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Viewing the World Through a "Mathematical Lens" Can Help Young Children Learn Math
Helping children identify and connect the mathematics ideas that they use in daily activities is crucial to learning math at an early age.
February 15, 2012
Teaching children mathematics at a young age may be as simple as helping them see how math is all around them.
"Children as young as three to five years of age have the potential to learn mathematics that is surprisingly complex and sophisticated," said Doug Clements, a State University of New York Distinguished Professor at the University at Buffalo. "Further, they are motivated to learn mathematics. Indeed, almost half of the time they engage in free play, they use mathematical ideas, although usually implicitly."
Helping children identify and connect the mathematics ideas that they use in free play and other daily activities is crucial to children gaining a strong math foundation at an early age.
However, not all children have the opportunity to develop these ideas and skills.
"Unfortunately, this potential is left unrealized for many children throughout the world--especially for children from low-income communities," said Clements. "They have the same implicit understanding of mathematics as their higher-income peers but have not had the opportunities to think and talk about mathematics explicitly--that is, to learn the language of mathematics."
With funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Clements and Julie Sarama, professor and chair of the Department of Learning and Instruction at the University at Buffalo, and their colleagues develop intervention curriculums and tools that help children better understand the "language of mathematics" and learn early math skills.
Finding math in everyday activities
What does understanding the language of mathematics entail? Clements explains that it is a way of understanding the world through a "mathematical lens."
"It is important that all children learn to mathematize their informal experiences by understanding and talking about them," said Clements. "If they do not, lower-income children lose the connection between their informal knowledge and later school mathematics--and the gap between them and their more advantaged peers widens, year after year."
"Mathematization emphasizes representing and elaborating mathematically--creating models of everyday situations with mathematical objects, such as numbers and shapes; mathematical actions, such as counting or transforming shapes; and their structural relationships--and using those models to solve problems so derived," said Clements. "Mathematizing often involves representing relationships in the situation so these relationships can be quantified. We love the mathematics in puzzles, blocks and songs. However, if it's 'just play with blocks,' too often little mathematics is learned."
Clements explained that understanding math is something that everyone can learn and excel in.
"We see no signs, in our research or the research in general, of 'natural' inclinations," said Clements. "Experience and opportunity to learn--these are the factors that appear to influence children's motivation as well as achievement in most areas."
Clements, Samara and their colleagues developed Building Blocks, which is an intervention designed to help children identify and learn basic mathematical concepts through daily activities.
Building Blocks
The goal of Building Blocks is to help children find the mathematics in, and develop the mathematics from, their everyday activities--whether it's through art, stories, puzzles or games. Comprised of print materials, software and more, Building Blocks seeks to help children learn number concepts, such as counting, basic arithmetic and spatial and geometric concepts and processes.
Building Blocks led to large increases in mathematical knowledge of young children in several small studies. To evaluate Building Blocks on a larger scale, Clements and his team conducted a study of 36 classrooms to understand the impact of these interventions. It was found that Building Blocks increased scores on a mathematics achievement test and increased the quantity and quality of the mathematics environment and teaching in all classrooms, from low and middle income groups.
An example of Building Blocks involves children using the Building Blocks software to complete puzzles by putting together different 2-D shapes on the computer screen. Children can also make their own puzzles using the shapes. The goal of this activity is to help children see shapes as composed of various parts, a foundational concept of early mathematics. Children can eventually apply this idea to other part-whole relationships, like counting units that make up a set arrangement, or in language arts, combining letters to create words.
Even larger-scale studies have shown that Building Blocks has been especially beneficial for pre-schoolers from low-income communities. Clements and Sarama are further investigating Building Blocks through TRIAD (Technology-enhanced, Research-based, Instruction, Assessment, and professional Development), which is a framework to develop Building Blocks on a larger scale and provide Building Blocks pre-kindergarten mathematics curriculum. It is designed to be a collaborative project among administrators, teachers and families, and also provides on-site classroom support, professional development for teachers, coaches and mentors, and assessments for research collaborators.
"We are now following the largest cohort of children into their intermediate grades," said Clements. "With NSF funding, we are developing a new interdisciplinary version of Building Blocks with colleagues. We do hope these interventions catch on in all preschools."-- Ellen Ferrante, (703) 292-2204 firstname.lastname@example.com
A preschooler matches pizzas by the number of toppings in this Building Blocks program.
Credit and Larger Version
A preschooler matches the rich variety of shapes in the Building Blocks Shape Set.
Credit and Larger Version
Nell Duke
Tim Boerst
Alice Klein
Daniel Watt
Kara Suzuka
Julie Sarama
Kirk Walters
Randy Yerrick
Richard Lehrer
Curtis Tatsuoka
Elizabeth Bjork
Jeffrey Barrett
Douglas Clements
Michael Battista
Prentice Starkey
Kimberly Brenneman
Related Institutions/Organizations
SUNY at Buffalo
Kent State University
Wayne State University
Illinois State University
Education Development Center
Kent State University Foundation
University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Related Awards
#1118745 Developing Teaching Expertise in K-5 Mathematics
#9903409 Technology-Enhanced Learning of Geometry in Elementary Schools
#8651668 Development of a Logo-based Elementary School Geometry Curriculum
#1020118 Early Childhood Education in the Context of Mathematics, Science, and Literacy
#8954664 Describing, Modeling, and Facilitating the Development of Children's Geometric Thinking
#9814218 Planning for Professional Development in Pre-School Mathematics: Meeting the Challenge of Standards 2000
#0228440 Scaling Up the Implementation of a Pre-Kindergarten Mathematics Curricula: Teaching for Understanding with Trajectories and Technologies
#0732217 A Longitudinal Examination of Children's Developing Knowledge of Measurement: Mathematical and Scientific Concept and Strategy Growth from Pre-K through Grade 5
#1019925 Using Rule Space and Poset-based Adaptive Testing Methodologies to Identify Ability Patterns in Early Mathematics and Create a Comprehensive Mathematics Ability Test
Total Grants
Related Websites
Building Blocks website: http://www.ubbuildingblocks.org/
Building Blocks fact sheet: http://gse.buffalo.edu/org/buildingblocks/writings/Fact%20Sheet%20-%20Building%20Blocks%20Complete%20Curriculum.pdf
TRIAD website: http://www.ubtriad.org/


