text:
FAQ Where can I find more information on SWT?
Before 2004, comprehensive information on SWT was not available outside the SWT source code and javadoc itself. This situation changed in 2004 with the publication of SWT: The Standard Widget Toolkit in the Addison-Wesley Eclipse Series. This book was written by Steve Northover and Mike Wilson, two of the original architects and developers of SWT. When the acronym first appeared, it was jokingly referred to as Steve's Widget Toolkit.
Nobody knows SWT better than these authors, and their book is the most authoritative guide to the subject. If you're doing extensive development using SWT, it's indispensable. Volume 2 of their book is forthcoming.
Several other Eclipse books include a chapter or more on SWT:
- Eric Clayberg and Dan Rubel, Eclipse: Building Commercial-Quality Plug-ins (Addison-Wesley, 2004), Chapter 4.
- Erich Gamma and Kent Beck, Contributing to Eclipse (Addison-Wesley, 2004), Chapter 34.
- Sherry Shavor, et al., The Java Developer's Guide to Eclipse (Addison-Wesley, 2004), Chapter 14.
- Rob Warner and Robert Harris, The Definitive Guide to SWT and JFace, (Apress, 2004), major part of book.
Web sites
The information hub for SWT is the SWT development team home page. The main page has a basic SWT overview, and the Development Resources page has loads more information, including a comprehensive library of stand-alone SWT programs--called snippets--illustrating many of the important concepts in SWT. This page also hosts the official SWT FAQ maintained by the SWT development team, as well as development plans, platform porting status, and much more.
Visit http://www.cs.umanitoba.ca/~eclipse, hosted by the computer science department of the University of Manitoba, for extensive tutorials on using SWT, from a simple introduction to advanced applications. This site has a lot of high-quality information that can help you write your first stand-alone SWT application.
The home page for the SWT and JFace portion of the Eclipse wiki (www.eclipse-wiki.info) has links to other resource pages, but some information is here, along with a collection of FAQs.
The site SWT Workbench is hosted by a company that does consulting and develops commercial SWT products. Its community page has discussion forums, news, links, and more, with a particular emphasis on SWT.
The first place to look for articles is the articles page on eclipse.org. We won't bother listing all the articles here as the list would probably be stale by the time this book goes to print. Of particular note is the two-part article entitled 'SWT: The Standard Widget Toolkit.' These articles were written by the SWT development team to describe some of the design rationale behind the project. The CD included with this book has PDF versions of all the articles, captured in May, 2004.
IBM developerWorks also has some technical articles focusing on SWT: 'Using JFace and SWT in stand-alone mode,' and 'How to Deploy an SWT application using Java Web Start.'
Discussion forums
The main forum for discussion of SWT is the eclipse.platform.swt newsgroup. This is the place to go for all kinds of SWT questions for users of all levels, from novices taking their first steps with SWT to highly experienced SWT developers. The SWT develoment team regularly reads this newsgroup, so you can be sure of authoritative answers. Be sure to do a quick search, before posting, to avoid asking a question that's been asked before.
The platform-swt-dev mailing list is for discussion among members of the SWT development team and other contributors to SWT. If you are fixing SWT bugs, porting SWT to another platform, or looking for solutions to advanced questions that have not been answered on the newsgroup, you are welcome to ask here. SWT users are welcome to subscribe and follow along with the discussion, but to avoid cluttering the developer list, please use the newsgroup for your questions.
Some other Java forums have been known to host discussion threads on SWT. Unfortunately, these forums can sometimes deteriorate into flame wars on Swing versus SWT. One notable example is http://www.javalobby.org, which has had several SWT discussion threads.
See Also:
- FAQ What Eclipse newsgroups are available?
- FAQ What Eclipse mailing lists are available?
- FAQ What articles on Eclipse have been written?
- FAQ What books have been written on Eclipse?
This FAQ was originally published in Official Eclipse 3.0 FAQs. Copyright 2004, Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. This text is made available here under the terms of the Eclipse Public License v1.0.


text:
Abney Associates: Apple now blocks older versions of Adobe's Flash player in Safari
作成日時:2013-03-04 09:55:45
A new security update from Apple blocks outdated versions of Adobe's Flash plug-in, forcing users to nab the newest version.
Apple has tightened up security in its Safari Web browser following recent patches to Adobe's Flash technology.
As part of an update that went out yesterday, OS X will now block older and thus vulnerable versions of Flash, forcing users to update to the latest version if they wish to view Flash-based content. In order to block older versions of the software, Apple is using its Xprotect malware scanner, which is built into Mac OS X and can spot and quarantine known malware.
The move comes roughly a month after Apple began blocking older versions of Oracle-owned Java on OS X over security concerns. That issue proved to be a bit more complex, with Apple last week saying that it too was targeted as part of an organized hacking attempt that capitalized on Java vulnerabilities, but did not target the company's customers.
Earlier this week Adobe pushed out a software update that patched three vulnerabilities in Flash, two of which it said were designed to target Mozilla's Firefox browser.
Get more info:

subset: commoncrawl


text:
This post originally appeared on Business Insider.
With rumors of a huge $500 million round of funding on the horizon, Uber is set to become the most valuable startup in the world.
For users, the appeal of Uber is obvious. You can get a car on demand without the hassle of looking up and calling a cab company. But it turns out it's extremely lucrative for drivers as well.
According to Uber, the median wage for an UberX driver working at least 40 hours a week in New York City is $90,766 a year and $74,191 a year in San Francisco, the Washington Post reports. UberX is its lower-cost service, where drivers use their own vehicles, similar to Lyft's service.
For contrast, estimates place the average cab driver's salary at around $30,000 a year. That's nearly triple the income. New York City Uber drivers even make more than the average tech worker across the U.S., who pull in $87,811 a year.
Although Uber takes a 20 percent cut of drivers' fares, they are more efficient with less downtime because they don't have to cruise around looking for riders, they save money by not having to apply for expensive taxi permits, and can set their own hours.
Granted, Uber hasn't revealed the median income for drivers across all of the 60 U.S. cities that it operates in, but the promise of a more efficient system has lured 20,000 new drivers to join Uber's platform every month since January.


