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The Windows Azure Platform has a rich diagnostics infrastructure to enable logging and performance monitoring in the cloud.
When you run a cloud app locally in the DevFabric you can view diagnostics trace output in the console window that is part of the DevFabric UI. For example, say I have the line
System.Diagnostics.Trace.TraceInformation("Old Trace called at {0}.", DateTime.Now);
That line gives a result like this in the DevFabric UI:
If you can't see the DevFabric UI, you can enable it here after starting your cloud app from Visual Studio:
Using the DevFabric UI is the most basic form of viewing Trace output. Looking at each individual console window doesn't really scale well if you have many instances and, furthermore, the console window of an instance is not available in the cloud. For this, there is a special TraceListener derived class: Microsoft.WindowsAzure.Diagnostics.DiagnosticMonitorTraceListener. It sends the trace output to a Windows Azure diagnostics monitor process that is able to store the messages in Windows Azure Storage. Here is a look at a trace message using the Azure Storage Explorer:
This trace listener is enabled through web.config:
<system.diagnostics> <sources> <source name="Diag"> <listeners> <add name="AzureDiagnostics" /> </listeners> </source> </sources> <sharedListeners> <add type="Microsoft.WindowsAzure.Diagnostics.DiagnosticMonitorTraceListener, Microsoft.WindowsAzure.Diagnostics, Version=184.108.40.206, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35" name="AzureDiagnostics" /> </sharedListeners> <trace> <listeners> <add name="AzureDiagnostics" /> </listeners> </trace> </system.diagnostics>
You can also see a message "TraceSource called at …". This message was output using a TraceSource instance:
private static readonly TraceSource ts = new System.Diagnostics.TraceSource("Diag", SourceLevels.All);
protected void TraceMeButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) { ts.TraceEvent(TraceEventType.Information, 2, "TraceSource called at {0}.", DateTime.Now); System.Diagnostics.Trace.TraceInformation("Old Trace called at {0}.", DateTime.Now); }
However, note that a similar message "TraceSource called at …" didn't show up in the DevFabric UI. You might wonder what is going on. And you might wonder why I want to use a TraceSource instead of Trace? Because this MSDN article states:
One of the new features in the .NET Framework version 2.0 is an enhanced tracing system. The basic premise is unchanged: tracing messages are sent through switches to listeners, which report the data to an associated output medium. A primary difference for version 2.0 is that traces can be initiated through instances of the TraceSource class. TraceSource is intended to function as an enhanced tracing system and can be used in place of the static methods of the older Trace and Debug tracing classes. The familiar Trace and Debug classes still exist, but the recommended practice is to use the TraceSource class for tracing.
Also check out this blog post.
The reason you don't see the message for the TraceSource in the DevFabric UI is that the DevFabric magically adds a special TraceListener for the "old fashioned" Trace class, but not for your TraceSource instance. I put together a cloud app solution (Visual Studio 2010) that shows this through a simple web role. This web role has the configuration you see above in its web.config file. If you run this simple web role in the DevFabric you'll see:
Note that Trace has a Microsoft.ServiceHosting.Tools.DevelopmentFabric.Runtime.DevelopmentFabricTraceListener instance registered, while the TraceSource hasn't. To remedy this, I've created a small class that adds a DevFabricTraceListener to a TraceSource if it is registered for Trace:
public static class TraceSourceFixer { private const string DevFabricTraceListenerFullName = "Microsoft.ServiceHosting.Tools.DevelopmentFabric.Runtime.DevelopmentFabricTraceListener"; public static void AddDevFabricTraceListener(TraceSource traceSource) { var alreadyInTraceSource = GetDevFabricTraceListeners(traceSource.Listeners); if (alreadyInTraceSource.Count() > 0) return; var alreadyInTrace = GetDevFabricTraceListeners(Trace.Listeners); var devFabricTraceListener = alreadyInTrace.FirstOrDefault(); if (devFabricTraceListener != null) { traceSource.Listeners.Add(devFabricTraceListener); } } private static IEnumerable<TraceListener> GetDevFabricTraceListeners(TraceListenerCollection listeners) { var result = from TraceListener listener in listeners.Cast<TraceListener>() where IsDevFabricTraceListener(listener) select listener; return result; } private static bool IsDevFabricTraceListener(TraceListener listener) { return (listener.GetType().FullName == DevFabricTraceListenerFullName); } }
This helper class gets called when you press the Register DevFabric Listener button. If you click the Trace Me button after that, you'll see two trace messages show up in the DevFabric UI:
You can download my solution DiagnosticsService.zip to try it yourself.


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Boneshaker – Reaction
Let me begin by stating that I thoroughly enjoyed Boneshaker. I didn't know much about it before purchasing it other than it was steampunk and it kept getting mentioned in the various places I tend to lurk on the internet. … Continue reading
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The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority plans to issue a revised proposal on membership requirements after the self-regulator received pushback from the industry during its first attempt.
In 2010, FINRA issued Regulatory Notice 10-01, which quickly generated responses from the industry arguing, among other things, that the changes "were vague, overbroad, and would be unduly burdensome unless FINRA revised the language," says David Bellaire, the Financial Services Institute's (FSI) executive vice president and general counsel.
Bellaire says that while FINRA "did not include many specifics" in its Feb. 14 statement about when or whether it would reissue the proposal, "we're hopeful that FINRA has addressed the issues" FSI raised.
Richard Ketchum, FINRA's CEO, noted in a statement regarding FINRA's Board of Governors' February meeting that the board "authorized FINRA to publish a Regulatory Notice soliciting comment on the proposed consolidated FINRA membership rules." While not providing specifics, FINRA said the revised proposal "includes changes in response to comments on the prior proposal."
"The proposal also includes additional rule provisions to address regulatory issues identified by the staff and to codify existing membership-related interpretations and practices," FINRA said, "thereby promoting understanding of the membership process."
In its 2010 comment letter, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) told FINRA that its proposal to transfer the existing NASD membership rules into the Consolidated FINRA Rulebook "would require substantially greater information and disclosures than what is required under existing NASD rules for new membership applications (NMAs) and would expand the categories of business change events that would trigger a continuing membership application (CMA)."
FINRA also proposed in 2010 an "entirely new rule" that would impose an advance written notification requirement for broad categories of business events that do not currently trigger a CMA or other notice to the FINRA staff, SIMFA said. "Although SIFMA agrees in principle with FINRA's stated goals of streamlining the standards of review for NMAs and CMAs, clarifying certain administrative aspects of the membership application process (MAP), and updating or eliminating outdated terminology," SIFMA said it was "seriously concerned about the business impact of the new advance notification requirements found in proposed FINRA Rule 1170."
SIFMA said at the time it was also "troubled by the apparent breadth of two new evaluation standards for FINRA NMAs and CMAs." One such standard would require "FINRA staff to determine that an applicant's funding sources are 'not objectionable' and the other would require FINRA staff to consider the disciplinary histories for all of an applicant's affiliates in evaluating whether the applicant is capable of complying with the laws and rules governing member firms, not just those affiliates that control the applicant."