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How to Say "October" in Russian
Check out Bas Rutten's Liver Shot on MMA Surge: http://bit.ly/MMASurgeEp1 http://www.mahalo.com/how-to-say-october-in-russian Welcome to Mahalo.com Russian Language Series. Here you can learn popular words and phrases and even full lessons in Russian. Stay tuned here with Alena and you'll be speaking Russian in no time. Subscribe to this channel and check out other great Mahalo topics! Check out these related Mahalo pages: How to Say Hello in Russian : http://www.mahalo.com/how-to-say-hello-in-russian How to Say Thank You in Russian: http://www.mahalo.com/how-to-say-thank-you-in-russian How to Say Do you speak English? in Russian : http://www.mahalo.com/how-to-say-do-you-speak-english-in-russian How to Say Where? in Russian: http://www.mahalo.com/how-to-say-where-in-russian How to Count to Ten in Russian: http://www.mahalo.com/how-to-count-to-ten-in-russian See the rest of our Russian videos here: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=31098EC11EAF8623 Check out these Mahalo How-To Playlists: How To Speak Japanese: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=7B20082F3A7DA3E6 How To Use iPhone 4: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=32C24F50A404FFC6 How To Make Drinks: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=87EED90408981564 How To Play Guitar Songs: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=BE077DEF7EB33D00 How To Play Piano Songs: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=64CB0D9415B2B27A How To Play Bass Guitar: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=348187E8A0DF674B How To Get A Job: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=0717724A987EF8BF How To Do Makeup: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=AEC03275B79D2D71 How To Use eBay: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=E61486D225C8A4A5 How To Read Body Language: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=B136F7631ED490DF
Length: 00:57

subset: commoncrawl


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August 2008 Vogue Italia: Still A Fan of Black Clothes, But What About Black Models?
>> The August 2008 issue of Vogue Paris is dedicated to Yves Saint Laurent, and likewise, the editors at Vogue Italia had their own August 2008 YSL tribute in mind. The follow up to the hugely successful July "Black Issue" features Karen Elson, Linda Evangelista, Guinevere van Seenus, and Iris Strubegger in a funereal Steven Meisel cover story, "Silent." In one picture, a huge headstone features the name "Black," strangely implying that "black is dead." I wonder if the message was purposeful? A strange choice to follow up the celebratory nature of July's issue, especially considering that there are no black models in this editorial . . .
*image: source


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So the Dolphins open the season against the Patriots at home and end the season against the Jets at home.
In between?
The first three games include games against two playoff teams (Pats and KC) and at the team that swept Miami last season (Buffalo).
The Raiders game in London on Sept. 28 followed by the bye.
Cold weather and outdoor game at New England prior to the season finale.
The team will play two prime time games -- hosting the Bills on Thursday night Nov. 13. and at the Jets Monday night Dec. 1.
"Our organization is excited about the schedule and we look forward to playing our home opener in front of our great fans," said coach Joe Philbin. "We also start our season with two division opponents, travel to London and finish the year with two home games. As always, our off-season program and training camp will be paramount in preparing us for the upcoming season."