text:
Few models have seamlessly made the transition to the silver screen and television as successfully as Brooklyn Decker. Brooklyn leapt from the cover of Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue (the Oscars of swimsuit modeling) onto the big screen in 2011's hit rom-com, Just Go With It. Aside from her classic slow-mo emergence from the Hawaiian sea in a swimsuit, reminiscent of the classic film, 10 starring Bo Derek, she held her own opposite comedic heavyweights Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston. Hollywood took notice, subsequently casting her in 2012's Battleship, alongside Alexander Skarsgard, Rihanna and Liam Neeson. Next up was the ensemble comedy What to Expect When You're Expecting (based on the mega-bestselling mom-to-be tome) alongside a bevy of A-list actresses, including: Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz, Elizabeth Banks, Rebel Wilson and Anna Kendrick. Decker famously played the young and super fit "pregnant unicorn" who leaves actress Elizabeth Banks' pregnant character scratching her head in envy and disbelief.
On social media, where most celebrities are retouching their images, Brooklyn thinks nothing of going makeup and photoshop-free at times, fearlessly repping the daily rigors of being a multitasking working mom, while adding tech entrepreneur to her growing resume with her recently-funded fashion startup, Finery.
Brooklyn Decker is currently riding a wave of success, playing the role of Mallory Hanson on the hit Netflix series, Grace and Frankie, now in its fourth season. Decker's character Mallory is a young married mother of four children, navigating complicated relationships with her parents, played by Jane Fonda and Martin Sheen, and her sister, played by June Diane Raphael.
I caught up with this super babe turned superwoman for a chat about the success of Grace and Frankie, how Netflix is transforming the entertainment industry and the evolution of great characters on television.
Allison Kugel: What have you learned about great comedy through playing the role of Mallory on Grace and Frankie?
Brooklyn Decker: I've learned from my colleagues on the show, especially June Diane Raphael who plays my sister. She's one of the most talented comedic actresses I've ever worked with. What I've learned from her and from the rest of the cast is the more you're playing a scene, the funnier it becomes. All of us, when we're shooting, we play with each other… that sounds very in appropriate by the way (laughs)…
Allison Kugel: (Laughs) Don't worry. My mind was not in the gutter…
Brooklyn Decker: Ha! We're like, "Can I push you here? Or maybe can you grab my hair here?" We do get physical, and we find a way to play with each other to bring physicality to the scene. What happens from that is it becomes funnier, and it feels more real. I really learned that from June, who, again is one of the funniest people in my life. And the wealth of talent on our show is just incredible. I've really learned that when it comes to comedy, if you're having a fun time, the audience is going to have a fun time.
Allison Kugel: I agree! June Diane Raphael is a very talented comedic actress, and the two of you play so well off each other as sisters on the show. There's an interesting parallel of female relationships on Grace and Frankie. You have the close relationship between Jane Fonda's character, Grace, and Lily Tomlin's character, Frankie. At the same time, there is the sister relationship between your character, Mallory, and June's character, Brianna. You don't often get to see one close female relationship on television, so two female storylines in one show is pretty cool!
Brooklyn Decker: You're one of the few people who have clued into that. Someone else commented to me that it's rare to see sisters on television. There aren't these female relationships that are at a deep level. I feel like Grace and Frankie does a really good job of showing sisterhood as friendship. But yeah, you are one of the few people who have mentioned that.
Allison Kugel: Thank you for that, and I'm surprised more people haven't made that observation. Tell me the difference between Jane Fonda's comedic style versus Lily Tomlin's comedic style.
Brooklyn Decker: They approach their work entirely differently from one another. Lily is just in the scene. She doesn't care about the technical aspect of a scene. She just wants to be present and then receive. As far as her character Frankie goes, she really embodies that. Jane is so technically perfect. She knows where every camera is, she knows when to take a pause, she knows how to angle her face. They do very few takes with Jane, because everything is pretty perfect. Whereas Lily gets on set and likes to play. You get something different from Lily on every take, because she's constantly playing, constantly moving. They approach acting so differently; it's similar to the difference in their characters. It's fascinating to see the two of them work together. They just rib each other all day long. You can see that there's so much love and history there.
Allison Kugel: Because they've worked together before…
Brooklyn Decker: Yep, 9 to 5!
Allison Kugel: One of my favorite movies of all time! Speaking of which, will Dolly Parton make a guest appearance on Grace and Frankie?
Brooklyn Decker: Abso-freakin-lutely! We beg for it every episode. They're so secretive about it, that I don't know if it is in the works, or if it will ever happen. I know that a lot of fans of Jane and Lily have wanted to see Dolly on the show because of 9 to 5. In the first two seasons they wanted to make sure that they fleshed out the show before they brought in what would be the tornado that is Dolly Parton. Now that we are in Season Four, they are playing it super close to the vest.
Allison Kugel: How is it having Martin Sheen, who is also a fantastic actor, playing your father?
Brooklyn Decker: He is such a wonderful person. One of my favorite shows of all time, before doing Grace and Frankie, was The West Wing. Everyone says you should never meet your heroes because you'll be disappointed. I was nervous to work with him, because I really had him on this pedestal. And he is such a kind, present, lovely person. My son was born when I was shooting the show, and the next week he brought me a rosary with the date that my son was born. He's so paternal and wonderful, and to be able to play his daughter feels really natural. I have such respect and affection for him.
Allison Kugel: You were pregnant in Season Three? I just watched it and you weighed 2 lbs!
Brooklyn Decker: Well, no, I was pregnant in Season Two, and then I was pregnant with my second this upcoming Season Four.
Allison Kugel: I'm going to be on the lookout for a bump in Season Four!
Brooklyn Decker: It's so confusing. June and I have four children altogether, off the show, and I have four children on the show. We have trouble keeping up with what's real and what's fake. It's all very confusing (laughs).
Allison Kugel: Do yours and June's kids have playdates?
Brooklyn Decker: Yes. When I'm in LA they have; when we all get together.
Allison Kugel: Could you see you and your husband (tennis star, Andy Roddick) being parents to four kids like your character Mallory?
Brooklyn Decker: Honestly, that's my dream! I want a ton of children. Both me and my brother wish that we had more brothers and sisters. Whereas my husband comes from a family with three boys, and he likes the idea of two. So far, we're good with two and we'll see where that takes us.
Allison Kugel: Of course, the main plotline of Grace and Frankie is that Robert and Sol, played by Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston, come out as gay after their kids are grown up, they announce they're in love and leave their respective wives (played by Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin) to be together. Your character, Mallory, being one of the grown children, has to process and deal with that on the show. Have you ever thought about how you would react if that were to happen in your real life? If you had a parent who came out later in life and left your other parent, how do you think you and your brother might have handled those circumstances?
Brooklyn Decker: That's interesting. I've had two male friends who had children and came out to their wives later in life. It hasn't happened to me, personally, but people do go through it and I think I can relate to the kids on the show. During Season One, one of the more poignant moments was a scene when all of the kids were having a conversation, and basically saying, "We're not mad that dad's gay. We love dad no matter what. We're mad that he's been lying to his wife, our mother and our family, for twenty years. For me it would be about the fact that they've been having an affair for twenty years; that would be a big deal. June's character, Brianna, said on the show, "What if dad had been having an affair with a woman? We would all be pissed. But because it's a man, we have to accept it." I think that is so true. That was an interesting thing to tackle on the show, and I feel like that would probably be true in real life. If a parent was having an affair, and had been having an affair with one person for so many years, that would be the issue. For me, it would be less about their sexual orientation.
Allison Kugel: You came on the scene as a model. Back when you were on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, was the end goal an acting career?
Brooklyn Decker: When I moved to New York and first started modeling, I moved thinking that I was just going to pay for school. That was the goal. When I started modeling I was eighteen, and all of my friends were in their freshman year at college. I really missed that. The reason I started studying acting was because I really missed school. My manager said, "Why don't you get an acting coach and study acting? It will at least give you something to read and study when you're on the road." I liked that idea, so I started studying with a coach in New York and we started reading a bunch of Tennessee Williams. We approached it in a weird way, kind of academically. It was less about performance and more about learning and studying. I fell in love with studying acting. When I started auditioning, I didn't think anything would come from it.
Allison Kugel: What made you come to that conclusion?
Brooklyn Decker: Growing up in Matthew, North Carolina, becoming an actor and becoming a model wasn't a realistic career path. My brother's a firefighter, my mom's a retired nurse. It's not something that you do where I'm from. We weren't in the arts. In that respect, it was something that happened by chance. Once I started studying and auditioning, I fell in love with it and then of course I really wanted it. By 2010, I got three movies in one year. The second I booked my third movie, I said to my manager, "I'm quitting modeling. I'm done."
Allison Kugel: One of those movies was Just Go With It with Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston?
Brooklyn Decker: Just Go With It, Battleship and What to Expect When You're Expecting. Once I booked my third movie, I had the courage to decide to stop modeling and focus on acting, and that was seven years ago.
Allison Kugel: At what point did you feel like you made the transition from a model who's done some acting, to an actor?
Brooklyn Decker: I don't feel like that… yet.
Allison Kugel: You don't??
Brooklyn Decker: I do think that as a model, especially one who was in Sports Illustrated, which really puts you on the map, you have a lot to prove. People are constantly viewing you as one thing, and seeing you as sort of a wannabe (laughs).
Allison Kugel: I get it. When you're on the Grace and Frankie set, you're surrounded by Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Sam Waterston, Martin Sheen, June Diane Raphael who is a seasoned comedienne. You got a seat at the table, but are you constantly questioning, "Do I belong here?" "Should I be here?" Or do you feel like, "Yes! I belong here."?
Brooklyn Decker: I feel the insecurity that you just said of "do I belong here?" every single day. I think it's me. It's my own neurosis. But I do think that no matter what, any actor, and I've been acting full time now for seven or eight years, but any relatively new actor would feel insecure working with that group of actors. But I do feel a little bit more insecure because of where I came from, for sure.
Allison Kugel: How does the cast feel about you?
Brooklyn Decker: I don't think they care. Jane is an ultra-feminist and she does not care what your past is. Her attitude is if you're here, you are part of the show. I think that is how everyone feels.
Allison Kugel: What would you say is the overarching moral of the story, or the overarching message of Grace and Frankie?
Brooklyn Decker: I think it really is that love and relationships come in all forms. Family can come in all forms. If you look at the central story, it's the story of two women who typically aren't represented on television. We don't usually get to see women who are 80 going through life, and this show explores that. Second to that, I think it shows different forms of relationships. You have the two brothers who are adopted, and you see them navigating that with their parents. You have two sisters who have chosen completely different lives from one another, Grace and Frankie are exploring this sisterhood and family between the two of them, as two single women in their eighties. And Sol and Robert are a gay older couple who have just come out and are married.
Allison Kugel: This show throws a lot of the "shoulds" that society places on us out the window.
Brooklyn Decker: In Season Three, Sam and Martin's characters were wanting to go to gay clubs and open up their relationship, and they were wondering what gay couples are supposed to do. A lot of it was they thought they were supposed to be doing something because they're gay. Just like Grace and Frankie feel all of these cultural expectations on them because they're 80 years old. You see each of these characters defy what the societal expectations and projections are. It's about busting through expectations placed on people.
Allison Kugel: In past generations, television didn't reflect the true messiness of life. I can remember my mother telling me that she would watch shows like Father Knows Best or Leave It To Beaver, where everything was so perfect and idyllic, and she would wonder why her family wasn't TV perfect. The stories we are seeing now on television are embracing the messiness of life, which is what real life is.
Brooklyn Decker: Exactly! And the messiness is more interesting and what's fun to watch. I don't know what Netflix's expectations were, but I do know there was pressure surrounding us when we were filming the first Season. The Netflix streaming demographic was a relatively new concept at the time, and they didn't know who the audience was for this. What Netflix has discovered, and why it's such a huge hit, is because it resonates with people in its messiness. The show makes people laugh, makes people cry… there are things people relate to and things that people learn from. Right now, more than ever, people want something that feels real, but also lifts them up. They need thirty minutes to have fun.
Allison Kugel: What are your thoughts on the movement that Netflix has become? The fact that so many talented writers and actors are flocking to this platform, and everybody is coming on board and trying to be a part of it?
Brooklyn Decker: What's so exciting about it is that, ultimately, the talent wins out. It's the first time that we've really had that in Hollywood. Because there is such a wealth of opportunity now, you are really getting to see talent. The cool thing about Netflix is they can just make really good content, and with that, they can hire really good talent and they don't have to be stars. Netflix doesn't have to share their numbers, and they don't share their numbers. They're not about making sales at the box office, so they can just focus on making great content. You're seeing the result of that. With the way the business is changing, talent wins out, and that's exciting.
Allison Kugel: Apart from the amazing Lisa Kudrow, are there any other interesting guest stars coming up on Season Four?
Brooklyn Decker: I don't want to reveal who the guest starring actor is, but the important and interesting thing is the storyline with this actor. Sam and Martin are having a hard time in their relationship, and they ask themselves if they should bring a third party into it.
Allison Kugel: The honeymoon phase for Sam and Martin's characters is over, and now they're having problems just like any other couple.
Brooklyn Decker: Yep, real relationship problems.
Allison Kugel: Your character, Mallory, announced that she is separating from her husband on the last episode of Season Three. Can you share how that unfolds this season?
Brooklyn Decker: I play a woman who got married out of college and who hasn't been in the professional world at all. For the first time, I have to figure out what I want to do with my life, and Mallory goes back to work. And I may or may not be seeking employment with one of the family members.
Allison Kugel: On another note, I want to congratulate you on getting funding for your tech startup, Finery! Can you share a bit about what the Finery app does?
Brooklyn Decker: When you think about what iTunes did for music - before iTunes you had tons of CDs in your car or in your house in a CD rack - iTunes took it all completely digital. We are doing that for your wardrobe. Everything is automated these days. Your banking is on your phone, your music is on your phone, your correspondence, everything. The one thing that's still antiquated is your interaction with your wardrobe. Women will spend two hours a week figuring out what to wear. It's not because we necessarily love clothes, or because we are fashion loving women, it's because we need to get dressed. We felt there had to be a better way, and women can spend those two hours doing something more productive. We call ourselves your Wardrobe Operating System.
Allison Kugel: What is a day in the life of Brooklyn Decker? You've got the TV show, the Finery app, the two small kids and the husband. How does it all break down day-to-day?
Brooklyn Decker: That's something I'm still navigating. Fortunately, we have been on hiatus for the show for the last couple of months. When we were thinking about baby #2 we wanted to plan it around Grace and Frankie, so I didn't have to come back to work right away. Our baby was born at the end of November, and we did our fundraising for this seed round for Finery starting in July and August. It all worked out that I wrapped the show, we did the [fund]raise, and then I was off four weeks before the baby was born, which was good because my doctor told me I couldn't travel 30 days before my due date. We literally flew from San Francisco and I landed back in Austin (Decker and Roddick's home city) at midnight, exactly 30 days before my due date (laughs). We had the baby, and now I'm back to work promoting Grace and Frankie and Finery.
Allison Kugel: You're making me tired! I need a nap now (laughs).
Brooklyn Decker: And I'm not finished! Finery is based in New York, I'm based in Austin and for Grace and Frankie I work on the west coast. Yesterday I had conference calls for Finery, I was getting ready to fly to LA to do all Grace and Frankie press. Tomorrow I'll fly back to Austin and I'll be with my family. Our Finery CEO is coming into Austin for meetings. It's a juggling act, but I have a husband who is retired and who is wonderful. He is around and present with our kids, which is amazing; and I have a nanny. My family couldn't afford a nanny when we were growing up, but we had neighbors. I'm lucky to have people around me who help, and I swear, it takes a village!
Season 4 of Grace and Frankie is now streaming on Netflix. Learn more about Finery.
Allison Kugel is a syndicated entertainment and pop culture journalist, and author of the book, Journaling Fame: A memoir of a life unhinged and on the record. Follow her on Instagram @theallisonkugel.
Leave a Reply.
NOPE! YOU DON'T HAVE WRITER'S BLOCK. Course Coming Soon! Click Here to Learn More & Sign Up to Be Notified!
Hi There!
Thank you for visiting, and for taking interest in my work as a journalist. It means the world to me!
I would love to share more of my story with you through my book, Journaling Fame: A memoir of a life unhinged and on the record. Funny title, right? I try to inject irony and humor into everything I do. It makes life more interesting.
Humor aside, my book delves into my life as an entertainment journalist with lots of fun and interesting behind-the-scenes moments. However, I also take you on an intimate journey through my experiences with anxiety, panic attacks and OCD that I experienced since childhood; and how I found healing and strength through those experiences. I would be honored to have you read my story, and I hope it helps you or someone you love.
Just click the Amazon button above, below my book cover, to get your copy.
With Love,


