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This was published 7 years ago
MasterChef: The Professionals finale recap
Rhett, Rhys and Sarah battle it out in a leeky finale. Whose garbage cuisine will reign supreme?
The final of any televised competition is always an exciting and blood-stirring event, and Masterchef: The Professionals is only partially an exception. One cannot help but be thrilled by the idea of finding out just who is Australia's best professional but not particularly accomplished entry-level possible future chef who wanted to be on TV. The prize is indeed the holy grail of chefs whose actual careers aren't going anywhere much and who want to be on Ready Steady Cook someday.
We begin tonight's finale with a flashback to 1992 when the series started, and a reminder that Cameron used to be a thing – remember Cameron? Nah me either. We also see flashbacks to when all the chefs rode horses and the time Adriano Zumbo married fifty women in one day.
But the past is in the past. Tonight is all about the knife-wielding gladiators who will contest this epic finale: Rhett, the man you love to hate, and hate to love, and hate to hate, and love to turn the TV off when he's on. Sarah, icon of pissed-off people who hate everyone everywhere. And Rhys, who has given up a lucrative career as Angus Stone to pursue his culinary dream. The announcer tells us that the stakes have never been higher. Or possibly that the steaks have never been higher. It's either a reference to the pressure of the final, or what Rhys is slipping into the beef.
The day of the final opens with Rhys riding in a car and telling us the depressing story of his life: he's had more downs than ups, but this is a major up. In fact in many ways being a professional chef and TV star is much better than being a destitute drug addict. Sarah lets us now that she's doing it for her, nobody else, which many of us guessed early on from the look of pure hatred in her eye whenever anyone talks to her. Rhett lets us know that he wants to win, and via subtle body language and intonation, that he is a massive tool.
Into the locker room, where whites are donned. Rhys feels like he's going into battle. Probably some kind of hallucinogen. Sarah tells us she can, in fact, believe she's standing here, but actually she is sitting, so she's a bit of a liar. Rhett says it's "surreal" because he doesn't know what that word means.
In the kitchen all the losers are there in their loser clothes clapping for a bit too long. Matt welcomes the three warriors to the finale and everyone claps a bit more. Just how much of this incredibly long program is going to be clapping? Matt reveals that the winner will reveal "this spectacular trophy"; we cut to a close-up of Sarah's face indicating just how "spectacular" this shiny showbag-filler really is. Marco tells them that they have inspired him, in the manner of a man who still can't really match any of the faces in front of him to the names scribbled on his hand.
The day's first challenge will be set by David Chang, the legendary chef who has accomplished many things in his career, all of them in the form black and white still photos. The challenge he has chosen is a reinvention test. Chang says that in reinvention you have to keep it simple, but that doesn't mean it's not complex. Apparently he has been too busy cooking to learn what words mean.
They are to pull knives out of a block. Rhett is hoping for some funky Asian stuff, possibly referring to food. Sarah pulls out the miso knife: "pretty happy with that," she says, looking as happy as a woman who's just been fired for taking the day off to attend her dog's funeral. Rhys pulls out egg, and then Rhett pulls out chicken, so there's that question answered.
"The whirlwind is about to be unleashed," says Matt, blowing mightily at them, and off they go to the pantry, weird music playing to establish a mood of…I'm not sure. Dizziness?
Rhys has hit a mental block. All he can think of is something Asian, so he grabs some things. Rhys has been smoking some serious banana skins. As the spectators cheer him sleepily from the balcony, Rhys wanders aimlessly around the kitchen before returning to the pantry. He mutters to himself for a bit, lies down for a brief nap, and then he's up and at them. David and Matt ask Rhys what he's going to cook. He's going to make a crepe of some kind, in an attempt to reinvent the concept of cluelessness.
Sarah is a lot more together and hostile to questioning. She's making some kind of weird Scotch quail egg thing, and Matt and David have no desire to hang around at her bench to find out more. She's a bit worried about the egg, in case it hatches and she forms an attachment to the baby quail, as she knows her parents won't let her keep it.
Meanwhile Rhett has decided to make some gross gloop in a bowl. The judges don't even ask him about it because he's just terrible company.
It also, when completed, looks a lot like a piece of pineapple that has been left in a landfill for a month.
Rhys really wants to relax, suggesting he has chosen a very poor career path. Rhett wants to smoke his chicken breast, along with its family and associates. Marco and David murmur to each other about how crap Rhett is. It's like a schoolyard sometimes, with all these bitchy little cliques. "I like to see them run," Marco purrs in what is probably the single most disturbing moment in all Masterchef history.
Elsewhere Matt is making droning noises at Sarah, who proceeds to cut her egg in half and rejoices at what she finds – an egg. "Kaching Kachang!" shouts Matt, still searching desperately for a catchphrase so Mark Holden doesn't keep lording it over him at Christmas parties.
With one minute to go, each chef arranges their food on the plate so it looks exactly like it's just spilled out of a bin, and time's up!
Rhys is first, and Marco compliments him on the amount of time and effort he's put in, before telling him it's not very good. The lesson for Rhys is clear: he should try a lot less hard. Luckily, this is something he's very very good at.
Sarah steps up to serve her dish, resisting her constant urge to snap, "F--- you" as she does so. David thinks she's done a nice take on the Scotch egg, but thinks it's not "cohesive". Hey David, it's a Scotch EGG, not Scotch TAPE! Hahahahahahaha oh it's good to laugh unless you're Sarah.
Rhett's turn, and his dish looks spectacular, but then that's easy when you've sprayed everything with hair lacquer. "Your chicken skin is delicious," says Matt in serial killerish fashion, but finds fault with the mayo, which is too sweet. "It's true!" says Rhett. So why'd you do it then you idiot?
Scoring time, and Rhys receives 5/10 from David, who thought it "tasted great", but doesn't understand what food is for and therefore doesn't think it was very good. He also gives a five to Sarah, who in an almost superhuman display of willpower does NOT make a wanking motion with her hand. With Rhys and Sarah on 17 each, Rhett says, "all I'm thinking is how to improve on that dish", but this is a lie: he is also thinking about how great his hair looks.
"Your dish was at least beautiful," says Matt to Rhett, sighing over the ineptitude of the hapless rabble he sees before him. Rhett has scored 19 and takes the lead going into round two, which will be a dramatic cello music challenge.
It's a pressure test in which they will have to cook a dish invented by Marco Pierre White himself. So I guess it will involve a lot of Continental Real Stock. Marco brings the chefs to the bench, lifts the cloche off the table, and sets fire to them all.
No, actually it's an ad break, and time once again to be reminded of humanity's ceaseless quest to find a kitchen appliance so simple even men can operate it.
Back in the kitchen, Marco reveals the dish they must cook: it is…a slab of cat food soaked in urine. "It's cooking stripped bare," says Marco, apparently confusing the phrase "stripped bare" with the phrase "found in an alley underneath a tramp".
A cutaway to Rhys reveals that he calls Marco "Em Pee Dubs", and says things like "This is gonna be sick". He really is mixing and matching the pharmaceuticals by this stage.
Marco shows them how to make his disgusting yellow terrine blob thing. Rhys asks how long it will take to cook the lobster. "Until it's cooked," grins Marco, not interested in the slightest in not being a smug knob-end for a minute or so.
Marco's "cooking stripped bare" dish for some reason involved enormous slabs of cement. This seems not so much "cooking stripped bare" as "cooking which needlessly incorporates construction materials". It also, when completed, looks a lot like a piece of pineapple that has been left in a landfill for a month. The contestants have two and a half hours to try to make their own terrine as nauseating as Marco's.
Matt asks Rhys if he needs a recipe. Rhys doesn't think he needs a recipe – all he needs is some cement and a bag full of microscopic parasites. Then again, his opinion that he doesn't need a recipe is coloured slightly by the fact that he didn't know there was one.
A quick ad break, in which a Biggest Loser promo reminds us that contrary to Masterchef's assertions, food is evil, and we're back. Sarah explains that she's made quite a few terrines before, but this one is particularly hard, because it's even more revolting than your average terrine. Meanwhile, Rhys says something about "the pinky in the tail". I don't know what that means but it sounds pretty obscene. Back to Sarah who emphasises that this dish, unlike all other dishes cooked in the series, needs to be cooked well as opposed to badly. She also notes that Rhett's leeks look quite underdone – we've all known this since the first episode of course.
Sarah begins construction – one layer of leeks, then wedging in the lobster, which really is a terrible way to go about making something that is supposedly edible. The chefs then begin helping erect the concrete slabs, their manner betraying the fact that they all suspect this challenge of being really stupid. Marco peers at them predatorily and lets them know his inspiration for the dish was Stonehenge, causing the contestants to dash back to the pantry in search of a heavy metal band and some dancing midgets. Sarah is hoping everything won't go pear-shaped, but that seems a safe bet – pears are a food.
As the music becomes irritating and tense, Rhett discovers he's undercooked his leeks, and Marco is laughing with delight much like Satan in American Pie. "Chefs!" barks Marco, which seems a pretty outrageous piece of flattery to this lot, "two minutes to go!" Rhys's terrine is falling apart. Rhett's terrine is falling apart. Frankly it seems like a lot of effort and angst for a dish that is basically just smashing lobster and leeks together until they look semi-digested.
Rhett serves his terrine up. He hasn't cooked it properly and it isn't a terrine. This may be a plus, however, as generally speaking terrines are at their best when they're not terrines.
Sarah serves hers and she's done a very good job. The terrine is smooth and gluggy, the bits that look like enormous fly eggs look exactly like enormous fly eggs, and the bits that look like mould are extremely mouldy. It's a triumph of garbage cuisine.
In steps Rhys, who by now is so high that he thinks he's serving to one of the best chefs in the world and the best food critic in the world. Actually he's serving to Marco and Matt, who tuck in enthusiastically despite the fairly obvious risk of intestinal worms. Rhys doesn't realise how well he's done, according to Marco. Probably the drugs.
From the balcony, Coop looks down with murder in his eyes as the scores are given. Rhett scores 12 out of 20 and the spectators clap because clearly there is an enormous flashing APPLAUSE sign somewhere in the kitchen. Sarah gets 15/20 – she did much better than Rhett, but Matt thought her "leeks were a little squeaky", which is either bizarre cooking jargon, an activation code for a terrorist sleeper cell, or sexual harassment. But Rhys scores SEVENTEEN out of twenty! His tactic of not really trying has paid off in spades!
Amazingly, the finale is still going, as Masterchef: The Professionals devolves into a barbed pastiche of They Shoot Horses, Don't They? The final challenge is serving a restaurant with 120 guests blah blah blah this is terribly original. "We're not totally heartless, so we thought we'd give you a hand," says Matt. They will be allowed assistants for the final challenge. However, the assistants will be drawn from the already-eliminated contestants, so I guess they are totally heartless after all.
Sarah chooses Nathan, knowing that a team without an enormous beard isn't a team at all. Rhett chooses Michael, knowing that hyperactivity counts for a lot in service. Rhys chooses Kiah, because he's on drugs. Sarah then chooses Coop, who continues to find clever ways to avoid his family. Rhett chooses Nick, because he likes a man who says "crikey". Rhys chooses Cassie, because he knows that what his team is missing is the willingness to literally kill innocent people.
The assistants rush off to get dressed – still no nudity, thanks a lot, Channel Ten – and it's into the pantry to pick up a bunch of ingredients, and into the kitchen to plan the menu. Rhett begins to go mad with power, grinning maniacally and throwing lobster into boiling water, screaming at his assistants, "YOU'RE NEXT!"
Marco begins stalking the kitchen, saying "if you make a mess, you create another job for yourself". This is patently untrue – it's only by cleaning up a mess that you create another job for yourself. He also says things like, "There's only one way to work – the correct way", so Marco is essentially worthless. It's probably best, if you're cooking in a kitchen that contains Marco Pierre White, to treat him as a sort of human chicane to be driven around. Sarah, however, makes the mistake of attempting to poison him with sausage meat. It doesn't work: Marco cannot be killed by conventional methods.
Rhys is barking out orders to Kiah, who's trying to remember which way to turn the knob on the oven. He's got Cassie erotically massaging lamb loins, while he himself quietly begins stealing appliances. Kiah has never cooked black pudding before, and he has also never followed instructions before, which is why he ruins the black pudding. He just boiled them, when in fact he needed to "cryo-vac" them, which I believe is a method by which black pudding is frozen in suspended animation until a cure for their illness is found.
On Rhett's team, Rhett is carrying out the primary purpose of a team leader, which is loudly braying at length about how he is the team leader. His talking about being a team leader activities are interrupted, however, by Marco, who gathers all the chefs together for an inspirational time-wasting session. At this point Matt informs them all that they'll be cooking for 120 chefs. And, like, real chefs, not Masterchef: The Professionals chefs. Rhys, Sarah and Rhett are all very nervous: they know how to cook, but cooking for people who know the difference between good and bad food is a whole other kettle of squab.
"We want tears, we want sweat!" cries Marco, his advancing years causing him to develop demented ideas about seasoning. It's service time, and his blood is up – he quickly loses his mind and begins screaming at everyone about scallops. "Why do I have to do all the shouting?" he demands, feeling the injustice of having responsibility for all the show's insanity on his broad shoulders.
We pause so Rhett can remind us that he is, in fact, in charge of his team.
As the dishes go out, they all seem to be large white plates containing small piles of unidentifiable substances, so the chefs should love it. At Matt's table they're tucking into some disturbingly anatomical-looking prawns and chorizo: what inspired Sarah to attempt to combine cooking with gynaecology in this way?
Back in the kitchen, Marco continues to bark at people about scallops. He accuses Rhys of lying to him. He shouts some more. He claims the nurses are trying to poison him. He complains his children never visit anymore. He yells "I'm waiting for my food": he has actually ceased to be aware of his surroundings.
Meanwhile Rhys tells us that cooking is just like surfing: you just worry about the next dish that's coming, and occasionally a shark bites your arm off.
Elsewhere, Rhett, who is in charge of his team, is quite happy with Nick's cunning arrangement of tiny little blobs of mushy pea with peas balanced on top. A meal fit for a small tree frog. Tragically, though, Rhett's dish has gone out without its curd. I didn't know this was a problem: I thought curd was something you throw away; but apparently this is a disaster. If only someone knew who was in charge of Rhett's team, we'd know who to blame.
Rhett tells us that when something is sent back, all you can do is fix it. This clears up the situation for many laypeople, who wondered whether Rhett was considering ritual suicide or escaping on a motorcycle.
As food flies hither and yon, tension rises, as Rhett expresses his love of yelling and hatred of the young. Rhys and his team are encouraging each other, and Rhett objects to this: HE is in charge of his team, and he will allow nobody to feel that they are human beings. Joke's on Rhett: Rhys's flavours are beautiful, the taste of pep talks infusing them beautifully.
Dessert is coming up. Rhett's dessert is not egotistical, which seems incongruous. But at least he's not taking too long, like Sarah, who's developed severe obsessive-compulsive disorder at the worst possible time.
"How long? How long? How long?" Marco bellows, unaware that everyone went home hours ago. Back in the present, he threatens to shut down the service. Sarah is upset because Marco is like a god to her, and he has rejected all her live sacrifices. Marco has now switched to yelling about chocolate. Rhys has taken something tainted, and is babbling, "fang it out, fang it out, fang it out". Nobody knows what this means.
At the table, Matt refers to Rhys's dessert as "like classic hits and melodies": Rhys's decision to include shredded pieces of Manfred Mann's Earth Band is a winner.
Service is over. "What you've achieved is incredible," says Marco. And indeed, cooking and serving food is an amazing feat, and one beyond the reach of most human beings.
It is time for judgment, time for resolution, time to discover who really is the best out of a tiny sub-section of Australian chefs. Marco tells the three finalists that he's enjoyed every moment he's spent with them. Two of them are Rhett and Sarah so we know this is a lie.
First, Rhett. Marco gives him a nine. His lobster was perfectly cooked and also he was in charge of his team according to rumour, but his dessert was not so good. Matt gives him an eight and he finished with 48.
Sarah suffers from her lack of organisation and also a really sour attitude towards life generally. She gets seven from Marco, but Matt, in a needlessly personal remark, says he loved her "beef", and gives her a nine. She is also on 48.
Rhys showed leadership qualities in the kitchen and gets an eight from Marco, losing points for his incredibly unhygienic hairstyle. Matt points out that his entrée was clumsy due to problems with the black pudding. Kiah is quietly taken out the back and shot. Luckily, Rhys's decision to emphasise incompetence in team selection has not cost him. Matt gives him an eight and Rhys is Australia's first Professional Masterchef! And also probably the last! Because let's be honest! We've all seen the ratings!
Rhys notes sagely that cooking alongside "these guys" has been "mental". It seems an apt description. He has little else to say, as he is mostly interested in looking at his fingers and listening to flowers sing. Sarah and Rhett get ten thousand dollars each to purchase some human emotions with, and little bits of shiny paper rain down from the ceiling. God's in his heaven, all's right with the world, and we all heave a sigh of relief, hoping that next up Masterchef will go back to do what it does best: crying amateurs.


