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Cycadophyte, any member of a diverse collection of mostly extinct primitive gymnospermous plants. They probably had their origins among the progymnosperms of the Devonian Period (416 to 359 million years ago), possibly among a primitive, long-extinct group of non-seed-bearing plants, the Aneurophytaceae, in which disposition of fertile structures and patterns of branching bear some resemblance to those of seed ferns.
Although some botanists prefer to restrict the term cycadophyte to the members of the division Cycadophyta, three groups of primitive seed plants are discussed here, of which the seed ferns (division Pteridospermophyta) and cycadeoids (division Cycadeoidophyta) are represented only by extinct forms. A third group, the order Cycadales (cycads), is today represented by 11 living genera and some 150 species.
General features
Seed ferns
A number of lines of seed-bearing gymnospermous plants are discernible among fossil plants of the late Paleozoic Era (542 to 251 million years ago) and early to middle Mesozoic Era (251 to 65.5 million years ago). Among them a rather loose assemblage of forms, referred to as seed ferns, or pteridosperms, is well represented. The Carboniferous Period (about 360 to 300 million years ago) especially has been called the "age of ferns" because of the abundance of fossilized fernlike leaves. In time, many of these "ferns" were recognized as seed plants, and it has been determined that seed ferns were a dominant vegetation in the late Paleozoic. Seed ferns generally are characterized as having been slender trees or, in some cases, woody, climbing vines, but generally with large, fernlike fronds.
Characteristic seed-fern foliage consisted of large compound leaves composed of second- and sometimes third-order branches. The latter bore fernlike leaflets, hence the name seed fern, although they are only remotely related to true ferns. Seed-fern stems generally possessed variable amounts of soft, loose wood and relatively large zones of cortex and pith; in this respect they resembled the stems of cycads and differed considerably from the stems of conifers, which have compact wood and relatively small zones of cortex and pith.
Reproductive organs of seed ferns were borne upon the foliage; single ovules and seeds were borne in place of pinnae, while male organs often occurred as compound pollen organs composed of partially or wholly united microsporangia. As in other gymnosperms, the ovule consisted of one megasporangium within a single integument. It is believed that, as the reproductive cycle progressed, the megasporangium, also called the nucellus, probably gave rise first to a quartet of megaspores. One of these then produced a large fleshy female gametophyte bearing several archegonia, each with a single egg. Following pollination and fertilization, the ovule developed into a seed with an embryo nested in the fleshy female gametophyte, which served as a food source during germination and seedling growth.
Although a few groups of pteridosperms persisted from the late Paleozoic Era well into the Mesozoic, the common cycadophytes of the latter ages were members of the Cycadeoidophyta (also known as Bennettitophyta). They are well represented in the later Mesozoic Era, well into the Cretaceous Period (about 145.5 to 65.5 million years ago), by members of the genus Cycadeoidea, which had rather squat, barrel-shaped, unbranched trunks and once-pinnate compound leaves. The stems were armoured with the persistent bases of leaves; internally there was a thick pith surrounded by a narrow zone of vascular tissue from which vascular strands extended directly into the leaf bases. The fossilized trunks of these plants display scattered strobili among leaf bases of the characteristic armour. Fossil cycadeoids are widespread but are especially abundant in the Black Hills region of South Dakota.
Earlier in the Mesozoic Era, cycadeoids of a more slender, branching form, exemplified by Williamsonia, were abundant. As in Cycadeoidea, the fronds were single pinnate compound leaves.
The feature that set the cycadeoids apart from other cycadophytes was the compound strobili, which some, but not all, possessed. These strobili were composed of both male and female sporophylls, in some cases subtended by a system of bracts. Although often described as flowerlike and indeed sometimes depicted as having a floral, rosette form, cycadeoid "flowers," unlike true flowers (found in the angiosperms), were composed of sporophylls bearing "naked" (i.e., gymnospermous) ovules. They are not now considered to have given rise to any group of the true angiospermous flowering plants.
Although cycadeoids flourished for millions of years, and must therefore be considered as a highly successful line of plants, they eventually became extinct in the Cretaceous Period.
The living cycads are for the most part palmlike, cone-bearing plants, generally of low stature. Although few genera, species, and individuals exist, they are extremely important plants in terms of the information that can be gained from studying them. Their reproduction is very primitive in that they rely on flagellated, motile male gametes (spermatozoids), a feature linking them with other plants fertilized by motile flagellated sperm (zooidogamous), such as ferns, club mosses, and other vascular cryptogams. Without knowledge of fertilization in the cycads and Ginkgo, it is highly unlikely that scientists would have more than remote theories as to the reproductive modes of seed ferns and other extinct groups of seed plants. Research on cycad reproduction is also providing information on the early origins of insect pollination, long thought to have evolved along with the relatively more recent angiosperms, or flowering plants.
Distribution and abundance
Seed-fern fossils are found in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, but many more have been described from Europe and North America than from other regions, primarily because many of the paleobotanical studies are concentrated there. Pteridosperms have been identified in Australia and India in recent years. In both hemispheres, seed ferns are common in coal measures, from which it may be inferred that, ecologically, they were plants of warm humid climates.
Abundant fossils of cycadeoids and cycads have been discovered and described from the Mesozoic Era. The oldest remains of undisputed cycads date from the Triassic Period, about 250 to 200 million years ago (e.g., Leptocycas, Antarcticycas), but some problematic forms (e.g., Primocycas, Archaeocycas) are of the Paleozoic Era. Most Mesozoic cycads resembled extant genera (e.g., Cycadites, Pseudocycas, Cycadospadix), and some are referred to present genera (e.g., Macrozamia zamoides, Zamia coloradensis). Fossil forms have been found in many places where they are now extinct (for example, Greenland, Antarctica, Alaska, Argentina, France, Austria), testifying to much milder climates in now temperate and even subarctic regions.
Ten genera of cycads are widely recognized. There are three endemic Australian genera—Macrozamia (14 species), Lepidozamia (two species), and Bowenia (two species); four American and Caribbean genera—Microcycas (one species), Zamia (about 35 species), and Ceratozamia and Dioon (10 species each); and two African genera—Encephalartos (about 40 species) and Stangeria (one species). The genus Cycas, with about 24 species, is the most wide-ranging, extending from eastern Australia westward across the Pacific and Indian oceans to Madagascar and the east coast of South Africa. In addition to the above well-known genera, a collection of cycad specimens from northwestern Colombia included a new genus now described under the name Chigua. Chigua reveals features hitherto undescribed in any American genus or species, for the specimens, which in most respects resemble Zamia, are unique in having leaflets with midribs and lateral veins, a characteristic formerly known only in Stangeria.
Ecology and habitats
Cycads are plants of subtropical habitats, where they occupy a variety of ecological situations ranging from rain forests, to mesophytic savannas, to near-desert scrublands. Now nowhere abundant in nature, wild populations of cycads in many regions are endangered. For example, Australian cycads have been moved from the noxious weeds list (because of certain toxic properties dangerous to cattle) to a protected status.
Natural history
Sporophyte phase
As in other gymnosperms, the large, woody plant is the sporophyte phase of the life cycle and typically is diploid in chromosome number. All cycads may be called "functional conifers," for all species bear strobili; these strobili are of a simple type, unlike those of true conifers, which bear more complex, compound strobili. It is not considered that this feature of cycads indicates anything other than a parallelism in evolution.
Cycad males and females are morphologically alike except for their sporophylls. Male sporophylls (microsporophylls) are spatulate organs bearing large pollen sacs (microsporangia) in clusters (sori) on their lower (abaxial) surfaces. Up to 200 cubic centimetres of pollen are produced by a single cone of Cycas rumphii, and some other species produce similar volumes. It was once estimated that one pollen cone of Encephalartos produced seven billion pollen grains having a total volume of about 300 cubic centimetres. While this enormous production would seem to be consistent with a system of wind dispersal, observations and controlled experiments strongly suggest that in most, or perhaps all, cycads, insect pollen vectors are necessary for effective pollination of ovules. The Mexican cycad Zamia furfuracea, for example, is pollinated by a small snout weevil, Rhopalotria mollis, which lays its eggs and completes its reproductive cycle in male cones. Emerging adults then carry pollen to female cones and pollination of ovules and subsequent fertilization of eggs occurs.
Gametophyte phase
As in all other gymnosperms, microsporangiate and megasporangiate sporophytes of cycads produce, respectively, male and female gametophytes. The male gametophyte phase of the life cycle begins in the microsporangium with meiotic production of tetrads of microspores followed by the division of each haploid microspore into a three-celled pollen grain. Because it is multicellular, the pollen grain is considered to be an immature male gametophyte, but its further development into a sexually mature organism occurs only after it has been shed from the microsporangium and transported as a pollen grain to a megasporophyll—specifically, to an ovule, within which the male gametophyte grows to maturity.
Concurrently with pollen development, the ovule differentiates, and at the time of pollination it consists of a large megasporangium (nucellus) enclosed within a fleshy integument. At this time an opening at its distal end (the micropyle) permits pollen to enter the ovule. Over the next three to five months, the male gametophyte develops into a haustorial pollen tube, which eventually penetrates the nucellus and partially projects into an archegonial chamber.
Meanwhile in the nucellus, a single megaspore mother cell undergoes meiosis, forming a tetrad of haploid megaspores, only one of which survives to divide mitotically many times and form a large fleshy female gametophyte. The female gametophyte grows at the expense of nucellar tissue but remains enclosed within its remains. At its micropylar end, this gametophyte develops from one to many archegonia (commonly one to six in most cycads and up to 100 in Microcycas, only five or six of which are functional). Each archegonium is composed of a quartet of neck cells beneath which is a large egg. This egg is the largest known in the plant kingdom, being about three millimetres in length.
The development of male and female gametophytes is synchronized, and during the final week or so before fertilization, the male gametophyte forms large, multiflagellated spermatozoids. In all species but Microcycas, there is just one pair of sperm per pollen tube; in Microcycas, spermatozoids number about 12 to 16 per tube. What actually triggers sperm release into the archegonial chamber is unknown, but when it happens, the spermatozoids quickly move through the archegonial neck into the egg cytoplasm. One sperm loses its flagellature, and fusion of egg and sperm nuclei takes place. Subsequently, the zygote forms a single large embryo, other eggs meanwhile aborting. In the Florida cycad, Zamia integrifolia, the reproductive cycle occurs over a period of about 14 months, cones first becoming visible in October, pollination occurring in December, fertilization taking place in late May and early June, and embryogenesis and seed maturity being completed the following December. Similarly slow reproduction is typical also for other genera and species.
As far as is known, cycad seeds have no dormant period or after-ripening requirements and in some cases actually begin germinating while still attached to sporophylls. Possibly some germination inhibitors are present in the outer fleshy layer of the seed, because its removal often accelerates germination, and treatment with scarifying agents also may enhance germinability. The germinating embryo remains attached to the female gametophyte for as long as two years, absorbing nutrition through its cotyledons, which remain embedded in the female gametophyte. The seedling rapidly develops a flesh taproot and root growth.
The outer layer of the seeds of Cycas circinalis and C. rumphii are thick and somewhat fibrous, and experiments which show them to be capable of long immersion in brine suggest that long-distance dispersal by ocean currents may account for the presence of these species on remote Pacific islands. Little is known of natural seed dispersal of other cycads, but their bright red seed coats suggest a visual signal to animals. Mockingbirds, squirrels, and coatis are reported to disperse them. In general, however, cycad seeds, which are rather heavy, are poorly dispersed, and most germinate at the base of the parent, where they often languish and die.
Form and function
Stems of cycads are characteristically short and stout, and while most genera have some species with subterranean, tuberlike stems, a majority of species are arborescent. The taller cycads include Microcycas calocoma (up to 10 metres high), Macrozamia moorei (up to 18 metres), Dioon spinulosum (up to 16 metres), Lepidozamia hopei (up to 18 metres), and Encephalartos altensteinii (up to 20 metres), but most of the arborescent (treelike) species have trunks only two to three metres high. The stems of most arborescent species are covered with an armour composed of the hardened leaf and cataphyll bases, but internally they are rather soft and fleshy, with a thick parenchymatous cortex, a large pith, and scanty woody tissue. In most cycads, the woody tissue is on the order of five to 10 millimetres wide, but Dioon spinulosum has an exceptional amount of wood, in some specimens up to 10 centimetres wide. This may constitute evidence of the primitive nature of the genus, because seed ferns also generally had stems with considerably more wood than those of most living cycads. Even in Dioon, there is no evidence of annual growth rings, so that age estimates must rely on other evidence, most often on counts of the whorls of leaf scars, which can be related to annual or biennial production of new leaf flushes. On this basis, it has been estimated that some cycads (notably Dioon and Macrozamia) may be as much as 1,000 years old; however, it is doubtful that most cycads are that old.
Species of Macrozamia, Encephalartos, and Cycas often develop additional cylinders of vascular tissue, apparently formed from vascular cambia originating in the cortex. The result is a condition in which concentric rings of xylem and phloem are present, often two or three, but in exceptional cases, as many as 14. The xylem of cycad seedlings and that of some subterranean stems (Stangeria, Zamia) is composed of scalariform tracheids; in older stems, the tracheids exhibit primitive, multiseriate, bordered pits.
Another feature of those cycad stems in which terminal cones are produced is the presence of "cone domes" in the pith. In longitudinal sections, the pith appears partitioned horizontally at intervals by vascular tissue. Each cone dome represents the displacement of a cone axis to one side as a result of the initiation and growth of the new vegetative apex.
The cycad stem grows from the tip (apically); the only lateral buds and branches are those unusually placed (adventitious) stems, whose buds arise by regeneration after the apical growth tissue (meristem) has been destroyed or as a result of wounding. Apical dominance and lack of branching bring about an apparent single-stemmed (monopodial) growth form, so that older plants become quite palmlike. This appearance, however, is deceptive, because in more than half the genera the apical meristem is converted from a vegetative to a reproductive function in that it is transformed into a strobilus (cone). A new vegetative meristem arises to one side of the cone meristem; subsequent growth and enlargement further displace the cone or cones to the side, so that the monopodial appearance is maintained even though the type of growth is actually sympodial. Only members of three genera (Macrozamia, Lepidozamia, Encephalartos) have cones initiated to the side and are truly monopodial; the remaining eight are considered sympodial.
Cycads have such thick stems that rearrangements of internal vascular connectives are not externally apparent. The cycad trunk is about as thick at its crown as at its base, thus furthering the resemblance to palms. Such stems, termed pachycaulous, result as in palms from activity of a primary thickening meristem (PTM) lateral to the apical meristem, which produces much greater increments of cortical parenchyma than would result if only an apical meristem were present. This is an important difference between cycadophytes and coniferophytes, for in the latter there is no PTM and the stem at its apical end is relatively smaller than at its base.
A further characteristic of cycad stems not occurring in cycadeoids, seed ferns, or coniferophytes is the presence of girdling leaf traces. In cacad stems, the vascular strands follow a circuitous route to the leaf bases, which is clearly seen in cross sections of stems. Girdling leaf traces are an important means of distinguishing between cycad and cycadeoid fossils.
Cycad seedlings initially form a stout, fleshy taproot that persists in subterranean forms for many years but is augmented by secondary roots which also are quite thick and fleshy. The taproots, larger secondary roots, and, in some cases, underground stems, have contractile elements in the pith and cortex that draw the stem more deeply into the ground.
Branch roots are of two kinds: long-branching geotropic roots and short-branching apogeotropic roots, which are referred to as coralloid because of their irregular, beady appearance. The coralloid roots contain symbiotic cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), which fix nitrogen and, in association with root tissues, produce such beneficial amino acids as asparagine and citrulline.
The taproot does not persist long in arborescent cycads but is replaced by large adventitious roots, which obscure the basic taproot system of the seedling. In all cycads, young roots are diarch with a parenchymatous cortex and an outer cover of epidermal scales. In this aspect they also resemble seed ferns. Older roots become triarch or tetrarch, eventually developing substantial amounts of wood and an outer covering of periderm.
The leaves of cycads are for the most part once-pinnately compound; however, in the genus Bowenia, the leaves are bipinnate and quite fernlike. Stangeria also has fernlike leaves, and before cones were found to be associated with them the plant was described as a fern in the genus Lomaria. Stangeria leaves and those of the recently described Chigua are unique in possessing pinnately veined leaflets with midribs and side veins. Cycas pinnae also have midribs, but these lack side veins altogether. Pinnae of all other cycads have dichotomously branching, more or less parallel veins. The size of the cycad leaf is variable; Zamia pygmaea, the smallest cycad, has leaves about 20–30 centimetres long, while some species of Macrozamia, Lepidozamia, Ceratozamia, and Cycas have leaves three metres in length.
In cross section, the pinnae of most cycads are rather thick and sclerophyllous. The stomata are sunken and are of the type known as haplocheilic; that is, the guard cells arise directly from the mother cell, as contrasted with the syndetocheilic type, in which the guard cells are one division removed from the mother cell. The haplocheilic type is found in living conifers, pteridosperms, cycads, Ginkgo, and some others but not in the Cycadeoidea.
Sporophylls and strobili
Cycads are universally dioecious. Male plants produce pollen by leaf homologues called microsporophylls, and female plants produce ovules by leaf homologues known as megasporophylls. In all cycads, the microsporophylls are arranged spirally about a cone axis; in all cycads but Cycas, megasporophylls are similarly arranged. Megasporophylls of Cycas do not form a true cone but are arranged in two to three whorls at the stem apex. Later the stem resumes vegetative growth, and the megasporophylls then are interposed between whorls of foliar leaves and cataphylls; the usual arrangement is two to three whorls of leaves, then several whorls of cataphylls, followed by megasporophylls, but variations in this sequence are not unusual.
The megasporophyll of the Asian Cycas revoluta is considered to most typify the ancestral seed-fern condition. Each megasporophyll consists of a stalk, a fertile portion bearing two to six ovules, and an expanded terminal blade having fringelike "pinnae." An evolutionary series of plant forms probably led toward the biovulate, peltate megasporophylls of such forms as Encephalartos, Ceratozamia, Microcycas, and Zamia. Microsporophylls similarly vary among cycads; those of Cycas are the more leaflike, those of Zamia less so. Microsporangia, which are found on the abaxial surface of microsporophylls, are usually numerous—several hundred in Cycas, several dozen in Zamia—and arranged in small clusters of two to five. They are the equivalent of sori of ferns and of pteridosperms. The cycad microsporangium resembles a clamshell, being somewhat flattened with an elongate suture.
Many botanists believe that extant gymnosperms represent at least two evolutionary lineages: one that leads to the extant conifers, taxads, and possibly Ginkgo and the gnetophytes and another that leads to the cycadophytes, represented today by seed ferns, cycadeoids, cycads, and perhaps others. Cycadophytes probably had their origins among the Devonian progymnosperms (Progymnospermopsida), although the particular antecedents are unknown. Extinct groups are indicated by a dagger (†).
- †Division Pteridospermophyta (seed ferns)
- Primitive, primarily Paleozoic, primarily small trees or woody vines; large compound fronds; leaf-borne ovules; and microsporangia more or less united as synangia; subdivided into several groups; two orders, Caytoniales and Glossopteridales, persisted into Cretaceous, the latter sometimes included with pteridosperms, but commonly ranked separately and thought to be closely related to certain primitive angiosperms.
- †Division Cycadeoidophyta (Bennettitophyta)
- Mesozoic; common and cycadlike; differ from cycads in having direct leaf traces, in sometimes being monoecious, and sometimes having bisexual cones.
- Division Cycadophyta
- Gymnospermous plants possessing compound leaves; ovules have 1 integument; seeds borne on either the foliage or megasporophylls; soft, loose wood contains scalariform tracheids and tracheids with multiseriate bordered pits; stem cross sections show wide zones of pith and cortex.
- Order Cycadales
- Late Paleozoic? to the present; woody, coniferous plants with compound leaves, simple cones; flagellate motile male gametes; stout, fleshy stems; 4 families currently are recognized.
- Family Cycadaceae
- Generally restricted to species of Cycas; foliar, multiovulate megasporophylls arranged in an indeterminate strobilus; pinnae with a single midrib but lacking lateral, branch veins; 24 species defined.
- Family Zamiaceae
- Singly pinnate compound leaves, bearing leaflets with parallel, dichotomously branching veins (Chigua, if included, would be an exception); simple cones; female cones with biovulate megasporophylls; a total of about 112 species includes Macrozamia, Lepidozamia, Ceratozamia, Encephalartos, Zamia, Microcycas, and Dioon.
- Family Stangeriaceae
- Fernlike leaves bearing pinnae with a prominent midrib and numerous dichotomously branching lateral veins; simple cones; female cones with biovulate megasporophylls; includes only Stangeria paradoxa, a southern African cycad.
- Family Boweniaceae
- Differ from other cycads in possessing bicompound leaves; one genus, Bowenia, with 2 species.
Learn More in these related Britannica articles:
gymnosperm: CycadophytaCycads resemble palm trees with fleshy stems and leathery featherlike leaves. The 10–11 genera and 305 living species are distributed throughout the world but are concentrated in equatorial regions. Cycads are typically short and squat, although the Australian cycad
Macrozamia hopeimay reach 19…
cycad…all members of the division Cycadophyta. Plants of this division are known to have existed in the Mesozoic Era, about 252.2 million to 66 million years ago. Only the order Cycadales contains living species.…
seed fern
Seed fern, loose confederation of seed plants from the Carboniferous and Permian periods (about 360 to 250 million years ago). Some, such as Medullosa, grew as upright, unbranched woody trunks topped with a crown of large fernlike fronds; others, such as Callistophyton, were woody vines. All had fernlike foliage; however,…
More About Cycadophyte6 references found in Britannica articles
Assorted References
- major reference
- annotated classification
- characteristics
- In cycad
- In plant: Gymnosperms


