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Study links aging in brain to sleep-related memory decline
For decades scientists have known that the ability to remember newly learned information declines with age, but it was not clear why. A new study might provide part of the answer.
The report, posted online on Sunday by the journal Nature Neuroscience, suggests that structural brain changes occurring naturally over time interfere with sleep quality, which in turn blunts the ability to store memories for the long term.
Previous research had found that the prefrontal cortex, the brain region behind the forehead, tends to lose volume with age, and that part of this region helps sustain quality sleep, which is critical to consolidating new memories. But the new experiment is the first to link structural changes directly with sleep-related memory problems.
The findings suggest that one way to slow memory decline in aging adults is to improve sleep, specifically the so-called slow-wave phase, which constitutes about a quarter of a normal night's slumber.
Doctors cannot reverse structural changes that occur with age any more than they can turn back time. But at least two groups are experimenting with electrical stimulation as a way to improve deep sleep in older people. By placing electrodes on the scalp, scientists can run a low current across the prefrontal area, essentially mimicking the shape of clean, high-quality slow waves.
The result: improved memory, at least in some studies. "There are also a number of other ways you can improve sleep, including exercise," said Ken Paller, a professor of psychology and director of the cognitive neuroscience program at Northwestern.
Paller said a whole array of changes occurred across the brain during aging and that sleep was only one factor affecting memory function.
But Paller said that the study told "a convincing story, I think: that atrophy is related to slow-wave sleep, which we know is related to memory performance. So it's a contributing factor."
In the study, a research team in California took brain images from 19 people of retirement age and 18 in their early 20s. It found that a brain area called the medial prefrontal cortex, roughly behind the middle of the forehead, was about a third smaller on average in the older group than in the younger one — a difference due to natural atrophy over time, previous research suggests.
Before bedtime, the team had the two groups study a long list of words paired with nonsense syllables, like "action-siblis" and "arm-reconver." The team used such nonwords because one type of memory that declines with age is for new, previously unseen information.
After training on the pairs for half an hour or so, the participants took a test on some of them. The young group outscored the older group by about 25 percent.
Then everyone went to bed — and bigger differences emerged. For one, the older group got only about a quarter of the amount of high-quality slow-wave sleep that the younger group did, as measured by the shape and consistency of electrical waves on an electroencephalogram machine, or EEG. It is thought that the brain moves memories from temporary to longer-term storage during this deep sleep.
On a second test, given in the morning, the younger group outscored the older group by about 55 percent. The estimated amount of atrophy in each person roughly predicted the difference between his or her morning and evening scores, the study found. Even seniors who were very sharp at night showed declines after sleeping.
"The analysis showed that the differences were due not to changes in capacity for memories, but to differences in sleep quality," said Bryce A. Mander, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, and the lead author of the study. His co-authors included researchers from the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco; the University of California, San Diego; and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.


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Baby Blue Shower Drain with Square Strainer
Watts Drainage Products WSD-SQNB epoxy coated cast iron shower drain with square nickel bronze (standard) strainer and no hub (MJ) (standard) outlet.
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Disclaimer: Watts product dimensions in U.S. customary units and metric are approximate and are provided for reference only. For precise measurements, please contact Watts Technical Service. Watts reserves the right to change or modify product design, construction, specifications, or materials without prior notice and without incurring any obligation to make such changes and modifications on Watts products previously or subsequently sold.
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Maintenance UpdateA substantial systems upgrade is planned for Monday Evening, at 16:45 Eastern, 13:45 Pacific.
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Indeed it is. There are many folk customs, some quite unneccessary, which have, over the years, crept into use regarding baptisms and chrismations, but the most essential one is the provision of the baptismal cross by the Godparent. Whether the cross is put on the newly-illumined one by the priest or the Godparent at the appropriate time in the baptism or chrismation ceremony depends on what the local custom is, but, whatever the case, the Godparent is responsible for providing a baptismal cross. No buts about it.
After putting on the baptismal cross, is one really required to continue wearing it from then on? I only ask because I'm not really a jewelry person at all!
Getting a Cross for baptism is a beautiful custom, yet it is not universal, nor is it required by the baptismal rite itself, if I remember correctly .
The Order of Baptism in our Euchologion doesn't say anything about blessing any cross on the altar, although it happens enough times.
AFAIK, everyone, man and woman alike, wear their crosses constantly, but NOT on the exterior-it is ALWAYS to be hidden, tucked away under the clothing and against the body. It is NOT a decoration. For this reason, most people have their crosses on a very long chain, so it can be hidden if you are wearing a more open neckline.
Quote from: Rosehip on February 01, 2010, 01:35:57 PMAFAIK, everyone, man and woman alike, wear their crosses constantly, but NOT on the exterior-it is ALWAYS to be hidden, tucked away under the clothing and against the body. It is NOT a decoration. For this reason, most people have their crosses on a very long chain, so it can be hidden if you are wearing a more open neckline. The tradition of wearing it on the inside away from view is something that I've noticed that is practiced by the Russians, but I have not seen it practiced amongst the Ukrainians, Greeks, or Arabs. The Russians seem to be the most discreet about wearing their baptismal cross, whereas other groups wear it openly.
If someone loses their Baptismal Cross is it appropriate to just buy another to replace it? I am 64 and lost my Cross recently. Do I simply obtain another?Thanks!Polishman
At the baptism itself I bless the baptismal cross by 1) keeping it on the Gospel book for most of the service and then 2) swooshing it three times crosswise through the baptismal water immediately after the person is baptized. Then I hand it to the godparent to hang around the neck of their godchild. I don't know how many other priests do it this way but it is what I learnt in Serbia.
My Baptismal Cross given at my Chrismation was a simple wooden cross on a leather thong, the cost about $8. A cross should be given but it does not have to be in gold or silver.
I have a question about this. I have already purchased http://www.catholicfaithstore.com/Store/Products/Item/-8-112/2/Saint-Andrews-Crucifix_2797.html?MYEZSTORE=sl45kn1j73qgq6ah017lvvdp9352v7pj . Were I to convert to Orthodoxy (and I fully intend to do so after I am out from under my parents' authority), would the purchase of a new cross be necessary?
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The Chef's Companion: A Culinary Dictionary
Wiley, Apr 18, 2012 - Cooking - 368 pages
The indispensable guide to over 5,000 culinary terms
Even the most international chef sometimes needs help with today's wildly diverse cooking terminology. Now, there's an updated and revised edition of Elizabeth Riely's The Chef's Companion, which professional chefs and aspiring cooks everywhere can turn to when they need quick access to concise and reliable definitions, pronunciations, correct spelling, accepted usage, and origins of culinary terms. This invaluable guide covers all the terms that chefs might use with customers and kitchen staff-in areas such as cooking techniques, food preparation, herbs and spices, varieties of food, wine, and equipment for the professional kitchen. Over 900 new terms have been added to this edition to provide expanded coverage of areas such as wine, pastry, and ethnic cuisines. The Chef's Companion: no kitchen is complete without it.
What people are saying - Write a review
Great bookUser Review - luckylarry - Overstock.com
A nice book to reference all cooking terms. I highly recommend. Read full review
Other editions - View all
References to this book
Passaporte Para O Sabor
Ronaldo Lopes Pontes Barreto
No preview available - 2005
The Pastry Chef's Companion: A Comprehensive Resource Guide for the Baking ...
Glenn Rinsky,Laura Halpin Rinsky
No preview available - 2014


