text:
Action Alert - Emerging Coal Producing Company Sets Sights on South American Hot Spot for Metallurgical Coal Production
13 Dec, 2012, 16:42 GMT
CORAL SPRINGS, Florida, December 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
FinancialNewsMedia.com "Active Coal Producing Companies Watch" for today: VSUS Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB:VSUT), Walter Energy, Inc. (NYSE:WLT), Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. (NYSE:ANR), Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (NYSE:CLF)
Headline News: VSUS Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB:VSUT) sets its sights on Colombian Metallurgical Coal Rush.
VSUS Technologies is positioning itself to take full advantage of the rising global demand for metallurgical coal production by beginning the environmental and geological studies on its wholly owned La Tabaquera coal mine with an estimated 17 Million tonnes of mostly metallurgical coal. The company also recently announced VSUT has retired significant company debt. By reducing the company's liabilities by approximately $500,000 and building a strong team of geologists and engineers, VSUS Technologies has made considerable progress with its studies and land surveys in Colombia and expects to submit both environmental impact assessment and works program to the proper agencies in the coming weeks.
Colombia, famed as an oil and thermal coal producer, is now fast becoming a focal point for a much rarer commodity - metallurgical coal - an essential ingredient for most of the world's steelmakers. Metallurgical coal - also known as coking coal, or simply as "met" coal - is in short supply. "Colombia has a low cost to production and very high quality metallurgical coal, this is drawing interest to Colombia from all over the world" commented John Campo, President of VSUS Technologies, Inc. Prices have roughly tripled over five years, even after factoring in a global economic crisis and a price pullback related to the recent across-the-board selloff in commodities.
Stay informed on VSUS Technologies, Inc. developments by getting news alerts & updates delivered directly to your mobile phone by texting VSUT to 545454 from your cellular device or visit http://vsus.mobi for more details.
VSUT should be researched and closely monitored as it is currently trading near a 52 week low price per share presenting an opportunity for prospective investors to take a close look at this emerging company as it sets its sights on taking advantage of the worldwide demand for metallurgical coal production. For more information on VSUT visit their website at http://www.vsustechnologies.com
Walter Energy, Inc. (NYSE: WLT) is the world's leading, publicly traded "pure-play" metallurgical coal producer for global industry with strategic access to high-growth steel markets in Asia, South America and Europe. The Company also produces thermal coal, anthracite, metallurgical coke and coal bed methane gas. Walter Energy employs approximately 4,400 employees and contractors with operations in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom. WLT recently announced Closing of $500Mil Senior Notes Offering with plans to use the net proceeds of the offering to repay indebtedness outstanding under its credit facilities, to pay fees and expenses related to the offering and for general corporate purposes. WLT closed up 0.06% on Wednesday (12/12/12) at $35.87 on 3.56 Million shares traded.
Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. (NYSE: ANR) with $7.1 billion in total revenue in 2011, ANR ranks as America's third-largest coal producer by revenue and third-largest by production. Alpha is the nation's largest supplier of metallurgical coal used in the steel-making process and is a major supplier of thermal coal to electric utilities and manufacturing industries. In 2011, the Company had more than 200 customers on five continents. ANR closed up 2.86% on Wednesday (12/12/12) at $9.36 on 24.2 Million shares traded.
Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (NYSE: CLF) is an international mining and natural resources company. A member of the S&P 500 Index, the Company is a major global iron ore producer and a significant producer of high- and low-volatile metallurgical coal. Cliffs' strategy is to continually achieve greater scale and diversification in the mining industry through a focus on serving the world's largest and fastest growing steel markets. CLF recently announced pricing of $500 Million Public Offering of Senior Notes with the purposes of the net proceeds from the issuance of the Senior Notes expected to be used to repay Cliffs' Private Placement Senior Notes due in 2013 and 2015, as well as for general corporate purposes. CLF closed up 0.50% on Wednesday (12/12/12) at $32.12 on 8.35 Million shares traded.
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SOURCE FinancialNewsMedia.com


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Difference between revisions of "Microbe Mission/Diseases List"
(→Viral Diseases)
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=== Tapeworm ===
=== Tapeworm ===
=== Trichinosis ===
=== Trichinosis ===
== Diseases from Past Years ==
== Diseases from Past Years ==
Revision as of 21:43, 7 July 2017
|This page is incomplete. It does not cover all the important aspects of this subject. You can help by adding relevant information where applicable.
This page is for detailed information about each disease on the Microbe Mission Diseases List.
The event Microbe Mission specifies a list of diseases that may be tested on. The 2017 list may be found here. Lists from past years are linked in the Resources section.
- 1 Viral Diseases
- 2 Bacterial Diseases
- 3 Fungal Diseases
- 4 Protozoan & Algal Diseases
- 5 Prionic Diseases
- 6 Parasitic Worms
- 7 Archaea
- 8 Diseases from Past Years
- 9 Resources
Viral Diseases
Viruses are nonliving obligate intracellular parasites that utilize either DNA or RNA as their genetic material. A virus usually has a proteinaceous capsid studded with different glycoproteins, which facilitate entry into a host cell. The capsid itself protects the genetic material of the virus.
Viruses are usually extremely species-specific, rarely infecting different species. Virus replication may be halted by antiviral medications such as aciclovir. Furthermore, vaccines, comprised of heat-killed or live attenuated viruses and/or antigens, may be injected into a host animal to provoke a humoral immune response. Antibodies produced will circulate and memory T/B cells proliferate, protecting the host from further infection.
Viruses are usually classified by the Baltimore Classification System, which separates viruses into groups by nucleic acid properties:
- Type I viruses are double-stranded DNA viruses
- Type II viruses are single-stranded DNA viruses
- Type III viruses are double-stranded RNA viruses
- Type IV viruses are positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses
- Type V viruses are negative-sense single-stranded RNA viruses
- Type VI viruses are RNA retroviruses
- Type VII viruses are DNA retroviruses
There are also several types of viruses classified by structure. Naked viruses are generally icosahedral in structure, having a capsid made of repeating protein units. Adenoviruses, which cause several foodborne diseases, are naked icosahedral viruses. Helical viruses also have a repeating capsid, but they are arranged into a helical structure. Many plant viruses, such as tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), the first virus discovered, are helical. Enveloped viruses are covered with a layer of phospholipid membrane, usually derived from their previous hosts. These viruses bud off from the membrane of animal cells. Complex viruses have a complex shape, such as bacteriophages.
Caused by an RNA retrovirus, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which emerged in the 1980s. HIV attacks CD4+ T-cells of the immune system, crippling its ability to defend against opportunistic infections. Several classes of retroviral medications may be given to patients, but no cure is currently available. Late-stage AIDS is marked by opportunistic infections and Kaposi's Sarcoma, a cancer caused by a human herpesvirus. AIDS is an STD, although blood transfusions and needle sharing also spreads the disease. The disease is generally diagnosed with Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA).
Chicken Pox and Shingles
Caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), a herpesvirus. Chickenpox is marked by red itchy rashes and a fever in children, and much more serious fevers in adults. However, chickenpox will not usually manifest itself twice. Shingles is more commonly seen in the elderly, and causes itchy rashes on places like the chest. Herpesviruses display lysogeny, and so shingles may recur throughout life. There exists a vaccine for VZV. The disease is spread by airborne transmission as well as from the scabs. PCR and Tzanck Smearing may be used to identify infection, and aciclovir derivatives may be used to treat the disease.
Common Cold
Caused by about 200 different types of rhinoviruses, making medication/vaccines impossible to develop. Causes symptoms of runny noses, fever, general illness that goes away after a few days. NSAIDs will usually aid in painkilling, but the recovery itself is natural. The disease is not serious in most cases.
Dengue Fever
Five types of flaviviruses, which also cause Yellow Fever. Dengue is a potentially fatal disease spread by mosquitoes. Symptoms include fever, rash, vomiting, and sores, but may also include Dengue hemorrhagic fever. The resulting low platelet count and hypotension leads to Dengue Shock Syndrome. There exists no vaccine. NSAIDs should not be used. During hemorrhaging, intravenous fluids should be administered.
Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever
Caused by one of the filoviruses, a group notorious for causing highly lethal hemorrhagic fevers. Initial fever is replaced with vomiting and diarrhea, followed by systemic organ failure and massive hemorrhaging, followed by death 1-2 weeks later. Bats are the natural vectors for the disease; the virus may also be spread by bodily fluids. Treatment includes oral rehydration. An antiviral drug has been approved for use in emergencies. The disease is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, where mortality rates approach 90%. Poor quarantine practices in the region hamper efforts to fight the disease.
Five separate viruses, collectively known as the hepatoviruses. One of the viruses is a satellite virus. The viruses affect the liver, causing fever, vomiting, pains, and potential liver failure, resulting in jaundice. In addition, infection may lead to chronic liver cirrhosis and eventually hepatocarcinoma.
Small Pox
West Nile Virus
Yellow Fever
Bacterial Diseases
Dental Caries
Legionnaire's Disease
Lyme Disease
Peptic Ulcer Disease
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Strep throat
Fungal Diseases
Athlete's Foot
Dutch Elm Disease
Early Potato Blight
Protozoan & Algal Diseases
Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning
Estuary Associated Syndrome
Prionic Diseases
Prions are one of the two classes of nonliving pathogens. Commonly found in animal neural tissues, proteinaceous infectious agents (prions) are misfolded proteins that induce misfolding in other normal versions of itself into the prion form. Because of the subtle differences between homologous proteins of different species, prionic diseases are usually species specific, with the exception of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), which is able to spread from cattle to humans, causing Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD). The function of normal prions are not completely understood, but it is believed they play a role in nerve bundle myelinization. Prions are especially dangerous because they are heat-stable, meaning sterilization requires extensive autoclaving and chemical degredation, which may be hard to achieve in the field. Prion diseases are fairly rare in humans, mainly passed on by genetic disorders. Prion diseases are progressively fatal, causing brain plaques that resemble Alzheimer's in postmortem autopsies. Treatment is limited, but several drugs and genetic treatments are being research.
This is a spongiform encephalopathy that occurs in sheep. It is so named because one of the symptoms is affected sheep scraping their fleece on rocks. Another symptom is excessive lip smacking. Because the prions don't degrade, they can easily infect other sheep. There are no cases of scrapie infecting humans, however.
This is a unique prion disease that occurs in humans, spread by cannibalism. In the past, the Fore tribes in Papua New Guinea engaged in funerary cannibalism as part of their culture. The body is allowed to partially decompose, and then be consumed. The brain was most commonly consumed by women, resulting in a higher mortality rate among females. Funerary cannibalism is no longer performed among the Fore, but it is hard to determine whether the disease has truly been eradicated due to the long incubation period, up to 50 years. There are three stages of the disease, initially causing tremors but eventually causing loss of motor abilities and eventually death.
Parasitic Worms
Archaeans are not known to cause any human diseases, but because they are mentioned in most Microbe Mission tests, an introduction will be given here.
Archaea comprise of the most ancient domain of life. They are prokaryotes with distinct eukaryotic traits. Archaeans are most known for certain extremophilic members, although most archaeans are mesophilic. They have no membrane-bound organelles, being prokaryotes, but certain aspects of their genetic material replication and translation are more eukaryotic.
A more detailed description can be found in the event page: Microbe Mission
Diseases from Past Years
Information about diseases that were on previous years' lists but have since been removed. Occasionally these are tested on by inexperienced or less dedicated event supervisors who mistakenly use past lists or reuse old questions indiscriminately.
- 2017 list
- 2012 list
- 2011 list