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His Life
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[Christmas Greetings
to Eugene B. Kuntz et al.]
By H. P. Lovecraft
May good St. Nick, like as a bird of night,
Bring thee rich blessings in his annual flight;
Long by thy chimney rest his pond'rous pack,
And leave with lessen'd weight upon his back!
Return to "[Christmas Greetings to Eugene B. Kuntz et al.]"
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URL: http://hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/poetry/p367.aspx
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A 45 percent increase in the supply of a commodity from the largest crop ever recorded over a short, four-year time span would be cause for concern for most California commodities.
However, almonds are not like any other California commodity. California almond growers have gathered record and near-record crops the past five years coupled with receiving record and near-record prices.
With 100,000 acres of non-bearing orchards to add to the current inventory of 580,000 acres that basically produced the five-year of records, the industry is expected to reach 1.5 billon pounds of production in just four years.
However, according to a report from the USDA NASS California field office given at the recent 25th annual Agribusiness Management Conference in Fresno there is a "wide array of positive and democratic indicators" that provide assurance that California growers will profitably market the 1.5 billion crop with relative ease.
Prices may not maintain their stratospheric levels of the past 5 years--$2 per pound or more, but according to the NASS there seems to be little cause to predict the sky will fall when the crop reaches 1.5 million. This is no more likely to happen than it did when the crop reached 1 billion pounds for the first time in 2002. Many predicted a market collapse then. Prices went up instead.
Positive factors supporting continued financial success for almond growers include:
Rising prosperity in emerging markets like China and India.
Increasing health consciousness among today's global consumers.
The ever-growing body of published scientific research on almond health and nutritional benefits will continue to provide an "especially powerful incentive" for consumers to regularly incorporate almonds into their daily diet.
Domestic average U.S. consumption is skyrocketing. It has gone from 0.77 pounds in 2000 to 1.02 pounds in 2005, a period of record high prices for almonds. This is not expected to reverse itself.
Almond Board of California consumer research found "strong upward movement for almonds in almost every measure of awareness, attitudes, and usage."
This reflects the success of the industry-funded generic public relations and advertising programs in improving perceptions and increasing reported purchases of almonds in the United States.
California produces 100 percent of the U.S. crop of almonds and 80 percent of the world supply. The crop represents a value of about $2.5 billion annually.
One-third of the California crop is sold domestically. The other two-thirds is sold to 90 markets worldwide. In the past five years, almond exports have increased 11 percent. Almonds are the largest specialty crop export in the U.S. Almonds are the largest agricultural export from California with a value of $1.6 billion, more than the combined value of wine, table grapes, raisins and grape juice.
The top five export markets are Spain, Germany, Japan, Italy and France, which combined accounted for 50 percent of total export shipments.
According to USDA, signs are favorable for expanded almond consumption in Indian, China, Mexico and Russia, all emerging new markets for California almonds.
However, similar opportunities for growth are evident in established almond markets like Canada, Western Europe and Japan.
The California almond industry is on track to achieve the title "healthiest specialty crop in the world" and that bodes well for the 1.5 million pound harvest expected in 2010.


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The Chronicle of Higher Education reports in its annual Almanac Issue 2010-2011 that 16 Catholic colleges and universities hold some of the largest endowments in North America. The Chronicle ranked 217 schools who participated in the survey by the 2010 National Association of College and University Business Officers.
Endowments are important to both public and private schools. Endowments provide two ready sources of funding for schools: interest on the endowment's investment or cash from the endowment itself. Admittedly, schools are reluctant to spend down endowments they have worked so hard to build. Funds from endowments are used for scholarships, teaching, research, faculty salaries and infrastructure, and a host of other uses. A healthy endowment does not always ensure a quality education — there are a host of other factors that measure quality — but it never hurts.
The 16 Catholic colleges and universities with their rankings, locations and endowments are:
14. University of Notre Dame, Indiana, $5,234,841,000
37. Boston College, Massachusetts, $1,479,700,000
61. Georgetown University, District of Columbia, $1,009,735,760
88. St. Louis University, Missouri, $708,345,000
104. Santa Clara University, California, $603,617,774
120. College of the Holy Cross, Massachusetts, $522,494,000
156. Fordham University, New York, $371,543,516
162. University of Dayton, Ohio, $346,581,897
168. Loyola Marymount University, California, $326,212,657
169. Marquette University, Wisconsin, $326,003,000
171. Creighton University, Nebraska, $317,824,000
180. St. John's University, New York, $303,057,055
183. Villanova University, Pennsylvania, $297,684,473
187. University of St. Thomas, Minnesota, $294,007,718
196. DePaul University, Illinois, $284,017,288
215. University of San Diego, California, $259,994,000
Who hit the number one spot on the list? As always, Harvard University with over $27 billion in endowment, the largest by a magnitude. Yale, Princeton, the University of Texas system and Stanford round out the top five.