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I recently had an opportunity to interview Tom Salomone, MCAD & AEC Worldwide Segment Manager at HP at the Autodesk University, 2011 in Las Vegas. This is a transcript of the interview.
Sanjay: How has the show been going for you?
Tom: The show has been going awesome for us. We've got a lot of traffic going through out our booth. We're showing out our workstations. So we have five desktop workstations and three mobile workstations that we are showing.
So we even have a small form factor work station that is sixty five percent smaller than our other work stations. This is for those in the auto-CAD space that are looking for something inexpensive and who are moving into the line. We have our higher end workstations for those people who are looking at 3dS Max. We have an ideal work station for Revit that we have here today as well. So we really have the full spectrum of work stations for auto-CAD.
With our mobile workstations, we have a fourteen inch, a fifteen inch, and a seventeen inch. So if you want light, you can get the fourteen inch. If you want power you can get the seventeen inch. If you want to compromise, you can get the fifteen inch. We have our tool-less chassis, not just with our desktops, but, also with our mobiles. So you can actually take apart the bottom of our mobile workstations and access the components the same as you can with our desktop workstations.
So, we really have a lot of cool products that we are showing. We also have some brand new technologies that we are showing at this year's Autodesk. For the first time ever we are showing our new touch panels, our new touch monitor with Autodesk. So people can see that and see how they can really use the new technology. You can do ten fingers touch on the wall; you can do one hundred and fifty, one hundred and eighty finger touch. It's very, very powerful.
The other thing that we are showing that is new since September is that we have our workstation cluster technology. You can actually cluster work stations together to maximize your power for things like analysis, things like rendering. So you can get a whole lot more power applied to those problems locally, just by leveraging unused cores that are available on your workstation.
So we have a lot of really cool things. We have our new printers. We are talking about E-print and share. It's a free software where people can sign up for it, where you can print anywhere on the web. So you can be here in Los Vegas, and you can print back home if you wanted to. It's really cool.