text:
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South Louisiana residents may soon have a chance to glimpse one of the rarest and biggest birds in North America.
South Louisiana residents may soon have a chance to glimpse one of the rarest and biggest birds in North America.
State officials are working to rebuild a historic population of whooping cranes in the marshes of southwest Louisiana, birds that haven't been seen in the state for more than 60 years.
"Louisiana has more important bird areas, resident and migratory, than any other state in the nation," said Robert Love, administrator of coastal and non-game resources for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. "This is our species, a species of the Cajun prairie, and we want it back."
The whooping crane, North America's tallest bird, is named for its whooping call, so loud it can be heard from a mile away, Love said. A species that once faced the threat of extinction, it also has a fascinating comeback story.
The bird stands 5 feet tall and has an 8-foot wing span. Sara Zimorski, a wildlife biologist with the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries who specializes in working with the birds, described them as striking white birds with a red crown and a long, dark beak.
"They're a charismatic bird," Zimorski said. "When you see them, it's hard not to get excited."
Unfortunately, what makes the birds striking and unique also made them easy targets.
Whooping cranes were pushed to the brink of extinction by years of unregulated hunting and loss of habitat. By 1941, there were just 21 wild whooping cranes left, Love said.
Conservation efforts have helped their recovery, but there's still a long way to go. There are fewer than 600 captive and wild whooping cranes in North America.
Officials are hoping Louisiana can be a successful home for the whooping crane.
The state has a successful record of bringing species back from the brink of extinction. Controlled harvests helped restore the state's alligator population, and brown pelicans were successfully relocated from Florida to Louisiana after pesticide use decimated local populations.
It takes a careful and controlled effort to raise the captive whooping cranes that will eventually be released into Louisiana's wild wetlands.
The birds are raised in isolation in Maryland and later transported to the White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area in Vermilion Parish. Scientists working with them don't speak and wear costumes to prevent the baby whooping cranes from becoming comfortable with human interaction, Zimorski said. They learn to eat with the help of an adult whooping crane puppet.
"We want to raise them to be a whooping crane and not get too friendly with people," Zimorski said.
As juveniles, the birds are transported to White Lake in individual crates and released into an outdoor pen where they're fed and observed while they adjust to their new home and outfitted with transmitters.
The transmitters allow scientists to track their comings and goings in Louisiana and beyond.
The birds are held for a few weeks until adjusted, and then the pen is opened and they are allowed to explore. Scientists continue feeding them for a few weeks afterward to help them adjust and keep them coming back to the area in a process called a "soft release."
Two groups of 26 whooping cranes have been brought into Louisiana so far. Of them, 15 have survived. Another group of 14 whooping cranes are headed to Louisiana after Thanksgiving.
The goal is to eventually build up a flock of 130 birds with 25 nesting pairs. Scientists believe that's the number needed to make the flock sustainable over the long term, Love said.
The state is partnering on the project with the International Crane Foundation, the U.S. Geological Survey's Patuxent Research Unit in Maryland, the Louisiana Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation.
Private cooperations that include Chevron, ConocoPhillips and Acadian Ambulance have also contributed to the effort.
Establishing a successful and separate colony of whooping cranes in Louisiana will strengthen the long-term survivability of the species overall, Love said. Separate colonies prevent the limited crane population from being wiped out entirely by disaster or disease. Establishing separate colonies is also essential for the birds to be taken off the endangered species list.
The birds' introduction into Louisiana marks the fourth attempt to establish a new whooping crane population in the wild.
In 1975, scientists tried unsuccessfully in Idaho to use sandhill cranes as foster parents for young whooping cranes. In 1993, Kissimmee, Fla., officials attempted to establish a flock of resident whooping cranes. Drought, starvation and predation led to that project being abandoned.
A third attempt in 2001 formed an eastern migratory flock between Wisconsin and Florida that now numbers more than 100 birds. The cranes were raised in captivity and are taught to migrate by following ultralight aircraft.
This flock has been successful but has had trouble reproducing because biting black flies are driving parents from their nests, Love said.
Whooping cranes live for as long as 24 years in the wild and 40 years in captivity, and mate for life. But like many long-lived animals, they reproduce slowly, which complicates their comeback.
It will take a few years before scientists know if the Louisiana population can successfully and naturally reproduce, Zimorski said.
Whooping cranes aren't sexually mature until they're 3-5 years old. The oldest birds brought to Louisiana are now 2-years-old. In addition, the cranes usually aren't successful parents the first time around.
"Having the animals survive and reproduce on their own is a major part of our project, but we have to be patient," Zimorski said.
In the meantime, the state is working to educate Louisianans about these new and large resident birds sharing our state. In October, two whooping cranes were shot and killed by a pair of teenagers near Jennings.
As they scope out their new habitat, the birds are travelling more and more, taking exploratory flights from their home in White Lake to Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma and a number of different Louisiana parishes, Zimorski said.
"Prior to the shooting incident, we were doing a lot of talks for birding clubs and going where folks were interested," Zimorski said. "Now we want to work more to make the general public aware that these birds are here, and people can watch them, but they should leave them alone."
The state has developed science curriculum around whooping cranes that can be taught in Louisiana classrooms and will launch a media campaign to raise awareness about the birds, Love said.
If you spot a whooping crane, it's important to observe the bird from a distance and don't try to approach, Zimorski said. They're still young, naive and adjusting to life in Louisiana.
You can also help the state reintroduction effort by alerting Wildlife and Fisheries of whooping crane sightings. For now, the transmitters are telling scientists where they go. But they won't work forever.
"They're beautiful birds," Love said. "We're trying to restore a lost treasure."
Nikki Buskey can be reached at 857-2205 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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I happened to be clicking around and saw Perl.com had an entry called Writing on Walls with Facebook::Graph. Neat! It was preceded by Facebook Authentication with Perl and Facebook::Graph. I made a mental note to remember that and then Linux Magazine sent an article called FBCMB: Command Line for Facebook. Although somewhat unrelated, that sent me off to look for more Perl modules for Facebook only to find someone had already covered it in a blog entry called Writing a Facebook Applications in Perl.
Anyway, if, like me, you didn't know there was a lot of Perl resources for Facebook - now you do.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Perl, I didn't know you could do that
Posted by RAT at 6:49 AM 1 comment:
Labels: facebook, ironman perl6 perl, linux
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En Planning to Study in Dresden
Aus Study in Dresden
Good Planning From Your Home Country Is Fundamental
The basis for a successful stay abroad, no matter if it is for a study stay or a complete course, requires an early and precise planning, starting at home one semester prior to the intended stay abroad.
Living and studying at a university or a college in Dresden will - no doubt - prove to be an exciting time for you. However, you can surely do without the turmoil, the problems and the annoyance, resulting from careless planning. Therefore, the major part of your preparation should already be taken care of while you are still at home. Central concerns will be the search for accommodation, financing your studies and complying will all formalities concerning entering Germany and your stay in Germany. To guide you on you way through the jungle of applications and bureaucratic institutions, we have compiled useful facts and details concerning the most important aspects.
Before you start looking for an apartment or a room in a student hall of residence, you should first of all sort out which requirements have to be met in order to get an entry permit for Germany. Again, you should arrange enough time to meet the required application deadline.
Conditions of Entry
EU citizens
If you are a citizen of the European Union, you no longer need a visa as the result of the new immigration law (Einwanderungsgesetz) which has been in force in Germany since 01 January 2005. Nevertheless, you are obliged to register for the duration of your stay within 14 days after your arrival in Saxony. Therefore, please turn to the appropriate Einwohnermeldestellen (registration offices) or the Bürgerbüros (citizens' bureaus) at your new place of residence.
Non-EU citizens
Should you wish to study in Germany and your home country is not part of the European Union, a visa is required for the duration of your stay. Therefore, please turn to the deutsche Auslandsvertretung (German foreign representation) in your home country to get all necessary information concerning the obligatory requirements.
If you have already received notification of admission to the German university or college in question, you can apply for a visa for study purposes. In order to apply you need: the notification of admission to university, a health insurance certificate and a certificate giving proof of finance for the entire duration of your studies. Your complete documents will then be processed. After approval by the German foreign representation you will receive your visa for study purposes.
In case you have not yet received notification of admission to a German university or have not yet decided and committed yourself, you will have to apply for a Visum für Studienbewerbung (visa for study application). This visa is valid for three months only. After you have been admitted to a university or college, you can have this temporary visa converted into a residence permit for study purposes. Do not travel to Germany on a tourist visa. It cannot be converted in Germany into a visa for study purposes.
In order to gain some sort of overview, we have prepared a list of all countries whose citizens require a visa for entry into Germany. All new member states that have realized their entry into the European Community on 1 May 2004 and 1 January 2007 (except for Cyprus and Malta) are subject to transition regulations concerning the right of free movement of citizens of the European Community. You can find out about these regulations at the Foreign Office or the embassy in your home country. Please inform yourself in detail about the regulations that apply to your nationality! While some of the new EU member states do not have to meet any visa requirements on entry into Germany, citizens of other countries still have to apply for a visa for study purposes at the German embassy in question. Please note that it is not possible to apply for a visa for study purposes after having entered Germany.
Full-time students need a Finance Certificate
In case you need a study visa for a stay at a German host university or college you will have to provide evidence of finance by presenting a finance certificate. Such a certificate does not only serve the authority that processes the details you supplied for your visa, it is also important for you on a personal level. You will have to finance your studies at a German university or college for the major part through your own resources. With a balanced financial situation it is therefore easier to arrange your stay for study purposes more effectively and without stress. You can spend your time studying, without having to earn money during your stay. You can of course try to find a part-time job, however, the number of vacant part-time jobs is limited. Moreover, special conditions concerning part-time employment apply to students staying in Germany on a visa for study purposes. In many cases a work permit is needed. It can be obtained at the responsible International Office (branch of the municipal authority).
Solid financing in advance will prove of great benefit to your studies. Anyhow, the monthly living costs for a student in Dresden are slightly below the federal average. In order to prove that you are able to finance studying and living in Germany, you will have to prove a sum of 7020 euros per semester at your disposal. If you can only partly fulfill this requirement, you may find a person who gives you security. In that case someone living in Germany declares his or her willingness to vouch for you on an unrestricted basis and to provide you with a bank security. Under certain conditions foreign students are also entitled to the student loan "BaföG". The responsible BaföG office in the Studentenwerk at your place of study will provide you with all necessary information. Without a financial certificate you will not get a visa for study purposes; thus, it is necessary to settle this formality before applying for a visa for study purposes.
However, also for students who travel to Germany to study without a visa, it is highly advisable to use the above mentioned monthly sum as a benchmark figure. Financial aid through grants or foundations is always limited. It is therefore advisable to inform yourself in your home country about the possibilities of financial aid for your study stay in Germany.
Health Insurance is Obligatory
During a stay in Germany for study purposes it is also necessary to have a health insurance.
Foreign students who are EU citizens
If your home country is part of the European Union please ask the health insurance company in your home country for the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). After your arrival in Germany you should go to a locally represented health insurance company in order to register by presenting your European Health Insurance Card. After registration you will receive an insurance certificate from the German health insurance company in question. Please present this certificate to the Academic International Office staff of your university or college in order to go through further registration procedures. Without this health insurance certificate you cannot be enrolled at a German university or college!
Foreign students who are Non-EU citizens
If your home country is not a member of the European Union, you are required to take out health insurance with a compulsory health insurance company yourself. That will involve a monthly health insurance payment of approximately 60 euros.
All students
If you are over 30 years of age, you are obliged to enter a private health insurance deal with an acknowledged insurance company for students. Please inform yourself at the Foreigners' Registration Office about the health insurances accepted in Germany. A travel health insurance contract from your home country is only valid for three months. Please do also consider that in case of sickness you will have to pay for your treatment in advance (will be reimbursed later).
Reserve a room in a university hall of residence from home
After you have successfully met all prerequisites for entry into Germany, the only task remaining is organizing suitable accommodation. Your first point of reference should be the Studentenwerk Dresden (Office of Residential Life), that regards the provision of student hall rooms to German and international students as one of its key tasks.
The easiest way of applying for a room in a hall of residence is by using the application forms for foreign students provided on the website of the Studentenwerk. Please fill out the application form and send it to the Studentenwerk Dresden together with your notification of admission and all other required documents. If you receive a confirmation, you can look forward to living in one of our halls of residence in Dresden. Almost all halls of residence have recently been refurbished, offering modern comfort of living with nice people, many recreational facilities, student clubs and high speed internet access. As you can see on the application form, you can choose between several options concerning the type of accommodation. The available rooms are either single or double rooms in large flat-sharing units or separate apartments.
Approximately 15% of the student population in Dresden is currently living in the halls of residence run by the Studentenwerk Dresden, a fact that illustrates the quality of living in the halls of residence. Those who prefer to live on their own will not have a problem of finding an appropriate apartment or room due to sufficient availability.
To share a flat with one or more room mates is a very popular and cheap alternative solution. Information on offers and demands can be found on campus or in regional and local magazines such as SAX and Dresdner, in the independent newspaper for students in Saxony called ad rem or in the university newspaper CAZ. If you have not yet applied for a room in a university hall of residence and have not yet found suitable accommodation, the International Guest House or the youth hostels in Dresden offer reasonably priced transitory accommodation. In any case, the Studentenwerk Dresden is there to help you and makes every effort to provide you with a room in a university hall of residence.


