text:
Unlocking Big Data: Assess Your Competency
I'm sure we can all agree that we've moved past big data being "industry buzz" to accepting that big data – and the analytics we glean from it – is an "industry necessity" for success.
What we can't always agree on is what big data means to our jobs, our companies and our customers. How we define, explore, apply and learn from data is different to each one of us, depending on where we work within an organization and, of course, what kind of an organization we work within.
In order to create a path to success, organizations need to do more than educate themselves on the concepts required to enable today's data driven enterprise. They need to honestly consider and accurately measure their competency in this subject so they know efficient and effective they are in optimizing their data, technology and talent.
To assist in making these measurements, IDC and IBM have compiled a brief survey related to your organization's big data challenges and capabilities. Your answers will be privately compiled against a baseline of other organizations assessed by IDC, ranking your organization in one of 5 categories of maturity:
- Novice
- Beginner
- Competent
- Proficient
- Expert
After you complete the assessment, you will have the opportunity to view and download a custom report that includes recommendations for improving your big data strategy. We hope you'll share that report with your teams, peers and leadership in order to put everyone on the same path to success.
Please take a few minutes to complete the assessment, then continue the discussion in the comments below.
Assess Your Big Data Competency


text:
This blog post is on my setting up another Ubuntu Server VM.
This time I want a VM that has the common software development applications pre-installed.
As such most of the steps are similar to what I did in a previous blog post.
So on this blog post, I will start from the screen where I can select pre-packaged software.
Although, I was not really sure I really need the DNS server and print server, I thought "Ah well. Might as well."
So they are included.
Setup MySql
First thing to setup is to assign a password for MySql server "root" account.
Note: You may have notice that background color have changed from purple to blue.
This was because I typed the wrong confirmation password when setting the password.
Setup E-mail

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Blog Archives
Sony's 5″1080p Experia Z hitting Canadian shelves soon
Sony's new Quad Core 5″ 1080p Full HD Experia Z is coming to Canada soon, & will launch on Bell Mobility. It's unsure if any other carriers will have this device in their lineup & only time will tell. Sony says the Experia Z & ZL are their premium quad core phones for 2013. Many were hoping to see the ZL come to Canada which has the same specs but with a stylish glass backing & fully waterproof body. For now your going to have to take the Z if you want a subsidized 5″ Sony phone in Canada. You could always import the ZL if your willing to pay full price however. Speaking of prices they are yet to be announced.
Check out the specs below & let us know in the comments if you think the Experia Z is the device for you or maybe your looking to get the more luxurious ZL?
OS Version & processor
Google Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
1.5 GHz Qualcomm APQ8064+MDM9215M Quad Core
13.1-megapixel camera with Auto focus
2 MP, Exmor R, front facing camera (1080p)
Display & Design
5″, 1920×1080 pixels, 16,777,216 colour TFT
Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2
Scratch-resistant, shatter proof sheet on mineral glass
Flash memory: Up to 16 GB
Expansion slot: microSD card, up to 32 GB
UMTS HSPA+ 850 (Band V), 900 (Band VIII), 2100 (Band I) MHz *
GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20)


text:
-

-

-

-

Economics, Business, and Finance
Business professor publishes new edition of top-selling textbook
The 11th edition of Personal Finance has been published by McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Les Dlabay, professor of business, has been a co-author on this book since its inception in 1988. The various editions of Personal Finance have been used at more than 900 colleges and universities as well as adapted versions for use in Canada, India, and Singapore. Dlabay has been involved in the preparation of over 40 editions of various international business and finance textbooks.


text:
Mar 23, 2015
Hertz Furniture's "Classroom of the Future" white paper outlines how to transform instructional practices and classroom design to facilitate student achievement. Topics include flipped classrooms, 21st century classroom layouts and more. (Read More)
Mar 11, 2013
Hertz Furniture has announced its newest sweepstakes on the popular teacher website, We Are Teachers. The contest offers one lucky teacher the opportunity to win a complete classroom makeover and create the classroom they have always dreamed of. (Read More)
Feb 28, 2013
Hertz Furniture has selected the first winner of its 2012 Grant Program for CASBO members. The lucky recipient is a second grade special education autism class on the J.H. McGaugh campus of the Los Alamitos Unified School District. (Read More)
Feb 18, 2013
Hertz Furniture, has declared Maria Tristan, a librarian at Dr. Palmira Mendiola Elementary School in La Joya ISD, the winner of its "I Love My School Librarian" contest. (Read More)
Jan 31, 2013
Hertz Furniture, carries a full range of wheelchair accessible and ADA-compliant products, helping schools provide equal learning opportunities and accommodate students of all abilities. (Read More)
Dec 17, 2012
Hertz Furniture won the title "Charter Schools Champion Vendor" during the annual Florida Charter School Champions Awards. (Read More)
Nov 13, 2012
Hertz Furniture recently uploaded a new educational video to its School Matters Blog: Communicating with Students after a Natural Disaster. (Read More)
Nov 06, 2012
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Hertz Furniture has established the Hertz Furniture Sandy Relief Program, designed to provide immediate aid and assistance to schools and others affected by the deadly storm. (Read More)
Oct 18, 2012
Hertz Furniture has announced its featured brand sales for the month of October. From now until the end of October 2012, customers can save 5% off best-selling banquet chairs from NPS, as well as 10% off select lecterns and podiums from the OSC. (Read More)
Oct 11, 2012
Hertz Furniture has announced a new sale. From today through the end of November 2012, customers who spend more than $700 on National Public Seating stages or risers will enjoy free shipping within continental USA, as well as Quick Ship service. (Read More)
Press Releases by Topic
Press Releases by Date


text:
(Title Image: © Copyright Colin Pyle and licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Licence)
A few years ago, Bridgend was shortlisted to be the showcase for a new energy scheme which would use heat generated by old mine workings to heat homes in Caerau.
It's hoped this will combat fuel poverty in one of Wales' most deprived communities and raise the profile of Bridgend. Talks have been ongoing and a major update is due later this week (pdf).
The project is split into three phases. The project currently at phase 2, where BCBC will put together a funding package for the project.
The outcome of a feasibility study by Cardiff University is due for January 2018, but in the meantime, BCBC has been offered just under £6.5million in EU funding towards the costs of the project.
The total cost is expected to be £9.42million, with BCBC committing around £640,000 towards it and the rest coming from sources that include the Welsh Government, Scottish Power and the UK Government's Heat Networks Delivery Unit.
The project is still about £680,000 short, but BCBC is (somewhat) confident this could be found from other sources and grant schemes over the next 12 months. Once that money's secured, work could start on the project in 2019.
- 27Shares


text:
There are only two attainable places where you'll find alternatives of high-quality running shoes. We stock manufacturers from quality manufacturers and make sure your new footwear fit like their purported to. There are various shops on the internet that can even supply free transport. Here at , we all know that style and nicely-being start with the right footwear.
Try typing in your Zip Code (e.g. "92101"), or your city (e.g. "San Diego") into the search discipline above. Some key factors to keep in mind whenever you are looking to purchase footwear on-line embody pricing, company repute, transport costs, and return guidelines. Subsequent time you want a brand new pair of kicks for this adventure we call life, our team is right here to just be sure you get the performance that you simply want out of your gear.
DC Sneakers Gift Cards will be ordered on-line to be used in DC Footwear, Quiksilver, and Roxy retail shops located within the United States, or online. Shoe care- A great way to make your retailer extra marketable is by offering shoe care services similar to shining, stretching, and even minor repair.
Whether you might be arduous to fit or have particular wants, let enable you make strides toward your purpose. This attributes significantly to the comfort of those shoes. Customers even have issues if their shoe dimension is on the backside of the pile.
Luxury and designer manufacturers boast a variety of real exotic skins and finishes, whereas athletic and outdoor retailers are able to outfit you with footwear to fulfill any weather situation or terrain. One of many top shoe shops in Michigan, Street Runner Sports activities has given $275,000 to hometown excessive faculties similar to yours.


text:
4. Music NewsAnd some related news from the Drama Club:
Mohawk's Select Chorus will participate in the High School Choral Festival in Keene
Keene State College on Friday, October 26. The chorus will present selections of their repertoire, receive feedback from Keene State Music Department faculty, hear performances by other high schools and KSC vocal ensembles, and participate in an all-sing with high school and college choral students. Music Director Scott Halligan reports, "This promises to be a fantastic event, and we're thrilled to have the opportunity to participate."
You are invited to join the Mohawk Music Association
The Mohawk Music Association meets the second Tuesday of the month at 5:00 p.m. in the school library. Meetings end at approximately 6:30 p.m. Meeting dates: November 13, December 11, January 8, February 12, March 12, April 9, May 14, and June 11. More information is available at www.mohawkmusicassociation.org
The planned Middle School Chorus trip to perform at the Springfield Falcons Hockey game on November 9 has been cancelled
Middle school music teacher Gina Glover will be in contact with students and families about potentially rescheduling this activity. The November 9 trip has been cancelled.
5. Drama News
Mohawk collaborates with Double Edge Theatre
On Sunday October 14, Mohawk faculty Principal Lynn Dole, Assistant Principal Joey Kotright-Clark, Scott Halligan (Music Director), Julia White (HS history teacher), Rachel Silverman (Art Teacher, Heath/BSE), Jonathan Diamond (Drama Coordinator) and new Academy at Charlemont Head of School Mark Efinger attended an Open Training with the talented staff at Double Edge Theatre in Ashfield. As Drama Coordinator Jonathan Diamond reports, "It was a wonderful experience, that affirmed our belief in the powers of the human spirit and Advil!" The following Wednesday (October 17) Double Edge Theatre core ensemble member Hannah Jarrell and Double Edge interns Megan and Sara led a joint training for students in the middle and high school at Mohawk. We trained outdoors on spools and the aerial fabric hanging from the outdoor trapeze apparatus next to the Field Hockey playing field and worked on compositions (scene work) on the stage in the auditorium. Fifth and sixth grade students from Heath drama joined us for this exciting event.
This week's guest artist at the Drama Club
This coming Wednesday (October 24) Mohawk Drama Club will host Chrysalis Theatre Music Director Pan Morigan. Pan is an award-winning vocalist, songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer. She recorded her album "Castles of Gold, Songs and Stories of Irish Immigration" with Frank McCourt, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning Angela's Ashes, and has toured with Bobby McFerrin and his Voicestra. Pan will lead a workshop on voice training for actors. All are welcome. Mohawk Drama Club meets every Wednesday from 2:30 – 5:00 pm in the auditorium.