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PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - As the franchise lurched in the aftermath of the Bernie Madoff scandal, the team's payroll stood as the most public barometer of the Mets' overall well-being. As such, when the effects of the financial scheme came into focus, payroll began a downward slide.
Fans cringed as the Mets went from spending roughly $150 million in 2009 to around $95 million by the end of 2012. Even as losing seasons piled up, austerity ruled.
No longer.
"This is a different era," principal owner Fred Wilpon said on Wednesday, when he declared that payroll could return to more typical levels "if the market is such that that's where we need to be competitive and winners."
That means general manager Sandy Alderson will have free rein to spend on players, even if it means becoming "big investors" in the free-agent market next offseason.
"I don't know what the market will be at that point," Wilpon said. "But the payroll will be commensurate with anything we've ever done because we can do it. The people have to come to the ballpark, obviously. If you have a competitive team they will."
As his team began its first official day of workouts, Wilpon roamed the complex wearing a Mets cap, squinting through the bright sun to catch a glimpse of the players he believes can exceed expectations this season. There would be even more reasons for optimism.
Nearly a year ago, Wilpon and his partners scored a momentous legal victory, settling to repay false profits from the Ponzi scheme perpetrated by Madoff. The settlement called for a repayment of $162 million. But the deal also allowed for the amount to be reduced as the trustee in charge of the case recovered more money for victims of the scheme.
Which is why the timing seemed uncanny. Not long after Wilpon painted a rosy picture of the team's immediate future, the Madoff trustee announced plans to make a third payment to victims, a move that significantly would reduce Wilpon's obligation.
It also served to put more distance between the Mets and the financial calamity that has come to define an era in franchise history. But Wilpon contends the scandal was only part of the reason that the team was forced to slash payroll. He also blamed the general state of the economy, which impacted his real estate interests, for playing a role in creating his financial troubles.
"I think there was a balance there," he said. "It wasn't, as people have written, the reason."
Since then, the economy has turned in a positive direction. Wilpon cited a healthier stock market and real estate market. He also pointed out the strong financial performance of team-owned network SNY.
"We benefited from all those things," Wilpon said.
Meanwhile, he said revenues are no longer being channeled toward paying off debt. With that, Wilpon said the focus has shifted toward ridding the sour taste that has developed among disenchanted fans. He praised the job done by Alderson, specifically mentioning the return for trading Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey.
He called the front office a group of "independent thinkers," speaking highly of their efforts to rebuild the bullpen.
Though he acknowledged gaping holes in the outfield, Wilpon said that the strength of the pitching staff gives him hope that the Mets could be a surprise contender. And if that's the case, Alderson should have the flexibility to make moves.
Wilpon also underscored the importance of signing David Wright to an eight-year, $138-million extension. "To me, he's our Jeter," he said.
It was just one part of Wilpon's larger message, one tinged with optimism.
Said Wilpon: "Everything that was in the past -- you guys saw the pain that we went through -- is gone."
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FO: Gentleman's Fancy Socks
by exercisebeforeknitting
Thank you so much for your input about the ribbon on the baby tank. I haven't decided what to do yet but Toni had the bright idea to tack the bow down! Why didn't I think of that??? Of course! I might try tacking the bow down in front first before turning it around to the back. There's something about a bow in back that screams 1986 to me.
I was looking forward to running a 10K last weekend but I woke up on Sunday to thunder, lightning and a heavy downpour. I'm still pretty disappointed about it because there aren't many 10Ks in my area and it's my favorite distance. I'm thinking of running one in Kansas City in early June, although the logistics of getting to the race and dealing with baby care might make that impossible. We'll see. Instead of running this weekend, this is what I did:
That swift and ball winder is addicting!
I finished the Gentleman's Fancy Socks this weekend. I apologize that every picture of these shows a different color – navy blue is impossible to photograph!!!
Pattern: Gentleman's Fancy Socks from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush
Yarn: Lang Jawoll in 85.025 (navy blue)
Needles: US 2, US1
Modifications: I don't care for leg shaping so I knit the cuff and the first repeat on size 2 needles and then switched to size 1s for the desired shaping. It worked out very well.
You should see how little yarn I had left over. Maybe I'll get a picture of that for later this week. It was really astounding. Both pairs of socks for my in-laws really came down to the last few yards!
There are two new pairs of socks on the needles, both using Woolarina sock yarn. The first is Craftaholic's Orchid socks in Raspberry. Instead of doing a lace repeat in front and in back, I chose to do it in front with ribbing halfway down the back followed by stockinette stitch like the Canal du Midi socks.
The unblocked version looks all crumpled but check out some of the other Orchid socks on Flickr. That Craftaholic has some great sock patterns!
This yarn is also Woolarina in Grapefruit. I bought this ages ago because I loved the colors. At the time, I must have forgotten my contempt for the pooling that so often comes with variegated yarn. The yarn has been languishing in stash because I didn't know what to do with it. Since the Orchid socks require more attention to knit than I'd like, I thought I'd start a mindless ribbed sock for reading/studying with this yarn. Of course, I've taken every precaution and I'm alternating between skeins to minimize any pooling. It's going well so far, although I'm only a few inches in. Perhaps you'll see some pictures later this week. I think I'll try 4-5 inches of ribbing followed by plain stockinette. I've never made a stockinette sock so this will be a first!


