text: This course introduces you to a framework for successful and ethical medical data mining. We will explore the variety of clinical data collected during the delivery of healthcare. You will learn to construct analysis-ready datasets and apply computational procedures to answer clinical questions. We will also explore issues of fairness and bias that may arise when we leverage healthcare data to make decisions about patient care. The Stanford University School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Visit the FAQs below for important information regarding 1) Date of original release and Termination or expiration date; 2) Accreditation and Credit Designation statements; 3) Disclosure of financial relationships for every person in control of activity content.


text:
Exposure to the Metal Tungsten May Raise Stroke Risk
Tungsten is widely used in consumer items such as cell phones and computers, as well as many industrial and military products.
Researchers analyzed data collected from more than 8,600 Americans, aged 18 to 74, over 12 years. People with higher tungsten levels in the body (measured by urine samples) had double the normal risk of stroke, according to the study, which was published Nov. 11 in the journal PLoS One.
The researchers at the University of Exeter, in England, also found that tungsten could be a significant risk factor for stroke in people younger than 50.
"While currently very low, human exposure to tungsten is set to increase," study lead author Dr. Jessica Tyrrell said in a university news release. "We're not yet sure why some members of the population have higher levels of the metal in their make-up, and an important step in understanding and preventing the risks it may pose to health will be to get to the bottom of how it's ending up in our bodies."
Although the study found an association between higher levels of tungsten in the body and increased stroke risk, it did not establish a cause-and-effect relationship.
"The relationship we're seeing between tungsten and stroke may only be the tip of the iceberg," study co-author Dr. Nicholas Osborne said in the news release.
"As numerous new substances make their way into the environment, we're accumulating a complex 'chemical cocktail' in our bodies," Osborne said. "Currently, we have incredibly limited information on the health effects of individual chemicals and no research has explored how these compounds might interact together to impact human health."
With largely unknown health effects, tungsten has been identified as a toxic substance of emerging concern. This study is the most comprehensive analysis to date of the potential health effects of the metal, the researchers said.
Stroke is the second leading cause of death in the Western world, according to the World Health Organization, and it's the leading cause of disability in adults.
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more about stroke.
Teen shot in Shirley ... Newsday investigation into LI teacher misconduct ... Fancy vending machine for cars
Teen shot in Shirley ... Newsday investigation into LI teacher misconduct ... Fancy vending machine for cars

subset: commoncrawl


text:
It was just a week after Christmas, I was invited to a birthday bash of my neighbour who apparently is born with a silver spoon.
Not being able to deny the invite, I reached the venue. It was a masquerade theme party and as I walked through the staging area I was given a face mask.
This was the essence of the party, to hide your true face until the clock struck twelve.
Though it may sound bizarre, my point was, why do we need an extra mask to cover up our faces?
We already have humongous layers of masks on our faces.
Not knowing when the heads would fall down considering the overweight of the masks, people were greeting each other with plastic smiles and oh-so-fake attitude.
I saw people lying through their teeth.
If only the air freshner had removed the awkwardness that was present in the room!
The party was just as boring as the theme.


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Modern divorce: Wiretapped teddy bears, $120,000 in fines
Modern divorce: Wiretapped teddy bears, $120,000 in fines
Started by PowerMan72, Mar 08, 2011, 08:47 PM
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Mar 08, 2011, 08:47 PM
*** Link to Article ***
Modern divorce: Wiretapped teddy bears, $120,000 in fines
By Nate Anderson
Digital recording tools are so cheap and simple to use that it's easy to deploy them without thinking through the consequences. A Nebraska mother and grandfather found this out the hard way last month when they were hit with a combined $120,000 penalty for wiretapping after sticking an audio recorder inside a young girl's favorite teddy bear.
Though the mother claimed only to be concerned with her child's welfare, the judge found that the indiscriminate use of the recording device had violated the privacy of numerous people, each of whom were entitled to $10,000.
Looking for abuse
Duke and Dianna married in 2001, had a baby girl in 2003, and separated less than four months after the child's birth. They were divorced in mid-2004 by a Nebraska state court, and Dianna received custody of the child. In late 2007, Duke challenged this order and asked that custody be awarded to him; in response, the state court gave Duke "unsupervised parenting time" with the child. A typically messy family breakup quickly became something else.
Just before Duke's first unsupervised visit, Dianna bought a small digital recorder online. Dianna unstitched a bit of her daughter's favorite teddy bear--known as "Little Bear"--and stuck the recorder inside, stitching the animal back up afterwards. The recorder never left the bear's guts after this, except when the animal was washed. With no voice activation feature, the gadget simply recorded everything that happened in its presence, and Dianna periodically unstitched the bear just enough to insert a USB cable and download the audio recordings to her computer.
She did it, she said, suspecting that Duke was abusing their daughter both physically and verbally. The recording took place from January through the middle of May 2008, when a court hearing over the daughter's custody approached. At that point, Dianna burned all of her stored recordings to compact discs and gave the set to her father, Sam, who transcribed them for her. Some of these recordings were unedited, though Dianna admitted in a later deposition that others were selected to show the "most severe and damaging verbal and physical abuse" of the daughter.
All of this material was then turned over to Dianna's lawyers, who submitted it to the state court and waited for a ruling on its legality. In the summer of 2008, the state judge decided that the recordings were not admissible as evidence in the custody trial, since they violated the Nebraska Telecommunications Consumer Privacy Protection Act and were therefore obtained illegally.
On the day the ruling came down, Dianna took the recording device out to her driveway and smashed it to bits with a sledgehammer. She claimed to delete the recordings from her computer, and her father said that he deleted the transcripts from his computer. Problem solved? Not quite.
A right to privacy
Duke was furious about all the surreptitious recording and he eventually sued Dianna and her father Sam in Nebraska federal court, alleging that she had violated not only Nebraska law but the federal Wiretap Act. Federal charges against one's ex-wife--especially charges that involve a teddy bear--aren't common, but the animosity had been building for years after the divorce.
Dianna had previously hired two private investigators to investigate Duke. The first was tasked with finding out where he lived and was asked "to prove he was an alcoholic," as the judge in the federal case put it. The second private investigator was hired in 2007 and apparently placed a GPS device on three different vehicles used by Duke in order to track his movements.
In October 2007, when Duke challenged his ex-wife's custody over their daughter, Dianna "alleged that Duke abused drugs and alcohol and was abusive" towards the girl. To document this "abuse," Dianna had taken a huge variety of home photos of her daughter which were designed to show possible evidence of mistreatment. But Duke hired a doctor to examine more than 200 of these pictures and the doctor concluded, "The fact that this poor girl had to sit through all these photos I find disturbing." According to the doctor, the photos showed common medical issues or the typical bumps and bruises of childhood, but little evidence of any physical abuse.
The bugging of Little Bear, then, was hardly the first time Duke had been the target of surveillance. When Duke filed the federal lawsuit against Dianna in 2009, he also rounded up five other plaintiffs whose conversations had been recorded by the bear. One plaintiff, a cousin of Duke's, at one point had the bear in his van for several days after it was left there accidentally; the cousin, going through his own divorce at the time, was upset that his conversations had been recorded and eventually distributed to people involved with Duke and Dianna's custody case.
Another of the plaintiffs was a social worker who monitored "supervised visits" of children and who had driven the daughter between her parents' houses. The social worker was already unhappy about being involved with the case because Dianna had once tried to "hire someone to follow her outside of visits," but she elected to stay on because the daughter was making "significant progress" during her visits with Duke. Finding out that many of her own conversations had been recorded affected the social worker professionally, as she "stopped taking private cases due to the invasions of privacy caused by this incident."
(The bear also impacted the daughter's life directly, as the daughter left her daycare after the operators learned that the bear had been "bugging" the site.)
In total, then, the case was brought by Duke and five other plaintiffs, all of whom alleged Wiretap Act violations against Dianna and her father. Defense lawyers argued that Dianna could give "vicarious consent" for recording on behalf of her daughter, which would give the recordings at least the consent of one party. But when federal magistrate judge F.A. Gosset III ruled on the case three weeks ago, he pointed out that this was immaterial; the bear had "recorded many oral communications made by each of the plaintiffs" and to which the daughter was not a party. Under federal law, this amounted to a wiretap, and one which the defendants had intentionally tried to use.
The Wiretap Act allows people to file civil lawsuits and to recover either actual damages or statutory damages of $10,000. In this case, the judge hit Dianna with a $10,000 damage award--one payable to each of the six defendants. Her father Sam received the same penalty, for a total payout of $120,000. No punitive damages were awarded, nor was anything given to the plaintiffs for invasion of privacy or mental suffering.
In his ruling, the judge noted that the Wiretap Act has a strict standard which prohibits all wiretapping--even that of a parent looking to hear conversations with her child--unless specifically exempted by the law.
Technology law attorney Evan Brown called the case a tough decision, as "a parent fearing for the safety of his or her child might have strong reasons to resort to eavesdropping to protect the child." Even the judge seemed to agree that there might be some merit to this argument, but he noted that it was for Congress to determine the law, and that the existing law here was clear.
*** Link to the Court's Ruling ***
Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan: "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."
Posts: 3,836
Mar 09, 2011, 10:34 AM
Ok - sure, she used the device, and it was wrong - but my worry, is what happens if a parent who finds evidence of abuse now won't come forward because of this.
On another note - now that it's plain to see that the ex-wife is just plain vindicitive and, pardon the term- crazier than a sh!thouse rat, can we PLEASE get her committed?
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NEW YORK — The archbishop of New York says the Roman Catholic Church has to make sure that its defense of marriage is not reduced to an attack on gays.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan says the church hasn't "been too good at that" and could work on being more welcoming to gays and lesbians.
He says the church tries its "darnedest to make sure we're not an anti-anybody."
Dolan made the remarks Sunday on the ABC News program "This Week."
His comments came days after the Supreme Court heard arguments in two same-sex marriage cases.
Dolan says he would tell gay men and lesbians that God loves them and they're entitled to friendship. But he says marriage is a union between a man and a woman "where children can come about naturally."
Dolan made similar comments on CBS' "Face the Nation."