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UPDATE: Seems separate-but-equal prom is generating some bad publicity for Hate-ville, Indiana. Students, parents and teachers at Sullivan High School in Sullivan, Indiana are upset that gay couples might come to their prom, and that's a bad thing.
So they're planning their own separate-but-equal "traditional prom" where, just like in the olden days, closeted gay and lesbian teens will attend with beards who later can't understand why their dates refuse to put out.
Ah, tradition.
From a video posted on the MyWabashValley Web site, we hear from Diana Medley, a special education teacher in town who supports the separate-but-equal prom:
REPORTER: You know, the gay person, do you consider them, maybe, they have some sort of purpose in life?
DIANA MEDLEY: I don't. I personally don't, I'm sorry. I just, I don't understand it.
More from Medley, via the new story at the same link:
Diana Medley is a special education teacher in town. She doesn't believe anyone is born gay.
"I believe that it was life circumstances and they chose to be that way; God created everyone equal," said Medley.
"Homosexual students come to me with their problems, and I don't agree with them, but I care about them. It's the same thing with my special needs kids, I think God puts everyone in our lives for a reason," said Madley.
Actually, "traditionally" we didn't let inter-racial couples go to prom either. So let's be clear what this is really about. It's not about tradition. It's about hate and bigotry and discrimination and homophobia.
Though my favorite quote from the video goes to a local pastor supporting the anti-gay prom movement, Bill Phegley from the Carlisle Church. The article cleaned up his quote. But if you watch the video, it's quite a different quote, and telling. And I quote, verbatim:
"Christians always been prepared for a fight. But Jesus Christ give us armor for the front, not the back, we aren't runnin' no more."
And mind you, this is the way Phegley speaks on camera during a TV interview, which is usually when people speak at their most formal.
I'm not poking fun at the man. Hardly. I'm suggesting that ignorance, as always, is the root of all hate.
One final note. I will that I was surprised, and pleased, by this post over at Red State, one of the lead conservative blogs. While I've found a good number of the top conservative bloggers to be quite good on gay issues, Red State's Erick Erickson has been a bit of an outlier (read: bigot). So it was nice to see Breeanne Howe write a diary on Red State about this topic that's pretty darn good. Here's a bit of her piece:
Local pastors have also shown support for the anti-gay prom. Of course anyone that is actually familiar with the Bible knows that what this group is proposing could not be further from the mission of Jesus.
Yes, in Matthew 19:4-5, Jesus reaffirms the Old Testament truth that marriage is between one man and one woman. The Bible also states in Leviticus 18:22 that to practice homosexuality is a sin. However, overwhelmingly throughout his life Jesus made clear that he came with a message of love for all. In fact, Luke 5:32 tell us:
I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.
Further, it was the sinners with which Jesus broke bread. He admonished the Pharisees for their belief that they were better than others and without sin. Clearly holy huddles were not Jesus' style. From the prostitute Mary Magdalene to Judas, the man whose betrayal would lead to him on the cross, Jesus excluded no one. Had he excluded sinners, Jesus would have found himself alone; because the fact is that no one, including folks in Sullivan, Indiana, is without sin. Lest certain groups think their sins are less than the sins of others, the Bible is clear on that issue as well. Romans 3:23 states, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." And is the result of sin different depending on the sin? No, Romans goes on to explain in verse 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." All sin leads to the same place, separation from God. Through Christ alone we are saved.
Those in Sullivan should be ashamed of themselves. Not only are they completely misrepresenting how Christians should behave, but they are giving those that haven't had the opportunity to know Jesus a horrible and wrong impression of his word.
Yes, she quotes the anti-gay Bible stuff (and I'm pretty sure Jesus himself didn't affirm anything about homosexuality.) But she gets two points for standing up to the bigots. And that's not nothing.
Here's the entire news broadcast (h/t New Civil Rights Movement):


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Friday, August 23, 2013
New online tool shows you what individual health insurance costs next year in WA
We've built a new online tool to help you find out what health care plans will cost next year. Simply click on the map -- premiums vary by where you live -- and it will tell you which insurance carriers are offering coverage in your area. You can click on each company to see its rates, which vary based on your age.
A couple of caveats: These rates are mainly for the individual market, meaning people who have to buy insurance for themselves, and don't get it through an employer, Medicare, etc.
Also, the rates do factor in the subsidies that will be available to some people. Those subsidies will reduce the cost of coverage substantially for many people. You can estimate how much you'll pay, with subsidies taken into account, by using this online calculator from the Washington HealthPlanFinder.
Lastly, the list of health plans is likely to grow over the next couple of months. We are still reviewing plans, for example, for multiple insurance carriers that have filed to sell coverage outside the state exchange. And some plans that were rejected for the Exchange have filed appeals. So stay tuned.
Posted by Anonymous at 4:48 PM
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Rachel Dumbolton
Class of 2013
Major/Minor: International Studies
I am from Liberty, Missouri, home of some of the best Bar-B-Q in the country. I love Europe, which of course is where I am planning on concentrating and studying abroad. I have been abroad before with People-To-People Student Ambassador Programs. I have been to England, Ireland, Wales, Italy and Greece. I love traveling it is one of my favorite things to do even if it is just a road trip. One thing that I like to do when I am in another country is that I like to go see either a native dance or a drama production. I have done dance since I was 3 and for a while was a professional ballet dancer, so dance and drama have been a major part of my life. I am trying to learn Spanish; I eventually want to learn Italian also. I really have no idea what I want to do when I grow up. I know that I want a job where I am out talking with people and not just sitting behind a desk all day
Campus Involvement
- Major: International Studies
- Concentration: Western Europe
- Greek Life: Zeta Tau Alpha
- Admissions tour guide
Hometown and high school? Liberty, MO/ Liberty HS


text:
This week's Tenant of the Week !
Casey Peterson
I was lucky enough to learn how to sew in my middle school and have more or less kept it up over the years. Last summer, I started making a quilt for myself and brought my sewing machine to school with the intent of finishing the quilt during the school year. That did not happen, but as people commented on my old Singer machine and expressed interest in learning how to sew, I had a new idea. I contacted the costume department at the CFA about creating an abstract quilt out of recycled fabric. They willingly donated a massive amount of fabric they were going to otherwise throw out as well as a second sewing machine. I set up my space at the Old Stone Mill, put up signs around campus, and sent out a bunch of e-mails. Throughout the semester, about 10 volunteers came down to learn how to sew (if they didn't know already) and help me make my quilt. We had a lot of fun, and I'm really pleased with the way the quilt came out. It's truly the product of many fabrics and many hands. It will be put on display in The Grille sometime next week!


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HONK Jr! [Review]
A musical about ducks and one ugly goose pursued by a hungry cat, Honk! Jr. is on stage Friday and Saturday, March 22-23 at Patrick Henry Middle School.
Now, it's not my line of expertise to write a review of a play. However, this particular production had a special interest for me. Our good friends have their children in the Hans Christian Andersen classic tale.
This musical-comedy has been performed numerous times around the country in large venues with professional singers and actors but last nights production here in Sioux Falls was all I needed to learn about the future of musical theater. And this young cast gave me a sense of pride of what we have right here in our community.
From The Joy of Motherhood to Hold Your Head Up High, from The Wild Goose Chase to Warts and All and The Transformation, HONK! Jr. had us laughing and clapping at the poetic dialogue. Plus, making our eyes well-up when an outcast is bullied.
The true beauty in this play is the message brought out by middle high students that get it.
HONK! Jr. 7:00pm Friday, March 22 and 2:00pm Saturday, March 23 at Patrick Henry Middle School.


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GCF Monthly Meeting
MONDAY, November 3, 2014 at 7:30 pm
The GCF Monthly Meeting will be held on MONDAY, November 3, 2014 at 7:30 pm .
Quality Inn
151 North Douglas Avenue
Altamonte Springs, Florida 32714
West side of I-4, north of Semoran Boulevard (SR 436), the property is right on I-4 and Douglas Avenue.
After going over the westbound overpass across I-4, turn north (right) at the first traffic light, which is Douglas Avenue.
There is a gas station on the corner, then a steakhouse, then Quality Inn.


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The Celtics eked out a six-point win in OT over the Wizards, but the close call unleashed something deep inside Kevin Garnett, something about how a team plays and whatever tenuous comparison that may hold to how a cable company operates and the very nature of advertisements, DVRs, and ... ah, we'll let SB Nation's Paul Flannery take it from here. Here's what Garnett had to say postgame, per Flannery's notes:
You can't speed chemistry up. The more you practice, the more you get familiar with each other. There's no hit the fast forward button here. You got Comcast. Some shows you can't fast forward through, you got to let it go through and watch the silly-ass commercials and be pissed, right? This is what this is. Did I just take a shot at Comcast? Fuck it, I did. So what. I'm a Direct-TV guy anyway. Anyway look, this is what this. I'm not helping myself am I? Fuck it, anyway that's what's this is.
Fuck it, anyway that's what's this is. I have no idea how much longer Kevin Garnett will play in the NBA, but however long a time it is, it's not enough.


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As we gear up for fall – in school and at church – maybe your church is looking for a study to help its members be better parents. Or maybe you and your spouse are simply looking for something to study at home. (Or just you! Single parents, military spouses … we all need help.)
Here are some great studies to help you in your endeavors.
The Parent Adventure is a study from Rodney and Selma Wilson. Selma Wilson is the current president of B&H Publishing Group and has been married to Rodney for 37 years. They have two grown daughters.
This 7-session study helps encourage parents to guide their children in the spiritual disciplines, seeing their role in their children's lives as a great adventure. It offers biblical guidance for all stages of parenting.
5 Conversations You Must Have with Your Son and 5 Conversations You Must Have with Your Daughter are Vicki Courtney's responses to our changing culture and come from experience raising a daughter and two sons in recent years. These studies are well-suited for parents of teens and tweens, but it's never too early to start thinking about the difficult questions you'll have to face while raising kids.
Raising Boys and Girls helps parents, teachers, grandparents, and other caregivers explore the differences between the sexes. Helps adults focus on being Christian role models for those in their care. This study is six sessions with 30-minute teaching videos.
Have you done any great parenting studies you'd like to share with us?


text: Chase N. Cashe of The Surf's Club finally releases his second project, hosted by DJ Drama The Heir Up There. Handling business all by himself and no features Chase N. Cashe is ready to show the world why he feels he is a complete artists and not just a producer. Production comes courtesy of Hit-Boy, M3RGE, Tha Bizness, Roc & Mayne, AraabMUZIK and plenty more.