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Press Releases related to the "RADIAFLEX" topic
Archive for: 2011Print page
RFS leading in-tunnel wireless coverage solution with Guangshengang Express Rail Link
RFS today announced its successful deployment of an industry-leading wireless in-tunnel coverage system for the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link
RFS presents its RF infrastructure solutions for sports events at Futurecom
With strong expertise displayed in the preparations for the Olympic Games in Athens and Pan-American Games in Rio, among others, the company is prepared to support the upcoming sports events in Brazil.
RFS successfully delivers multi-operator wireless in-building coverage solution for Minas Gerais Government in Brazil
RFS announced that it has successfully delivered the largest wireless in-building coverage implementation in Brazil spanning the cellular systems of four operators.
RFS marks the 60th anniversary of corrugated cables, highlights the value of the company's invention to telecom and broadcast customers
RFS today celebrated the 60th anniversary of corrugated cables by noting the continued importance of the company's invention to telecom and broadcast operators.
RFS and Axell Wireless team up to offer complete in-building and in-tunnel wireless communications solutions
RFS and Axell Wireless have signed a teaming agreement that enables public safety organizations, transportation operators, wireless carriers and neutral hosts to purchase a complete passive and active solution for indoor wireless communications
RFS brings RADIAFLEX®, the world's leading "leaky feeder" cable solution, to TETRA World Congress 2011
At TETRA World Congress 2011, RFS, the global wireless and broadcast infrastructure specialist, will showcase its RADIAFLEX family of radiating cables, including its new series of ultra-wideband radiating cables.


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Download John Masefield Study Guide
(Critical Edition of Dramatic Literature)
John Edward Masefield was born on June 1, 1878, in the small town of Ledbury in rural Herefordshire, England; he was the son of George Edward and Carol Parker Masefield. Masefield's father, a fairly successful solicitor, died at the age of forty-nine following a period of mental disorder that may have been caused by the death of Masefield's mother, who died from complications following childbirth in 1885. Left an orphan when he was only six years old, Masefield was taken in by his aunt and uncle, who reared him in pleasant circumstances in a Victorian country house called The Priory. There, young Masefield learned to love the waters, woods, and flowers of Herefordshire, and from his aunt's teaching he acquired a love for literature, particularly the narrative poems of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. In 1888, Masefield was sent to the King's School in Warwick as a boarding student. Homesick and unhappy at Warwick, Masefield ran away from school, and though he was to return, it was obvious that this experience with formal education was not to produce the desired results.
Masefield was allowed to join the merchant navy, leaving home at thirteen and enlisting as a midshipman; he was posted to the HMS Conway, a famous training ship. During his days as apprentice seaman, he took long voyages to South America and around Cape Horn, but the arduous life of a sailor was not to his liking, and he jumped ship in New York, giving up his berth as sixth officer on the White Star liner Adriatic. The young Masefield's disgraceful behavior caused his uncle to disinherit him, and Masefield was forced to take whatever work he could find. For some time, he lived a nearly vagrant life in Greenwich Village, where he started to write poetry seriously. Masefield remained in New York for two years before returning to London in 1897, where he took a post as a bank clerk, a position he held for three years, during which time he started to publish some of his own verse and to meet some of the London literati, becoming acquainted with William Butler Yeats, Lady Augusta Gregory, and John Millington Synge, along with others whom he came to know during regular gatherings in Bloomsbury. Masefield's first book of poems, Salt-Water Ballads, was published in 1902 and enjoyed immediate success, becoming popular with the public and critics alike.
Masefield met Constance Crommelin in 1903, and they were married the same year, when he was twenty-five years old and his bride was thirty-five. Despite the difference in their ages, the marriage seems to have been as happy as most. Masefield acquired a job as an editor and settled in Greenwich with his wife and baby daughter. In 1904, Masefield received an offer to write for the Manchester Guardian, but newspaper writing deflected him from his main interest at this period—writing plays. He managed to turn out a series of dramas, despite the demands of producing reviews and articles for the Manchester Guardian seven days a week. Although most of Masefield's early dramatic writings were left unfinished or destroyed, he completed and produced his first play, The Campden Wonder , in 1907. In addition to writing six more plays in the years before World War I, he produced novels, stories, sketches, his first long verse narratives, and more ballads and poems, although he considered himself to be primarily a playwright. In 1910, about the time of the birth of his son Lewis, he become involved with Elizabeth Robins, an American actress and leader of the suffragettes. Although she was nearly fifty and he was only thirty-one, he became totally enamored of her. For her part, she accepted Masefield's attentions with reservation, and their affair was conducted under the guise of an imaginary mother-son relationship, he calling her "mother" and she addressing him as her "little son." Most of Masefield's ardor went into his letters; he often wrote her as many as two a day. Their actual meetings were confined primarily to...
(The entire section is 1,410 words.)


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Ramsey v. Harman, — S.E.2d —-, 2008 WL 2415127 (N.C.App. June 17, 2008)
Defendant Harman maintained a blog on which she put up some posts accusing plaintiff Ramsey's daughter of being a bully. Harman also posted this:
With all the bulling [sic] and harassing that goes on in our school system. Then the trouble that went on Friday at Madison Middle. The first student in that age group that came to mind was [plaintiff]'s daughter. Wasn't this the student that harassed the Cantrell child? And we wonder why some kids hate to go to school…..
Ramsey apparently took great offense, filing suit against Harman for "stalking" under North Carolina law, and sought a "civil no-contact order" (like a restraining order) against Harman. The trial court granted the no-contact order and Harman sought review with the state appellate court. On appeal, the court reversed.
Harman argued that the lower court erred in finding that she had violated the state's anti-stalking law (N.C. Gen. Stat. §50C-1(6)). She also argued the order violated her First Amendment rights. Because the court found there was insufficient evidence to support a violation of the statute, it did not need to rule on the constitutional issue.
The main question before the court was whether Harman's blog posts were intended to cause, and indeed did cause, "substantial emotional distress" to Ramsey and her daughter. The court found there was no such showing. There were no threats of physical harm, and the only evidence as to the effect on the plaintiff's daughter was that she was "embarrassed" when teachers at school were reading the blog posts. But there was evidence that the school had blocked access to the website, making the claim implausible to begin with. There were no communications directly between the defendant and the plaintiff, and the plaintiff's daughter's name was never mentioned. Moreover, there was evidence that the posts were made in retaliation over a disagreement between the Harman and Ramsey which had taken place on a political website, and over an alleged threatening phone call Harman had gotten from some of Ramsey's family members.


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Tim Lord met Jay Kim at the RSA Conference in an Francisco. Kim's background is in manufacturing, but he's got an interest in security that has manifested itself in hardware with an emphasis on ease of use. His company, DataLocker, has come up with a fully cross-platform, driver independent portable system that mates a touch-pad input device with an AES-encrypted drive. It doesn't look much different from typical external USB drives, except for being a little beefier and bulkier than the current average, to account for both a touchpad and the additional electronics for performing encryption and decryption in hardware. Because authentication is done on the face of the drive itself, it can be used with any USB-equipped computer available to the user, and works fine as a bootable device, so you can -- for instance -- run a complete Linux system from it. (For that, though, you might want one of the smaller-capacity, solid-state versions of this drive, for speed.) Kim talked about the drive, and painted a rosy picture of what it's like to be a high-tech entrepreneur in Kansas.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.


