sound etc adds so much to my upload that I give up on most. It's a shame they dont have a choice to pick from like they did for "frames or no frames" So you could either visit a "high tech" site or a "plain site" and get all the same information.
It's a shame they forget not everyone is on high speed. And many times it's because it's not an option where they live or they can't afford it.
A favorite site of mine is Stephen R Donaldson Author of two trilogies called The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, his lates being The Runes of the Earth.
He has a good thing going there where he has a running dialogue with anyone who writes him a question. It can get very interesting at times! It might be an idea for you to toy with after the release of your book!!
- 6:43 p.m.
- Sandra Ruttan said...
Good point DesLily - we were stuck on dial up for a while when we first moved out here, so I know what you mean.
And I'll check out that idea, thanks!
Cornelia, your site is fantastic. I just hate sites where I can't find what I'm looking for, and your site is so well organized, I love it.
- 7:19 p.m.
- Andrea at Lochthyme said...
Sound, I don't like sound. Well let me qualify that. I don't like some sites that have some obnoxious song playing...usually sounding like it was recorded in a tin can. Bleah. Especially fun if you are up late at night and it blasts out at you...scares the crap out of me usually.
I did my own website and just recently this year did a whole redesign which I like better than the old website but someday I'd love to have a professional design it for me. But that cost $$ which I ain't got. :) So for now i plod away trying to figure out what the heck I'm doing. :) And I try to take into consideration people on dialup and different screen sizes.
I too hate sites that require registration just to view their product...they lose me too. Also sites that charge a huge amount for shipping turn me off... Ebay is rampant with that. A pair of earrings and shipping is $7.00. Puuulease!
- 8:41 p.m.
- Sandra Ruttan said...
Oh, I hate it when a loud site scares the bejeebers out of you at night! Good point!
- 8:48 p.m.
- Bonnie Calhoun said...
I hate sound, and heavily compressed pages. I'm on dialup also...sometimes I just give up and move on.
And the registering thing....It never occurred to me to lie!
- 11:17 p.m.
- Sandra Ruttan said...
What I'm trying to figure out is, how bad is it for us to lie under the circumstances, Bonnie!
- 11:20 p.m.
- Linda L. Richards said...
Guys, I didn't say to lie when you register. I said to make shit up. It's not the same thing at all. One is being untruthful. The other is creating a fiction. Maybe it's all in the place that you stand, but I'm standing on self-righteousness here (they shouldn't be asking me to register!) and it feels just fine.
- 12:49 a.m.
- Sandra Ruttan said...
Okay, well, when you put it that way... It's perfectly fine!
And you're right - they shouldn't be asking!!!
- 12:51 a.m.
- Amra Pajalic said...
I have to agree with Bill's points on the hate things. This is part of the reason why i still have no website designed. I'm not a visual person. While I know what I like and don't like, I have trouble articulating the why and how. I keep thinking that if I get published I'll have motivation to either create a website or pay a mate to come up with something and then learn enough to change it myself. For now I'll watch and learn.
PS Cornelia's website is so beautiful.
- 7:34 a.m.
- anne said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- 7:42 p.m.
- anne frasier said...
sandra, i'm really looking forward to hearing all about harrogate.
the above delete was mine. i'd make a terrible spy. i can't keep track of all my identities.
- 7:44 p.m.
- Sandra Ruttan said...
Amra, if you read Cornelia's book, the little pictures even make sense!
Anne, LOL! Bad spy girl. Sounds like a Mike Meyers movie.
- 7:53 p.m.
- Sandra Ruttan said...
Ooops, that would be Myers. But at least those googling won't find my site by accident.
- 7:53 p.m.
Hi, i was looking over your blog and didn't
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- 1:16 p.m.
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a place where you can make some nice extra cash secret shopping.
I made over $900 last month having fun!
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- 2:50 p.m.


text:
Did you read today's front page stories & breaking news?
From the Wires
A safer way to online shop
New online payment method would eliminate fraud, help secure Cyber Monday sales
By: PR Newswire
Nov. 16, 2012 02:38 PM
DALLAS, Nov. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- As soon as Kara Miller spotted the Kate Spade handbag on eBay, she knew she had to have it.
But when the bag arrived, it bore little resemblance to the online photos she had studied. It was clearly a fake. Miller lost the money and has not purchased anything from eBay since the incident several years ago.
"It was disappointing," said Miller, a marketing executive in Dallas. "Honestly, I didn't even bother trying to get my money back because I figured it would be a losing battle."
Miller's experience has long been a frustrating downside in consumer-to-consumer sale sites. But a new tool developed by an Olympic gold medalist could have prevented the fraud from occurring while providing protection to buyers and sellers.
Called Secure Trans, this new payment and inspection method could change how sales are made on sites such as eBay or Amazon.
Here's how it will work: Rather than shipping an item directly to the buyer, the seller would ship it to a neutral location, such as a retail store. The buyer would go to the store and inspect the item while being monitored by cameras and store employee. The buyer could accept the item and finalize the payment, or reject and have it shipped back to the seller.
Steve Lundquist, an Atlanta businessman and 1984 winner of two Olympic gold medals in swimming, developed the idea for Secure Trans after a friend purchased tickets to an Aerosmith concert. The tickets arrived too late, and the friend missed the concert. It took three months for him to recover the money.
"I thought, 'There has got to be a better way,'" Lundquist said. "A lot of people avoid person-to-person sales websites because they are worried about fraud."
Lundquist enlisted the help of Scott Hemingway, a Dallas attorney, who secured patents for Secure Trans.
"This patented technology will fundamentally change how consumers make online transactions in the future," said Hemingway, who specializes in intellectual property cases. "This eliminates fraud on both ends and provides consumers with a safer, more secure way to shop online."
Lundquist and Hemingway plan to implement the program with jewelry, watches, and collectibles but hope to expand to other high-end items, such as electronics and valuable memorabilia. The patented method could eventually help further the reach of sites such as Craigslist and online classifieds that now tend to involve local sales.
The partners are meeting with executives from various carriers and large retail stores that could serve as neutral inspection sites. Businesses would receive a small fee, Lundquist said, but the real benefit would lie in the additional foot traffic.
"People would come in and remember they need milk, bread or whatever," he said. "Businesses would need no extra staffing to do this, but would see more foot traffic."
Currently, companies such as eBay and Amazon have procedures for sellers and buyers to appeal cases, Hemingway said, but the process can be lengthy and often unsatisfying.
Secure Trans would streamline the process and protect buyers, sellers and companies.
"This will revolutionize person-to-person sales and guarantee safe, secure transactions with immediate dispute resolution." Lundquist said. "This takes fraud out of the picture."
Steve Lundquist is an Atlanta business executive. Lundquist won two gold medals in 1984 in the 100-meter breaststroke and the 400-meter medley relay. He is a graduate of Southern Methodist University, and he earned an MBA from Northwestern University.
Scott Hemingway is a partner in Hemingway & Hansen, an intellectual property law firm in Dallas. In his 20-year career, Hemingway has litigated patent, copyright and trademark disputes in U.S. Federal Court. Hemingway has extensive experience patenting semiconductor and computer-related inventions but also has worked on cases related to thermoelectric storage containers, aluminum baseball bat designs and frozen food preparation techniques.Media Contact:
Scott Hemingway Hemingway & Hansen, 214-292-8301, firstname.lastname@example.com
News distributed by PR Newswire iReach: https://ireach.prnewswire.com
SOURCE Hemingway & Hansen
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