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ok so I bought this bulldog yakisoba sauce bottle and I just noticed on it there is a date of 2004.01.21!
I cant read the kanji and I do not know if it means expiration or sell by date...
any thoughts?
Im hungry for yakisoba! yummmmmm......
Well it's pretty old...on the other hand, if it's been unopened you could probably still use it, and not get sick or anything... Bulldog sauce is pretty sturdy stuff.
The Big Onigiri.
- Wherever you go, there you are. -
thank you for the quick response. I made some yakisoba and although I could have used a lot more cabbage it came out wonderfully! Almost tastes like what my host mother used to make =P
A question: do people make yakisoba sauce or do they always buy premade sauces like bulldog brand? I would imagine it might be difficult to create on your own....
Most people do just use a premade sauce, but it is possible to make it on your own. Let me put that on my to-do list :)
that would be wonderful. I wonder if it tastes that much better than the premade stuff....
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Intel and Nokia have announced a long-term strategic technology partnership that will, the companies say, define how they see mobile communications developing in the future as they build new types of mobile devices. At this early stage, there are products in the pipeline -- or at least none that they will discuss.
The relationship is based on three legs of a proverbial stool:
- Intel architecture and chipsets
- Moblin, the open source Linux software stack and framework that initially targets Intel's Atom processor that's being used in MIDs, netbooks/nettops, in-vehicle infotainment (IVI), and embedded systems.
- 3G technology developed by Nokia to be licensed by Intel.
According to Anand Chandrasekher, senior vice president and general manager of Intel's Ultra Mobility Group, this is the "most significant collaboration in our respective industries", those industries being computing (Intel) and communications (Nokia). Initially the partners will move forward in joint R&D efforts with the long-term goal of building new open standard mobile computing platforms.


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Events for October 6, 2018
Day Navigation
8:00 am
Mentoring Program at Young Ladies Ready for Life in Detroit
This organization has been serving metro Detroit Area since 2008. They work tireless in our efforts to help young girls become successful in their goals. This non-profit organization serves people of all races, creeds and religions. This is a program Find out more »


text:
Mandel looks at the pros and cons of buying new or used printing equipment in his interviews with well-known industry experts.
By Rick Mandel
We have chosen a profession that is by its nature a capital-intensive industry, and that can present a problem.
Graphic software to take in clients' files requires on average a thousand dollars of upgrades every other year, and the actual workstation (Mac or PC) needs to be replaced every three or four years. Naturally, the newer software is optimized on the newest boxes. You can almost hear the cost accumulating: cha ching!
Secondly, printing devices range from $20,000 to a couple of million dollars in cost. This cost does not stay stagnant, and digital equipment should produce a return on investment (ROI) within three years. Devices may become out of date or too expensive to maintain after that time frame.
Lastly, the service costs can pile up for all printers. Yet being without a service contract is similar to playing roulette with your client. Even if we put together a third-party service network to take care of printers, problems arise.
So, how can you maximize your investments on equipment and service, while maintaining a level of expertise and production? As you can imagine, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have the statistics and logic behind new equipment purchases, while smaller printers often take a used equipment direction. The importance of knowing what you are getting into is important for both approaches in this economy.
Did you enjoy this article? Click here to subscribe to the magazine.


text:
Hart v. Comcast of Alameda, 2008 WL 2610787 (N.D. Cal.)
Hart sued Comcast for unfairly discriminating against peer-to-peer filesharing applications, in violation of the Computer Fraud & Abuse Act, California false advertising law, and other laws.
The court stayed the case using the primary jurisdiction doctrine, which applies when an initial decision should be made by a relevant agency rather than a court. The 9th Circuit uses a four-factor test: "(1) the need to resolve an issue that; (2) has been placed by Congress within the jurisdiction of an administrative body having regulatory authority; (3) pursuant to a statute that subjects an industry or activity to a comprehensive regulatory scheme that; (4) requires expertise or uniformity in administration."
The test was satisfied here—plaintiff's complaint alleged that discrimination against P2P services violated FCC policy. The question of whether "network management" of this type is reasonable is within the FCC's extensive jurisdiction over broadband. Two petitions on the matter are currently pending before the FCC, asking for specific rules on (1) discriminating against particular internet applications and (2) barring Comcast from "managing" P2P applications. The FCC has announced that it will investigate Comcast's conduct and has sought public comment. These issues also require expertise and uniformity in administration.
The stay applied to all the claims, even though not all of them concerned the reasonableness of Comcast's acts. The breach of contract and false advertising claims were "sufficiently interrelated" with the network management issue that the FCC's conclusions could affect the resolution of those claims. If Comcast promoted and advertised fast speeds while severely limiting P2P speed, that might not be false advertising if it's ok to limit P2P speed. (Comment: I squinted pretty hard at that. If it's relevant to consumers, then there might be a need to disclose a qualification of a speed claim even if discrimination in speed is allowed by the FCC. The question, I would have thought, was whether reasonable consumers understood the speed claim to cover all services, not whether the law required Comcast to provide all services at equal speed. That said, if discrimination is not ok, then it becomes even more reasonable for consumers to expect equal speed—but again, it might be reasonable anyway.)


