text:
I have been working on an Application Express 4.0 feature to support consuming REST Web services. REST Web services use a simpler architecture than the popular SOAP style Web services. Instead of posting some big XML document wrapped in a SOAP Envelope, REST requests are typically done by passing name/value pairs in the query string of a URL.
To prove that the support for REST I am building in Application Express is useful, I have been working with popular public REST Web services offered by Yahoo, Google and Amazon. I built a similar application to the Amazon Store sample application using the REST APIs. Everything was going great until I received the following email from Amazon.
"Dear Product Advertising API Developer,
We wanted to remind you that all Product Advertising API developers will be required to authenticate all calls to the Product Advertising API by August 15, 2009. We noticed that requests with your AWS Access Key ID are not being signed and, while you have more than 60 days until the date on which authentication is required, we are, as a courtesy, sending you this email to remind you of the new authentication requirement. Please remember that calls to the Product Advertising API that are not signed will not be processed after August 15, 2009."
What do they mean I need to sign my requests? Luckily they provided some links for developer resources on how to construct signed requests. In a nutshell, you must byte order all of your parameters, add a Timestamp parameter and then you create a base64-encoded HMAC_SHA256 signature using your AWS secret key. Should not be a problem. I recently added support for parameters in REST requests to be populated by the result of a function and I am somewhat familiar with the DBMS_CRYPTO package. Unfortunately I quickly found out that DBMS_CYRPTO only supports HMAC_SHA1 and I not so quickly found out that HMAC_SHA1 is not the same as HMAC_SHA256. Am I stuck?
I binged (Google gets enough love and Microsoft can use the help after their most recent earnings results) for HMAC_SHA256 and PL/SQL and found this forum post. This guy wanted to do exactly what I need to do. Someone suggested that he create a Java stored procedure and then he responded with some Java code example with and hmacSHA256 function. Unfortunately no-one could give him an example of exactly how to create that Java stored procedure and then use it in PL/SQL. That's when I remembered that my good friend and colleague Joel Kallman wrote about creating a Java stored procedure to create a zip file of BLOB's.
Well, surely I can follow Joel's example as a cookbook and do the same thing with this hmacSHA256 function, right? The answer is yes, after spending more time than I probably should have (don't tell Joel if you see him), but hey, I had to prove that this REST stuff would actually be useful to customers. If they can't sign their requests, they won't be able to use Application Express to build cool applications that interact with Amazon Web Services. (At least that is my attempt at invoking what another colleague calls The Oracle Justification Server.)
First, start by compiling the following Java source.
Code listing 1, java source hmacSHA256
create or replace and compile java source named hmacSHA256 as
import java.io.*;
import java.net.*;
import java.security.*;
import java.util.*;
public class hmacSHA256 {
public static String encrypt(
String message,
String keyStr) {
//get the bytes of the keyStr
byte[] key = keyStr.getBytes();
// Start by getting an object to generate SHA-256 hashes with.
MessageDigest sha256 = null;
try {
sha256 = MessageDigest.getInstance("SHA-256");
} catch (NoSuchAlgorithmException e) {
throw new java.lang.AssertionError(".hmacSHA256(): SHA-256 algorithm not found!");
// Hash the key if necessary to make it fit in a block (see RFC 2104).
if (key.length > 64) {
key = sha256.digest();
// Pad the key bytes to a block (see RFC 2104).
byte block[] = new byte[64];
for (int i = 0; i < key.length; ++i) block[i] = key[i];
for (int i = key.length; i < block.length; ++i) block[i] = 0;
// Calculate the inner hash, defined in RFC 2104 as
// SHA-256(KEY ^ IPAD + MESSAGE)), where IPAD is 64 bytes of 0x36.
for (int i = 0; i < 64; ++i) block[i] ^= 0x36;
try {
} catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
throw new java.lang.AssertionError(
"ITunesU.hmacSH256(): UTF-8 encoding not supported!");
byte[] hash = sha256.digest();
// Calculate the outer hash, defined in RFC 2104 as
// SHA-256(KEY ^ OPAD + INNER_HASH), where OPAD is 64 bytes of 0x5c.
for (int i = 0; i < 64; ++i) block[i] ^= (0x36 ^ 0x5c);
hash = sha256.digest();
// The outer hash is the message signature...
// convert its bytes to hexadecimals.
char[] hexadecimals = new char[hash.length * 2];
for (int i = 0; i < hash.length; ++i) {
for (int j = 0; j < 2; ++j) {
int value = (hash[i] >> (4 - 4 * j)) & 0xf;
char base = (value < 10) ? ('0') : ('a' - 10);
hexadecimals[i * 2 + j] = (char)(base + value);
// Return a hexadecimal string representation of the message signature.
return new String(hexadecimals);
Next you create a standard PL/SQL function that uses the java source as in the following code listing.
Code listing 2, PL/SQL hmacSHA256 function
create or replace function hmacSHA256(
p_string in varchar2,
p_key in varchar2) return varchar2
as language java
name 'hmacSHA256.encrypt(
java.lang.String) return String';
Finally, you create a function that takes in the string to sign, your AWS Secret Key, and then creates the HMAC_SHA256 signature.
Code listing 3, amazon_signature function
create or replace function amazon_signature(
p_string in varchar2,
p_key in varchar2) return varchar2
encrypted_raw raw(2000);
output_string varchar2(32000);
encrypted_raw := hmacSHA256(p_string,p_key);
output_string := UTL_I18N.RAW_TO_CHAR (utl_encode.base64_encode(encrypted_raw), 'AL32UTF8');
return output_string;
end amazon_signature;
show errors
Now let's test all this out. Amazon provides a nice self contained Web page utility that uses Javascript to help you create signed requests. I will use 123456 as my AWS Access Key ID and abcdefg as my AWS Secret Access Key. Plug in the following URL in the Unsigned URL text area:
This will come up with the following string to sign:
And will produce the following Signature parameter:
If I take the same string to sign and AWS Secret Key of abcdefg and run it through amazon_signature, I get the following results:
Code listing 4, result of amazon_signature function
jason@APX11W> declare
2 l_token varchar2(4000);
3 begin
4 l_token := amazon_signature('GET
5 ecs.amazonaws.com
6 /onca/xml
7 AWSAccessKeyId=123456&AssociateTag=apex30-20&Keywords=liberty%20and%20tryanny&Operation=ItemSearch&ResponseGroup=It
8 dbms_output.put_line(l_token);
9 end;
10 /
PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.
The only difference in the result is the very end. Prior to using the signature, it must be URL encoded. If you run the string uMJX4cN6EXHyTUrC03Ae9hAcGdTnAHI0KqtovwQUHP8= through wwv_flow_utilities.url_encode2, you will get uMJX4cN6EXHyTUrC03Ae9hAcGdTnAHI0KqtovwQUHP8%3D.


text:
From GODORT
Agendas and Minutes
Program Ideas
Have a program idea?
The GODORT Program Committee would like to hear it!
- Cataloging/Classification
- Collection Management
- Federal Documents
- International Documents
- Management
- New Technologies
- Preservation
- Promotion and Outreach
- Reference
- State Documents
Send your program ideas to: Kirsten Clark, clark881 [at] umn [dot] edu

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Picture It: April photo contest
Congratulations KATELYN!! You are the lucky winner of an Epiphanie bag AND Zenfolio premium photography website for 1 year. Please email firstname.lastname@example.com to claim your prize.
Thanks to all who entered! Your rain entries were beautiful!
It's time for another round of the Epiphanie Picture It photo contest! The April theme is: RAIN. Think April showers, puddles, rain boots, umbrellas, lightening, etc. You get the idea. So grab your camera and shoot (or pull something from your archives) because we have an incredible prize package this month!
One lucky winner will receive an Epiphanie bag of your choice AND a Zenfolio premium plan website for your photography business!
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So simple, right? Winner of this contest will receive 1 year of premium plan hosting from Zenfolio!
Enter to win this prize package by completing the following three steps:
1) Post your very own "RAIN" photo submission online:
- to your blog
- Flickr account
- Pinterest board
- Instagram account
(Only one photo submission per person. Links to photos on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ are not acceptable forms of entry.)
2) Caption your picture with the following:
I entered the Epiphanie Camera Bags + Zenfolio Picture It photo contest! http://bit.ly/Ix1mXq
3) Post your photo here by clicking on the "Add your link" button below:
(If you inadvertently post the incorrect link, click on the red x to delete, then resubmit your entry.)
Complete those three steps and you're entered to win!
Want to submit bonus entries?
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Then comment below that you tweeted this message (include your Twitter handle in the comment).
*Post on your Facebook wall - I entered the @Epiphanie + @Zenfolio Picture It photo contest! http://bit.ly/Ix1mXq
Then comment below that you posted on Facebook.
We can't wait to see your RAIN entries! Contest ends on Monday, April 30, 2012 at 11:59PM CST. Winner will be chosen at random and announced the same week. Good luck!
Please note: Only one photo submission per person. From time to time Epiphanie may choose to post your photo submissions to our Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other social media pages. By entering this photo contest, you are granting Epiphanie permission to share your photo on our social media pages. We will, of course, state the photo source each time we share.


text:
Himler and Bock helped Harvard tie for the best round-robin record (photo courtesy DSPics.com).
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.-The Harvard sailing team opened the 2010 spring season with an 11-7 record and third-place finish in the Sharpe Trophy Team Race Saturday at MIT.
The Crimson posted a 9-6 record in three round robins against the rest of the six-team field. That record matched Tufts and Brown for the best round-robin mark, but the Jumbos and Bears both won two of their three matchups with the Crimson and advanced to the championship round.
Harvard took two of its three races against Boston College in its final round to total an 11-7 mark. Only Tufts (11-6), which swept its final series against Brown, had a better overall record on the day.
Eight athletes contributed to Harvard's performance in the following pairs: Tedd Himler and Quincy Bock, Alan Palmer and Alma Lafler, John Stokes and Michelle Konstadt and Brendan Kopp and Meghan Wareham. Himler, Palmer and Stokes skippered the Crimson boats in the final round against BC.