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Follow @politicalticker Follow @KevinBohnCNN
Washington (CNN) - As Congress leaves town for its August recess, President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans are trying to lay the groundwork for who will have the most leverage when they return to take up the issues of funding the federal government and raising the nation's borrowing limit.
Both sides say the stakes are high - that may be the only thing they agree on.FULL STORY
Follow @politicalticker Follow @DeirdreWalshCNN
Washington (CNN) - While House Speaker John Boehner isn't overtly ruling out picking a fight with President Barack Obama over a spending bill, he is laying out an alternative strategy to avoid a government shutdown.
During a closed door meeting on Wednesday with House Republicans, Boehner tried to "gently hold members' hands and walk them away from this," said one GOP source who was in the room.FULL STORY
Follow @JimAcostaCNN Follow @KilloughCNN
(CNN) - Gov. Chris Christie said Wednesday night he's a little too busy with his re-election bid this year to have a beer with Sen. Rand Paul.
The senator from Kentucky made the pitch earlier in the day, hoping to ease tensions that have escalated in the past week between the two potential 2016 Republican presidential contenders.
Washington (CNN) - The Senate voted Wednesday to confirm B. Todd Jones as head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, giving the politically controversial agency its first permanent director since 2006.
Senators voted 53-42 to approve Jones - the ATF's acting director since the fall of 2011 - shortly after he received the bare 60 votes needed to clear a key procedural hurdle.
Senator Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper" Wednesday that a newly declassified document provided evidence of how the intelligence community has misled Congress about the National Security Agency's massive surveillance programs.FULL STORY
Washington (CNN) - A Republican lawmaker demanded Wednesday to know why investigators have not captured or killed any of the suspects in the attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, pointing out that CNN was able to find a man who some say was the ringleader in the assault that left the ambassador and three other Americans dead.
Eight GOP lawmakers are asking that incoming FBI Director James Comey brief Congress within 30 days about the investigation. They say the administration's inquiry into the September 11, 2011, attacks in Libya has been "simply unacceptable," according to a draft letter obtained by CNN.FULL STORY
(CNN) – Republican Rep. Peter King of New York fired back at Sen. Rand Paul, who accused him of being part of a Republican wing that's "all for blowing up stuff, but not too concerned with fiscal responsibility."
The longtime congressman from Long Island argued Paul and his libertarian-leaning views on foreign policy were making "America the enemy."
Washington (CNN) – House Republicans issued a report Wednesday finding that Attorney General Eric Holder gave "deceptive and misleading" testimony, but abandoned accusations that he had perjured himself in May during a hearing on the government's seizure of journalists' phone and email records.
The House Judiciary Committee's Republicans launched an investigation after the hearing because Holder claimed not to know of any potential prosecution of members of the press in leak investigations. After the hearing, the Justice Department acknowledged that Holder had signed a search warrant to seize emails from Fox News Channel reporter James Rosen. The search warrant included a declaration that Rosen was a "co-conspirator" in the leak probe targeting a former State Department contractor.
Washington (CNNMoney) - The House on Wednesday approved a bipartisan that ensures lower interest rates on loans for students heading to college this fall.
Members of the House voted 392 to 31 to lower rates for undergraduates taking out government loans this school year to 3.86% - cheaper than the 6.8% interest rate that kicked in on July 1. The new rates would be retroactive and apply to loans taken out after July 1.FULL STORY
(CNN) - The pro-Republican anti-Clinton forces are already adding to their teams and mapping out strategy for the next few years.
On Thursday, the Stop Hillary PAC tells CNN that it plans to announce three more political firms working with it in its quest to keep Hillary Clinton out of the White House.


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Provides support.
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With its large glazed area, the panoramic sliding sunroof ensures a particularly bright and welcoming ambience in the interior. The outer layer of the full-glass roof with the sliding sunroof on the exterior comprises two separate glazed elements made of safety glass. The movable glass section can be electrically tilted, raised and slid lengthwise towards the rear. The wind deflector is automatically raised when the movable glass cover slides towards the rear. When the car is parked, the panoramic sliding sunroof can also be opened and closed from outside in conjunction with the electronic drive authorization system KEYLESS-GO.
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The illuminated aluminium-look running boards are mounted at the height of the side skirts and make it easier to get into the car, front and rear. Slip-resistant rubber studs ensure a firm foothold.


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Thanks all, I've got to get some herbs planted.I've got cat nip and speerment. Need some sage, anything else?doak
Herbs are more poisonous than chemicals.
Plants have vast variety toxic "chemicals" with which they protect themselves against herbivores. Human is not herbivore.
His stomach does not stand plant material like cow's or cheeps'.
In ancient time human used a lot "natural substances" but they were unpure and several toxic substances caused other effects. When certain stuffs were puriefied from other substances, it was able to measure them and give certain dose. So we got chemical.
If you use herbs, leaves and what ever natural smokestuff, they are more poisonous than pure chemicals.
You see smoke coming from your smoker. It is tar and all kind of tars are carsinogenic.
Some are, some aren't.
No, humans aren't herbivores, they are omnivores, which means we are equipped to eat both meat and plant foods.
His stomach does not stand plant material like cow's or cheeps'. That just isn't true.
True only in some instances, in others the natural form is far superior. .
You can precisely measure out cyanide, the fact that you get a precise measurement doesn't change the fact that it's poison..
That depends entirely on what you're putting into the smoker.
As I asked before, Finsky,
That is good question. Even I do not know the answer. [
Many of you are delivering wrong information to people.
You are calling normal beekepers as "toxic beekeepers" or "chemical beekeeprs".
Have you persons, which keep your boots on ground. There are well known methods to do things and you doomed them just so.
If you want to imitate natural bee nursing, you do not need to mock others chemical or toxic
As I asked before, Finsky, why are you bothering with this little subforum? We're trying to learn and share here, not spread misinformation or debate you.
Quote from: reinbeau on May 18, 2007, 02:51:01 pmAs I asked before, Finsky, why are you bothering with this little subforum? We're trying to learn and share here, not spread misinformation or debate you.Perhaps for the same reason Kirk-o pushed small cell in the other forums when people ask about traditional beekeeping methods???? :?
Well, I'm not pushing anything other than trying to learn about nontoxic beekeeping. I didn't see Kirk-o call anyone names or anything else. I don't see why every post here needs to be answered with acrimony by Finsky. No one should be 'pushing' anything, we're all here to learn - if we've got an open enough mind to do so.


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Check out the latest RPG news | Podcasts | Twitch Streams
Goals of the DDoS aside, aren't most DDoS attacks done using botnets of zombie hosts without the computer owner's consent (or knowledge)? That's kind of blatantly illegal...
Well, the difference is that in the physical world there would be... well, physical obstruction. In the digital world they wouldn't be actually physically harming or preventing people from doing stuff, which is why I think it should be civil, not criminal.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57563919/report-twin-deaf-brothers-going-blind-undergo-euthanasia/Jesus....Deaf twins going blind opt for euthanasia. A sort of sad version of the typical euthanasia tale since this time "suffering" isn't coming from being terminally ill.... Just a choice they wanted since they were going to be deprived largely of their two most important senses... Dunno how I feel, really.
Soft drink addict William Kennewell loses all his teeth at the age of 25 -- Source: News.com.au
Quote from: Yggdrasil on February 06, 2013, 01:13:23 AMSoft drink addict William Kennewell loses all his teeth at the age of 25 -- Source: News.com.auAaaannnd the all-water diet starts now.


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Listed as the UK's No1 Food Festival 2013 by The Independent, Pembrokeshire Fish Week is taking place between the 28th June and 6th July.
Why not book a short break here at Bluestone and enjoy everything that Pembrokeshire has to offer during Fish Week – Bluestone will be the perfect base to explore everything that's going on?
Celebrity Chef Paul Rankin has confirmed for this summer's festival and will be taking part in a masterclass, Proms at Pembroke Castle, a time for picnics, prawns and pimms and a festival firework finale, plus headlining at the opening event chef Bryn Williams.
The week kicks off with an Open Day down in Milford Haven right on the Fish Docks with a great line-up on the music stage, shiver your timbers with the Maritime show, the Tall Ship Irene, plus some tasty dishes in the 'Blas-y-tir' Feast on Fish pop-up restaurant.
The Torch Theatre will give you food for though on Wednesday the 2nd of July with a night with Paul Rankin, guaranteed to be a lively evening of tales, tastes and techniques. Or get hands on in one of the cookery workshops with S4C's Tim Maddams.
There really is something fish about the whole of Pembrokeshire during Fish Week with plenty of delicious events for foodies. You could take a fishing trip or an estuary cruise or explore with the family in kayaks along the coastline. Pembrokeshire is also home to a huge selection of sea birds and wildlife and the coastline is perfect to go crab catching.
Other events in the country throughout the week include a picnic and listen to the Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra at Pembroke Castle on Saturday 5th July
Categories:Food and Drink, Pembrokeshire


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Parent Directory | Revision Log
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Fix bug #441724 - Variable is called PORTAGE_RSYNC_EXTRA_OPTS, thanks to Vladimir for noticing.
Fix bug #427860 - Use /etc/portage for make.conf and make.profile. Old location (/etc) is still supported, this is a heads up (new default)
update docs to use layman instead of gensync, bug 305047
further vanilla-sources removals as it's unsupported
updated portage handbook, bug 144128
Moved chapter abstracts into shared chapters No content change, hence no bump
#126195 bump license version in comment, **no content change**
#115117 Rephrased a sentence. No Content Change.
#113668 Typo
#113025 RSYNC_EXCLUDEFROM needs to be defined to exclude pkg/cat
#102466 - Mention gensync
remove 'sys-kernel'/blabla
dev-sources don't exist anymore, tx to ewoud
Converted dates to YYYY-MM-DD format
Moving 2004.3 documentation
Adding version/date information in pages
#65107 - Added Portage-specific part to the Gentoo Handbook now that .51 is official; major version bump to 3.0
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The NXC2620-DVK40B Development Kit hardware consists of a NXC2620 MIPS core CPU card (model PB502A), a baseboard, a USB1.1 hub card and a 4.3 TFT LCD display. Each DVK4.0 is pre-installed with either Windows CE6.0 or Linux 2.6 OS for instant use. The full set of Windows CE 6.0 and Linux 2.6 BSP are also provided on CD for application development.
The baseboard provides access to all the I/O interfaces supported by the NXC2620 CPU Card.
The NXC2620 CPU Card is a system-on-chip module in a small form factor with low power consumption and high CPU performance. The on-board NAND flash memory can be pre-loaded with either WinCE6.0 or Linux 2.6 OS (select at the bottom of this page).
Two types of CPU Cards are available: PB260A CPU card is with a NXC2620 processor, PB502A CPU card is with a NXC2620 processor and a SM502 graphic processing unit (GPU). The SM502 GPU supports video displays with a resolution of up to 1280x1024 @16bpp.
This specific development kit includes a PB502A CPU card.
The 4.3-inch TFT LCD panel is a 480(H) x 272(V) display that includes a 4-wire resistive touch screen.
The JTAG ICE Box is an easy-to-use hardware & software debugger for application software or device driver development on the DVK4.0 or other NXC2620-based system. (Please note that the JTAG ICE is not part of DVK4.0; it must be purchased separately.)
Lead time: 1 week