text:
Cyclops Jackalope
Log, sticks, rock, grass.
I don't know why…
Your email is never published nor shared. Required fields are marked *
You may use these HTML tags and attributes:   <acronym title="">
      <q cite=""> <s>
  <acronym title="">
      <q cite=""> <s>
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
I have been influenced by the "100 day challenge", or the "100 days of summer" that creative people continually participate in. In such a project, an artist, photographer, videographer, writer, etc. will create one thing everyday for 100 days in a row. This summer, I have decided to launch my own creative challenge that draws from this premise. I have sent out requests for addresses of all the people who are important to my life in one way or another. Instead of choosing an arbitrary number, such as 100, I have decided to make something creative everyday for as many days as there are addresses of people who have influenced my life, and in turn, influenced my art. Each day I will make something new and different and, at random, pull one of these names from a box. The item for the day will be mailed to that person. If they choose to participate in this collaborative project, I ask that they change, alter, add to, or respond to the item I have sent in any way they like. Each day I will photograph and post the item to be mailed out. When I receive them back, I will update that day's post with a photo of the finished collaborative piece. The thumbnail for posts that have been updated will show a red triangle in the top right corner.
100 Days 2011
100 Days Participants


text:
A co-op with the Geneva Forum in Switzerland got Northeastern University senior Kenny Iannuzzi excited about working for a global cause.
"No matter what I do, it has to have some international tie to it," said Iannuzzi, an international affairs major who returned from the experiential learning opportunity in June with a newfound interest in working for the United Nations.
"Working in an international capacity," he added, "gave me a worldly feeling that involved something bigger than myself."
The Geneva Forum is a disarmament initiative created by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research. The goal of the initiative is to promote international peace and security by building partnerships between governments, international organizations and NGOs around issues of disarmament.
On co-op, Iannuzzi conducted research on unmanned weapons, nuclear non-proliferation and the Arms Trade Treaty in preparation for conferences on arms control.
He worked closely with the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs to bring experts to the forum's conferences.
Iannuzzi, who completed Dialogue of Civilizations programs in Geneva and India, thought he'd pursue fieldwork with NGOs in foreign countries after he graduated.
But that all changed when his experiential learning opportunity gave him a first-hand look at how "policy decisions made in small rooms affects what's happening on the ground."
The co-op, he said, made him think twice about the importance of policy-making and inspired him to look at disarmament as a potential career field.
"All of these people were trying to change policy with the humanitarian cause in mind," said Iannuzzi, who explained that conferences held at the Geneva Forum gave delegates a chance to speak freely, sometimes against the positions of their states. "It's hard to understand why disarmament is so important until you're around people who have devoted their lives to it."
He encouraged all Northeastern students to work and study abroad, calling it "the absolutely most rewarding experience that you'll ever have," and thanked professor Denise Garcia, who wrote a book on illicit arms trafficking throughout the world, for facilitating "an incredible opportunity that a lot of graduate students at other schools don't get."
– Courtesy of CSSH Dean's Office


text:
Get an eyeful of one of Canada's most beautiful provinces: Nova Scotia! Canada's East Coast is ready to impress with pristine beaches, quaint waterfront towns, and super friendly locals. This vacation is ideal for anyone who loves the local life of coastal towns. Get to know Halifax, the Western Shore, Digby, and Baddeck. Choose the 9-night option to add 2 nights on Prince Edward Island!
We've put together great vacations for you everywhere.
By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.


text:
Key concepts
The five senses
The nervous system
Are you ticklish? If so, you've probably noticed that some parts of your body are more ticklish than others. That's because your skin's touch receptors aren't evenly distributed—some areas have more and others have a lot less. In this activity, you'll learn more about your sense of touch by testing your body's own reactions.
This activity is based on a physical exam used in medical checkups. Doctors use this test—called two-point discrimination—to study sensitivity on different parts of a patient's body. This sensitivity is pretty important—without it you might not notice when your finger gets too close to a flame or when you've scraped your knee. Thanks to your skin receptors, you can feel a soft fleecy blanket, a cold splash of water or a sharp pinch—ouch!
Skin receptors are actually tiny cells called sensory neurons. When your skin makes contact with something—say a fluffy bunny—sensory neurons receive that "fluffy" signal and send out their own signals that travel through your body to your brain, which puts them all together to recognize that you are feeling a fluffy bunny.
Paper clips
Pencil and paper
A partner
Glass with ice cubes (optional)
• Bend a paper clip into a U-shape with the tips about one centimeter apart
• Keep the glass with ice cubes in the freezer until the end of the activity
• Tell your partner to close his or her eyes—no peeking until the end of the test!
• Explain that in this activity, you will touch different parts of your partner's hand and arm using a paper clip, and your partner will need to say whether he or she is feeling one point or two.
• Gently touch both tips of the paper clip to the back of your partner's hand. Both paper clip tips should touch the skin at the same time. Do you think your partner can feel both ends of the paper clip?
• Ask your partner if he or she feels one point or two. If your partner feels only one point, bend the paper clip U a little bit wider and repeat.
• Record the smallest distance between paper clip tips where your partner feels two points. The smaller the distance, the more sensitive the area.
• Repeat each of the previous steps, this time touching your partner's palm; then try them on a fingertip, elbow and arm, and so forth. Is your partner's sensitivity greater on the arm or elbow? Right or left hand? Palm or fingertip? You can try this experiment on other parts of the body, too—like the knee, back, toe or cheek. Why do you think some parts of the body are more sensitive than others?
• Switch roles with your partner and find your skin's best-sensing spots. Are your results the same? Is your palm more sensitive than your partner's? What about elbows?
• Extra: You can also try putting an ice cube on a spot like the back of your partner's hand for 10 seconds. Then use the paper clip to check whether that area is more or less sensitive. Do you notice a difference? If so, why do you think there's been a change?
Observations and results
Were your fingertips more sensitive than your arm? Why do you think one area is more sensitive than another?
The part of your brain that receives information from your sensory neurons doesn't treat all parts of the body equally. The reason you are more sensitive on your fingertips than your elbow is that there are many more sensory neurons on your fingertips. When an area has more sensory neurons there is a larger brain area devoted to receiving their signals, meaning more sensitivity. Most people find that their hands are much more sensitive than their backs or legs. Given how much you use your fingers for, that extra sensitivity makes good sense. You might even say it's handy!
More to explore:
People Hear with Their Skin, as well as Their Ears from Scientific American
Worlds of Feeling from Scientific American MIND
Touch and Pain from BrainFacts.org
Our Sense of Touch from the University of Washington in Seattle
How sensitive are you? from Your amazing brain.org