text: The ever-changing deal with of technologies inside the vehicle marketplace is quite visible in numerous things which include car types, styles and sizes. One thing that have been through an enormous revolution inside the auto world is air cooling. Those days are gone when a motorist possessed to do this several things all by him… Continue reading Auto Air Conditioning Service


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SEATTLE -- Dennis Allen knows who Oakland's starting quarterback will be Week 1 in Indianapolis. He's not ready to share whether it will be Terrelle Pryor or Matt Flynn.
"I'm not telling you, but yeah," Allen said. "You've got to think about competitive reasons, too. We'll keep that in house and announce it at the appropriate time."
Tarvaris Jackson led Seattle on three first-half scoring drives, and Pryor struggled through his worst performance of the preseason with a chance at earning Oakland's starting quarterback job in the Seahawks' 22-6 preseason victory on Thursday night.
Jackson led the Seahawks to a trio of field goals from Steven Hauschka, including kicks of 51 and 56 yards. Jackson got the bulk of time in the first half after Russell Wilson made a brief cameo, leading the Seahawks to their first touchdown on their opening drive.
Hauschka also hit from 22, 43 and 53 yards.
While Seattle (4-0) was completing a perfect preseason for the second straight year, most of the attention was on Pryor and his bid to earn the starting job.
Pryor had turned the Raiders' quarterback situation into a real competition with his performance during the preseason. Matt Flynn sat out Thursday with a sore elbow, and Pryor was given an entire half to try and show he deserved the position. He was lackluster, completing 3 of 8 passes for 31 yards and an interception, although he wasn't given much of a chance to get into a rhythm. Seattle had 20:24 of possession in the first half and Oakland (1-3) ran only 19 offensive plays.
Pryor flashed a little of what had his home fans chanting his name last week. On his second drive, Pryor threw darts to Rod Streeter for a pair of 14-yard receptions and later added a 25-yard scramble that led to the first of Justin Medlock's two field goals.
But he was not impressive to the point of making the decision obvious for Allen.
"It's going to be coach's call and whatever he feels is best for the team," Pryor said. "Regardless, at the end of the day, it's all about the team and if it's me leading, I'll lead to the best of my abilities. And we will get things done. If it's Matt leading, he'll get things done too."
Following the field goal, Seattle kept the ball for nearly eight minutes on a 17-play drive that led to Hauschka's 22-yard field goal. Pryor immediately gave the ball back to Seattle, underthrowing Jacoby Ford on a deep pass and Seattle's Walter Thurmond made a one-handed interception. Seattle then had an 11-play drive leading to another Hauschka field goal.
"That pick, I was late throwing it out and that's something that can't happen," Pryor said. "I thought that we were moving the ball and we got three points two times and I believe we could have kept it moving on the first drive, but just have to make that play. Just have to watch the film and understand what we've got to get better at."
Allen said Flynn is expected to be on the practice field Monday after giving his arm a rest. Along with Flynn, Charles Woodson, Darren McFadden, Stefan Wisniewski and Khalif Barnes also did not play.
Asked if he knew who the starter would be, Flynn had no clue. "We'll see," Flynn said. "I can't control anything that happens. I can only control what I do."
Wilson and most of Seattle's starting offense was in for all of three minutes. Wilson hit Stephen Williams for 50 yards on the second play of the game, later scrambled for 11 yards, and finally found rookie tight end Luke Willson for 20 yards. Robert Turbin then capped the drive on a 3-yard run and Wilson's night was complete.
The Seahawks did have two injuries that could have an impact on the final 53-man roster. Williams suffered a concussion on his 50-yard reception, and rookie offensive lineman Michael Bowie injured a shoulder. Both were expected to be on the edge of making the final cuts.
Seattle coach Pete Carroll said he hoped Williams would be healthy enough for the opener -- perhaps an indication his roster spot is secure -- while Bowie's injury could be more serious. Bowie was in a sling after the game.
Seattle also said goodbye to linebacker Bruce Irvin, who will be suspended for the first four weeks for using banned substances. Thursday was Irvin's first significant playing time in the preseason.
"Still sad. I don't even want to take my pads off because I know it's going to be four weeks before I put them back on," said Irvin, who had four tackles and a sack. "I think tonight did me good mentally and physically. I just got to train and bust my butt and be ready when I come back."
Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press


text:
Researchers at MIT have created a new chip design that they claim will be 10 times more energy efficient than the processors currently used in mobile devices.
The new design, which is being unveiled at the International Solid State Circuits Conference in San Francisco this week, is intended for use in portable electronics, such as cell phones, PDAs and even implantable medical devices.
The key to the improved energy efficiency lies in making the planned chips work at a reduced voltage level, according to a report by Joyce Kwong, a graduate student in MIT's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and a member of the chip design project team.
Most of the mobile processors now in use operate at about 1 volt, according to Kwong's report. But MIT's new design only requires 0.3 volts, the report said.
"Voltage is critical," said Jim McGregor, an analyst at In-Stat in Scottsdale, Ariz. "All these handheld devices are being asked to do more and more. To be able to decrease voltage lets you increase silicon complexity to handle more functions, and it also increases battery life, which is a critical component in multiple applications."
McGregor explained that when you use the standard equation to calculate how much power a chip will use, the voltage is squared. That means reining in voltage use is a key facet of reducing power consumption. "If voltage increases, you have a huge jump in power consumption," he said. "But if you reduce voltage, you have a similar decrease in power consumption."
Dean McCarron, president of Mercury Research in Cave Creek, Ariz., noted that in the 1960s and early 1970s, an average computer chip used about 12 volts. Ten years ago, that number was down to 5 volts, and it only dropped down to 1 to 2 volts within the past three years, he said.
"Lowering voltage is actually the standard for lowering system power," said McCarron. "The challenge is that when voltage gets to a certain level, generally around 0.8 to 0.9 volts, making the chip work becomes more difficult. You know, 0.9 was thought to be the floor, and these guys have broken through the floor."
Kwong's report said that the new chip design is in the proof-of-concept stage, with researchers at MIT predicting that it could become available "in five years, maybe even sooner."
The MIT researchers worked on the chip design project along with a team from Texas Instruments Inc. The project was funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. MIT officials couldn't be reached today for comment on the size of the grant or the total cost of the project.


text: Every moment of every day invites us to pay attention. We can marvel at what happens within ourselves and the world outside of us. Some of us do this through prayer, others through mindfulness and meditation. No matter what form it takes, noticing and appreciating the wonder of life enhances the act of living.