text:
Honda had unveiled the BR-V prototype at the 2015 Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show (GIIAS) in August 2015. The company has confirmed Indonesia as one of the first market to receive the compact SUV initially.
Honda Cars India Limited (HCIL) has already confirmed the India entry of the BR-V sometime in next fiscal year.
According to a report in Autocar Indonesia, Honda Prospect Motor, the Indonesian arm of Honda, will launch the compact SUV on 2 December. The company started accepting bookings at the GIIAS on 20 September and it was reported that over 3,500 orders were placed at the show. The compact SUV will be manufactured at Honda's Karawang plant in Indonesia for domestic market.
The seven seater compact SUV will be unveiled in India at 2016 Auto Expo in February. Powering the Honda BR-V will be the same 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol and 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel units that also do duty on the Honda City. The engines will be mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox and a CVT automatic.
The BR-V measures 4,455mm in length, 1,735 mm in width and 1,650 mm in height with a 2660 mm long wheelbase. The vehicle also boasts of segment-leading 200mm of ground clearance.
The BR-V comes with signature thick single chrome slat grille that we have seen in the Honda City. The prominent grill is flanked by projector headlamps. The wide air dam is covered with honeycomb finish. A skid plate at the bottom of the front bumper and side cladding throws light on the off-road pedigree of the vehicle.
On the safety front, the vehicle will feature dual and front SRS airbag, anti-lock braking system (ABS) and electronic brake distribution (EBD), vehicle stability assist (VSA), and hill start assist (HSA).
The BR-V in India will be built on HCIL's Tapukara plant in Rajasthan and will compete against Renault Duster, Hyundai Creta and Maruti Suzuki S-Cross.


text:
Airline Finder
December 16th, 2010
Used this App? Rate it!
Airline Finder is a superb identification guide for over 700 airlines across the world.
The stunning artwork shows you the aircraft side and tail markings for airlines across the globe.
The application has been designed for simplicity and speed. It's very easy to use and enables you to list the airliners or search based upon airline name, predominant tail colour and country.
The high quality computer illustrations were created by Graham Charles Edwards whose previous work includes a published airline reference guide.


text:
Speak Up, Physicians. You've Earned It.
Each day during National Physicians Week we will be publishing a different physician perspective to highlight the different voices of those who work in the field. Today, Dr. Sheena Sharma provides a outlook of hope for physicians who feel burned out by the current healthcare system. Article by Ariel Jacoby.
Physicians in this country are in the midst of a crisis. The public has lost faith in the abilities and motives of the people who tend to their health, and the media eschews everyday stories of authentic healers bringing good health to their patients in favor of flashy headlines surrounding the seedy practices of big pharma, presenting physicians as their duplicitous comrades. Despite increasing CME requirements to complete more and more certifications, physicians face a very real uncertainty that they could lose their jobs to cheaper, non-physician providers. Over the past several years, Dr. Sheena Sharma has borne witness as the voices of her colleagues and fellow physicians have become drowned out in a sea of corporate medicine, patient satisfaction surveys, anonymous online reviews, and hospital mega-administrations.
It didn't always used to be this way.
Dr. Sharma vividly remembers the moment she decided to become a physician. The daughter of a cardiologist, she used to follow her father around during his rounds at the hospital where he worked. On one such visit, she witnessed him inserting a temporary pacemaker in a patient who was about to die in the ICU, and as she watched the quickening blips on the monitor, she became unequivocally aware of her calling in medicine. She had just watched as her father saved the life of another human, and in that moment she knew she was going to become a doctor.
The younger Dr. Sharma's path to cardiology has been entirely shaped by her father, whose unflagging optimism is rare to find in a field that is well-known for the disturbingly high burnout rates of its workers. The elder Dr. Sharma loves his job every single day, and his consistent positive attitude stems from an internal conviction that he is the one who is privileged to provide thoughtful personal medical care to his patients. To Dr. Sharma, it is an honor to be able to put on a white coat every day and call himself a doctor.
When Dr. Ishwara Sharma came to India to America in the 1970's, he had two things: his medical residency and eight dollars in his pocket - five of those dollars he had spent on headphones to use during the long plane ride. He has come a long way since then, as the successful owner and lead physician at a private practice cardiology clinic, InterMed Associates, where he works alongside his daughter. But his deep-seated feelings of humility and respect towards the profession he adores have remained with him through the decades.
The younger Dr. Sharma followed in her father's footsteps (though wearing heels) and the two Dr. Sharmas have observed together as the treatment of physicians in today's healthcare system has steadily deteriorated. Years ago, they watched multiple other cardiology practices in the area become forced to merge with large hospital systems after a steep drop in Medicare reimbursements for myocardial perfusion stress imaging, severely handicapping all cardiology practices with no way to manage the loss.
Though they were able to maintain their own private practice, the experience was deeply unsettling for Dr. Sheena Sharma. She loves her job - she loves the science of her work, and coming into the office each morning to start her day reading echocardiograms. She loves working alongside her father, and the moments they get to share as part of a father-daughter and physician team in the exam room. She loves both the small moments when she connects with a patient's vulnerabilities and soothes their fear, and the big moments when she gets to save those patients' lives. But it saddens her to watch the public become more and more distrustful of doctors, and it scares her to know that she and her father are in a long-term battle to keep their practice private.
In these moments of doubt, Dr. Sharma's father and mentor reminds her to hold her ground. His unwavering confidence that the state of medicine will turn around is her light at the end of the tunnel. Dr. Ishwara Sharma has remained unflustered in the face of physician adversity, calmly committed to the values of compassionate patient care that initially drew him to become a physician. He has the untroubled laugh and serene self-assurance of a man who knows what is his calling in life, and has answered that calling every day without looking back. Not once has he betrayed the integrity of his profession, and he remains trustful that it will not betray him.
There are too many doctors that have dedicated their lives to healing others only to have the world beat them back for it. These doctors deserve greater respect for the superhuman acts and miracles they perform each day, for the countless hours of sleep and life experiences that they've sacrificed for the good of the patient. All medical professionals ought to be proud of the heroic work they do, and physicians as a collective group have earned the right to speak up and be heard clearly amidst the cacophony of voices in the discussion of our healthcare system.
At InterMed Associates, there are two Dr. Sharmas. Dr. Ishwara Sharma and Dr. Sheena Sharma are physicians, true healers, to their very core. For them, and millions of other physicians like them, medicine was never a choice - it was and is part of who they are.
Dr. Sheena Sharma is a cardiologist living in Massachusetts. She is one of the original founders of Physicians Working Together (PWT) and is honored to be a voice for the thousands of physicians who are members of the organization.


text:
Sodium Bromide - 2 oz by Leisure Time
Sodium Bromide works in conjunction with bromine tablets to increase the effectiveness of the bromine component. When used with bromine in spa water, the Sodium Bromide from Leisure Time creates a bromine reserve so that bromine tablets can work effectively to disinfect and clean the spa water completely. The pair of spa chemicals work as a spa and hot tub sanitizer, a killer of bacteria, a killer of algae, and a killer of contaminates. Sodium Bromide and Bromine Tablets also destroy unwanted organic material from spa water. The Sodium Bromize from Leisure Time is specially designed to dissolve quickly, work quickly and leave no residue while accomplishing these tasks. Sodium Bromide ought to be applied to spa and hot tub water upon filling for use.
- Allows bromine tablets to work correctly
- Eliminates strong chlorinous odors
- One time application per complete spa fill
- Dissolves without leaving a residue
- New spa start-up: Prior to adding bromine tabs, add 1/2 oz. of sodium bromide per 100 gallons
- Adjust spa bromine floater or feeder to maintain a bromine level of 2-4 ppm
- Shock with Renew weekly
- Always add sodium bromide after draining and re-filling a spa
- Recommend shocking with Renew as an oxidizer on a regular basis
- Use caution when handling spa bromine
- Always keep your alkalinity and pH in balance
Amount 2 oz
Chemical Sodium Bromide
Action Creates Bromine Reserve
Purpose Cleanliness, Sanitization
Use With Bromine
Free Shipping
For online orders over $40 (before tax), shipping and handling is FREE. Orders that are under $40 will have a $5.99 shipping fee added. Most pool/spa supplies ship via Fed Ex and delivery times within the Continental U.S range from 2-5 days. All orders received before noon will ship that SAME DAY.
Shipping Details & Conditions.


text:
The foibles of "production" car racing and homologation rules have given rise to some rather interesting machinery over the years. Nutty Plymouth Superbirds and road-going Ford GT40s are at one end of the spectrum, and Ferrari's first V6 engine is at the other.
Alfredo "Dino" Ferrari envisioned the V6 as an ideal Formula 2 engine before his untimely death in 1956. But the engine didn't come to fruition until nearly a decade later. By then, there was simply no way Read More


text:
Series; The Flowers and Birds of the Oriental Year, 1982
A Fuji Arts $25 Opening Special Offer Auction! Get your bid in!
Toshi Yoshida - Toshi Yoshida was the son of Hiroshi Yoshida, one of the most famous woodblock print artists of the twentieth century. He followed the family tradition and centuries-old Japanese craft of woodblock printmaking, adopting and developing his signature style. His close relationship with his father was instrumental in the pursuit of his art. Together, father and son traveled Japan and the globe, examining and sketching the people and places around them.
Although Yoshida's prints span a wide range of subjects, he is most well known for his lovely portrayals of everyday life in Japan and the beautiful countryside. His works often include the human element, adding a sense of scale and a personal quality to his remarkable landscapes. Softly colored and masterfully composed, Toshi Yoshida's evocative woodblock prints capture the beauty of Japan in his own unique style.
From the Yoshida Family Archives - This print comes from a group of Toshi Yoshida woodblocks we recently acquired from the Yoshida family. The stock comes directly from the Yoshida archives, and includes some rare designs not commonly seen on the market. Since these prints were not originally intended for sale, some are lacking a printed title or other information in the margins. A great opportunity to acquire a classic Toshi Yoshida design with an interesting provenance.
The Flowers and Birds of the Oriental Year - Charming design from Toshi Yoshida's rarely seen 1982 series depicting a different bird and tree or flower for each month. This series was commissioned by the Franklin Mint, and printed in Toshi Yoshida's studio in Japan. These attractive designs feature lovely detail, attractive color, and soft bokashi shading. A great choice for display, either singly or in groups. Only the second time we've offered prints from this series.
Artist - Toshi Yoshida (1911 - 1995)
Image Size - 8 1/4" x 5 3/4" + margins as shown
Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. A few tiny marks. Please see photos for details. Good overall.
This Auction Falls Under Our Standard Auction Rules and Guidelines
If you are a new bidder, please read the Rules and Guidelines page before bidding.