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- Delivery
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*Please do read our policy on turf returns. As a perishable product, it's subject to slightly different rules.
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Potentilla fruticosa Red Robin
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Available from Notcutts is the Potentilla fruticosa Red Robin. A true garden favourite. A free flowering deciduous shrub with a compact habit, which produces masses of bright red flowers from June to October every year. Ideal for the front of the garden border, hardy and very easy to grow.
Please be aware that this plant is dispatched fresh from the nursery once a week on a Wednesday, for delivery by the end of the week.
Please make sure your order is placed by 8am Tuesday to ensure you qualify for a Wednesday dispatch.
- Plant Features
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- Eventual Height: 60-120cm (24-47in)
- Eventual Spread: 60-120cm (24-47in)
- Flower Colour: Red
- Flowering Season: Summer
- Leaf Colour: Green
- Planting Season: Spring
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- Conditions Liked: Partial Shade|Sun


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Over 100 Lawyers, Law Professors & Practitioners Come Out Against SOPA
from the serious-concerns dept
While there are some differences between SOPA and PROTECT-ŁIP, nothing in SOPA makes any effort to address the serious constitutional, innovation, and foreign policy concerns that we expressed in that letter. Indeed, in many respects SOPA is even worse than PROTECT-ŁIP. Among other infirmities, it would:But... but... Floyd Abrams!
Most significantly, it would do all of the above while violating our core tenets of due process. By failing to guarantee the challenged web sites notice or an opportunity to be heard in court before their sites are shut down, SOPA represents the most ill-advised and destructive intellectual property legislation in recent memory.
- Redefine the standard for copyright infringement on the Internet, changing the definition of inducement in a way that would not only conflict with Supreme Court precedent but would make YouTube, Google, and numerous other web sites liable for copyright infringement.
- Allow the government to block Internet access to any web site that "facilitated" copyright or trademark infringement -- a term that the Department of Justice currently interprets to require nothing more than having a link on a web page to another site that turns out to be infringing.
- Allow any private copyright or trademark owner to interfere with the ability of web sites to host advertising or charge purchases to credit cards, putting enormous obstacles in the path of electronic commerce.
In sum, SOPA is a dangerous bill. It threatens the most vibrant sector of our economy -- Internet commerce. It is directly at odds with the United States' foreign policy of Internet openness, a fact that repressive regimes will seize upon to justify their censorship of the Internet. And it violates the First Amendment.


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Former NFL quarterback Brett Favre says he might become a coach or do work as a television analyst in the future, though he has no plans to enter either field anytime soon.
The 41-year-old Favre ended a 20-year playing career after an injury-plagued 2010 season with the Minnesota Vikings.
The former Southern Mississippi star has famously wavered on retirement over the last few off-seasons, but the three-time NFL Most Valuable Player told WDAM-TV in Hattiesburg on Thursday that he was "starting a new career."
He submitted his retirement paperwork to the NFL in January.
Favre, in an interview at a football camp at Oak Grove High School, said he's spent the last several months traveling and following Southern Miss baseball.


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Picking out just the right lamp can be taxing. There are color schemes to consider, general design, and Ikea is a festering hellpit. But word to the wise: if you decide to go the DIY route, don't do it by drilling holes in two WWII-era artillery shells.
That's the direction 78-year-old John Grimm III went when, after successfully drilling through the first shell, the second exploded. He was seriously wounded, with shrapnel in his arms, chest and groin, and rushed to a nearby medical centre by helicopter. We hope he's OK, and really hope he doesn't decide to make a sofa out of the nuclear warheads he's got in the basement. [NJ]