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Christ Is Risen!
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In western rite wafers are used and Leavened bread to Orthodoxy.
By "Western Rite" do you mean "Western Rite Orthodox"? The Western Rite Orthodox use leaven bread as far as I know, not unleavened bread.
I think in the Orthodox Church the leaven in the bread represents the Resurrection, as it is the resurrected Body and Blood we partake of. Someone more knowledgeable than I can clarify this better. I belong to the only Orthodox Church which uses unleavened bread, the Armenian Church. We use unleavened bread to show that Christ was without sin, the leaven representing impurity in our tradition. At least that is what I understand. I don't know why the Catholics use unleavened bread. I would be interested in knowing the symbolism in their tradition regarding this.
However, it is useful to recall that grape juice as a common beverage until Dr. Thomas Welch pasteurized it as "unfermented sacramental wine" for his church where he was "Communion Steward".
Do you mean to say that grape juice was NOT a common beverage until Dr. Welch did his thing?
No it wasn't. Because left on its own (not pasturized for example) grape juice and other juices will start to ferment. In college I had a carton of pineapple-orange juice that I kept outside on my window ledge to keep cool (it was Fall/Winter). Well, after time it became slightly fizzy and was trying to be orange-pineapple "beer" as it were. I've had the same thing happen with fresh apple cider. It will start to go 'hard' after a few days.Ebor
And when it is pasteurized, it just starts to go bad. Milk is the worst example. Yuck. I miss the raw stuff I grew up with (neighbor was a dairy farmer).
I've been to a Western Rite Orthodox parish too, I was quite surprised to see unleavened bread being used.
This was one of the issues I faced coming to Orthodoxy.In brief, leaven represents sin.
Interestingly, the Ethiopians offer unleavened bread only on Holy Thursday of the Paschal week (for that night Christ had not yet taken our sin).Can somebody confirm this last point please?
Quote from: Didymus on November 25, 2008, 10:20:27 AMThis was one of the issues I faced coming to Orthodoxy.In brief, leaven represents sin.Unleavened bread is very inappropiate for the Christian Eucharist.1. Unleaven bread is always the "Bread of Affliction" as in Deuteronomy 16:3-4"Seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction: for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life. "2. The Jewish law forbade the use of unleavened bread as a temple sacrifice, for the same reason - it is the bread of sorrow and affliction. This alone should prevent it being used in the eucharistic sacrifice.3. God's law permitted the Jews to eat unleavened bread for only 7 days of the year.
What I have heard, though, is that leaven represents sin and that we don't use it because Christ has no sin.
Sorry, but I find it plain silly that one would appeal to their own pre-conceived notions as to what leavened bread symbolically represents so as to then condemn those who adopt an entirely different set of pre-conceived notions in the course of their interpretation of the same. Signs and symbols mean whatever they are made to mean by their beholder.
Fr. Erickson's "Beyond Dialogue" article was a good one. I recall a couple of years ago we had some fun with it in the private forum. I think we OO's were chuckling over what was said about the EO's eating eggs and cheese during the Fast of Ninevah as a way to refute the Armenian's "damnable heresy," or some such thing. It's weird how polemical people will take ancient practices and give them meaning they were never meant to have.As Fr. Erickson pointed out, the Armenian practice of using unleavened bread is ancient and predates any Christological schisms. During the time that some of our leadership got into Julianism (which was officially condemned by St. John Otsnetsi at the Council of Manzikert in 726) it was given a Julian interpretation. What I have heard, though, is that leaven represents sin and that we don't use it because Christ has no sin.
Quote from: Salpy on December 29, 2008, 02:57:03 AMWhat I have heard, though, is that leaven represents sin and that we don't use it because Christ has no sin. What then does this say about the majority of the Churches, Byzantine and Oriental, who do use bread with leaven? It would not be acceptable to say that they wish to symbolize that there is sin in Christ.
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$ 45.00
$ 0.00
Square Platter - Malika
This dish's skillfully painted lines in the traditional Malika design evoke gentle Mediterranean waves and the air of peace, prosperity, and teamwork embodied by modern Tunisians. Use it for serving guests or display it as your kitchen's art statement.
Measurements: 11" Diameter
Materials: Stoneware
Artisan Organization: Le Souk Ceramique
Country: Tunisia
Le Souk Ceramique is a small studio that opened in 1997 in the coastal Tunisian town of Nabeul. Using ancestral techniques passed down through generations, the artisans of Le Souk Ceramique create breathtaking stoneware ceramics with designs and colors inspired by their Mediterranean location.
Each timeless design is created in the studio where every detail is painted by hand and every color batch is mixed by hand, resulting in one-of-a-kind works that are truly artisanal. This artisan community works only in freehand design, never using any machinery, decals, or stencils in their complex, delicate artwork. All of Le Souk's glazes are food safe, creating a healthy environment for the artisans while producing kitchen-friendly ceramic products for your home.
Le Souk sets wages above minimum wage, provides healthcare and social security payments for artisans, and is in process to receive Tunisia's Fair Trade certification.


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By Deborah Mersino
{Taking a deep breath….slowly exhaling…} Earlier this week, I accepted an offer to become the new Senior Director of Marketing and Communications for the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) in Eugene, Oregon. It's a role of a lifetime for me. Of course, saying good-bye to Ingeniosus and #gtchat makes me tear up…talk about overexcitabilities in overdrive {Shaking my head as I pay homage to Dabrowski}.
Please know I am already working with my Global #gtchat Sponsors to pass the baton, and am truly hopeful #gtchat will continue on without me. Global #gtchat really belongs to all of YOU, who have helped make it what it is today. Your verve, generosity, dedication, creativity, authenticity, and collaborative energy have propelled it forward every chat, every week, every month, and every year.
This has all happened quite suddenly; so, it's a bit of a whirlwind in the Mersino household right now. We are driving out to Eugene, Oregon this Wednesday with the girls to find a rental home and look at schools. It's hard to comprehend us moving in about a week and a half {Another deep breath in…exhaling…}!
As such, it may take a bit to flesh out the details of #gtchat amid travel, packing, and general moving chaos. Therefore, I especially appreciate your patience, as I look to lay the groundwork for continued global chats to benefit gifted learners and those who serve them. I will make an announcement about #gtchat just as soon as possible.
Collaborating with all of you these past three years has been such a privilege. I will never look at Fridays the same way again. You have enriched my life, my learning, my understanding, and my appreciation for global connections. With every blog post, response, update, retweet, reply, direct message, and fast-moving chat, you have ignited the power of digital communications for good and given me hope for the future of gifted learners throughout the world.
My passion for gifted education will not lie dormant! As many of you know, though, I am also passionate about 21st Century Learning and am utterly impressed with what ISTE has done and is doing internationally. I have had the good fortune of meeting with the Senior Leadership Council, which I will be joining, and the Marketing and Communications Division team members. The caliber of talent and drive at this organization is beyond inspiring. I feel quite fortunate!
Many of you have sent me kind wishes, notes, emails, and posts recently. My heart overfloweth with gratitude. As I travel down this new road, I will carry all of your goodness with me. {Packing it internally}. This will give me courage and conviction to step into the future.
Thank you all for being such an integral part of my life. Here's to continuing advocacy, social responsibility, and collaboration ripe with ideation, compassion, and strategic vision to impart all that is good for learners everywhere {Smiling as I think of the continued influence you will all have…}.
"Stay hungry. Stay foolish." – Steve Jobs


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Pursuing the Next Level of Artificial Intelligence May 5, 2008 11:21:52 GMT -5
Post by Bozur on May 5, 2008 11:21:52 GMT -5
Pursuing the Next Level of Artificial Intelligence
Jim Wilson/The New York Times
Daphne Koller's award-winning work in artificial intelligence has had commercial impact.
By JOHN MARKOFF
Published: May 3, 2008
PALO ALTO, Calif. — Like a good gambler, Daphne Koller, a researcher at Stanford whose work has led to advances in artificial intelligence, sees the world as a web of probabilities.
There is, however, nothing uncertain about her impact.
A mathematical theoretician, she has made contributions in areas like robotics and biology. Her biggest accomplishment — and at age 39, she is expected to make more — is creating a set of computational tools for artificial intelligence that can be used by scientists and engineers to do things like predict traffic jams, improve machine vision and understand the way cancer spreads.
Ms. Koller's work, building on an 18th-century theorem about probability, has already had an important commercial impact, and her colleagues say that will grow in the coming decade. Her techniques have been used to improve computer vision systems and in understanding natural language, and in the future they are expected to lead to an improved generation of Web search.
"She's on the bleeding edge of the leading edge," said Gary Bradski, a machine vision researcher at Willow Garage, a robotics start-up firm in Menlo Park, Calif.
Ms. Koller was honored last week with a new computer sciences award sponsored by the Association for Computing Machinery and the Infosys Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Indian computer services firm Infosys.
The award to Ms. Koller, with a prize of $150,000, is viewed by scientists and industry executives as validating her research, which has helped transform artificial intelligence from science fiction and speculation into an engineering discipline that is creating an array of intelligent machines and systems. It is not the first such recognition; in 2004, Ms. Koller received a $500,000 MacArthur Fellowship.
Ms. Koller is part of a revival of interest in artificial intelligence. After three decades of disappointments, artificial intelligence researchers are making progress. Recent developments made possible spam filters, Microsoft's new ClearFlow traffic maps and the driverless robotic cars that Stanford teams have built for competitions sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
Since arriving at Stanford as a professor in 1995, Ms. Koller has led a group of researchers who have reinvented the discipline of artificial intelligence. Pioneered during the 1960s, the field was originally dominated by efforts to build reasoning systems from logic and rules. Judea Pearl, a computer scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, had a decade earlier advanced statistical techniques that relied on repeated measurements of real-world phenomena.
Called the Bayesian approach, it centers on a formula for updating the probabilities of events based on repeated observations. The Bayes rule, named for the 18th-century mathematician Thomas Bayes, describes how to transform a current assumption about an event into a revised, more accurate assumption after observing further evidence.
Ms. Koller has led research that has greatly increased the scope of existing Bayesian-related software. "When I started in the mid- to late 1980s, there was a sense that numbers didn't belong in A.I.," she said in a recent interview. "People didn't think in numbers, so why should computers use numbers?"
Ms. Koller is beginning to apply her algorithms more generally to help scientists discern patterns in vast collections of data.
"The world is noisy and messy," Ms. Koller said. "You need to deal with the noise and uncertainty."
That philosophy has led her to do research in game theory and artificial intelligence, and more recently in molecular biology.
Her tools led to a new type of cancer gene map based on examining the behavior of a large number of genes that are active in a variety of tumors. From the research, scientists were able to develop a new explanation of how breast tumors spread into bone.
One potentially promising area to apply Ms. Koller's theoretical work will be the emerging field of information extraction, which could be applied to Web searches. Web pages would be read by software systems that could organize the information and effectively understand unstructured text.
"Daphne is one of the most passionate researchers in the A.I. community," said Eric Horvitz, a Microsoft researcher and president of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence. "After being immersed for a few years with the computational challenges of decoding regulatory genomics, she confided her excitement to me, saying something like, 'I think I've become a biologist — I mean a real biologist — and it's fabulous.' "
To that end, Ms. Koller is spending a sabbatical doing research with biologists at the University of California, San Francisco. Because biology is increasingly computational, her expertise is vital in gaining deeper understanding of cellular processes.
Ms. Koller grew up in an academic family in Israel, the daughter of a botanist and an English professor. While her father spent a year at Stanford in 1981 when she was 12, she began programming on a Radio Shack PC that she shared with another student.
When her family returned to Israel the next year, she told her father, the botanist, that she was bored with high school and wanted to pursue something more stimulating in college. After half a year, she persuaded him to let her enter Hebrew University, where she studied computer science and mathematics.
By 17, she was teaching a database course at the university. The next year she received her master's degree and then joined the Israeli Army before coming to the United States to study for a Ph.D. at Stanford.
She didn't spend her time looking at a computer monitor. "I find it distressing that the view of the field is that you sit in your office by yourself surrounded by old pizza boxes and cans of Coke, hacking away at the bowels of the Windows operating system," she said. "I spend most of my time thinking about things like how does a cell work or how do we understand images in the world around us?"
In recent years, many of her graduate students have gone to work at Google. However she tries to persuade undergraduates to stay in academia and not rush off to become software engineers at start-up companies.
She acknowledges that the allure of Silicon Valley riches can be seductive. "My husband still berates me for not having jumped on the Google bandwagon at the beginning," she said. Still, she insists she does not regret her decision to stay in academia. "I like the freedom to explore the things I care about," she said.