text:
That Little Job Search Push
(Writer's note: I decided to try something a bit different this week and this is an alternate version to a post on my own blog – which can be read here: http://bareedwriting.com – That Little Push)
The sun rises, and even on a cloudy day, the world around us starts to wake up – circadian rhythm kicks in. External and internal prompts work together to give us a little push to start our day. Routine, or the schedule for that particular day take over to encourage our next moves. Is the pull of that day's activities enough for me to push myself forward into it?
Probably very few of us found our internal drive worked consistently in our growing years. Little and big pushes to do this or that had to come from external sources – mom, dad, teacher, coach. The object was to teach us to develop our own internal drive, to push ourselves to do the things we needed to do so that we could achieve the things that we wanted to achieve. Oh, we needed no push on certain days, for something exciting – up, fed, dressed and maybe even got a few things ready for mom and dad.
Once we launch into our 'real' lives, our adult post-school experiences, that's when we find out how well we internalized the push – our ability to create and implement a daily schedule. Some people manage to find an internal/external push balance that works quite well. Job expectations become a strong external push; until suddenly the job isn't there to provide this push.
Now the push is all internal to get set up with a new job to provide that needed external push. Do we have it in us to apply the push regularly? Oh, friends and family think that they are helping when they ask those questions, that they are providing a bit of a motivational push. And truly, sometimes the wish to stop their version of a push is enough to galvanize us to create the internal drive and get that next job.
There are two main methods for pushing – the carrot or the stick. Do you offer yourself some small treat to get things moving along, or do you find that fear of the consequences for not pushing are more of a motivation? So many variations abound, it is possible to find a method that best works for you.
Imagine what we can each do today, with a little push.
Beth Anne Reed has a background in Customer Relations, Process & Project Management and a deep interest in Written Communications.
© 2014 Blog to Work | Blogging your way to a job, All rights reserved
Cover Letter Tips
By Tim Klepaczyk
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/timklepaczyk/
What do you say in a cover letter? I've typically identified where I found out about the open position. Then I'd talk about how my experience matches what the company says they are seeking in the job description – some people even go so far as to list the requirements and matching experience in two columns. Finally I conclude by asserting my confidence that I would make immediate contributions and that I will contact them soon about an interview. This type of cover letter is probably familiar to many of you.
This approach has been adequate in the past, but cover letters can be more effective. The key is to remember that you're trying to communicate what's in it for them. If you've done your homework, you know the important tasks in the role you are seeking. Find at least three SSAR story examples that reinforce your track record of success in these tasks – Situation you were in, Strengths you used to address it, Actions you took, and Results delivered. Conclude by advising that you have additional stories when you meet.
For this position you are seeking someone who can get these things done.
I have a record of success in such tasks. In this situation from my work history I used this strength to take this action and achieve this result. In a second situation I used this different strength to take this action and achieve this result. In a third situation I used a third strength to take this action and achieve this result.
When we meet I can discuss these examples and more in greater detail. I will contact you soon to arrange an interview.
How much more powerful this is – I know how to do the job well, and will deliver immediate results for your company. That is a more effective message for a cover letter.
Tim Klepaczyk is an RF & microwave engineer with over 20 years of experience in applications & sales and product design & validation. He also loves writing.
© 2014 Blog to Work | Blogging your way to a job, All rights reserved
Cockeyed Optimist?
John Baldoni recently wrote a Forbes article* on leadership. He used Shirley Temple Blacks quote, "I don't like to do negatives. There are always pluses to things" as the spring board for his musings. Optimism is not some kind of soft skill; optimism takes determination and draws followers so it makes a viable leadership tool.
Shirley Temple had more than optimism; she had talent, worked hard, and had a charming personality. She was noted for many things and one of them is she worked as a child during one of the most difficult times in America's history, the Great Depression.
Politicians and people alike looked to her perky films to encourage them during their own sad times. Perhaps it was during the Great Depression where she first understood the power of optimism and then went on to use it as an Ambassador to both Ghana and Czechoslovakia.
There have been other leaders who have sought to use optimism as a leadership tool. Prime Minister Winston Churchill was once asked how a person could be successful. In what looked like a simple reply he said, "The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity; the optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty." He told his listeners that everyone will have a choice between pessimism and optimism. The optimist is the one who sees difficulties and chooses to move forward with the opportunities that the darkness of difficulties only exposes. Churchill watched as London was being bombed around him in WWII, yet he kept the people of England moving forward by reminding them it was fear they had to be afraid of not the German war machine. Pessimism over their ability to persevere would have had them knuckle under to the cruel dictator, Hitler.
President Abraham Lincoln once said, "Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other." The time of history Lincoln lead the United States was exceedingly dark. Families fought against family and the country threatened to break apart under the issues of slavery and greed. Lincoln surrounded himself with cabinet members that would argue both sides of issues of war but he alone retained the power to make the decision. Yes, he was intelligent, strong willed, and a hard worker but he his ability to cast a vision for the country kept him in times where he personally was receiving death threats and it would have been easy to quit. Future opportunities might have been impossible to fore see if he bowed under pressure and fear and became pessimistic during his time of leadership.
These are but a few examples from history. Now is the time of our leadership and we lead others by our example. We must not lose heart but train our brain to move out with an optimistic vision of our future. Optimism breeds optimism so, build into the people surrounding you by using that tool of optimism. Be enthusiastic and live confident that as we put our efforts to work and do what is right, good will emerge. Peer into difficulties that come as if they are but the dark backdrop in which rich opportunities will stand out the brightest. And never, ever give up.
* http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnbaldoni/2014/02/18/shirley-temple-black-a-life-lesson-in-optimism/
Deb Bryan has 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. She has a passion for writing and Toastmasters International.
© 2013 Blog to Work/Blogging your way to a job. All rights reserved
One Month Until Spring
By Cynthia Simmons
I hear the wind blowing tonight. The weather is in turmoil, with a thaw following weeks of extreme cold and too much snow to think about. Tomorrow, the thaw will freeze and then we'll have more cold weather. Tonight was even stranger: at 5 p.m. rush hour there was fog blinding drivers and some flooding on roads. But now, at nearly 9 p.m. a sharp wind has sheared away the fog. The air is very clear and heartless.
We are one month away from spring, after a long, difficult Illinois winter. Some of us had forgotten true winter, with the last three years of a more gentle season than usual.
I'd like to stay inside and wait this winter out. But, no, that's not for me. I need to be gainfully employed. How is that going to happen?
Today, during the thaw, I drove over to another town to attend a workshop entitled, "Improve Your Interaction Skills." The job coach was very competent; he explained different types of listening, how to start conversations and find common ground. He made much sound simple. I appreciated that. Job search is scary in a bad economy. Job search is scary generally, unless you have nothing to lose.
We role played and examined attitudes and communication styles. We held up mental mirrors for ourselves, to see where we need improvement. We were taught "failure is your friend" — that failure is the point in the process where things stop working. If we find the failure point, we can fix the process. We were told to seek and accept feedback, to be ready for our responses of surprise, annoyance, resistance, and then afterward, acceptance—the tools to hold these difficult stones in our hands and to gently turn them over and over, considering, accepting, integrating and changing ourselves.
I am grateful for today's gifts.
Cynthia Simmons has a background in publishing and publications.
© 2014 Blog to Work/Blogging your way to a job. All rights reserved.
What are You Doing Right?
Because our ancestors won the right to continue the human race by being anxious and pessimistic, we have these traits in spades. I'm not going to go so far as to say that we don't ever need to believe these negative leanings, but everything has a place. Job search is an anxious time, there is no doubt, but we should not forego feelings on the positive side of the spectrum.
Today let's conjure up some of these positive vibes, shall we? Let's each make a list of the things that we are doing right as we go about our day. First, if you got out of bed, pulled yourself together and started your day that is a basic plus right there. Some days we need to remind ourselves that the basic good stuff is still good stuff. (The sun is shining, the dog is glad to see us, our favorite show is on…)
Getting a little harder, if you set yourself a goal – no matter how small – and you met it (or you will after reading this post) then that is in the right column. Help a friend, proofread your resume or cover letter, set up a new search on Indeed, research a class that you've been thinking about taking; any of these could be considered a good thing that you could do for yourself.
If you recently got the dreaded thanks no thanks letter and you didn't focus immediately upon what you think that you did wrong in the process, but instead started to work through what went right and how you can replicate it – you have the idea that I'm promoting here. Things go right and things go wrong throughout each day. Sometimes we can do them better the next time, and sometimes we have little control over the event. We can choose to focus on the parts that we can affect, or fixate on the parts that we cannot.
Thanks for joining me in my personal pep talk.
Beth Anne Reed has a background in Customer Relations, Process & Project Management and a deep interest in Written Communications.
© 2014 Blog to Work | Blogging your way to a job, All rights reserved
Lessons from the Olympics
By Tim Klepaczyk
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/timklepaczyk/
I have been enjoying the winter Olympics. Yesterday evening it was great to see U.S. skaters Meryl Davis and Charlie White persevere in ice-dancing. They have a great rivalry with Canadian skaters Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. Tessa and Scott won gold four years ago in Vancouver, with Meryl and Charlie taking silver. They traded podium positions in Sochi.
I'm struck at every Olympics about the consistent narrative. There's always an impressive champion, predicted to dominate, who follows through. There's always another strong competitor who falls short of promise, and must "settle" for silver or bronze. There are stories of people whose perseverance is just in being there, who have no realistic chance of medaling. And of course there's always an underdog story, the outsider who transcends previous performances and wins to surprise even the experts.
To me, the inspiring common element among most of the athletes is their dedication and perseverance. A young child is transfixed watching Kristi Yamaguchi, or Eric Heiden, or Shawn White, or one of many other Olympic champions. 15 years later it is that same child now representing the United States! The innocence of a dream is something to be treasured and remembered.
Certainly it can be tough to deal with a lay-off, and a struggle to get back to work. Remember what inspired you when you were young, and be confident that while real life is often different than a dream it's still worth more dedication and perseverance, and many people are still fighting for you.
Tim Klepaczyk is an RF & microwave engineer with over 20 years of experience in applications & sales and product design & validation. He also loves writing.
© 2014 Blog to Work | Blogging your way to a job, All rights reserved
No One Was Betting on Them
Just who are Yulia Lipnitskaya and Jimmy Fallon? They are both contenders for the prize in the ring of their professions. They perform before the world and have the guts to say, I am the best and I will prove it.
Yulia, 15, and Jimmy, 39, are also both comeback kids from life's difficulties. You say, what can anyone that young know about difficulties? At what age is adversity not possible and painful? Yulia was out of the competition last season with a brain injury. Her body may be what we see gliding across the ice so effortlessly but it is her mind that drives those body signals. Jimmy started out on well-known Saturday Night Live and shortly after, worked on two films that went nowhere and his career began to collapse. Bounce back to the heights of the Olympics and The Tonight Show? How? What? Who can do that?
First they were not trying to do it alone. They had someone else in their lives saying, 'you're not done yet'. Then they said it, started the learning process it takes to recover, and then they believed it could be done. Part of that process is learning to work through fear and frustration as you have to learn new things and shake lose the pain of past hurts. There is no security on this earth, there is only opportunity. (Douglas MacArthur, WWII General) Then there is the just doing it; practice, practice, practice until it becomes your skill. You see, no one escapes the pain of hurt, failure, and disappointment and no one is an overnight success. And in our determination to obtain the new position we must not contemplate anything but success.
No one was betting on Yulia and Jimmy yet there they are in the forefront, with the world waiting breathlessly to see them win. You have work to do, retooling that must be done, and a stage that has a spot just for you to stand on. Never, never quit.
Deb Bryan has 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. She has a passion for writing and Toastmasters International.
© 2013 Blog to Work/Blogging your way to a job. All rights reserved
Getting It Wrong, and Then Getting It Right.
By Cynthia Simmons
We all hear the tips, tricks, networking secrets, expert advice from executive recruiters and job coaches. And, yes, from our friends, former co-workers, relatives (mothers, parents, older siblings, younger ones), and any authority figures in our vicinities – be they geographically proximate, or daily electronic companions communicating from afar. We are getting a superabundance of help and advice. A superfluity of advice.
Having only one pair of eyes, we can look in only one direction at a time. And we can walk in only one direction at a time. But if we are constantly turning and defying our physical limitations, are we turning in circles? Maybe even standing still? Perhaps even, stuck?
So, today, I am addressing some ways in which the job search can fail. How you can fail your job search.
Here's how to fail:
- Not apply for jobs.
- See a job and sit and think about it until you feel inspired enough to write a convincing pitch letter to send as your cover letter. Wait several days… a week, a month?
- Not send a cover letter at all with your resume.
- Write your resume, cover letter, and application, bless them, and send them out into the world, alone, and then never follow up.
- Never call to find out the hiring cycle. Never even take the time to hunt for someone who knows someone who knows… the hiring manager, or at least some person at the company you are courting.
Speaking of courting—job search is a courtship.
Know that.
And know that, like the reasons that fellow never called you or that girl wouldn't give you her number, you may never know why you weren't hired or even called for an interview.
Your best choices are to gather up your confidence, put on your dancing shoes, and be ready to dance with someone else.
Maybe you feel like a wallflower. That no one will ever ask you to dance. Are you dressed to dance? Is your head up and are you smiling? Do you look like you'd like to dance?
It's Valentine's Day. Don't let some stupid old job break your heart.
Cynthia Simmons has a background in publishing and publications.
© 2014 Blog to Work/Blogging your way to a job. All rights reserved.
A Targeted Resume Strategy
By Tim Klepaczyk
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/timklepaczyk/
Technology is often a double-edged sword. The Internet enables job-seekers to find more opportunities, but one then often faces much more competition. Given the constant pressure for all to do more in the workplace, HR professionals can be overwhelmed by huge numbers of resumes.
To ease this workload companies often review resumes with another technology, electronic scanners. Fortunately, automated processes are often predictable, and there are methods you can apply to improve your chances of getting through this screen. Here's one approach.
Get familiar with the website http://www.wordle.net/. Wordle creates "word clouds" – visual depictions of groups of words dependent on the number of times they appear or some other parameter. Select the "Create" link from the top-level page of Wordle. A text-entry box appears. When applying for a job, copy-and-paste the relevant job description into this text entry box.
Wordle will create a word cloud you can use to customize your resume. The most frequent words in the job description will be the largest words in the word cloud. Carefully consider how to modify your resume appropriately to incorporate these words, remembering that the resume must eventually also read sensibly for human eyes. As a first step though the more these words are incorporated in your resume, the more likely you can get your resume past the electronic screen.
If you don't want to customize your resume for every job description, try this instead. Find a half-dozen or more job descriptions for similar opportunities. Create a word cloud for each one. Record the top ten words from each word cloud in a consolidated text document, then create a word cloud from *that* group of words. This will yield the most useful words for customizing your resume more generally to the types of positions you're seeking.
Tim Klepaczyk is an RF & microwave engineer with over 20 years of experience in applications & sales and product design & validation. He also loves writing.
© 2014 Blog to Work | Blogging your way to a job, All rights reserved
Being Productive
When my boys were growing I started to say 'Make it a good day' to them on their way out the door to school every day. I wanted them to be aware of the choice that they make every day; how to respond to the things that happen to you as the day progresses. They understood what I was saying, but feeling that you have to power to affect the quality of your day is not easily done.
I've progressed from this idea to make a good day, (while still often falling short of following my own admonition) and now like to ask how the day was productive when talking to either one of them. When we are working, our productivity is measured by whatever means our employer chooses – output, meeting deadlines, sales dollar goals met, etc. How does a person measure productivity in job search?
I found that there are several ways, some to do with learning and many to do with creating a daily structure. So much of the advice and information to be found by the job seeker is quite subjective in nature so learning is not just in getting more information but also in creating one's own method to evaluate the information's value to a personal search.
So have you defined productivity for yourself? How much time should you spend on networking, updating your resume, researching potential target companies, or keeping your skills sharp?
Part of the definition of productivity revolves around results. Results are often hard to gauge in job search because they could be indirect or show up in days, weeks or months after the activity. The result might not be concrete, but no less important such as giving you a stronger sense of confidence.
My time on this post was productive if it got you to think about your own definition of productivity.
Beth Anne Reed has a background in Customer Relations, Process & Project Management and a deep interest in Written Communications.
© 2014 Blog to Work | Blogging your way to a job, All rights reserved