text:
Anthony Weiner to Step Down From Office: Report
Rep. Anthony Weiner has reportedly told friends that he will resign from office, a source close to the situation revealed to the NY Times.
The decision was reportedly made after "long discussions" with his wife, Huma Abedin, who returned to the States Tuesday after a trip to Africa with her boss, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The decision follows weeks of public scrutiny after it was revealed that Weiner had engaged in explicit online relationships with at least six women over the course of three years. Numerous people have since called for his resignation, including Rep. Nancy Pelosi. Even President Barack Obama chimed in, telling 'TODAY's' Ann Curry, "If it was me, I would resign."
Earlier this week, TMZ posted lewd photos Weiner took of himself at a Congressional gym, which was arguably the final blow to his case.
[NY Times]


text:
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook Inc said U.S. regulators have cleared its $19 billion acquisition of mobile messaging service WhatsApp, even as the Federal Trade Commission warned the two Internet companies on Thursday that they must not backtrack on commitments to user privacy.
The FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a letter to the two companies on Thursday, said WhatsApp must adhere to its current privacy practices after the merger, including a promise not to use WhatsApp users' personal data for targeted ads.
"If the acquisition is completed and WhatsApp fails to honor these promises, both companies could be in violation of Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act and, potentially, the FTC's order against Facebook," the letter from Jessica Rich, director of the consumer bureau, read.
The letter did not address the status of the government's review of the merger on antitrust grounds. FTC spokesman Jay Mayfield said the agency does not comment on investigations.
But a Facebook spokeswoman said that the deal has been approved in the United States, though it has not yet been approved in Europe.
"We're pleased the FTC has completed its review and cleared our acquisition of WhatsApp. Naturally, both companies will continue to comply with all applicable laws after the transaction closes," Facebook said in a statement.
The move brings Facebook, the world's No. 1 online social network, closer to completing the largest deal in its 10-year history, which will give Facebook an important asset in the fast-growing mobile messaging market.
WhatsApp, which allows mobile phone users to send each other messages, has had a longstanding commitment to not collect user data for advertising purposes. WhatsApp stores users' mobile phone numbers, but unlike many online services, it does not collect user names, emails and other contact information.
Some privacy advocacy groups are worried that that commitment could be scrapped after WhatsApp becomes part of Facebook, which generates the majority of its revenue by showing ads that target users by age, gender and other traits.
In the letter to Facebook and WhatsApp, the FTC's Rich said the companies must obtain user consent if they use any of the data collected by WhatsApp in different ways than they presently do.
Facebook is required to get user consent for certain privacy changes as part of a 2011 settlement of federal charges that it deceived consumers and forced them to share more personal information than they intended.
"The FTC staff will continue to monitor the companies' practices to ensure that Facebook and WhatsApp honor the promises they have made to those users," the letter said.
Reporting by Alexei Oreskovic; Editing by Leslie Adler
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


text:
Story by
Courtney Boyd Myers
Courtney Boyd Myers is the founder of audience.io, a transatlantic company designed to help New York and London based technology startups gr Courtney Boyd Myers is the founder of audience.io, a transatlantic company designed to help New York and London based technology startups grow internationally. Previously, she was the Features Editor and East Coast Editor of TNW covering New York City startups and digital innovation. She loves magnets + reading on a Kindle. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter @CBM and Google +.
Despite naysayers as famous as Mark Zuckerberg crying out that email's end is nigh — it's not. Email is wildly convenient (attachments, reply all, Boomerang!) and still handles the majority of our current work and personal communication processes. It might need a significant redesign, as German designer Tobias Van Schneider has recently pointed out, but it still still rules the Internet.
Here at The Next Web, we've been quite vocal about our love of Timehop, a daily email and nostalgia kick that includes your Foursquare check-ins, tweets, Instagram photos and Facebook posts from every day, a year ago. We also love daily emails from news-brewing Percolate and weekly emails from fashion startups Of a Kind and the yet-to-launch, YC-backed Thread.
Now, there's a new kid in our inbox and he's reinventing what it means to be a calendar by integrating with popular utility services. Meet Sunrise, a daily digest of everything you need to know about your day.
Sunrise connects with Google calendar (supporting multiple accounts) to provide an overview of the day ahead as well features you've selected like national holidays or phases of the moon. Connect Sunrise with Facebook to see your friends' birthdays and events you've RSVPed yes to, and connect Linkedin to get a picture of who you're meeting with (like Rapportive for your calendar!).
Here's what it looks like:
Sunrise co-founder Pierre Valade first hit the tech stratosphere with Agora, a service he built during a Foursquare hackathon in February 2011 that's designed to connect you with likeminded folk when you check in at a specific location. Foursquare founder Dennis Crowley scooped Valade as a full-time employee shortly after. While he hasn't done much to Agora since joining, he's currently a lead UX Designer on the Foursquare Activity Stream that was introduced in version 4.0. Sunrise's second co-founder, Jeremy Le Van is also a designer at Foursquare working on Explore.
Despite possible revenue streams from event marketing or daily deals, Valade doesn't have plans to make or raise money with the Sunrise app. So, what does Sunrise's future look like? While Sunrise doesn't currently interact with Foursquare, Valade hints at a future integration, suggesting that Foursquare will power the day's planned locations and suggest nearby places of interest.
He also says that iCloud integration is at the top of his list and that his users — 55% of which engage with Sunrise on a daily basis –want to be able to connect with other services such as ticketing apps like Songkick or task management apps like Wunderlist.
So, when it comes to daily emails, we now open two every morning before getting out of bed: Timehop and Sunrise, one provides us with look into the past and the other, a look into the future. Valade is a huge fan of Timehop too. "I think it's great," he says. "It's the only email with Sunrise that I open every morning. They share with Sunrise the same principles: simplicity, email-first and special attention to design. I'm looking forward to see how they will move from being email-based to the web."
Hat tip to Rameet Chawla, Mobile Architect at Fueled for turning us onto Sunrise.
→ Sunrise
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.


text:
Amazing Montezuma Falls is just next to the resort – in fact is only a five minute walk from Anamaya.
Behind the Bali Cabina you'll find a gate, and the path starts at the other side. This is a tropical waterfall, which means the water is very warm and refreshing, not the cold type river you're probably used to back home.
The pool is over twenty feet deep, and is ringed by small cliffs 10-15 feet high, and you can jump into the pool from anywhere on the cliff. On the bottom side of the pool, it drops into the second pool, which is 35 feet down. Many people have been hurt jumping the second falls, so we don't recommend it unless you have a lot of experience with this type of cliff jumping. This is quite a long drop and less than half of the people will jump it. From there is an even higher waterfall, and jumping that one is pretty crazy, not done by many people.
At the pool closest to us, is also a rope-swing which is fun to use to launch yourself like Tarzan into the water.
From this pool is also one of the best hikes in the Southern Nicoya Peninsula. You can head upstream for an hour or so and will find many small waterfalls and pools of all shapes and sizes. We highly recommend this adventurous experience!
Once a week we offer a guided tour of the waterfalls, and our guide will teach you all about the area's nature and show you the best spots around the three waterfalls.
More about this waterfall and the area's other waterfalls can be found here.
The bottom, largest fools is over 60 feet high and has a huge pool for swimming below it. This is where most of the tourists go, walking up from town below.
The upper-most pool is a five-minute walk down a path from Anamaya, and has a rope swing that's tons of fun to try.
The third pool of the Montezuma Falls waterfall is closest to Anamaya. It's more than 20 feet deep, and you can jump into it from the small cliffs around it, or you can jump down to the second pool (30+ foot drop!)
Montezuma Falls is a classic, large tropical waterfall with warm water, and runs clear most of the time.
You can climb behind this waterfall from the left side, then leap through it into the pool below. It's a fantastic experience that most of our guests at Anamaya have to try.
This is what the pool looks like if there was rain the day before. Runoff from the hills around Montezuma and Delicias clouds up the river for a day or so if it rains hard enough.
The river just above the third pool is one of the most beautiful hikes in the area. It takes about an hour or so to walk up and see most of the best stretches of this beautiful tropical gorge.
Another photo of the hike up the river from the waterfall. Highly recommended.


text:
Now showing items 1-1 of 1
Studies of Thalidomide's Effects on Rodent Embryos from 1962-2008
(Arizona State University. School of Life Sciences. Center for Biology and Society. Embryo Project Encyclopedia., 2014-03-10)
Thalidomide is a sedative drug introduced to European markets on 1 October 1957 after extensive testing on rodent embryos to ensure its safety. Early laboratory tests in rodent populations showed that pregnant rodents could ...