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Right now, the world is learning that two dozen ships, nine aircraft and even a few repurposed satellites are not enough to find an airplane – or possibly pieces of an airplane – in a vast swath of ocean. While it may seem obvious, based on what we read in the Twitterverse it probably bears repeating: finding missing aircraft is hard, even when circumstances are ideal. And in the case of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, there are lot of factors that make the search conditions less than ideal.
Apart from technology and math, no matter how good your sensors are, looking for visual, physical evidence can be very tricky, even for skilled searchers in good weather at close range. Take a look at this picture below: there's snow, a garbage dump and an aircraft wreck. Would you pick it out bouncing up and down and moving at 90 knots? The answer is at the bottom…
Search planners and air-branch directors (and in my other, non-Aviation Week life I happen to be one) rely on mathematical innovations developed during World War II and refined in recent decades to tailor their search efforts. Applying modern Search Theory principles prevents making bad intuitive choices, minimizes the "Helter Skelter" or "Frantic Effort" phase and generally helps the search planner make the absolute best use of the resources available.
The idea is simple: maximize the statistical likelihood of finding what you're looking for in the minimum amount of time and with limited resources.
Using math to find things isn't new. In the past, searchers also calculated a few metrics to understand to what degree their target was contained ("Do you know where your target is?") and whether if their target was there would they find it ("How well is the area being searched and how good are your sensors?"). These correspond to Probability of Containment (POC) and Probability of Detection (POD).
These are good metrics, but in 1980 researcher B.O. Koopman showed that what is needed is an optimization function. Searching where you have a high POD alone is like searching in your living room for the mobile phone you dropped outside because the light is better. And a high POC is generally useless unless you have unlimited search resources and 100% perfect sensors. Enter Koopman's insight to apply mathematics to yield a high POS – Probability of Success. If you were to graph the ideal POS, it would be at the intersection of the inversely correlating curves of POD and POC. In fact, the deceptively simple formula is POD X POC = POS.
Now let's throw in some real-world factors to degrade your calculations.
A 2009 NASA study showed that about half of missing aircraft with radar data available were found within a space less than a mile of the last radar return. What's the last radar return for MH370?
In the absence of a radar return, about 50% of aircraft were found within a 4.5 naut. mi. offset of the planned route and within the first 63% of the aircraft's intended route length. Was MH370 flying on its planned route?
How about pilot intentions? Weather? How about the drift of the current and what search planners refer to as "leeway divergence," the observation that leeway for objects on the water can be up to 40 degrees off the downwind direction? In recent days we've discovered LOTS of things floating in the ocean that had nothing to do with MH370.
And those are just the factors involved in assessing POC. To work POD, you need to account for the size of the area to be searched (which is why using radar returns to narrow the search contours is so important), the search speed of your searching tool (airplane, helicopter, ship), the distance between the search tracks of the ship or airplane doing the search, how much time the searchers spend getting on-scene and how much time they can spend actually searching, and the number of resources (airplanes, helicopters, ships) you have to work with.
All of these factors interrelate, and can further diminish your chances of success. The basic formula is Area = Search Speed X Spacing X Time X Number of Resources. Algebra lets you solve for any one of those variables if you know the others.
Another formula we use is Coverage, which measures search quality by comparing search capability (or sweep width) to track spacing, where C = Width/spacing, or, to keep it conceptual, effective coverage is equal to your effort divided by the area over which you're expending it.
These formulas all get calculated and rolled up to create better POD and POC values, which then yield POS. And after each search sortie, actual results are plugged in to the formula to see how well or poorly the search went. Those figures help make the sorties in the next operational period a little better. And by better we typically mean by a few percentage points; the needle only moves a little.
And that's why finding an airplane, or potentially many pieces of it, in a vast ocean is hard. Helicopters have limited range, sensors don't have perfect detection, ships move slowly, radar tracks in this case have been all over the map, the actual flight path was unknown, the search box is vast and includes at least eight political jurisdictions, oceans already contain a lot of junk and debris can move around in the current.
As for the eye test at the top of the post? If you looked at the picture before skipping down to the bottom for the answer, good for you! The wreck is the bigger white blob in the foreground. The blob at the top is the garbage dump. If you had flown over it 24 hours earlier, you would have seen nothing but snow. Welcome to my world.