subset: commoncrawl


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LOS ANGELES, CA — Drinks Americas (OTC: DKAM), the exclusive United States broker for leading premium authentic Mexican beers currently present in over 32 states, today announced that the third largest brewery in Mexico, Cerveceria Mexicana, the brewery that produces its leading premium authentic Mexican beers, is expanding its facility to accommodate growing demand in the U.S. and abroad.
Located in the town of Tecate, B.C., Mexico, just 100 yards from the US border, Cerveceria Mexicana services its loyal customers in Baja, California and Mexico, as well as its export customers in the U.S. and throughout the world in countries including Australia, Belgium,
Cerveceria Mexicana utilizes its state of the art laboratory along with modern brewing and fermenting equipment to ensure highest quality in packaging, raw material and finished product. Its expansion is estimated to be completed by April, 2014. Once completed, Cerveceria Mexicana will have increased its capacity by 35%, which will mostly go towards the production of its authentic craft selection, Day of the Dead Beers.
Timothy Owens, Drinks Americas CEO, commented, "Regardless of what business you are operating or what customer you are servicing, it's crucial that demand is met in the best and most efficient way possible. Cerveceria Mexicana is doing this through the strategic and calculated expansion of their facility— which when finished will yield the same refreshing, high quality beer product that our aficionados have come to know and love. Cerveceria Mexicana is dedicated to upholding the craftsmanship of their premium authentic Mexican craft beers during and after this expansion. We, at Drinks Americas, look forward to having the product available to meet market demand and to getting our leading beer brands into the hands and hearts of more adult consumers nationwide and beyond."
About Drinks Americas Holdings
Drinks Americas (OTC: DKAM) is the exclusive United States broker for leading premium authentic Mexican beers currently present in over 32 states. The Company is on target to be the leading broker for Mexican beers in each state in which it operates. Drinks Americas' leading premium authentic Mexican beer brands include specialty Day of the Dead Craft Beer, MexicaliÔäó, Rio BravoÔäó, Red PigÔäó and Chili BeerÔäó, which are all brewed in Mexico's third largest brewery, Cerveceria Mexicana, utilizing state of the art processes, fermentation and aging systems. Drinks Americas' brands continue to forge strong connections with consumers through some of the largest retailers and restaurants in the country. The Company is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA and trades under the ticker symbol "DKAM."
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this release, including the description of the company and its product offerings, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including the historical volatility and low trading volume of our stock, the risk and uncertainties inherent in the early stages of growth companies, the company's need to raise substantial additional capital to proceed with its business, risks associated with competitors, and other risks detailed from time to time in the company's most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. The company disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.


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What's in store for Sookie (Anna Paquin) and the rest of the Bon Temps crew when HBO's True Blood kicks off its sixth season this summer?
Returning Spring Shows: Where we left off with Game of Thrones and more
According to a new promo, the season appears to pick up right where Season 5 left off — with Billith (Stephen Moyer) looking evil and bloody as ever. Elsewhere in the trailer, Pam (Kristin Bauer van Straten) tries to slap Tara (Rutina Wesley) and Alcide (Joe Manganiello) takes his shirt off! (What else is new?) Plus: Is there a human/vampire war on the horizon?
Check out the full teaser below:
True Blood's sixth season will premiere on Sunday, June 16 at 9/8c on HBO.


text:
They say "history repeats itself", not sure who "they" are, but they are right. We see this in all aspects of culture in today's society. Whether it's the bringing back of Polaroid cameras, the new obsession with the VHS camcorder … Continue reading
September 2, 2015
by The OJBG Team
0 comments


text:
Eyes On Bali For A Breakthrough On Climate Change
Yvo de Boer
UNFCCC Executive Secretary
All eyes on Bali for a crucial breakthrough on climate change
Bali, the "island of the Gods," is a prime example of the beauty of our natural environment. At the same time, Indonesia has first-hand experience of the extreme weather events caused by climate change. Bali is therefore a poignant setting for the forthcoming crucial international negotiations on the way forward to save our planet from the devastating effects of global warming.
The Bali conference will be the culmination of a momentous twelve months in the climate debate and needs to produce a breakthrough in the form of a roadmap for a future climate change deal. This year, scientific evidence of global warming, as set out in the fourth assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has put the reality of human-induced global warming beyond any doubt. According to the report, eleven of the warmest years since instrumental records began, occurred during the last twelve years. If greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise at their current pace and are allowed to double from their pre-industrial level, the world faces an average temperature rise of around 3 degrees C this century.
Developing countries - not least in Asia - are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change due to their large populations and their high exposure to sea level rise, storm surges and river flooding. What we are facing is, in fact, not only an environmental problem, but has much wider implications: For economic growth, water and food security, and for people's survival - especially those living in the poorest communities. The recent joint award of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize to the IPCC for its work in disseminating knowledge on climate change underlines the implications for overall peace and security.
On a more positive note, what the IPCC report also makes clear is that speedy and concerted international action can still avoid some of the most catastrophic projections. What is needed is a political response to what the scientists are telling us is necessary. Politically, the lights are on green. The European Union has offered a very courageous commitment; the G8 has called for international progress; the Major Economies process is seeking to find consensus among key countries; and at an unprecedented High-Level Event at United Nations Headquarters in New York in September, many world leaders called for a breakthrough in Bali.
What Bali can deliver
What is needed is a breakthrough in the form of a roadmap for a new international agreement on enhanced global action to fight climate change in the period after 2012, the year the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol expires. The Bali conference will not deliver a fully negotiated and agreed climate deal, but is aimed at setting the necessary wheels in motion. In order to avoid a gap after the end of the Protocol's first phase in 2012, the negotiations will need to conclude in 2009 to allow enough time for ratification.
The main issues
Not only the timeline, but the agenda must be agreed at Bali. Among the areas the new deal is expected to cover are mitigation (including avoided deforestation), adaptation, technology and financing. What is clear is that industrialized countries must continue to take the lead in emission reductions, in accordance with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.
Although developing countries are understandably reluctant to compromise their chances of achieving better standards of living for the poor, action on climate change need not threaten economic development. Incentives must be offered to encourage developing countries to go the extra green mile and implement clean technologies, and could also help minimize emissions from deforestation.
Some of the most vulnerable countries of the world have contributed the least to climate change, but are bearing the brunt of it. Developing countries, in particular, need to adapt to the effects of climate change. Adaptation and mitigation efforts must therefore go hand in hand. Funding made available for adaptation needs to be supplementary to resources already committed to helping developing countries move out of poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
A new climate deal will provide the opportunity to speed up the transfer of clean technologies and adaptation technologies, thereby opening up new business opportunities. The burgeoning carbon market is already paving the way for a cost-effective transition to a low-emission economy in developed countries, while mobilizing resources needed to provide incentives to developing countries.
The benchmark for success
A new international climate deal that addresses the interests of both developed and developing countries will make everyone a winner. The world is now watching and waiting for results. If a decision to launch negotiations is taken, if an agenda for negotiations is agreed, and if an end-date for completing negotiations is set, then Bali will have been a success. Anything short of that will constitute a failure. The spirit of Bali lies in the appreciation of its people for "Ibu Pertiwi" (mother earth) and also in the principle of collectivity. In this spirit, we must take a collective step forward.
More: Latest World News | Top World News | World Digest | Archives