text:
Lately, I've been inspired by several bloggers to embellish some glass objects with frosting. What finally motivated me were these etched glass wine bottles I swooned over at my favorite shop in St. Helena called 'Vintage Home'.
Not only did I want to enhance some decor, I also had a practical purpose. I needed to transform my glass bath cabinet doors from a clear to opaque surface. So last week I grabbed some of Rustoleum's 'Frosted Glass' spray paint to conduct some experiments. In the end, I was pleasantly surprised and delighted with the results.
I must say that this post was almost titled, "Somebody Stop Me". When I'm armed with a product that makes me giddy, I need someone to hold my arms tightly against my body, look deep into my eyes, and say to me: "PUT DOWN THE CAN. STEP AWAY FROM THE FROSTED GLASS SPRAY PAINT." I didn't stop using the stuff until the can was empty. And all of the other glass in my home is now breathing a sigh of relief.
Here are the five glass objects I enhanced with (yet another) can of spray paint.
First, I made these water carafes for my Mister and me.
They were simple glass carafes that I picked up for a few dollars at a thrift store a few months ago. I taped them off with alphabet stickers, painter's tape, and paper towels.
They remind me so much of the bottles from the shop in St. Helena. I think they'd make a darling wedding gift. Or you could monogram just one for yourself.
They're kind of Pottery Barnish. Or Crate and Barrelish. Like this bottle below.
Next victim: my laundry soap jar.
My coffee bean jar was not spared.
Then I transformed this vase into an elegant candleholder.
I applied some stickers, and used painter's tape to cover the top.
The new and improved version adds so much ambiance
Finally, the practical application. I gave these previously clear glass bath cabinet doors a less transparent view of the interior. Nothing too exciting inside anyway: shampoo, soap, hairspray, yada, yada, yada.
There's a botanical theme going on in this space.
So I removed the doors and used flower shaped stickers to form this simple linear pattern on the inside of the glass, which will help it last in a steam filled space.
All of my glass was transformed with 'Frosted Glass' spray paint on the outside of my glass objects – except for the bathroom cabinet. That was an inside job. I liked how easy it was to apply, and how it dries in 10 minutes. And it's actually hand washable with mild soap and a soft rag. But you can't put it in the dishwasher. And if you completely hate your pattern, it comes off with mineral spirits or paint thinner (according to the can.)
Many others have used acid based 'Etching Cream' (available at craft stores) to achieve this same effect.
Take a look at some of these fabulous projects:
Etched Glass Storage Jars by Martha
More pantry jars by Pink of Perfection
Etched jars via Sunset Magazine
Frosted glass table by The Purple Pea
Frosted Glass Table Top by Amanda at Serenity Now
Etched glass silhouette mirror by Living with Lindsay
Etched glass bathroom window by Martha
Frosted Glass House Number by Creative Glass Guild:
Frosted Glass Bookcase by Craftynest
Sea glass frosted luminaries, available at Charming Weddings
Red polka dot frosted glass luminary by CandleLand
And this loveliness by Uppercase Living:
There are so many creative possibilities with either Frosted Glass spray paint or Etching Cream. Perfume bottles, wine glasses, mirrors, hurricanes. And frosted snowflake ornaments at Christmas ! I can't wait.
I hope you're just as inspired as I am from all of these projects.


text:
Dell is reviving its XPS line of all-in-one computers with the XPS One 27, an 27-inch, Ivy Bridge-equipped number cruncher meant to go against the likes of the iMac and the HP Omni 27.
With features such as a 2560x1440 screen, Core i5 or i7 processor, 2 terabyte HDD, Infinity speakers, 4 gigabytes of RAM (expandable to 16) and the option for Blu-ray, NVIDIA GeForce 640M graphics, and additional 32 GB SSD, this is definitely a PC geared towards home entertainment consumption, but could probably also function just as well in a professional setting.
The XPS One's rounded edges, black facade, and silver base is nothing eye-popping, but the build quality is solid and doesn't need to be tucked out of sight. And of course it's still running Windows 7, so it remains to be seen just how nice it will play with Windows 8. But the XPS One 27 could fill a void for those who don't need a laptop at home anymore. Especially considering it starts at $1300. Dell says it will arrive in the US in the "coming weeks." [Dell]


text:
BEIJING—Top officials from AAAS and Chinese science and technology organizations have signed a series of agreements to collaborate on publishing and education projects and to seek future engagement in fields that could range from ethics and sustainable development to public engagement.
Under one memorandum of understanding, AAAS and the China Association for Science Technology (CAST) agreed to work together to translate and post on the CAST Web site materials provided by Project 2061, AAAS's pioneering science education reform initiative. AAAS and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) struck a separate agreement to work jointly to select and translate 33 high-impact papers published in the journal Science during the last decade and to distribute them in China.
More China News and Photos
See other stories about the landmark AAAS visit to China here and here.
See photos from the bilateral meetings and the Workshop on Scientists' Social and Ethical Responsibilities.
Read this article in Chinese
AAAS and CAST also signed an overarching agreement to seek collaborative projects on a range of possible issues, including sustainability; public understanding of science and engineering; science education; and creating S&T opportunities for women.
"I believe that CAST and AAAS have common issues… and we're serving similar functions in our countries," said Deng Nan, chief executive secretary of CAST, said in talks before a signing ceremony. "I believe that allows us to have even more cooperation in the broader fields of science."
"Our organizations are similar and unique in their size and breadth of activities, " replied Leshner, who also serves as executive publisher of Science. "Our collaboration has advantages not only for our countries, but also for the whole world… It's very important that we take every opportunity to collaborate on our common interests."
With China emerging as an engine of world research and development, AAAS leaders have seen it as vital for the global scientific enterprise to establish a constructive, long-term engagement with its S&T leaders and organizations. Throughout the visit to Beijing, Shanghai, and Hangzhou from 24-29 September, officials from AAAS and their Chinese counterparts suggested they were laying a foundation for the future.
The AAAS delegation also met with Chinese Minister of Science and Technology Wan Gang; Chinese Academy of Sciences President Lu Yongxiang; Shen Wenqing, chairman of the Shanghai Association for Science and Technology and vice president of the National Natural Science Foundation of China; and Yang Wei, president of Zhejiang University.
The AAAS delegation included Leshner, who also serves as executive publisher of the journal Science; Vaughan Turekian, AAAS chief international officer; and Tom Wang, AAAS director for International Cooperation.
While in Beijing, the delegation attended a two-day conference, "China-U.S. Workshop on Scientists' Social and Ethical Responsibilities." The event was organized by CAST and AAAS, with Mark S. Frankel, director of AAAS's Scientific Freedom, Responsibility and Law Program playing a lead organizing role for AAAS. The conference brought dozens of Chinese science and technology leaders together with the AAAS delegation and nine other U.S. ethics scholars, business and academic leaders, and science publishing experts. Brent Christensen, science counselor to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, also attended the conference.
The new agreements and the conference on scientific integrity conference—resulting from months of trans-Pacific engagement and negotiation—are landmarks in an ambitious new engagement between AAAS and Chinese S&T organizations. The journal Science, which is published by AAAS, is opening its first Chinese news office in Beijing this month, to be staffed by veteran correspondent Richard Stone. EurekAlert!, AAAS's science news service, this month formally debuted a new Chinese-language portal to serve the nation's journalists, researchers, business and government.
"We are in an era of unprecedented global cooperation in science and technology—cooperation that not only advances the underlying sciences, but also addresses some of the major global challenges that we all face," Turekian said. "The collaboration between Chinese and U.S. scientists, and in fact all members of the global science enterprise, will lead to more creative science and technological developments that will improve people's lives."
The new engagement comes at a time of remarkable growth and emergence for China. As one of the world's ancient civilizations, it introduced crucial S&T discoveries and developments thousands of years ago. Today, following 30 years of economic reform , its economy is soaring, and strong continued growth is expected for the foreseeable future. Shanghai and Beijing have become major world centers for business, culture, and tourism; next year, the nation will host the Summer Olympics.
Science and technology are central to China's long-term growth and development plans. Before he moved into government, President Hu Jintao was a hydraulic engineer, and today, the "Scientific Development Perspective" is one of China's central themes for addressing complex economic, environmental and international challenges. The government is investing millions of dollars in new laboratory and research facilities.
And to address climate change, the government in June announced plans to restructure the economy, promote clean energy technologies, and improve energy efficiency. China launched its first manned space mission in 2003; it followed up on 24 October by launching its first spacecraft to orbit the moon.
In July, the China Internet Network Information Center reported that 162 million Chinese were connected to the Web; while that remains just a fraction of the nation's 1.3 billion people, the Center said that in the first half of this year, an average of 100 new residents per minute logged on for the first time.
According to CAST statistics, China's total investment in research and development nearly tripled between 2000 through 2005; in the same period, R&D expenditures as a percentage of gross domestic expenditures rose from 0.9% to 1.34%. According to China's National Bureau of Statistics, the number of people working in R&D fields increased by 33% from 2000 through 2004. A report in 2006 by the U.S. National Science Foundation called the R&D spending increases "unprecedented for any country in recent memory."
Meanwhile, the Chinese statistics bureau found that in 2004, engineering and science were the two most popular fields of study for students enrolled in the nation's graduate-level academic programs.
CAST was founded in 1958 after the merger of two existing scientific associations. Today, approaching its 50th anniversary, it represents 188 national and provincial affiliates across a range of S&T disciplines. CAST and affiliated Chinese societies publish nearly 900 different journals.
The CAST-AAAS agreement-signing ceremony took place on 25 September, in an elegant hall at the Diaoyutai State Guest House complex. The complex includes a former residence of Jiang Qing, the wife of Mao Zedong; U.S. President Richard Nixon and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger stayed at Diaoyutai during their historic visit to China in 1972. Currently, it is the site for the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program.
Deng Nan, daughter of the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, and CAST Executive Secretary Cheng Donghong welcomed the AAAS delegation. Deng and Leshner talked cordially for more than an hour, with the discussion ranging from China's Mid-Autumn Festival, which was being celebrated that night, to possible areas of future cooperation.
Deng expressed confidence that the ethics conference (which was to start the next morning) would be "a big success" and "a very good example of our scientific cooperation." Ethics and integrity in research have been "a very practical problem for China," she said. "However, I believe it's a challenge faced throughout the international science community."
"Absolutely," replied Leshner. "We all have these issues. As science becomes more global, it's important that we have agreement among all countries so that we share common values but also common standards as well."
Later, Deng described the ambitious China Science and Technology Museum which is now under construction and due to open to the public in the fall of 2009; it will be the nation's the largest center to promote science and technology among citizens. Deng, noting America's "very rich resources" in science museums, suggested such public engagement might provide another area for China-U.S. collaboration.
Leshner used the occasion to invite CAST representatives to attend the 2008 AAAS Annual Meeting in Boston.
The agreement with the Chinese Academy of Sciences to translate and re-publish 33 of the past decade's most important papers from Science was signed the next day at CAS offices, in a ceremony again marked by optimism and discussion of possible future collaboration.
CAS, founded in 1949, is a dominant force in Chinese S&T. It oversees 108 scientific research institutes, over 200 science and technology enterprises, a university, a graduate school and various other units situated throughout the country. As of 2000, it had a staff of 58,000, some 39,000 of them scientific personnel. It publishes more than 200 journals.
CAS President Lu discussed with Leshner the new agreement to publish a volume of translated Science articles. Lu said he expected CAS to print 10,000 copies; he predicted that young scientists and engineers will buy it, and said it also would be made available to China's 2,000 universities and 5,000 of its best high schools.
Lu, who also serves as vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, plays a critical role in Chinese S&T development. He trained as a mechanical engineer in China and Germany and has 25 patents in China, the United States, and Europe. He has published over 250 papers in research and engineering education and five monographs in China and abroad.
Lu and Leshner identified a number of areas for possible future collaboration. Leshner mentioned a possible lecture series or exchange program that would bring U.S. scientists to China and Chinese scientists to the United States. Lu suggested exploring areas such as nuclear energy, atmospheric science, and the workings of the brain. Both agreed on the importance of having young scientists involved.
On Thursday 27 September, the AAAS delegation met with Wan Gang, who was appointed earlier this year to lead China's Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST). Wan also welcomed the opportunity for further collaboration between AAAS and Chinese S&T, and he suggested that scientific integrity, the popularization of science, and sustainability all might offer opportunities for future joint projects.
Much of the conversation between Wan and Leshner focused on the value of encouraging China's increased integration into the global S&T enterprise—and the essential role that scientific integrity plays in the relations among researchers from every nation.
Both leaders acknowledged that the S&T communities in their countries have endured troubling episodes of misconduct, and that shared values about ethics and ethical procedures are important in advancing more unified world S&T effort.
Leshner expressed admiration for China's firm commitment to S&T as a means to progress. "It's interesting to me that more and more people in different countries recognize the value of science and research, and how they lead to innovation and improvement in people's lives," he said. "China recognized this very early. I wish the United States would recognize its own tradition of innovation."
"We consider that in the United States you are doing very well in these efforts," Wan replied. "In China, society is undergoing a substantial change. When the economy reaches a certain point, there should be a transition from a focus on the development of the economy to the sustainable development of the human society. The United States started on this much earlier than China. And so I believe we could have more cooperation on that and China could learn from you."
"You learn from us, and we'll learn from you," Leshner replied. "It's a good collaboration, a genuine collaboration."
Edward W. Lempinen
15 October 2007