text:
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
The Sunless City Built on Rock: Opening the StarG8 via Patricia Arquette
5 comments:
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
Love it Love it!ReplyDelete
Cool culture sync is that Jay Leno on Sept-EMBER 22 (Equinox) had guest Ryan Reynolds and Betty White.
Canadian Ryan Reynolds (Born OCTOBER 23! Last day of LIBRA) is portraying DC Comics' Green Lantern in the upcoming movie!
See the Green Lantern Logo which is similar to the LIBRA symbol.
Actually more of a |O| (Holy Saints John) on edge but since symbols have many meanings, the meaning in this case is synced to LIBRA by the date of Ryan's (a LIBRAn) appearance (9/22/10).
Well...Well... wouldn't you know it?!?ReplyDelete
GREEN Festival in Washington DC on 10/23/2010
(Ryan Reynolds' BDay [Green Lantern] and last day of Judgement/LIBRA, 10.23.10)
10 into 5 [2+3]?
Another nice pop culture sync to Green Lantern character by DC Comics.
Betty White = B W = 2 2-3 = 2-2-3ReplyDelete
Meteorite day = Sept.5 + 28 days = Oct.3 + 28 days = Oct.31
Sept.5 --> Oct.23 = 48 days = 2 X 24
48/56 =
... implosion, toroidal mathematics, Marko R. & Nassiem H.
Oct.23,2010 = 10-23-2010 = 12/3\21 = 3/3E\E
Peace Love Light Truth
(- ;
; -)
eToro is the most recommended forex broker for new and pro traders.ReplyDelete