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They're in.
And I immediately burst in to tears.
LCM Grade 8 drum kit.
What a massive contrast to the Trinity Rock & Pop result from Dec 2016. 44/100
I REALLY didn't expect this result. So SO proud of myself.
- 22
Jump to content
Posted by susiejean on 06 April 2018 - 16:18
They're in.
And I immediately burst in to tears.
LCM Grade 8 drum kit.
What a massive contrast to the Trinity Rock & Pop result from Dec 2016. 44/100
I REALLY didn't expect this result. So SO proud of myself.
Posted by edgmusic on 08 November 2019 - 21:55
Posted by ma non troppo on 08 November 2019 - 20:49
As a learner, I would prefer a teacher afford me the most basic of courtesies of being honest as to why he or she would not wish to have me as pupil. If there is nothing sinister underpinning your reasoning, e.g. contravening the Equality Act 2010, and have articulated this clearly and logically then surely you have nothing to worry about.
The best outcome would to be constructive: explain why you cannot teach them and provide them with alternative solutions, such as another possible teacher or changes to their behaviour that would allow you to take them on as a pupil.
In another thread, a teacher was going on about music teachers not being treated seriously as other Professions. To me, you do yourself no favours by acting unprofessionally: one of the core characteristics of a professional is integrity; being honest. Condoning and advocating blatantly lying about lack of spaces and waiting lists is not acting professionally, quite the opposite.
Posted by edgmusic on 01 September 2017 - 21:07
As I am on line
Apologies if you are not.
But are you trolling? It's against forum rules.
If you want to 'retire' do it. It's your decision. Go get a "low status role working for a big company". [/size]
How can we offer advice as you have the figures to make a living out of teaching or not!\[/size]
Stop wasting people's time.
Posted by edgmusic on 23 May 2020 - 12:50
Posted by elemimele on 14 January 2020 - 17:08
Teachers are a very diverse bunch of humans, and so are their pupils. It's quite possible to hunt around and find particular combinations of teacher and pupil where the teacher isn't right for the pupil - where their methods and attitudes won't get the best out of the pupil - but I'm not sure this is a particularly useful thing to do. It's perhaps better to accept that most teachers make a personal choice on whether to use exams, and how to use them. Every teacher I've ever met makes the decision with the pupil (and their parents if the pupil is a child), based on what all parties think will work best for that individual pupil.
There are undoubtedly teachers who have written that they wouldn't enter a pupil for an exam because they consider them too young. I suspect they're often thinking of specific cases. Many teachers take the attitude that learning music is not a race. It is a journey. The message behind "I will not enter them because they are too young" is actually "I think they would benefit from time to reflect, explore aspects of music theory and practice that are off the syllabus, enlarge as humans and musicians, and they really don't need this exam at this precise moment, so let's concentrate on making them a better, more rounded musician". That's not such a bad message, surely?
Serious thought: I do rather worry about an emphasis on exceptional pupils. Very, very little good comes out of elitism in any branch of human endeavor. When you employ a plumber, you don't care if he's the best plumber in the country, able to fit a tap faster than any other. You want someone who will fit a tap to a professional standard, that's all. It's better to have lots of competent plumbers than one plumbing genius. Even in sport, with its competitive focus, the elite ones are pretty to look at, but the health benefits, both physical and mental, only happen for people who pursue the sport, and the benefits are there even if you're rubbish at it. Everyone who plays tennis gets the work-out of a good tennis game, and the mental satisfaction that comes with their sport, not just Federer. Elite sport is where the money is, but accessible sport-for-all is where the benefits happen. The value of the elite is when the rest of us get excited and try to emulate them, but even that is a double-edged sword because it's all too easy to give up because you find you're "not very good". In music, only a small number of people can win competitions and festivals. The world doesn't need many professional concert pianists. But every human who plays or sings is enriched by it, and enriches the world around them. The teacher who brings music to the lives of average pupils is, I believe, far, far more useful to the world than the teacher who miraculously fosters genius. In fact, if you get enough people doing something reasonably well, a few geniuses will pop out of the pool automatically.
So that's where exams are not a waste of time. Some people hate them (I do). But for others they are very motivating. Some people want a measuring-stick to measure their progress. The majority of those who aim to win a major competition, will, by definition, fail, no matter how talented they are, because there's only one winner. It's even worse if you want to be a world-leader; you've chosen a measuring stick that elongates in response to how good everyone else is getting, in order to doom the majority to failure. If your aim is to pass grade 8, then ABRSM really don't care how many people pass, provided they show they've reached the level. The more musicians reach that level and pass that exam, the happier the board will be! And the better the world will be, too. Although equally, it doesn't matter to the world how many people learn to play and reach that standard without taking the exam.
At their best, exams are a way in which a wide range of people can measure their achievements and feel motivated that they're getting somewhere.
Posted by susiejean on 19 January 2018 - 09:33
A very nice man gave me his email address and allowed me to scan him in a completed form.
Posted by BadStrad on 09 November 2019 - 11:35
Posted by Norway on 08 November 2019 - 17:17
Totally agree about not giving a reason. Don't open the can of worms. If someone has reached adulthood without learning how to behave, then that's not your responsibility. Also stick with e-mail for communication - phoning can be tricky with those who won't take no for an answer.
Posted by BadStrad on 15 November 2018 - 01:10
It may not matter to the teacher but it should matter when I am the one paying for the lesson and if I do not do the homework then I am wasting my money because I am not progressing properly and not getting my monies worth.
If you are that bothered make time to do the work. Get up earlier. Read the score on your commute or listen to a recording if you drive. Mentally practice in your lunch hour, etc. There are lots of ways you can work on your pieces away from your instrument.
You can't blame your teacher if you haven't done the work. You're a grown up according to your forum name so your teacher probably figures scolding you like a child would be counter productive. If you think you are getting away with something, it suggests you know you could do more. So do it, don't blame your teacher.
As I say to my pupils, "I see you for *one* hour a week. If you don't practice what I teach you between lessons, you won't improve. Your choice, your money."
As others have said, it is okay to take a slower pace because you have commitments that take up your time but that is not the same as blaming your teacher because you didn't complete assigned work when you could have. If you really can't find the time to practice, you need to discuss that so practice expectations can be adjusted. Slow progress is better than no progress but you have to be honest.
Posted by Maizie on 28 May 2015 - 15:36
A benign meningioma.
Essentially, if you had to pick a type of brain tumour to have, it's the one you'd choose. And it's what I've got!
Future discussion will take place with a radiologist about whether to treat now or monitor and treat later if necessary (there are good arguments either way) - but it's all suddenly gone very relaxed and non-urgent (growth being ~1mm per year).
I'm really looking forward to a good night's sleep tonight...the 27 days since the 'you have a brain tumour' phone call have been somewhat intense!
Posted by Bantock on 07 October 2014 - 08:01
Posted by maggiemay on 05 December 2019 - 20:20
I have just learned that my first piano teacher passed away last month.
I thought she should have a mention on the forums: she was, after all, my very first music teacher.
And it makes me very happy that she reached the wonderful old age of 107.
She was still teaching, and singing in her church choir well into her nineties. What an innings :-)
Posted by Aquarelle on 08 October 2019 - 12:53
Nine years ago one of my boy pupils sat the one and only Trinity exam I have ever entered a pupil for - Grade 6 Piano. It was the usual story of not being able to do Grade 5 theory in time for AB G6 practical. His parents arranged for him to go to Spain to take the exam as there is no Trinity centre here - sadly they no longer operate in northern Spain either. The pupil then went on to other things and I thought that was probably as far as his music would go.
In the supermarket yesterday a man tapped me on the shoulder and said "Excuse me, are you .....?" I said I was but didn't recognize him. He was, in fact the father of the aforesaid pupil. We had quite a long chat and it turns out that his son has never stopped playing and is now back in England playing keyboard and other instruments with various popular music groups and making his living from music. You honestly never know what seeds you have sown. I was particularly pleased to hear that the young man appreciated his "classical" time with me as this gave him a good basis for other styles. It would be nice if more felt like that - I've just lost two brothers who decided youtube would be "easier". I have been unable to convince them that a thorough grounding in reading and understanding music would take them a lot further. Well, you can't win 'em all but I was delighted to catch up on one pupil's news!
Posted by Dorcas on 14 September 2019 - 09:04
Adultpianist, I have sent texts, and they have not got through. In fairness to your teacher, I think you need to assume they are telling they truth. Ending lessons can be awkward for several reasons. From the teacher's point of view, you are only one bad review online from going out of business. I had a defamatory review a few years ago, and it seriously impacted on my income. I had the review taken down, and hey presto, all slowly improved. That review cost in me in the region of £20K. Your teacher has no idea if you are going to turn nasty, are just moving on, or going to work with another teacher. Being neutral is often the safest approach, as it can avoid serious fallout.
You have decided to finish lessons. Your teacher has accept this. Time to move one.
why would I turn nasty. That is not in my nature. I have no reason to turn nasty. I was taught some very good techniques which I put into practice and I am thankful for that. I genuinely do not have the time to pursue lessons at the moment and that is the reason and that is what I told her. If I have no time to pursue lessons why would I go on to another teacher because I would be in the same position (no time for lessons). My job has become increasingly busy and if I try to fit in flute as well I would be running myself into the ground and would be mentally and physically ill. I genuinely want to learn the flute but when I started , my job was less busy. As I said I will continue to practice at home as and when I can to keep things ticking over. Obviously I am not skilled enough to try new things but at least I can practice what I have been taught and improve on that for now
Your instrumental teacher has not spent that much time with you, and cannot be assured of your true personality. I am not saying any of this to personally attack you, just trying to get you to see why your teacher reacted the way she did.
Your reasons for stopping are perfectly valid. What I do think was unnecessary, was to imply your teacher lied when she said she did not receive the text. When I send out texts asking my students to pay their fees, I accept it if they tell me the message did not get through. To be frank, Adultpianist, you have come on here asking advice, followed it, it worked, and now you are criticising your teacher for not being effusive enough when you gave notice. I am going to call you out on this, I think you are in fact being remarkably unkind, and your teacher was correct to be neutral. You have decided to stop lessons, have given notice, and now prefer to believe your teacher is a liar who did not pay you enough compliments. Stop whining.
edit: just come back to read this thread, have decided to put the boot in more often, folks on here seem to like it, crikey!!
Posted by jenny on 23 April 2017 - 16:48
I just got a follow up email from him - he's now an airline pilot living in the channel islands. He closed the message by saying 'Thank you for setting me off on a hobby that I am still enjoying 47 years later!'
Posted by Flowerpot on 04 February 2015 - 23:28
Posted by Misterioso on 13 June 2014 - 13:13
Thrilled to bits today to hear that younger son has got a 2:1 in his B Mus!
It's been such a long journey for him due to various complications along the way so this is Seriously Good News!
Posted by ma non troppo on 19 March 2018 - 09:25
Posted by Latin pianist on 05 July 2016 - 17:43
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The Serious Eats Amateur Wine Taste-Along: Chardonnay
It must be great to know a ton about wine, to be able to peruse 50-page wine lists and instantly imagine what each bottle will taste like, how it will go with your food and your mood, and whether or not it's worth the hugely marked up price, but if you're anything like me and some others in the Serious Eaters in the office, then you're firmly in the "I know what I like and I can tell when it's absolute swill, but I probably couldn't pick a Chablis out of a lineup" crowd. That said, we're young, we're smart, and we're willing to learn. And of course, we'd like all of you Serious Eaters to learn right along with us.
Welcome to the Serious Eats Amateur Wine Taste-along, where every couple of weeks, myself or one of the other wi-curious editors (that'd be Erin and Carey) will do all the hard work for you, researching a couple of grape varietals or growing regions, planning tastings that make sense, and offering a few tips on how to run your own tastings at home.
Of course, the problem is that there are so many wines out there that we'll never get through 'em all. That's where you come in. We'd like you guys to taste wines right along with us and each week, chime in with your own comments and information on the wines you've tasted. We'll pick the themes and do the research, all you've got to do is get some wine, taste it, and report back. Deal?
We strongly believe that the purpose of wine should be just one thing: to give pleasure. Once wine talk starts getting too academic, esoteric—or worse—snobby, we quickly tune out. So none of that talk here, got it folks?
Tasting Tip: How To Plan A Successful Wine Tasting Party
The first step to getting a handle on wine is to plan tastings that make sense. There are so many grape varieties, growing regions, and styles that free-for-all style tastings where each guest just brings their favorite bottle often end up more confusing than enlightening. Here are a few steps to planning a good wine tasting.
- Find some friends, but not too many. More than anything, wine tasting and drinking is a social activity. Sure, you're learning a few things in the process, but the real goal is to have a good time while you're learning those things. I like to host wine tasting parties with groups between 5 and 10 people. Any fewer than that and you end up severely limiting the number of different bottles you can drink (unless you're spitting, which always seems like a waste to me), and more and it becomes a party with little chance of discussion.
- Plan a budget. You don't need to spend a lot of money to get great tasting wine. Taste tests and studies repeatedly show that there are as many good wines under $15 as there are for over $50. Figure out how much money you and your friends would each like to spend at the party, then figure out how many bottles you'd like to taste to give you a rough idea of how much each bottle should cost you. This knowledge will greatly focus your selection at the wine store.
Plan a program. Wine tastings can be divided into a few broad categories:
- Vertical tastings are tastings in which all of the wines are from the same producer but bottled in different years. This can type of tasting can give you a good idea of the effects of weather on the flavor of wine, particularly if you know how hot/humid/rainy/sunny/etc. the weather was in the particular region for the years you are tasting.
- Horizontal tastings include wines from the same years, but from different producers. I find this kind of tasting to be a little bit less useful, since there are so many more variables involved from grape type to growing region to climate.
- Varietal tastings are my favorite way to taste wines, and probably the simplest for beginners. In this type of tasting, all of the wines you taste are made from the same type of grape. With this restriction in place, you can add others, such as tasting wines from one region but different years, or comparing wines from one part of the world to those from another made with the same grape.*
- Provide snacks and water. Simple snacks with no pungent flavors are best. I always have crackers available, a few mild fruits like grapes or slices of apple or pear, along with some toasted nuts. Even though pungent cheeses and cured meats can go great with wines, it's best to avoid them at tasting parties where their strong flavors can throw off your senses. Water is an absolute must for rinsing out your mouth and your glass between wines.
- Taste wines one at a time. Once you start focusing on it, it's easy to get overwhelmed by all the flavors and smells from a single bottle let alone four or five. I like to serve my wines one at a time, passing the bottle around and letting each guest give themself a little pour. After we've tasted all of them, then it's a free for all for the leftovers. Luckily, at most tastings I've had, we don't all agree on our favorite, so everybody gets something they like.
- Keep it fun! There's no greater way to turn people off to wine than for it to become a chore. Having trouble engaging your guests in discussion? Don't worry about it—just drink the wine and enjoy yourselves. You'll learn more from a happy crowd tasting casually than from a cranky crowed tasting seriously.
*One thing to bear in mind is that even though a wine may list a single grape on the bottle, sometimes they are blended with smaller percentages of other grapes. In the U.S., up to 25% of a bottle may consist of wine from another grape variety. Talk to your wine retailer if you get the chance.
Like I said, each week we'll give you more tips on how to fine-tune your game, but I'd like to leave you with one last super-successful strategy we use at pretty much every wine tasting in order to get those reluctant to speak their minds or who feel embarrassed for some reason or another to offer input on the wins. I call it the OwOw method: One Wine, One Word.
With the OwOw method, after everyone's had a chance to taste their wine, all of your guests take turns describing their thoughts on the wine using exactly one word. The word can be anything from "hot" or "comforting" or "leathery," to "sour" or "yuck" or "chocolate." Whatever the first word that comes to mind is. More often than not, you'll find that these words can lead to some interesting discussions and really open up people's minds and palates to the wines they are tasting.
And now on to this week's tasting:
Tasting: New and Old World Chardonnay
Even though you should go into tastings with an unbiased palate, it can be helpful to have a bit of a road map so you can know what to look out for and what to expect.
This week we're starting with one of the classic grapes: Chardonnay. One of the oldest, most widely grown, and celebrated grapes in the world, Chardonnay is a green-skinned variety of grape used in all of the white wines produced in the Burgundy region of France including the three most renowned areas, Chablis, Côte de Beaune, and Mâconnais. It's also one of the most important white wine grape for California wineries. For the tasting this week, we're going to taste Chablis, a chardonnay-based wine from Burgundy, alongside a chardonnay from California, which should give us a good idea of the versatility of the grape and the effect that climate and soil (or if you want to be fancypants terroir) and winemaking process can have on the finished product.
While it might be crazy for me to try and generalize Chablis or California chardonnays, I'm going to go ahead and do it—you oenophiles out there can stamp your feet all you want—I find it useful in order to paint some broad strokes. The major difference in the two styles comes down to one factor: oaking, and we're picking the wines for this tasting based mostly on that.
Wine 1: An Un-Oaked Chablis
Aging wine in oak barrels is a point of contention amongst producers of Chablis. With rare exception, Chablis is vinified (that's the process of converting grape juice to wine) in non-reactive stainless steel containers. From this point, a minority of Chablis producers choose to age their wines in oak barrels, while most turn down the idea, the idea being that with nothing to react with, you get the purest expression of the flavor of the grape. For this tasting, we're interested in un-oaked Chablis.
Chardonnays from Burgundy are universally dry (that's the opposite of sweet, by the way), and those from Chablis tend to have even more acidity and minerality than their counterparts. Some common words used to describe Chablis (though you might find that your own palate differs) are gun-flint, green apple, wet stone, and honey.
The wine we're tasting is the Louis Jadot 2009 Chablis, an unoaked Chablis that goes for around $23 per bottle.
Wine 2: An Oaked California Chardonnay
Unlike their French counterparts, most chardonnays in California are aged in charred oak barrels, or—as is the case with many cheaper chards—steeped with oak chips to impart flavor much like a tea. Oak can impart woody flavors along with scents of vanilla. In California, the grapes are also often picked at a greater degree of ripeness, and thus have more sugar in them, which leads to higher alcohol levels after fermentation. It's not uncommon for some California Chardonnays to push past 14% of their volume in alcohol (ABV), though many modern Chardonnays have some of their alcohol removed post-fermentation to bring the wines down to a more drinkable 13.5% or lower.
It's the oak and riper fruit along with malolactic fermentation—the process of converting tart malic acid to smoother lactic acid via bacterial cultures—that gives California chardonnays what people describe as bigger body and mouthfeel. Most likely, your California chard will taste heavier and rounder in your mouth than the Chablis. "Buttery" and "rich," are often used to describe California chardonnay. Depending on the specific region of California it's from, you might find yourself with a tropical fruit bomb, with flavors like mango, guava, or even pineapple, or the earthier flavors like the chalk and wet gravel you'd taste in a Chablis.
We're tasting two different California chardonnays in two completely different price ranges. The Robert Mondavi 2007 Chardonnay Reserve from Napa, which runs around $40 per bottle, and the Cupcake Vineyard 2009 Chardonnay from the Central Coast, which sells for only $12 per bottle.
Wine 3 (optional): Chilean Chardonnay
Chardonnay is becoming increasingly popular in the wine growing regions of South America (which themselves are becoming increasingly popular). These days, it's one of the most important grapes grown in Chile's Valle Central. Because of their youth and a lack of a strong growing precedent or tradition (the grapes have been in Chile for fewer than 20 years), styles can vary wildly, though for the most part, you'll probably find that like some California chardonnays, Chilean chardonnays tend to be massive on the tropical fruit flavors but lighter on oak.
From Chile's Central Valley, we're tasting the oak-free Cono Sur 2009 Chardonnay, which sells for a mere $10 a bottle. Another option to throw into the mix: Veramonte Reserva Chardonnay from the Casablanca Valley, which also runs about ten bucks.
We're tasting all of our wines this weekend with some friends and we'll be back here same time next week to let you know how it went. In the meantime, you should get tasting yourself so you can let us know about your own selections. You can taste the exact bottles we're tasting, or better yet, talk to the clerk at your wine store and have him pick out a few bottles for you.
And do let us know if you've ever got any questions about wine that you'd like answered—any question at all—and we'll do our best to find the right answers for you. See you back next week!
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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Judging by news coverage of the nation's fastest growing ethnic minority, you'd think that "the Hispanic condition" was a pathology. With the exception of growing power in the voting booth, the news makes it seem as though we're all poor, sick and generally unable to cope with life as well as others.
There are simply too many examples of the negativity that seems to drive reporting on — and perceptions of — the health and economic well-being of Hispanics to list here. But let me illustrate my point with some recent coverage surrounding Latino learners.
"Mexican-American children lag in pre-literacy skills, but not social strengths, study reveals" was a popular headline based on research from the University of California.
This eye-popping statement in the university's press release exemplifies how these children have historically been cast as underachievers: "The researchers caution teachers, pediatricians and other health care providers to 'not assume social-emotional delays, even when language or cognitive skills lag somewhat behind.'"
The research found that Mexican-American toddlers ages 2 and 3 displayed language and cognitive skills about eight months behind those of their white peers, whether assessed in English or Spanish. The gap persisted through ages 4 and 5.
The interesting part was that this study finally made the environmental connection: While most Mexican-American parents nurture socially agile children, factors such as lower incomes, more children in the home and few family reading traditions usually mean these students will arrive at kindergarten behind their non-Hispanic classmates.
Stop and think about it — research is just now proving that Mexican-American youngsters aren't less cognitively able than their peers. They are just a little behind because the "read to your children" culture hasn't yet taken hold in their homes. I hope every educator in America gets that memo because Latino students are too often treated like "special cases."
Take, for instance, the double standard on second-language acquisition. For some reason, Hispanics have been singled out as the only children in our school systems who can't deal with English-language immersion lest it ruin their psyches, dishonor their ethnic roots, and needlessly challenge them.
In Illinois, children who would learn English as a second language are first taught to read and write — or taught exclusively — in their native tongue. This continues until they can be transitioned, over many years in most cases, into English-speaking classrooms.
And when I say their native language, I mean Spanish, because other immigrant students who show up to school speaking, say Russian, Polish or Chinese are mainstreamed with only minimal English-as-a-second-language supports. There simply aren't enough of them per grade level to offer special native-language classrooms.
Those who believe it is cruel to immerse a non-English-speaking Latino student in mainstream classes rarely shed any tears for the non-Hispanic ones who are regularly made to sink or swim. And it's not often acknowledged that such students, because of that immersion, are usually extremely successful in quickly learning to speak English.
When I taught "bilingual ed" at a high school, I saw non-Spanish-speaking immigrant students go from zero to near-fluency in English in mere months. Yet I also taught 16-year-old students who had been born in the U.S. but trapped in "bilingual" classrooms their whole lives and still couldn't speak English.
Ironically, immersion is having a bit of a heyday for non-Hispanic students. Recent headlines trumpeted how in Utah, young native English speakers have been immersed into French, Spanish and Chinese classes to great effect. Same goes for Delaware, where selected schools offer immersion in Mandarin Chinese and Spanish.
Rare is the instance when Latino students are given such opportunities.
Perhaps our education system thinks they're not up to it. Too frequently, educators get caught up in the "pobrecito syndrome," as in "poor baby, of course he's going to underachieve, he's disadvantaged!"
The steady diet of bad news about segments of the Hispanic population drive a myth that all Latinos are downtrodden, at-risk or simply not as able as others. The next time you see a headline about Latinos' sorry state, flip the script by remembering: There's always, always more to the story.