text:
Update on the #JusticeForFelix Project
By BitcoDavid
Let me start with the petition site. We're currently at 331 signatures, which is where we've been for a while now. We still need almost 700 before we can send the petition. But, there's a silver lining. Our numbers on the page – signatures notwithstanding – are pretty good. We've had 389 FaceBook shares and 54 tweets. It has been shared 9 times on Google+ and once on StumbleUpon.
The Petition page has a Google ranking of 6, out of a possible 10. It's been listed on Google 156,000 times, 91,900 times on Bing and 8,942 times on Alexa. according to Google it has received 149 backlinks. That means that 149 sites other than our own, have posted a link to the page. All things considered, these numbers are really pretty good, and they support the point that there is substantial interest in freeing this innocent man.
I received this via e-mail from Pat Bliss.
Felix's case is now in the hands of an experienced clemency attorney to take it before the Governor and has signed on to do it pro bono for Felix's sake. However, there will be reasonable and necessary costs such as photocopies, postage, public records requests and travel incurred. A trust account has been set up. If you would like to help in this last stretch of Felix's quest for freedom, please send a check or money order [mention Felix Garcia under memo] made out to: Reginald R. Garcia P.A., P.O. Box 11069, Tallahassee, FL 32302. Thank you! Pat Bliss
I would like to thank our magnanimous publisher, Joanne Greenberg, for allowing us to post this. When she created this site, and contracted me to manage and edit it, she insisted that it remain non-commercial and that it never solicit funds. However, she understands the need to help Felix, and has asked me to assure that no funds received here will
go to DeafInPrison.com. This is funding for Felix's case, to cover expenses above and beyond fees for the attorneys – who have graciously offered to handle the case pro bono. So, I repeat. No money from this drive will go to DeafInPrison.com, BitcoDavid BlogSites, or any of our contributors. It all goes to Felix's worthy cause.
It is our intention to submit the petition coinciding with the attorneys case. It will provide the body blow that will support the attorneys in their knock out punch. (Sorry – had to throw a little Boxing lingo in there.) If you can help financially, it will be greatly appreciated, but if you can't please sign the petition – if you haven't already – and share, share, share.
Thank you all, and Happy Thanksgiving!
BitcoDavid is a blogger and a blog site consultant. In former lives, he was an audio engineer, a videographer, a teacher – even a cab driver. He is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and a Pro/Am boxer. He has spent years working with diet and exercise to combat obesity and obesity related illness.
Related articles
- A Brief Update on Felix (deafinprison.wordpress.com)
- Deaf Awareness Week – Day 5 **Happy Birthday, Felix!** (deafinprison.wordpress.com)
- Felix's Story Serialized Pt. 1 (deafinprison.wordpress.com)
- Deaf Awareness Week – Day 6, Felix Interview Section 7 (deafinprison.wordpress.com)
- October at DeafInPrison.com (deafinprison.wordpress.com)
- How Prisoners Make Us Look Good – From the NYT (deafinprison.wordpress.com)


text:
Washington Post sold to Amazon's Jeff Bezos for $250 million
The Washington Post has been sold to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos for $250 million, an historic transition that brings an end to eight decades of ownership by the Washington Post Company.
The announcement, unexpected even by the Post's own staff, stunned the media industry and sent shockwaves around Washington D.C. on Monday.
"This is a day that my family and I never expected to come. The Washington Post Company is selling the newspaper it has owned and nurtured for eight decades," publisher and CEO Katharine Weymouth wrote in a letter to staff.
"The buyer is one of America's great innovators and most respected business leaders, Jeff Bezos, chief executive officer and founder of Amazon.com," she wrote. "Jeff is making this acquisition in his personal capacity and not as part of Amazon."
(PHOTOS: Jeff Bezos's life and career)
The transaction covers The Washington Post and other publishing businesses, including the Express newspaper, The Gazette Newspapers, Southern Maryland Newspapers, Fairfax County Times, El Tiempo Latino and Greater Washington Publishing.
In a separate letter to staff, Bezos promised that his ownership would bring no radical change to the paper's core values, but said the paper would need to "invent" and "experiment" to keep pace with the transformations in digital journalism.
"The values of The Post do not need changing," he wrote. "The paper's duty will remain to its readers and not to the private interests of its owners. We will continue to follow the truth wherever it leads, and we'll work hard not to make mistakes. When we do, we will own up to them quickly and completely."
In that vein, Bezos announced that he has asked Weymouth, president and general manager Stephen P. Hills, executive editor Martin Baron, and editorial page editor Fred Hiatt to continue in their current roles.
"There will of course be change at The Post over the coming years," Bezos added. "That's essential and would have happened with or without new ownership. The Internet is transforming almost every element of the news business: shortening news cycles, eroding long-reliable revenue sources, and enabling new kinds of competition, some of which bear little or no news-gathering costs. There is no map, and charting a path ahead will not be easy. We will need to invent, which means we will need to experiment."
Weymouth announced the news to staff at a 4:30 p.m. meeting at the Post's offices.
(Also on POLITICO: Twitter primed after WaPo sale)
The full press release follows:
The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO) announced today that it has signed a contract to sell its newspaper publishing businesses, including The Washington Post newspaper, to Jeffrey P. Bezos.
The purchaser is an entity that belongs to Mr. Bezos in his individual capacity and is not Amazon.com, Inc.
"Everyone at the Post Company and everyone in our family has always been proud of The Washington Post — of the newspaper we publish and of the people who write and produce it," said Donald E. Graham, Chairman and CEO of The Washington Post Company. "I, along with Katharine Weymouth and our board of directors, decided to sell only after years of familiar newspaper-industry challenges made us wonder if there might be another owner who would be better for the Post (after a transaction that would be in the best interest of our shareholders). Jeff Bezos' proven technology and business genius, his long-term approach and his personal decency make him a uniquely good new owner for the Post."
"I understand the critical role the Post plays in Washington, DC and our nation, and the Post's values will not change," said Mr. Bezos. "Our duty to readers will continue to be the heart of the Post, and I am very optimistic about the future."
Mr. Bezos has asked Katharine Weymouth, CEO and Publisher of The Washington Post; Stephen P. Hills, President and General Manager; Martin Baron, Executive Editor; and Fred Hiatt, Editor of the Editorial Page to continue in those roles.
"With Mr. Bezos as our owner, this is the beginning of an exciting new era," said Ms. Weymouth. "I am honored to continue as CEO and Publisher. I have asked the entire senior management team at all of the businesses being sold to continue in their roles as well."
The transaction covers The Washington Post and other publishing businesses, including the Express newspaper, The Gazette Newspapers, Southern Maryland Newspapers, Fairfax County Times, El Tiempo Latino and Greater Washington Publishing.
Slate magazine, TheRoot.com and Foreign Policy are not part of the transaction and will remain with The Washington Post Company, as will the WaPo Labs and SocialCode businesses, the Company's interest in Classified Ventures and certain real estate assets, including the headquarters building in downtown Washington, DC. The Washington Post Company, which also owns Kaplan, Post–Newsweek Stations and Cable ONE, will be changing its name in connection with the transaction; no new name has yet been announced.
The purchase price is $250 million, subject to normal working capital adjustments, payable at closing later this year.
Allen & Co. assisted the Post Company in the sale process.