subset: commoncrawl


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We had another great challenge with all the gorgeous Blue Christmas project. Thanks so much for your support. Before we go to this weeks challenge we have to announce the winner of the yummy Wild Orchid Crafts candy. And the lucky winner is:
Here are your random numbers:
Timestamp: 2010-11-28 22:23:22 UTC
That's you Andie
Congratulations Andie, please email me to claim your prize.
Also we have our top 3 entries from the last challenge and they are:
Congratulations ladies, please can you pick up the Top 3 blinkie in the side-bar.
This week we are sponsored as always by Wild Orchid Crafts with this scrummy prize
This weeks challenge is an OLD FASHIONED CHRISTMAS AND/OR VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS.
You don't have to use Wild Orchid Crafts products to enter, but if you do that would be wonderful. You can combine our challenge with any other challenges of your choice and as long as you follow the theme for this challenge and you link back to Wild Orchid Challenge blog you will qualify to be in the draw for the fab prize. NO back linking, new projects/cards only please.
Please link your card or project (not your blog) using Inlinkz by 8pm UK time Sunday 28th November
Here's some inspiration from the DT
Please turn off comment verification if you want the DT to leave you a comment. There are step by step instructions in the side bar on how to turn it off and enable moderation (which allows you to screen the comments left). Thanks.