text:
List Categories | List All Articles | List Articles By Title
Success: Its Really Pretty Simple
From the 'What You Need to Succeed' Series
Every once in awhile I stop and take a look at myself. No - I don't mean in the mirror, I mean - I do a self-assessment of how I am managing the issues in my life. Have I let some circumstance or some event persuade me to give up on one of my dreams? How hard did I try?
Ever hear the expression, "Success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration?"
I'm here to tell you that it's true. If you want to succeed, one of the KEY things you absolutely MUST have is the determination and commitment to make sure you don't let anything stop you from achieving the success you are dreaming of and planning for (and yes - you need a plan!)
Whenever I run into an obstacle, hurdle, or challenge to my success my instinctive reaction is usually to visualize it as a huge stone blocking my path. I then visualize myself moving the stone, OR figuring out a way to get around it, over it, under it, or through it. What I always know about a hurdle is this: I can always find a way to get past it if I just look hard enough.
And when you really KNOW this (from experience), it gives you the confidence you need to succeed. So let me give you an example of how this has worked in MY life.
There was a time when I worked as an IT contractor. I was a borderline DEC computer geek, and I was able to breathe life into computers others had given up for dead, or resolve issues that others thought were hopeless. It wasn't because I was a genius - it was mostly because I was resourceful. I took notes on everything I learned the hard way over the years, and I created a notebook that I took with me everywhere I went. That notebook paid my salary on many projects. Plus, I also kept a list of who I could contact for help if I got stuck.
One day, I got a call for a short contract assignment. I seems that several folks in a big government agency were not able to get one of their DEC systems working properly. And it was causing problems because it was winter time and the computer was designed to measure the water flow in several major streams throughout my state. Flood control was almost non-existent with this computer down.
I will never forget this assignment because as I was unpacking my briefcase someone who worked in the facility came up to me, sneered skeptically and said, "five people have already tried their best to fix this thing and have given up on it - so what makes you think YOU can do any better?"
Clearly, he didn't expect me to succeed.
I was a little bit taken aback by his comment, but, I quickly retorted with "Yeah, well, that's because none of them were ME".
And that's how I began my work on this project. I mapped out my approach to how I planned to solve this problem, and figured out most of what was needed on my own. But when I hit a snag or two, I made a couple of support calls, and got in touch with someone who knew what I needed to resolve some of those challenges.
And within a couple of days, I was walking back out the door, mission accomplished. As I was leaving, I passed by Mr. Cheerful and stopped long enough to ask "OK, so now please tell me why I succeeded". I loved this part.
Stumped, he squinted and shrugged, saying "Geez, I dunno."
I said "It's because those other people gave up too soon and didn't plan to succeed," I smiled, pointing to and tapping on my notebook.
I have to admit I reveled a little bit in demolishing his expectation that I would fail just as my predecessors had.
This success, like many others I've had, served to reinforce what was already ingrained in me by then. The longer you stay with something, the more of an expert you'll become. The greater your expertise, the more likely you will solve problems and assure your success.
It's really pretty simple: Map out a path for your vision, find a way to always reference what you've already learned, work with others to provide support, and never give up.
(c) 2005 by Kevin Wirth - all rights reserved worldwide
Kevin Wirth is the owner of KEVS-KORNER ezine, a free online newsletter offering articles, tips, resources, and insight on over 170 different marketing tactics. He is bringing together a growing community where you can work with others to create and market products online. To discover more about how you can grow your online business with marketing tactics and get a free gift just for visiting, please head on over to http://www.kevs-korner.com.
Two Ways to Feel Fear
In a memorable Depression-era radio speech on the radio, President Franklin Roosevelt declared, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." He was dead right.
Death by Overwork: Motivationally Speaking Its a Zero
The Japanese have a word for death by overwork: Karoshi. A recent survey said 40 percent of all Japanese workers fear that they will actually work themselves to death.
4 Simple Ways To Get Over Your Need For Acceptance... And Get On With Your Life
Imagine what your life would be like if you could just be yourself, without thinking twice about what other people think of you! Here are four quick tips that will help you get over your need for acceptance. Make these four things a part of your daily routine and you'll find that people will judge you less and accept you more!1.
The Top Five Great Reasons to Delay Pursuing Your Dream
How to Stay Motivated
You've read a book that motivates you to action; you've read a motivational quote and got pumped up; you've attended a seminar and listened to a motivational speaker and feel you can conquer the world.A week later the motivation is no longer there.
Moving Beyond Your Comfort Zone
Many professionals have attained a high level of competence in their particular fields. They have learned a lot in their careers and they have a good sense of what works and what doesn't.
Stop Procrastination--Just Do It!
In this article I'll talk about the reason that stops most of Internet entrepreneurs from succeeding online.Have you ever wondered why only about 5% of us are actually making money online? Have you ever think about the main reason that stops the other 95% of them?If you are like me, I'm sure that it happens to you to read ebook after ebook, report after report and newsletter after newsletter searching for the missing key that will open the gates to your richness.
Change 101: How to Get the Changes You Desire
Here's a bold statement:Change can be simple and easy.It really does not have to be so hard, although sometimes we make it much harder than it needs to be.
The Best Day Of My Life
Today, when I awoke, I suddenly realized that this is the best day of my life, ever!There were times when I wondered if I would make it to today; but I did! And because I did, I'm going to celebrate! Today, I'm going to celebrate what an unbelievable life I have had so far: the accomplishments, the many blessings, and, yes, even the hardships because they have served to make me stronger.I will go through this day with my head held high and a happy heart.
Define Your Own Future - Shatter The Crystal Ball!
When I decided to look into remote viewing, I had the impression that it had some bizarre metaphysical and psychic associations. But, in reality, remote viewing is a natural and 'taught' method of probing remote locations in the past, present, and future.
Life's an Illusion
I'll get right to the point. Life is not necessarily what we think it is.
Rut Busting
IntroductionWordNet defines a rut as a groove or furrow (especially in soft earth caused by wheels) or a monotonous routine that is hard to escape; as in "her job made her feel that she was stuck in a rut".What is this thing that we call a rut? Is one man's rut another man's rapture? I.
Motivtion: The Power of Responsibility
One of the things I've noticed about successful people is that they have a clear understanding of the relationship between cause and effect in their lives. Successful people understand that if they want something, they have to do all the necessary things to get it.
Recommendations for the Best Personal Growth Books
I can't stress this enough: You've got to motivate yourself in order to motivate your team. You don't motivate people, they motivate themselves (or they don't).
Procrastinator No More!
Procrastination is when ever we postpone a task or duty intentionally without a valuable explanation. It is a natural tendency in people.
Dont Wait For All of Lifes Traffic Lights to Turn Green
Can you imagine getting into your motor vehicle, reversing out of your driveway, selecting a forward gear then just sitting there waiting for every traffic light between your home and your destination to turn green?"That would be absurd. Yet on another journey, the journey of life, that is exactly what many of us do.
Going with the Flow
This whole idea of change is founded on a single principle: CHANGE IS ALL IN YOUR MIND.First comes a desire or need to change.
Map to a Gold Mine - Could You, Would You?
If a total stranger came up to you and said: "I've got a map", what would you think?Would you be intrigued or would you think he was nuts? What if he added: "It's a map to a gold mine." Would that get you interested?What if he said: "I'll sell you the map.
Mr. Smith, Please Enter the Dream Room - Dream Big Dreams to Do Big Things!
Enjoy a great quote to start off this fantastic week!"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible.
Motivation; 5 Steps to Get the Changes You Want
Q: I just read your column in today's' Greensboro News and Record. For the last few years I've been struggling with change, and found your suggestions about "change tools" to be useful.
home | site map
All articles are copyright to their owners.
Note: this website lists articles, We do not Write Articles !
|© 2006


text:
Wavelet packet decomposition
Originally known as Optimal Subband Tree Structuring (SB-TS) also called Wavelet Packet Decomposition (WPD) (sometimes known as just Wavelet Packets or Subband Tree) is a wavelet transform where the discrete-time (sampled) signal is passed through more filters than the discrete wavelet transform (DWT).
In the DWT, each level is calculated by passing only the previous wavelet approximation coefficients (cAj) through discrete-time low and high pass quadrature mirror filters.[1] However, in the WPD, both the detail (cDj (in the 1-D case), cHj, cVj, cDj (in the 2-D case)) and approximation coefficients are decomposed to create the full binary tree.[2] [3][4][5][6][7]
For n levels of decomposition the WPD produces 2n different sets of coefficients (or nodes) as opposed to (n + 1) sets for the DWT. However, due to the downsampling process the overall number of coefficients is still the same and there is no redundancy.
From the point of view of compression, the standard wavelet transform may not produce the best result, since it is limited to wavelet bases that increase by a power of two towards the low frequencies. It could be that another combination of bases produce a more desirable representation for a particular signal. The best basis algorithm by Coifman and Wickerhauser[1] finds a set of bases that provide the most desirable representation of the data relative to a particular cost function (e.g. entropy).
There were relevant studies in signal processing and communications fields to address the selection of subband trees (orthogonal basis) of various kinds, e.g. regular, dyadic, irregular, with respect to performance metrics of interest including energy compaction (entropy), subband correlations and others. [3] [4][5] [6] [7]
Discrete wavelet transform theory (continuous in the variable(s)) offers an approximation to transform discrete (sampled) signals. In contrast, the discrete subband transform theory provides a perfect representation of discrete signals.[5]
Wavelet packets were successfully applied in preclinical diagnosis.[8]
- ^ a b Coifman RR & Wickerhauser MV, 1992. Entropy-Based Algorithms for Best Basis Selection, IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, 38(2).
- ^ Daubechies, I. (1992), Ten lectures on wavelets, SIAM
- ^ a b A.N. Akansu and Y. Liu, On Signal Decomposition Techniques, (Invited Paper), Optical Engineering Journal, special issue Visual Communications and Image Processing, vol.30, pp. 912-920, July 1991.
- ^ a b H. Caglar, Y. Liu and A.N. Akansu, Statistically Optimized PR-QMF Design, Proc. SPIE Visual Communications and Image Processing, vol. 1605, pp. 86-94, 1991.
- ^ a b c A.N. Akansu and R.A. Haddad, Multiresolution Signal Decomposition: Transforms, Subbands, and Wavelets. Boston, MA: Academic Press, ISBN 978-0-12-047141-6, 1992.
- ^ a b A. Benyassine and A.N. Akansu, Performance Analysis and Optimal Structuring of Subchannels for Discrete Multitone Transceivers , Proc. IEEE Proc. IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems (ISCAS), pp. 1456-1459, April 1995.
- ^ a b M.V. Tazebay and A.N. Akansu, Adaptive Subband Transforms in Time-frequency Excisers for DSSS Communications Systems, IEEE Trans. Signal Process., vol. 43, pp. 2776-2782, Nov. 1995.
- ^ Zhang, Y.; Dong, Z. (2015). "Preclinical Diagnosis of Magnetic Resonance (MR) Brain Images via Discrete Wavelet Packet Transform with Tsallis Entropy and Generalized Eigenvalue Proximal Support Vector Machine (GEPSVM)". Entropy. 17 (4): 1795–1813. Bibcode:2015Entrp..17.1795Z. doi:10.3390/e17041795.
External links[edit]
- An implementation of wavelet packet decomposition can be found in MATLAB wavelet toolbox: [1].
- An implementation for R can be found in the wavethresh package: [2].
- An illustration and implementation of wavelet packets along with its code in C++ can be found at [3].
- JWave: An implementation in Java for 1-D and 2-D wavelet packets using Haar, Daubechies, Coiflet, and Legendre wavelets.