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Justin Bilik
Class of 2010
Major/Minor: biology, nursing
With a nursing degree from Johns Hopkins, Justin Bilik '10 cares for patients undergoing kidney, liver, pancreas and hand transplants on the Comprehensive Transplant Unit at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
"I've always wanted to be in the medical field. I wasn't interested in becoming a doctor because of the time commitment and years of schooling – so I discovered nursing was a perfect fit for me," recalls Bilik, who majored in biology with a minor in Spanish.
"I went into college knowing that I wanted to explore this route; I knew I didn't want to go straight to nursing school from high school," he says. During his time at Washington College, Justin augmented his academic studies with music; he played the oboe in the classical quartet, took private lessons and participated in music recitals.
"I have great memories of all the professors at Washington College," says Justin. "In my junior year, I worked for Dr. Rosemary Ford as her lab assistant. The College really helped prepare me for nursing school."
Justin began interning at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab in Laurel, MD, after his sophomore year. As a research assistant, he interned for two summers and one winter. Through a government program, he studied the effects of blast waves on the brain with the goal of addressing war-related injuries.
"The first year of nursing school went by very fast. The program presents an incredible amount of information in a short amount of time," recalls Justin. At the conclusion of that first year, Justin received his Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) credential and was hired to in the comprehensive Transplant Unit at Johns Hopkins Medical Center, working with liver and kidney transplant patients who require acute care.
In his second year–a practicum–Justin was assigned to one nurse at Anne Arundel Medical Center. "It was a great experience," say Justin. As a Registered Nurse, Justin returned to the transplant unit where he works closely with a preceptor who mentors the young nurse. In the not too distant future, Justin plans to become a nurse practitioner, possibly specializing in cardiac telemetry, research or geriatrics.
"I chose nursing because I want to help people. I love where I'm working; it's an amazing place and the staff is so accepting of new people like me."
Undergrad Highlights
- Majors: Biology