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No time wasted in getting going in Dubai, where probably the biggest upset was qualifier Chanelle Scheepers (apparently pronounced 'Skeppers', at least according to the Eurosport commentators) upsetting Maria Kirilenko in straight sets. Scheepers was on really sharp form and Kirilenko … was wearing shorts, which looked nice.
Jeepers creepers.
Alisa Kleybanova came back from the brink of defeat against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, in what was an all-too-familiar Pavs tale; unable to close out the match from a commanding position, she utterly collapsed in the third set. I still think Pavlyuchenkova has all the game in the world, but she has to improve her movement so that she can defend her way through a rocky patch, otherwise this is just going to happen again and again and again. Here endeth.
Speaking of improved movement, a back-from-injury Marion Bartoli beat Kimiko Date-Krumm. And we all know how an in-form Marion can lend a frisson to things. Go Marion.
Memphis saw a seed massacre in a not-particularly-strong draw, as lucky loser Alexandra Stevenson accounted for second seed and defending finalist Sofia Arvidsson, fifth seed Olga Govortsova went down to a qualifier (in what could be a stroke of luck for Heather Watson, now facing Foretz Garcon in the second round), and top seed Barbora Zahlalova Strycova lost to big-serving Michaella Kraijcek.
On the plus side? Wins for Melanie Oudin, Rebecca Marino and last year's semi-finalist Anne Keothavong. Up the British.
In Bogota, I talked up Simona Halep and she promptly lost to Mathilde Johansson. And Annabel Medina Garrigues lost too, to Colombian wildcard Catalina Castano. What has happened to AMG of late?
Not much to report on the men's side. Grigor Dmitrov lost rather disappointingly to Dmitry Tursunov in Marseilles, and that's about it.
Full results under the cut.


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Using Social Media during the #Boilermaker – What Hashtags to use on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Want to connect to other runners during this weekend's Boilermaker events? There's no better way to do that than on social media and using hashtags.
The official Boilermaker Facebook page recommends the use of #boilermaker2013.
Of course, there will be plenty of people using #Boilermaker, but the folks at Purdue might think something's up.
Finally, whatever you're doing around town this weekend, #Utica is a great hashtag to use anytime.


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martinjfrost Bio
Born in Cambridge in the United Kingdom, i now live in Montreal.... not too sure how that hapned, but its a pretty cool place to hang your hat!! I have worked as a professional designer for the past 15 years and my work has encompassed dance, opera, pantomime (a particularly british pass time at christmas) classic theater,improvised works and a great deal of outreach work with both dance schools and theater groups aimed at helping children and young adults access the theatrical world when they would otherwise not have the chance. My art work is inspired by my job, my interest in tarot and my love of science fiction and fantasy as well as the rather extensive amount of traveling i have done of late.
If you like my plants and textures please follw me on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/IceHouse-Designs/130803873596605#


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Giveaway from LeedleDeedle Designs
124 Comments
The Hunter's PrizeDecember 5, 2011 at 4:53 pm
I have a thing for pearls, and I love the White Pearl Double Dangle!
PatDecember 5, 2011 at 4:59 pm
Me too!! I love the white pearl double dangles!! Thanks for the chance!
JessDecember 5, 2011 at 5:00 pm
Oh I love the Chinese chrysoprase earrings (I'm a green girl – and they are just so cool!)
AnitaDecember 5, 2011 at 5:08 pm
I love the brown, pearl earrings. Really, pretty, fun pieces.
AlisaDecember 5, 2011 at 5:12 pm
I love the white pearl bracelet. Very nice!
SallieDecember 5, 2011 at 5:29 pm
My favorite earrings are the cluster dangle – soft colors. Thanks for the great giveaway! Merry Christmas!
Lucy @ Charm About YouDecember 5, 2011 at 5:29 pm
They are all pretty! I would choose the little red coral earrings 🙂
DebDecember 5, 2011 at 5:30 pm
I like the green Chinese chryoprase earrings. She makes cute earrings!
FranDecember 5, 2011 at 5:45 pm
I love the simple white pearl earrings. They would match just about anything.
LoriDecember 5, 2011 at 5:47 pm
I love the green oval earrings. There are so many beautiful pairs that it was a hard choice!
AnonymousDecember 5, 2011 at 5:48 pm
The Chines chrysoprase earrings are wonderful. email@example.com
Quilting MelodiesDecember 5, 2011 at 5:58 pm
Cute earrings. I love the white pearl the best. I have a pearl necklace that they would look fab with. Thanks for the giveaway. Love your blog. I have it on my sidebar so I can check back often and see whats up.

Have a happy day, Angie
JessicaDecember 5, 2011 at 6:01 pm
The green Chinese earrings are so me! 🙂
loreneDecember 5, 2011 at 6:03 pm
oh my oh my! such sweet decisions…. I would love to have the white pearl ear rings. just love them! great giveaway!
true2beemeDecember 5, 2011 at 6:03 pm
I got so excited I forgot how to post a comment…hard to pick so many pretty ones but think moonstone mini chandeliers!
Amy CDecember 5, 2011 at 6:05 pm
Beautiful! I love the moonstone mini chandeliers!!!
annemarieDecember 5, 2011 at 6:10 pm
I love the double white pearl dangly earrings. Thanks for the chance to win.
KellyDecember 5, 2011 at 6:11 pm
Super cute!! I love to win the brown pearl disc earrings, if I don't buy them first!
MariaDecember 5, 2011 at 6:15 pm
Oh, this is hard, but I think the Coral pink simple dangles would look great to my christmass dress!
Di~December 5, 2011 at 6:26 pm
I love the black disc, I love the little yellow Jade stack, I love the pink choral stack! Wow, which one? Win one buy the other two or the other twenty! Black Disc. Thanks Amy!
thegirlwithacurlDecember 5, 2011 at 6:30 pm
The green oval earrings are my favorite! Thanks for the chance!
Jamie LeeDecember 5, 2011 at 6:31 pm
I like the green aventurine little stacks. Green is my fave!
MaureenMDecember 5, 2011 at 6:35 pm
She has beautiful taste!! I love the moonstone mini chandelier earrings 🙂 but my next choices are actually the same ones you have on the blog today!
scottyloverDecember 5, 2011 at 6:41 pm
Love jewelry! I would pick the cluster dangle in soft colors, but it was hard to pick just one! Thanks for introducing her to us.

Sandy A
ZoeDecember 5, 2011 at 6:45 pm
If I had to choose just one (they're all so beautiful!), I think I'd go with the green oval earrings. I love green stuff.
josieposieDecember 5, 2011 at 6:46 pm
Leigh is a nice friend of mine too! I would love her necklace!
Tara JuneDecember 5, 2011 at 6:47 pm
I love the chinese chrysoprase earrings, they are gorgeous!
Katie B.December 5, 2011 at 6:49 pm
Pretty! I love the pink coral.
MommarockDecember 5, 2011 at 6:57 pm
Wow so many wonderful things to choose from. If I were to win a pair of earrings I would LOVE to win the carnelian disc earrings. I just love red.. and those are so pretty!
MimiDecember 5, 2011 at 6:00 pm
Ohhhh, they are all so pretty and sweet! I would choose the moonstone mini chandeliers – very original. Thanks for the chance!
Jezibels ~ sproutbabysprout.blogspot.comDecember 5, 2011 at 7:06 pm
Love the moonstone mini chandeliers! So dainty!
KristyDecember 5, 2011 at 7:09 pm
All of her stuff is really beautiful (and so my style). I think I would choose the pink coral stacked earrings.
ShirleyDecember 5, 2011 at 7:20 pm
They are all beautiful but if I had to pick one it would be the double dangle pearl earrings. She has beautiful jewelry. I may have to buy the bracelet. thanks for the chance to win.
hennies.penniesDecember 5, 2011 at 7:21 pm
They are all very lovely offerings. I love all the pearls but I was particularly drawn to the black disc dangles. I'm sort of a blank and white lady!! Be blessed!
LaurelDecember 5, 2011 at 7:37 pm
I love the cluster dangle in soft colours! So simple yet beautiful!!
ritainalaskaDecember 5, 2011 at 7:44 pm
charming! many nice pieces here, but do like the chinese chrysoprase earrings. thanx for the opportunity to win them.
Sewing In CTDecember 5, 2011 at 7:47 pm
Amy – Definitely the moonstone mini chandeliers! They are so cute. Thanks for the eye candy! Toni
PhyllisDecember 5, 2011 at 8:12 pm
She has some really pretty jewelry. I would choose the little red coral earrings if I win.
RebeccaDecember 5, 2011 at 8:12 pm
I'd pick the purple, peacock, and grey pearl clusters 🙂
KatiDecember 5, 2011 at 8:13 pm
I love the yellow jade earrings.
RossettaDecember 5, 2011 at 8:15 pm
The little red coral set is my favorite! Nice job on all and thank you for your generosity! email@example.com
jmnifferDecember 5, 2011 at 8:21 pm
Lovely jewelery. I like the pink coral double dangles best. Thanks for the chance.
MeghanDecember 5, 2011 at 8:22 pm
I like the pink coral dangles. thanks!
TiaraDecember 5, 2011 at 8:23 pm
Love the coral pink simple dangles. So dainty and beautiful!
A.J. Dub.December 5, 2011 at 8:34 pm
I like the red pearl double drops. There are some great things in that shop! Thanks for sharing it!
CindyDecember 5, 2011 at 8:35 pm
Really pretty jewelry!! I especially like the light grey pearl earrings. Thanks so much and Happy Holidays!!
BrandieDecember 5, 2011 at 8:37 pm
The green ovals are lovely. Thanks for the chance I think I know what I'l be getting my mom for christmas.
DaisyDecember 5, 2011 at 8:53 pm
I LOVE These:red coral double dangle earrings!!!