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Beta Man
Beta Man highlights the enhancements Service Pack 1 brings to Virtual Server 2005.
2005 (VS2005) hints at the solidified virtualization strategy that Microsoft announced at the Microsoft Management Summit last April in Las Vegas. It's part of a larger series of announcements about how future versions of Windows will incorporate virtualization as a key feature and how Microsoft will leverage hardware-level virtualization coming from AMD and Intel.
First and foremost among the key enhancements in VS2005 is extended guest operating system support that includes Linux variants, x86-based Solaris and other x86-based operating systems. This is in stark contrast to Microsoft's earlier controversial decision to discontinue supporting these operating systems as guests on Virtual PC.
Virtual Server has always been able to run non-Windows operating systems, but this makes it official. Having VS2005 support non-Windows operating systems is a sensible decision for Microsoft because it helps position the product as a means to migrate Linux- or Unix-based applications to Windows by running them on a virtual machine.
Virutal Server 2005
Service Pack 1
Microsoft partners will also find it easier to develop products like migration solutions, management solutions and vertical-market applications around VS2005. This new licensing model will help make VS2005 an open and programmable platform.
New Power, New Manageability
The new service pack for VS2005 will run on 64-bit editions of Windows Server 2003 in native mode, which lets it take advantage of the increased memory and processing power available on 64-bit servers. VS2005 will not, however, support 64-bit Windows as a guest operating system. That means guests will continue to run only x86-compatible operating systems and applications.
This is not a serious limitation since most VS2005 customers are running Windows NT 4.0 and Windows Server 2000 guests to consolidate legacy application servers. Being able to host VS2005 on a 64-bit server greatly increases the number of virtual machines a single server can host and boosts virtual machine performance.
Microsoft will soon ship a Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) management pack for VS2005. With this, companies using MOM will have a centralized health and performance console for both the VS2005 host and the guest virtual machines running under VS2005. This level of management has always been an important missing link--and a key competitive advantage for VMware's GSX Server.
By providing VS2005 manageability through MOM, instead of a dedicated console (as GSX Server does), Microsoft helps further integrate VS2005 with the Windows environment.
Virtual Vision
Even if you aren't using VS2005 and have no plans to do so, it's an important product to watch. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said recently that we can expect to see virtualization become a core part of Windows. Ballmer said virtualization would be integrated into Windows in the Longhorn time frame and will be built on Microsoft's "Hypervisor" (its new code-name for virtual computing) technology. Hypervisor now refers to both full-virtualization technologies like Virtual PC and VMware, and OS-level virtualization like SWsoft's Virtuozzo (see "Virtual Servers in the Real World," October 2004).
Pumped-Up Performance
For now, we're stuck with pure-software virtualization. I caught a demonstration of VS2005 SP1 running on a four-way AMD 64-bit server, next to a similarly equipped server running 32-bit processors. The performance difference was astounding. I hadn't expected much, but some informal testing (Microsoft doesn't allow formal benchmarking of beta products) suggested potential performance gains in the 25 percent to 30 percent range.
In practical terms, that means a 64-bit server previously capable of running six virtual machines at an acceptable performance level could run as many as eight at that same performance level. That's a significant difference, although the increased price for 64-bit servers doesn't make it a free upgrade.
I've always been disappointed that VS2005 relies on a Web-based interface instead of a more robust Microsoft Management Console snap-in. I get how cool Web consoles are, but I'd bet an MMC-based management tool would work much more like GSX Server's superior tools.
You can recreate a similar experience with Windows 2003's Remote Desktop console, but that doesn't provide features like integrated access to virtual machine settings and resource allocations. The Remote Desktop approach doesn't work for non-Windows operating systems either, which Microsoft is now formally supporting in VS2005. I'd hoped that the next service pack for VS2005 would include a more robust console, but it looks like I'll have to wait a bit longer.
Still, as a free upgrade to VS2005, SP1 is a must-have. The performance gains for 64-bit machines could make VS2005 one of the "killer apps" (the other major one being SQL Server) that really push those boxes--and licenses for the 64-bit edition of Windows 2003. With support for non-Windows OSes, Microsoft makes a welcome acknowledgement of today's business realities. It's also a clever strategic move to help Windows capture some market share from Linux variants.
About the Author
Don Jones is a multiple-year recipient of Microsoft's MVP Award, and is Curriculum Director for IT Pro Content for video training company Pluralsight. Don is also a co-founder and President of PowerShell.org, a community dedicated to Microsoft's Windows PowerShell technology. Don has more than two decades of experience in the IT industry, and specializes in the Microsoft business technology platform. He's the author of more than 50 technology books, an accomplished IT journalist, and a sought-after speaker and instructor at conferences worldwide. Reach Don on Twitter at @concentratedDon, or on Facebook at Facebook.com/ConcentratedDon.
Microsoft's ongoing layoffs are hitting its home turf, with new notices affecting 1,248 people in the Redmond, Bellevue and Issaquah, Wash. areas next month.
Microsoft on Tuesday announced a new predictive language chat tool for security experts called Microsoft Security Copilot.
Microsoft announced on Monday that it has rebuilt and improved the performance of its Microsoft Teams application, and released a preview of this "new" app for commercial Windows users.
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) this week announced the release of a publicly available and free post-incident hunting tool for organizations using Microsoft Azure, Azure Active Directory and Microsoft 365 applications.
Microsoft this week reminded organizations using Microsoft Teams Rooms devices of a coming July 1 deadline to get their licenses compliant with its relatively new Basic and Pro plans.
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Family, friends remember victims of Biddeford double-murder
Teens shot, killed Saturday night
A vigil for Derrick Thompson, 19, and Alivia Welch, 18, began at Rotary Park in Biddeford at 6:30 p.m. Monday.
Police said James Pak, 74, shot and killed them Saturday evening in Biddeford. Thompson's mother, Susan Johnson, was also shot. She is recovering.
Investigators believe the shootings stemmed from a dispute over unpaid rent and parking between the victims and their landlord, Pak.
Family members are calling their deaths a "senseless tragedy" and are hoping family and friends will use this vigil to help them heal.
Derrick Thompson's sister, Kari Henderson, said, "There aren't words because nobody can bring him back."
Henderson said her younger brother was full of life. He graduated from Biddeford High School in 2011, held two jobs, loved his truck, his car, and his family.
"He cherished the people around him who he was close with. He was very well loved," Henderson said.
Henderson was also very close with the other victim from Saturday night, Alivia Welch. Welch was a 2012 graduate of Thornton Academy and was Thompson's girlfriend. Welch worked at a local coffee shop and she actually served Henderson coffee only hours before she was shot and killed.
"She was a sweetheart. We loved her and we accepted her into our family," said Henderson.
Neither Henderson, nor her cousin, Katelyn Grant, wanted to get into details about what happened to both Thompson and Welch Saturday night, yet nether could understand why they were both shot and killed over something they described as "so senseless."
Grant said of the accused shooter, "He is 74 years old. He did not have to take two lives that were just beginning. They had so much to live for. Why? That is what I ask myself. Why?"
Henderson said, "I do not know how to put it all together. It is just so hard to accept."
That is why both Henderson and Grant said it was important to hold a vigil for the two Monday night, to begin the healing process.
Grant said, "This is our time for all our family and friends to grieve and to be together, because that is what he would want, he would want us to remember him."


text:
Sinking ship "Prenda" is breaking with a loud sound. Rats are leaving the vessel
Brett Gibbs tries to play a pity card, points finger at "Prenda senior people"
A couple of hours before the deadline, Brett Gibbs filed his declaration through a newly hired law firm Waxler Carner Brodsky LLP, which has been "primarily defending lawyers in malpractice actions." Although it was a relatively wise move (akin to an old lawyer's saying that "a lawyer who represents himself in a court has a fool for a client"), the result was a pile of horse manure that does not pass a common sense scrutiny. The funny thing is that this spectacular failure does not characterize Gibbs's defenders, it's just too much lying to explain: no star attorney is capable of coming up with a credible story painting Gibbs an innocent kid deceived by evil grown-ups.
Regardless, the main huge news is that Brett has given up his stubborn loyalty and has started pointing his finger at Prenda's "senior members" (Paul Hansmeier and John Steele):
I am and have never had an ownership interest in the copyrights involved in the Copyright Litigations. As discussed in greater detail below, I did not make strategic decisions like whether to file actions, who to sue, and whether to make a certain settlement demand or accept an offer of settlement in the Copyright Litigations. These types of decisions were made by the clients, after consulting with senior members of the law firms that employed me in an "of counsel" relationship.
I have never had a financial or fiduciary (i.e., ownership) interest in AF Holdings. AF Holdings was a client of S&H and then Prenda. The face-to-face and direct interactions between S&H and later Prenda with AF Holdings were handled by the senior members of the law firms and not me.
I have never met Alan Cooper, and do not know what the extent of Mr. Cooper's role is in AF Holdings aside from seeing a signature from an "Alan Cooper" on the copyright assignments and pleadings.
I first became aware of a question regarding the identity of Alan Cooper when it was raised by Mr. Pietz.
I confirmed the existence of the client-executed verification either by seeing a copy of the signed verification, or at the very least, being informed by a representative of S&H or Prenda that a signed verification was in the possession of S & H or Prenda.
The explanation of the reason how Alan Copper's fraudulent signature was verified by Gibbs and why he failed to present the original is simply stunning. Sure, it is a credible and sufficient reasoning that will clear Mr. Brett's name so he will avoid sanctions:
In Case No. 84, Mr. Pietz first asked for a copy of Mr. Cooper's verification to the petition to perpetuate testimony on or about December 2012, well after the petition had been discharged. Given the length of time since the case was discharged, I was informed and understand that S&H (and later Prenda) no longer has a copy of Mr. Cooper's verification to the petition to perpetuate testimony.
Just a week earlier Steele and Hansmeier decided to delegate Gibbs's responsibilities to Michael Dugas. After two and half years of collaboration, they have thrown Brett under the bus, so no surprise that his loyalty has evaporated quickly.
I'll leave it to a reader to go through unconvincing excuses, which are not as entertaining as those that another troll's mob mastermind, Keith Lipscomb, poured on Judge Baylson last fall.
[2/21/2013 update] It is not remotely funny anymore that Brett (to whom we already gave an honorable nickname "Pinocchio") is lying without even thinking about the possibility of anyone doing some basic fact checking. Here is an example (thanks to a commenter for noticing):
From Gibbs's declaration:
31. In addition, in order to rule out neighbors of the 1411 Paseo Jacaranda, Santa Maria, California 93458 location utilizing the internet connection, I performed a Google map search and obtained a satellite picture of the corner house located at 1411 Paseo Jacaranda, Santa Maria, California 93458. A further public search revealed that the house was approximately 1,200 sq. ft. which sat on a 6,534 sq. ft. lot. Considering the position of the house on the lot, and its position away from the neighboring houses, it seemed clear that, should the household have wireless internet, it would not have been accessible by the neighbors.
Alright. A typical wireless range is from 50 to 100 m. Look at the map: green circle's radius is 50 m, and yellow — 100 m. So we are talking about 10-30 households capable of utilizing the wireless connection in question.
Can't help noticing another funny argument in Gibbs's declaration:
[…] the inconsistency did not prevent a prima facie showing of copyright ownership because the law only requires the assignment to he signed by the assignor. Given the court's finding that the copyright assignment in Case No. 3335 was prima facie valid despite an issue regarding whether the assignee had properly executed the assignment. I had and have a good faith belief that the assignments in Case No. 6636 and 6669 are valid despite any alleged issue regarding the identity of Alan Cooper.
Or, as scruuball translated it to Twitter's 140,
@Raul15340965 It doesn't matter that we forged a signature, because we didn't need it in the first place! Hah!
— PlayUh (@skruuball) February 20, 2013
To our surprise, there is a certificate of AF Holdings' incorporation, but the quality of the copy is poor, and I'm afraid that given St. Kitts' secrecy laws, there is no way to validate that it is authentic. Even if it is real, this does not negate the fact that AF Holdings is a shell entity "owned" by Prenda. Note that nothing of this kind was presented for another fraudulent entity, Ingenuity 13.
The fact that Brett Gibbs has lawyered up has more significance: it will be easier for him to cut a deal with an Attorney General and (relatively) save his ass while allowing putting the major culprits behind the bars.
Morgan Pietz replies to Judge Wright's OSC. One word: "Wow"
Defendant's attorney Morgan Pietz had just an hour to review Gibbs's weaselspeak. Admittedly, Morgan wrote the bulk of his response in advance, but still he managed to add thorough debunking of Gibbs's whining. It's impossible to pull pieces from this document, it is a must read from the first line to the last. It has is all: a long history of Prenda's crookery, calling out lies and contradictions in Gibbs's declaration, examples of more identity theft, damning revelations during the deposition of Paul Hansmeier (who, like a "boss" in an action computer game, appeared in the last episode).
I only want to quote the beautiful conclusion (links supplied):
The conduct of Prenda and its "of counsel" Mr. Gibbs in these cases undermines the integrity of the courts and the public's confidence in the justice system. Here, Prenda has shown is that it is willing to do just about anything to obtain grist for its national "settlement" mill. Repeatedly, in hundreds of actions filed in courts across the country, Prenda has resorted to misrepresentations, halftruths, and questionable tactics, if not outright fraud, forgery, and identity theft. Until now, Prenda has gotten away with quite a lot of these kinds of tactics because it simply abandons its lawsuits, via a voluntary dismissal, after obtaining subpoena returns, and some settlements. Indeed, as noted above, Mr. Gibbs is already at it again, now sending out demand letters on behalf of Guava, LLC, which is now purportedly owned by Livewire Holdings, LLC not a mystery trust. Exactly who is responsible for the worst of Prenda's actions here may not yet be clear, but this is the archetypical type of case, where there is a pattern of bad action that is done in such a way to avoid scrutiny, where a major sanctions is appropriate as a deterrent. This Court is urged not to go easy on Mr. Gibbs or Prenda Law.
Many paragraphs in this brief deserve separate posts, and sure we will continue shedding the light on Prenda and its epic downfall until the fraudsters cease their criminal activity and are severely punished.
- ArsTechnica: Troll attorney lawyers up, admits he never met his "client" Alan Cooper by Timothy Lee.
- TechDirt: Prenda Lawyer Hires His Own Lawyer, Tries To Tapdance His Way Out Of A Jail Sentence By Throwing Prenda Under The Bus by Mike Masnick.