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Pilates Classes at the London Centre
We offer a packed schedule of lunchtime and evening Pilates classes at The Body Control Pilates Centre. These cover matwork and Reformer from Introduction to Advanced and are taught by our team of highly qualified Body Control Pilates teachers.
New 6 week block of classes
Our new 6 week block of group classes will begin from w/c 3rd June -until w/c 8th July 2019 (inc)
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Click here to see the full schedule of classes and call us on 020 7636 8900 to book in.
If you would like to join this block of classes please call us on 0207 636 8900 or email firstname.lastname@example.com
Please note that Matwork classes may have a Body Control Pilates teacher training student assisting the teacher.
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Home ... What We Do ... Resources ... Fact Sheets ... Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention
Lead poisoning is one of the most common environmental child health problems in the U.S. and is caused by too much lead in the body. Lead is especially harmful to children younger than 6, due to their developing brain and nervous system. But, anyone who eats, drinks or breathes lead can be poisoned. Large amounts of lead in a child's blood can cause brain damage, intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, behavior problems, anemia, liver and kidney damage, hearing loss, hyperactivity, other physical and mental problems, and in extreme cases, death. Approximately 250,000 U.S. children aged 1-5 years have blood levels greater than 10 micrograms of lead per decimeters (an unsafe level of lead consumption). Some 38 million U.S. homes have lead-based paint hazards. Lead poisoning can affect nearly every system in the body and is often undetected because there are typically no obvious signs of lead poisoning (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011).
Unlike many environmental health problems, lead contamination is often found at home, in paint, house dust, drinking water and soil.
Lead in paint. About 75 percent of houses and apartments built before 1978 in the United States contain lead paint. Houses built before 1960 may contain old lead paint with concentrations up to 50 percent lead by weight. Children can get poisoned by chewing on a lead painted windowsill or eating lead paint chips. The more common cause, however, is getting lead dust on their hands and into their mouths. Lead dust is released from chipping and peeling paint; home renovation projects that disturb lead paint; and lead paint ground up by friction, such as on window sashes, porch floors, etc.
Lead in dust. Window sills and window wells often have high levels of lead dust. In addition to lead dust from paint, lead dust also comes from soil and airborne emissions, such as incinerators, smelters and other industries. Many children are poisoned by lead dust brought home by their parents from the workplace - millions of people are exposed to lead in their jobs. Lead dust is very fine, can be invisible, and is hard to clean up. It gets on children's hands and toys and then into their mouths through normal behavior, such as thumb sucking.
Lead in soil. Outside, in public playgrounds and in their own yards, the dirt where children play may contain high lead levels. Decades of peeling exterior building paint, air emissions from leaded car exhaust and pollution from smelters and other industries are significant sources. The highest levels of lead in soil usually are found close to foundations of homes painted with exterior leaded paint.
Lead in water. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates drinking water is the source of about 20 percent of Americans' lead exposure. Lead leaches out into the water from old lead pipes and service lines in city systems and from home plumbing. Even after lead pipes were banned, leaded solder was legal for use on drinking water lines until the 1980s and is still for sale in hardware stores. Faucets and plumbing fittings may legally contain up to 8 percent lead. The greatest risk is to infants using formula mixed with contaminated water.
Other lead sources. Lead can leach into food or beverages stored in imported ceramics or pottery and leaded crystal and china. Certain hobbies use products with lead in them (fishing sinkers, stained glass, ceramics). Lead can be found in some folk remedies, "health foods" and cosmetics.
A blood test is the only way to find out if a child has lead in his body. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends testing every child at 12 months of age, and if resources allow, at 24 months. Screening should start at 6 months if the child is at risk of lead exposure (for example, if the child lives in an older home built before 1960 which has peeling or chipping paint). Decisions about further testing should be based on previous blood-lead test results, and the child's risk of lead exposure. Some states have laws requiring more frequent screening. Federal law requires that all children on Medicaid be tested before age 6.
The test will identify how many micrograms of lead are found in one deciliter of the child's blood. Based on what is known today, children should have under 10 micrograms per deciliter (10 ug/dL) of blood lead concentration. If higher levels are found, there are certain steps that can be taken. At 10-19, a child has mild lead poisoning. He or she should be retested in a few months. The home and all the places the child spends time should be checked for lead sources. Identified lead hazards should be controlled. Frequent wet cleaning and hand washing will help reduce lead dust. Good nutrition can help the child fight lead. Foods high in calcium and iron reduce the amount of lead absorption. Fatty foods increase the amount of lead absorbed.
A blood lead level between 20-44 means the child has moderate lead poisoning. Sources of lead in the child's environment must be removed. Such a child may need chelation therapy to remove lead from the body. Chelation therapy means the child is given a drug capable of binding lead and reducing its acute toxicity. All drugs have potential side effects and must be used with caution. A blood lead concentration of 45-69 is severe lead poisoning. A child needs both medical treatment and lead removed from the environment. If the child's blood lead level tests over 70, it is an acute medical emergency. The child may stay in the hospital for treatment and not be released until he or she can return to a lead-free safe home.
Some interventions suggested by CDC include:
If inspection shows the house has lead-based paint, the family should not renovate or attempt to remove the paint themselves. Work should be done by an accredited lead abatement contractor who knows how to protect workers, the family and the environment. The family should not be in the home during renovations or paint removal.
March 1, 2011
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ORIENTAL � A veteran photojournalist, with relatively broad experience, but limited to one geographic area, interviews an icon in the field with decades of international experience. Jitters much? Yes.
ORIENTAL � A veteran photojournalist, with relatively broad experience, but limited to one geographic area, interviews an icon in the field with decades of international experience. Jitters much? Yes.
Every effort is made by the interviewer to hide the fact that he is profoundly awestruck when documenting the professional life of Charles �Chuck� Sterin.
Add Sterin to the vast inventory of noted retirees in Pamlico County who have been noteworthy personalities in previous lives, from engineers who designed parts of the Lunar Landing Module to surgeons who practiced in major metropolitan hospitals. Sterin labels himself as a professional storyteller, but he is much more.
Before learning about the passion deep within his soul that drives him to perfection, it is worth walking through the highlights of Chuck Sterin�s career. His career is a marriage of a vast expanse of technical skills with intense creativity.
Chuck Sterin grew up in Hollywood, son of an interior decorator and a movie set designer. This environment was the impetus for Sterin to launch an educational journey to several colleges exploring what he wanted to be when he grew up. Well into his doctoral program, he returned to Hollywood to be with his ailing father, who was suffering from Hodgkin�s disease. He cherishes a ship model in his home crafted by his father as he was fighting diminished capacity in the last year of his life.
His father died, and Sterin drove his career down two parallel paths. He honed skills in documentary film work and as an investigative television journalist producing works that revealed a positive side to Hollywood�s counter culture, especially the free clinic movement and musical groups such as the Grateful Dead.
Having been a lifelong boater, he became a manager for the Northern Virginia Headquarters of Boat/US, was a founding director of the Boat/US Foundation. This work propelled him to create a Cable TV series titled �Inside the Coast Guard.�
Simultaneously, encouraged by colleagues, his career also ventured down the path of screen writing. One of his first breaks in that area was working on a film directed by Jack Nicholson. Shooting for this film was taking place on the campus of the University of Oregon. These experiences enabled Sterin to absorb all he could learn about diverse aspects of the TV and film production industry.
His experience growing exponentially, Sterin produced a major series of 36 half-hour films on the foremost news leaders in the nation for PBS, 1981-82. He produced segments on Kathryn Graham and Ben Bradlee of the Washington Post, Vermont Royster of the Wall Street Journal, and 33 other media luminaries.
He finished a master�s degree at the University of Oregon and earned a Ph.D. from the university�s prestigious International College. His education was an asset when NBC selected him to visit China in 1986 to document Johns Hopkins University�s establishment of a Chinese-American joint university program. During these endeavors, he was writing screenplays, as he said, �hoping some would be take.�
Good breaks began to wash over the transom. In the early �90s, the Arts & Entertainment network commissioned him to produce four major pieces and to create a prime-time documentary series for the History Channel, �Ancient Mysteries,� hosted by Leonard Nimoy. Sterin was also beginning to sell screenplays.
Sterin learned that despite an arduous effort, some projects are never produced. He spent a year working under contract for Disney on a children�s TV series, �Native American Mythology.� As is often the case in the TV and film industry, Disney never aired the series.
Moving beyond American borders, he produced a pilot series on archaeology, �Digs,� partially done in Canada. Projects continued to involve high-profile personalities, actor Peter Graves for one. Opportunities expanded to Europe and the UK.
Sterin�s career circled back to academia. He was an Artist in Residenceat Loyola College and George Washington University. He eventually developed courses and taught communications studies and media law for the University of Maryland.
Enter the world of textbook publishing. Senior editors at Pearson, the world�s largest education publisher, commissioned him to author its new flagship text on mass communications, �Mass Media Revolution.� Its popularity led to a second edition.
Sterin also produced 80 documentary pods, each 3�6 minutes long, for the book�s companion website.
He recalls the project becoming all-consuming both for him and his wife, Pauline. She interprets and translates Chinese for various agencies. �It consumed us, 24/7,� he said.
But along the way, he met Paul Levinson of the School of Mass Media at Fordham University. Levinson is a widely known and respected science fiction author. With his wife, Tina, Levinson collaborated with Sterin on the creation of a sci-fi series, �Geneses Virus.� Major networks are now considering it for production.
Levinson is the editor-in-chief for Connected Editions,a publisher of fiction. It is an imprint of JoSara Media.
Levinson persuaded Sterin to transform three of his screenplays into a trilogy of novels. The first, �Hell Scrolls,� was released in early October. The second, �Spy Watcher,� is expected to debut spring 2014.
How did the Sterins find Pamlico County? Realizing the need to escape Metro DC to live a sane lifestyle, Pauline looked up and down the East Coast for the right community, a waterfront home large enough to accommodate Chuck�s office and studio, and a boat dock near the back door.
She found New Bern. Exploring beyond New Bern, they discovered Oriental and met new friends Bill and Cathy Creswell. The Creswells were instrumental in helping the Sterins choose southeastern Pamlico County, which encompasses the greater Oriental area. Pauline and Chuck now live on the Neuse River between Minnesott Beach and Dawson�s Creek, just upriver from Oriental. �This is it. It has everything we want. Forget New Bern. We have a wide view of the river and a big lot.�
The Sterin couple has joined other notables who have discovered Pamlico County on the Pamlico Sound. For them, the area near the mouth of the Neuse River is not just a safe refuge, but also a stimulating haven for creative energy to flourish.
Sterin recently resigned his full professorship at the University of Maryland. He now has sights on bringing Pearson�s ongoing Mass Media Revolution project to a North Carolina campus. He envisions supporting a strong media production program where he would have access to faculty, coauthors, graduate research and production assistants to help develop a state-of-the arts media lab.
Having learned a few of the professional highlights of Chuck Sterin�s career, one could ask, who is this man with the graying ponytail whose drive shaft goes in gear when his engine is tuned perfectly? Who is this man whose home studio is perhaps just a smaller version of the one owned by George Lucas of �Star Wars� fame?
Sterin is not sitting idle on the piazza, watching the river flow beneath dazzling sunrises or romantic sunsets. Now that his latest book, �Hell Scrolls� is finished, he is beginning the incubation process for the sequel, �Spy Watchers.�
Many writers who delve only in non-fiction often wonder how a writer translates his imagination onto paper.
�I create a movie in my head before I start writing a novel on the computer,� Sterin observes. Even in the textbook, �Mass Media Revolution,� Sterin said, �I add a lot of story-telling. You have to be able to imagine what you are writing visually or you are useless as a screenwriter. As a screenwriter, I have to visualize all the story�s details. Then I ascertain if it is practical to make the story into a movie or TV series.
�So to make a novel work, I undertake a very similar creative process. I use a creative discipline to make me visually see the movements, scene by scene. I don�t actually start writing a novel until I create a movie in my head of the story. Writing a story down before visualizing the story as a movie would just be a waste of time and energy for me.�
He added, �I create a history for the characters. Much of the historical background story may never make into the final draft. But creating this back story is necessary for the development of the characters and how each character contributes to the story arc.
�I then create an outline which is not just an outline. More importantly, it is my error checker. Are the characters evolving as the outline suggests? An outline can help me see if the different plot beats come together at the right times. At the outline stage, I share with those closest to me, my wife, a confidant I really trust, an editor or a very close friend. If my wife, my editor, or a very close friend says something doesn�t make sense, I�ll make some adjustments that won�t change the story or the flavor of the story, but perhaps make it more understandable to the reader.�
Sterin acknowledges that his friend and fiction publisher, Paul Levinson, adds another perspective to how the story is conveyed. �Will it sell?�
In this process, Sterin explains that writing a book is one thing, but having readers buy it and Hollywood purchase movie rights are another thing altogether. He said, �When you are on a set where your work is being filmed � all but the actors � have to check their egos at the door. That goes for the authors, the screenwriters, the lighting and camera crews.
�I don�t go up to the director and say, �That�s not how I envisioned that scene.� When a movie is being made, the movie I made in my head to help me write is not necessarily what will wind up on the movie screen. No one gives a damn about the movie I have in my head. It�s the movie that can be technically produced and come within or under budget, and, of course, it�s the movie that will sell that counts.�
In other words, Chuck Sterin is a realist when it comes to producing creative works that are to be sold. �It would be really gratifying if I were to create a story from my own ideas and that story is sold with little deviance from what I have imagined. But I am a realist. I am a professional storyteller, and as such, I am a team player. I am not really a fan of science fiction, but if I have to produce a science fiction story, I can do that. Writing is how I make a living and I am not paid to be a sole operator.�
While he defines himself as a professional storyteller, critics refer to him as an award-winning documentary filmmaker, investigative television journalist, still photographer, author and screenwriter. He coproduced a national media project with 10 of the world�s leading humanist thinkers (including anthropologist Margaret Mead, psychologist Carl Rogers and anthropologist Ashley Montague). He was the coauthor, along with Richard Shames, M.D., of the trend-setting late 1970s holistic health primer �Healing With Mind Power� (Rodale Press) and numerous holistic health articles published in Rodale�s health and women�s magazines.
Chuck and Pauline Sterin moved to Pamlico County for more rest and relaxation � �We were working ourselves to death with no time for each other or ourselves.� They are still working.
Pauline has become active in a number of community civic affairs, recently paddling in the first annual Pamlico County Huntington�s Disease Awareness Paddleon Upper Broad Creek. Chuck is still creating movies in his head for translation into novels and screenplays, his boat for cruising and fishing always within sight. �I have not yet become as connected to the county as Pauline has, but that will come. Right now I have to work with the writing and marketing of the 'Hell Scrolls' trilogy.�
As for the anxiety of the interviewer, one photo session and one interview proved insufficient. One session helped settle the jitters while learning about Sterin�s professional accomplishments. A second meeting made it easier to explore the intense depth of his personality.
He leaves small margins for subjectively interpretation of where he stands. Sterin was called upon to help Bill Frisk, a surgeon, produce a scientific documentary. Frisk dropped the project to become a politician. Running for the U.S. Senate, Frisk asked Sterin to produce media for his campaign. Sterin told Frisk in no uncertain terms, �You are too conservative. If I were in the Senate, I would be voting the opposite way you would vote.�
Hell Scrolls, published by Connected Editions, is now available from amazon.com. The book chronicles the events following the murder of a filmmaker�s Chinese lover. The filmmaker, Carl Benjamin, is trapped in a web of espionage and Chinese organized crime. The novel crosses many international borders as Benjamin seeks to discover more about the secret past of his father who served in China and was recruited in 1949 by the Israeli Mossad.
In a chase almost reminiscent of a James Bond thriller, Benjamin and his friends are pursued across Europe and Southeast Asia by the sexually perverted daughter of the most powerful Chinese mob boss, the CIA, and by the unfinished legacies of their fathers. They use the coded messages within a set of Chinese Hell Scrolls to gain a fragile edge on their pursuers. Mystery, fast action and some rather explicit sex create a historically embraced suspense for which many readers thirst.
Reading stories from a professional storyteller is like listening to a symphony conducted by Zubin Mehta. Chuck Sterin is on a roll, a roll that started spinning decades ago, and it has never slowed.