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Mash to a paste in a small bowl:
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Whisk in:
2 tablespoons...
Kitchen Basics: Know Your Oven
Perhaps one of the trickier aspects of moving into a new kitchen is getting your bearings. Unless you're lucky enough to have your kitchen built to your specifications, there are probably a lot of "less than ideal" things you're going to have to learn to live with. So is life.
I generally just go with it in such situations. I organize as best I can and start to adapt. But one thing worth investigating is how your oven heats.
This applies mostly to those of us who are still relying on landlords to supply our ovens. It's a sad situation, but a common one. And truth be told, the majority of home ovens are horribly inaccurate.
One of the easiest ways to get a sense for how your oven heats is to purchase an inexpensive oven thermometer. We have one that hangs on the oven rack. You can also buy a probe thermometer that allows you to watch the fluctuations in temperature without having to open the oven door.
Once your thermometer is up and running, you might be shocked at how great the temperature fluctuations are. When we set our oven's thermostat to 350˚F, the temperature ranges from around 300˚F at its lowest and 400˚F at its highest. When the temperature drops, the heating element turns on, boosting the temperature significantly.
This sort of variability is nightmarish for recipe writers, and there's really no way to account for it other than to issue a standard caveat about how you should know your oven and adjust accordingly.
Armed with a thermometer, you can gauge how accurate your oven's thermostat is and how the temperature fluctuates over time. It's an easy and inexpensive fix that will improve your cooking experience. You may find that you need to set your thermostat higher or lower depending on whether your oven runs cool or hot.
But another thing to account for is the dreaded hot spot. Have you ever baked a batch of cookies only to find that the ones towards the outside of the cookie sheet start to burn before the ones in the center have cooked through? Or maybe the back left-hand corner of your oven gets hotter than anywhere else.
This can be an infuriating problem, especially if you're taking the trial and error route to learning your oven. My favorite test for hot spots is the white bread test. This is probably the only time I'll ever instruct you to buy white "air" bread on this blog. I don't recommend it for eating, but it's a great hot spot indicator.
Simply preheat your oven to 350˚F, and place a rack in the center of your oven. Place slices of white bread in a grid pattern on your oven rack, and leave them until they begin to toast. Note which slices toast (and burn) faster than others. This will indicate the hotter areas inside your oven.
Unfortunately, there's no magic "fix" for those hot spots. But, armed with the knowledge of how your oven works you can make adjustments to your cooking that will lessen the effect of hot spots. Avoid placing baking pans in the hottest parts of the oven, and rotate baking sheets to prevent burning or overcooking. In an attempt to lessen the effect of hot spots, many recipes already instruct you to rotate your baking sheets, but you should do this anyway.
Finally, be aware that the placement of your oven racks will also affect cooking. Most (if not all) ovens are hotter at the top than at the bottom. Thus, if you have two baking sheets in your oven, one on a higher rack and one on a lower rack, the one on the higher rack will cook faster. Therefore, it is important not only to rotate your pans from front to back, but also from top to bottom. It's more trouble, but it will give you better results in the long term.
A note on convection ovens: One of the purported benefits of a convection oven is that it produces a more even heat, but this does not necessarily preclude it having hot spots. Often, the area right in front of the fan tends to get hotter than the surrounding areas, so it pays to do the hot spot test with convection ovens as well.
To amend your oven's uneven heat, I recommend placing a baking stone on the lower rack of the oven as the oven preheats. The stone will act as a heat sink and lessen the effects of hot spots. For cookies and some breads, you can bake directly on the stone. Do not use a baking stone when broiling. The stone can crack or shatter.
Other articles you might enjoy: How To Supreme Citrus Fruits, Yay for the Large Sauté, Let Them Eat Pie: An Instructional Series
I am new at baking. Would
I am new at baking. Would like to learn how to make a pound cake.
I recently moved into a home
I recently moved into a home with a convection oven only and am slowly learning to adapt all my recipes. I now find myself unsure of how to adapt my cheesecake recipe baking times. Do you have any suggestions?
Has anyone measured the
Has anyone measured the temperature difference between oven racks?


text:
Kevin Garnett Allegedly Told Carmelo Anthony His Wife Tastes Like Honey Nut Cheerios
Kevin Garnett has been known to cross the line from time to time, he just stomped all over it with this one. We all know that KG doesn't follow the rules of trash talking. One of the rules is you never talked about someone's wife or girlfriend. But, that's just what he reportedly did on Monday night in an altercation with Knicks star Carmelo Anthony regarding his wife, La La Vasquez.
Melo on what KG said to get under his skin: there's some things as men that you just don't say. #knicks
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) January 8, 2013
You definitely don't imply you slept with her or she tasted like a delicious brand of cereal. We have confirmed the jab with several sources who were in attendance.
This isn't the first time KG has trash talked to the lowest level imaginable.
In the annals of KG, telling Duncan "Happy Mother's Day" knowing Tim's mom died of cancer will always be the most despicable.
— ☕netw3rk (@netw3rk) January 8, 2013
I don't think Carmelo really wanted to fight as you can see from the 70 security officers holding him back from getting on the Celtics' team bus, but you can't let anyone disrespect your wife, so I understand what he was trying to do.
KG is the biggest studio gangster in the NBA, but players should be use to these childish antics and just ignore him. I think Melo is doing alright for himself.
It has been reported that Carmelo and Lala are currently separated.


text:
The Red Tape Challenge Reports on Progress
Challenge Results
The Red Tape Challenge headline results can be seen as an infographic. More detailed information is available as downloads.
Our Announcement
David Cameron spoke in January to the Federation of Small Businesses and announced the successes to date of the Red Tape Challenge programme.
How the Red Tape Challenge worked
1. We published
Every few weeks we published online the regulations affecting you on a rolling thematic basis. Find out more about the Red Tape Challenge
2. You responded
You told us which regulations were working, which were not, what should be scrapped, what should be simplified, and what could be done differently.
3. We acted
Based on your feedback, we have started getting rid of unnecessary red tape – freeing up business and society from the burden of excessive regulation.
Keep in touch with the Red Tape Challenge
All comments posted on this website were public to promote an open discussion of ways in which the aims of existing regulation can be fulfilled in the least burdensome way possible. The themes are now closed for comment but you can still send a contribution via our e-mail inbox. To keep in touch via social media, please click the links below.


text:
VERGENNES — A group of Vergennes Union Middle School students have something a little more substantial than a worksheet to demonstrate all the hard work they've put into school this semester. They have a solid wood table, which they designed and built by hand.
The students are thrilled with the attractive piece of furniture.
"The finished product is great. It's very smooth and it's good quality," said eighth-grader Megan Wood, when she discussed the about 6-foot-long oak trestle table during class last Thursday.