text:
Sale on canvas prints! Use code ABCXYZ at checkout for a special discount!
Boundary: Bleed area may not be visible.
Click and drag to re-position the image, if desired.
by Laura Putman
Image Size
The image is near the edges of the product but doesn't cover the entire product. Some of the background color may appear around the outside edges of the image.
Background Color
Product Details
Our spiral notebooks are 6" x 8" in size and include 120 pages which are lined on both sides. The artwork is printed on the front cover which is made of thick paper stock, and the back cover is medium gray in color. The inside of the back cover includes a pocket for storing extra paper and pens.
Ships Within
2 - 3 business days
Canvas Print
Framed Print
Art Print
Metal Print
Acrylic Print
Wood Print
Greeting Card
iPhone Case
Throw Pillow
Duvet Cover
Shower Curtain
Tote Bag
Round Beach Towel
Carry-all Pouch
Beach Towel
Weekender Tote Bag
Portable Battery Charger
Bath Towel
Coffee Mug
Yoga Mat
Spiral Notebook
Fleece Blanket
Face Mask
Jigsaw Puzzle
There are no comments for Humphrey's Peak in Spring. Click here to post the first comment.
I photograph landscapes and wildlife using my unique perspective to create visual narratives to share my connection to the animals and the environment I love. All of my images are captured as organically as possible to include the animal's habitat and environmental conditions. As a mindful photographer, I always maintain a healthy distance from all wildlife I photograph, and I minimize my impact on the environment by leaving only footprints.


text:
Hi there! Today's post is about another mani I did for the 31 Days Nail Art Challenge. And this mani is for challenge #28 Inspired By A Flag.
This challenge is (well, was) one of the few that I thought I might have to skip. However, I remembered that Canada Day is just around the corner. And I also have quite a few Canadian blogging buddies, so I thought I could do Canada nails. 😉
I didn't have any stamping plates with large maple leaf images, and I couldn't draw a maple leaf if my life depended on it. So I opted for a stamping image that featured small maple leaves.
Which products did I use? I chose Boots No 7 Devil's Delight as my red base colour. The white nail polish I used for the accent nail is MUA White Wash. The red stamping colour is Rimmel 60 Seconds 320 Red Ruby, and the stamping plate is an unbranded one that's just called CF-17.
I really like how this mani turned out! One of the maple leaves didn't stamp perfectly, but all in all I'm happy with this mani.
How do you like this mani? And if you're Canadian – will you try a Canada Day mani? Feel free to get in touch via the comments. And thanks for reading!


text:
At The Peak, most of us will probably go to the tourist attractions like Madame Tussauds or view the cityscape from The Sky Terrace 428 or the Lion Pavilion.
When you are at The Peak, do also catch the beautiful sunset. Following were some of the photos we captured of the sunset.
Thank you for stopping by and Happy Living for Experiences!
Enjoyed what you read? Support me by following my blog, my Facebook and Instagram.


text:
What is "Cycling in The Netherlands"
"Cycling in The Netherlands" contains information for cyclists who want to visit the Netherlands (a.k.a.
Holland). We want to inspire and inform them about the great possibilities
this country has to offer for cyclists. There is so much more than
wooden shoes, windmills and tulips.
For a first impression have a look at the Photo Gallery.
Language problems?
On this site you find lots of links to mainly Dutch sites. The information on those sites is not always in English. For these websites we advise using the translations by Google translation services. It might not be able to translate all the content. Sometimes what looks like text is in reality an image. The results are not yet perfect and sometimes even hilarious. But the quality is improving every day. It will help you to get the essential information. As an alternative contact the owners of those sites by e-mail for information.
More bikes than inhabitants
One of the curious facts of the Netherlands: nearly 85 percent of the population own at least one bicycle. They use it regularly, often daily. There are about 16 million bicycles in Holland, slightly more than one for every inhabitant. About 1.3 million new bicycles are sold every year.
Cycling yes, but not in Holland?
Interested in other destinations for a cycling adventure? Have a look at our Cycling Around The World website. Detailed tour reports and background information on cycling trips in Asia, Africa, Australia and the Americas.


text:
Computer imagery brings medical procedures into focus
When Dr. Maureen Lillich started doing endoscopy procedures nearly 20 years ago, physicians peered into a scope and sometimes felt fluid from a biopsy splash on their faces.
In July, Lillich and her partners at the Illinois Gastroenterology Institute began performing procedures in one of the most advanced, computerized endoscopy facilities in the region.
The new Illinois Medical Center building on the campus of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria houses the Central Illinois Endoscopy Center, a collaboration between Methodist Medical Center and the physicians of Illinois Gastroenterology Institute.
Lillich and her partners traveled throughout the Midwest visiting state-of-the-art endoscopy centers to design a center in Peoria representing the best of the best.
"We have the largest monitors, most advanced high definition screens. It's a tremendous advantage," Lillich said.
Three procedure suites mean colonoscopies, upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopies and flexible sigmoidoscopies are performed at the new facility.
If there are no complications, a colonoscopy can be performed in 20 to 30 minutes.
Guidelines call for an initial colonoscopy by age 50 and then once every 10 years. People with family histories of colon cancer should talk with their physicians about earlier screenings by age 40 and then every five years.
Nationwide, colon cancer deaths have declined as screenings have become more routine, Lillich said.
"As the population ages, more screening procedures will be done. We still have too many people die from colon cancers that could have been caught with a screening procedure," said Stuart Patty, office manager.
The new facility cuts costs by performing procedures outside the hospital and by using electronic records. Patients are scheduled by referral from their primary care physicians.
Reports from Central Illinois Endoscopy Center can be generated for other physicians within 12 to 24 hours rather than weeks. Delays in medical treatment due to paperwork are eliminated.
"Everything is more personal, on a more human scale than hospitals," Patty said. "At check-in, patients receive a pager, like restaurants provide when reservations are made. There is no paperwork. It's all electronic."
Lillich said electronic records are safe, private and timely.
She deals with the downside of paper records with patients who have received treatment at other locations. One of her patients had a complete liver workup at the University of Iowa in Iowa City but was in a Peoria hospital this summer confused about his diagnosis.
Lillich placed multiple calls to Iowa and waited days for her patient's records.
Following a procedure, patients are groggy and often don't remember what the physician reviewed with them, Lillich said. With a copy of a complete electronic record, the patient is able to review information later.
"We don't want the appearance of a rat race," Patty said.
"It's like the difference between having your own house built or buying a spec house. About three years of planning went into this."
Central Illinois Endoscopy Center will offer review sessions and tips so patients feel more comfortable with the procedures.
Patty said about 5 percent of people fail to go through with a scheduled procedure because of stress. The new facility was designed to minimize stress.
The center serves a region with about 300,000 patients between Springfield, Bloomington, the Mississippi River and Interstate 80.
Clare Howard can be reached at (309) 686-3250 email@example.com.