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Illegals are treated far better than veterans. Maybe we can trick them into going to veterans hospitals instead of emergency rooms. Come on down to gullible America through our open borders:
"In Sacramento, California, lawmakers are moving forward with a budget-busting plan to extend government-funded health insurance to at least 1.5 million illegal aliens."
Michelle Malkin on VDARE.com 5-22-14
As we all know, illegal aliens are pre-Democrats.
Emily's List, that hater of all conservatives, has endorsed Michelle Nunn for the U.S. Senate. This group has plenty of money and boasts that it will spend huge amounts (well over $1 million) to take out conservative Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. Nunn has also been endorsed by Jane Fonda. I was hoping for a November Senate battle between Nunn and Republican Karen Handel but it didn't happen.
Think about this before even considering voting for Ms. Nunn (a hideous thought). Her father claimed to have been a "conservative" Democrat senator. If so, he should be actively opposing his own daughter. The American Conservative Union only gave Sam Nunn about a 45 percent rating for his career, about the same as Arlen Specter's number.
"Absolutely nothing is now beyond the scope of State power."
Joseph Sobran 1-27-04 Sobran.com
"Joe Sobran is a radical rightwing extremist."
former New York Governor Mario Cuomo
"Good for Joe!"
"Politics is a strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles."
Ambrose Bierce
Gullible America
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Exelon Nuclear submitted a license renewal application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to renew Limerick Generating Station's operating licenses for unit 1 and unit 2 an additional 20 years.
POTTSTOWN, Pa. - Exelon Nuclear submitted a license renewal application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to renew Limerick Generating Station's operating licenses for unit 1 and unit 2 an additional 20 years.
Limerick, like all U.S. nuclear energy plants, was originally licensed to operate for 40 years. This 40-year license term reflects the amortization period generally used by electric utility companies for large capital investments and is not based on the expected life of the plant.
Limerick Unit 1 is currently licensed to operate through 2024, while unit 2 is licensed to operate through 2029. With approval from the NRC, Limerick units 1 and 2 will continue to safely provide clean, reliable, base-load power through 2044 and 2049 respectively.
"Limerick Generating Station has been an important part of our community for more than 25 years," said Limerick Township Board of Supervisors Chairman Tom Neafcy. "Exelon has always operated the plant with the safety of the public as their top priority and have shown that they are a good neighbor through their many charitable donations. I look forward to having Limerick Generating Station continue to be a partner in our community for the next 40 years."
"This is a significant milestone for our station, employees and area residents," said Bill Maguire, Limerick Generating Station Site Vice President. "Limerick employees are dedicated to operating Limerick safely and take pride in providing clean energy to our region and are looking forward to doing so for many years to come."
To apply for license renewal, Exelon employees dedicated approximately two years to preparing the 2,000-page application. The application contains general, technical and environmental information about Limerick Generating Station. The company's license renewal team evaluated hundreds of systems and structures, more than 150,000 components and approximately 45 aging management programs for inclusion in Limerick's license renewal application to verify to the NRC that Limerick will have the appropriate aging management programs in place.
Exelon also conducted an environmental assessment and prepared an environmental report that was submitted with the license renewal application.
The NRC will spend 22 to 30 months reviewing the application and will conduct audits and inspections of Limerick's aging management programs for its plant systems. The NRC will also verify Limerick's environmental processes and the information presented by Exelon in the environmental report. The public will have opportunities to participate in this process and the NRC will inform the public of these opportunities.
"This is an important first step to having Limerick Generating Station continue to play a valuable role in providing safe, clean electricity to the residents of Pennsylvania," said State Rep. Tom Quigley. "For the past 25 years, Limerick Generating Station has been an economic engine for the state and a partner in the community. It was evident at the recent Community Information Night, that the management and staff of the Limerick Generating Station are interested in providing information and answering the questions and concerns of the community."
Limerick Generating Station is a reliable energy source and safely produces enough low-cost, carbon-free electricity to power over two million homes. Each year it operates, Limerick avoids more than 13.2 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions that would be generated from a replacement coal-fired plant.
Exelon Nuclear continues to invest in Limerick Generating Station to ensure its safe and reliable operation. Over the past five years, Exelon has spent millions of dollars on capital projects to improve and modernize equipment to enhance plant operations and safety at Limerick. Exelon has invested over $94 million to replace the plant's six main power transformers to ensure continued reliability. This project will be completed by 2016.
Limerick also plays a positive role in the local community. Limerick's direct economic contributions to the Pennsylvania economy through employee compensation and wages, purchases of goods and services from other Pennsylvania businesses, and property tax payments totals over $113 million annually. Limerick's direct economic impact supports an additional 600 jobs and another $115 million in economic output.
Limerick employees are active supporters of the local community and in 2010, employees raised over $133,000 for the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Limerick Generating Station provides over $500,000 each year to community organizations that work to improve the quality of life of those in our community.
Additional information about Limerick Generating Station can be found at http://www.exeloncorp.com/limerick.