text:
A setback for wind power
Strict requirements might jeopardize green energy for Sangamon County
Sangamon County board members are considering an amendment to make green energy developers plant wind turbines farther from people who don't want them. The amendment penned by board member Tom Fraase "is about an inch thick," says Tim Moore, chair of the Public Health, Safety and Zoning committee, and would make the existing wind farm ordinance more stringent.
County rules state turbines can't be less than half a mile from incorporated areas with a population of less than 10,000, or 1.5 miles from areas with more people. They must be at least 1,200 feet from a non-participating homeowner, and the amendment would require even greater setbacks from those homeowners.
Concerned that a potential wind farm would reduce property values, create noise pollution or present a fire hazard, homeowners showed up to three informational meetings held in January.
"We're not opposed to wind energy, but we're concerned about the proximity to homes as it relates to property values, health issues and everything else," said Cathy Bomke at a Jan. 25 meeting in New Berlin. Bomke, cousin of state Sen. Larry Bomke, collected about 450 signatures last year in a petition for more setbacks.
Steve Frank, New Berlin village president, witnessed growth spurts in the towns of Chatham, Rochester and Sherman, and worries that a wind farm could restrict New Berlin's own progress. "We're in the growing mode here, and I don't want to be landlocked if a wind farm comes in within half a mile," Frank said at the meeting.
Committee members explained the finer points of the Wind Energy Conversion System, or WECS, ordinance and the rationale behind it. The current regulation was passed in 2006, after the committee looked at 37 Illinois and five out-of-state ordinances. The current ordinance is among the state's most restrictive, but Moore says it gives developers enough information to know how to build a wind farm in the county.
American Wind Energy group, which is eyeing land between New Berlin and Pleasant Plains for a 25,000-acre, 200-turbine wind farm, says tightening zoning requirements might squeeze the project out of existence. Wind proponents worry about Sangamon County's viability as a green-energy producer.
"If the county expands the setback requirements to a mile or so [from nonparticipants] you're not going to see development in Sangamon County, period," says Kyle Berry, a Springfield attorney who works in the wind industry. Berry also advises Illinois counties on wind zoning and is a co-founder of the Illinois Wind Energy trade group.
Ahead of the meetings, the zoning committee looked at scientific studies concerning whether wind farms have an effect on property values. Norm Sims, executive director of the Springfield-Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission, wrote in a report it was "difficult to answer" whether turbines had an impact, but found no compelling evidence that wind farms depress property value.
Sims' report mentions a December 2009 study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which concluded wind farms didn't have a "consistent, measurable, and statistically significant effect on home sales prices." For the study, researchers looked at the sales of nearly 7,500 homes between 800 feet and 10 miles of a wind farm.
"It was really the first study of its kind," says Matt Aldeman, technical assistant at the Center for Renewable Energy at Illinois State University. "There was a definite need for it, based on all of this opinion that properties around wind farms tend to drop in value."
The Center reported in June 2009 that the 1,118 megawatts of wind energy produced in Illinois annually generates $11.4 million in property taxes and $4.3 million extra income for landowners who lease to developers. Aldeman estimates roughly one permanent, full-time job is created per every 10 turbines.
Illinois is one of 24 states that requires electricity providers to have a portion of their power come from renewable sources. By 2025, 18 percent of Illinois power must come from wind, leaving proponents wondering where Sangamon County will contribute.
"Regardless of what's happening at the local level, state policy is pointed strongly in the direction of wind projects," Barry says.
Matthew Schroyer is an independent journalist based in Springfield, where he grew up. He enjoys blogging about political events, natural disasters, music and journalism. He can be reached at email@example.com.


text:
Residenza del Duca, the outcome of painstaking renovation works in a former medieval aristocratic building transformed in the 16th century, is a fine boutique hotel in the heart of Amalfi.
Bed & breakfast rates with boutique hotel pampering and quality in Amalfi.
We have restored and treasured every single detail related to the local heritage and traditions, so that you can fully enjoy the atmosphere of the Republic of Amalfi.
Some of our rooms feature 1600s "cloister" and "a schifo" (cloister vault intersected by a parallel plane) vaulting; others have chestnut beamed ceilings from the 1700s, skilfully restored by a craftsperson from the Amalfi Coast. We are the only B&B boasting such peculiarities, able to turn a simple holiday into a true experience.


text:
Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic has confirmed he will leave the club at the end of the current season. The centre-back moved to Old Trafford from Spartak Moscow in 2006 and has won five Premier League titles and the Champions League with the Red Devils.
Goal understands Inter are keen on signing the Serbian in the summer, although they will face competition from Monaco, and Vidic confirmed he wants to move abroad.
"It's the last year of my contract and I have had eight wonderful years here. My time at this great club will always rank as the best years of my career," he said in a statement to the club's official website.
"I never could have imagined winning 15 trophies and I will certainly never forget that fantastic night in Moscow, memories that will live with me and the fans forever.
"However, I have decided that I will move on at the end of this season. I want to challenge myself again and try to make the best of myself in the coming years.
"I'm not considering staying in England as the only club I ever wanted to play for here is Manchester United and I was lucky enough to be part of this club for so many years. I've got a few options to move on and I will choose the right one for me and for my family.
"I am now going to focus all my efforts on playing for Manchester United and do the best I can for the team until the end of the season. I hope this stops any further speculation about my future."


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Give your traditional brass diyas a modern makeover this Diwali