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These pages are written for people who are very busy, but at the same time, desire to explore their own spirituality and enhance a dimension already present in their lives. What follows are a few practical words about prayer along with some questions to facilitate discussion about your life with God, your family, and your studies.
If you are still reading, then somehow God is truly alive in your life. Spiritual writers all agree that an infallible sign of God's presence is a desire for God. If you want to pray, you are already praying. The desire to pray is the evidence that God is already at work, at prayer, in you. The first graces we get are our desires and just to be reading this, shows desire in your life.
The prayer I would like to talk about is prayer of the heart, intimate prayer, praying from where we are. First of all, I believe most of us pray far more than we think we do. Anytime we reflect on our families, our children, our students, our job, something we are grateful for, that is beautiful prayer. Many of us think prayer is thinking about and talking to God out there. But prayer begins with reality. The first reality we have is ourselves and that's where prayer begins.
Touching our inner core
Karl A. Meninger, M.D., in an article on intimacy, talks about intimacy being a quality of a person not a relationship. He says "in so far as I can be close to myself, I can be close to others; in so far as I can be intimate to myself, I can be intimate with others." The deepest part of each one of us is within us, we are touching the God within.
God speaks to us in our deepest human experiences, feelings, desires, thoughts, or ideas. So to be aware of these experiences is to become aware of God's work in them and then to offer ourselves through them to God. We focus on our own experience to hear God's word in them and then are called to respond. What is God saying to us through this? We don't need to solve problems, worry, plan, or control. In other words, we recognize the God within and then listen reverently to the many ways God speaks to us through our thoughts, our feelings, our children, our students, our fellow workers.
Intimacy then is not primarily a sharing with another. Intimacy starts with being intimate with myself. Intimacy is knowing the core of things myself. Then what I do flows from where I've been. But intimacy begins with getting in contact with myself. I have to be in contact with myself before I can donate, give myself or share. It is important to get in touch with our deepest human experiences because that is where God is present to us. Where we are most present, God is most present.
For example, let's suppose the one I love the most has a dislocated shoulder. Where is that person most present. Of course, in his/her shoulder, where the injury is. The pain is intense. When I think of that person, what do I think of ? I wonder "how is the pain?" Wherever we are most present, God is most present. That is the importance of listening to where we are.
The Awareness of Self
Prayer, then, is a way of lowering our mind and heart to God present within us. In prayer we discover what we already have. We now have everything but we don't know it and we don't experience it. All we need is to experience what we already possess. Rollo May says, "The more self-awareness one has, the more alive one is." This statement is similar to the one made in 200 A.D. by Irenaeus of Lyons: "The glory of God is the human person fully alive."
The more self-awareness we have, the more alive we become. Many of us don't live a life fully alive. I believe this approach to prayer helps us to live a fuller and deeper life. So often people say, "I become distracted whenever I try to pray…" My response to this is to suggest that people make this very distraction the content of their prayer. Not, again, to solve the problem, to figure it out, to dissect, but to hear God's word in this person, situation, whatever it might be. It is usually the very subject situation, a person that I should be thinking reflecting, praying about in the presence of the Lord. So I think most of the distractions we get are really not distractions.
What counts is that we avoid running away from the center of our being. We start by becoming sensitive to what is happening within, being aware of our mood, our spirit because it is out of this spirit, this filter, that I will deal with others, that I will teach, and that I will receive all information.
How I Feel Right Now
For example, how did I feel, (not think), the moment I woke up this morning? For most of us this spirit, this mood will perdure throughout the day. Now just to be aware of this is valuable because if, for example, I am not my good self, I will be more guarded in what I say and more likely to receive what others say in a jaundiced way.
Some people find it very helpful to begin their prayer by making, not a "traditional act of the presence of God," but an "act of the presence of self." How am I? Where is my spirit? What is my mood? What is going on? Possibly, just bringing that to God will be someone's prayer. Or by seeing if any special thought or concern surfaces. "God speaks to us most clearly through the events in our life," says Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. And that may be where I would like to pray.
In the play Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye prays about the love of his wife, the marriage of his daughters, his own poverty, the loss of his homeland—because these were where he was present at that time. For others, prayer might center on a friend who is in some serious conflict; or it might be a student we have recently counseled, a regret we are wrestling with, my boyfriend/girlfriend, grieving a loss, or something I'm especially grateful for. Those are the situations where God is present in my life today.
People often ask "Where is God in my life?" The best response I can give is by asking "Where are you?—that's where God is." In this way prayer can be something very practical and steeped in where we really live. In brief, we recognize the divine within ourselves, rather than trying to engage a God out there somewhere. Because just to be is a blessing, to live is holy. Our lives are holy just as they are. If there is one thing Jesus revealed, it is that he loves what he finds. He loves us just as we are. Nothing in our life is distasteful to God.
Prayer starts where we really are because God is in us as we are. God doesn't expect us to be any other than we are, except that there is a change that God is going to make in our lives. In a way we don't have to knock, we're in already. Prayer isn't come as you are, it's just be who you are.
A Readiness for the Lord
We also get into direct contact with God by our relationship with people. It is in concrete situations, the events in our life that God speaks to us—in our families, in the classroom, a chance remark by a friend, thoughts and feelings—these are the way God speaks to us. So prayer for some can become what I like to call "a sensitization period," to become sensitive to what God is saying to me through the many relationships, events, and feelings that make up my life.
In fact, one can read scripture the same way by just taking the readings of the day and then seeing how they relate to the day that lies ahead. Oftentimes they jar our psyche because that is not where we are. I think it is more helpful to start by getting in contact with where we are, with what's going on within and without, and then find a scripture passage that will fit with that. Prayer, then, can be a time of quiet reflection, deepening, enhancing of our mood, through the gentle presence of the Lord.