text:
what does it feel like to live in this world?
yumiko froehlich, apiece apart, still and company,
louise bourgeois, jessica williams,
rosemarie auberson, still with you
at 10:03 AM
Labels: Art, Handmade, Inspiration, Photography
3 comments:
- Hunch, Camilla Tange Peylecke said...
what a inspiring blog you have, looking forward to follow you.
- January 27, 2012 at 11:40 AM
- call me debbie said...
This newpaper stuff, so true!!
this photo with the indian granma is gorgeous also!
(New blog needing some love and support: http://inwhirlofinspiration.blogspot.com)
- January 27, 2012 at 5:59 PM
- sosbaike101 said...
your blog looks so cool ! patek philippe replica for you.thanks.
- January 30, 2012 at 2:41 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Herman Miller Authorized RetailerShop All Herman Miller | Shop All Eames Lounge
Shop Best Sellers
Browse through other customizations for the Eames Lounge by Herman Miller, Chair Only
Best Sellers
Color | Canyon Leather
Color | Black Dream Cow Leather +$645.00
Color | Brownie Dream Cow Leather +$645.00
Color | Ivory Leather
Color | Black MCL Leather +$140.00
Color | Black Leather
Color | Wheat Leather
Color | Ivory Leather
Color | Pearl White MCL Leather +$140.00
Color | Black Leather
Color | Graphite Leather
Color | Mink Leather
Color | Fudge Dream Cow Leather +$645.00
Color | Honey Leather
Color | Pearl White MCL Leather +$140.00
Herman Miller Eames Lounge Chair
by Charles and Ray Eames
At A Glance:
The Eames Lounge Chair is probably the most famous mass produced piece of American furniture. Designed and built by the genius duo of Charles and Ray Eames, sat in and admired by countless (and comfortable) people over the years, this is the ultimate lounge chair.
What's to Like:
Everything. The rich leather, the elegant and groundbreaking molded plywood shell, the intense comfort. Not to mention the historic nature of the chair and the design, and the cultural cachet of the Eames name. No modern recliner is more comfortable, and no piece of furniture is more beautiful or more justly famous. This is the Emperor of all lounge chairs.
What's Not to Like:
This is an expensive piece, and very fine one. It's worth every penny, but that's a lot of pennies. Also, if you're on the taller side of the height spectrum, say, 5'10" or over, the Eames Lounge Chair might not be for you. You can still be very comfortable in it, but you have to scoot forward in the chair in order for your head to stay supported.
Bottom Line:
You can't buy a better lounge chair for your home. This is the absolute creme de la creme, made by the greatest design team of all time, produced by the best furniture company in America.
The Eames Lounge Chair is considered among the most significant and collectible furniture designs of the 20th century. The rich veneer and supple leather suggest old-fashioned luxury translated into modern forms, setting an enduring standard for comfort and elegance.
The chair has been on display for decades at museums like the Art Institute of Chicago, and New York's Museum of Modern Art, and the reams of scholarly, critical, and fan writing and correspondence is enormous. It's truly one of the most famous and well-respected chairs ever built, and now it can be yours through Smart Furniture and Herman Miller (Herman Miller secured the rights to sell Eames furniture, and there isn't a more fine or trustworthy furniture company out there).
The matching Eames Ottoman can be purchased individually here.
Limited Edition Eames Lounge Chair in White Ash is also available with playful light-toned leathers.
The Eames Lounge Chair is molded by three curved plywood shells. The shells are made with several thin layers of wood veneer adhered together and shaped under heat and pressure. The plywood and cushions are the shaped the same (i.e., composed of two curved forms interlocking to form a solid mass). The head rest and back of the Eames Lounger are proportional.
Charles and Ray Eames were pioneers, constantly looking for new materials for their innovative designs. The couple's first plywood chair - the Eames Lounge Chair Wood (LCW)-used a heavy rubber washer glued to the backrest of the chair and screwed to the lumbar support. These 'shock mounts' allow the backrest to flex slightly. This innovation is used in the design of the Eames Lounger. The backrest and headrest are screwed together by a pair of aluminum supports. The Eames Lounger is suspended on the seat via two connection points in the armrests. The armrests are screwed to shock mounts on the interior of the backrest shell, allowing the backrest and headrest to flex when the chair is in use. This is part of the Eames' Chairs unusual design. The rubber washers are solidly glued to the plywood shells.
Charles Eames' innovation in material selection is also apparent in the seat cushions. Instead of stapled or nailed upholstery, cushions are sewn with a zipper around the outer edge that connects them to a stiff backing. The back is adhered to the shells with hidden clips and rings. This design allows the visible veneer to be unmarred by screws or bolts. The Eames Lounge Chair has a low profile and set to recline. The Eames Lounger swivels on a cast aluminum base and has glides that are threaded so that the chair may remain level.
There's good reason that Herman Miller has stayed true to the same chair that was thought up so long ago. To this day, it has a truly distinctive look. Read more about the Eames Lounge Chair's distinctive look.
The Herman Miller Eames Lounge Chair is also known by the following manufacturer Item Numbers: ES670, ES671, ES67071.
About the Manufacturer
Herman Miller is an industry leader in the integration of cutting edge technology to furniture and other household items to make everyday life more comfortable, convenient, and stylish. Herman Miller stands out at the forefront of such fields as ergonomic technologies, environmentally friendly manufacturing processes, and customizable furniture items.
In addition to producing some of the most outstanding office furniture in the world, Herman Miller has also taken on the responsibility of manufacturing some of the most celebrated furniture designs by some of the world's most famous designs. These "modern classics" include works by Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson, and Isamu Noguchi. Herman Miller celebrates these famous mid-century designers' works through its extraordinarily precise manufacturing techniques and industry-leading green production processes.
Herman Miller is a global company with operations, sales offices, dealers, and licensees in more than 40 countries in North America, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, serving customers virtually anywhere in the world. Herman Miller is headquartered in Zeeland, Michigan, while manufacturing facilities are located in the U.S., China, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
- The Original Look. Classic Aesthetic. The Eames Lounge Chair is now available in Santos Palisander, a lustrous veneer that has the same characteristics as the original color and grain. The look of the chair, according to designer Charles Eames, was meant to resemble the warmth, familiarity, and comfort of a well used baseball mitt. The warms colors and mixture of leather and curved surfaces achieves that goal with startling precision. The aesthetic of the chair therefore reflects several ideas, feelings, and traditions; Americana, comfort, childhood, nature, modernity, commonality. All these combine to create a chair that meets physical, spiritual, and mental needs. Eames always said he wanted his chair to be a refuge from the strains and pressures of the modern world. He succeeded in every way with the Eames Lounge Chair- which has become an icon of modern design.
- Environmentally Sound. The wood is harvested exclusively from sustainably managed forests. Additionally, much of the chair was constructed using recycled materials, and about a third of the product is itself recyclable. However, it's unlikely you'll ever recycle the chair; it's a ready-made heirloom, designed to be passed on and on and on for as long as possible, just like that well worn baseball mitt.
- Classic Comfort. Luxurious Feel. The chair has 6-inch-thick urethane foam cushions and rich leather upholstery. The effect is luxury without pretension or ostentation, and deep comfort and relaxation without resorting to the overstuffed or bulky. The chair is classically built to serve a strong purpose well, and to go no further than elegance allows when it comes to bells and whistles.
- A Place to Relax. The contours of the seat and high back welcome the sitter, and a swivel mechanism is built in. This is a chair that fits practically anywhere in your home, from the living room to the office. It's sturdy and comfortable, made for all ages, and serves as a mini-retreat from a harried life. The inspiration for the chair came from director Billy Wilder, who used to rig up lounges for brief naps while he was filming. A refuge from the storm was what he needed, and the Eames provided with the Eames Lounge Chair. Read more about the Eames Lounge Chair's design story.
- Quality and Craftsmanship. Attention to Detail. All pieces are hand assembled. Shells are seven-ply cherry, natural cherry, walnut, or santos palisander veneer; the base and back braces are die-cast aluminum. The designers at Herman Miller are the best in the world, unparalleled in experience and quality, and the Eames Lounge Chair, exactingly built just as it was half a century ago, is just one more feather in their cap.
- Practical Features. Cushions are individually upholstered and replaceable; back cushions are interchangeable; shock mounts are resilient natural rubber.
About the Designer
Designers, artists, thinkers, and filmmakers- the Eameses were married for 37 years, and operated the Office of Ray and Charles Eames together for 35 of those years. They were partners in every sense of the word, sharing a home, an office, and collaborating on every piece of furniture and film they made together. For many years it was thought that Charles had been the driving force behind most of their design work, but recent findings have proven what had always been obvious about the two; they were inseparable, and the ideas they had and the projects they worked on were mutual and cooperative.
Charles and Ray collaborated on some of the most stunning and beautiful film and design projects of the last century. They are responsible for the Powers of Ten film, Tocatta for Toy Trains (film), The Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman, the Eames Aluminum Group furniture, the molded plywood chair, the TimeLife chair and stool, and various award winning museum exhibitions, including Mathematica. The Eames left not a stone unturned in their lifelong quest to bring the "uncommon beauty of common thing" into modern design, and practically no medium was ever eschewed when it came to getting their point across. Separately they would be ranked extremely high on any respectable list of great designers in the 20th century, but together they were unstoppable.
The Office of Charles and Ray Eames is still operating in California, with family member Lucia (daughter) and Eames Demetrios (grandson) running the family business. A great place for innovative and now historic film, toys, furniture and exhibits, the Office of Charles and Ray Eames is a California treasure.
Environmental Information
Materials & Measurements
Lounge Chair: 32" h x 32.75" w x 32.75" d
- Leather Options
- Stock Leather
Chromium free and from Austria this stock Herman Miller leather is a winner for most. With a matte, soft feel this is the most popular leather used on Herman Miller upholstered items.
- Open Line Leather
Austrian by birth, yours by choice. Open Line leather is closest to the stock Herman Miller leathers but available in a wider array of colors.
- MCL Leather
Italian by birth, MCL has a soft hand and natural touch with great performance; and it's easy on the earth. It will show more wrinkles over time and wear well. Avoid high-wear applications that require high cleanability and those which expose the leather to direct sunlight. It has a medium grain and shine and is a nice upgrade from the standard leather for the price.
- Dream Cow Leather
With a gentle calfskin grain (it's not calfskin though, its European full grain aniline dyed cowhide), this leather is soft and comes in many great colors to accent your decor. This is a leather of great versatility, perfect when Royal Hide is out of budget, but where the look is wanted.
- Metallic Dream Cow Leather
A gentle calfskin grain (again, not calfskin but European full grain aniline dyed cowhide), infused with metals and soft shine, on cowhide for huge versatility. Updated, offbeat, moody colors.
- All Grain Leather
Not too big - not too small - just "All Grain". Color and quality together wedding grain and color, always with a feeling of luxury. European full grain aniline dyed cowhide powered by Crypton, "All Grain" becomes an easy choice for high traffic areas and commercial offices.
- Royal Hide Leather
This versatile leather is the most beautiful of its kind. The color range is huge, reflecting its broad applicability. It will develop a rich patina over time, making it a great heirloom, eliminating the need for reupholstery. A European full grain aniline dyed cowhide leather with no limits - sky, earth, sea.
Shipping & Delivery
White Glove Delivery: Free
If you want your furniture delivered and ready to go, this is the option for you. The shipper will schedule a delivery window with you at least 24 hours in advance. They'll bring the furniture into your home, place it in your room of choice, and assemble any pieces that need to be put together. It's the true white glove treatment!
- Typical transit time is 4-7 business days. Some larger and specialty items may take a bit longer.
- Shipper will arrange a four hour window for delivery at least 24 hours in advance.
- Your driver or delivery team will bring the furniture inside your home and into your room of choice (up to two flights of stairs).
- Delivery folks will unpack your furniture, assemble any pieces needing to be put together, and they'll discard all of the boxes and packaging materials.
- We'll be sure to assist with any damage that may occur. Please call Smart Furniture right away if any issues arise.
- If you're ordering multiple items from the same manufacturer, we might be able to bundle your shipping upgrade costs! Give us a call and we'll make sure you're getting the best shipping price possible!
- Any questions? Chat or call! We're happy to help!
For more information and shipping comparisons, click here.
- Type: 1 box
- Box dimensions: 40" x 37" x 37"
Questions & Answers
The Eames Lounge Chair comes with a 5-year manufacturer's warranty covering all parts of the chair.
See what the Eames Lounge Chair warranty covers.
Do you have specific questions about what's covered under Herman Miller's warranty for this product? Give our sales team a call at 888-467-6278 to get your questions answered.
Did you purchase a piece of Herman Miller furniture that's not working as expected? Send an email to email@example.com or contact our customer service department at 888-762-7841, and we'll take care of you. We usually ask for a photo or video of the warranty issue that you're experiencing, so if you want to expedite the warranty claim process, you can e-mail us with those attachments, and we'll jump on filing the claim for you right away
Shop With Confidence
Check out our 45-Day Return Policy!
Free Shipping on Most Items*Click here for exceptions.
Secure SSL Checkout
We've ensured your personal data and sensitive information is always private and protected.