Anna

Annameng621ATgmailDOTcom
jennipherDecember 5, 2011 at 8:58 pm
All Leigh's earrings are so beautiful. I think I would choose the green adventurine, because they are such a different color. Thanks for the chance to win them.
krisgrayDecember 5, 2011 at 9:12 pm
What a cute shop – love the white pearl double dangle earrings.
AnonymousDecember 5, 2011 at 9:24 pm
I like the chinese chrysoprase earrings – the green and the exotic design is so elegant. It's been ages since I got new earrings!
Lisa
Lalexander733 (at) gmail (dot) com
EllaDecember 5, 2011 at 9:26 pm
I love the green pearl clusters.
shayshapDecember 5, 2011 at 9:37 pm
I love the soft cluster dangle earrings. Thanks, kathy
Jane S.December 5, 2011 at 9:53 pm
I like the cluster dangle pearls in soft colors. She has some very nice jewelry in her shop. Thank you for the giveaway!
The Criddle Clan...December 5, 2011 at 10:09 pm
Moonstone and pearl. I love them!
cDecember 5, 2011 at 10:13 pm
i would adore the pink coral dangles, they are ever so sweet, and i have a blouse they match.
thank you for sucha nice giveway in this economy. Rarely does someone offer some non quilty for the person who sews. thank you
aka email@example.com
NancyDecember 5, 2011 at 10:29 pm
Tough choice! I like the light grey pearls and the yellow jade. Thanks for the cute giveaway.
ElizabethDecember 5, 2011 at 10:32 pm
I like the purple, peacock, and grey pearl clusters. Thanks so much for the chance to win!
Jenny B.December 5, 2011 at 10:35 pm
I LOVE the pearl necklace. I've always loved all things pearl.
Thanks, Jenny
email@example.com
AlisaDecember 5, 2011 at 10:40 pm
Ohhh, cute shop. I really like the turquoise earrings Her work is really pretty.
denverallensDecember 5, 2011 at 10:59 pm
I LOVE the double dangle white pearls. I had a pair similar to those a long time ago and wore the heck out of them!
MaddyMaze StudioDecember 5, 2011 at 11:21 pm
First…I love her photos. That being said, Ilove the red coral necklace.
YunkabuDecember 5, 2011 at 11:57 pm
certainly the red one 🙂
CatherineDecember 6, 2011 at 4:41 am
Aren't they lovely. The carnelian disk dangles have my name on them!
StephanieDecember 6, 2011 at 5:38 am
The light grey purls are simple & fabulous!
SueDecember 6, 2011 at 6:09 am
I really like the cluster dangles in the soft color. Pretty sure I would were those almost evertday. Thx for the opportunity to win.
The RobinsonsDecember 6, 2011 at 6:18 am
I love the purple, peacock and grey pearl clusters. Beautiful.

katitafenn(at)hotmail(dot)com
Amanda KDecember 6, 2011 at 6:22 am
I love the white pearl double dangles! Thanks!
GailanneDecember 6, 2011 at 6:54 am
I just the pearl earrings, and white pearl necklace…just so classy! Thanks for the chance, stay blesses!
LTDecember 6, 2011 at 7:39 am
I'm usually not one for pink, but I do really like the pink coral stacked earrings.
sydthewydDecember 6, 2011 at 8:03 am
I love how simple all the jewelry is! Makes it hard to narrow it down, that's for sure. I think my favorite is the purple, peacock, and grey pearl clusters 🙂
SarahDecember 6, 2011 at 8:19 am
I love the double drops, probably the red best.
BetsyDecember 6, 2011 at 8:36 am
I love the multi pearl clusters. Thanks!
CarolineDecember 6, 2011 at 8:43 am
I love the Little Pink Dangles!
BriawnaDecember 6, 2011 at 8:47 am
um, i will take one of each! thanks. okay, if i have to pick one, i love the green oval earrings. neutral, yet fun! thanks!
MalmbergsDecember 6, 2011 at 8:49 am
Little pink dangles are my choice. So feminine!

email@example.com
ShannonDecember 6, 2011 at 9:30 am
I love the green pearl clusters thanks for the nice giveaway!
Geiger FamilyDecember 6, 2011 at 9:34 am
I would love the purple peacock & grey earrings. Adorable! Thanks!!
gillDecember 6, 2011 at 9:50 am
I love the little red coral earrings!
KimDecember 6, 2011 at 10:05 am
Those little moonstone mini chandeliers……..how adorable.
Well all those designs are sweet and so very reasonable.

thanks for the chance to win :0)

Happy Sewing and Merry Christmas
goletagirlwendyDecember 6, 2011 at 10:10 am
They are all very pretty, but I chose the green oval earrings.
StacyDecember 6, 2011 at 10:11 am
I love the multi pearl clusters! Thanks for the giveaway.
JenniferDecember 6, 2011 at 10:20 am
I love the Green Pearl Cluster earings. They're beautiful!!
LauraDecember 6, 2011 at 11:25 am
I love the yellow dangles!
crystavolDecember 6, 2011 at 11:45 am
I think I would love the pearl and moonstone earrings – but so hard to pick one! They are all lovely! 🙂
maryDecember 6, 2011 at 11:48 am
I like the little pink dangles. Thanks for the chance to win.
JudyDecember 6, 2011 at 12:00 pm
Oh, you definitely showed the best ones! The single pearl dangle is lovely. Thank you for showing us this Etsy shop; I'm going to go back and find something for my granddaugher.
AnneDecember 6, 2011 at 12:18 pm
Definitely the white pearl earrings. So classic and pretty.
craftytammieDecember 6, 2011 at 12:35 pm
i love green, so i'd choose the chinese chrysoprase earrings! thanks!
Kelley ODecember 6, 2011 at 12:57 pm
I love the chinese chrysoprase earrings! They are the perfect shape and color. What a great Etsy shop. Thanks for the great giveaway!
Kelley
ElonieSDecember 6, 2011 at 1:55 pm
Oooh, I like the yellow jade earrings- love that color! Thanks!
Me and My BrainDecember 6, 2011 at 2:02 pm
Black Disc Dangles… I really need some black earrings and these would do the trick
Claire JainDecember 6, 2011 at 2:52 pm
That red coral necklace is awesome! Thanks so much for sharing!
Julie in WADecember 6, 2011 at 2:55 pm
A lovely giveaway from a lovely jewelry designer! I like her organic style. I would chose the labradorite stacks earrings!
PamelaDecember 6, 2011 at 5:45 pm
I am always a big fan of pearls but her green oval earrings are calling to me. fingers crossed I win!
PattyDecember 6, 2011 at 7:59 pm
Love the turquoise earrings.
FrancineDecember 6, 2011 at 9:46 pm
I love the multi pearl clusters – what a great selection and reasonable prices!
niqueDecember 6, 2011 at 9:59 pm
The cluster dangle -soft colors are beautiful
atthelighthousequiltingDecember 6, 2011 at 10:00 pm
Thanks Amy , My favorite pair are the turquoise ones !!! Happy Holidays !
lesleyjeanDecember 6, 2011 at 10:13 pm
purple, peacock and gray…those are sooooo beautiful!
andreaDecember 6, 2011 at 10:32 pm
I so in love with the turqoise ones in her shop!
MarleneDecember 6, 2011 at 10:43 pm
I have a bracelet that would go perfect with the cluster dangle earrings in the soft colors. They are beautiful. Thanks for the chance to win.
DeannaDecember 6, 2011 at 10:48 pm
Any of the cluster dangles. Those really appeal to me, particularly the purple, blue, grey set.
One Sassy QuilterDecember 6, 2011 at 11:37 pm
All very beautiful! I think I'd choose the green oval earrings. Thanks!
onesassyquilter at gmail dot com
pforgersonDecember 7, 2011 at 8:01 am
the green pearl clusters, for the holidays, cute stuff!
Dorothy Explor'rDecember 7, 2011 at 10:21 am
the purple, blue, grey, cluster earrings are adorable :)

http://theymaysaythstimadreamer.blogspot.com

dorothy
BethDecember 7, 2011 at 11:23 am
I like the turquoise earrings best!
beth(dot)sebastian(at)gmail(dot)com
BillieBee (billiemick)December 7, 2011 at 11:38 am
I like them all, but I like the pearl and moonstone earrings the best.
JaymeDecember 7, 2011 at 12:10 pm
I love the black disc dangles. Thanks!
Lauren HDecember 7, 2011 at 8:36 pm
I would choose the first pair you had pictured — the white pearl earrings! Beautiful jewelry. Generous giveaway. Thanks!
CarolDecember 8, 2011 at 6:38 am
Lovely jewellery, any would be wonderful but particularly like the Amazonite stacks.
Great giveaway, thank you.
Carol xx
Jessica K.December 8, 2011 at 8:09 am
I love the purple, blue, and gray cluster earrings. So beautiful.
Debbie LouDecember 8, 2011 at 12:28 pm
Darling jewelry! I love the purple pearl clusters, but they are all winners to me. Thanks for the giveaway!
NenaDecember 8, 2011 at 12:32 pm
Good Morning Amy! I would chose the moonstone mini-chandeliers – indeed they would look lovely on my sister! Thanks and so glad to 'get to know you'!
DiDecember 8, 2011 at 2:37 pm
the white pearl double dangles look just the thing for the festive season!
GennaDecember 8, 2011 at 6:38 pm
Ooh, the cluster dangle earrings in soft colors or the dark colors. SO pretty!
EmilyDecember 8, 2011 at 7:50 pm
I love the Green Oval Earrings! So pretty!
BrittanyDecember 8, 2011 at 8:08 pm
To choose a favorite is proving difficult, but if I must: the light grey pearl or the red pearl double drops.
LynneDecember 9, 2011 at 12:48 am
Simply the white pearl dangles–they're elegant. Thank you for introducing me to her shop.
Mad QuilterDecember 9, 2011 at 11:07 am
I love her earrings! SOOOO cute! I would get the White Pearl Earrings! so elegant!

madhatter quilting!
domosharDecember 9, 2011 at 2:16 pm
Very stylish earings. Love the pearl ones – 2 perals just lovely! And put some more in my list too :(
Happy weekeend!
Miss KateDecember 9, 2011 at 2:53 pm
I love the pearl cluster earrings – in every colour!
AndreaDecember 9, 2011 at 5:19 pm
Thanks for the giveaway! I'd love the little amethyst stacks. I love purple….my favorite color.
GayDecember 9, 2011 at 5:35 pm
I love the Chinese Chrysoprase ones. Wow. This is a great site. Thanks for the opportunity and the heads up for a great site.