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The Wild Hunt is community supported. We pay our writers and editors. We also have bills to pay to keep the news coming to you. If you can afford it, please consider a one-time donation - or become a monthly sustainer! Thank you for reading The Wild Hunt.
There are lots of articles and essays of interest to modern Pagans out there, sometimes more than I can write about in-depth in any given week. So The Wild Hunt must unleash the hounds in order to round them all up.
- A number of news outlets have focused on the story of Daniel LaPlante, a convicted murderer serving a life sentence in Massachusetts, who is suing the state for not allowing him items and foods he claims are necessary to practice his Wiccan faith. Quote: "In addition to oils, herbs, teas, and medallions, the lawsuit states Wiccan followers also need a certain type of cake each month. The cake is needed to "excite the senses." In January, carrot cake with frosting is required, and in February, chocolate cake with frosting is a must; however, LaPlante is asking the defendants to use a less liberal interpretation of the term "cake." […] LaPlante also requested 10 different types of fruits and nuts, baking soda, black salt, flour, honey, molasses, oatmeal, sea salt, and sugar. He is also requesting outdoor space versus the prison basement in order to perform certain Wiccan rituals, as well as a communal meal on feast days." I had no idea about this cake business. Have I been practicing Wicca wrong all this time? This is an issue I've touched on before, and a clear example of why Pagan organizations and clergy need to be more involved with prison chaplaincy.
- Religion News Service (RNS) interviews Candida Moss, a New Testament scholar at the University of Notre Dame, and author of "The Myth of Persecution: How Early Christians Invented a Story of Martyrdom." Quote: "I want to understand what, from the ancient Roman perspective, was the problem with Christians. The Romans tolerated lots of religious groups. They only really acted in situations where they thought the group was dangerous, and Christians talk about their new emperor Christ. They talk about how they cannot respect the Roman government. A lot of them say they won't join the military. They're very subversive. But this is a world where religious freedom isn't a right; it just doesn't exist as a concept yet." I've been reading this book, and so far it has been fascinating. An accessible counter-narrative to the mythologizing of Christian history.
- The UK is thinking of allowing humanist weddings, which would eliminate the need for a separate legally binding civil ceremony. Already legal and popular in Scotland, some worried that it will open the door to, gasp, legal Pagan ceremonies. Quote: "We have a fundamentally different marriage system to the one in Scotland, whilst they may be open to pagans, spiritualists and Jedi conducting marriages, we are not." However, considering the rise of Paganism in the UK, it no longer seems so far-fetched a notion.
- If you're a Witch, don't treat the interns poorly. Quote: "I ended up interning for a witch at an artist's nonprofit in an itty bitty town. She was actually a rat bone collecting, herb swirling, lighting sh** on fire demonness… AND a hot hot headed psychotic dick. Anyway, she took me to a beach one day, on company time, to tell me that she was in love with me but that I wasn't allowed to fuck her because it would be an abuse of power on her behalf."It gets worse.
- North Miami mayoral candidate Anna Pierre, an alleged former victim of Vodou-related threats, was apparently endorsed by Jesus Christ himself in the election (what a "get"). Sadly, she came in dead last. So either that Vodou was working, or Jesus didn't really want her to win. I guess she could always take up singing again?
- A new documentary, The Art of Disappearing, tells the story of Haitian Voodoo priest Amon Fremon, who visited the People's Republic of Poland in 1980. Quote: "What I did learn from the brief research I did on him, is that he believed that he was a descendant of Polish soldiers who were abandoned in Haiti, after the Haitian Revolution. They intermarried with Haitians, and may have established themselves at a settlement in Casales. And although they probably practiced Catholicism in the early days, some would later become practioners of Voodoo." Sounds interesting!
- The definition of who's an Indian in the United States is causing some heartache (and fiscal strain) as the implementation of the Affordable Care Act rolls out. Quote: "The definition of "Indian" in the section of the law that deals with the insurance exemption appears to be the same as the one in 25 USC § 450b. That means only members of federally recognized tribes and shareholders in Alaska Native regional or village corporations are considered "Indian." But that definition is narrower than the one found in the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, which was made permanent by the ACA. For example, California Indians with allotments have long been considered eligible for IHS care." A hearing is scheduled to address these concerns.
- Seattle pastor Mark Driscoll is becoming this generation's Pat Robertson. Quote: "He's been heavily criticized by Christian voices across the spectrum, and according to reports, several attendees at the Catalyst Conference in Dallaswalked out during his talk. He's even being marginalized by some Reformed Christians (i.e. Calvinists) who precipitated his rise to prominence. "I'm not a Mark Driscoll kind of Calvinist," some have remarked to me." There's good money in being a divisive lightning rod if you can withstand the weather.
- StudioCanal has initiated a worldwide search for long-missing footage from the 1973 cult-classic film "The Wicker Man." Quote: "Director Robin Hardy has endorsed a worldwide appeal launched by StudioCanal to locate original film materials relating to cult horror classic The Wicker Man. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the film about a policeman (Edward Woodward) sent to a remote island village in search of a missing girl, whom the townsfolk claim never existed. It also stars Christopher Lee. StudioCanal intends to mark the occasion by releasing the 'most complete version of the film possible'." There's a special Facebook page created for the hunt. There have been a number of attempts to get at the "original" directors cut, with an "extended" version released in 2001 (and later packed in a deluxe box set). I'd love to see a high-quality restored director's cut.
- "Evil spiritual entities" is not a real diagnosis. There's no evidence base.
- Druid leader King Arthur Pendragon (no, not that Arthur Pendragon) is protesting plans to display human remains at the Stonehenge visitors center in England. Quote: "This is out of step with the feelings of many of the people and groups I represent, who would rather the ancient dead were reburied and left to rest in peace and, where appropriate, samples kept for research and copies put on display […] We shall not take this development lightly and will oppose any such intention by English Heritage at Stonehenge. I cannot rule out non-violent direct action against the proposals." As I've noted before on this site, there is no consensus among British Pagans on this issue, with many, most notably Pagans for Archeology, opposed to the reburial of ancient human remains. Read more about King Arthur, here.
That's it for now! Feel free to discuss any of these links in the comments, some of these I may expand into longer posts as needed.


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Success Stories
From GNUstepWiki
←Older revision | Newer revision→
Apportable is a mobile platform for porting applications from iOS to Android. Apportable has used GNUstep to port many well known apps from the iOS app store to all kinds of Android based devices.
Created by TestPlant, eggPlant is an application which is used by developers for user interface testing. It is an image based testing program which includes an integrated VNC client which can connect to other machines which are running VNC servers to run it's scripts against them using it's scripting language known as SenseTalk.
GNUspeech an extensible, text-to-speech package, based on real-time, articulatory, speech-synthesis-by-rules. That is, it converts text strings into phonetic descriptions, aided by a pronouncing dictionary, letter-to-sound rules, rhythm and intonation models; transforms the phonetic descriptions into parameters for a low-level articulatory synthesiser; and uses these to drive an articulatory model of the human vocal tract producing an output suitable for the normal sound output devices.
Cenon is a vector graphics tool with a wide range of applications. It is built upon a modular graphical core, and offers a variety of applications beyond desktop publishing. Cenon can convert, import, and export many graphics formats. The modular concept allows the extension of Cenon for specialized applications.
RailML Editor
The RailML Editor was ported to GNUstep from OPENSTEP. The RailML.org Initiative attempts to facilitate communication between railway applications. RailML Editor is one of the many applications that follow the railML standard.
NetMage is a client-server system developed completely in GNUstep and Objective-C and running on GNU/Linux and other flavors of *nix. It is used internally by the companies NETLAB and GTS Nextra for collective monitoring and administering of long-range synchronous radio telecommunications links.
Some screenshots:
1. NetMage with the login screen visible and a list of available synchronous networks to connect to:
2. NetMage showing a network of radio links in a synchronous network:
3. NetMage showing the settings of a modular link multiplexer along with a list of available interface cards:
Please consider the above screenshots licensed under the FDL - I provide them in good faith for the endorsement of GNUstep, not for any profit (we don't sell the above mentioned software anyways...).


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H - Heated Heart:
Select 1 face-up monster on your side of the field to activate this card. Increase the ATK of that monster by 500 points. During battle between that attacking card and a Defense Position monster whose DEF is lower than the ATK of that card, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent's Life Points. These effects continue until the end of the turn.
SP = Short Print (Common);
SSP = Super Short Print (Common);
DNPR = Duel Terminal Normal Parallel Rare;
DRPR = Duel Terminal Rare Parallel Rare;
DSPR = Duel Terminal Super Parallel Rare;
DUPR = Duel Terminal Ultra Parallel Rare;
|No comments yet for this card.