text:
Dunn done after the season?
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fungo bat
WSI Regular
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Jeff Park
Posts: 303
The White Sox aren't lucky enough to have this big slug actually retire.
Imagine having an extra $15 million in payroll to play with. The Sox could actually sign a few productive players, or put it to work developing the farm system.
Adam Dung isn't going anywhere. It was a slow news day, and Rosenthal jumped on the story. I don't blame him. That's his job.
There's no way Dunn will walk. He's not having any fun? Give me a break. He's making $15 million to play a kids' game. Once he's done, he can do whatever he wants with his life. His kids are set for life, as well as several future generations, as long as he invests wisely.
Dunn retire with a year left on his contract? No way it will happen.
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Eldest Ochoa brother of Medellin cartel dies
BOGOTA, COLOMBIA (AP) — The eldest of the three Ochoa brothers who founded the Medellin cocaine cartel in the 1980s with Pablo Escobar has died of a heart attack at age 65.
Hospital officials and a cousin said Juan David Ochoa died Thursday at a private clinic in Colombia's No. 2 city.
Ochoa and brothers Jorge Luis and Fabio had all surrendered when the manhunt intensified for Escobar.
Ochoa turned himself in 10 months before Escobar was killed and served five years and five months. Then-Justice Minister Carlos Medellin called his 1996 release "a national disgrace."
He returned to the family business of raising gait horses.
While Juan David avoided extradition to the United States, his youngest brother Fabio would not. Arrested in 1999, Fabio was later sentenced to 30 years for drug trafficking.


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The History Of Sealand, HavenCo And Why Protecting Your Data Needs More Than Being In International Waters
from the fascinating-read dept
It's a fun story, though I'm sure some critics will use it to suggest that any attempt to create any kind of "offshore" data haven is doomed to fail. I think that what it does show is that setting up such a solution is extremely difficult, involves a number of difficult to control variables, and needs a lot more than just "hey, we're sorta (but not really) in international waters!" The end result shows that there were problems with Sealand itself, separate from HavenCo, which had its own problems. Combine them all and it's a complete recipe for disaster. This doesn't mean that an offshore data haven couldn't work, but as Grimmelman correctly notes, the appeal of such a thing is actually pretty limited. In a world where the internet really is everywhere (even if some governments try to limit it), the way to route around censorship tends to have more to do with hiding digitally (hello encryption) than physically. Either way, I figured many folks here would get a kick out of the story. Here's the intro to get you interested:
In 2000, a group of American entrepreneurs moved to a former World War II antiaircraft platform in the North Sea, seven miles off the British coast. There, they launched HavenCo, one of the strangest start-ups in Internet history. A former pirate radio broadcaster, Roy Bates, had occupied the platform in the 1960s, moved his family aboard, and declared it to be the sovereign Principality of Sealand. HavenCo's founders were opposed to governmental censorship and control of the Internet; by putting computer servers on Sealand, they planned to create a "data haven" for unpopular speech, safely beyond the reach of any other country. This Article tells the full story of Sealand and HavenCo—and examines what they have to tell us about the nature of the rule of law in the age of the Internet.
The story itself is fascinating enough: it includes pirate radio, shotguns, rampant copyright infringement, a Red Bull skateboarding special, perpetual motion machines, and the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of State. But its implications for the rule of law are even more remarkable. Previous scholars have seen HavenCo as a straightforward challenge to the rule of law: by threatening to undermine national authority, HavenCo was opposed to all law. As the fuller history shows, this story is too simplistic. HavenCo also depended on international law to recognize and protect Sealand, and on Sealand law to protect it from Sealand itself. Where others have seen HavenCo's failure as the triumph of traditional regulatory authorities over HavenCo, this Article argues that in a very real sense, HavenCo failed not from too much law but from too little. The "law" that was supposed to keep HavenCo safe was law only in a thin, formalistic sense, disconnected from the human institutions that make and enforce law. But without those institutions, law does not work, as HavenCo discovered.