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* U.S. central bank adopting series of policy guidelines
* Next on agenda: economic thresholds to guide rate hikes
* Bernanke expected to step down in January 2014
By Jonathan Spicer
NEW YORK, Nov 11 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's next
choice to head the U.S. Federal Reserve could have his or her
hands tied if Ben Bernanke and company continue to re-write the
policymaking rule book at their current clip.
Under Chairman Bernanke, who is expected to step down when
his current term expires in January 2014, the U.S. central bank
has embraced the goal of making the historically shrouded
business of setting monetary policy far more transparent.
It has adopted a string of new rules and guidelines to
clarify its policy intentions, including an inflation target and
a conditional vow to hold interest rates near zero until at
least mid-2015.
The next step is being hotly debated now.
Fed policymakers are striving to agree on a set of economic
variables, or thresholds -- probably particular levels of
unemployment and inflation -- that would signal when the time to
raise interest rates was finally drawing near.
The trick is making a credible commitment that convinces
investors to keep longer-term borrowing costs low, thus
stimulating the economy, while at the same time ensuring the Fed
can react swiftly to changing economic realities.
The concern is that these rules and guidelines will crimp
the central bank's flexibility in years to come as it deals with
the fits and starts of a protracted U.S. economic recovery.
"The more they do it over the next year, the more the next
chair will be constrained," said Vincent Reinhart, chief U.S.
economist at Morgan Stanley and a former Fed economist. The
"constructive ambiguity" the central bank has famously used over
the years to safeguard its policy-setting discretion is slowly
disappearing, he said.
In battling the worst recession in decades, central banks
around the world have deployed untested tools, such as
large-scale bond purchases. They have also often made
commitments about how, and for how long, they plan to use the
Their decisions will matter for years to come.
After eight grueling years battling a severe financial
crisis, the deepest recession since the Great Depression and a
disappointing recovery, Fed watchers say Bernanke will likely
want to step down when his second term as Fed chief expires,
even if Obama wants him to stay.
But the economy is unlikely to have fully recovered by then,
leaving any rate-hike cycle to his successor. Fed Vice Chair
Janet Yellen and Lawrence Summers, a former White House economic
adviser, are both considered possible top candidates for the
Whomever Obama nominates will be handed a rule book from the
Bernanke era that will be difficult, and maybe unwise, to erase.
Though the guidelines adopted under Bernanke are not
iron-clad law, "the credibility of policy actions would be at
stake if they were easily overturned," said Peter Hooper, chief
U.S. economist at Deutsche Bank Securities.
If Fed officials can reach agreement, economic thresholds
would replace their stated expectation that interest rates would
remain near zero through at least mid-2015.
It would be the latest refinement to the Fed's
communications toolkit. In the last 16 months alone, it moved to
tie low interest rates to calendar dates, adopted a formal
inflation target of 2 percent, and published the policy
expectations of each of its 19 policymakers. It built on that
list in September when it said it expected to buy bonds until
the labor market outlook improved "substantially."
Within the Fed's policy-making committee, however, consensus
on which unemployment or inflation levels to use has proven
elusive. Four top Fed officials have gone public with their own
proposals, whether simply to provide a window into their tough
internal debate or to sway their colleagues.
"It would be nice if we could communicate more clearly what
those parameters are," William Dudley, the influential president
of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, said last month.
"The problem of course is that it's very hard to summarize
the economy, and how you're going to feel about the economy,
through just one or two parameters," said Dudley, who has not
pitched a plan.
Yellen -- who as chair would likely smooth the transition
from Bernanke -- could shed more light on the issue on Tuesday
when she gives a speech on central bank communications.
To be sure, Bernanke's Fed has been careful to leave itself
some breathing space. The current round of bond purchases is
"open-ended," meaning there is no dollar value or timeline
constraining it.
Still, the drum beat of rule changes continues.
The Fed is also considering adopting a "consensus forecast"
to give investors a better sense of how policy is likely to
evolve. That would build on a January decision to publish for
the first time individual policymakers' rates forecasts.
As Bernanke's term draws to a close, the jury is still out
on the effectiveness of the new transparency steps.
"It is the improvisation stage," Reinhart said, "and it does
feel unsatisfying."
(Reporting by Jonathan Spicer; Editing by Tim Ahmann and Leslie


text: We like Ericsson's idea for the original Tower Tube–take something as ubiquitous and ugly as a cell tower and add a touch of nice design and a streamlined manufacturing process that saves money and energy. Now they're taking the idea in another cool direction by adding a four-blade vertical wind turbine to the already-efficient design, allowing it to generate much of its own power. It's a concept in trial stages currently but something that makes a whole lot of sense. [Ericsson via PC World]


text:
Where, oh where has half the summer gone? I can't believe it is August already…but it does mean it is time for block number 3 in Maggie's First Dance, the FREE sew-along by Jacquelynne Steves! ( If you would like to join in, it is never too late…just go here and sign up! )
I have to admit that August kind of snuck up on me and last week I suddenly realized that I had NOT made my third block yet…YIKES!! So I got right down to work and completed that block in a hurry so I would have something to share with you today! ( Luckily I had already appliqued all my flowers so I didn't also have to do that still).
Some pictures of the applique in progress:
I used little dabs of glue to keep my pieces of wool in place…little pins just always seem to grab my thread so this is much easier. And I always like to put a thin piece of batting behind my blocks….makes the stitching very smooth and thread won't show through the background fabric when I "travel" from one piece to another.
Because I opted to make my version with wool applique I altered this one a bit. There were so many layers of fabric that I was afraid the block would get to be too fat, so I reduced the pieces and came up with this version:
When it came to choosing the colors for my block surround I had a bit of a dilemma. I love red and wanted to use red, but I hadn't used red in my applique and I wasn't sure if it would look strange to use red in the surrounding block. So I played around with the fabric pieces a bit and then decided that the block looked a bit blah without red, so ….red back in. ( It sure would be SIMPLER to just use all the suggested colors and fabrics when making a quilt, but then again I am not afraid of a challenge. Ha!) Anyway…..here is what my block ended up looking like:
Love it! Glad I went with the red after all 🙂 I also want to mention that I have this great little ruler that makes squaring up the little half square triangles so easy! It is called Bloc-Loc and you can read more about them here. The ruler basically locks in place on your diagonal seam and allows you to trim without it shifting. My ruler is only 6 1/2 inches, so I can trim any half-square triangle up to that size but I believe they have even bigger ones.
So here are my completed blocks 1, 2, and 3. Only one more block and then we are making the setting blocks! Before you know it, this quilt will be completed 🙂
* This give-away has closed*
This month we again have a great give-away! This prize is sponsored by Eva Paige Quilt designs and it looks adorable! You have a chance to win this Christmas Table Runner pattern AND a fabric kit, and the contest is open to EVERYONE!! All you have to do to enter is to leave me a comment at the bottom of this page and tell me what country you reside in. I just love to see readers from all over and would love to know where you are from!
So to summarize:
- leave me a comment in this post and tell me what country you live in.
- enter by August 7th, 2016 at midnight EST.
- the winning entry will be randomly chosen by me on or about August 9th and will be announced right here on my blog, but I will also send you an email.
- you MUST include your contact information ( email address), because if I can't get in touch with you I will have to choose someone else!
- this give-away is OPEN to EVERYONE
For more chances to win, make sure to visit all the other participating bloggers as well~ the list is at the bottom of this post.
I also wanted to mention that Beth at Eva Paige Quilt Design is running a Teal Mini Swap to benefit Ovarian Cancer research, so if you'd like to particpate in that I am sure she'd appreciate it! https://www.facebook.com/groups/twoforteal2014/
I am sad to say that I really haven't gotten much other quilting done these past few weeks….I was hoping to have this quilt all bound and ready to show off, but that didn't happen…it is just waiting patiently for me to have some time to spend on it….Summer around here is all about relaxing, enjoying the pool, and having company, so that is what we have been doing!
My sister and I did make these adorable dollies ( getting a headstart on Christmas presents!)
Aren't they cute?! The pattern was designed by Cindy from Homespun from The Heart and we changed them a bit to suit our tastes. Mine still needs a little teeny quilt to hold, but I have time to do that at a later date. I am hopeful to get a bit of quilting time in this coming week, even if it is just a little stitching at night! I miss my creative time, but family just simply comes first. 🙂
I hope you are all getting time to be creative…please share what you are currently working on~ I would love to know!
Until next time! Happy creating!