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Course Descriptions
02/15/2016 Course Descriptions
10/16/2015 Course Descriptions
02/13/2015 Course Descriptions
10/17/2014 Course Descriptions
In order to reflect the expertise and interests of the faculty and to meet the needs of the student body, the University continually updates its course offerings. As courses are added to or removed from the curriculum and are modified, those changes are communicated in the online course descriptions. This is always the best source for up-to-date information. Many course descriptions indicate the academic term(s)
Arabic numbers following the title of a course indicate the number of semester hours of credit. Because courses are offered in different formats, this does not necessarily indicate the number of hours of classroom work expected.
The prerequisites listed for a course indicate the level and type of experience a student must have prior to enrolling in the course. A student who has not met stated prerequisites must consult with the department/course instructor to ask for permission to enroll. Students enrolling in courses offered by the College of Business Administration and the College of Education and Human Development must meet all prerequisites.
A C/F hrs. notation indicates the hours of contact in a clinical or field setting as required by some education and human development courses.
Courses numbered 99 and below are developmental. Credit may not be applied toward any degree program. Courses numbered from 1000 to 2999 are ordinarily for freshmen, sophomores, and/or nonmajors. Courses numbered from 3000 to 4999 are ordinarily for juniors, seniors, and/or study in the major beyond the introductory level. For more information about eligibility to enroll in specific courses, check course prerequisites and consult academic advisors.
Course offerings for each semester are subject to student demand and staff availability. To determine whether courses in the courses descriptions list are being taught in a particular semester, please consult the current Schedule of Classes.
A course may be offered both at main campus and BGSU Firelands. Check the Schedule of Classes for up-to-date listings of class availability.
Updated: 12/01/2017 10:35PM


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Lady Gaga at Harvard, launches youth foundation
Pop star Lady Gaga descended on Harvard University with some powerful friends Wednesday to launch her new foundation aimed at empowering young people.
The singer was joined by Oprah Winfrey, spiritual leader Deepak Chopra, and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to kick off the Born This Way Foundation that Gaga's mother and inspiration will help steer.
Gaga spoke to more than 1,100 students from several states, faculty and invited guests at Harvard, urging the young audience to "challenge meanness and cruelty."
"I believe that if you have revolutionary potential, you must make the world a better place and use it," she said.
She reminded them that there is no law to make people be kind to one another and added: "I wish there was because, you know, I'd be chained naked to a fence somewhere trying to pass it."
Late Wednesday, Gaga's representative said the singer has made a $1.2 million personal contribution to the foundation, named after her 2011 album and hit song. The song promotes self-empowerment and has become an anthem for gay pride.
Winfrey said she supports the foundation because its message aligns with many of her core beliefs, including kindness, compassion, empowerment and acceptance. The famous talk-show host interviewed the singer on stage about the foundation.
Gaga, who has said she was the victim of bullying as a teenager, said the idea for the foundation grew out of the dialogue created after "Born This Way" was released. She said she received an onslaught of letters and emails from people who said such things as, "I want there to be more tolerance in the universe. I want there to be more acceptance."
Gaga said her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, inspired her to start the foundation. Germanotta will serve as its president.
"She is the sole reason that I am here today. She has always believed in me. She has always been my support, and she makes me want to inject that sense of family and support into the world," Gaga said.
The singer gave few specifics about how the foundation will operate.
She said the foundation is working with a new media agency to create a social media environment that fosters the foundation's goals.
She said the "Born Brave Bus" will follow her tour bus around the country and will "welcome anyone from any walk of life" to "talk about love, acceptance, kindness" and other goals of the foundation.
"I want this to be an organization where you all feel involved," she said.
Gaga, 25, known for her attention-getting fashion, wore a sleek, black backless dress, platform shoes and a tall black hat.
She repeatedly told the crowd that she does not have the answers for how to stop bullying and prevent violence. She urged students to go back to their communities and do "simple acts of kindness" to help foster acceptance, tolerance and individuality.


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Five things you can't miss this weekend
1. Iowa Flower, Lawn and Garden Show
Today through Sunday
Believe it or not, spring is right around the corner. Gets some tips on sprucing up your yard. 1-8 p.m. today, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Varied Industries Building, Iowa State Fairgrounds, 3000 E. Grand Ave. $6.95 adults, $5.95 seniors, kids 12 and under get in free. www.iowaflowershow.com
2. Comedy XPeriment
Today and Saturday
The improv comedy troupe performs shows at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the Civic Center's Stoner Theater, 221 Walnut St. The show consists of shorter bits inspired by audience suggestions, as well as a longer improvised comedy performance, similar to a play. $10. www.desmoinesperformingarts.org
3. Des Moines Symphony: Masterworks 5
Saturday and Sunday
The Des Moines Symphony performs at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Des Moines Civic Center, 221 Walnut St. The performance includes Dvorak's Eighth Symphony and percussionist Aaron Williams making his solo debut in a performance of Gillingham's Marimba Concerto No. 2. $15-$55. www.dmsymphony.org
4. St. Pabst Day party
Saturday and Monday
The Gas Lamp, 1501 Grand Ave., celebrates St. Patrick's Day with its third-annual St. Pabst Day street party with two days of outdoor music. Gates open at 2 p.m. Saturday with Cover Grrls, the Jitz, Ira Grace & the Bible Belt Prophets, the Wheelers and more. Music starts at 11 a.m. Monday with the Modern Era, Electric Jury, JD Outlaw and more. $10 each day or $20 if you want all-you-can-drink PBR. www.gaslampdsm.com
5. Leprechaun Chase 10K road race
Before you head out to celebrate St. Paddy's Day weekend, get your workout in. The women get a 5 ½-minute head start before the men's "chaser wave" launches. If a woman wins the race, all women get a free drink at the party. Same goes for the men. 10 a.m. Saturday beginning at Principal Park, 1 Line Drive. $40. Register by today at www.lc10k.com.


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George helps Pacers take 2-0 series lead on Hawks
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana had everything covered Wednesday night.
When Atlanta tried to get tough, the Pacers buckled down and got even tougher. When the Hawks tried to run, the Pacers simply slowed them down. And when the Hawks tried to rally, well, the Pacers punched back with Paul George, George Hill or any other open shooter.
The result was the same.
George scored 27 points, his second straight playoff career high, Hill finished with 22 and the Pacers pulled away from the reeling Hawks, 113-98, to take their first 2-0 lead in a playoff series since the 2004 Eastern Conference semifinals.
"We naturally just play physical," George said. "It wasn't like 'Hey, let's play physical, let's retaliate.' That's just how we play. That's how we approach the game. We just have to keep playing how we play."
Indiana made it look easy.
They matched Atlanta's intensity step for step, and when they had a chance to put things away, they didn't hesitate.
Three days after George posted the second triple-double in the franchise's NBA postseason history, he put on another brilliant show. The league's Most Improved Player rebounded from a 3-for-13 shooting effort to go 11 of 21. He finished with eight rebounds, three assists, four steals and turned in another sterling defensive performance as the Pacers won their fourth straight at home over Atlanta.
There was plenty of credit to go around.
After a slow start, Hill knocked down four 3-pointers before hitting his right elbow hard on the court late in the game. He said he expects to play in Game 3 on Saturday.
Roy Hibbert wound up with 15 points and nine rebounds, and Gerald Green came off the bench, made his first three 3s and finished with 15 points. Indiana, which relied primarily on defense to win its first Central Division crown in nine years, has topped the 100-point mark in consecutive playoff games. And the 113 points was the highest postseason total for the Pacers since a 120-87 rout over the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2000 NBA Finals.
Everything seems to be clicking for Indiana after a late-season stumble to the finish.
"Not only were they being physical, but they were trying to our air space and trying to pressure us more defensively, trying to force more turnovers," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "We had less turnovers in Game 2 than we did in Game 1."
For the Hawks, their second straight double-digit loss means two more days of misery.
Following Game 1, coach Larry Drew chastised his players for their continual complaints about calls and their sub-par effort. The Hawks vowed to make amends Wednesday and they did play harder.
But, at times, it got them in trouble.
Atlanta's top scorer, Josh Smith, played with a sprained right ankle but wound up on the bench with two fouls barely 2 minutes into the game. He spent the rest of the game in foul trouble and finished with 16 points and six rebounds.
In the second quarter, an uncharacteristically angry Al Horford charged toward an official after being called for a technical foul. Devin Harris alertly grabbed Horford with both arms and pulled him away — a play that kept Horford and the Hawks in the game a bit longer. The Hawks' other big inside players, Johan Petro and Ivan Johnson, wound up in foul trouble in the second half, and the combination allowed Indiana to again shoot more free throws and again finish with the rebounding edge.
What can Atlanta do now?
At least the Hawks are heading home and will play the next two games in a venue where they have won 11 straight over the Pacers.
The bad news: Indiana seems to have an answer for anything Atlanta tries.
Harris led the Hawks with 17 points and Jeff Teague added 16.
"They handled their home court and now Game 3 is crucial for us, and now we have to handle ours," Horford said. "I think we need to have better ball movement on offense and I think we'll be all right."
But in many ways, Wednesday looked a whole lot like Sunday.
After scoring the first six points in Game 1, Atlanta opened Wednesday's game with the first five points. Then, just like Sunday, the Pacers rallied to take the lead after one quarter. Indiana extended its 25-19 lead to 59-50 at halftime and to 16 late in the third quarter. The Hawks did get within 88-76 after three, then watched Indiana go on a 9-0 run midway through the fourth quarter to take a 104-85 lead with 5:41 to go and never got another chance to make it close.
"The end of the season was kind of sluggish for us, kind of out of character for us," Green said. "But this is the most important time in basketball right now and we're confident going to Atlanta 2-0."