text:
These are the things I've heard and read that help me work, live, and think. The things that shape my work and remind me that everything is going to be ok. And, of course, the things that make me smile.
"Megutama may be a little ship floating in the seven seas of the world. What we carry on this ship is just the pure drive to eat. And when there is a sign of good food calling from the horizons, we set sail towards our destination, wherever that may be. Since our little ship does not pledge allegiance to any country, we can bond with anyone, anywhere. So just say the password, 'Let's eat good food and rejuvenate our souls!'"—Megutama
"You can't really say what is beautiful about a place, but the image of the place will remain vividly with you."—Tadao Ando
"Shut up and look."—Edward Tufte
"Your body is not a temple, it's an amusement park. Enjoy the ride."—Anthony Bourdain


text:
Phew! It's hot outside! While humans sweat to cool off, a pet's fur prevents sweating, thereby trapping heat which causes a rapid rise in internal temperature. Heatstroke can occur when a pet's internal temperature rises just a few degrees, and can cause serious problems and/or death. While we have heard not to leave pets in a car on a hot day, there are several other situations which can cause heatstroke in any kind of pet. Do you know the signs and symptoms, as well as some emergency first aid to help if heatstroke occurs?
Your pet relies on YOU!
Keep them safe in the heat of summer!


text:
I'm a Wife, Mother of two little children, Counselor, Speaker, Life Coach, and…Doctoral Candidate.
If I don't rely on God 24/7, I feel like I've lost all power because ALL power comes from God.
My days are crazy, hectic, nonstop, fast-paced, and at times I feel as if I'm on overdrive! Many think I'm downright delirious for stacking my plate so high. Maybe I am…I don't deny it! I know that God has placed these dreams on my heart. The problem is that as soon as I take my eyes off of Jesus, I become a wreck! My 3-year-old son becomes a pest in my eyes, cleaning my home becomes a burden, and the 24 hours that are given each day, don't seem adequate. I wonder if I can talk to God about giving me 26 hours a day sometimes. Hmmm…LOL. I run at 4:30 in the morning, get my son ready for school, read my Bible and pray at Starbucks and head off to work. Some think I've already had a full day! The weird thing, is that I love my plate…it's full, but full of life. The key for me and ALL of us is to learn to trust in God, rely on HIS strength and not our own, and be humble enough to ask others to help us.
We were created to be great, to be powerful, full of life, and ALL loving. Come to Jesus with your burdens…even if your burden is folding laundry, wiping a snotty nose, studying for an exam, or leading a board meeting…lay it at the foot of the Cross. So what does that mean? You always hear people say, "trust in God," "give it to God," "lay your burdens down…" How? What does that look like? If you're like me, I need examples, not cliché sayings.
Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.
1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
First, I start by talking to myself…yes, talking to myself! Ain't nothin' wrong with that! Many of us don't even know what we want, or how we feel because we don't talk to ourselves. I begin to ask myself, "Do I believe in Jesus." Honestly sometimes I do, and sometimes I don't. I don't because I want to see circumstances going MY way, and when they don't, I assume that somehow Jesus has lost His power. Is this biblical teaching Keita? No. What is the truth…That God loves me and wants to give me only things that are good for me, even if I don't understand what God's "good" looks like. I remember that Jesus died and rose from the dead and that I have that same power inside of me, working for my benefit and the benefit of others. I finally remember that God has the power to see me through any situation that I face.
Whew! It's important to take time to remember how powerful and perfect God is.
Second, I read God's word often. The more I read his promises, the more My faith increases and my trust grows in Him.