text:
iOS Programming
CSCI-UA.0480-003 - Spring 2013
Prerequisites: V22.0101, V22.0102 and V22.0201. Students must be proficient, high-level programmers and have a knowledge of both C and an Object-Oriented language.
In this course, we will learn to create applications for Apple's iOS on both the iPhone and the iPad using Objective-C and the iOS SDK.
Since its introduction,
the Apple iOS SDK has proved to be a powerful platform upon
which to build sophisticated applications. Without actually
having to own an iPhone or an iPad, students will be able to build
and test their applications on Intel Apple Macs using the freely available
compiler and simulator. Students will become proficient
in the object-oriented language Objective-C, Apple iOS
Frameworks, and
the XCode development environment. This is a new,
dynamic, constantly-evolving topic, and students will be at the forefront
a new technological advancement.
Syllabus • Online Resources • Class Examples
Assignment 1 - Due: Tuesday, Feb. 19th
Grader: Kunal Balani


text:
Advanced Optics Markets
Advanced Optics Markets
Corning is one of very few manufacturers with deep capabilities in materials science, optical design, shaping, coating, finishing, and assembly. For customers, this means reduced complexity, shortened manufacturing cycles, and ultimately, increased value.
Corning provides specialty materials solutions for the following markets:
Aerospace and Defense
Integrated advanced optical sensor solutions and complete opto-mechanical solutions for aerospace and defense applications.
Products include:
- Custom Optical Components
- EOIR Systems
- Hyperspectral Imaging
- Opto-Mechanical Assemblies
- Telescope Mirror and Lens Blanks
Read more about Aerospace and Defense
Analytic Instruments
Industry leading metrology instrumentation solutions for the semiconductor, data storage, aerospace and defense, flat panel display inspection, and industrial markets.
Products include:
- Tropel® FlatMaster® Systems
- Tropel® FlatMaster® MSP Systems
- Tropel® FlatMaster® MSP 300 Wafer Systems
- Tropel® UltraFlatTM Systems
Read more about Analytic Instruments
Glass materials, surfaces and light management applications for large-size blanks and optics used in both ground and space-based astronomy applications.
Products include:
- Glass Polarizers — PolarcorTM
- HPFS® ArF Grade Fused Silica
- Telescope Mirror Blanks
- ULE® Ultra Low Expansion Glass
Corning Advanced Optics manufacturers precision optical systems for inspecting the patterned glass used in flat-panel televisions, cell phones and other consumer electronics. Additionally Advanced Optics offers laser cutting systems used to cut display glass and other brittle materials.
Products include:
Diversified glass and glass ceramic materials for various industrial uses, like radiation shielding glass and machinable glass ceramic.
Products include:
Corning has been in lighting since producing the first glass light bulbs in 1879 for Thomas Edison. Now Corning has invented a new lighting product made of glass fiber! This new fiber is extremely thin and bright. There are numerous applications where the new lighting technology can be used because of its unique attributes. This new product is offered as a single strand of fiber or a bundle.
Products include:
Many of Corning's products are used in the medical and life sciences market space from fiber & components to opto-mechanical modules and assemblies. Our capabilities to design and manufacture products used in this space align well with the highly technical demands of the market.
Products include:
Technologically advanced materials and customer-driven solutions for the ophthalmic industry and selected optics markets. Read more about Ophthalmic
Products include:
Optical materials, precision optics, optical-based metrology instruments, carriers and interposer substrates for 3D-IC packaging, and technical microlithography solutions for the semiconductor industry.
Products include:
New and innovative specialty optical fibers for a wide range of growing markets in applications such as telecommunications components, fiber optic sensors and gyroscopes, high power fiber lasers and medical devices.
Products include:


text:
iPass Inc., a leading provider of mobility services for enterprises and telecom service providers, recently published its quarterly Mobile Workforce Report, which found that 60 percent of mobile employees reported 50 to 60 hour-plus work weeks that also include weekend days as the most popular time to work remotely. The report also illustrates mobile workers' resourcefulness in doing whatever it takes to get wireless connectivity: 29 percent have hijacked an unsecure Wi-Fi network, while 30 percent have driven around in their car in desperation to find free Wi-Fi. In addition the report found a 16 percent increase, since 2011, of mobile workers waking through the night due to stress.
"Connectivity is like oxygen for today's mobile workers. The improved ability to work anywhere as long as they are connected appears to be driving higher productivity. This reinforces the need for IT departments to provide services that ensure high quality, safe and affordable global connectivity for their employees," said Evan Kaplan, chief executive officer at iPass. "While having control over when, where and how one works is a significant benefit in terms of well-being, mobile workers themselves need to take care to manage the unique stressors that an always connected work-life brings."
Six Tips for Formulating a Business Plan for Big Data Expert tips on creating a business plan for Big Data.
Fifteen Top Paying IT Certifications for 2012 A closer look at the most popular certifications and their associated pay.
Ten Happiest Companies for Veterans in 2012 Tech companies dominate the list of the happiest work environments for our brave servicemen and women.
Related Topics : A Big Market for Big Data Jobs, Midmarket CIO, IT Management Automation, SharePoint, Technology Markets
The gig economy is clearly disrupting the tech industry, both in positive and negative ways. ... More >>
Is fake news a security issue? Some say yes, as it can be used as a social engineering tool to spread disinformation and conceivably to get unsuspecting users to click on malicious links. ... More >>
Executives at several top tech firms outline the skills they need now and in the near future, including IaaS and IoT security expertise. Other skills listed may surprise you. ... More >>