text:
Before I start with my first post on 10,000 Birds as one of the new beat writers, I would like to mention how grateful I am for the opportunity, and how thankful, and that it is such an honour, and …
Look, if you want to know how so many excellent plus one average nature writers ended up onboard 10,000 Birds, you may just want to follow this link. That's all there is to say.
I have a young son who is nearing his third birthday. Being a zoologist, I have tried to teach him not only the words for tractor, truck, bus, and excavator (although these are clearly his current main fields of interest), but also animal names. As a matter of fact, I started very early on in his lingual development with "Taiga Bean Goose" but soon realized that domesticated animals did a better job of inducing an interest in the animal kingdom. To fully ignite the dormant zoologist within him, I made sure to point out and name all the animals we encountered on our stroller expeditions around farms and fields, and I also provided him with a description of the sounds they make. This recently struck me as somewhat peculiar. Why are the vocalizations of an animal so important that they are always the first detail children learn from their parents? It is always name and sound. Why not name and food source, or name and mode of locomotion, or name and type of roosting place? Parents will rarely – if at all – introduce their kids to the world of birding by telling them that "this is called a BIRD and it lives in a nest". No, it will always be a BIRD and it goes peep. And here is a dog and it goes woof, woof, and this is a cow and it goes moo, moo.
Intriguingly, I may mention the correct name of an animal as often as I want and the sound only once, yet it is the sound that my son memorizes as the animal's name.
Me: "This is a sheep, it's called a sheep. A sheep goes baa. It's a sheep. What is it?"
Son: "It's a baa!"
Although it may seem otherwise, my son has very well also memorized the word "sheep" in the example above. If I ask him where the sheep is within a group of assorted animals, he will not point to the goat, the camel, or the polar bear. Nope, no way, he will invariably point to the sheep within the crowd as if it was the most self-evident thing on earth and say "There's the baa!"
He's clearly doing this by choice.
From this I recently concluded that humans must have an ancient and inherent urge to name animals by the sound they make, and as Rick has recently pointed out using the word *ghans, this has indeed been common practice amongst our forefathers.
Now, as I have expressed a few issues with many of our birds' common names in the past, I wondered if this emphasis on onomatopoeic aspects might be a viable way of making the names of birds more accessable to novices, and give them an air of sense and meaning. So I gave it a try, and here are a few short birding episodes of mine as my son would narrate them, with the common names in brackets (sound descriptions were taken from Sibley's field guide).
Michigan, summer 2007:
A soaring Yaaa Yaa Ya [Double-crested Cormorant] had me all confused as it was so reminiscent of a Krr kr krr kr kr krrr krr [Anhinga], but a thorough analysis of the photos took care of this hope for a rarity.
Ontario, May 2005:
While I sat in the evening sun overlooking the marsh, I scanned the reeds and cattails for a Rad rad rad rad [Yellow-headed Blackbird]. But no such luck. Thankfully, two Poopoopoo [Least Bittern] in flight offered some well-deserved consolation.
Norway, June 1992:
Having arrived at the northern coast of Hamningberg, I was thrilled to immediately notice a strong movement of birds along the shoreline, mostly involving Aarrr [Common Murre] and Urrr [Razorbill], but also the hoped-for Aoorrr [Thick-billed Murre].
Ontario, June 2007:
Scanning through the flocks of Kuleeeeuk [Ring-billed Gulls] at the tip of Point Pelee for the umpteenth time, I sincerely wished they all … well … at least one could be a California Gaaal [yes, that's right].
It can't be denied that those purely onomatopoeic bird names sound quite sharp and make the entire concept of calling birds by their call appear quite convincing. But is it really practicable? Let us see how well you do with purely onomatopoeic bird names by inviting you to do a little quiz. This time however, I have raised the bar somewhat, and the descriptions may or may not be from the Sibley's guide and quite possibly also from other field guides. You will really have to try and visualize, or rather audiolize the songs from their descriptions to reach an identification. As I am on a monthly beat and birders are not known for being exceedingly patient (bird fast, twitch young – except those committed to making visual contact with Black Rails, I guess), the solution will be included further down in this post, hidden from your monitor by a random selection of bird pictures. Here is the task:
Guess or rather definitely identify the bird species on the following list of onomatopoeic "names":
1. pee-ur
2. pit-tse-ar
3. pweer
4. pippety-chee
5. p'peurr
6. piddy-weeeeer
7. p't'peer p'd'jjeet
8. piddiweew
Here are the bouncer pictures that ensure the solutions are off your monitor…
Rock Pipits share their winter habitat with the Purple Sandpiper, but clearly got the worse end of the names deal. Purple Pipit would have been so much more inspired. It's potential onomatopoeic name? Oh, never mind, think "Purple Pipit"!"
And now, after cleansing glances at some of Europe's most colourful birds, here are the solutions:
1. Say's Phoebe [American Bird Conservancy's Field Guide: All the Birds of North America]
2. Say's Phoebe [National Geographic Society: Field Guide to the Birds of North America]
3. Say's Phoebe [Peterson's A Field Guide to the Birds of North America]
4. Say's Phoebe ["Golden Field Guide": A Guide to Field Identification, Birds of North America]
5. Say's Phoebe [Pete Dunne's Essential Field Guide Companion]
6. Say's Phoebe [Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North America]
7. Say's Phoebe [the new Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America]
8. Say's Phoebe [The Sibley Guide to Birds]
Come to think of it, I might see a problem. Do you see a problem? Why, yes, there might indeed be a problem.
Upon closer inspection, the respective descriptions – while not diametrically opposed – do seem to show an amount of variation one would struggle to label as insignificant. Indeed, from the variation presented by different authors, it would even seem that there is a disturbance in the interface between the acoustic signal and the literary presentation, making the descriptions highly susceptible to a certain degree of randomness.
Therefore, I conclude that the oh so promising strategy of using an onomatopoeic approach to get rid of awkward and gawky names like Northern Beardless Tyrannulet, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Connecticut Warbler is fundamentally flawed or at best only applicable to regions that are covered by one field guide and one guide only, like … the moon and such.
This is really too bad, but in defeat lies opportunity for more reflecting.
Lo and behold, this insight led me to critically analyse my use of sound descriptions in field guides, and the result is quite shocking!
I barely make use of them.
Seriously, I hardly ever read them at all, and – if my memory serves me right – I have never, ever identified a bird call or song by using the description in a field guide alone. Surely the descriptions allowed for a rough assessment of the possible species involved, but a certain ID, one I was confident enough about that I included the bird in my written notes?
I don't think so.
It would seem that I mostly – or almost exclusively – use the descriptions of song and call to support a difficult identification when I have both seen the bird and heard it vocalize. Of course I am fully aware of their importance in that respect, after all I live in the land of Acrocephalus and Phylloscopus warblers, but I have often wondered if these song descriptions shouldn't put more emphasis on highlighting these precise differences instead of simply trying to describe a song or call in words.
What do you think?
How important are the call and song descriptions in field guides to you and how heavily or not do you make use of them while out in the field?
Feel free to fire away in the comments section, and next time you're outside, go get yourself some chiti WEEW wewidoo and say hello from me.
Thanks for the post Jochen, I'm by no means what you might call an ornithologist but rather a tramper. More often than not, whilst walking in the dense forests of New Zealand you can hear a bird before seeing it (if you're lucky). Many of them have such distinctive calls that you can immediately identify them. I have learnt the name of birds I have only seen in pictures by repeating their call or describing it to someone in the know who can then identify it for me.
very interesting read. thanks for a great post
It is great to have you on the 10000 birds ship!
For the (new world) warblers, I ended up doing my own document describing bird songs using MY words (I guess a french birder can not use english words and letters very effectively to describe bird songs!), with links between similar bird songs (and notes on top of these links, such as "slowler", "similar, but falling in pitch at the end". Those notes give me a more visual approach to bird songs. It works for me anyway
I agree that some bird guides are not the most effective to translate bird calls and songs into words. Even more, I think that, sometimes, Authors are not doing their best into this essential part of the bird description. How to explain that David Sibley righfully describes the call of the golden-crowned kinglet as "a very high, thin, slighly buzzing zee zee zee" (for me it's more like tssee tssee tssee), without mentioning the similar call of the creeper? On the creeper side, though, the similarity between the calls is noted, with "a very high sree similar to golden crowned kinglet, but single and with a relaxed liquid quality".
I would not comment on "the relaxed liquid quality of the call" (maybe my ear is not good enough, both zee or sre sounds exactly the same to me), but
the lack of consistency (if creeper sounds like kinglet, therefore kinglet sounds also like a creeper), tells me that David, a gifted artist, obviously put more emphasis, attention and energy in his wonderfull drawings (the beating on my field guide shows how much I love this guide!) that trying to find a consistent system to describe bird songs. On the particular case of these two birds, I think he should enphasizes on the diagnostic part of the call (the number of repetitions of the zee, sre, or tsee, whatever)
It is my fear that the field guides of the next generation (applications on portable devices such as Iphones) will reduce the analysis of the bird song to a simple (or, say, a serie of) recordings of it, without explaining or pointing out the diagnostic part of the song. The song of the ruby crowned kinglet, for instance, eluded me for 2 years (mind you, I am a rookie, as you know), until I discover "birding by ear", pointing out the diagnostic introductory 2 notes.
Delightful post. As a playwright for whom dialogue is the primary tool for conveying character (as well as action, behavior and conflict), I am amused by the challenges presented by your experiment of naming and identifying birds by their "speech." And your spot-on observation about young children and animal sounds is fascinating. Why is that, I wonder?
Wow, Jochen! Fascinating post. (And I second OWtD's seconding of your point about how small children learn about the animal world)
A rank amateur, I use the sound descriptions in field guides sparingly; like you, I find they're rarely the deciding factor in an ID. (Although the print description of Marsh Wren as sounding like a sewing machine fit perfectly and nailed it for me.)
What has helped me a great deal more is CDs, such as the Peterson Birding by Ear set. I've learned to pick out birds that never emerged from the foliage. Making notes on my interpretation of each is helpful too. (And where else is a New Yorker going to get a chance to hear a Ruffed Grouse?)
Awesome first post, Jochen, and I'm looking forward to many more!
I don't think I've ever used the written sound descriptions in a field guide as the sole basis for identification. However, I have used them to help confirm the IDs of bird that I saw. Audio recordings (and field experience) are much more useful for learning what bird species sound like.
Great stuff Jochen…guess what sound our Grey Crowned Babblers make here?!
@Duncan: exactly, exactly. The big question is: are any of the examples correct at all? (see the following paragraph)
@Naomi: hearing without seeing, that's the difficulty of forest birding. I guess identification by sound alone (if you are unfamiliar with the song and do not catch a glimpse of the bird) is more easy in NZ because the variety of forest bird species is rather limited. In central Europe, or the North American Great Lakes region, one may encounter 60 or more species of bird in forest/hedgerow habitat at the same time, and that makes the identification by sound descriptions such a challenge. However, it isn't all that easy even in NZ! When I tramped across Stewart Island, I underestimated the time it would take to hike from Freshwater Landing to North Arm (if you haven't done this track yet but heard of how difficult it is: all the stories of doom and death wishes are severe understatements. Yes, it is that hard, and then some), and it got dark. This was not a big issue as I had a flash light and was on a well-marked path, so I was okay. It was even absolutely fascinating as I kept hearing all the eerie screams and calls of nocturnal birds. I was sure some were from kiwis while others must have been from moreporks/rurus/boobooks, but I was not able to sort them out by the descriptions of the calls in the (absolutely fabulous) NZ field guide. So I think it is tough, even in NZ! 🙂
@Dan: thanks!!! Glad you enjoyed it.
@Laurent: hear, hear, great comment!! Yes, I completely agree with everything. It seems that the decription of sounds in field guides is often lacking a concept, a strategy, and it seems to be done quite randomly, without much cross-reference. I also fear, like you, that future guides will simply contain sound files and I don't think that's a good solution either. Sometimes you will hear a certain song or call only once and I find it difficult to memorize this song long enough when I then listen to 10 or more different bird recordings to identify the initial song. The recordings frequently "dilude" my memory of the song and I eventually give up.
@OWTD: glad you had fun reading it. Yes, this emphasis on an animal's call is quite intriguing, particularly as the visual perception of their surroundings is the most important sense for humans. I guess I'll have to give this more thought and observation…
@Meredith: thanks so much! Yes, I have heard the Peterson's Learning by Ear are very good. Sadly I didn't purchase them back in the days when I was spending a year in Michigan. The question now is how to get this concept for a CD into a written field guide! And as you (and Laurent) have pointed out, written notes about an unknown bird call are often helpful.
About the Ruffed Grouse: well, as long as you have Prothonotary Warblers hanging out with a few Sparrows at the Library, the pain about a lack of Ruffies is surely something birders can cope with? 🙂
@John: exactly! My problem is that I find sound recordings not really useful for field identification, only for getting prepared for a trip. The key question is if it is possible to get all that information into a written form so it makes sense and is of real help.
@Clare: oh geez, jangling keys? 🙂 I'll have to google them, I am afraid. Or better yet, I'll have to visit Broome without telling you, go hear a Grey Crowned Babbler and then know on your door with a surprise visit. "Hello Clare, great to meet you! I am jochen and the Grey Crowned Babbler goes …"
@all: has anyone actually tried solving the quiz or have you all just scrolled down? come on, be honest with me, be honest! 😉
I recently had a moment with the call descriptions in the Peterson's guide (Western Birds edition.) I was walking up a mountain, and as such was quite interested in the possibility of seeing, among other things, a Mountain Chickadee. Big flocks of Black-capped Chickadees and Red-breasted Nuthatches were moving around far too fast to scrutinize every bird. The field guide said that the call of the M.C. was like that of the Black-capped, but hoarser, which sounded subjective enough that I was a bit worried and squinting (if you could squint with your ears) at each dee-dee-dee for traces of hoarseness.
When the Mountain Chickadee did show up, though, the hoarseness was very distinct. It also sat still on a branch where I could see it for a bit just to be extra helpful. Good bird.
I have to say, though, that this was so memorable because I don't usually find the call descriptions in the field guides particularly helpful at all.
@Corey: you didn't try the quiz because you couldn't wait to see some fine brown birds after your Ecuador colour orgy.
Thanks, and it is peculiar, right? The things we learn from our kids.
I have also found descriptions more helpful than cases in which the author is trying to mimic the sound. In this case the "rusty gate" is probably better than writing – I don't know – something like "a drawn-out screeeiaheee-ee-eee".
@Carrie: Ah, the Mountain Chickadee – I'd love to spent some time in mountains again, especially with as many potential lifers as the Rockies, where I have never been. I really must try to visit the Rockies as soon as possible… Oh, to be in Grouse land again. *sigh*
Glad to read your chickadee call episode ended happily. I had a comparable experience around the Great Lakes, but sadly with a very different ending: I had birded the Upper Peninsular of Michigan for a week and one of my most sought-after species – and one of the trip's most epic fails – was the Boreal Chickadee. In the course of my searches through boreal forests, I had memorized the call descriptions of the bird and was on constant red alert mode. Imagine my surprise when I heard what clearly was a Boreal Chickadee a week later at Lake Erie's Point Pelee national park. Following the call, I was finally able to clearly see and closely inspect its avian source, a plain ol' typical Black-capped Chickadee.
I guess your last paragraph sums it all up very fittingly. The fact that one succeeds with the descriptions alone is memorable. So was the Mountain Chickadee, I guess?
What bird sounds like it's saying "oh yeah"
© 2013 10,000 Birds. All words, images, and opinions are the property of their respective authors unless stated otherwise.