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Samsung's 'future-proof' voice-controlled television
By Leo Kelion
Technology reporter, BBC News, Las Vegas
- Published
A "smart" internet-connected television that has the ability to have its hardware upgraded every year has been unveiled by Samsung.
It has an expansion slot allowing new kit to be added to boost processing performance and introduce new features.
The innovation may help reassure shoppers concerned about their screen becoming outdated.
The move is aimed at helping the South Korean tech giant retain its lead as the world's best-selling TV maker.
Samsung's president of consumer electronics, Boo-keun Yoon, unveiled the firm's flagship LED television at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas noting that his firm currently sells two televisions every second.
In addition to its "smart evolution capability" Samsung has also added gesture, voice and face recognition features to the ES8000 model.
Familiar faces
A built-in camera allows users to browse the internet with a wave of their hand and to change channel by speaking in one of the more than 20 languages that the set can "understand".
A facial recognition facility also allows the set to recognise users, pulling up the relevant selection of their favourite apps.
The device is the latest in a run of so-called Smart TVs launched by the firm since 2008.
Samsung is on course to hit a milestone of 20 million global TV app downloads before the end of January, said its president of consumer electronics America Tim Baxter.
New apps announced at the trade show included Rovio's Angry Birds video game.
Samsung also announced its users would be given free access to a new Angry Birds on-demand animated television channel, marking the latest evolution of the hit title.
Smart TV surge
Connected televisions with built-in processors are tipped as one of the hottest trends at this year's CES.
Event organiser, the US Consumer Electronics Association, has said it expects that about half of all shipped TVs would have internet capabilities in 2012.
By contrast it said the figure was 12% of all units shipped in 2010.
While Samsung pursues its own software solution, its rival LG has announced a television with built-in Google TV facilities for the US market.
The firm's chief technology officer, Scott Ahn, only briefly mentioned the move at his firm's CES press conference saying that the step "will form the basis of a strong future working relationship" with the US search giant.
LG also promised voice-recognition via a new remote control.
Left unconnected
Meanwhile, Sony continues to hedge its bets.
Its new HX850 LED TV shares the same connected features as its predecessor including access to the Sony Entertainment Network and its Video Unlimited and Music Unlimited streaming services.
However, the firm also unveiled two new devices powered by the revised Google TV - a media streamer and a Blu-ray player.
Panasonic and Haier are among several other companies also showing off new connected TV facilities at CES.
Although sales of internet capable TVs are on the rise, analysts said the trend can be explained by the fact that the facility is offered on most of the biggest and highest quality sets.
"It's been the year of connected TV ever since 2008," said James McQuivery, television industry analyst at Forrester.
"Every year you see these at CES. However, the manufacturers have struggled with the fact that around half of all people who buy connected TVs never put them on the internet.
"So the challenge going forward is getting people to use the new functionality."


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Glomerulonephritis is damage to the tiny filters inside your kidneys (the glomeruli). It's often caused by your immune system attacking healthy body tissue.
Glomerulonephritis doesn't usually cause any noticeable symptoms. It's more likely to be diagnosed when blood or urine tests are carried out for another reason.
Although mild cases of glomerulonephritis can be treated effectively, for some people the condition can lead to long-term kidney problems.
Symptoms of glomerulonephritis
In severe cases of glomerulonephritis, you may see blood in your urine. However, this is usually noticed when a urine sample is tested.
Your urine may be frothy if it contains a large amount of protein.
If a lot of protein leaks into your urine, swelling of the legs or other parts of the body (oedema) can also develop. This is known as nephrotic syndrome.
Depending on your type of glomerulonephritis, other parts of your body can be affected and cause symptoms such as:
- rashes
- joint pain
- breathing problems
- tiredness
Many people with glomerulonephritis also have high blood pressure.
When to get medical advice
See your GP if you notice blood in your urine. This doesn't always mean you have glomerulonephritis, but the cause should be investigated.
If your GP suspects glomerulonephritis, they'll usually arrange:
- a blood test – to measure your creatinine level; if your kidneys aren't working normally, the creatinine level in your blood rises and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGDR) falls
- a urine test – to check for blood or protein in your urine, either by dipping special strips into a sample of your urine or sending the sample to a laboratory for further testing
If glomerulonephritis is confirmed, further blood tests may be needed to help determine the cause.
If your kidney problem needs to be investigated further, it may be recommended that you have:
- an ultrasound scan – this is to check the size of your kidneys, make sure there are no blockages, and look for any other problems
- a biopsy – this is to remove a small sample of kidney tissue, carried out using local anaesthetic to numb the area; an ultrasound machine locates your kidneys and a small needle is used to take a sample
Causes of glomerulonephritis
Glomerulonephritis is often caused by a problem with your immune system. It's not clear exactly why this happens, although sometimes it's part of a condition such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or vasculitis.
In some cases, the immune system abnormalities are triggered by an infection, such as:
- hepatitis B and hepatitis C – viral infections of the liver
- infection of the heart valves (endocarditis)
In most cases, glomerulonephritis doesn't run in families.
If you're diagnosed with an inherited type of glomerulonephritis, your doctor can advise you about the chances of someone else in your family being affected.
They may recommend screening, which can identify people who may be at increased risk of developing the condition.
Treating glomerulonephritis
Treatment for glomerulonephritis depends on the cause and severity of your condition. Mild cases may not need any treatment.
Treatment can be as simple as making changes to your diet, such as eating less salt to reduce the strain on your kidneys.
Medication to lower blood pressure, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, is commonly prescribed because they help protect the kidneys.
If the condition is caused by a problem with your immune system, medication called immunosuppressants may be used.
Read about treating glomerulonephritis.
Complications of glomerulonephritis
Although treatment for glomerulonephritis is effective in many cases, further problems can sometimes develop.
These include:
- high blood pressure
- high cholesterol
- blood clots – including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or a pulmonary embolism
- damage to other organs
- chronic kidney disease
- kidney failure
If you're diagnosed with glomerulonephritis, your doctor may prescribe medication to help lower your blood pressure, lower your cholesterol or protect against blood clots.


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Key Statistics Of The Top 5 Social Media Sites [INFOGRAPHIC]
In less than a decade, social media has grown from fairly humble beginnings to an integral and increasingly important part of the everyday lives of hundreds of millions of users around the world, as well as playing a vital role in the marketing and branding aspirations of businesses of all shapes and sizes.
Facebook alone is closing in on fast on the mind-blowing one billion users tally, and collectively the major social networks, which also includes Twitter and Google+, command the attention of a huge percentage of the global internet population.
A new infographic from the Graphic Design Blog takes a look at the key statistics of the top social media sites, which in this case includes Facebook, Twitter and Google+, plus Reddit and Stumbleupon.
Which, you'll agree, is an interesting selection. Reddit is certainly a community, but it's highly debatable that Stumbleupon is a social media site. Social bookmarking, perhaps, so I guess it kinda qualifies. Only a passing mention is given to LinkedIn, and rising star Pinterest could certainly warrant an appearance, perhaps at the expense of the flagging Google+. Still, however you feel about the networks included, this infographic is jam-packed full of data.
(Source: Graphic Design Blog. Social media image via Shutterstock.)


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|Dogs and dolphins are just as curious about one another.
Animals are a member of our family, just like your pooch at home is a member of yours! That's why at Dolphin Research Center, we are dog friendly and encourage you to bring your pal to spend the day with us.
Dogs are such a staple at DRC that we've made them members of our DolphinLab classes. In the Adult DolphinLab Advanced Marine Mammal Training and Enrichment, each student works individually with a staff member's dog. Under the supervision of our experienced trainers and educators, the students apply training principles and practices and train their dog partner a new behavior.
We have many members who visit DRC regularly and spend the day here with their dogs. It's a great way to enjoy a beautiful day out with the entire family without the worry and stress of leaving your pet at home or at a hotel. (Nobody ever wants to see a dog left in a hot car in the parking lot. This is dangerous and illegal.)
Our dolphins are genuinely curious about their four legged friends. They're often caught spying on dogs when they're on the causeway, and we're sure your canine will be equally as curious about our gray family members.
Please make sure to bring water, a bowl, and bags to clean up after your pet. All dogs must be kept on a leash and must be accompanied by a person at all times. If you decide you want to do an interactive program with our dolphins, you must have a member of your party handling your pet at all times.