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Parts & Service
Big Valley Nursery is your source for parts & service! Call or stop in today to schedule a service appointment or order parts!
Parts Identification
Look up the parts you need to contact us at (877) 887-9619 and we can do it for you. We offer competitive pricing on parts and maintain a large inventory. We can also quickly complete the repair to get you back to work fast.
Click on a logo to look up parts for the brand.


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Merle Armitage Papers
Set designer, impresario, co-founder and manager of the Los Angeles Grand Opera Association, president of the American Institute of Graphic Arts, art director of Look and Quick magazines, and book designer. Correspondence, typescripts of Accent on Life and George Gershwin: Man and Legend, and files on other projects.
Repository: University of Iowa Special Collections


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2.OA.1 – Use addition and subtraction within 100 to solve one- and two-step word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions, e.g., by using drawings and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem. (See Glossary, Table 1. http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards/mathematics/glossary/glossary/ )
Samples: Adding multiples of 10. Split Strategy. Add On Numbers Under10. Jump Strategy.
2.NBT.5 – Fluently add and subtract within 100 using strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction.
Samples: Place value - 'Adding On' single digit numbers. Place value - Two digit addition without trading.
2.NBT.6 – Add up to four two-digit numbers using strategies based on place value and properties of operations.
Samples: Adding three single digit numbers. Adding On 10 - Blocks as visual cues.
Number and place value
ACMNA055 – Recall addition facts for single-digit numbers and related subtraction facts to develop increasingly efficient mental strategies for computation
Samples: Adding three numbers. Add three numbers - each under 6. Adding three single digit numbers.
3.NA.3 – Continue spatial patterns and number patterns based on simple addition or subtraction.
Samples: Add single digit numbers. Addition to 20. Single digit addition: Activity 1. Counting Forwards By 10. Make 10. Make 10.
3.NA.1 – Apply basic addition facts and knowledge of place value and symmetry to:
3.NA.1.a – Combine or partition whole numbers
Samples: Write numbers – to 1000. Reading numbers – to 1000. Comparing numbers – to 1000. Ordinal numbers.
4.NA.3 – Create and continue spatial patterns and number patterns based on repeated addition or subtraction.
Samples: Add single digit numbers. Addition to 20. Counting Forwards By 10. Make 10. Single digit addition (missing number).
4.NA.1 – Apply basic addition and subtraction facts, simple multiplication facts, and knowledge of place value and symmetry to:
4.NA.1.a – Combine or partition whole numbers
Samples: Ordinal numbers. Odd or Even amounts. Even numbers to 20 - equations. Place Values. Place value 100.
5.NA.3 – Describe spatial and number patterns, using rules that involve spatial features, repeated addition or subtraction, and simple multiplication.
Samples: Single Digit Addition Match. Place value - 'Adding On' single digit numbers.
5.NA.1 – Apply additive and simple multiplicative strategies and knowledge of symmetry to:
5.NA.1.a – Combine or partition whole numbers
Samples: Reading numbers – to 10,000. Write numbers – to 10,000. Comparing numbers – to 10,000.
KS2.Y3.N.AS – Number - addition and subtraction
Pupils should be taught to:
KS2.Y3.N.AS.2 – Add and subtract numbers with up to 3 digits, using formal written methods of columnar addition and subtraction
Samples: Addition Of Five Digit Numbers. Add within 1000. Split Strategy. Jump Strategy.
KS2.Y3.N.AS.1 – Add and subtract numbers mentally, including:
KS2.Y3.N.AS.1.b: a three-digit number and 10s
Samples: Subtract Multiples Of 10. Add On multiples of 10. Split Strategy. Subtracting from 100 - Using adding on.


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An Introduction to Native North America
Allyn and Bacon, 2000 - Aleuts - 404 pages
""An Introduction to Native North America" provides a basic introduction to the Native Peoples of North America, including both Eskimos and Indians." Beginning with a discussion of the geography of North America, this excellent book delves into the history of research, basic prehistory, the European invasion, and the impact of Europeans on Native cultures. A final chapter covers contemporary Native Americans, including issues of religion, health, and politics. Much of the book is also written from the perspective of the ethnographic present, and the various cultures are described as they were at the specific times noted in the book." For anyone interested in anthropology and the history of North America and Native Peoples of North America.
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Native Peola
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agriculture Aleut and/or animals Apache Arctic arrows bands Basin Basin groups became began bison California canoes ceremonies Cherokee Cheyenne chief Chumash clans clothing communal complex conducted corn Cree crops culture Dance deer disease early eastern economic Eskimo European fish Handbook of North Hohokam Hopi horses houses hunter-gatherers hunters hunting important Indians Inuit Iroquois kachinas killed kiva lakes land language large numbers lived located major male mammals moved Natchez Native American native groups Navajo Nez Perce North America northern Northern Paiute Northwest Coast Orayvi organized Ottawa Owens Valley Owens Valley Paiute Paleoindian Pawnees Plains groups plants political population Pueblo Quebec Inuit region relatively reservation rivers shamans Sioux Sitting Bull skins social society southern Southwest Spanish Subarctic summer supernatural Tarahumara territory tion town trade traditional tribes United usually village warfare winter women Woods Cree wore World Yokuts


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English, est. 1756
Dinner Service, c. 1806–1820
bone china
(ab) soup tureen; lid: 9 x 37.5 x 30.5 cm; (c) platter: 4 x 26.7 x 19.9 cm; (d) platter: 4 x 26.7 x 19.9 cm; (e) platter: 4 x 26.7 x 19.9 cm; (f) platter: 3.8 x 32.2 x 23.6 cm; (g) platter: 4.1 x 32.2 x 23.6 cm; (h) platter: 5.6 x 37.6 x 28.3 cm; (i) plat
Collection of the Winnipeg Art Gallery; Gift of Drs. Morris C. and Jacqui F.C. Shumiatcher
2003-97 a-vv
Ceramic, Decorative Arts Ceramic
This impressive Derby dinner service is typical of the Japanese-inspired wares the factory produced in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The pattern, Old Crown Derby Rose, is one of a number of patterns influenced by Japanese Imari, a decorative treatment of dense patterns—often inspired by ornate brocades—and produced predominantly in rich reds, blues, and gilding. Established in 1756, Derby rose to prominence among the British potteries and, next to Worcester, was considered the foremost porcelain factory in eighteenth century England. Its success was largely due to William Duesbury (1725–1786) who led the pottery in the eighteenth century, expanding its holdings and workforce with the acquisition of both the Bow and Chelsea potteries in the 1770s.
Gallery Hours
- Tuesday 11am-5pm
- Wednesday 11am-5pm
- Thursday 11am-5pm
- Friday 11am-9pm
- Saturday 11am-5pm
- Sunday 11am-5pm
- Closed Monday


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text: Bill Clinton (1946 – ) [cite this] More images » Life in Brief: William Jefferson Clinton, the young President from Hope, Arkansas, succeeded where no other Democrat had since Franklin Roosevelt: he was reelected to a second term. Clinton also defied his critics by surviving an array of personal scandals, turning… more life in brief » Essays about Bill Clinton Life in Brief Life in Brief: William Jefferson Clinton, the young President from Hope, Arkansas, succeeded where no other Democrat had since Franklin Roosevelt: he was reelected to a second term. Clinton also defied his critics by surviving an array of personal scandals, turning the greatest fiscal deficit in American history i… Life Before the Presidency Life Before the Presidency: William Jefferson Clinton spent the first six years of his life in Hope, Arkansas, where he was born on August 19, 1946. His father, William Jefferson Blythe, had died in an auto accident several months before his mother, Virginia Cassidy Blythe, gave birth to the future President. Raised in the hom… Campaigns and Elections Campaigns and Elections: The Campaign and Election of 1992: Bill Clinton easily defeated the leading Democratic contenders in the 1992 primaries, despite charges about having avoided the Vietnam draft and his rumored affairs with women. He dealt with the infidelity issue on national television in an interview in which he a…Domestic Affairs Domestic Affairs: Bill Clinton began his transition into the presidency promising to focus "like a laser beam" on the economic needs of the nation: unemployment, the runaway deficit, the health care crisis, and welfare reform. On all fronts but one, health care reform, he succeeded significantly but not com…Foreign Affairs Foreign Affairs: Bill Clinton came into office with relatively little experience in foreign affairs. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the uncertainties of the post-Cold War world produced a number of foreign policy crises which challenged Clinton's abilities as a statesman. Missteps in Somalia, Rwanda, …Life After the Presidency Life After the Presidency: After Bill Clinton left the White House, he moved to Chappaqua, New York, the home-base of that state's junior member of the United States Senate, Hillary Clinton. The former President keeps an office in New York City and maintains an active speaking schedule. His energies are devoted to tw…Family Life Family Life: While Hillary Rodham Clinton's activism as First Lady resulted in probably the highest public profile ever accorded a presidential spouse, the Clintons were deeply protective of the privacy of their only child, Chelsea. Chelsea, whose name came from the popular 1960's song, "Chelsea M…The American Franchise The American Franchise: The population of the country exceeded 280 million people during the Clinton presidency. According to the 2000 census, there were in the United States 72 million children, 174 million working-age adults (18-64), and 35 million persons ages 65 and over. The U.S. population was 69.1 percent wh…Impact and Legacy Impact and Legacy: The Clinton presidency is still with the nation in ways that make it difficult to draw sound judgments about its lasting historical legacy. However, scholars are beginning to focus on some aspects of his administration in which Clinton's historical importance might be significant. For example, C… About His Administration First Lady Hillary Clinton Vice President Albert Gore, Jr. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright (1997–2001) Warren M. Christopher (1993–1997) Secretary of Defense William Cohen (1997–2001) William J. Perry (1994–1997) Les Aspin (1993–1994) Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt (1993–2001) Attorney General Janet Reno (1993–2001) Secretary of the Treasury Lawrence Summers (1999–2001) Robert Rubin (1995–1999) Lloyd Bentsen (1993–1994) Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala (1993–2001) Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman (1997–2001) Robert Reich (1993–1997) Secretary of Commerce Norman Y. Mineta (2000–2001) William Daley (1997–2000) Michael Kantor (1996–1997) Ronald Brown (1993–1996) Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman (1995–2001) Michael Espy (1993–1994) Secretary of Education Richard Riley (1993–2001) Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson (1998–2001) Frederico Peña (1997–1998) Hazel O'Leary (1993–1997) Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Andrew Cuomo (1997–2001) Henry Cisneros (1993–1997) Secretary of Transportion Rodney Slater (1997–2001) Frederico Peña (1993–1997) Secretary of Veterans Affairs Hershel Gober (2000–2001) Togo West (1998–2000) Jesse Brown (1993–1998) William J. Clinton Presidential History Project Alan Blinder Sidney Blumenthal Robert Rubin Warren Christopher and Strobe Talbott Alice Rivlin view all interviews » Facts about Bill Clinton Term: 42nd President of the United States (1993 – 2001) Born: August 19, 1946, Hope, Arkansas Political Party: Democrat Education: Georgetown University (1968), attended Oxford University (1968–1970), Yale Law School (1973) Religion: Baptist Marriage: October 11, 1975, to Hillary Rodham Children: Chelsea Victoria (1980) Career: Lawyer, public official WritingsPutting People First (1992); Between Hope and History (1996) Bill Clinton Image Gallery More images » Featured video: First Inaugural Address (January 20, 1993) Presidential Speech Archive Citation Information Consulting Editor Russell L. Riley Professor Riley is co-chair of the Presidential Oral History Program and project director of the William J. Clinton Presidential History Project. His writings include: The Presidency and the Politics of Racial Inequality: Nation-Keeping from 1831–1965 (Columbia University Press, 1999) George W. Bush » « George H. W. Bush American President has changed! Click here to take a short survey and tell us what you think!