text:
Meet me at the barn," says Scott Young — and just about everyone around Alturas, Fla., knows about his family's barn.
It has hosted many a party for Polk County folks and been the setting for political benefits, Miss U.S.A. contestant practices, and serious discussions of citrus industry issues.
His father, Leland, built it three decades ago, never intending it to be the usual farm barn full of hay and cows. He quickly filled it with an eclectic collection of agricultural antiques, car tags, doodads of all sorts, family mementoes and autographed photos of governors, senators, members of Congress and other bigwigs, many pictured with Young family members.
Their office is inside, in a corner, but Scott pulls up an old wooden chair in the shade of the barn and sits looking straight at a grove of orange trees that he knows like a good rancher knows his cattle. He is the third generation of his family to grow citrus on this place.
"I've been doing this all my life," he says. "I guess that's like saying I'm a stumbling dinosaur — but we always make it. The ones who stay with it in this business are tough old nuts.
"We're not like row crop farmers; we can't plow our mistakes back underground. I love this business; I love seeing that first load of fruit go to the plant. It's a feeling that's hard to explain to someone who hasn't done it."
The Youngs have an instinctive feel for all facets of the citrus business, he says.
His father and both grandfathers worked for Pasco Packing Co., in Dade City, growing fruit as well as harvesting and packing it. His mother says she learned to count at a young age by tallying credits for fruit pickers.
Scott's parents, Leland and Wanda, are still active in the 400-acre business. He knows, however, that it is a much different business than when his father was a young man.
Must wear many hats
He says today's citrus grower still should be able to break down a diesel engine, find the problem and put it back together. But, in addition to that, the 21st century grower has to know his way around the Internet and also understand the exotic pests that threaten Florida's citrus industry.
"Any old-time citrus grower can tell you that there have been a lot of hills and valleys in this business," Scott says. "Anybody with a weak constitution, this isn't the business for them. You have to live with your mistakes year after year. You have to keep an eye on the weather all the time."
"It can be 85 degrees one day and 18 the next — that scares us. On a cold night, you bet everything you own. We could have an Alberta Clipper come through here when the trees bloom out, and there goes all next season. The 1989 freeze changed this area permanently. I went out the next morning and couldn't believe it. Everything was gone.
"Hurricanes scare us, too. We're the closest postal ZIP code to where three major hurricanes hit in 2004. We had a lot of damage from that. Trees that were borderline were really torn up; those that weren't healthy didn't make it. It cost us a lot of money, plus the rehab costs. We had standing water where we hadn't seen it for 40 years."
He says tough times like those made him "a fatalist."
"We can only do so much; it's anybody's ballgame. We do all we can — but we don't call the shots. We're at the mercy of the elements. When we lose the next season's crop, we have choices to make. We can raid our emergency fund, if we have one. We can sell a grove. Whatever we've got to do to make it, that's what we do."
He blames one of those hurricanes for spreading citrus canker disease throughout the state's citrus-producing area. It remains a scary disease, he says.
Then, even scarier citrus greening disease, spread by a tiny insect, the Asian citrus psyllid, hit a couple of years later.
Greening puts canker on back burner
"Canker is bad but greening looks a lot worse," Scott says. "Young trees die before they bear fruit. Older trees shed fruit and die. We were worked up about canker, but greening kind of put canker on the back burner."
Greening will test growers' mettle, he says, particularly on the Ridge, the famed old citrus-producing area where his groves are located.
"There are a lot of 20-acre to 40-acre groves here that were bought up for housing developments, then abandoned after the housing bust. We don't have an effective quarantine system here. These abandoned groves are a real problem. The psyllids aren't controlled in them; then they come out into our groves. It's a tough one.
"Our costs are way up because of greening. We're jacking up the fertilizer, pumping nutrients to the trees to keep them producing. That's key. Greening is whippable, and we'll do it. There are a lot of smart people in this industry. We've whipped everything else that has been a problem, and we'll whip greening eventually."
The Youngs market their fruit through Haines City Citrus Growers Association, a cooperative, which in turn markets juice oranges through Florida's Natural, headquartered in Lake Wales.
This year, Florida's Natural celebrated its 25th anniversary as a brand, though its owner, Citrus World, traces its lineage back to 1930, when six growers formed Ridge Citrus Canners Corp.
Part of Florida's Natural high profile marketing plan is to feature its growers on the juice carton. Leland and Wanda Young were on a carton a few years back, telling the story of their family's farm.
"This has worked out very well for us. We're not members of an international conglomerate. We may not always get the highest price, but we've got a home with Haines City and Florida's Natural.
"That's important to us. We're home folks, no different from most Midwestern farmers, except we grow citrus. Here in Polk County, at least in our area, this is really the Old South. This is Baja Georgia — that's a good way of putting it.
"I think consumers want to know where their food is coming from. They're sick and tired of so-called American products being made overseas. Be an American patriot — support your country; buy American. We're in control of the breakfast of champions right here locally.
"Every chance I get, I bring home the fact that Florida's Natural is a co-op, owned by growers, marketing our own product," Young says. "People don't have to put up with the big international conglomerates. Citrus is all we do, so we have to do it right the first time."