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Video Library
The differential we cannot afford to forget.
Featured Videos
Recognizing Exotic Livestock Disease: Rift Valley Fever
|A hypothetical scenario of a Rift Valley fever outbreak.
Used with permission of CSIRO
Classical Swine Fever
|The differential we cannot afford to forget.
Vaccine Considerations
Management of Vaccination and Control Programs for H5N1 Avian InfluenzaDuration: 38 mins
This video covers management of vaccination campaigns for avian influenza, and is designed for those involved in the vaccination campaign.
Lectures on Avian Influenza Vaccination
Vaccination: A tool for control of avian influenzaDuration: 12 mins
Bernard Vallat, OIE Director General
One Medicine: Collaboration between veterinary and human medical officials for control of avian and pandemic influenza and the WHO Global Influenza Preparedness PlanDuration: 57 mins
Michael Perdue, WHO
Achieving the Goals of Eradication Through Vaccination: DIVA (differentiating infected from vaccinated animals) strategiesDuration: 60 mins
Ilaria Capua, Instituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie Viale dell'Universita' Italy
International Standards and Guidelines on HPAI SurveillanceDuration: 17 mins
Christianne Bruschke, OIE
Diagnostic Infrastructure, Surveillance Capabilities, and Disease Reporting Systems Needed to Support a HPAI Vaccination ProgramDuration: 46 mins
Dennis Senne, USDA APHIS NVSL, USA
Surveillance and Monitoring of Avian InfluenzaDuration: 37 mins
Chantanee Buranathai, Veterinary Epidemiology Division, Department of Livestock Department, Thailand
Epidemiological Factors Influencing AI Vaccination DecisionsDuration: 48 mins
Nikolay Vlasov, Russia
Vaccination and Communication StrategiesDuration: 35 mins
Les Sims, Asia Pacific Veterinary Information Services, Australia
The Response to HPAI in the NetherlandsDuration: 41 mins
Guus Koch, Central Institute for Animal Disease Control, Netherlands
Avian Influenza Diagnostic Training Course
Avian Influenza Lab Demonstrations
Other Videos
Classical Swine FeverDuration: 24 mins
The differential we cannot afford to forget.
Recognizing Exotic Livestock Disease: Rift Valley FeverDuration: 9 mins
A hypothetical scenario of a Rift Valley fever outbreak.
Used with permission of CSIRO
Oral Fluid Collection in PigsDuration: 9 mins
Oral fluid sampling is an effective tool for swine health monitoring.


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Employee retirements: December 2011
Dec. 12, 2011 11:28 a.m.
The following is an updated list of University employee retirements.
Effective Dec. 1, 2011: in research resources, coordinator Mary Blair, after 11 years; in the carpenter shop, maintenance technician Robert Oldfield, after 18 years.
Effective Jan. 1, 2012: in real estate finance, director Caroline Clancy, after 38 years.


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As a result of the conversation, you could decide whether you agree with this guy's perspective:
Note: short video autoplays when you click link
pssst, today is October 17th.
Personally, what I think will help cure gun violence is witnesses actually pointing out to the cops who committed the crime but.
1) Lots of people don't like the police
2) They're afraid (and possibly rightfully so) of retaliation.
So there will probably not be much accomplished by the citizens to help lower crime which will leave it all up to the cops. It's sort of like parents who don't make sure their kids do homework and expect teachers to make sure their kids learn.
Ending the norms against Snitching isn't going to be easy.
...the norms exist whenever and where ever one has more to lose from snitching than one has to gain.
Advertising for the next conversation begins:
Please join us on November 21st, when we reconvene for session two of Community Conversations to continue the discussion and consider some of the ways that we can act to reduce the violence in Crown Heights. The dialogue will take place at 6:30 pm at Launch Charter School, on 1580 Dean Street.
Since it's not listed I hope someone brings up...
1) Parents who are MIA
2) Parents who aren't but don't give a shit
Under Sources there is one titled "Stressed Families and Fractured Communities".
Seems like it may encompass some of what you are seeing.
I saw that but fractured communities implies more of a "it takes a village..." deal and stressed families to me means that there are problems that the parents are having a hard time coping with. But, that's just my opinion.
I hear you.
If they used the term "Broken Families", it might imply that single mother headed families caused violence.
....needless to say, this is about way more than not having a dad.
Thanks for the video whynot! So interesting to see the comparisons between homicide maps and disease maps.
Also, very relevant to think through this lens as we enter flu season!
Thanks for sharing this video
You are welcome. And, I am pleased to announce that the NYT just gave the film and the conversation some coverage:
The next Neighborhood Conversation is November 21st.
Session 2 gets a snazzy flyer:
Was anything resolved last night? Or was it useless since the people committing the violence usually don't show up. Pardon me for being cynical.
People who showed up looking for resolution were likely disappointed.
Those who showed up looking to meet people whom hold similar views on the long term causes and solutions will likely be back for Session 3.
I find it interesting to meet people who have been working on the issue for decades.
To paraphrase a MTA bus driver I once talked with: "We will have jobs until nobody needs to get anywhere, and everyone is where they need to go".
I will say that the people who show up for these meetings have more faith and hope that violence can be lessened than I do. I wish them well.
BTW, there was a shooting on December 6th, near Sr. Johns Pl and Utica Avenue.
Two men were shot and are expected to survive their wounds.
Today, (Dec 7th) S.O.S. staff and S.O.S. volunteers held a rally in response to the shooting.
There was a shooting this morning, Dec 23 :
Around 2:40 am this morning, there was a shooting in front of 1119 Prospect Place, between Albany and Kingston Aves. A 28-year old male was wounded and taken to Kings County Hospital where he was admitted.
S.O.S. Crown Heights is organizing a community rally TOMORROW to express our collective opposition to this act of violence in our neighborhood during the season of peace. Even though - perhaps because - it is Christmas Eve, we hope you will join us for 30 minutes to stand against violence.
Undercover officers bought cocaine, heroin and alprazolam, the generic form of Xanax, from the dealers 120 times between January 2013 and 2014, according to a statement by the Kings County District Attorney's Office. The local drug crew, which called itself "Sterling World," allegedly sold drugs in the lobbies and walkways along Sterling Place between Utica and Rochester avenues, near M.S. 394, a middle school.http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20140130/crown-heights/12-arrested-crown-heights-crack-ring-bust-da-says
June 2nd:
6/2/2014 10:14 p.m.|-73.9471364,40.6759616| Shooting |POLICE| 1120 Bergen St & New York Ave
 Brooklyn, NY|BROOKLYN * SHOOTING* (77 PCT) 1120 BERGEN ST & NEW YORK AVE. PD O/S WITH A MALE SHOT, NOT LIKELY. REQ EMS. MNS493 (c) [MNS225]|1401761641|MNS
...I think I'll use this thread to document the summer's shootings in the 77th Pct, no matter where they occur within the pct.
Fatalities and/or incidents in which multiple people are shot will likely get their own threads.
A shooting in E CH tonight, Saturday, July 19th
7/19/2014 7:34 p.m.|-73.9329237,40.6479929|Shooting |POLICE| Sterling Pl Schenectady Ave
 Brooklyn, NY|BROOKLYN *SHOOTING* STERLING PL / SCHENECTADY AVE. ESU REQUESTED TO THE SEARCH A CRIME SCENE FOR EVIDENCE IN REGARDS * 19:31:40 (C) [MNS106]|1405812842|MNS
Fatal stabbing, Troy and Park Place.
8/30/2014 1:50 a.m.|-73.9358714,40.6487356|Evidence Search |POLICE| Troy Ave
 Brooklyn, NY|BROOKLYN *EVIDENCE SEARCH* TROY AVE / PARK PL - ESU REQUESTED TO SEARCH A CRIME SCENE FOR EVIDENCE IN REGARDS TO A PERSON STABBED DOA * 01:48:03 (C) [MNS106]|1409377801|MNS
In a email that the 77th pct sent out today, the DA has announced a successful indictment.July 19An armed individual goes on a crime spree, between Kingston and Utica:
9/27/2014 5:54 p.m.|-73.9135787,40.6692495|Triple-shooting |POLICE| Boyland St
 Brooklyn, NY|BROOKLYN *TRIPLE-SHOOTING* BOYLAND ST / EASTERN PKWY (73-PCT) PD CALLING A *LEVEL-1* MOBILIZATION TO THE SCENE IN REGARDS TO THREE PEOPLE SHOT * 17:52:36 (C) [MNS106]|1411854841|MNS
Boyland St is after EP turns to the north. Past where the tree lined medians end.... It is in the 73rd pct
10/27/2014 6:55 p.m.|-73.9311226,40.6688469|Shots Fired / Pursuit |POLICE| Eastern Pkwy & Utica Ave
 Brooklyn, NY|BROOKLYN: *SHOTS FIRED / PURSUIT* EASTERN PKWY & UTICA AVE. UNITS IN PURSUIT OF A M/B WANTED FOR SHOTS FIRED. AVIATION & ECT REQ. FIREARM RECOVERED IFO 1140 EASTERN PKWY. MNS254 (c) [MNS137] |1414450503|MNS


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Looking before You Leap: SWP and Offshoring Location Decisions
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Publication Date:
April 2013
To extend or rearrange their global footprint, companies are looking closely at human capital. Today, site selection is less driven by tech or trade barriers or even infrastructure than in the past. Instead, companies look to talent to create value. But is that talent available, affordable, easy to hire, or productive? In this report, experts explore how human resources executives and strategists can contribute to their company's location strategy.
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Want to see Justin Bieber floating through the air while mystically intense music is played?
You're in luck. The majority of The Bieb's commercial for his new fragrance, "Someday," consists of the singer and willowy blonde model Dree Hemmingway floating through space, reaching for each other.
He also sniffs her neck an awful lot.
U.S. & World
"I wanted to create a fragrance for my female fans that I can't get enough of," the 17-year-old singer said.
But it's more than just Bieber musk (supposedly comprised of fruity pear, berries, jasmine, and vanilla). According to Just Jared, a portion of the proceeds will go toward "Pencils of Promise" and the "Make-A-Wish" foundation.
The fragrance doesn't hit stores for another 25 days, which means you can watch this 30-second spot a little more than one million times before its release.
Watch the video below.
Selected Reading: Just Jared, MTV UK