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Amanuensis Monday – Richard S. and Mary (Corson) Corson and their Children
Three hundred years with the Corson families in America
Richard S. Corson, born Jan. 9, 1815, was the eldest son of Elias and his second wife, Abigail (Steelman) Corson. He married Mary Corson, born May 25, 1821, the daughter of John M. and Eliza (Ingersoll) Corson, on Oct. 15, 1836. They were married at the home of her parents by Rev. Mathias Jerman.
Richard S. and his family lived in Petersburg, Cape May County, N. J., for ten years, the husband and father farming part of the time and going to sea the rest of the time.
In the spring of 1845 he went to Illinois and worked on a farm north of Pleasant Plains, Illinois, to see how he liked the country. The Illinois prairies appealed to him so well that he rented a farm and sowed fall wheat, then bought a horse and went back to New Jersey on horseback.
In the spring he returned to Illinois with his wife and five children. The trip from New Jersey was made by water except from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. From thence by the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to St. Louis, then up to Illinois River to Beardstown, and from there to Pleasant Plains.
They lived for five years near Richland, Sangamon County, Illinois, then in the fall of 1850 he bought some land about five miles southeast of Pleasant Plains, Illinois, and built a home on it. The family moved into the new home on February 26, 1851, and here the parents lived the remainder of their lives. They lived to celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary on October 16, 1901. (From information from Fannie E. Corson of New Berlin, Illinois, and Nellie R. (Corson) Soderburg of Dwight, Kansas.)
Richard S. and Mary Corson had thirteen children, two of whom died young, one was killed in the Civil War, nine married, eight of these leaving descendants. At this time the descendants of this remarkable family are scattered over the western part of the United States from Illinois to the Pacific Coast. The following are the children:
122461 Asail Corson, born Feb 26, 1838
122462 Abigail Corson, born Oct 24, 1839
122463 Sarah Elizabeth Corson, born Aug 7, 1841
122464 Townsend Corson, born Aug 17, 1843
122465 Richard Corson, born Mar 9, 1845
122466 Mary Ann Corson, born Feb 9, 1847
122467 Margaret Corson, born Jan 19, 1849
122468 John Foster Corson, born May 1, 1851
122469 Elias Corson, born Apr. 27, 1855, died Sept 5, 1856
12246:10 Emily Frances (Fannie E.) Corson, born May 20, 1857
12246:11 Elias Corson, born July 30, 1859, died Mar 24, 1862
12246:12 Winfield Scott Corson, born Jan 3, 1862
12246:13 Ida May Corson, born Oct 25, 1866
Richard S. Corson died Dec 7, 1901, and Mary Corson died Aug 23, 1909. They are buried in Bethel Cemetery, Pleasant Plains, Illinois.
BookPageNO: Vol II. XII. The sixth generation. The descendants of John and Mary Corson
Source Information
Ancestry.com. Three hundred years with the Corson families in America : including the Staten Island-Pennsylvania Corsons, the Sussex County,[database on-line]. Provo, UT: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005.
Original data: Corson, Orville,. Three hundred years with the Corson families in America : including the Staten Island-Pennsylvania Corsons, the Sussex County, New Jersey Corsons, the Cape May or South Jersey Corsons, the Corsons of Dumfriesshire, Scotland, the Corsons of Amwell Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, the New England Corson families, the Canadian Corson family. Burlington, Vt.: Printed by Free Press Interstate Print. Corp., 1939.
Related Links:
Margaret "Maggie" (Corson) McGinnis Dies at Age 101
Margaret "Maggie" (Corson) McGinnis Sang for Abraham Lincoln
Gr-Grandmother Maggie (Corson) McGinnis & Maud McGinnis Stocking Scrapbook page
Book: "Three Hundred Years with the Corson Family" by Orville Corson


text:
(1) 2n3904 NPN Transistor [Q1]
(3) 1k Ohm Resistor [R2,R4,R5]
(1) 330 Ohm Resistor [R6]
(1) 10k Ohm Resistor [R1]
(1) 100k Ohm Resistor [R3]
(1) Electrolytic Capacitor, 3.3MF [C1]
(1) Electret Microphone [MIC1]
If gain is insufficient, replace Q1 (2n3904 transistor) with higher gain transistor or darlington pair.
Video out is NTSC/PAL Composite, if necessary a coupling capacitor and diode can be added.
The code for this version is on the previous blog entry, a revised version of both the code and the circuit will be posted within the next several days, as the TVout library is being re-released with significant changes which make compatibility with this setup a problem. I'm waiting on releasing the new code and circuit until the library author's release, to avoid confusing folks.


text:
So, in Go (and C and C++ for that matter), the asterisk is overloaded to mean multiplication (when used between a pair of numbers or variables, as in
x*y), pointer declaration (when preceding a type name, as in
z *MyType), and pointer dereference (when preceding a pointer variable's name, as in
*z). Note that Go's channels, maps, and slices are all created using the
make() function, and
make() always returns a reference to the value it created. References behave very much like pointers in that when they are passed to functions, any changes made to them inside the function also affect the original channel, map, or slice. However, references don't need to be dereferenced, so in most cases, there's no need to use asterisks with them. But if we want to modify a slice inside a function or method using
append() (as opposed to simply changing one of its existing items), then we must either pass the slice by pointer, or return the slice (and set the original slice to the function or method's return value) because
append() sometimes returns a different slice reference than the one it was passed.
Stack type uses a slice for its representation, therefore
Stack values can be used with functions that operate on a slice, such as
append() and
len(). Nonetheless,
Stack values are values in their own right, distinct from their representation, so they must be passed by pointer if we want to modify them.
func (stack Stack) Top() (interface{}, error) { if len(stack) == 0 { return nil, errors.New("can't Top() an empty stack") } return stack[len(stack)-1], nil }
Stack.Top() method returns the item at the top of the stack (the item that was added last) and a
nil error value; or a
nil item and a non-
nil error value, if the stack is empty. The
stack receiver is passed by value because the stack wasn't modified.
error type is an interface type that specifies a single method, the
Error() string. In general, Go's library functions return an
error as their last (or only) return value to indicate success (where
error is
nil) or failure. Here, we have made our
Stack type work like a standard library type by creating a new
error value using the
errors package's
errors.New() function.
Go uses
nil for zero pointers (and for zero references); that is, for pointers that point to nothing and for references that refer to nothing. (Go's
nil is effectively the same as
NULL or
0 in C and C++,
null in Java, and
nil in Objective-C.) Such pointers should be used only in conditions or assignments; methods should not normally be called on them. Constructors are never called implicitly in Go. Instead, Go guarantees that when a value is created, it is always initialized to its zero value. For example, numbers are initialized to
0, strings to the empty string, pointers to
nil, and the fields inside
structs are similarly initialized. So there is no uninitialized data in Go, thus eliminating a major source of errors afflicting many other programming languages. If the zero value isn't suitable, we can write a construction function and call it explicitly as we do here to create a new
error. It is also possible to prevent values of a type being created without using a constructor function.
If the
stack is nonempty, we return its topmost value and a
error value. Since Go uses zero-based indexing, the first element in a slice or array is at position
0 and the last element is at position
There is no formality when returning more than one value from a function or method; we simply list the types we are returning after the function or method's name and ensure that we have at least one
return statement that has a corresponding list of values.
func (stack *Stack) Pop() (interface{}, error) { theStack := *stack if len(theStack) == 0 { return nil, errors.New("can't Pop() an empty stack") } x := theStack[len(theStack)-1] *stack = theStack[:len(theStack)-1] return x, nil }
Stack.Pop() method is used to remove and return the top (last added) item from the stack. Like the
Stack.Top() method, it returns the item and a
nil error, or if the stack is empty, a
nil item and a non-
nil error.
The method must have a receiver that is a pointer because it modifies the stack by removing the returned item. For syntactic convenience, rather than referring to
*stack (the actual stack that the
stack variable points to) throughout the method, we assign the actual stack to a local variable (
theStack), and work with that variable instead. This is quite cheap, because
*stack is pointing to a
Stack, which uses a slice for its representation so we are really assigning little more than a reference to a slice.
If the stack is empty, we return a suitable error. Otherwise, we retrieve the stack's top (last) item and store it in a local variable (
x). Then we take a slice of the stack (which itself is a slice). The new slice has one less element than the original and is immediately set to be the value that the stack pointer points to. And at the end, we return the retrieved value and a
nil error. We can reasonably expect any decent Go compiler to reuse the slice, simply reducing the slice's length by one, while leaving its capacity unchanged, rather than copying all the data to a new slice.
The item to return is retrieved using the
[] index operator with a single index (➊); in this case, the index of the slice's last element. The new slice is obtained by using the
[] slice operator with an index range (➋). An index range has the form
first:end. If
first is omitted as here
0 is assumed, and if
end is omitted, the
len() of the slice is assumed. The slice thus obtained has elements with indexes from and including the
first up to and excluding the
end. So in this case, by specifying the last index as one less than the
length, we slice up to the last-but-one element, effectively removing the last element from the slice.
In this example, we used
Stack receivers rather than pointers of type
*Stack for those methods that don't modify the
Stack. For custom types with lightweight representations (say, a few
ints or
strings), this is perfectly reasonable. But for heavyweight custom types, it is usually best to always use pointer receivers because a pointer is much cheaper to pass (typically a simple 32- or 64-bit value) than a large value, even for methods where the value isn't modified.
A subtle point to note regarding pointers and methods is that if we call a method on a value, and the method requires a pointer to the value it is called on, Go is smart enough to pass the value's address rather than a copy of the value (providing the value is addressable). Correspondingly, if we call a method on a pointer to a value, and the method requires a value, Go is smart enough to dereference the pointer and give the method the pointed-to value. (This is why Go does not have or need the
-> indirection operator used by C and C++.)\As this example illustrates, creating custom types in Go is generally straightforward, and doesn't involve the cumbersome formalities that many other languages demand.
Files, Maps, and Closures
To have any practical use, a programming language must provide some means of reading and writing external data. Now that we've had a glimpse of Go's versatile and powerful print functions from its
fmt package, we will look at Go's basic file-handling facilities. We will also look at some more advanced features such as Go's treatment of functions and methods as first-class values, which makes it possible to pass them as parameters. And in addition, we will make use of Go's map type (also known as a data dictionary or hash).
By the mid-twentieth century, American English surpassed British English as the most widely used form of English. In this section's example, we will review a program that reads a text file and writes out a copy of the file into a new file with any words using British spellings replaced with their U.S. counterparts. (This doesn't help with differences in semantics or idioms, of course.) The program is in the file
americanise/americanise.go, and we will review it top-down, starting with its imports, then its
main() function, then the functions that
main() calls, and so on.
import ( "bufio" "fmt" "io" "io/ioutil" "log" "os" "path/filepath" "regexp" "strings" )
All the
americanise program's imports are from Go's standard library. Packages can be nested inside one another without formality, as the
io package's
ioutil package and the
path package's
filepath package illustrate.