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By Crystal Alofoje and Len Lear
During rough times, one major event in Philadelphia is still pumping millions of dollars into the region's economy, according to the Chestnut Hill resident who is also president of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. The 182nd Philadelphia International Flower Show, which ran March 6 to 13, provided folks with a quick getaway at the Philadelphia Convention Center. The theme of this year's show was "Spring Time in Paris."
"What we're able to do here is focus on a country French garden with an American twist" said Drew Becher, 41, who lives near Morris Arboretum (appropriately) and who became president of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society last June, replacing the retiring Jane Pepper, 65, who had become a virtual legend. During her tenure the society's membership doubled to 16,000, and the staff grew by more than 70 people. Becher is the 36th president of PHS in its 187-year history.
Pepper retired after 25 years as the public face of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and the Philadelphia Flower Show. Prior to Pepper, that position was held by Ernesta Ballard, another Chestnut Hill resident, feminist icon and legendary environmentalist. The Philadelphia Flower Show is visited by about 250,000 flower buffs annually, who help PHS raise part of its $20 million annual budget.
"The show brings in millions upon millions, although we do spend millions to put on the show. But it is our largest benefit," said Becher. According to the Chestnut Hill resident, the economic impact of the Flower Show is phenomenal, taking in over $61 million this year and providing 637 jobs. Of the $61 million, more than $1.2 million will be spent on various PHS projects. The show also had more than 4,000 volunteers, making it the single largest show in the region annually.
"We couldn't be happier. People come from all over the state, the country, the world," said Becher, whose natural eye for class, beauty and originality was displayed in this year's exhibits of flowers with a French twist. He worked closely with the show's designer and several other supporters including the Convention Center, the Philadelphia Convention of Visitors Bureau and the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation. They introduced some new ideas into this year's show, including the 33-foot-high base of an Eiffel Tower replica, the largest project the team has ever worked on.
The whole exhibit was built on four major components that PHS focused on, which included city harvest campaigning and parkway and public landscape unification.
Gardening and landscaping have always been Becher's interests. "I think it was in my D.N.A for some reason. I got into weeding, landscaping. My parents never had to ask me to do that. For some kids, it was punishment."
Prior to moving to our area, Becher lived in New York, where he served as the executive director of the New York Restoration Project, founded by singer Bette Midler. The organization was responsible for the planting of over 310,000 trees throughout New York City's five boroughs. Becher was also instrumental in bringing environmental education programs to more than 10,000 children in underserved communities, but when the opportunity came to be the president of PHS, Becher could not possibly pass it up.
"These kinds of opportunities come twice in maybe 50 years," he said. "At PHS, we are trying to push gardening and the popularity of gardening in new directions. We hope to be the trendsetter for the horticultural gardening world in this country. That's what I want PHS to become. I love when people say, 'Oh I can do that in my garden.'"
Becher, who was selected for his job out of more than 200 candidates, lives in his 85-year-old fieldstone home with his life-partner, Eric Lochner. Becher's current salary is not being disclosed, but it is almost certainly more than the approximately $200,000 he was paid yearly in the New York post he left. Five years ago, while Becher and Lochner were living in a New York apartment, they purchased their current Chestnut Hill home as a weekend retreat. Now, of course, it is their full-time home.
The horticultural maven, who wants us all to think of parks as being just as essential to life as houses, is an Ohio native and lifelong nature lover. He founded a garden club in high school and while a student at the University of Cincinnati, he put together a report for the university president on how the appearance of the campus could be dramatically improved. The school administration eventually did implement many of the ideas Becher had suggested.
Becher is quick to point out that the Philadelphia region has more public gardens than any other urban area in the world — to name a small sampling, Morris Arboretum, Awbury Arboretum, Bartram Gardens, Longwood Gardens, Tyler Arboretum, the Azalea Gardens at the Art Museum of Philadelphia, etc., and of course, Fairmount Park, by far the biggest municipal park in the world.
Last Thursday Becher spoke to an audience of several hundred people during a tree conference at the Philadelphia Flower Show. He announced a new plan to plant up to one million trees in the Greater Philadelphia area, South Jersey and Delaware by the year 2020. To accomplish the daunting task, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society will work with local governments, community and neighborhood groups and schools to train thousands of volunteers.
Becher also hopes to raise millions of dollars from foundations, corporations and government to complete the effort.
For more information, call 215-988-8777 or visit www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org.


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|November 27, 2018
Master Swim
Submitted by: Shelby Horton
Event Location:
Address: 25040 Stewart St., Loma Linda, CA 92350
Description: The word Masters was first applied to adults who participated in track and field and was later adopted in organized adult swimming. In swimming, Masters simply means 18 and older. You do not have to compete to train with our masters. When organized adult swimming started to become popular in the 1960s and 70s—the early years of USMS—the intent was that adults would swim to stay in shape. But early organizers knew that some adults would want to compete, so it is offered. About 25 percent of our nearly 60,000 members enter pool or open water competitions. The greater percentage of USMS members does not compete. We accept swimmers of all level. Masters coaches and swimmers don't care how fast you are. In nearly every program, there are others of similar ability, or those who started where you are and have improved. Don't let your perceived ability or lack thereof, hold you back. Although it's important to have a physical examination before starting any exercise routine, you don't need to
City News Group Inc. | 22797 Barton Road Grand Terrace CA 92313 | Phone: 909.370.1200 | Fax: 909.825.1116


text:
Lineup: Alex Presley LF, Garrett Jones RF, Andrew McCutchen CF, Derrek Lee 1B, Neil Walker 2B, Ryan Doumit C, Pedro Alvarez 3B, Chase d'Arnaud SS, Brad Lincoln P.
Looks like a kinda random lineup to us; guess that's how September will go. We're still a little befuddled how Matt Hague and Gorkys Hernandez can tear it up and not get a call while Pedro gets his job handed back to him. We keep getting confused by that "accountability" thing.
- Paul Maholm and Kevin Correia are done for 2011; both were transferred from the 15-day to 60-day DL. Evan Meek was removed from the DL and is back in Pittsburgh.
- The September call-ups are RHP Jared Hughes, LHPs Aaron Thompson, Jeff Locke & Dan Moskos, and 3B Pedro Alvarez.
- Yesterday was only the second time RHP James McDonald worked more than seven innings (he went 7-1/3 frames) in his short career. He went eight innings last September against the Mets..
- Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors has a post about players with options at the end of the year. The Bucs have three - Ryan Doumit, Chris Snyder, and Ronny Cedeno - and he expects the Pirates to pass on all three.
- West Virginia Power RHP Zack Von Rosenberg was named the Class A South Atlantic League pitcher of the week for throwing 6 perfect innings with 6 strikeouts in his last start.


text:
this is kind of continuation of this thread to concentrate on a specific problem from linear algebra and analysis that, I think, is rather interesting for itself. Here we go:
1) Main problem: Let $(c_n)_{n\in\mathbb{N}}$ be some fixed sequence of complex numbers. Is there a sequence of matrices $A_n=(a(n)_{ij})\in M_n(\mathbb{C})$, $n\in\mathbb{N}$, such that $a(n)_{ij}\widetilde{a(n)_{ij}}=c_i c_j$, where $\widetilde{a(n)_{ij}}$ denotes the cofactor of $a(n)_{ij}$? (For a fixed $n\in\mathbb{N}$ this actually establishes a non-linear system of $n^2$ equations with $n^2$ unknowns.)
2) "Inverse" problem: Let $A_n=(a(n)_{ij})\in M_n(\mathbb{C})$, $n\in\mathbb{N}$, be some given sequence of complex quadratic matrices of increasing order. What are necessary and sufficient conditions for such a matrix sequence to have a sequence of complex numbers $(c_n)_{n\in\mathbb{N}}$ such that $\forall n\in\mathbb{N}$ $\forall 1\leq i \leq n, 1\leq j \leq n: a(n)_{ij}\widetilde{a(n)_{ij}}=c_i c_j$ (notation as above)?
Any input is welcome and I highly appreciate any references to similar or related problems.


text:
|Summary of 16 reviews :
|Room :
|Facilities :
|Service :
|Location :
|Hotel room status:
|The best hotel in Sa Kaeo, offer all guests quiet, modern accommodation with an abundance of comfort, character and style. Nestled amongst numerous palm trees with the central large swimming pool, the hotel is also a distance from Sa Kaeo's most famous Thai Cambodian Market (Ban Klong Luek Border Market), Casinos and other tourist attractions such as La Lu, Prasart Sadokkokthom and etc.
|The Hotel has all 113 air conditioned bedrooms
(Double and Twin) and each room has its own bathroom with hot
shower, as well as , colour cable television, mini fridge, telephone
and Wireless broadband Internet access.
|Standard Room
|Pool View Room
|Suite Room
|The Rachawadee Restaurant
Indochina Hotel offers guests a perfect setting to relax and unwind after a long day of business or leisure. The comfortable and casual setting is ideal for informal meeting with friend or colleagues and provides a great location to escape from the trappings of a busy city life. Guest can choose from an extensive and colourful menu that includes our exotic Thai food, European food, and Chef's specials. Of course there is also the sitting inside the restaurant listening to live performers, or dining by the pool side beneath the moonlight.
|Conventional room conference and meeting
Indochina Hotel offer 2 main conference rooms and 3 boardrooms. They are ideal for any meeting, convention or any function that require space for large numbers of people. The rooms are spacious, provide natural light and are versatile to any seating arrangements that are required.
Conveniently, Indochina Hotel has free, secure parking for over 100 cars, making us a popular venue for business persons on their travels. For those who want to use a personal computer, send and receive emails, or gain easy access to the web, you will find every thing you need from our provided Broadband Wi Fi Internet access. Not to mention that the access is also available in bedrooms, restaurant, pool side, main public areas and in our five conference rooms.
Whether you're organizing a barbeque, after work drink, anniversary party, birthday celebration, reunion or family affair, why not hold your social gatherings at Indochina Hotel Relax in the elegant, welcoming surroundings, try some of our delicious wines and sample our tasty treats.