text:
As we all know, there are many techniques to use your mind to reprogram your attitudes, beliefs and habits.
But can the mind go further? Can the mind actually influence the physical body in dramatic ways?
Science is beginning to show that it can. We'll share some fascinating scientific studies in this post. But we'll do more…
We will also show you how you can:
- Start using your mind to influence your body in healthy ways
- Help accelerate your body's natural healing process
- Slow down the aging process so you look and feel better despite the years piling on 🙂
Remember, a healthy body is important to living an extraordinary life.
A Fascinating Case Study on Healing
A sixty-one-year-old man named Frank was diagnosed with a fatal type of throat cancer. His weight had dropped to 98 pounds, he had trouble breathing and could barely swallow.
Doctors placed his survival rate at 5% and even pondered whether he should be placed under radiation therapy since the treatment might only add to his discomfort and not significantly increase his survival odds.
After much thought, the doctors decided to put him under radiation treatment anyway. Fortunately for Frank, Dr. O. Carl Simonton, then medical director of the Cancer Counseling and Research Center in Dallas, Texas, was asked to participate in Frank's treatment.
Simonton suggested that Frank himself had the ability to influence the course of his own disease and taught Frank a number of relaxation and mental-imagery techniques.
Dr. Simonton's Suggested Treatment: Imagery Therapy
Frank had to visualize…
- The radiation he received consisted of thousands of tiny bullets of energy bombarding his cells;
- His cancer cells as being weaker than the normal cells and thus unable to repair the damage they suffered;
- His body's white blood cells as coming in and swarming over the weakened cancer cells;
- Flushing the cancer cells out of his body through his liver and kidneys.
The results were astonishing and far exceeded what usually happens when a patient is treated solely with radiation therapy. Frank experienced almost none of the negative side effects – the skin and mucous membrane damage that normally followed such treatment.
In a mere two months, he had not only regained his weight and strength but all signs of his cancer had vanished.
Frank is one of thousands of cancer patients who have benefited from imagery therapy through the Simonton Cancer Center.
But the evidence for Mind-Body Healing goes even deeper
The Placebo Effect is Stronger than You Think
Scientists and doctors have long been puzzled by how certain patients have been able to heal themselves of life-threatening diseases.
Doctors have found that a patient can trigger self-healing by the mere belief that they will be cured. This is commonly called "the placebo effect."
Doctors are finding that many people manage to get cured when they are given fake medication, called placebos, which usually consist of nothing more than sugar pills or distilled water, and then told by their doctors that they were taking real medication.
There is no explanation for why the placebo effect works, except that somehow, the patient's belief that they are getting cured triggers some sort of self-healing ability within the patient. The placebo effect is probably the best-documented way in which the mind is known to affect the body.
The placebo effect, using some of the most outrageous remedies, has worked exceptionally well with warts. In 1934, a physician conducted a double-blind study showing that placebos worked almost as well as sulpharsphenamine, the drug commonly used to treat warts at the time. 53% of patients given the actual medicine were cured. But of the patients given the fake medicine, which was nothing more than distilled water and told it was a genuine wart cure, 48% were cured.
The opposite also works.
If you believe something is harmful to you, it tends to be.
One study showed that 19 out of 40 subjects developed asthmatic symptoms after inhaling a saline solution they believed to be allergenic. Twelve developed full-blown wheezing and bronchial spasms, which disappeared completely 3 minutes after receiving another saline solution placebo. The researchers concluded that suggestion played a significant role in precipitating asthmatic attacks.
Weirder still — the placebo effect also works with surgery.
In the summer of 1994, a surgeon named J. Bruce Moseley had 10 patients scheduled for an operation intended to relieve the arthritis pain in their knees. All 10 were wheeled into the Houston Veterans Affairs Medical Center, draped, examined and anesthetized.
All 10 were then dispatched to the recovery room and sent home from the hospital by the next morning equipped with crutches and a painkiller. All 10 men believed they had just gone through a reliable medical surgery to cure them of their knee arthritis pain. But this was not the case.
In fact, while two of the men would undergo the standard arthroscopic surgery for their condition — the scraping and rinsing of the knee joint — and three would have the rinsing alone, five would have no recognized surgical procedure at all. Their surgery would be a placebo. Moseley would cut the placebo patients' knees three times with a scalpel — to make it feel and look real, there had to be incisions and scars for the patient to believe he had undergone surgery — but that was it.
The placebo worked.
Six months after surgery, the 10 patients still didn't know whether they had been faked out or not.
But all of them reported much less pain.
The placebo effect can be so powerful that all modern drugs have to be tested against a placebo before they are released to the public. And many former treatments and drugs have been taken off the market when their healing properties were found to be solely due to the placebo effect.
Other Evidence for Mind-Body Interaction
Hypnotism is another way to demonstrate the mind-body effect. A hypnotist can cause someone to trigger their body's own healing mechanism at will.
Another weird phenomenon of mind-body interaction is that of people with multiple or split personalities. Psychologists have observed that when multiples switch personalities their body also shows dramatic changes.
Eyesight can improve or worsen, allergies can reappear or disappear and even brain wave patterns can change. Multiples can also change their voice patterns in ways that even the best actors cannot emulate.
This leads to an interesting question…
Just how much of your physical body is influenced by your belief system?
The gap between mind and body seems almost non-existent.
The Growing Acceptance
The scientific evidence for mind-body healing is well established and public acceptance is now mainstream.
A 1990 Gallup Poll on American attitudes to paranormal phenomenon found that25% of Americans had had success with mental healing.
The May 2001 Gallup Poll discovered that "Americans with the highest levels of education are more likely to believe in the power of the mind to heal the body."
The same Gallup Poll on Americans' beliefs on the Paranormal, updated the statistics in June 2005, showing that more than 55% believe in the connection between the mind and the body in healing. These healing powers of the mind on both the physical and emotional have been demonstrated empirically, reflecting the power of placebos.
Furthermore, according to a famous survey published in 1993 in the New England Journal of Medicine, 34% of adult Americans reported using at least one unconventional therapy in the past year. This includes meditation, yoga and visualization techniques.
And finally, the 1993 New England Journal of Medicine survey found that alternative medicine category, which includes mind-body healing, energy healing and spiritual healing, is most likely to be practiced not by the socially marginal or the cognitively defective, but by affluent (incomes above $35,000), college-educated people.
But Can Your Mind Heal Someone Else's Body?
Let's ask a more daring question. Can you use your mind to heal a loved one – at a distance?
Some of the most surprising evidence for distant healing comes from psychologist William Braud and his colleagues at The Mind Science Foundation of San Antonio, Texas. Braud's studies, conducted over 17 years, involved having people mentally attempt to influence the nervous system of remote participants.
The results of the study were simply mind blowing.
The Receivers
Braud would wire up the first group of people, known as receivers, to machines that measured up to seven different physiological responses such as blood pressure, skin conductivity and muscle tremor.
The Senders
A second group of people, known as senders, would be placed in a different room and asked to attempt to arouse or calm the receiver solely by thinking about them. Both senders and receivers were ordinary people who had volunteered for the study.
Braud's 37 experiments involved 665 sessions, 449 people and 13 experimenters. What Braud found was that at the exact moment the sender was asked to think of their receiver, the receiver would show a change in his or her physiological condition.
The 37 experiments combined resulted in odds against chance of more than 100 trillion to one in favor of distant mental interactions between the participants.
In short, the ability of one person's mind to affect another person's body is scientific fact.
But Just How Powerful is it?
Okay, so we know that one person's mind can somehow influence someone else's physical body – but is the effect really powerful enough to make a difference in someone's state of health?
Again, the answer is surprising.
The effects of distant healing have been proven to be significantly greater than many drugs deemed to be highly successful in medicine.
For example, numerous studies have shown that propranolol and aspirin are effective in reducing heart attacks. But their effects pale in comparison to distant healing.
Effect sizes of drugs are measured on a scale from 0 to 1. An effect size of 0.03 in a medical life-or-death situation would mean that 3 out of 100 people survived. An effect size of 0.3 would mean that an additional 30 out of 100 survived.
In medical tests, the effect size of aspirin on reducing heart attack is 0.03. The effect size of propranolol was not much higher, at 0.04. These sizes were sufficient enough proof for the government to authorize the drug manufacturers to state that their products prevent heart attack.
But the effect size of distant healing in Braud's experiments was a surprising 0.25!
This means that if 100 people were going through a therapy with a success rate of 35%, this success rate would go up to 60% with the addition of distant healing. Almost twice as many patients would be saved.
In his studies, Braud also discovered some strange properties of distant healing. His volunteers were asked to participate in another experiment where they would attempt to mentally calm down two groups. One was a group of highly nervous people and the other a calmer group.
First, Braud found that the distant healing effect was the strongest when the person on the receiving end actually had a serious need for healing. The effect size on the highly nervous group was far greater than on the calm group.
More surprisingly, he found that the effect size on the agitated group by those trying to calm them down was only slightly less than the effect that people had on themselves when using relaxation techniques.
In statistical terms, this means that other people could have the same mind-body effect on you as you could have on yourself and vice-versa.
Think about that for a moment. That's astounding!
The Five Rules for Mind-Body Healing
William Braud outlined five major mental techniques that he believed have important effects on the self-healing processes.
They include:
- The need for relaxation and quietude.
- Learning to focus your attention on one thing (e.g. breathing), which allows you to develop mental self-control and avoid distractions.(The above two points are achieved through meditation).
- Learning visualization or imagery techniques since pictures are the preferred language of the mind.
- Incorporating intent into the process, a wish for some goal to be reached and an expectation that it will.
- The evocations of strong positive emotions during the healing process.
The Technique for Self-Healing
The following is the basic technique:
1. Go to your alpha level of mind.
This can be done through any simple meditation technique. Lie down or sit upright in a comfortable position, remove all distracting noise. Inhale and exhale slowly and with each breath, let go of any tension that you may have. Relax more and more with each breath.
2. Visualize Your Current State of Health on Your Mental Screen.
Visualize the current condition of the body, including the ailment or pain that is bothering you. You do not need to memorize or know what each component of your body actually looks like. Simple pictures are enough to speak to your mind. A lung can be imagined as a balloon. A kidney can resemble a kidney bean. Create a representative picture of the ailment. Feel the emotions associated with this problem.
3. See Yourself Healing and Getting Better and Healthier.
Now visualize the ailment disappearing. Create, with your imagination, a system to remove the ailment.
- Kidney stones can be crushed into harmless powder that is then excreted.
- Tumors can be visualized as large black blobs, while your immune system and white blood cells are visualized as tiny soldiers attacking the tumor. On each attack the tumor shrinks.
- A sore muscle can be bathed in an imaginary healing light that alleviates the pain and restores the muscle to a healthy state.
The exact image you use is irrelevant – create something that speaks to you. It does not have to be scientifically correct. It only has to be symbolic. Your subconscious mind will get the message.
4. Let the final picture be one of perfect health.
Feel the joy and energy of having perfect health. Imagine it to be true and already occurring.
It helps to say an affirmation such as:
"I have a perfectly healthy body and mind"
"My ______ is now functioning perfectly and is in a state of excellent health."
5. Let Go.
Let go and trust your body's self-healing ability. You can now come out of the alpha level. Trust that the healing action is taking place.
Please note that mental healing should not be used as a replacement for a visit to your doctor. Always consult a doctor first for serious health conditions. Mental healing is a type of complementary medicine – as the name suggests it is to be used alongside but not as a replacement for modern medicine.
"What If I'm already Healthy?"
If you have no health problems and are perfectly healthy at the moment, you can still meditate and visualize yourself staying in perfect health. This way you may never have to worry about having to heal yourself.
To expand your knowledge of mind0body healing and other ways to accelerate physical, emotional and spiritual healing, join Soulvana Circle for just $29 a month. Click Here to learn more.
Sources for this Article:
Dean Radin, PhD, "The Conscious Universe," (HarperEdge, 1997), p.153-155.
Lynne McTaggart, "The Field," (Quill, 2003), p.117, 132-133.
Margaret Talbot, "The Placebo Prescription," (New York Times, Jan 9, 2000).
William Braud, "Mental Techniques for Self-Healing and for Remote Viewing," ASPRNewsletter, Vol. XVIII, No. 1, pp. 4-8.
Michael Murphy, The Future of the Body (Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher, 1992), 250-251.
Michael Talbot, "The Holographic Universe," (New York: HarperPerennial, 1991), pp. 82-85, 87-88.
Shakti Gawain, "Creative Visualization," (Novato CA: New World Publishing, 1978), pp. 80-81.
Michael Schmicker, "Best Evidence," (Lincoln NE: Writers Club Press, 2002), pp. 3-10.


text:
- Home
- Landing Pages
- TIPM Repairs
TIPM Repairs
We are now offering TIPM module repairs for RAM, Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, and VW. Our repair service provides a fast 1-Business day turnaround to get your 2007 through 2016 truck, minivan, or jeep back up and running again. A TIPM or Totally Integrated Power Module failure commonly appears as fuel or battery related issue, and common symptoms may include intermittent, erratic, or complete failure of:
- Fuel Pump
- Power Door Locks
- Front/Rear Windshield Wipers
- Front/Rear Wiper Fluid Power
- Backup Lights
- Horn
If you have a TIPM in need of a repair and do not see your specific make and model listed below, please call us at 800-547-2049 so we can help.


text:
Blog / Love, Darcy, Parenting / A Mother's Guilt
A Mother's GuiltWritten by: Darcy Kimmel | Found in: Love, Darcy, Parenting | No Comments »
Mothers manufacture a lot of guilt, especially when it comes to making sure their kids are prepared to face the big, scary world. I experienced this a lot as my kids were getting ready to leave the nest. I would go through a mental checklist. Did they know how to:
Handle a credit card
Wash their own clothes
Make Ramen Noodles and Macaroni and Cheese
Change a tire or call a tow truck
Write a thank you note or email
Etc, Etc.
With my girls, I also thought they should know how to sew – at least enough to keep ahead of loose buttons and ripped hems. But on this one, they really weren't very interested in learning. Until…it made sense within their own world and then they taught themselves. Our youngest daughter acquired the skill when her best friend was going on a mission's trip to Africa and could only wear long skirts. Shiloh's labor of love resulted in 4 or 5 colorful, flowing skirts for her special friend.
Our oldest daughter saw the light of Singer when she was a young bride and needed curtains and crib bedding for their new baby on the way. Now they both sew circles around me. Karis made beautiful matching quilts for their two girls this Christmas and Shiloh regularly sews stunning purses that are sold to support a ministry for young girls who just need an extra boost.
Although I could have beaten myself up for missing the chance to teach my girls how to sew before they left home, somewhere along the way, they learned how to love and serve their families and give to those who just need a little added help.
It's a good reminder to keep the main things the main things. When we concentrate on our kids' hearts, sure we might fail to imbue some of our checklist items, but we teach the life and love skills that make a difference in God's Kingdom. Whether they learn how to thread a bobbin or not.
Here's to zig zag living and seamless love,
Tags: Africa, change a tire, credit card, Darcy Kimmel, Family Matters, Grace Based Parenting, guilt, Karis Murray, keep the main things the main thing, laundry, life lessons, love, Macaroni and Cheese, missions trip, Mother, motherhood, parenting, prepare, sewing, thank you notes, Top Ramen