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Jetlasers makes pretty nice lasers. Their PL-C uses 7075 Aluminum and has brass threads for focusing. You can check out my commentary here.
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in·co·her·ent | Adjective /ˌinkōˈhi(ə)rənt/
: lacking orderly continuity, arrangement, or relevance
: lacking normal clarity or intelligibility in speech or thought
pho·tog·ra·phy | Noun /fəˈtägrəfē/
: the art or process of producing images by the action of radiant energy and especially light on a sensitive surface (as film or a CCD chip)
This website is dedicated to posting unrelated, random pictures from my activities.
They currently consist of lasers, knives, and random squirrels.
Enjoy. -Craig
Note: If you want any high-res shots for personal/non-commercial use, just ask. Most of the time I will hand over the image(s) for free.
LEM Camera KillKount™ (Cameras killed at meets I've attended) RIP... 2
1. Canon 7D (mine)
2. Lytro Prototype (not mine)


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let the mind journey
its walkways an open book
many lessons learned
Word/expression of the week – cloister- (noun) – a covered walk in a convent, monastery, college, or cathedral, typically with a wall on one side and a colonnade open to a quadrangle on the other. Synonyms – walkway, corridor, aisle, arcade, loggia, gallery, piazza, stoa.
Cloister – (verb) – seclude or shut up in or as if in a convent or monastery. Synonyms – confine, isolate, sequester, seclude.
The quiet rhythmic monotone of the wall of logs fills one with the rustic peace of a secluded nook in the woods – Gustav Stickley
of yore
reasons unknown
yet traces of truth
hard-spent days in yonder
revealed anonymous minds
imagined but merely figments
illusional and cloistered secrets
left behind unwrapped and not rewarded
You're at the BrewNSpew Cafe, where writers meet
Show your support for fellow bloggers
And for your information, here is what's happening at the BrewNSpew Café!
On Mondays, I publish a post titled BrewNSpew Café. One of the highlights is "word/expression of the week". I make my own wacky lyric with my interpretation.
You're welcome to join our talented community and challenge yourselves by composing your own creation using the week by week included word. Please limit your post to 300 words or fewer.
Link your blog to mine with a Pingback. To do a Pingback: Copy the URL (the HTTPS:// address of my post) for the current week's Challenge and paste it into your post. You may also place a copy of the URL of your post in the comments of the current week's Challenge post.
The prompt will close 5 days from the date of my post. I will post a week after week Wrap-up of posts shared by our kindred bloggers.
How about we be innovative and have fun!
Categories: Archived BrewNSpew, Poetry