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PORTLAND, Ore. — Local Boy Scout leaders, police officials, prosecutors and mayors helped hush up numerous child sex abuse allegations against scoutmasters and other volunteers, according to details in a trove of nearly 15,000 pages of so-called "perversion files" compiled by the Scouts from 1959 to the mid-1980s.
Portland attorney Kelly Clark released the files on Thursday.
The Associated Press obtained copies of the files weeks in advance and conducted an extensive review of them.
The files document allegations of sex abuse by Scouting volunteers across the country. The Scouts have been collecting the documents since the early 1900s, and continue to do so.
At the news conference, Clark blasted the Boy Scouts for their continuing legal battles to try to keep the full trove of files secret.
"You do not keep secrets hidden about dangers to children," said Clark, who in 2010 won a landmark lawsuit against the Boy Scouts on behalf of a plaintiff who was molested by an assistant scoutmaster in the 1980s.
Clark's colleague, Paul Mones, said the files in the Portland case represent "the pain and anguish of thousands of Scouts" who were abused by Scout leaders.
The two attorneys were releasing all 14,500 documents used in the Portland case at their website: kellyclarkattorney.com .
Clark has been in possession of the files since he represented a Portland man who was abused by his assistant scoutmaster in the 1980s. That lawsuit culminated in a jury finding in his client's favor in 2010. It was a landmark case, and the Scouts were ordered to pay $20 million.
Files on 1,200 suspected abusers were used in evidence in that case. The Scouts launched a legal battle to keep the documents confidential, but the Oregon Supreme Court ruled in June they could be released to the public with the redaction of victims' names.
Many of the files released Thursday have been written about before, but this is the first time the earliest ones have been put in the public domain.
The files show that on many occasions the files succeeded in keeping pedophiles out of Scouting leadership positions — the reason they were collected in the first place.
But the files also document some troubling patterns.
For example, a number of alleged pedophiles were able to continue in Scouting because of decisions by local Scout leaders and sometimes pressure from community leaders. In multiple cases, judges, pastors, county attorneys and others intervened to keep the name of Scouting out of the courts or off the front page.


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From Our Editors
Formed in 1847 following the purchase of the house where the author of Hamlet, Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet was born, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is devoted to preserving the playwright's legacy and celebrating all things Shakespearean. Aside from the house where Shakespeare spent his youth, visitors can also see his mother's farm, his wife Anne Hathaway's cottage, and the house where his daughter lived with her husband. The organisation's vaults contain over a million documents, 55,000 books and 12,000 museum objects, as well as the Royal Shakespeare Company's archive of theatre records. The Trust is the headquarters of International Shakespeare Association, devoted to spreading knowledge about the writer's work throughout the world, and offers formal and informal education programmes.


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Jeunesse Clothing | Spring 2013 Lookbook
Jeunesse Brings a Youthful Soul to the Classic Silk Blouse For Spring '13
Jeunesse Brings a Youthful Soul to the Classic Silk Blouse For Spring '13
Launched in 2012, Jeunesse (which translates to "youth") is a conceptual collection that recognizes the art of working together for common goal. The line, which is available online at Shopbop, Intermix, Saks, and more, focuses on the art of collaboration, and each season it partners up with emerging artists and industry tastemakers to bring a fresh twist to the classics. For Spring 2013, creative director Cynthia Mittweg teamed up with two LA-based artists to create a collection of silk blouses in eye-catching prints and billowy button-down silhouettes.
The prints for next season are the work of Emily Factor, great-granddaughter of legendary cosmetician Max Factor, and Grant Shumate, an up-and-coming print artist who is currently managing the Saint Laurent studio for Hedi Slimane. Emily created the painterly floral patterns in the collection, ranging from Poison Flower, Blocked Peony, and a large-scale feather design in contrasting Spring hues, while Grant pinpointed the Aztec trend by offering up vivid geometric prints in rich purples and reds. While the idea — a spin on the silk shirt — doesn't seem overly innovative, the outcome is remarkable. By combining an iconic silhouette with original prints from cutting-edge artists, Jeunesse is introducing a new way of creative clothing that everyone will love — and we'll be snapping up these lovely, light-as-air pieces as soon as possible. Click through to see some of our favorite tops from the Spring '13 lookbook now.


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First introduced in France in 1981, Eurail's high-speed trains travel up to 190 miles per hour on a dedicated track. In other words, you can travel from Paris to Marseille in just over four hours. Hamburg to Munich takes less than six.
You're not enduring jolting tracks or stiff seats, either. High-speed trains boast a comfortable, smooth, and of course, fast, ride.
A few links to high-speed trains in Europe:
Eurail Intro > High Speed Trains > Scenic Trains > Hotel Trains > Reservations > Participating Countries > Passes


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PLease send & Share custom requests, PR related inquiries or wholesale orders.
+1 614 530 1565
For wholesale inquiries, custom requests and order information, please enter your information & we will reply to your email within 2 business days.
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After months of scouring the streets of Soho for a harness shaped necklace to wear with her bikini in the summer of 2005, then Fashion Publicist, Michelle Pizzurro discovered New York boutiques were completely void of tasteful body jewelry. Determined to flaunt what she thought was the "coolest idea ever" she began learning the artful craft of metal sculpture. After selling a few body chains to a few like minded individuals, her clients of models, friends and stylists unwittingly provided her the collection's moniker, "Never Take Off", because they did just that. Today NTO Design features earrings, ear cuffs, anklets and rings. When not working as a full-time copywriter, Pizzurro enjoys traveling, swimming and studying french.
+1 614 530 1565


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What the D.C. Circuit Got Wrong About Obamacare
Health reform's intense politics continue to defy all expectations. On Tuesday, federal courts of appeals in D.C. and Virginia reached opposite conclusions in a pair of identical challenges to the provision of critical financial subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The cases pit a single line of a 2,000-page law against what the rest of the statutory text makes clear Congress actually intended.
The Fourth Circuit in Virginia upheld the subsidies—indicating the government had the better argument, but regardless applying the longstanding rule that when a statute is not clear, courts defer to the agency administering the statute (in this case, the IRS). The D.C. Circuit, however, ruled the other way, reading one provision of this massive and complex federal law out of context. That opinion not only misinterprets the statute—with enormous practical consequences—but also does a deep disservice to conservative jurists and lawyers who have spent the last 30 years arguing that text-based interpretation is sophisticated, not literalistic, and serves democracy.
Story Continued Below
The stakes are enormous: If the D.C. Circuit's opinion ultimately carries the day, more than $36 billion dollars in financial relief will be denied to the approximately 7 million people expected to be insured with the help of this financial assistance. It also places Republicans in a real dilemma, especially as the election cycle heats up: The result, if the ruling stands, would be massive red-state/blue-state disparity, as millions of middle-class Americans are deprived in red states of access to medical care, because it is mostly the red states whose subsidies are now at issue.
A little background: The fundamental aim of the ACA is getting as many Americans insured as possible. The statute does this by expanding Medicare and Medicaid for eligible populations and also by requiring insurers to give all other Americans access to insurance at reasonable rates. To keep the insurance markets from crumbling under this new requirement, the law requires all of those Americans to actually buy insurance, thereby expanding the customer pool. It helps Americans do this by subsidizing the cost of insurance, with financial assistance provided through the act's new health insurance exchanges. Without the subsidies, the purchase of insurance becomes unaffordable for many Americans; they won't enter the pool; and the insurance markets will come under extreme financial pressure. (Some call this the "death spiral" scenario.)
In Tuesday's cases, the challengers took advantage of the happenstance way in which the ACA was drafted to argue that the subsidies are permitted only through insurance exchanges operated by states. The statute gives the states first dibs to run the exchanges, but requires the federal government to operate them for such states if the states fail to do so. Most Republican-run states have refused to run the exchanges, leaving 36 state exchanges in the hands of the federal government and subject to the legal challenge.