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Ferdinand II
Ferdinand II, 1816–85, king consort of Portugal (1837–53). The eldest son of Ferdinand, duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, he married Maria II (Maria da Glória) of Portugal in 1836. After her death (1853), he was regent for his son, Peter V, until the latter's majority (1855). However, he left the actual government to ministers, while he occupied himself with his art collection. In 1862 he was offered and refused the Greek crown, and in 1869 he declined the Spanish crown because the Spanish leader Juan Prim could not guarantee future Portuguese independence.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Spanish and Portuguese History: Biographies


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Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.
~Ashley Smith
Memories, imagination, old sentiments, and associations are more readily reached through the sense of smell than through any other channel.
~Oliver Wendell Holmes
Do you remember as a child how fun it was to play in the grass and smell the flowers? That fun doesn't have to end. Your awareness of the world is dependent on your senses, which are part of your body. Through your senses, you can experience the natural state of interconnectedness between you and everything around you, even your food. Cultivating mindfulness can enhance your relationship with food and help in the healing process.
Focusing on your senses helps you become mindfully awake and perceive the vividness of each moment. Rather than separating you from your food, every sense organ can become a doorway that provides the experience of natural connection between all beings in nature. Does this make sense?
When you experience yourself as being part of the whole family of life, you become open to universal healing energy. Everything you see is a communion of you and nature, no separation, joined through your senses. Use smell, taste, sight, touch, and sound to connect with your food.
Let's focus on your sense of smell. To develop a conscious relationship with food, smell your food when you are:
- Standing at the produce counter in the grocery store
- Buying grains and sea vegetables in bulk
- Cutting vegetables for a recipe
- Washing rice before soaking
- Cooking a meal
- Adding herbs and spices to a dish
- Walking through a garden
- Sitting in a restaurant
Now practice using your senses of sight, touch, taste, and sound. As you use your senses, you can develop an intimate relationship and profound respect for your food. Can you see how this deep respect and reverence helps to strengthen your connection with nature and allows the healing process to unfold?


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Mirrorless Cameras
The power of DSLR in the body of a compact.
Discover the power and versatility of Canon's 4K camera range.
More detail, more room to tell your story. Using Canon's state of the art CMOS sensors, 4K video captures your memories more vividly than ever before. Benefiting from four times the resolution of a Full HD image to exhibit the finest details in your memories and provide extra flexibility when editing your stories. 4K Ultra High Definition video is a powerful, flexible next step in your storytelling.
4K video – also known as 4K UHD - offers 4 times the resolution of 1080p Full HD, at 3840x2160 pixels or on some cameras DCI 4095 x 2160 pixels. This means you can capture breathtaking, almost touchable, detail with 4K compared to Full HD video.
The ease and portability of the Canon PowerShot SX740 makes it ideal for capturing family memories. The fun flexibility of the Canon M50 mirrorless camera and our range of lenses makes it ideal for vlogging. The power and speed of the EOS R5 makes it the perfect addition to an aspiring filmmaker's toolkit. Canon cameras that capture in 4K can also record in Full HD – so you can choose the right movie resolution to suit each creative project. in Full HD – so you can choose the right movie resolution to suit each creative project.
With 4K you can enjoy the creative freedom to zoom, pan and crop into your footage up to 200% and still deliver your movies in Full HD resolution - making it ideal for video enthusiasts making movies and creative footage.
4K video captures more data, so for the same recording time you'll need larger memory cards with high transfer speeds and a faster internet connection for streaming. Storing extra data while shooting in 4K can require a bigger hard drive, when shooting in 4K it is also advisable to have a more powerful computer to ensure smooth editing. Full HD gives you smaller file sizes, ideal for easy upload and streaming of online content.
The right camera for the right job: Browse through the most popular 4K cameras in our range.
The power of DSLR in the body of a compact.
Explore your creativity with our Digital SLR range.
All-in-one cameras that are a perfect and portable alternative or complement to a DSLR.
Never miss the latest offers from Canon, tips and tutorials, news and invites to local events.


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Control Over Space
This is an excerpt from my new book, Organizational Psychology for Managers.
As we've discussed in several chapters, the feeling of control is important. One of the key messages of the organizational narrative is autonomy: how much control do members of the organization have over their schedule, how they do their work, even when and where they work. Leaders need to foster a sense of autonomy and control amongst the members of their team for the team to achieve the highest levels of productivity and performance. We seek to exert control over time, and we seek to exert control over the space we are in. One easy, and powerful, way of doing this is putting a picture of a spouse or other important person on your desk, as we discussed in Chapter 5. However, that is not the only option.
As much as possible, we want to let people have control of their personal space; indeed, we want to make sure they have personal space to have control over! Not having a fixed working area is disorientating. You don't really feel like part of the organization. Even when you have a fixed working area, be that an office or a cubical, how much control you have to arrange it to your liking or decorate it with personal effects varies from organization to organization. If you want everyone to think alike, a good first step is to make sure everyone's office looks exactly alike. Of course, they will also tend to be less engaged and less likely to commit to the really difficult goals. Giving people control over their space makes them more engaged and helps them feel that they have more control over their ability to solve the organization's goals. Control, or its lack, in the small areas of organizational behavior spreads outward to the big areas that businesses really care about.
It is also worth noting that wide open working areas and the lack of even the illusion of privacy can reduce people's feelings of control. While there are some organizations where this is inevitable due to the nature of the work, much of the time cubical farms and pods are unnecessary and counter-productive. What they save in short-term costs they make up for in reduced concentration and increased distractibility. It's hard to feel in control of your space when you can hear everyone talking or tapping on keys.
"…[Organizational Psychology for Managers'] combination of pop culture references, personal stories, and thought providing insights to illustrate world class leadership principles makes it a must read for business professionals at all management levels." – Eric Bloom, President, Manager Mechanics, LLC


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May 7th, 2011
Jewish group fights for chaplain monument at Arlington
By Eric Marrapodi, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor
Arlington, Virginia (CNN) – Three German torpedoes ripped through the icy waters of the Atlantic off the coast of Greenland. On February 2, 1943, the USS Dorchester was transporting 902 U.S. servicemen to war. Only one torpedo hit, but it struck a deathblow - killing scores instantly and resetting the ship's course to the bottom of the ocean.
Amid the chaos, survivors later recalled, four U.S. Army chaplains fought to bring calm and comfort, praying for the dead and encouraging the living to fight for survival. They helped frightened servicemen find life jackets and head to rescue craft. Each of the four chaplains gave up his life jacket to save the life of another.
All four stayed on the ship's new course to the bottom of the ocean and gave their lives so others might live. The last thing survivors saw of the four chaplains, they were huddled together praying.
Lt. George Fox, a Methodist chaplain; Lt. John Washington, a Roman Catholic chaplain; and Lt. Clark Poling, a Dutch Reformed chaplain, are each memorialized on Chaplains Hill at Arlington National Cemetery on monuments honoring the service of Protestant and Catholic chaplains killed in the line of duty.
But amid the sea of white marble tombstones and granite monuments, one name is missing - Lt. Alexander D. Goode, the fourth chaplain from the USS Dorchester.
He was Jewish - a rabbi.
On a quiet hill at Arlington, three large granite and bronze monuments to chaplains overlook a host of graves of fallen military chaplains. One honors chaplains killed in World War I, one honors Protestant chaplains, and one Catholic chaplains.
"I knew the story of the four chaplains," said Ken Kraetzer. "I found three names, the Catholic and the Protestants, but realized there wasn't a monument to honor Rabbi Alexander Goode."
Kraetzer, who is Catholic, was researching a book on veterans from his hometown when he found the gap. A bank consultant by day, he hosts a weekly radio show about veterans and military issues in New Rochelle, New York.
He quickly alerted Jewish military groups to the missing monument.
Since World War I, 13 Jewish chaplains have died while on active duty.
"It's a matter of principle. It's a matter of keeping faith with those who kept faith with us," said Rabbi Harold Robinson, a retired admiral who served as a U.S. Navy chaplain for nearly two decades and who now heads the Jewish Chaplains Council.
"There are about 255 chaplains who died in active service; 242 of them are memorialized on Chaplains Hill. From my perspective that's wrong," he said.
"If you've been in the military, you know about the bond," he said. "You don't leave 13 behind. I don't think anyone intentionally did that. I think that's where it's at, and I think we have a chance to bring them home."
Robinson and Kraetzer got the ball rolling three years ago. They reached out to Arlington officials who, they said, told them if they raised the money privately and had the monument approved by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, it could be erected at Chaplains Hill.
They partnered with veterans groups, both Jewish and non-Jewish, and quickly had enough money and a design.
"The money's been raised. The design is analogous to the existing monuments," Robinson said.
But things went south at Arlington after a scandal over mismarked graves forced a former superintendent out. The new administration at Arlington said the group would need an act of Congress to put up the new memorial.
"To have the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate pass a bill to allow a memorial, while not very controversial in and of itself, is not the easiest thing in the world to do," said William Daroff, who is government affairs director for the Jewish Federations of North America.
The Jewish Federations of North America was asked by the Jewish Chaplains Council to help get the attention of Congress to pass the bill.
"Over the last decade or two there's been a feeling in Washington there's been too many memorials to begin with," Daroff said, standing in the shade by Chaplains Hill. Congress wanted to make the process more restrictive.
"It's not about Jewish chaplains to begin with but rather it's just about a process to make sure these things aren't going up willy-nilly," he said.
"I don't think it was a purposeful slight of the Jewish community," Daroff said. "But now that it's come to our attention and the attention of Jewish chaplains, it's natural that our nation should stand up and say thank you."
They have enlisted several members of Congress to try to help pass the bill. The chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on the matter this month. If the bill makes it out of committee, it would head to the House floor for a vote and, if passed, would go to the Senate.
As the memorial moves closer to reality, the excitement is building among members of the group involved as well as family members of the fallen chaplains.
"It's very, very meaningful to the families," Kraetzer said. "We're hearing from more and more of the families of the 13 chaplains, and it means the world to them to have the recognition for their family member."
"Every cross, every monument, at Arlington bears a story," he said. "That's one of our goals - to get the story out."
soundoff (352 Responses)
About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.