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The 13-year-old boy has enough to worry about. Committing to a college is not usually one of those preoccupations, unless you're really, really good — or the brother of an All-American who plays for Lane Kiffin. Or both!
Evan Berry, the brother of Eric Berry, announced that he has committed to Tennessee, even though Kiffin technically hasn't offered him a scholarship because that would be a violation. Berry is the first member of the Volunteers' Class of 2013 — that's high school, not college — and he's presumably looking forward to breaking in with the varsity this fall. Again, high school.
Somehow, though, he's already talking to the press:
"It's the only college I know right now and it seems the best for me," Berry told Rivals. "My dad went there and my brother is there now. I know I can do the same things there. I have a real friendly relationship with the coaches there. I don't know them too well, but I know I will have plenty of time to get to know them."
So he doesn't know any other colleges, he doesn't know the Tennessee coaches too well and he hasn't played a snap in high school. Also, his father admits that "things happen, and four years is a long ways away." Coupled with the fact that Kiffin's staff is forbidden from offering him a scholarship — those damn "rules" get in the way of everything — this commitment seems about as real as Kiffin's chances of being in Knoxville in 2017, when Berry would be a senior in Neyland Stadium.
Meanwhile, the Berrys just "have to take it one day at a time." Start the countdown to Mini-camp 2013.
Eric Berry's brother, 13, commits to Vols [GoVolsXtra]