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The Long View on Linux
I met Phil in 1990, not long after I met my wife, Joyce. It was kind of a package deal. Joyce collected interesting friends, and Phil was near the top of her list. She had met him earlier in Seattle while she was dating another UNIX geek. Both shared the curse of knowing they were smarter than pretty much everybody else (although Joyce is a bit more modest about it), along with a raft of common interests including travel, business, food and constant repartee spiced with affectionate insults.
Phil Hughes has been around computing longer than most humans have been on earth. He also knows a significant trend when he sees one, which is why he turned his attention to Linux before most of the world even noticed the Net.
In '93 and '94, he flattered me by including my e-mail address in a list that explored the idea of doing a free-software magazine. I followed as best I could (for a geek who was definitely not in the same caste as the other listees). But we were all surprised when Phil suddenly decided to do a magazine on Linux. What the hell was Linux? Phil knew.
In '94, when the 1.0 kernel came out, so did Linux Journal. I was amazed to see how steadily it grew, and how (as usual) Phil seemed to be right about Linux's inevitable triumph in the marketplace. Even though it was free, business would find it more useful than most of the costly stuff it competed with, he said, just like it did with the Net. And, as with the Net, commercial development was inevitable.
In early '99, Phil showed me StarOffice running on a Linux laptop with KDE. It looked like such a Windows killer that the possibilities blew my mind. Then he asked me to join Linux Journal to expand coverage of business issues, so I did. (This was right around the same time I started co-writing The Cluetrain Manifesto, which was kind of a double-whammy career move for me.)
Last August, Red Hat went public. Cobalt, VA Linux and Andover followed. Billions of dollars in new Linux wealth was created in less than two seasons. And then, it melted like snow at the end of winter. The mainstream press, especially the old PC rags, began tarring Linux as last year's fad. But, as Phil is quick to point out, the sum of Linux companies together adds up to a lot more value now than they did a year before. Again, the long view. Since we're both 52, it's one I understand.
Doc Searls: You were an old hand at UNIX when Linus was still a kid messing around with a Commodore VIC-20. What can you tell us about UNIX that seems to be forgotten as the Linux industry moves into enterprises where the most familiar computing worlds are Microsoft NT and Windows?
Phil: My first UNIX exposure was in 1980, when I convinced the company I worked for that a UNIX system and the C language would solve all our problems. This was with an engineering-based company that manufactured semiconductor test equipment.
What we needed was a software development environment where a handful of engineers and programmers were writing code to control the equipment we were designing. UNIX was the right choice, because we needed a cooperative environment where multiple users could share files; we needed compilers and assemblers; and we needed the building blocks to put together some support tools, such as programs that could reformat and download code into the machines we were building.
Someone, possibly Dennis Ritchie, described UNIX as a toolbox full of tools. When you were presented with a problem, you would divide it up into a set of smaller problems and then see if there were tools available to solve each smaller problem. It wasn't uncommon to write a little C code, maybe an awk or sed script, and a few calls to utilities such as sort and uniq and glue the whole thing together with a shell script.
This is much different from today's GUI approach, where you find one huge monolithic program and try to coax it into doing what you want. Maybe you can—but if you can't, you are at a dead end.
Doc: This is the stuff I learned (which might be an exaggeration, but let's pretend) in the excellent "Intro to Linux" class I took at SGI (http://www.sgi.com/support/) a few weeks ago. What amazed me was that the toolbox nature of UNIX made both creating tools and solving problems extremely easy. Sure, you can do sophisticated searches with the GUI Find command in KDE, GNOME and the PC operating systems, but the speed, flexibility and innate sophistication just aren't there. And they're slow.
Phil: This is always an issue when we hire new people. They can be productive sooner if we hand them StarOffice, but investing in them and teaching them shell commands, vi, troff and such makes them much more productive in the long run. The best example is in editorial, where everyone uses vi to prepare articles for layout. It would take so much longer if they used a word processor instead of vi. People like Darcy Whitman (Managing Editor of Linux Journal) who have been with us a long time are proof of this.
Doc: So GUI computing is secondary at Linux Journal. For the most part, the company runs in command-line mode.
Phil: Yes, but I'm not saying GUI computing is bad, just that it isn't always the solution. My big concern is that it is changing the way people think. Rather than looking at a problem and logically addressing it, I see people deciding that a spreadsheet is the solution to every problem because all they understand is spreadsheets.
Or, to go back to a common analogy, everything looks like a nail if the only tool you have is a hammer. You can keep adding features to your hammer, but you still have a hammer.
Doc: I see it as something like auto mechanics. You can do so much more if you know how the computer really works. And too few people do, just as too few people know how a car works. I think a UNIX jock looks at the OS in the same way a mechanically inclined driver looks at a car. If problems develop, chances are they're exposed and fixable.
Phil: It's exactly the same thing. You can even continue down this same line with the car. You don't have to understand physics to drive a car, but if you do, you will be better prepared to deal with situations such as when you are driving on slick pavement.
Doc: One of the virtues of a Linux box running a GUI such as KDE or GNOME is that you can go into terminal mode and work in the command line. You can't do that with Windows. And you can't do that with a Macintosh, although the next version of the Mac GUI will sit on open-source BSD with a mach kernel and command-line access. If you want, you can open a shell, get in there and do real computing stuff. I'll be interested in seeing if that makes any difference in the marketplace. Apple is already quietly running some of its heavy web servers on the new OS. This may be the result of Steve Jobs spending ten years in the UNIX world at NeXT.
Phil: You can get a shell on a Windows box, but there are many fewer capabilities and a lot less sophistication than with Linux. I seldom use Windows, but every time I do, the first thing I do is bring up a shell in case I want to do anything real, which I define as removing a file, moving a file, copying a file...you get the idea. Note that the most common thing I end up doing is copying files to floppy disks so I can take them to a Linux system and use tools such as sed and awk to work on them. vi isn't a problem; I always put vi on Windows boxes.
Doc: I remember Linux Journal growing out of an e-mail conversation—which I was improbably part of—about starting a free-software magazine. A couple of questions here: 1) who else was in that original group? and 2) what exactly happened?
Phil: In 1993, I had an idea to do a free-software magazine. While SSC was doing pocket references for UNIX and UNIX-related programs, I decided I wanted to do this magazine independent of SSC. There were six or seven of us involved in talking about the original idea. Early players included Arnold Robbins, author of some of SSC's products; Laurie Tucker, a friend in Atlanta; Gerry Hammons, a longtime friend and co-worker from years before; David Keppel, a UW computer science grad student; and Melinda McBride, another co-worker from a previous job.
I had set up a mailing list so we could all keep in touch. One day, I realized that to do a good free-software magazine, you would have to be like Consumer Reports and have no advertising. I did a little arithmetic, and realized we were about $9,999,900 US short of the $10 million I estimated it would take to start the magazine. I posted to our list what I initially thought was a joke: why don't we just cover Linux?
Everyone thought it was a great idea. So, I decided to think seriously about it, and agreed. It had balance: it wouldn't cost much to do, but there wasn't much market, either. Not sure if that was good balance, but it was balance.
I posted some questions on comp.os.linux, the only Linux Usenet newsgroup at the time, and received very favorable responses. Thus, it looked like we had an audience, so I set the wheels in motion.
Things looked pretty good, and we were almost ready to dive in full-force when some disasters struck. The most significant was that my friend Gerry died. He was doing some programming for the infrastructure we needed, plus he was going to invest. It was obvious that we needed to put the project on hold, and I made another Usenet post to let people know there was a very large bump in the road.
At the time, Bob Young had started a publication called New York UNIX. Someone saw the post about our problems, and gave it to Bob. Bob contacted me, and suggested that he could be publisher if I could take on the task of editor. We decided to go for it.
After two issues, it was clear to both Bob and me that this wasn't the right relationship. We split the responsibilities, with him assuming the debt for printing already done, and I took the subscription obligation—the 926 readers who had paid for 10 to 12 more issues of the magazine. I rolled Linux Journal into SSC, and we ran with it.
Doc: So it's true you gave Bob Young his start with Linux?
Phil: Yes.
Doc: That checks out. When I talked to Bob a couple weeks ago, he gave you all kinds of credit for getting his Linux career started. When I told him "Phil says he taught you how to spell Linux", he said, "It's true! I owe a lot to Phil. He even gave me one of my favorite metaphors: that closed source is like a car with the hood welded shut."
Phil: While he gives me credit for the hood metaphor, I really don't remember using it. But, I do like it.
Doc: One of the most interesting things to me about Linux Journal is how it seems to be written, to a large extent, like Linux itself. Many of the features and columns come from readers—members of the Linux community. And most of these are people solving real problems. I get a sense with both Linux and Linux Journal that we're all working together to raise a barn.
Phil: It has exactly that feeling. In the early days, many authors were surprised that we actually paid them to write for us. Some just donated the money to the Free Software Foundation or other projects.
Doc: Y'know, the e-world is full of all these new acronyms around commerce: B2B for business-to-business, B2C for business-to-consumer, B2E for business-to-enterprise. So I have an acronym for Linux Journal: G2G for geek-to-geek. Because that's the model that is making the new world, and the great irony is that the New Economy folks haven't got a clue about it. Which makes it that much more subversive.
Phil: This isn't new. Remember, UNIX was born because 30 years ago, a couple of geeks wanted to play a computer game. I wonder if 30 years from now, most people will not even know that Linux was a student project. Actually, I wonder how many don't know that now.
Doc: How do you see the free/open movement today? How has it changed? Is it for the better?
Phil: There are two things here: open and free. We had open and free software on mainframes in the '60s and '70s. If you bought a mainframe, it came with an operating system complete with source code. When you were shelling out millions of dollars for the computer, or more commonly, leasing a multi-million-dollar computer system, why not give you the code? It wasn't like you would go to Radio Shack, buy another computer and copy the OS.
A combination of the price drop in hardware, generic hardware and Amdahl Corporation forced a change. First, Gene Amdahl, who had designed IBM's mainframes, started his own company to make machines like the IBM mainframes. By "like", I mean they had the same instruction set and could, therefore, run the same operating system. IBM now had to unbundle and charge for copies of the OS so they could make money off the sales to Amdahl users.
Doc: I've never heard this analysis before. It's really fascinating. What you're saying is that, historically at least, software really did want to be free. And Bill Gates invented an industry that didn't need to be there. This is what Neal Stephenson suggests in his great little book, In the Beginning Was the Command Line.
Phil: Yes. The OS was something the computer manufacturer had to include with their hardware. Without it, they couldn't sell the hardware.
Doc: You think IBM is going back in that direction with Linux? They're communicating rather clearly that they don't much give a shit anymore about selling OSes, maybe because that was never the idea in the first place. They sell iron. Why not sell iron that's easier to deploy because it runs a universal OS?
Phil: Yes, I do. IBM abandoned their web server in favor of Apache. I think they know people don't want to buy an OS—they want to buy a solution. Actually, I think they knew this when the PC came out. I feel that Microsoft managed to confuse the issue, and IBM fell for it for a while.
The first cheap and generic computer was the IBM PC. Other manufacturers jumped on the bandwagon to make inexpensive clones. That meant the OS cost, again, could not be bundled with the hardware cost. Besides the end of "free" in terms of price, the openness of the past was gone because there was direct competition.
The GPL is an attempt to force freedom back into the mix. It is only one example, with the BSD license being another. Each has its advantages and disadvantages; my point is that we used to have this freedom, but because hardware changed, we now had to do something different in order to get free—both in terms of price and freedom—back into computing.
Explaining the BSD license to a businessperson is fairly easy. They will remain skeptical, but it is easy to tell them you can get something for free, do whatever you want with it and then sell it.
Doc: Because you have to credit only the originator.
Phil: Exactly. You can build a proprietary product, and don't have to pass along your additions or improvements. The GPL is a lot harder. They don't understand why it makes sense to make the changes and then give them away. Or that they are expected to give away whatever changes they make. In other words, not to act like they own it exclusively.
Context is the issue. It's the same as IBM giving you the OS with the hardware; you need to show that businessperson how giving away the OS will sell something else. Sorta like giving away a keychain at the car dealer, and then hoping you buy a car to go with it.
As each new vendor enters the Linux space, you need to educate them. You need to show them success stories. Eventually, they will get it.