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Katie Wright Reviews Dr. Andrew Wakefield in New York City
Congratulations to the New York City chapter of the NAA on a terrific night featuring Dr. Andrew Wakefield! The room was packed beyond capacity. It was so gratifying to see the word about the meeting had really gotten out. The diversity in our community is one of our biggest resources. Attendees included doctors, nurses, Wall Street parents, homeopaths, corporate lawyers, chefs, stay at home parents, professional autism advocates, parents from the Orthodox Jewish community, Pakistani grandparents physicians/ NAA directors, journalists, vaccine injured adults, skeptics, teachers, researchers, authors, ABA therapists…So much for the conjecture that we are all a group of dumb like minded automatons takings orders from our new age, anti-government conspiracy theorist leaders. Aside from autism, the people in that room don't have much in common or time for conspiracies, they are too busy struggling to make their kids healthier.
Dr. Wakefield was terrific, happy to answer any question. No one knows the subject of GI disorders and autism better. He took no umbrage at skeptical questions and responded respectfully and patiently. What a contrast to groupthink plaguing IMFAR scientists! So many professional academics avoid parent groups like the plague (maybe they can develop a vaccine for that?), terrified of the questions they will be asked, preferring to stay in their safe, hermetically sealed academic world. When I made a challenging study design enquiry at IMFAR the response was a blank nervous look and the announcement we were just about out of time for questions.
Wakefield spent some time discussing the emerging and frightening macaque monkey research undertaken by Dr. Hewitson. The study was published earlier this week. It is the ONLY study on vaccinated and unvaccinated primate groups. The results are devastating. The combination of adjuvants, live and preserved viruses and our very aggressive infant and child schedule is causing GI disease and brain damage and autism- like symptoms in the monkeys. Unlike previous vaccine studies, this study was NOT financed by a vaccine company, no one from the Hewitson team sits on a vaccine company board, no one will be earning money in relation to the study's outcome and no one who holds vaccine patents or determines our immunization schedule from the CDC or NIH played a role in this research. The Hewitson paper is exceedingly impactful because it is very rare example of truly independent, unbiased vaccine safety research. So thank you so much for to Dr. Hewitson, her courageous collegeages and all the donors.
As we viewed the slides the audience did not look surprised, only sad. Seeing the vivid PET scans of a vaccinated monkey's brain vs. an unvaccinated monkey' brain tells us what we already know, yet is still devastating to see. The brains of the exposed monkeys exhibit a clear pattern of maturational decline. The lights in the house are literally dimming, similar to Alzheimer's.
As always, in our community of families, the Q &A period included a raucous debate.
Naturally there were skeptics in the group, which is normal and expected. Diversity is a beautiful thing. A young journalist asked, "What do you say to parents of kids who died of vaccine preventable illnesses because of you?" Any child dying is a terrible tragedy and I cannot even imagine such pain. The question, however, is a common one and represents a great opportunity to respond to the false choice: if we question the safety of our immunization schedule everyone dies!
Please, don't we all have enough drama in our lives already? The best way to protect our children from infectious diseases is to perform truly rigorous, independent safety trials on both the adjuvant combinations and the effects live and preserved viruses on an infant's developing central nervous system. Amazingly, this has NEVER been done. How about regaining the public's confidence by making safer products, rather than bullying consumers to buy them! A novel concept I know, but common in the world in which one's products are not protected from indemnity. We all want our children protected for horrible diseases but an increasing number of parents are unwilling to risk brain damage for such protection.
Sadly, if a vaccinated child gets the measles we need to take up that failure with the vaccine makers. Parents of autistic kids are not privy to the inter workings of vaccine companies.
That question reminds me of the argument against talking to teens about birth control. Some people fear that a consequence of learning this information teens will immediately have sex, contract venereal disease, get pregnant, possibly get AIDS and die. That is a false choice. The real danger is in ignoring the problem and hoping it will go away. And guess what, we have the industrialized world's highest rate of teen pregnancy.
Dr. Wakefield empathasized the important role vaccines play in our health care system. Wakefield, like the majority of American parents just want to see comprehensive, independent vaccine safety research. Would the undertaking of such research really result in death for us all and the end of civilization, as we know it? Surely not, but why does the AAP and the CDC behave as if that is the case? Shouldn't safety be more important than fear of the truth?
For Pete's sake Viagra was almost recalled because of rare adverse side effects. Viagra is literally a gratuitous, nonessential drug taken by fully consenting grown men. Viagra prevents no diseases and is in no way required by any place of work.
Nevertheless, the FDA almost recalled the drug until all possible adverse side effects were re-studied clearly marked. Meanwhile we continue to throw the dice by giving newborn babies shots for sexually transmitted diseases with no regard to how these viruses are affecting babies' brains. This is the United States of America, not sub-Saharan Africa. We need not continue injecting our children with copious grandfathered toxic adjuvants at a breakneck pace as if the plague was just around the corner. We need to get vaccine safety research done, and done well done.
I am frequently told that science moves slowly and that it would take too long to get these answers. Science seems to move slowly because there is little will to move quickly. Yet when scientific institutions spend our money, wow do they shift into high gear! You might get whiplash watching those checks get cashed!
Doctors, nurses and parents all asked Dr. Wakefield about their patients or their children's colitis like GI disease. Why was it so hard to find help? Why did so many doctors refuse to scope their children despite the obvious evidence something was very wrong. Why were their kids prescribed anti-psychotics in lieu of medical help? Why didn't the medical community want to help these children? Why weren't autism researchers, advocacy organizations and autism treatment centers here?
I think fear is the obvious answer. After witnessing the nightmare Dr. Wakefield endured for daring to treat these very sick children at their parents' behest, this field literally went underground. Now the AAP and other organizations are finally encouraging doctors to take GI complaints seriously and treat them. The problem is no one, outside of DAN!, is telling doctors how to do that. So most pediatric GIs are still in the dark, they do not know what to look for and if they do not find celiac disease nothing is wrong, they advise patients not to try "crazy diets" and might prescribe a reflux drug. We have to do a lot better.
As parent after parent spoke about their child's heartbreaking symptoms I kept thinking where are all the autism specialists and researchers who have been spending our money? Why aren't they here? If parents were talking about the genome the place would have been packed with area hospital professionals. If researchers disagree with Dr. Wakefield all the more reason to come! Ask questions, met these families, learn more about identifying and treating GI conditions, get ideas for research, identifying subgroup, exchange information with other health professionals. If I can spend $475 to go to IMFAR, surely NYC autism researchers can come to an ASD/GI lecture. Our event is even free!
Just where were all those autism professionals who receive our hard won NIH autism grants? Why is learning about GI disorders and meeting with parents who have not been handpicked (as with the ATN meeting) so scary or unimportant? Where was Dr. Joseph Buxbaum from Mt. Sinai? Where was anyone from the Simons Foundation? Simons has a huge organization that seems to place little emphasis on here and now issues. Why not prove me wrong and show up? Where was Cold Spring Harbor? They certainly receive their fair share of autism research monies have such a minuscule involvement with the autism community. Where was Dr. Susan Epstein of the Einstein School of Medicine? Epstein also works at CHOP's Center for Autism Treatment. Where were the Autism Speaks scientists? Our meeting was about 5 blocks north of their offices. Where were the clinicians and researchers from Columbia? Where were their Autism Treatment Center doctors from Columbia? Obviously I could go on and on but I will get into NYC's autism failings in another post.
It is these same scientists who decry the work of Dr. Wakefield, yet have met none of his patients, are unable or unwilling to debate him and express no interest in learning about or helping this giant subpopulation of kids. Guess what guys; you cannot have it both ways.
At the end of the Q & A I often approach parents who asked a question that relates to my child and learn a great deal from their experiences. We also reconnect with families we might have met at a conference and talk about how things are going. I am frequently approached by therapists and health professionals regarding area resources (it is a short list!) or useful books. NAA board members get direct feedback from attendees about what was useful and what topics they would like to see addressed in future meetings. Great clinicians like Dr. Bock, Dr. Nancy O'Hara, Dr. Elice are frequent guests and spend a lot of time talking with families about their child's progress. So to area autism professionals : this is not so off the wall or scary, don't be a stranger, come and check us out!
I know I speak for probably a million parents all over the world when I thank Dr. Wakefield. I wish the dim witted and corrupt GMC had to spend just one day watching before and after videos of our kids: the screaming, the stiffness, the febrile seizures, the terrible GI disease, the loss of speech and skills. No, the GMC wasn't concerned with any of those ugly details only that Wakefield had the audacity to treat these sick children at their parent's behest.
Truly a crime against humanity! By the way, the GMC still cannot find one patient who complained or would not talk their child to see Dr. Wakefield again. That may be his biggest "crime", listening to parents and studying their child's symptoms. So thank you Dr. Wakefield for standing up for the truth, helping our kids and refusing to dismiss or minimize their suffering although I imagine you were under tremendous pressure to do so. Thank you as well to all the families and donors who supported his important work, without whom would not have the scientific literature replicating Wakefield's findings. If only this team was in charge of autism research! The epidemic would be over.
Katie Wright is a Contributing Editor to Age of Autism.