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Windows Mobile could be destined for life inside Microsoft's main Windows operation following a re-organization of the division it currently calls home.
The Microsoft Entertainment and Devices division responsible for Windows Mobile and the Xbox will see work on its Zune software and services, Mediaroom IPTV, and Media Center merged with the E&D unit responsible specifically for the Xbox - Interactive Entertainment Business (IEB).
Corporate vice president Enrique Rodriguez, who'd overseen these three music and media activities has "moved on" from Microsoft, while Microsoft IEB is now be headed by senior vice president Don Mattrick.
Left hanging in all this, though, is arguably the biggest and currently highest-profile product effort currently inside Microsoft, and certainly inside E&D: Windows Mobile.
A commenter on Microsoft-watching blog Mini-Microsoft said Windows Mobile is destined to become part of the company's Windows business - Windows and Windows Live, under group president Steven Sinofsky.
The commenter said Sinofsky had pointed to E&D president Robbie Bach's "continued failure in the mobile space" during Microsoft's annual December strategy review.
A move to Sinofsky could happen.
Windows Mobile lost market-share to the Apple and Blackberry during the last year. Bach painted the subject as a problem of branding rather than business model or technology, but there are real questions over Windows Mobile's roadmap and its direction.
Sinofsky, meanwhile, is a strong performer and rising star inside Microsoft. His reward for successfully delivering Windows 7 in 2009 was the position of president of the Windows and Windows Live division offered by chief executive Steve Ballmer. Before Windows, Sinofsky ensured he consistent and reliable delivery of new versions of Office.
Mini-Microsoft has been a reliable source of information. Two years back, it reported signs of the company's first ever layoffs before they happened. The commenter made their remarks on Windows Mobile as "E&D is going through the biggest re-org the division has ever had."
Microsoft refused to comment on whether Windows Mobile is leaving E&D and is headed to Sinofsky's division. ®
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The first Mets game I remember was in 1984, when I was nine years old. The majority of my family liked the Yankees. So, in an effort to be different, I picked the Mets, and I immediately took to Darryl Strawberry and Doc Gooden, who were young, exciting, a bit brash and powerful.
Last week, the Mets announced that Strawberry, Gooden, Frank Cashen and Davey Johnson have been inducted in to the team's Hall of Fame.
I was able to meet up with Strawberry and Gooden at SNY's studios, to talk about the Hall of Fame, role models in sports, and being my idols growing up watching baseball in the 80s.
To see the full seven-minute interview, click play here; otherwise, scroll down for written transcript:
Matthew Cerrone: I grew up a huge Mets fan, seeing you guys here together, in these jackets, is a thrill to be quite honest, as you're really the reason I fell in love with baseball. At the same time, your careers kind of took a turn at the end, a lot of fans were disappointed, like myself, who kind of felt let down in a weird way. But, it's awkward, because you were young men, professional ballplayers trying to find your way. How do you feel about role models in sports, now, looking back on your careers and how things went?
Dwight Gooden: Well, for me, role models start at home… Athletes, we're human as well, we're gonna make mistakes. Me and Darryl both were thrown in a similar situation at a young age, lots of expectations, and I felt for the most part we handled it very well. Obviously, we had some downfalls off the field, but we got our life together and things are going well and you can only learn from your mistakes and share that with kids and hope they don't make the same mistake.
Darryl Strawberry: People always say, 'Athletes are role models,' but I don't really think that's the case. I think what we do is, we've been given a gift, to play sports and excel, and to try and do as well as we can. It's like Doc said, role models are made at home, through parents, brothers, sisters, and in yourself… We handled the situation as well as we could have, as young men. I was 21, of course, and Doc was 19, expectations were high and the sky was the limit for us… You know what it is, I just think you're naive when you're that young. And you think you can do whatever you want to do however you want to do it. I think we all think that way when growing up. Our situation just happened to be playing big-league baseball, and being in a major spotlight. I think every kid will go through something, you see kids in college, at 21, and the different things that they go through, but it's just we were doing it as professionals, getting paid and we were excelling on the field. But, there are lessons to be learned, no question about it. There were lessons for me to learn, and I learned them the hard way. Do I wish that up on anybody? No. I wish they can learn it the easier way.
Matthew Cerrone: I know you don't think you were role models, but you are. It's a weird conundrum. Because, on one hand, you don't want to be a role model, but, like it or not, you are. I mean, I'm running around as a kid with a Doc and Darryl t-shirt on, looking up to you guys… my father bought it for me. So, that's the reality. What do you tell your own kids, as they watch sports?
Dwight Gooden: I have young guys, my oldest son is 23, I also have a five year old, and my other two boys are in to sports now, they're 13 and 15… So, with them, you just tell them, 'Learn from my mistakes,' and I share with them the choices I made. My biggest problem was trying to please others, trying to fit in, trying to be liked, and, when I would go home, and go back to Tampa, I wanted those guys to know I was the same guy, and I put myself in danger just trying to fit in. So, basically, I just try to share with them the experiences I went through and help them make better choices… and for them to have someone to talk to, even if it's not me, someone they're comfortable with, someone they can share things with, because that was another downfall I had. I could never share what was going on with me, I just bottled it up inside, because at a young age there was a lot expected of me, especially from my family, where, basically, I was the care taker, because, I figured, if I have a problem I can't go to them, how are they gonna look at me? So, a lot of stuff I let build up inside, which with my kids, I try to teach them the opposite.
Matthew Cerrone: And yet, here we are, all these years later, and this is great, as Mets fans love you, you're gonna be in the Mets Hall of Fame, and that's great. How does that feel, to sort of come full circle and be back in the family… to hear the fans cheer again, that much be exciting?
Darryl Strawberry: Well, yeah, it's definitely exciting for both of us. I mean, you think about our careers… You look at the fans, and you think of all the support and concern that Mets fans have had for us over the years for me and Doc because they believed in us and they saw what we did as players, and then they believed in us as a person too, but I think they just wanted to see us get our lives together and we were able to do that. To be able to be sitting here, to be able to say we're being inducted in to the Mets Hall of Fame that's an honor…
Dwight Gooden: It's a great honor… not only to be inducted, but to be inducted with Darryl… I think we made eachother better. I know on days when I was pitching, if he hit a home run I wanted to go out and strike out the side… It was a great thing, and we were always there for eachother, whether we needed to talk on the plane or if he'd get on me for something for not doing what I was supposed to do. For all the things that took place, for it to come full circle and to be in the Mets Hall of Fame is just an honor and privilege…
Matthew Cerrone: Well, I can tell you, as a fan, I'm thrilled you're gonna be in their Hall of Fame, but I'm even happier that you're both doing well and that you're back in the family again, and that's great.


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A US Grand Prix racetrack for Texas has stalled at the starting line as a contract dispute arises between investors and Formula One.
Comptroller Susan Combs dealt another blow to the $300 million southeast Austin project Tuesday by announcing the state will not shell out the $25 million a year it pledged until after a race is held. Combs said it is no secret she has been supportive of the racetrack since 2008, but that recent developments have raised caution.
"The recent announcement of an annual Formula 1 race in New Jersey is a concern, additional races have the potential to reduce the number of attendees to a Texas race, thereby reducing economic impact," Combs said in a statement.
The 1,100-acre property is designed to accommodate about 120,000 spectators over a three-day weekend, which promoters say could bring more than 300,000 fans to Central Texas. Projections range as high as $288 million per year that would flow over the Austin area.
"Additionally, recently publicized disagreements between the race-rights holder and the circuit developers have prompted speculation about whether the Austin race will even occur," Combs said.
Circuit of the America's chief investors Red McCombs and Bobby Epstein say they have indefinitely suspended construction pending a contractual agreement that finalizes the scheduled Nov. 18, 2012 race in Austin. The suspended construction displaces about 300 daily workers.
Tavo Hellmund is a former racecar driver who was granted the rights to a US Grand Prix by his longtime friend and boss of Formula One, Bernie Eccelstone. Hellmund is a founding member of the Circuit of the Americas but has drifted apart from the other members in past months.
Eccelstone recently commented on the situation, "There are two parties. One is building the track, and the other has the contract, and they've forgotten to talk to each other."
Specific details of the contract dispute between Hellmund and the Circuit of the Americas have not been revealed, but McCombs and Epstein say they will resume construction as soon as the contract is signed.
However, Eccelstone said if an agreement is not made to resume construction soon, the 2012 race will be canceled "at some stage in December."
Austin would be the first US city to hold a Grand Prix since Indianapolis in 2007.