Doc: I remember when the Net first became obvious to business, right after Netscape released the next incarnation of Mosaic. Nobody knew what to do with it, because no company owned it. The thing was as free and open as air. Now, it seems like every business on earth has .com after their name, and the Net has utterly changed the context of their work. Are we seeing the same thing happening with Linux? It seems to me that the Net and Linux are two aspects of the same thing—a new world that works for three reasons: 1) nobody owns it, 2) everybody can use it, and 3) anybody can improve on it. This turns out to be great for business, as long as the business doesn't try to throttle this public goose that lays golden eggs.
Phil: There is certainly a similar evolution. That is, Linux was ignored by many for a long time, even though it really was viable. A few years ago, SCO did a fax spam about how you could get a $50 trade-in on your Linux distribution to "upgrade" to SCO UNIX. Well, anyone using Linux at the time was aware that Linux was a better product than SCO UNIX. It's pretty obvious this effort didn't work, as we can tell by SCO's market share.
So, yeah, Linux is a tool that can make money for a lot of different people, because it is open and free. Many companies have played along very well to help the goose continue to produce the eggs. The one company I believe got off track for a while was Red Hat. They seemed to want to make their name mean Linux. It wasn't that they did not continue to give back to the Linux community; the problem was their marketing wasn't showing Red Hat consumers that there was a lot more to the Linux community than Red Hat. Sorta like Microsoft trying to make people think that they were the only game in town.
At this point, I think the situation has corrected itself. You see books on SuSE, Caldera, Debian and other flavors of Linux in the stores. That means the distributions can compete on how well they fit the needs of each consumer, rather than on a visibility issue.
Is this change for the better? If you believe Linux should grow in market share, yes. We used to be a bunch of geeks doing what we want. Today, Linux is business, and to keep it growing, we need to keep getting more businesspeople on board. It is just that along the way, there will be various frustrations. The most common is when a vendor doesn't understand the point of open, and finds a way to get around licensing such as the GPL.
Doc: I've found it very hard to talk rationally about Microsoft inside the Linux world. Too many distinctions get collapsed. For example, the literal distinctions between open and closed source get collapsed with moral distinctions between right and wrong, and with qualitative distinctions between good and bad software. Eric Raymond is fond of saying he just likes software that doesn't suck. But a lot of the world likes closed-source software for which there are no alternatives, whether that software sucks or not. And most Microsoft users, on the whole, don't think Office sucks.
Phil: I think two things happened here. First, for many people, the first word processor they used was Microsoft Word. They learned it, and see anything different as something new they have to learn. So, whether MS Word is sucky or not, they know how to use it. When I was learning vi, I had been using ned, a screen-oriented editor on UNIX, but then ned wasn't available for the new computer SSC had bought. I hated vi and loved ned. What happened, however, was in about two weeks, while I still hated vi, I realized I was editing faster than had ever been possible with ned.
The second is the charm of the GUI. Microsoft had the "in" that allowed it to produce the best GUI-based editor, because they had the inside track on the GUI. For the casual user—someone who might write a letter a day—Word was adequate, and easier to remember how to use. Even I can use Word; it's just that I can get more work done in vi.
The person I started SSC with, Irene Pasternack, left to "get a life" that included raising a family—something you don't want to do when you are starting a company. Irene has consulted at Microsoft for close to 15 years doing tech writing. A year or so after she went to work for Microsoft, her boss told her that she did eight times as much work as his other employees and asked if she had any idea why. She said, "they use Microsoft Word, I use vi."
Doc: A friend of mine used to program for a familiar dot-com company that runs on Windows NT. He said he constantly had to deal with memory leaks in that OS, and added, "we're putting up 60-story buildings and we don't know if there's rebar in the concrete." Then he added, "Actually, we know there isn't rebar in the concrete, and we're going ahead anyway, knowing we just have to fix problems constantly." Open-source software doesn't put geeks out of business; it just gives them more room to do their business. And gradually, Linux is proving that. Which is why I think that in five or ten years, the software and construction businesses will look very similar, with many more builders, architects and designers. Plus many more suppliers. The main difference will be that no one pre-fab supplier will control the business anymore.
Phil: The UNIX community grew up as computer capabilities grew up. The 30-year history of UNIX means there were people making those buildings without foundations, because there wasn't any room for the foundation. But they recognized the problem, and when room became available, they added as much foundation as would fit. Thus, the best possible building was produced at each step along the way, and we built a workforce of people who understood how to grow with industry changes.
On the other hand, the Microsoft community knew the foundation was missing and there was nothing they could do about it, so they realized the whole building was disposable. Of course, being disposable means you can sell the new product next year. I think I am beginning to realize that the mess being created was not a plot—just circumstance.
Doc: You've probably watched the climbing Linux adoption curve closer than anybody. Why is Linux finding universal adoption where other free UNIX systems (such as the BSDs) did not?
Phil: As much as Richard Stallman and others would like to credit this adoption with the difference between the GPL and the other software licenses, I just don't think it is the case. Linux got out there, and it worked. While the various BSD camps were fighting over which was the one true BSD, people were using Linux and seeing that it was a solution.
Once Linux had the inertia (and Linux Journal certainly helped build that inertia), Linux would continue to roll along. I also have to give a lot of credit to Linus' management skills. Getting hundreds, possibly thousands, of programmers around the world all to cooperate on the development was an amazing effort. Getting them all to do it for free was way beyond amazing.
Even before I met Linus, I was impressed by his maturity and sobriety. The guy just seemed to have this highly informed and calm perspective, like a judge. Not your average 20-something dude; not your average geek, either. Made me wonder what would have happened, say, if Bill Joy had stayed with Berkeley UNIX. Instead, Bill is doing fun stuff, but it's all stuff that's owned by Sun. Java. Gini. Solaris. Sun is a good company, but in their own way, they're as closed as Microsoft.
Linus has introduced a new model to the computer industry. Or, maybe I should say that Richard Stallman proposed a new model, and Linus was the right man to successfully implement it. In any case, it has worked, and that may help convince companies such as Sun to at least move in the direction of more openness.
Doc: When did you meet Linus?
Phil: I first met Linus in 1994. It was at a Linux-related party in suburban Washington, DC. When I got there, Linus was there along with a few others. They were talking about some technical Linux-related issues. What I saw was a person who could participate in the conversation, rather than act as the boss. At this point, I understood why Linux was moving forward so rapidly.
Doc: Linux has spread like wildfire, and Linux Journal has grown right along with it. How have both Linux and Linux Journal changed since both came out at v.1.0? And are you happy with all those changes?
Phil: The short answer is that today we are both better products. But, more importantly, our focuses have changed. Linux went from a geek OS to a major contender in the business and commercial market. As that was happening, LJ went from being a developer magazine to offering a lot more that would appeal to the commercial user.
Over the years, we have received letters from readers who credit LJ with convincing their bosses that Linux was real. At times, I felt LJ was portraying a more professional image than Linux itself; at other times, I felt it was the other way around.
I can't say I am happy with all the changes, but I also realize they needed to happen. While it used to be more fun to play with Linux than to publish a magazine, I also realize that for Linux to move forward, it is necessary for it to become more commercial. We would not be seeing drivers for all the new hardware if we didn't have the kind of growth we have.
Doc: In the last year, Linux has become a very hot topic. It seems to me this was for two reasons. One was the popularity of the OS itself. The other was the popularity of new Linux companies in the stock market. These are two very separate concerns that were covered by the mainstream press as if they were one—at least while Linux stocks were hot. Now we're seeing the topics start to separate a bit, now that dot-coms of all kinds (including Linux stocks) are dropping from the sky like a plague of frogs. Linux stocks were especially hard hit. It hardly seems fair.
Phil: The growth in the popularity of the OS has been amazing. Here, I think the U.S. Department of Justice and Microsoft both get some credit. The DOJ antitrust suit against Microsoft brought the concept of an operating system into the minds of much of the public. Prior to the DOJ action, most people only understood "computer" and "program" together, where "program" was commonly spelled Microsoft Word. They bought a computer, and added Microsoft Word or Microsoft Office in order to make it do things. That's all very different today.
The Microsoft credit has to do with NT/Windows 2000. A lot of companies were betting on NT or Windows 2000 offering the server side of their computing. The harder people look at these products now, the more they seem to realize there are alternatives such as Linux, and quite bluntly, Linux has proven to be a better choice.
Windows 2000 is finally out there, but people are sick of waiting. If Windows 2000 works, fine. But if not, they are likely to pick an alternative, and Linux seems to be at the top of that list.
Doc: Here at Linux Journal we use Debian, which is the largest noncommercial distribution. Are we doing it for agnostic reasons (not wanting to favor any particular advertiser), because it's better, or both?
Phil: Note that we used to use Slackware. I like the idea that Debian seemed to be the best fit for us, because we can then be agnostic, but we chose it mostly because it was a better solution. Debian has always had a good dependency system, plus it was designed so you could upgrade without a reboot. While Debian development might fall behind the commercial distributions, I am not a fan of upgrades without a reason, so it has tended to keep up with our needs.
Doc: What do you run personally?
Phil: On my personal systems, I run a whole bunch of different distributions for various reasons. For example, I have SuSE on one laptop and Caldera on another.
Linux, the kernel and hundreds of utility programs are virtually the same in all the distributions. Sure, SuSE will release a new distribution this week with a newer kernel than Red Hat. And next week, Caldera will be ahead, and so on. But they are mostly the same.
What they add to all this GPLed software is a combination of additional programs, such as an evaluation copy of some commercial software, and an installation method. All the distributions I have seen differentiate between GPLed software and commercial software, so I don't see this as a serious issue. As for the installation methods, most distributions have GPLed this code as well.
Doc: Let's talk about Linux on the desktop. Today, there still isn't a single non-proprietary desktop application suite to compete with Microsoft Office. Enterprise-customer types tell me Linux won't make it on the desktop until it has a truly competitive (and compatible) office suite. What will break the logjam here?
Phil: StarOffice, while not open source, is free and is forcing the issue of compatibility. Sun, the owner of StarOffice, needs a generic and compatible office suite in order to restrict Microsoft's ability to rewrite the standard every year or two. If StarOffice is successful in preventing the standards rewrite, then I expect other packages will appear. The good news is that StarOffice is available for MS Windows; and, as I understand it, e-machines is shipping it on their boxes. This should help market penetration.
Doc: If you see Sun as the only player with the clout to really compete with Microsoft in office suites, what do you make of Applix's and Corel's chances? And do you think it's possible that some group of open-source developers, KDE for example, will come up with a practical open-source office suite?
Phil: Corel doesn't have a complete suite yet, and I don't think they will until after the issue has been forced anyway. Applix has had an office suite out there for a long time, but I don't think they have the clout needed. Sun wins on image.
Linux will creep into the office desktop on a company-by-company basis. Take a bank, for example. While there are lots of computers in banks, they don't do a lot of different tasks. Armed with a word processor, a spreadsheet and some program to access their proprietary software running on a server, you could quickly convert a bank over to Linux desktops. This will happen because of cost issues.
Doc: This is what lots of people want to see with Linux appliances. Should be interesting to see how that goes.
Phil: Besides cost, the ease with which you can add things to Linux and the fact that Linux for an appliance can be made really small are two more pluses in favor of Linux in this market. As much as BeOS is a great OS, I think it is going to be hard for Be, Inc. in this market because of Linux.
Doc: Do you give Be much of a chance in any case? How about if they open source the OS?
Phil: I think they bailed out of the desktop at the wrong time. For some high-end IAs, they may have a market, but I don't see them getting any significant percentage. Qt without X (this is new) makes Linux more viable here.
Doc: Let's talk about loves & hates. Why do you hate Perl and love Python? Why do you hate Emacs and love vi? These are often religious issues, but I'm interested in what makes for wise and forward choices.
Phil: They generally are religious issues. In the days of less-powerful computers, you could make the argument that vi is small and Emacs is a pig, but today it doesn't matter. I learned vi in 1983. I don't even think about which keys to hit to do a task—it is just magic now. I have no reason to change.
A newcomer should try both. Some people, for example, really can't handle a moded editor like vi. Others see the advantage of fewer keystrokes. Yes, we have an office full of vi users, but I expect some places have offices full of Emacs users.
Perl vs. Python is different. Historically, Perl evolved from UNIX commands such as sed and awk, whereas Python was designed. Python was designed to be an object-oriented language, whereas OOP features were tacked on to Perl. If you are an old UNIX programmer, then Perl may make sense to you; but for a non-UNIX person, I can't see it.