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Time Out says
We usually adore this cool evocation of Sicily in Soho and the bustle suggests other Londoners have taken Gelupo to heart too. Yet we were disappointed in the flavours on our most recent visit. Kiwi with gin and elderflower tasted of little except elderflower; coconut gelato had a cloying soapy quality, while watermelon with cinnamon and jasmine smacked of floral toiletries.
We should have stuck with Gelupo classics, such as black forest cherry and chocolate, blood-orange granita or one of the ewe's milk ricotta ices – you can at least be guaranteed of a great range of flavours. Service is zippy. Italian biscuits and cakes, coffee, gourmet sandwiches and an appealing selection of groceries make Gelupo a handy spot to know year round. Late closing puts it high on the list of things to do after an outing to the theatre, cinema or pub.
7 Archer Street
|Tube: Piccadilly Circus
|Do you own this business?
Users say (36)
Average User Rating
4.5 / 5
Rating Breakdown
- 5 star:24
- 4 star:8
- 3 star:3
- 2 star:1
- 1 star:0
The best gelato in London!
The best ice creams in Londontown
Tastes like in italy
Late night sugar treat win!
Such a great selection of flavours and the sizes (and prices) are perfect.
Would recommend for spring, summer, autumn and winter!
I lived 7 years in Italy and I know what a great gelato tastes like. Gelupo have half a dozen delicious flavours on offer. The coffee quality is seriously good too.
Jasper thinks this ice cream is worth screamING FOR.!!!!!!
By far the best gelato in London. Great choice of flavours (pistachio and hazelnut are the favorites so far). Very helpful and cheerful staff. Definately the place to go.
I heard amazing things about Gelupo and to a certain extent I was not disappointed. I had the famous blood orange granita, persimmon sorbet and ricotta and sour cherry. I wanted my cone to last forever. Blood orange granita amazing really tastes like nothing else I've ever tried although the texture is not great the flavour is overwhelming after while. Even better in an entirely different way was the Persimmon sorbet. I don't know how they managed to make a sorbet that creamy and it was very delicate (maybe a little bit too delicate). Ricotta with sour cherry was also an interesting revisitation of an Italian classic. The staff was not really helpful but it's understandable considering the fact that it was a Friday night in Soho. I was very much appealed by the Panettone stuffed with ice cream. I am Italian and I had never seen anything of the kind.
Every so often I have an evening that reminds me why I live in London. The sort of evening which lingers in my memory like a half-forgotten sitcom episode – everyone is young and glowing; we laugh endlessly; we casually drift from fashionable Soho establishment to fashionable Soho establishment. Nobody makes us queue, we get a seat in the pub, and it doesn't rain. It was at the end of one of these very evenings that I first visited Gelupo. It was around eleven, post-show, post-dinner. The queue was long but we needed the time to argue over flavours and admire the huge cakes we were too full to attempt. They were running low on gelato and the last mound of bitter chocolate was cruelly snatched by the lady ahead of me. I went for two scoops in a waffle cone, which didn't seem extravagant until I saw the improbable heights to which my scoops were sculpted. Ricotta and sour cherry was perfect: creamy and mild but laced with sharpness. Less thrilling was burnt sugar; it was lovely for a lick but with a bitter aftertaste that became overpowering after a while. I missed the lack of bitter chocolate, which felt like the perfect partner for the cherry. A friend's pistachio was spot-on, while the sambuca cherry was refreshing (but I could have lived without the boozy kick). Espressos were downed with gusto; they smelt glorious and the terrible night's sleep that ensued was testament to the coffee's power. A lovely, brief reminder of the fun of living in a city that doesn't sleep… well, until about midnight.
Try one scoop of Gelupo's dark chocolate sorbet and one scoop of blood orange.. they're delicious together! At the time of my last visit, my diet was 'dairy free' and i was desperately craving a chocolate desert. The dark chocolate sorbet tasted surprisingly rich and creamy, i was delighted. I've recommended Gelupo's to every one of my friends and family.
amazing..! best ice cream ever!
Exceptional gelato, like no where else in London. Great flavours that seem to change every time I walk past.
nice. not much choice but it is REAL ITALIAN gelato as it should be. try pistacchio and hazelnut! very disappointed by the granita, icy and way overpriced: a medium cup, which was smaller than a paper cup(!!!) 4£. it didnt taste nothing like back home or even close to it :(
A bit icy and melty, and sometimes too sweet. I appreciate their effort to use fresh ingredients and to make it from zero, but still a lot to improve. J ice cream fan
It's not easy for me to write this as I've been a huge fan of Gelupo ever since it opened, but feel like the quality and selection have gone down a bit in recent months. The gelato menu is not as interesting as it once was and the ice cream is tending towards being just slightly too sweet and at the expense of flavour. Had the strawberry sorbet the last time I visited and dare I say it, it was not great. Not sure if anyone agrees so am posting this to see if anyone whose been there since the early days agree. Still good gelato but no longer great and these days I prefer La Gelateria down by Trafalgar.
Gelupo serves the best gelato I've had in London - and better gelato than many places in Italy, too! Wow. Tasting is possible, and the staff were friendly and lively.
Oh my god. The best gelato in town. Hands down. I was served by the chef (i think) which was a nice touch and had raspberry, chocolate and coconut. The coconut was amazing. I've been all over Italy, I've been to NY, and to Freggo, Scoop, Gelatorino, Amorino, and all the rest. This is the best. Creamy, vibrant flavours. V. nice people too.
We snuck into this little ice-cream place during the interval of Thriller - amazing. Super-smooth pistachio and the best chocolate sorbet EVER! The girl behind the counter was really sweet, forcing little tastes of everything on us, then making hubby the "most interesting" espresso he's had in London. Packed, with a haphazard queueing system, but awesome!
The ice cream is good, but quite on the low-fat side, and I can taste the (all natural, according to the website) additives meant to keep it together without the fatty stuff. So, less guilt, but also less satisfaction. Since gelato is a rare treat for me anyway, I rather go for the cream-rich, calorie-laden decadent variety, as made by GelatoMio, Oddono or Freggo.
Snap up exclusive discounts in London
Time Out's handpicked deals — hurry, they won't be around for long...


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Gibbage Cases were supposed to be a new 3D printed cases for the HTC 8X Windows Phone and eventually for the Nokia Lumia 920. The cases were uniquely designed mainly to offer surface protection to the 8X and 920 from scratches. Plus they are kinda cool looking.
We were slated to receive a review unit here shortly but just got the news from the Gibbage Case creator that he's having to cancel any orders and halt production due to apparent quality control issues with his printing service, Shapeways.
Hopefully, Gibbage Cases can find a reliable, reasonably priced 3D printing service and we'll see these cases offered in the near future. You can follow along in the discussion on Gibbage Cases' development and offer any design suggestions, should another printer be found, here in this Windows Phone Central Forums discussion.


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Obama calls for personnel review
President Barack Obama ordered a review of standards for contractors and employees across federal agencies in the wake of the Navy Yard shootings, the White House said Tuesday.
The review, to be conducted by the Office of Management and Budget, will examine the oversight and security standards for federal employees. It is in addition to an ongoing review of intelligence community contractors Obama ordered after contractor Edward Snowden began leaking a trove of classified documents.
Story Continued Below
"At the president's direction, OMB is examining standards for contractors and employees across federal agencies," White House press secretary Jay Carney said Tuesday. "This is a matter that the president believes and has believed merits review."
The OMB review Obama ordered Tuesday will examine the "oversight, nature and implementation of security and suitability standards for federal employees and contractors," the White House said.
( WATCH: President Obama remarks on Navy Yard shooting)
Carney said Obama is to be briefed Tuesday afternoon on the Navy Yard incident by Attorney General Eric Holder and FBI Director James Comey.
The White House announced the review as questions grew Tuesday as to how a former Navy reservist with a history of police run-ins and reported mental issues was able to get a security clearance to enter the military installation where he allegedly killed 12 people. The Associated Press reported that according to a lawyer for a Virginia gun store, the gunman bought a shotgun and bullets there on Sunday, when he also rented a rifle and spent time on the range. The lawyer said he passed a federal background check at the store, which is located near Navy Yard.
A review of security at military installations was ordered by the Navy.
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus on Tuesday ordered the branch to conduct a full review of all Navy and Marine Corps installations, an official told POLITICO, as Tuesday afternoon a report released by the Defense Department Inspector General raised concerns about Navy control of contractor access to such facilities.
( Also on POLITICO: In tragedy's wake, Obama finds a challenge)
A senior Pentagon official said Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will likewise order a worldwide review of physical security and access at all military installations. After consulting with top officials, the order could come as soon as Wednesday.
The first part of the review ordered by Mabus will be to examine whether security standards are being maintained at the installations currently, and the second part will be a longer-term look at whether procedures in place are the right ones and what steps might need to be taken in the future.
"Our sailors, Marines and civilians are familiar with the dangers of service, but our security is something we can never take for granted," Mabus said. "I ordered a review of every Navy and Marine Corps base in the United States to ensure that we live up to our responsibility of taking care of our people."
The review is to be submitted to Mabus by Oct. 1.
( PHOTOS: Shooting at Navy Yard)
On Tuesday afternoon, the Defense Department Inspector General released a redacted audit of Navy access control systems that found that cost reduction efforts caused the Navy to fail to "mitigate access control risks associated with contractor installation access."
Due to the failures, 52 felons gained unauthorized access to military installations, the report found, "placing military personnel, dependents, civilians, and installations at an increased security risk."
The objective of the study, which began September 2012 and was already set for release at some near date before Monday's events, was to determine if the Navy Commercial Access Control System was mitigating security risks to Navy installations.
( Also on POLITICO: Subcontractor unaware of Aaron Alexis's run-ins with the law)
The report was released after its contents were leaked to news outlets Tuesday morning. Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) said in a statement Tuesday that he has received a copy of the report and called on the IG to release a redacted version of the audit within "the next few hours."
He said the report "details critical flaws in the practice of contracting access control for military installations to non-governmental personnel," but he said that without redaction, it could "expose vulnerabilities" to the installations.
The report recommends Navy command to drop the system it uses to verify contractors, which uses public databases, and replace it with one that meets federal and Defense Department standards for background vetting.
The moves come after a lone gunman opened fire inside Washington's Navy Yard on Monday, killing 12 people and injuring several others, including a city police officer and a base officer.
( Also on POLITICO: Navy Yard shooter's clearance draws scrutiny)
The shooter, who also died, was identified as Aaron Alexis, 34, of Fort Worth, Texas. He was a former Navy reservist, from 2007 to 2011, and a subcontractor of Hewlett-Packard who had a valid pass for the base. Alexis also had a history of run-ins with authorities, including a shooting incident in 2010.
Alexis was being treated for a number of mental issues, officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday, including paranoia, hearing voices and a sleep disorder. He had been receiving treatment from the Veterans Administration since August, the anonymous officials told AP, but had not been declared unfit by the Navy, which would have revoked his security clearance.
The CEO of the subcontractor where Alexis worked told POLITICO on Tuesday it was not aware of Alexis's past run-ins with police.
The attack had the city on edge for much of Monday, including a lockdown on Senate buildings on the Hill for part of the afternoon. The Senate also recessed for the afternoon and postponed votes in the wake of the shooting.
Navy Yard was open on Tuesday, but only to essential personnel, according to multiple reports.
As the investigation continued, a clearer picture of Alexis's actions leading up to the attack began to emerge.