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Chapter 11: Kung Lao
Moves List
|Hat Toss
|← → [2]
|Ground Hat
|↓ ← [2]
|↓ → [1]
|Dive Kick
|↓ [4]
|↓ ↑
|During Teleport, Throw
|During Teleport, Punch
|During Teleport, Kick
|[3] or [4]
Fight 42: Noob Saibot
Noob Saibot is one of my favorite characters, so it's a shame we have to beat the crap out of him. Noob is pretty aggressive but usually stays ground based, so constant jump-ins will normally keep you safe. If you're at a distance, use a couple Hat Tosses, but don't spam them because Noob will tend to do a teleport-throw if you do. You should use your own teleports to keep Noob disrupted, as he tends to lose effectiveness the closer you get to him.
Fight 43: Goro
Illogically, Goro is actually pretty easy here. Kung Lao doesn't have the speed of other characters but he does have the power, and he'll be able to keep Goro disrupted just with simple combos. If you find yourself at a distance, spam his Hat Toss. Also, keep your eyes open for Goro's random nonsensical taunts, and use that opening to either combo him or do a teleport attack. Remember to fight slowly and tactically, because too many jump-ins will cause Goro to start charging punches, which just makes him temporarily invincible.
Fight 44: Shang Tsung & Quan Chi
This one is a tale of two fights, and requires two different strategies, depending on who you're facing. Quan Chi is the easier of the two, if you know how to approach him. As usual, he wants to teleport like Nightcrawler, so stay grounded and stay on your guard. If he gets close, try uppercutting him or jumping-out so you can get some distance. Otherwise, sit and wait until he commits to a teleport and you block him, then counter with any move in your arsenal that you're comfortable with.
Shang Tsung meanwhile is a bit of a pain because he's more aggressive and slightly stronger. He won't morph into anyone else unless he just copies Kung Lao, but his fireballs and combos are pretty stiff as usual. Shang is little fireball-happy, so if he commits, try a teleport-kick or teleport-throw to put him down. If he stays on his feet after a teleport, do a jump-in, but don't immediately do it, or he'll probably knock you out of the air. Instead, wait a beat, then jump in with a [4], and immediately do ↓ [4] to turn it into a quick two-hit air juggle. If you manage to get close to him, use Kung's simple combo of [1] [1] [2] [1] to cause moderate damage and create some distance.
Fight 45: Kintaro
Kintaro, like Goro, enjoys having periods of invincibility when he's charging punches. You need to use similar tactics as when you fought Goro: move slowly and tactically, stay low, jump-out often. Kintaro has fireballs that Goro did not, making the fight more difficult and forcing you to keep moving. Kintaro often blocks teleport attacks, but he too taunts randomly when the distance is more than half the screen, giving you openings. Use Hat Tosses and, when you actually do manage to teleport, use teleport-kicks to inflict the most damage.
Fight 46: Liu Kang vs. Shao Kahn
Things take a turn for the unexpected, as Kung Lao is eliminated despite beating Kintaro. You revert control to Liu Kang for this one. Shao Kahn is, of course, extremely cheap: he turns invincible whenever he's doing basically anything, he is psychic, and pretty much every attack he does will take 10% or more off your life. Of particular note, his hammer throw is too low to duck under but will hurt and stun you even if you block it. Your only option is to jump over it, but again, it comes out so fast that you'll rarely have time to plan it.
Shao Kahn's only weakness is his near-guarantee of taunting you if you get about double-jump distance away from him. The instant he taunts, you've got a couple seconds to combo him, do your X-Ray attack, or whatever else. Check out the video tip...
As you can see, I forgot my strategy toward the end of the first round, and it was a pretty close fight overall since I'm admittedly not the best player when it comes to doing combos at will. The combo I used was Liu Kang's simple [1] [1] [1]. That specific combo hits for about 5% damage, but more importantly, it also keeps Shao Kahn at his exact taunt distance. Liu Kang has other combos, of course, like the equally simple [1] [1] [2], but that one will send Shao flying across the screen, where he'll start throwing spears at you rather than taunting again.
It's almost impossible to finish off Shao Kahn just by exploiting his taunt, but like with the bigger characters, you need to fight tactically. Never stay close to Shao Kahn because, as long as he's in the animation of any attack, he will hit you with it; you can't break his attack animations with attacks of your own, unless you get lucky on the [1] [1] [1] combo. So, keep trying to get distance, and use uppercuts, the Flying Dragon Kick, and anything else to get distance if he gets too close.


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For each positive integer n we may define the convergent sum $$ s(n)=\sum_{p}\frac{(n,p-1)}{p^2} $$ where the summation is over primes p and $(a,b)$ denotes the greatest common divisor of a,b.
It is immediate to deduce that s(n) is bounded on average:
Using $\sum \limits_{d|a, d|b}\phi(d)=(a,b)$ and inverting the order of summation we get
$s(n)=\sum_{d|n}\phi(d) a_d$ where $a_d=\sum_{p \equiv 1 (mod \ d)}p^{-2} $
Ignoring the fact that we sum over primes we get the bound $a_d \ll \frac{1}{d^2}$ which leads to $$\sum_{n \leq x}s(n) \ll x \sum_{d \geq 1}\frac{\phi(d)a_d}{d}=O(x) $$ and $$s(n) \ll \exp(\sum_{p|n}\frac{1}{p}).$$ The last inequality means that $s(n)$ stays bounded if $\omega(n)$ is bounded. Towards the other direction, it seems fair to expect that $s(n)$ grows to infinity if $\omega(n)$ is large in some quantitative sense, say $\omega(n) \geq (1+\epsilon) \log \log n$. Taking into account that the contribution to the sum $s(n)$ of the primes $p$ that satisfy $(p-1,n) \leq \frac{p}{\log p}$ is bounded, since $\sum_{p}\frac{1}{p \log p}$ converges, we see that $ s(n)=s'(n)+O(1)$ where $s'(n)=\sum_{ (p-1,n)>\frac{p}{\log p}} \frac{(n,p-1)}{p^2}$ We are therefore led to the question as to whether a condition of the form $\frac{\omega(n)}{\log \log n}-1 \gg 1$ can guarantee that $s'(n) \to +\infty$ Are there any non-trivial techniques that can be used to answer this question ?


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Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 12 in 12 — a series of a dozen breaks of past wax boxes and wax packs in a dozen hours. We'll post one every hour on the hour all day long today … this is Hour 9.
The box: 1993 Upper Deck Series 2 baseball cards (jumbo box)
The cost now: $19.99
The cost then: $55.80 ($2.79 per pack … printed on every pack)
What was found inside this one? Keep reading …


text:
administrator· Administrator
868 Posts
Discussion Starter · #1 ·
Get ready for the April ROTM contest!
3 photos; no more, no less. NO collages. Modifications list if you prefer*Pictures must be of current state of car... only exception is winter tires. Parts currently for sale or waiting to be installed may not be included. If your wheels/retros/suspension/etc. are currently for sale, even if still on car, they cannot be listed in the mod list. Cars that are currently for sale may not be submitted. No "Future Modifications" either*
Remember, please post your entries and pictures in this thread.
So now through April 20th: Submission Entries. Please post your entries and pictures in this thread. (Submissions after 11:59PM on the 21st will not be included in the competition)
April 23rd through end of the month: A poll will be added containing the entered submissions. A voting poll will be created so that all members get the chance to vote on their favourite. The person with the most votes at the end of the month will be the winner for the month!