text:
Posted by Tim Bryce on December 7, 2012
– It's that time of the year again.
(Click for AUDIO VERSION)
To use this segment in a Radio broadcast or Podcast, send TIM a request.
They began to trickle back into the area in early October, but now the migration is in full bloom with the various trailer courts filling up down here in Florida. I am, of course, talking about "Snowbirds," retirees who are escaping the chilly north in favor of a warmer climate for the winter. We rely on the snowbirds heavily as they greatly support our economy through tourism. They may clog the roads and restaurants, speak with some strange dialects, but we welcome them warmly this time of year ("Don-cha-know").
When the Snowbirds arrive, native Floridians typically drive to work a little earlier, and expect to eat at a restaurant a little later than normal, all to give the tourists ample time to enjoy themselves. The only problem we have with them is their varying driving habits. How someone from Michigan drives is considerably different than someone from New York, which is different than someone from Maine, Ohio, and just about anywhere else. It's very exasperating to drive under such conditions which tests our patience.
The trademark of the Snowbird is, of course, the Recreational Vehicle (RV) which comes in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and costs. Whatever the size, they somehow manage to clog the roads and Walmart parking lots. I'm always amazed by owners of opulent RV's who do not have another form of transportation, such as a bicycle, motor scooter, or automobile. They have to do a lot of walking otherwise. Close to our office is a trailer court where I've seen a Snowbird with a state-of-the-art bus-length RV which includes a tow hitch to pull an equally impressive trailer. Inside the trailer are two beautiful motorcycles and a complete shop to maintain them. Although I consider it a rather smart setup, I would be concerned with driving such "Hogs" down here which can be a rather dangerous proposition.
Over the years I have learned there are RV groups who enjoy traveling in "caravans" throughout North America, and Florida gets more than their fair share this time of year. A caravan is nothing more than a group of friends who travel together as a support group on outings. The first RV in line is considered the "Wagon Master" to lead the group. Somehow the image of Gil Favor leading a cattle drive in "Rawhide" comes to mind. The last RV in line is called the "Tail Gunner" which is reminiscent of a B-17 Flying Fortress. Such caravans represent considerable money to trailer park owners and, as such, they are warmly received.
Although you can easily detect snowbirds by their vernacular, you can just as easily spot them by their attitude which borders on pompous arrogance. Coming from the north, they somehow believe southerners are rubes who know nothing, that only northerners know how things should be done. As a displaced northerner myself who settled here many years ago, I am acutely aware of the cultural divide. I have learned Southerners know plenty, they just express themselves differently than their northern counterparts. They may seem rather cold initially, but if you are kind and open to suggestion, they make you feel right at home. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the food of the south who enjoy such things as grits, different interpretations of barbecue, and such oddities as crawdads and deep fried turkey. Northerners simply do not understand southern cuisine. Then again, it took them about 100 years to learn to appreciate southern fried chicken.
Quite often you will hear snowbirds lament, "That's not how we do it back home." Maybe not, but you are not in the north anymore and you have to learn to acclimate to the local culture. This begins by losing the stuffy northern attitude, relaxing, and learning to enjoy southern hospitality. Welcome Y'all!
Keep the Faith!
Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.
Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at email@example.com
For Tim's columns, see:
Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.
Copyright © 2012 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.
NEXT UP: OPERATING ON AUTOPILOT – What happens when we fall into a rut.
Listen to Tim on WJTN-AM (News Talk 1240) "The Town Square" with host John Siggins (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, (12:30-3:00pm).
Also look for Tim's postings in the Palm Harbor Patch, The Gentlemen's Association, and throughout the Internet.
13 Responses to "THE RETURN OF THE SNOWBIRDS"
December 7, 2012 at 8:25 am
I can't imagine driving, let alone living in one of those airless things. I'd kill my husband.
December 7, 2012 at 3:58 pm
Hi Tim,
I now reside in Lake Chapala area of Mexico… With our "second best climate in the world" (don't know where the best is) … There is another phenomena called the Sunbirds from Florida, Texas, Arizona, California, etc. from May to October and we love them down here if for no other reason, they leave those "mobile sleeping quarters" at home or better yet, don't buy them!… Oh and we have Snowbirds from October to May… It is temperate all year, 365 days of golf and affordable.
By the way… There is an English speaking Lodge and Shrine Club here too!
Bro. Francis Dryden
December 8, 2012 at 8:29 am
An M.M. of Cincinnati, Ohio wrote…
"Having lived in both the Gulf Coast and Central Florida, I've seen the snowbirds. While some might complain, they do help the economy. I remember when I managed a gift store in Central FL. We hated seeing the RVs going north after Easter on US 27.
Personally, I had more problems with the way retired folks who lived in FL all year long drove than those who came to visit for a few months. I include my deceased father in this one. Bless his heart. When he drove in Pittsburgh, he was a good driver. When he retired and toured the country, he was a good driver. Then he moved to St. Pete and became one of those folks who get in the left lane on US 19 because they want to make a left turn….10 miles down the road! Why do they do that?!?!?


text:
It has happened again; ANOTHER huge oil spill, this time along the California coast, due to a pipeline break.
TV channels are filled with oil and gas advertising – probably exceeded only by healthcare and medication ads. But the oil and gas ads like to spread the message of how great they are and how safe oil drilling, pipelines and the industry overall are.
Those of us with working brain cells know that's a load of crap. We regularly have big spills and the horrible images of wildlife suffering that go with them. Big Oil only cares in dollar signs. They shed tears for their lost profits.
Reports suggests at least 105,000 gallons of oil spilled along the California coastline. The Big Oil reps tried downplay the numbers initially and at least one clueless individual jumped out of the gate to suggest no animals had been harmed.
Tens of thousands of gallons of sludge spilled along the coastline and these folks didn't realize animals live in the water or fly into the water. They saw the images and were unable to connect the most simplistic of dots. That is a duuuuhhh moment on a galactic level.
There are elementary-school kids all over the country that could figure out in a minute that oil spilled where animals live will impact animals. How does an oil company hire anyone who is unable to think on this level.
These people have nothing on their minds beyond profit. They can't help themselves. And they have to downplay the seriousness of ANY spill, because nothing trumps profit.
With all of the evidence that comes with each spill, some politicians are still pushing hard for the Keystone XL Pipeline. On the subject of climate chance, many of the them proclaimed they are not scientists. That is an understatement – also on a galactic scale.
North Carolina – my home state – is close to approving offshore drilling. Politicians will ignore the current images and the same politicians will act as though they are surprised when a spill hits an offshore rig in the Atlantic.
Too many politicians will watch the coverage of spills and the severe impacts and will not care, even a little bit. If their big-money donor who hold the puppet strings don't want them to respond, they won't.
That sucking sound you hear is the spinal fluids leaving the backbones of every politician who backs Big Oil.PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic


text:
If his goal was to keep all of NASCAR on its toes during Champion's Week, Brad Keselowski achieved it perfectly.
He was brash and bold and changed nothing about his personality as he seamlessly navigated press events, cocktail receptions, sponsor dinners and socializing. He burned the candle at both ends in Las Vegas, trying hard to hold his own with veteran drivers who tried but failed to rattle him with some light-hearted hazing.
Keselowski was like the pesky kid brother nobody wanted around, and he seemed to love playing the part.
Until it was time to be the Sprint Cup champion.
Keselowski officially accepted his new title with an unscripted speech that impressed most everyone in the crowd of 1,500 in the ballroom of the Wynn Las Vegas Resort. He refused to write a speech ahead of time, which had NASCAR officials holding their breath for most of the 12 minutes Keselowski spoke.
In going up to the podium with no notes loaded into the TelePrompTer, Keselowski joined Jimmie Johnson as the only two drivers in the last decade to go off-the-cuff in their championship speeches. Johnson only did it once, after his fifth title in 2010.
The highlight of Keselowski's speech was the closer, in which it became clear how much he appreciates his new role as champion.
"As we look into '13, I hope as a sport we can continue to find common ground to unify," Keselowski said. "We have some of the smartest people that can solve any problem. As a champion, I want to be your leader, and I want to help you make it happen."
His remarks come with NASCAR down to roughly eight weeks to finalize development on its 2013 car, which the industry is counting on to improve the racing. As attendance and television ratings continue to slip, the actual on-track product is under heavy scrutiny and the garage seems divided as to how it can be improved.
At 28, Keselowski is the eighth-youngest champion in Cup history and he claimed his title in just his third full season. But he grew up in a racing family and has a strong desire to do his part to help motorsports succeed.
And as a driver for Roger Penske, the team owner who is deeply committed to both NASCAR and the struggling IndyCar Series, Keselowski understands the challenges currently facing American auto racing. That's what he meant, he said after Friday night's speech, when he called for unity.
"You look at IndyCar and the things they are fighting, it shows how you can take a series with great action, great people and (throw) it all away when you don't work together," Keselowski said. "I feel like in our series, we have the potential to be stronger than what we are if we work together. I want to be a part of that, to work with others and help move this sport forward and make it as strong as we can be."
It was a humble side of Keselowski that he rarely shows, partly because he likes to be different and enjoys keeping everyone guessing. It's part of a game Keselowski is seemingly playing at times as he tries to beat his competitors both on and off the track.
Three-time champion Tony Stewart seems wise to Keselowski's act, noting in his speech that the late NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter would have really enjoyed Keselowski if he'd gotten a chance to know the driver. Hunter enjoyed edgy and colorful drivers, and grew close to Stewart at a time when Stewart was sparring with most NASCAR officials.
"I don't think Brad has learned to be cautious yet," Stewart said. "Hopefully that won't bite him like it has a lot of drivers in the past. But it's refreshing. It's nice to see somebody that just speaks from the heart and isn't guarded when he speaks. That's the way all of us should be."
Four-time champion Jeff Gordon agreed Keselowski is a bit of a throwback, and shouldn't change.
"Too polished is sometimes not good, either," Gordon said. "You've got to be who you are and let that shine. That's what I see in him. There doesn't seem like there's much fazing him or changing him, at least not what I've seen so far, so I don't anticipate it happening."
It's worked for Keselowski, who went from a development driver in the Hendrick Motorsports system quickly earning a reputation as a wild child with no regard for others to the top of the sport in a little over three years. He's done it by settling into a home with Penske, learning how to be a team leader and getting comfortable in his own skin.
The payoff was a Nationwide Series championship in 2010 with crew chief Paul Wolfe, the first official NASCAR championship for Penske, and then a long-term contract extension that was announced a year ago for Keselowski and Wolfe.
Then the duo teamed together this season to win five races—two in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship—and bring Penske Racing its first Cup title 40 years after Penske first entered NASCAR. It carried a $5,728,405 bonus from series sponsor Sprint that pushed the No. 2 team's season winnings to $12,106,255.
More importantly, it provided credibility to a voice Keselowski is unafraid to use.
"To see Brad and how he is going to represent the sport probably means the most to me because he's loyal," Penske said. "I think what you see is what you get. He's a high-integrity guy, he's a hard worker and he's a big team player."
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.