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I've heard friends talk about Zumba. What does it involve, and is it an effective workout?
Zumba is a fitness program that combines Latin and international music with dance moves. Zumba routines incorporate interval training — alternating fast and slow rhythms — and resistance training.
An aerobic activity, Zumba can count toward the 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity recommended for most healthy adults by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Aerobic exercise reduces health risks, keeps excess pounds at bay, strengthens your heart and boosts your mood. If you enjoy Zumba, you're also more likely to do it regularly — and experience its benefits as an aerobic exercise.
As with any exercise, if a certain movement or position hurts, try to modify the workout to avoid the aggravating activities. Also, anytime you're training with resistance, remember that proper technique is important. Don't get so caught up in your dancing that you forget proper form.
Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.
Original article: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/expert-answers/zumba/faq-20057883
Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below.
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization and proceeds from Web advertising help support our mission. Mayo Clinic does not endorse any of the third party products and services advertised.
A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.org," "Mayo Clinic Healthy Living," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.


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You need to study how the possessive is used in English.
For a singular noun (like "sister"), we add apostrophe s ("sister's").
For a plural noun ending in s, we just add an apostrophe. (If you had more than one sister sharing a room, it would be your sisters' room.)
Student or Learner


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Rajya Sabha was paralysed for the fourth consecutive day today after uproar over issues like quota for SCs/STs in promotions in government jobs and FDI in retail.
The House plunged into chaos soon after it assembled for the day with senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu raising the issue of FDI.
Chairman Hamid Ansari's repeated plea to allow the House to function normally went unheeded and some DMK members were seen in the aisle with newspaper clippings related to the 2G issue.
Amid the din, he adjourned the House till noon barely a few minutes after it met.
When the House re-assembled, slogan shouting SP members trooped into the Well opposing any reservation for SCs/STs in government job promotions as demanded by BSP.
As they kept chanting "promotion mein arakshan, nahi chalega, nahi chalega" (no reservation in promotion), some members from the treasury bench, led by Praveen Rashtrapal (Cong), came to the aisle countering them.
Members of UPA ally DMK also rushed to the aisle with newspaper clippings on the issue of recent disclosures by a former CAG official in 2G case. Their party colleague, former Telecom Minister A Raja, had to resign on the 2G issue.
BJP members were also on their feet apparently demanding discussion and voting on FDI in retail. But, they were not audible.
P J Kurien, who was in the Chair, asked members to lay papers and as unruly scenes continued, he adjourned the House for the day.
Assembly elections 2019 | Get the latest news, views and analysis on elections in Haryana and Maharashtra on DeccanHerald.com
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The Sticker Shop
Lightning Bolt Oversized Sticker
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£65.00 £26.00
The Sticker Shop
The Anya Hindmarch Sticker Shop is a collection of luxurious embossed leather stickers, originally inspired by the stickers Anya used to personalise her school text books. They can be used to sticker-up anything from your handbag to your purse or phone. Shop the collection today and try them out with the interactive Sticker ShopExplore


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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Economic growth probably slowed sharply in the second quarter, but its pace is unlikely to change views that the Federal Reserve will start trimming bond purchases later this year.
Gross domestic product probably grew at a 1.0 percent annual rate after expanding at a 1.8 percent pace in the first quarter because government austerity and weak global demand weighed on the economy, according to a Reuters poll of economists. But there is a risk that growth undershoots expectations, with forecasts as low as a 0.4 percent rate.
If economists are right, it would mark a third straight quarter of GDP growth below 2 percent, a pace that normally would be too soft to bring down unemployment.
The slowdown is expected to be temporary, with an acceleration in output forecast for the rest of 2013 as the drag from higher taxes and deep budget cuts wanes.
The Commerce Department will release its advance report on second-quarter GDP at 8:30 a.m. EDT (1230 GMT) on Wednesday. The data will come as the Fed prepares to wrap up a two-day meeting, but economists do not expect the report to have much influence over how Fed officials think about the fate of the $85 billion per month bond-buying program.
"GDP tends to be backward looking," said Dan North, lead economist at Euler Hermes Americas in New York. "The Fed is looking more intensively at the labor market measures which have firmed quite a bit in the last three months, which is why there is an expectation that they will start tapering in September."
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke has said the U.S. central bank expects to start cutting back the purchases later this year, and would likely bring them to a complete halt by the middle of 2014, if the economy progressed as it expected.
U.S. financial markets have already priced in a weak second-quarter GDP report. Attention will be on comprehensive revisions to GDP data, which among other changes now treat research and development spending as an investment.
Other changes are the inclusion of more ownership transfer costs in investment and measuring defined benefit pension plans on an accrual basis rather than cash. Analysts say these changes will not only reveal a bigger economy and a higher rate of savings, but could help revise fiscal 2012 growth upward.
"It looks like these revisions will be modestly favorable for GDP growth on net," said Michael Feroli, an economist at JPMorgan in New York.
Economists said the revisions would probably narrow the gap between a relatively strong pace of job gains and weak growth.
The weak pace of second-quarter growth will reflect a sharp slowdown in consumer spending caused by higher taxes at the start of the year and an unwinding of utilities spending, which was boosted by unusually cold weather in the first three months of the year.
Consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, is expected to slow to a less than 2 percent pace after accelerating at a 2.6 percent rate in the first quarter.
Sluggish domestic demand likely made businesses cautious about restocking warehouses. A marginal contribution to second-quarter GDP growth is expected from inventory accumulation after restocking added more than half a percentage point in the January-March period.
Business spending on equipment and software likely held steady, with investment in nonresidential structures rebounding from the first quarter's decline.
The housing market probably remained a bright spot during the second quarter. Spending on residential construction is expected to expand at a pace similar to the first quarter. Homebuilding added to growth last year for the first time since 2005 and its recovery should help ensure the economy continues to expand, albeit at a modest pace this year.
Exports are expected to have dragged down growth as demand weakened in Europe and China. Trade is expected to have subtracted more than half-a-percentage point from GDP growth in the second quarter.
Government spending is expected to have contracted for a third straight quarter, largely because of the across-the-board government spending cuts, known as the sequester, which have hit the defense sector.
Other details of the report are expected to show that sluggish domestic demand is keeping a lid on inflation pressures.
Reporting by Lucia Mutikani. Editing by Andre Grenon


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- Description
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This MBI Expressions Always Remember 12x12 Scrapbook has a thick printed paper design cover that reads "Always Remember". Use for scrapbooking your favorite Family, Graduation, Wedding, Baby or Travel photos.
- Includes 10 top loading sheet protectors and 10 white page inserts (20 sides)
- Screwpost binding allows pages to lie flat and accepts unlimited white refill pages
- Will also accept 4" x 6" Pocket Refill Pages
- Overall dimensions: 13-1/2"W x 12-1/2"H
- Archival, acid free, photo safe
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This fine weight silk thread has a luxurious sheen and is perfect for that special project. It is a similar weight to a single thread of the standard DMC 6-stranded. If hand sewing, this silk works well doubled to give a thicker line. It also sews beautifully through the machine – great for heirloom quilting and freehand embroidery.
Each card bobbin contains 50m and each skein contains 100m. This colour is a 'plain' but has been hand-dyed. This process gives a slight variation along its length bringing a depth to any textile piece.
Please note: I have tried to get the colour as accurate as possible but it will not always be an exact match with the thread. If you need a sample of the colour, please contact me or treat yourself to the Silk Shade Card - 4 cards containing the full range of silk colours.