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Why does top Cabernet cost so much more than top Pinot Noir?
This question arose several times this past week, particularly after my twin posts on Cabs and Pinots I liked in 2012. As "Mike" commented:
Regarding "bargains," while it is undoubtedly true that it is harder to find a great CA Pinot under $30 than it is with some other varieties, I think CA Pinot provides superb "value" when you consider the full QPR. Consider that your top rated wines above are $100 and average maybe $60-70. Compare that to the prices of your highly-rated Cabs. It's one of the things I've always appreciated about California Pinot Noir.
This is certainly true, but begs the question, Why? It's not because there's an inherent difference in quality between top Cabs and Pinots. A Janzen 2009 Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (97 points) is not a better wine than Failla's 2010 Occidental Ridge Pinot Noir (also 97 points), even though the former retails for $135 while the latter is a "mere" $60. So what gives?
Here are some factors that could raise the price on the Napa Cabernet: buying grapes from Beckstoffer, who charges a lot, price of new barrels, cost of consultants, cost of bottles (Napa Cabernet generally is in heavier and presumably more expensive bottles), cost of corks. Without knowing the details, I will assume that all these costs were higher for the Janzen than for the Failla. Still, that can't account for a difference in price of $75!
So we have to go to factors that are unrelated to the cost of production. One that's obvious right off the bat is the influence of peer pricing. In Napa Valley, you can't price a wine below the price of your perceived competitors (or so the argument goes). If your wine costs significantly less than the "neighborhood" you want to live in, then buyers—consumers, somms, retailers, even, alas, some "critics"—will perceive you as "lesser" and conclude that your wine cannot be as good, even if it is. This is why, when Screaming Eagle raised its list price some years ago, you saw a kneejerk reaction up and down Napa Valley: everybody who perceived himself as in the same elite category as Screaming Eagle felt it necessary to jack up their prices accordingly.
So that's one reason, but there's another, more related to history: California mimics Europe in its approach to the pricing aspects of wine, and Bordeaux in general always has been more expensive than Burgundy. While there are obvious exceptions, this statement is true. It's curious, because the average Bordeaux chateau has a higher production than the average Burgundy domaine, so you'd think it would be the other way around. But no. For some reason, going back hundreds of years, consumers (wealthy white western Europeans and, a little later, Americans like Thomas Jefferson) were willing to pay astronomical prices for top Bordeaux wines like Lafite and Latour. That tradition is larded through our wine culture and remains in force today.
What's changing, of course, is that an entire younger generation of Americans couldn't care less about Bordeaux. Report after report proves this. As Eric Asimov wrote, for a greater number of Americans, especially younger ones, Bordeaux "is now largely irrelevant." Pressure on the Bordelais to ease up on prices has been neutered only by the false and thus unsustainable popularity of these wines in Asia. But the marketplace eventually rationalizes everything (if Adam Smith is correct), and so we should see an equalizing of Bordeaux and Burgundy prices internationally sooner or later.
In California, the distorting effects of this historical imbalance between Bordeaux and Burgundy struck early, but are now in an interesting state of flux. We saw the Great Recession pose a threat to triple-digit Napa Cabernets. Now that we're in recovery, we see a consumer who's no longer willing to blindly plonk down whatever it takes to buy the Cabernet of the moment. And to the extent this consumer exists, he probably has gray hair.
This is Pinot Noir's moment to shine, and it can happen, if—and it's a big if—the top producers manage to resist their hubris and keep prices moderate. And by "moderate" I mean less than $100.
"Bordeaux in general always has been more expensive than Burgundy. While there are obvious exceptions, this statement is true."
I think this is a common misperception and NOT as true as you would have it. Perhaps in the last few years, with Bordeaux chateaux driving up prices, maybe. But as little as 5-10 years ago most classified Bordeaux (except First Growths and a few others) could be had for $25-$50. Generic Bordeaux was and still is a <$10 wine, and there is a lot of it! Now the top Burgundy are more expensive than the First Growths and there are more of them (Jayer, Leflaive, DRC, Leroy, Coche-Dury, etc.). Lesser grand cru and premier cru Burgundy are still $100+ wines. Bourgogne AOC wine is not a $10 wine in the US. More like $15-$30.
While you may be correct for CA, I think you're a bit off base in your comparison.
First, let's assume that the top NV Cabs and CA Pinots we are talking about sell out before the next vintage is released.
Given that, there is a very simple reason Cabs cost more: There is more demand for them. It's that simple. If there were no demand for these Cabs at these prices, I promise you they would not be Cab at these prices.
I think there is a pretty simple answer to this question. The wine market is a relatively free market that is dominated by the laws of supply and demand. There is a relatively liquid supply; in other words, there is a great capacity for the supply of fine wine to increase to meet greater demand, which makes demand the differentiating factor. For whatever reason — perhaps including historical marketing, our particular culture and how we consume alcoholic beverages — there is just greater demand for Cabernet in the U.S. It is the preferred beverage for a much larger share of the relevant market. Therefore, sellers of the best ones are able to command a higher price. I have numerous friends that are big regular wine drinkers who will spend exhorbitant sums on California Cabernet,but who I could hardly pay to drink Pinot Noir. That boggles MY mind, but rich cabs are just what they want when they drink wine. It's their taste and it's the predominate one in this market. While the younger generation may be rejecting Bordeaux, it is not turning to California Pinot Noir. If the writers are to be believed, it's turning to obscure international varieties that often make white wines (Riesling, Vouvray, Muscadet (!)). [Steve, I do think someone could respond to these writer claims of a sea-change in youthful tastes a bit like you respond to claims of a "trend" toward lower alc wines.] The customer market that California Pinot is competing for is a group that overlaps significantly with the California Cab market. Also, when I was part of the "younger generation," I didn't drink much wine at all. I drank beer or bourbon. That the current younger generation is drinking a lot of wine now, but not the same wine as the older generation, doesn't necessarily mean they won't grow into Bordeaux, California Cab, etc. as generations before have when the acquire the means to buy it. Bordeaux, after all, still makes some of the finest wine in the world. I don't think that is changing.
Under $100? Wow, I think I should jack up my prices.
Seriously though, Pinot Noir is an experience, like a great symphony is or meal is an experience. Sure you can scalp tickets to justin Bieber for $500, but someone who truly appreciates music will buy season tickets to the symphony just to see one particular piece. So it is with wine. Sure you have the first growths, Petrus, Haut Brion, and a hand full of others demanding premiums, but is seems like there are a lot more top burgundies at higher prices, and why the average price per acre in burgundy is higher than in Bordeaux ( or so I'm told).
I won't reiterate what Mike said above about supply and demand, but I believe the demand Mike discusses is directly correlated to the perceived "prestige" factor of NV cabs (especially cult cabs). I believe that buyers of CA pinot, to a degree, do not include those who only buy the "gotta have" wines that you see with buyers of prestigious names or cult status cabs. This segment of the wine buying public helps drive the demand and prices of NV cab.
We can go on to discuss whether this segment of the buying public truly enjoys or appreciates the wines they chase, or if the wine is even worth chasing. But from an economic perspective, this is a significant driver of demand for NV cabs that has helped cause the divide you wrote about and the effect has compounded over the years to what it is today.
I won't fiddle with perceived numbers regarding Cabernet vs Pinot Noir, but a look at two hard figures will be useful: land prices and grape prices.
Vineyard land prices in Napa in 2010 ranged from $30,000 to $300,000 an acre. I choose Napa as Cabernet-Sauvignon 1) represents almost 44% of the county's grape acreage (the other "Bordeaux red varieties add another 18%) and 2) represents 69% of all the Cabernet Sauvignon planted in the cooler coastal counties, the source of the great majority of the more interesting Cabernets. How many of the most written about Cabs come from this county? Lots.
Grape prices are less striking state-wide: an average ton of Cabernet-Sauvignon grapes costs $1,154 per ton in the state as an average with Pinot noir pulling in $1,272 per ton. But again, the Napa figures are noteworthy: Cabernet-Sauvignon went for an average of $4,660 per ton in 2011 vs Pinot's $2,529.
Hope this helps.
It is supply and demand for the end product, but there are also some real cost differences in the winery as well. Fruit cost for high end Pinot is $4,000 to $6,000 per ton. Super premium Napa Cab about $9,000-$15,000 per ton(others may have a better range, but this is about right). Pinots at 25-50% new wood. Cabs 50-100%(some 200%). We age our Pinots 15 months in barrel, but some others only 10 months. Most Cabs 22 months.
It all adds up.
David Rossi
Fulcrum Wines
Steve, excellent point! I am sure you are referencing New World Pinot Noir, not DRC. I have wondered about the same issue for years.
Here is my opinion: Burgundy vintages are much more variable, good to bad, and because the prod. size is small, there is no way to blend away or adjust quantity offered, compared to Bordeaux. So a average buyer, without having to study vintage by village, can buy
Bordeaux and know what is getting. But same person cannot rely on Burgundy to always be predictable. Volatility in quality acts as a brake on price.
Oh yeah, also, Bordeaux & Cabernet, being higher volume than
Burg, is consumed all around the world. Not so for Burgundy. For reason stated above. As for me, I am willing to pay 2 or 3 x more for what I think is a good Burgundy vs. what I think is a good Cab. I can get good Cab for under $30 any day any time anywhere. I have to be choosier to find good Burgs for $30 or $40, and while west coast Pinots and NZ Pinots are good, they are not same as Burgundy wines.
T'anks, and to Patrick & David on Napa prices per ton grapes, those reflect the grape market sales and not cost of production. Production cost of Cab rarely justifies prices on shelf more than $60 or $70. The rest is pure profit, not always to the winery, often to Andy Beck or Dave Abreau etc. Now, as to whether Andy or Dave spend 2 or 3 x more than others per ton or acre, that is harder to verify, being private businesses. But look at the marketing costs separate from actual production. Andy B. prices good Cab grapes at a % of your shelf bottle retail, not on his costs of labor & material. $300+ Napa Cabs are retail prices, not costs. Same is true of Petrus, Lafite, etc. In Burgundy, only DRC, Leroy, maybe Leflaive, Dugat-Py, and Coche Dury can pull that marketing magic. And given the tiny size of those Burg. houses, and inability to expand volume, it is a different amt. of $$$ en toto. Margaux can do, what, 15,000 cases or more? Opus One typically offers no more than 18,000 or 20,000 out of around 30,000 cases worth of grapes. Leflaive would chop off a few fingers to have that much prime acreage.
"Donn Rutkoff says:
January 8, 2013 at 1:36 pm
T'anks, and to Patrick & David on Napa prices per ton grapes, those reflect the grape market sales and not cost of production."
Donn, point is: if a winemaker wants to make a Cabernet-Sauvignon wine versus a Pinot noir wine he/she will have to pay more for the former than the latter. That's a big reason why Cabs cost more than Pinots.
Wait a second… I thought a lot of CA Pinot *was actually* Cabernet?!???
Someone said the other day that Bourgogne is 10% business and 90% "farm folk" whereas Bordeaux is the other way around.
Anyone who has ever visited both areas can testify to most of that. I couldn't believe during my visit to some famous producers in Beaune some semi-ragged-dressed woman would lead me to a cellar full with treasures.
They barely speak english up there…bordeaux on the other hand is about scheduling time to visits, dressing up, fluent english (other languages too). Shrewd business people.
As David says, it all adds up. Barrels and grapes are the most costly inputs, and tying them up twice as long makes a capital-intensive endeavor even more so. If you can invest $100 and sell for $200 in one year, then how much do you need to sell for to maintain the same rate of return after two?
Low Blow Dude!
I visited a winery once and was talking with the winemaker. The winery has been around since mid '70's and all his wines are the same price. I asked him about his reasons.
He looked at me and said. "They cost me all the same to make, everything else is just marketing."
@Wandering Wino: That sounds like Caparone here in Paso!