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French bank Société Générale outlined Tuesday what it said was an unlikely but not out-of-the-question scenario of a disastrous "hard landing" in China.
While not its base case (SocGen thinks China's economy will grow 7.3% this year), the bank said it was concerned global investors were too complacent about everything working out smoothly for the Chinese economy. Its own survey found that most respondents thought the "worst reasonable case" for Chinese growth this year was a slowdown to growth of between 5.5% and 7%.
However, there are concerns that things could go wrong.
The Chinese economy needs to grow at a minimum 6% a year to keep the job market stable and ward off a systemic financial risk, according to SocGen economist Wei Yao in Hong Kong.
Maintaining that level of growth, however, is looking increasingly difficult. Yao, sees a "non-negligible" risk of a hard landing this year, noting that if investment rates simply stay unchanged, China's growth rate will automatically cool to 4%.
Even a drop to as low as 3% growth looks likely when the effects of waning confidence are factored in. Only 5% of investors surveyed thought China's growth would cool to less than 3.5% this year. And if those 5% are right, then here are some trades to consider:
- Trade No. 1: Sell base metals and other commodities
Prices for base metals such as copper are likely to fall by as much as 50% in a worst-case scenario, while Brent crude oil would fall 30% to about $75 a barrel, according to SocGen's Michael Haigh. He said there would be negative implications for all commodities, as China accounts for about 40% of global base-metal consumption, 23% of major agricultural crops, and 20% of non-renewable resources.
- Trade No. 2: Be nimble with gold
Gauging gold's reaction to a China bust is complicated because there's no real way to be sure how demand will be impacted. Most likely, prices would initially rally 15% but then drop sharply amid widespread risk aversion, a repeat of the pattern seen in the 2008–2009 global financial crisis, according to SocGen.
- Trade No. 3: Buy the U.S. dollar against Asian peers
During a severe economic downturn that ripped across Southeast Asia in the late 1990s, the U.S. dollar rallied around 12% against the Japanese yen, while the Australian dollar tanked 36%, and New Zealand's currency was pummeled for a 41% loss. Expect much the same to happen this time around if China tumbles. SocGen notes that many Asian governments have been unhappy about the recent strength in their currencies and would be glad to see some weakening. That means the central banks of those nations are unlikely to step in to halt anything short of a disorderly drop in their currency's value, the researchers said.
- Trade No. 4: Bet on China devaluing the yuan
China's central bank would likely reset its currency at a weaker level to the U.S. dollar. SocGen says the action to fix the currency at a new exchange level would follow an initial period of sharp depreciation and be part of efforts to stem capital outflows. Other emerging Asian economies are likely to see their currencies depreciate by about 10% against the dollar.
- Trade No. 5: Dump China stocks
In a hard landing, Chinese stocks listed in Hong Kong are likely to drop 50% from current levels, SocGen's researchers said. They acknowledged that the size of the decline might seem "frighteningly large" but added that the scale of swoon also was supported by historical price action during prior market routs. A halving of the stocks that comprise the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index would represent a 72% drop from the highs seen during 2008, or in line with the 79% peak-to-trough drop seen during the bear market that lasted between 1993 and 1998.
- Trade No. 6: Think globally (and not in a good way) when it comes to currencies
China's economic boom has had a broad impact across the globe, fueling development in faraway places for one reason or another. SocGen said that what had been a warm glow will transform into a chill for the currencies of commodity-rich Chile, South Africa and Russia. It's also bad news for China's biggest neighbors, India and Indonesia -- countries with currencies SocGen described as "high-beta." Other nations' currencies which have benefitted from the risk-on trade also look vulnerable, according to SocGen, including the Turkish lira, Hungarian forint and Polish zloty as at risk.
- Trade No. 7: Buy U.S. Treasurys
Even if the worst happens, don't expect China to sell its U.S.-dollar-denominated assets anytime soon. Any move to exit its massive holdings of Treasurys and repatriate the funds to China would put upward pressure on China's currency and undermine its exporters. More likely, China's central bank would print money to support a faltering economy. In addition, U.S.-dollar-denominated assets would also be beneficiaries of capital outflows from Asia and global emerging markets, SocGen said.
- Trade No. 8: Buy both guns and butter
When it comes to equities, there are few safe places, so try to pick sectors relatively protected from slower global growth. In terms of European stocks, SocGen says utilities, media and food retailers are among the best bets. Avoid mining companies, technology, personal goods and companies leveraged to global infrastructure projects, such as engineering companies.
-- Chris Oliver
Follow The Tell blog on Twitter @thetellblog


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text:
A New Zine That's Devoted to First Kisses
"A few months ago, the two of us were getting a drink on our way to a party and we ended up talking about first kisses," explain Elizabeth Spiridakis and Marisa Meltzer in the intro for their new zine, First Kiss. "There's something so intrinsically fascinating about first kisses: they're awkward and funny, less revealing, maybe? — than talking about other formative adolescent experiences, like the loss of your virginity or getting your first period." Here, we talk with both editors about compiling the zine.
If you're in New York, be sure to check out their launch event tonight at the 92YTribeca, where readers will include Lesley Arfin, Tavi Gevinson, Emily Gould, Gavin McInnes, and Doree Shafrir, who has graciously allowed us to excerpt her contribution to First Kiss after the jump.
Flavorpill: Were most of the submissions from people who you didn't know? Was reading strangers' stories different?
Elizabeth Spiridakis: We emailed a few of our friends and colleagues that we had a feeling would have very special tales to tell, but for the most part we just put out an open call on the internet trifecta (blog/FB/twitter) and the response was pretty amazing!
Marisa Meltzer: We were surprised by how many we got — definitely over 100 — and so many were from people we've never met. I loved reading stories from people I didn't know. It was like a peek into a parallel adolescent experience.
FP: Did you have a certain rubric for what was included?
ES: We had no criteria other than we both had to like it. The process was wholly based on our instincts… we made piles of favorites and compared notes and we liked almost all the same ones.
MM: The ones we loved were all different lengths and tones but were honest about that rite of passage. I think we have certain weaknesses, like references to '90s clothing fads (Starter jackets, scrunchies, chokers), and summer camp, but one of the best was Katie Notopoulos's, which just said, "teeth teeth teeth." That's definitely getting to the heart of something!
FP: Were there any submissions that you liked, but just didn't work in the zine format?
MM: No, we used all the ones we loves. Jon Caramanica's map of his first kiss or Jaimie Warren's photos would have been much more clear if it was, say, a blog post, but we were dedicated to making a cut-and-paste zine, so blurriness was part of the program.
ES: We loved the ones that were really unconventional — I am actually surprised that we didn't get more art submissions!
FP: Has the experienced of compiling these stories made you look at your own first kiss story differently?
ES: Only in the way that it's apparently kinda rare that I still see mine on occasion (we are Facebook friends). A lot of our stories ended with "..and I never saw him again."
MM: had always thought that I was SO old when I had my first kiss — nearly 16 — but then one of the themes that came up again and again was people thinking they were way too old to be having their first kisses. I took a lot of comfort in that.
FP: Is there a writer (dead or alive) who you would have loved getting a submission from?
MM: Oh wow, so many. Joan Didion. Liz Phair, in song form. Kenny Shopsin. Gisèle Prassinos.
ES: Kelly Cutrone. Serge Gainsbourg. Myself right after it happened to get the real untarnished-by-time story.
[Editor's note: What follows is an excerpt from First Kiss by Doree Shafrir, who is one of our favorite writers. Read more about her here.]
The summer I was 13 I got back to overnight camp and everyone had hit puberty with a vengeance. I'm not talking about getting your period or having to shave under your arms, or getting zits and/or tits. I'm talking about how it suddenly seemed like every girl in my bunk had decided that this was the summer they were going to begin exploring the genitals of the opposite sex while I was more interested in learning how to water-ski.