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El Señor Verdún (Tótem el Comix #65)
Spanish artist Gerard Losilla López started to work for magazine El Víbora in 1981, after living many years in France (he was born in Paris). He started up in the 19th issue and he usually signed Barbés. He either worked on his own or collaborated with Pons, Rodolfo or his brother José Luis Losilla before disappearing from the magazine about four years later. Later on he also contributed to Tótem el Comix, signing Gerard Losilla.


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Journal Article
© Nov 2010 Volume 8 Issue 3, Editor: David O'Donnell, pp267 - 344
Look inside Download PDF (free)
Evidence‑based medicine has greatly influenced decisions and actions throughout the health care industry for a couple of decades, particularly in the advanced countries. However, little is known as to how patients with their tacit knowledge have fitted into the evidence‑based medical practice equation especially in the developing world, hence the need for this study. The combined use of the theory of communicative action and the AGIL taxonomy of adaptation, goal attainment, integration, and latent pattern maintenance by Talcott Parsons served as the theoretical framework for the study. The theory of communicative action provided the benchmark in understanding how doctors and patients are motivated to adapt and integrate the explicit and tacit knowledge forms in attaining the goal of quality evidence‑based medical practice in line with the AGIL taxonomy. The qualitative interviews with fifty respondents ‑ twenty doctors and thirty patients ‑ in the central region of Ghana are utilized as the data base for the discussion. The study concludes that at present patients' tacit knowledge does not matter in the practice of evidence‑based medicine in Ghana. This situation has to be addressed by empowering patients to be actively involved in clinical decision‑making affecting their health. This is critical because effective implementation of evidence‑based medical practice demands a good blend of explicit and tacit knowledge forms possessed by doctors and patients respectively. It is believed that embracing this strategy of managing knowledge in the health care dispensation holds the potential to bring about improved health care outcomes.
Keywords: knowledge management, explicit and tacit knowledge forms, codification and personalization knowledge management strategies, evidence-based medical practice
Journal Issue
Volume 8 Issue 3 / Nov 2010 pp267‑344
View Contents Download PDF (free)
Keywords: action research, case study, codification and personalization knowledge management strategies, collaborative projects, components of tacit knowledge, critical knowledge factors, design re-use, engineering design, ethnographic study, evidence-based medical practice., explicit and tacit knowledge forms, explicit knowledge, fixture and tooling, knowledge assets management, knowledge based systems, knowledge capital, knowledge integration, knowledge map, nature of tacit knowledge, new product development, organizational culture, performance improvement, research centre, social capital, tacit knowledge,


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text: CSR at Pressalit Performance and responsibility go hand in hand We have always believed in treating one another respectfully. We have also always believed that it is our duty to take an active interest in the community and the environment that our company is part of. This commitment is rooted in Pressalit's culture and has been a common theme throughout Pressalit's history. In short, we firmly believe that performance and responsibility should go hand in hand. Today, our work with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is deeply rooted in the company strategy and our efforts are ingrained in the system via a series of activities and partnerships. Pressalit's CSR efforts are also well-known and recognised by the public, such as through the CSR People Prize, which was awarded to the company in the autumn of 2011. Our current work on CSR is based on three main pillars: joint responsibility, employees and the environment. Click around and read more about our efforts in each of the three areas. SDG SDG 4, Quality Education SDG 6, Clean Water and Sanitation SDG 12, Responsible Consumption and Production Meet anemployee and read what it's like to work at Pressalit A/S + News Stay updated on thelatest news fromPressalit A/S + See our core values +


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More than 3,100 diabetes patients exposed to HIV risk
Hospital: More than 3,100 potentially exposed to disease by insulin pen reuse
More than 3,100 Griffin Hospital patients have to be tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV because staff misused insulin pens on patients hospitalized there during the past six years.
In a news conference Friday afternoon, hospital president and CEO Patrick Charmel said officials recently learned some nurses used the tube-shaped injector part of the insulin pens on more than one person, leading to possible contamination.
"Frankly, it shouldn't have happened, but it did," Charmel said.
The state Department of Public Health is opening an investigation into the error, department spokesman William Gerrish said Friday.
"DPH takes the unsafe use of medical devices seriously," Gerrish said in an email, adding that the department has contacted the national Centers for Medicare and Medicaid about the incident.
The misuse happened between Sept. 1, 2008, when the hospital started using the pens -- FlexPens made by the Denmark-based company Novo Nordisk -- and Wednesday, when the hospital stopped using the product due to safety risks.
Charmel said there are no confirmed cases of blood-borne infections from the mistake, but the hospital is notifying affected patients by mail of the error, and offering free and confidential testing.
More InformationGriffin Hospital has set up two hotlines for patients who were treated with the pens -- 203-732-1411 and 203-732-1340. The lines will be staffed from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Patients can schedule an appointment for confidential testing or speak with a nurse or pharmacist to answer any questions.
For more information, visit griffinhealth.org/insulinpennotification.
Insulin pens, primarily used on patients with diabetes, are injector devices that contain an insulin cartridge. Thousands of hospitals across the nation use the pens, which are intended to only be used on one person. The single-use, retractable needle that attaches to the insulin pen is removable, allowing reuse of the pen-like injector with a new sterile safety needle. Charmel said it is the injector that was likely reused in some patients. The piece can become contaminated with a backflow of blood or skin cells from one patient, and could possibly transmit an infection if it is reused on another patient.
Charmel said hospital officials first learned of a possible problem last week, during one of the hospital's regular "safety huddles." The director of the pharmacy department reported that a nurse had asked whether the pens could be used on more than one person.
"She thought that question from a nurse was rather an unusual one," Charmel said.
Officials agreed and launched an investigation to see whether the pens had been used on more than one person. They found that five nurses had either seen the pens reused or reused them themselves on some occasion.
He said nurses are educated about proper use of the pens, but that there could have been better oversight.
"Could we have been more diligent? Yes," he said.
Since the hospital began using the pens, they have been ordered for 3,149 patients. There is no evidence that any Griffin patients have contracted a disease from the improper use of insulin pens, and the hospital has not identified any patients that received an insulin injection from an insulin pen used on another patient.
The hospital has set up two hotlines for exposed patients to call and schedule a free test. A Griffin spokesperson said as soon as the numbers were made public, calls came pouring in.
Griffin officials recommended these patients be tested within 30 days. Those who have received treatment with the pen within the past six months might have to come back and be tested a second time because these infections might not show up in testing right away.
The hospital has discontinued use of the pens. The FlexPens cost between $16 and $28 each, and the hospital has thrown out 100 pens in the wake of the insulin error. Charmel said although the label on the box the pens come in clearly states they are intended only to be used on one patient, there's no such label on the product itself.
Charmel said the nurses implicated in the investigation will be "disciplined," but wasn't specific. He also cautioned against calling for harsh punishment against the nurses, pointing out that the problem came to light because nurses came forward.
"If we're very punitive in response to this situation, it may cause (potential problems) not to be reported," he said.
The Connecticut Hospital Association commended Griffin's leadership for "taking full responsibility and affirmative steps to address the issue."
Griffin isn't the first hospital to have problems with reuse of its insulin pens. In February, South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside, N.Y., sent letters to more than 4,000 patients warning they might have been improperly treated with insulin pens.
Early last year, reports surfaced that more than 700 patients at a Buffalo, N.Y. veterans' hospital may been exposed to HIV and hepatitis between 2010 and 2012 due to misuse of the pens. In 2009, an incident at a Texas hospital possibly affected more than 2,000 people and one at a Wisconsin hospital in 2011 also could have affected more than 2,000.
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices, a health care watchdog nonprofit group based in Pennsylvania, has been tracking incidents of insulin pen misuse for many years, said institute president Michael Cohen. Cohen said he doesn't know of anyone who has actually gotten sick from a reused pen but, that doesn't mean it's safe.
"It's something hospitals really have to work hard to make sure doesn't happen," he said. "Some hospitals don't believe the risk is as bad as it is," Cohen said.
Gerrish said, to his knowledge, the Griffin error was the only case of this nature in Connecticut. He said the department urges health care facilities to review their procedures about insulin pens, and educate staff on their safe use.
"Protection from infections, including blood borne pathogens, is a basic expectation anywhere health care is provided," Gerrish said. "According to the CDC, use of insulin pens for more than one person imposes unacceptable risk and should never happen."
firstname.lastname@example.com; 203-330-6290; twitter.com/AmandaCuda; http://blog.ctnews.com/whatthehealth/


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SaaS Guy necesitaba un nuevo diseño de impreso o envases y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 8 diseños de 3 diseñadores freelance.
Zscaler - http://www.zscaler.com
Zscaler is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) based Web Security company. We provide security services such as anti-virus, anti-spyware, URL filtering, and numerous other security offerings that protect against an increasingly hostile on-line world. These services are offered using a cloud solution, in the sky, as opposed to on-site hardware and software. Our main message is throw away your hardware/software, simply your IT environment, and move to the cloud. Unlike other cloud companies who focus on the small business market, we focus on the high-end as well as the small/mid market.
Our service is absolutely mission critical. We have millions of customers across 139 countries, including many Fortune 100 Companies. If we fail, the entire company cannot access the Internet. Therefore we want to convey; strength, reliability and trust.
Our target audience is primarily IT Directors, CIOs, Chief Security Officers, and other IT professionals at small, medium and large organizations globally.
We are looking to revamp our corporate powerpoint and data sheet templates.
For the data sheet template, we are looking for a clean and modern design. We have attached a few designs from Google, Salesforce and others that we like. As you can tell, we feel there is power in simplicity.
We are attaching a word format of our existing data sheet. We would like all designers to submit their data sheet template samples using the content from this data sheet (design is yours, content is the from the attached data sheet). Also, please use our new logo when designing these data sheet. Logo is attached.
We are looking for a powepoint template that has a clean layout. We are looking for the following slides to be included in the powepoint template:
- Master Title
- Title & Content
- Section Header
Attached is the logo you must use in the design process of the Data Sheet & Powerpoint Template.