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LAUREL HILL � A trip to the Class 1A region finals seemed to be within reach of the Laurel Hill School volleyball team Tuesday night against Blountstown. The Hoboes opened the region semifinal match in impressive form taking the first two sets from the Tigers. The Tigers might have been down, but they weren�t out.
LAUREL HILL � A trip to the Class 1A region finals seemed to be within reach of the Laurel Hill School volleyball team Tuesday night against Blountstown.
The Hoboes opened the region semifinal match in impressive form taking the first two sets from the Tigers. The Tigers might have been down, but they weren�t out.
Blountstown rallied back from the two-set deficit to beat the Hoboes 15-25, 21-25, 25-16, 25-22, 15-9.
Laurel Hill Coach Kent Zessin would have liked to have seen his team come out on top, but he knew heading into the match that the Hoboes would have their hands full with the Tigers.
�I knew coming in it was going to be a battle,� he said. �Blountstown is a really good team. Of course everybody is at this point is good or they wouldn�t be here.
�I thought we had a very good game plan coming into the match that we executed about to perfection. I really felt what hurt us tonight was our serve. We averaged over 93 percent for the season (of serves in) on our serves and tonight we served 87 percent with 17 misses.�
Little went wrong for the Hoboes (17-9) in the first two sets.
Blountstown jumped to a quick 3-1 lead in the first set before Laurel Hill took control of things. Hoboes Jhanea Griffin and Lauren Gordon teamed up for a block to tie things up at 4-4.
Breanna Trunk then took over in serve and the Hoboes scored three more quick points. The Tigers did come back to tie the set at 7-7, but from that point on the rest of the set belonged to Laurel Hill.
A pair of aces by Gordon and a kill by Bridget Zessin pushed the Hobo lead in the set to 11-7 as they pulled away for the win in the first set.
The second set went back and forth with neither team scoring more than two or three straight points. While it seemed the teams were doing nothing more than trading points Blountstown was slowly building a 16-12 lead.
A Griffin block sparked an 8-1 Hobo run. Kaylee L�Homme did her share in the run with a couple of kills for Laurel Hill.
The Hoboes were also able to take advantage of sloppy play by Blountstown during the run.
A kill by Gordon finished off the comeback in the set for Laurel Hill, which finished the set outscoring the Tigers 13-5 down the stretch.
The last three sets belonged to Blountstown as the Tigers fought back from the edge of defeat to win the match and advance to the region finals.
�Hats off to Blountstown,� Kent Zessin said. �They came in and didn�t get down when they lost the first two (sets). They were determined that they weren�t going to go down without a fight, and that�s what it was.�
Bridget Zessin topped the Hoboes with 12 kills. Gordon had 11 kills. Griffin had five kills and four blocks.
Morgan Meeks had 17 assists and Trunk added 10 assists.
Zessin said he reminded the Hoboes after the match that only the eight state champions will not end the season with a loss.
�You would like to be one of those eight that doesn�t lose their last one,� he said. �There is a point in time when that is going to happen. All you can do is prepare for each game and our girls did that.
�I really enjoyed coaching them this season and getting back into it with my daughter. We did accomplish several goals that we had set. Our seniors Lauren Gordon, Breanna Trunk and Jhanea Griffin are going to be greatly missed next year, but I�ve got pretty much nine returning players that can play.�
Randy Dickson is the Crestview News Bulletin�s sports editor. Email him at email@example.com, tweet him @BigRandle, or call 682-6524.


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Healthcare educators and professionals from as far away as Japan visited Daytona State College on Sunday to tour the school's patient simulation laboratories and witness live demonstrations from some of its students.
DAYTONA BEACH — Lying in a hospital bed, the patient groaned in pain and breathed heavily. His blood pressure was abnormal, and his heart rhythm irregular – something had to be done.
It could have been a scene in almost any hospital, except for one thing: This heart patient was a robot.
Healthcare educators and professionals from as far away as Japan visited Daytona State College on Sunday to tour the school's patient simulation laboratories and witness live demonstrations from some of its students.
The group of about 25 people from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare arrived on a bus from Orlando, where the 13th annual International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare conference is being held through Wednesday.
"We're very happy to be welcoming a group of international educators and professionals from the area of healthcare to come look at our simulation areas," said Carol Eaton, president of Daytona State College.
Some of the professionals and educators came from around the United States, while others in the group were from around the world. The visitors were served breakfast and shown around three of the college's labs: one for its nursing program, one for its respiratory care program, and one for its advanced cardiovascular life support program.
They witnessed patient care demonstrations on the simulators in each of the programs.
Each year, the Society for Simulation in Healthcare arranges for its members to tour different facilities with simulators.
Kim Beechler, the patient simulation specialist for the DSC's nursing program, said it's an honor to be selected as a tour destination.
"When they visit a center, it means it's a premier center," she said. "A place that other people talk about when they speak about simulation."
The labs of its Health Sciences Hall are filled with about 10 different patient simulator mannequins. It would be wrong to call them dummies; on the contrary, these simulators are high-tech, lifelike pieces of machinery. Each is designed to give medical professionals-in-training the most realistic learning experience possible without actually involving live human beings.
"You wouldn't get on an airplane unless your pilot had some time in a flight simulator," said Beechler, explaining the important role they play in training medical practitioners.
One of DSC's most advanced simulators is the METIman. While it's unlikely anyone would mistake one for a real person, METIman breathes, blinks, has a pulse and a measurable blood pressure, and even talks. He reacts on his own to different steps a student takes, without being manually controlled. Instructors can either load preprogrammed scenarios for students to work through, or manually control their vital signs and reactions.
Students can actually place IV lines and inject medications into the mannequins. Each simulator has a circulatory system, tear ducts and even excretory systems. One simulator – a PediaSIM, made to simulate a female child — wet the bed during a demonstration.
The robots can cost anywhere from $42,000 up. But the cost is well worth it, given the educational benefits students glean from using them, according to James Greene, associate vice president of DSC's College of Health, Human and Public Services.
"I think it gives the student an opportunity to work with a simulator prior to going into the clinical areas," said Greene. "It's a good way to test their skills and their abilities before they actually go and work on live patients."
The simulators also allow students to practice treating ailments that, while vital to know about, might not be encountered too often in clinical practice. The students seemed to appreciate them, as well.
"I don't think it's as intimidating (as a real patient). You can't hurt them," said Tanya Wolfe, a nursing student. "(The instructors) can make it code, they can make it have different types of respiratory problems, they can make the heart rhythm go faster or slower.'
"The newer models are more realistic than some of the older models," said Michael Krayewsky, another nursing student. "The skin feels the same, the eyes move, they breathe and you can hear a lot of the sounds."


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The government of Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir has responded to almost two years of protests and demonstrations with "arbitrary arrests, detention and torture," according to the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies, reports the Sudan Tribune. The popular uprisings began in January 2011 as part of the "Arab Spring" that toppled governments in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Yemen.
Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Services are reportedly blocking "online access to popular electronic newspapers and websites" and "confiscat[ing] printed materials"—including hundreds of copies of a pro-gay novel. Sudan is one of four African nations that boast the death penalty for gays or same-sex activity.
On 7 October the NISS confiscated two thousand books written by Abdal Aziz Baraka Sakin from the 8th International Book Fair held in Khartoum. The International Book Fair was held from 6 - 18 October 2012. Mr. Baraka is an emerging young Sudanese writer whose work focuses on diversity in Sudanese life and culture, particularly illuminating the daily lives of marginalised and hidden groups in Sudan. His novel Algango Masamir Alardh discusses Sudan's gay community. Other work addresses the plight of street children.
On the morning of 7 October, a large security presence was noticed at the Book Fair. [3500] books by Mr. Baraka were confiscated later in the day [including] 400 copies of Algango Masamir Alardh ("Nails on the Ground"), 300 copies of Maseeh Darfur ("Jesus of Darfur"), 450 copies of Memory of the Alkhandaris, 250 copies of Women from Kampo Khadis...
The 49-year-old Sakin says he "fears for his life" and talks more about the censorship in an interview. All his books have been published in Egypt or Syria. The Guardian reported on the confiscation of Sakin's books last fall—but did not detail the content or storylines. More about the Sudan revolts at Al Jazeera.
The International Criminal Court in The Hague has charged President Omar al-Bashir with genocide and war crimes. So far, at least 300,000 people have been killed and more than 2.5 million displaced in the civil war between the Khartoum government and Darfur provinces.
In August 2012, cyber activists attacked government websites across Africa to protest anti-LGBT laws that discriminate, imprison or even condemn gays and lesbians to death. Sudan's virtual nertworks suffered the most damage. Sudan is one of four African nations that boast the death penalty for gays or same-sex activity. The other three are Mauritania, Nigeria and Somalia. At least 37 of Africa's 54 nations criminalize same-sex activity.
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The Friends of the Wissahickon (FOW) is partnering with REI Conshohocken and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation (PPR) for a Planting Day at Cresheim Creek on Sunday, Oct. 28, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers will plant native plants along a portion of Cresheim Creek near the Telner/St. Martin's Bridge that was recently restored through a joint effort by the Philadelphia Water Department and PPR.
The original stone bridge at the site was destroyed by storms in 2004. PWD built a new bridge in 2011 and planted native shrubs and plants on the banks of Cresheim Creek. Necessary repairs to the bridge earlier this year resulted in a loss of vegetation at the site that volunteers will replace during the Planting Day with natives donated by PPR.
To register, contact Dan Mercer at firstname.lastname@example.com. Volunteers should wear clothes suitable for outdoor work and sturdy boots. The terrain at the site is mildly steep, but easy to traverse with proper shoes. FOW will provide tools, gloves, water, coffee, and a light snack. Volunteers will be given a brief description of the project and a lesson on proper planting technique before being organized into work groups.
Directions: Meet at the Telner/St. Martin's Bridge across Cresheim Creek. Parking is available along the access road located at the end of St. Martin's Lane. Follow the access road downhill to the project site. Link to map showing work location at http://goo.gl/maps/a95n2
Cancellation: Workdays are cancelled in the event of steady rain, extreme high temperatures or thunderstorms. Visit FOW's Facebook page or website for updates: http://fow.org/volunteering/upcoming-workdays.