text:
The cast of FX's acclaimed The Americans gathered at the TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour today to discuss Season 4 of the series and the fallout from everything Paige and Martha discovered in Season 3.
Said Holly Taylor ("Paige), with a laugh, "I was hoping, wishful thinking, that if Paige found out [her parents secret], she'd be put in a wig right away." Taylor said she was "a little disheartened that Paige told her pastor," but also understood why she did it. "When you break it down, her whole life is a lie."
Alison Wright ("Martha") said that her character is "still living in the grey area. She doesn't know what she's decided or how she'll move forward," now that she knows her husband "Clark" is actually a spy.
Initially, before she confronted them and got the truth, the Jennings were debating whether to recruit Paige as a spy, but executive producer Joel Fields noted that in Season 4, "I will say that the game has certainly shifted in terms of parenting Paige. The question of focusing on her recruitment is now secondary to how to manage this family's survival."
The Americans has a large cast who, given the nature of the show, often never interact on screen, but Fields promised, "This season, there are a few [character meetings] that would surprise us as it came together."
Last season, Elizabeth began to have trouble compartmentalizing the fact that her job requires her and Philip to sleep with other people, and Fields noted, "Elizabeth over the course for this season will run a new operation that will challenge her in new and even more difficult ways."
Keri Russell said, "This season for me has really been about opening Elizabeth's perspective" and really seeing "the emotional cost" for all the characters, based on the choices they've made over the past few years.
Real life events that will be seen in Season 4 meanwhile include the day the incredibly successful and impactful The Day After TV-movie aired (depicting a nuclear war breaking out between Russia and the United States) and Reagan's Star Wars missile defense program speech.
Fields said no decision has been made about when The Americans will end, but he and fellow EP Joe Wright do feel as though, as they complete Season 4, it feels like they're close to the end of the second of three acts – but whether it takes five or six seasons (or more?) to complete that third act, "we'll discover as we get into it."
The Americans: Season 4 premieres Wednesday, March 16th on FX.
Eric Goldman is Executive Editor of IGN TV. You can follow him on Twitter at @TheEricGoldman, IGN at ericgoldman-ign and Facebook at Facebook.com/TheEricGoldman.


text:
Two days ago, I sent Unilever a list of questions, in order to better understand the health hazard associated with the recalled Slim-Fast® RTD products. While waiting for a reply, I've been doing some digging on my own.
Based on what I've uncovered, I suspect that the health risk may go far beyond the chance of an upset tummy that would be associated with the Bacillus cereus contamination reported by Unilever. Here's why.
- I found several Slim-Fast Ready-To-Drink ingredient lists on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) website. There are no preservatives in Slim-Fast RTD beverages.
- Slim-Fast RTD beverages rely on an Ultra-High Temperature (UHT) pasteurization process, followed by an aseptic filling procedure (i.e., filling sterile cans under sterile conditions) to ensure product safety and stability at room temperature.
- UHT pasteurization temperatures (at least 250ºF for a fraction of a second) should be far more than is needed to kill Bacillus cereus spores.
If Unilever found Bacillus cereus in a sealed can of Slim-Fast RTD beverage, that means one or more of the following likely happened:
- The UHT pasteurizer failed to reach the necessary temperature; or
- An ingredient of the formula (perhaps the milk powder) contained an unusually high number of Bacillus cereus spores; or
- A cross-connection in the pipes allowed unpasteurized product to contaminate the UHT pasteurized beverage; or
- The filling line was contaminated; or
- The packaging material was contaminated.
It's clear from the scope of the product recall that this is not a one-shot problem. Whatever conditions enabled Bacillus cereus to contaminate Slim-Fast RTD beverages have been in force for a while.
Bacillus cereus is not an especially heat-resistant bacterium. It is killed by temperatures that will leave more heat-tolerant pathogens such as Clostridium botulinum laughing – and asking for more.
I don't know whether the levels of sugar in the Slim-Fast RTD formulas are high enough to prevent the growth of Clostridium botulinum, along with the production of its deadly toxin. Perhaps this weight-loss beverage is an inhospitable environment for bacterial growth. I certainly hope so!
Otherwise, Bacillus cereus might be the least of Unilever's worries.
Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Vol. 54, No. 3: pp. 699-702. 1988.
Journal of Food Protection, Vol. 60, No.5: pp. 544-547. 1997.
Journal of Food Protection, Vol. 63, No. 2: pp. 190–195. 2000.


text:
Last year, I had a weekly theme called weekly wine quiz. Every week I posted a quiz which consisted of usually five questions and the following week I posted the answers. In July of 2013, I eventually ran out of questions and so the quiz came to an end after 29 editions. I had planned to relaunch the weekly wine quiz series for quite some time but things had gotten in-between. Anyways, here we go: Weekly Wine Quiz #30!
The first theme is called Italian Regions and will focus on Italy's twenty regions. Today we will start with Lombardy.
Lombardy is situated in Northern Italy and borders Switzerland as well as the Italian regions Veneto and South Tyrol in the east, Piedmont in the west and Emilia-Romagna in the south. Roughly 1.5 million hectolitres of wine are produced in the region every year. The region's winemaking traditions date back to the Greeks who settled along the Po river. Later on Etruscans, Romans and Venetians helped refining Lombard winemaking.
Famous poets like Horace and Virgil had praised the wines from Lombardy already in ancient Roman times. The region is especially known for its classic-method sparkling wines called Franciacorta and is also Italy's production leader when it comes to those. The mountainous Valtellina valley on the Lombard-Swiss border and the lakeland area around the three lakes Iseo (see picture above), Garda and Como are the best areas in Lombardy to produce wine. It's also worth noting that Milan, the regional capital, is Italy's largest wine market.
Without further due, here are this week's questions:
Q1: The Valtellina is famous for a red wine from partially dried grapes that undergo an appassimento process just like Amarone. Unlike most other passito wines this one is dry. What is the name of said wine?
Q2: Do you know what the most widely planted grape variety in Lombardy is? Hint: Take a look at the picture to your right (click to enlarge).
Q3: True or False: Nebbiolo is called Spanna in the Valtellina valley.
Q4: Which one does not belong and why?
A) Lugana DOC
B) Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOC
C) Montecucco Bianco DOC
Q5: Fill in the gaps:
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and ___ are the three grape varieties that are permitted for Franciacorta, a classic-method sparkling wine. Franciacorta has to age a minimum of ___ months on the lees. That is 3 months longer than the minimum-aging on the less for Champagne! Thanks to Franciacorta's huge success and increasing national and international demand it was awarded DOCG status in ___, making it one of five Lombard DOCG wines.
Short reminder:
If you don't know the answer to a question then I feel free to use other sources of information including Wine-Searcher and Google. There is no reason not to play because you really have nothing to lose and after all the quizzes are meant to be fun and are not supposed to intimidate anyone.
Good luck everyone! Unlimited bragging rights are up for grabs again! The answers are coming next Wednesday together with the next edition of the wine quiz. Cheers!


text:
Dear UK NFL fans (who don't already have a rugby league team to support),
Support Toronto Wolfpack.
Because Toronto are trying to do what any NFL franchise based in the UK would have to do.
Now admittedly there are differences between the two: size of squad, overheads and relegation into and out of various leagues for a start…but you can bet your bottom dollar the NFL are keeping an eye on what happens to the Wolfpack, and they will include it in their calculations about whether a UK-based franchise would succeed.
The hurdles Toronto are having to overcome would also be a problem for a UK franchise:
- The distance (although, as several commentators have pointed out, the flight time between several US NFL teams is just as long as the US/UK flight time)
- Getting homegrown players into the team. Toronto have done something sensible and clever, they've run trials in Canadian and US cities to find people who haven't quite made the grade in the NFL or CFL (Canadian Football League) but who could transfer their skills to rugby league. The homegrown player thing is obviously less of a thing in the NFL because of the whole draft thing (and the franchise thing), but I think it would help embed the putative UK team better in the UK.
- Transport, although that's not a problem for an NFL team as the NFL pay transport costs. But because the RFL don't, Toronto have done another clever thing. They have signed a sponsorship deal with an airline, Air Transat. The airline are covering the cost of Toronto's flights and, and here's the clever bit, the flight costs of the UK teams that are playing Toronto. Toronto are also being nice and covering some of the travel costs for the UK fans coming over. Presumably to keep costs low, the matches are being played in sets of 5, so Toronto have 5 games over here, and then five home games back in Toronto. The putative NFL team won't need to do that.
- Competition from other sports teams. Toronto is a good proxy for London (and the UK in general) because it already has a lot of sports teams. The Maple Leafs, the Blue Jays, the Raptors, the Argonauts and Toronto FC are just some of the teams that the Wolfpack will need to compete against to gain fans and an audience share.
If Toronto show that a transatlantic franchise could succeed, they might well be a stepping stone to getting the London Jaguars.
So get cheering for them, UK NFL fans.


text:
Epcot (the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) is THE Disney Park for foodies!
There's 2 parts of Epcot, Future World and World Showcase. In World Showcase, there are 11 pavilions representing 11 countries: Italy, United Kingdom, Mexico, United States, Canada, Norway, Japan, China, Morocco, Germany and France. Each pavilion has food (counter-service and sit-down restaurant) representing each country's cuisine. Basically, you can eat your way around the world at Epcot!
For lunch, we ate at Kingla Bakeri Og Kafe, the bakery at the Norway Pavilion.
Norwegian Club ( Ham, Turkey, Bacon and Jarlsberg and Muenster Cheese with fresh Tomatoes, Sliced Red Onion, and Lingonberry Mayonnaise on toasted Multigrain Bread)…… This was pretty good. Love anything that has lingonberry!
School Bread (Sweet Cardamom Bun filled with Vanilla Crème Custard and topped with Glazed and Toasted Coconuts)… This was sold-out at first and I had to wait 30 mins for the next batch. It was ok… not amazing because the bread was tough and dry. I prefer the Chinese version of coconut buns.
For dinner, we ate at Katsura Grill (Japan Pavilion).
The building on the right is the Japanese Department Store Mitsukoshi! Never thought I would see it in Disney!
We ordered Tempura Udon, Chicken Cutlet Curry and Beef Terriyaki rice. This tasted authentic, was delicious and was our favourite meal at Disney! .. this was also the cheapest meal!
The Starbucks at Epcot uses cute Disney cups!
Kingla Bakeri Og Kafe and Katsura Grill
Epcot @ Disney World