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Lets play a game, shall we?
What am I? II
I am smooth, round shiny and hard.
I have a wall and roof (of sorts) and I am mostly hollow.
I never travel more than a few inches, yet have covered a thousand miles or more in a single day.
I spend most of my time stationary, yet when I do move, I move at lighting speed.
I operate under extremes of temperature and pressure, yet very very rarely ever fail in my duties.
Some of you will recognize me in an instant, others have never seen me, nor in all likelihood, ever will.
What am I?
I wasn't quite sure about this at first, but it sort of grew on me...


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Looking for the best in aesthetics, weight savings and reliability out of your harness? Our Pro Series harness completely replaces your old OEM harness so you can forget about those electrical gremlins.
This Wiring Specialties PRO Series harness was designed from the ground-up to exceed OEM specifications for wire quality, power/ground routing. With our optimized and 'tucked' approach the end result will be a clean and worry free installation with a guaranteed start up.
This harness is specifically engineered for a JDM S13 Silvia / 180sx (89-98) with the CA18DET engine swap. It was developed in house on an actual CA18DET engine to ensure a perfect fit to all engine connections.
Wiring Specialties offers a number of options for common performance upgrades for this product. Build your perfect harness by selecting from the available options to the right, and as always – if you have any questions, please reach out to us.
- Any CA18DET from JDM or AUDM S13 Silvia or 180sx 1989-1990
- Any CA18DET from EURO S13 200sx 1989-1993
- Harness is pre-wired to use the CA18DET OEM throttle butterfly. If not utilized, the wiring can be ignored and tucked away.
- Harness is pre-wired to use the factory injector resistor box, which requires low impedance injectors. When injectors are switched to high impedance, the resistor box is eliminated.
- Injector resistor box and the ignitor chip are relocated to inside the cabin, next to the ECU.
CHASSIS: RHD JDM S13 Silvia / 180sx
- Any JDM LHD S13 Silvia / 180sx model years 1989-1998 (Including ABS & Type X cars)
- Factory Tachometer use on 91-98 models requires the Dakota Digital SGi-8 Box or the 89-90 OEM tach.
- Factory Speedometer, AC, reverse lights, wipers, engine temp gauge, Alternator Warning light and Oil Pressure Warning light remain functional.
- Plug and Play – simple and efficient
- NO CORE HARNESS or additional wiring required
- OEM wire colors used, where applicable
- All sensor signal connections use EM shielded wires
- Fireproof fiberglass sleeving used in high-temp sections near the manifold & turbo (-40°C/-40°F to 450°C/ 845°F operating temperature)
- Point-to-Point continuity tested on every wire
- Constructed using exact OEM connectors and seals
- Made with high temp TXL wire with adhesive shrink tubing (-40°C/-40°F to 125°C/ 257°F operating temperature)
- Wrapped in lightweight nylon loom (-94°C/-137°F to 125°C/ 257°F operating temperature)
- Includes a charge harness and improved grounds
- Fully tested after production for an easy plug-and-play installation
- Main Engine and Transmission one-piece tucked harness
- 4x Coilpack connections
- 4x Injector connections
- Injector Resistor Box connections (relocated to inside the car)
- Knock sensor connection
- MAFS connector
- TPS connector
- TPS switch connector
- Boost solenoid wiring with OEM connector
- Ignitor chip connector (relocated to inside the car)
- Cam sensor connector
- FICV Fast Idle cam connector
- IACV Idle air motor connector
- OEM Oxygen sensor connectors (wideband wiring is not part of the EFI harness, except AEM Infinity 6/8)
- Ground ring terminal
- Air regulator connector (under intake manifold location)
- ECT sensor connector and cluster coolant temp switch connector
- Reverse lights sensor connector
- Speed sensor connector
- Alternator connector
- Starter signal connector
- OEM oil pressure 1-pin connector (only 1-pin version supplied)
- Dash and fuse box connections through the Interface harness
- ** Power steering and Neutral signal connectors are eliminated **
- Printable install instructions with pictures
- Turn Key ENGINE START Guarantee
- Tech support for our customers 7 days a week
- If you are running an aftermarket ECU, we can customize your PRO harness to fit your exact build requirements. Click HERE to download and submit the ECU / Build details form with your order, or we will contact you once the order is placed to collect the needed details.
- AEM Infinity, Link and ECU Masters products (and some other standalone ECUs) are able to process a wideband signal input wired DIRECTLY to the ECU. The LSU 4.2 Version of the WB O2 Sensor SHOULD be used, as per AEM and ECU Masters. Select the Oval or Rectangular connector style in the options to match your WB O2 connector.
- All ECUs that are unable to process a wideband signal directly, will be wired for a FACTORY O2 sensor and a labeled flying lead will be provided to connect the ECU to the Wideband controller. For ECUs that do not process a raw wideband signal, a controller must be used. Controllers like an AEM UEGO Gauge Kit or the Haltech CAN wideband unit should be used.
- AEM Infinity, Motec, Link and ECU Masters harnesses are pre-wired for Oil Pressure, Fuel pressure, Oil Temp, IAT and MAP sensor wiring directly to the ECU. Flex Fuel support is available if desired. ECU control of a Boost Control Solenoid is also available on most harnesses.
- Apex'i PFC conversions ONLY include the IAT sensor in the main harness. The MAP sensor is wired separately, from the PFC box directly to the sensor. MAP sensor harness should be purchased with the PFC.
- Alternator Charge Cable – This item ties the starter/battery directly to the Alternator output, which allows the improved power routing on our harness to eliminate the wire running from the alternator to the fusebox and/or battery while still charging the battery normally.
- ECU Patch Harness – This optional item eliminates the need to cut into your engine harness for accessories. Use the length of wire provided between the wiring harness plug and the ECU itself to install accessories such as air-fuel meters & controllers, electric boost controllers, rev/speed meters and more.
- Grounding Kit – Our Kit ties a number if engine components to the body of the car and ensures that you will not have issues resulting from poor grounds. The Grounding Kit utilizes Ultra High temp fiberglass sleeving to allow installation under or around exhaust components. Very flexible mounting options allow you to connect the block, head, battery tray, alternator case and chassis to completely eliminate all grounding issues.
- Speedo / Tach Signal Conditioning – The Dakota Digital SGI-5 unit for Speed and the SGI-8 unit for Tach can 'condition' the signal to compensate for cross-platform swaps and/or changes to the number of cylinders. If the Option exists to ADD either unit on the harness page for your swap, then you need them for proper speedo & tach operation. Please note that some transmissions (350z, BMW ZF and S15 Silvia for example) do not have a speed sensor and will require a non-harness based solution like a GPS speedo. Most Nissan to Nissan swaps can simply adjust the tachometer to compensate.
- Plug-n-Play vs Universal – Plug-n-Play harnesses connect to your car's underhood fuse box for power and to connectors under the dash for gauges etc. Universal harnesses do not need an underhood fusebox to connect to and the wiring for gauges and warning lights is provided as a 'flying lead' which are bare wires labeled with their function.
- Right Hand Drive (RHD) Conversions – If you used ALL the stock LHD chassis connectors for your RHD swap, order the LHD version of the harness. If you used ALL the clip/swap RHD chassis connectors, order the RHD version of the harness. If you used a combination of LHD and RHD chassis connectors, please contact us as our harnesses will need modification.
- Don't See It? – If you have injectors, throttle body, coilpacks or any other item that you do not see on the Options offerings, please contact us. Chances are we can do it!
- Battery Cables / Battery Relocation – The battery must be connected to the starter, so you need a battery cable from the positive battery terminal to the starter main power lug. Typically this positive battery cable also powers up the main under hood fusebox, which runs many of the non-engine items on your car like interior lights, dash power and headlights/taillights. Please make sure you have prepared for this as each install is different.
- LS2/LQ9 GM V8 Coil Pack Conversions – We offer an upgrade to the GM V8 LS2/LQ9 Smart Coils on most of our harnesses. This will eliminate the ignitor chip completely (when present), and allow you to use the high performance LS2/LQ9 Coil Packs which are easy to find. Install on JZ or RB engines keeps the coilpacks in their original location over the spark plug with the use of a mounting kit from MOJO Performance. The kits include brackets, mounting hardware, rubber boots and contact springs and can be added to your order by selecting them from the Options list to the right. Install on other engines will require a custom mounting solution and extra parts – please contact us for details.


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Get Nia Fit with this super fun cardio-dance fusion class! Nia is an expressive body-mind-spirit movement program that offers an artistic and innovative approach to fitness & healing. Combining simple dance moves with martial arts and yoga, the Nia Technique provides a variety of movement dynamics to create an experience that involves your whole body, as well as your spirit!
Nia is great for anyone at any fitness level - whether you are a high-energy athlete or if you just need to get moving. Reap the benefits: cardio conditioning, stress relief, joint mobility, increased strength and energy.
Maria Whitley is a Brown Belt Nia Instructor and the owner of Shine Music & Movement Studio. She has been practicing Nia since 2008 and is so grateful to have found a practice that allows her to share with people of every age and ability!
Preregistration is lovely but not required. Contact Maria at email@example.com.