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Gaiser Student Center
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The Cannell Library provides services and borrowin..
Cooking & Wine School Kitchen
A beautiful, state-of-the-art kitchen at Clark Col..
Chime Tower – Cannell Library – Andersen Plaza
Welcome to the heart of Clark College's main campu..
Penguin Union Building
The Penguin Union Building (PUB) is the focus of s..
O'Connell Fitness Center
At the Thompson Fitness Center, students and commu..
Clark College Nursing Program
Clark College has the largest associate degree nur..
Diesel Technology
In the Diesel Technology lab at Clark College, stu..
From jazz and theater to lectures and multicultural celebrations, the Gaiser Student Center hosts hundreds of student-focused events each year. Just steps away from the Penguin Union Building, the Gaiser Student Center is also a great place for students to meet, greet, and eat.
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Hubble Space Telescope Images of a Bright Star in the Large Magellanic Cloud
These three images are of a very bright (Wolf-Rayet) star, Melnick 34, located in the giant star-forming region called 30 Doradus in the Large Magellanic Cloud. In the background are a number of fainter stars that are comparable in brightness to our Sun.
A ground-based telescope captured the image at left. Hubble's first-generation visible-light camera, the Wide Field and Planetary Camera, snapped the center picture before the telescope's blurred vision was corrected. The image at right was taken by Hubble's new visible-light camera, the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2, which is equipped with a corrective optics system. In this new image the star appears sharper, and a larger number of fainter stars are visible.


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The Central Connecticut men's golf team currently has a one stroke cushion at the Yale/Macdonald Cup leading the 15-team field (two teams from Yale will be competing) after a round one score of 279. St. John's trails Central by one stroke after marking down a 280 Saturday.
Central's 279 on Saturday marks the team's season low round score so far in 2012. St. John's is currently in second place, host Yale and nationally-ranked Notre Dame are tied for third, and Hartford and Harvard round out the top-five sharing the fifth spot.
The par-70 course is playing 6,749 yards long. The tournament began on Saturday, September 29th and will finish up on Sunday, September 30th.
Sophomroe Monte Mullen leads the individual field after carding a season best 66 (-4) round one score. Mullen is one stroke ahead of teammate senior Dan Fanion and Will Davenport of Yale who both scored a 67. The sophomore fired an impressive 32 on the front end of his first round then followed that with a 34.
Fanion also broke 70 on day one penciling in a 67 (-3), giving him a second place tie behind Mullen. Fanion's 67 also gives him his season low round score so far in 2012. Fanion mirrored Mullen on the first nine of his day recording a 32 and ended his round one 18 with a 35.
Seniors Matthew DeJohn and Greg Beloin are both tied for 34th place after Saturday. Each shot identical scores of 73 (+3) and wrote in a 37 and a 36 to complete their first 18 of the tournament.
Sophomore Kevin Jud made his 2012 debut for the Blue Devils Saturday. He opened up with a 76 (+6) and is tied for 63rd.
The only other Northeast Conference school in competition this weekend is Sacred Heart. Central leads the 15th place Pioneers by a total of 18 strokes. Central was one of three teams in round one to have two golfers break 70.
Round two tournament action will kick off on Sunday morning. Sunday's round will be the conclusion of the tournament.


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Biological Sciences
Research Highlights
May 2012
Annotating Plague with Proteogenomics
Multifaceted strategies help refine annotations of three Yersinia strains
3D representation of Yersina pestis, the cause of bubonic plague. Enlarge Image
Results: Strains of bacteria from the genus Yersinia are infectious and virulent: Y. pseudotuberculosis causes intestinal distress, and Y. pestis causes the plague. To better understand and potentially design ways to mitigate Yersinia's effects on human health, researchers from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the J. Craig Venter Institute, and the University of Texas Medical Branch took on the task of refining the genome maps of three Yersinia strains. They used the proteome and transcriptome, collections of proteins and transcripts in the bacteria, to discover new information about the genome. Their results appear in PLoS ONE.
The data confirmed the validity of nearly 40% of the computationally predicted genes and discovered 28 novel proteins expressed under conditions relevant to infections. In addition, 68 previously identified protein-coding sequences were shown to be invalid.
"These findings showed that previous studies by the Yersinia research community, while correct, did not reach their full potential," said Dr. Alexandra Rutledge, former PNNL postdoctoral researcher and first author of the paper. "This can be compared to trying to solve a puzzle that has missing pieces. The annotations refined in our work represent the next step toward a total fulfillment of the Yersinia puzzle."
Why It Matters: This new multi-faceted approach layers several types of evidence and substantially improves the genome annotation process. Importantly, the team's work established refined genome annotations that provide essential information needed for a better understanding of how the plague functions, may provide new targets for therapeutics, and should speed the characterization of other pathogenic bacteria.
Methods: The team used proteomic and microarray data to study three related pathogenic Yersinia strains: Y. pseudotuberculosis and two strains of Y. pestis. Each bacterium was grown under conditions relevant to disease, and samples were collected over time. Each proteomic sample was subjected to protease digestion, strong cation exchange fractionation, and mass spectrometry analysis. Peptide data were searched against translations of all six possible reading frames of each genome using SEQUEST® software to identify the proteins present in each bacteria sample.
What's Next? The improved genome annotations are enabling the scientists to perform more complete proteomics and transcriptomics work at PNNL's Center for Systems Biology of EnteroPathogens, a multi-institution center established to deepen fundamental understanding of the complex processes of microbes and their interactions with the host. More holistic analyses of plague biology should facilitate new strategies to prevent and treat bacterial pathogens.
Reference: Rutledge AC, MB Jones, S Chauhan, SO Purvine, J Sanford, ME Monroe, HM Brewer, SH Payne, C Ansong, BC Frank, RD Smith, S Peterson, VL Motin, and JN Adkins. 2012. "Comparative Omics-Driven Genome Annotation Refinement: Application across Yersiniae." PLoS One 7(3):e33903. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0033903.
Acknowledgments: This research was performed at the Center for Systems Biology of Enteropathogens at PNNL, which is funded by the Department of Health and Human Services/National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases through Interagency agreement Y1-A1-8401. Proteomics capabilities were developed with support from the Department of Energy Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER) and the NIH National Center for Research Resources. Portions of this work were performed at EMSL, a national BER scientific user facility located at PNNL.
The research team includes Alexandra C. Schrimpe-Rutledge, Joshua N. Adkins, Samuel O. Purvine, James A. Sanford, Matthew E. Monroe, Heather M. Brewer, Samuel H. Payne, Charles Ansong, and Richard D. Smith, all PNNL; Marcus B. Jones, Bryan C. Frank, and Scott N. Peterson, the J Craig Venter Institute; and Sadhana Chauhan and Vladimir L. Motin, University of Texas Medical Branch.