text:
OpenXava 4.2.3 released
New OpenXava course updated to latest OpenXava version
September 2, 2015
We have a complete OpenXava course available on-line for several months now. We created the first version of the course using the content of the book Learn OpenXava by example whom is base in OpenXava 4, however our plan is to update all the course content to latest OpenXava version and expand the course to cover more topics.
Now, we're happy to say that we already have 4 lessons of the course updated to latest OpenXava:
- Lesson 1: Getting started
- Appendix A: Architecture & philosophy
- Appendix B: Java Persistence API
- Appendix C: Annotations
The appendices are the theoretical content that in the book were the first chapters, but we prefer put them at the end, in order that you can start to write code from the first moment, and read the theoretical stuff at your own pace.
We hope you enjoy the new course. We continue working on it.


text:
Google Friend Connect
The GOOGLE FRIEND CONNECT widget should be here, but all I see is a blank box. If you are a member of blogger.com, you can go to your blogger dashboard, scroll down to Blogs I Follow, and at the bottom should be an "add" and "manage" button. If you click on "add", you can copy and paste my URL. Or, you can send me an email at email@example.com and I will send you a link to try and join the site. I apologize for the inconvenience but I can't figure out why the box won't show up.
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goes to school full-time in the evenings.
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has plans to further his studies at Georgia Tech
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{click to enlarge}
The first year in a child's life is an incredible journey, not just for the baby, but for the whole family. As a mamma, I have felt this quite profoundly, but never more so than when I realized it was time to plan Greta's first birthday. I resisted at first. The turning over of the first year of a baby's life has so many implications. The baby is becoming a toddler, independent in so many ways. The new mamma is on her way to becoming a seasoned one. The baby weight should be gone. The sleepless nights, over. Life back to normal. Except none of it is. It is better and more chaotic and more simple, all at once.
Somewhere around the time I fully embraced this forthcoming milestone and started planning for the big day, I realized that Greta growing up means good things for all of us. She gets more and more fun, and hilarious every day. And us too! We sleep less, but laugh more. I'm more balanced, more accepting of others, myself, and f life just as it is. More able to let go of what I can't accomplish, and embrace what I can, like a magical, memorable day for celebrating this major milestone.
Hers was a day of soothing squash and farro soup and roasted baby acorn squash with pomegranates. Of Pumpkin Cupcakes with Creamy Cheese Frosting. Of balloons and garlands drifting from our old apple tree. Of hot Whole Grain Bavarian Pretzels, local beer, hot cider. Of endless little girl giggles, and apples. Of soaking up every available second of joy that this baby showers on her tiny world.
Hers was a day of soothing squash and farro soup and roasted baby acorn squash with pomegranates. Of Pumpkin Cupcakes with Creamy Cheese Frosting. Of balloons and garlands drifting from our old apple tree. Of hot Whole Grain Bavarian Pretzels, local beer, hot cider. Of endless little girl giggles, and apples. Of soaking up every available second of joy that this baby showers on her tiny world.
Greta's beyond wild about apples, likely for the independence they represent {she can eat them without any help!}, and her mamma's wild about apple orchards, so we brought the orchards of the Hudson Valley to our house with a half dozen varieties of fresh apples, hot cider, cider donuts and touches of roma red and blushing pink lady pink everywhere. This party is as easy to reproduce as are the recipes below, perfect for any fall occasion, or the simple milestone of learning to live, fully present, in every moment of your little one's life.
{Sources: invitations, Sponge Cake Press. Vases and drinking cups, Ball jars. On Etsy: Party hat, Tradewind Tiaras; felt garlands, Benzie; vintage baby dress, Stop the Clock; cupcake liners, straws and straw-toppers, Hey YoYo;
Pure Pumpkin Cupcakes with Creamy Cheese Frosting
These cupcakes are the perfect first sweet for little ones. Arguably wholesome and undeniably delicious, made with pure pumpkin and rich Neufchatel cheese frosting, these beat sugary sweet cupcakes in any season, but especially for fall.
2 cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat white flour
1 cup light-brown sugar
1 cup raw organic sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground roasted ginger
2 sticks unsalted organic butter, melted
4 large organic eggs, beaten
1 15-ounce can organic pumpkin puree
1 pound Neufchatel cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted organic butter, softened
1/3 to 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, or to taste
1 to 2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
splash of pure vanilla extract
makes 1 1/2 dozen cupcakes, or about 3 1/2 dozen minis
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line three cupcake pans or four mini cupcake pans with cupcake liners and keep handy. Set out the Neufchatel cheese and butter for the frosting to come to room temperature.
- Whisk together the flour, sugars, baking soda, powder, salt and spices in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter and eggs. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients with a rubber spatula, stirring until some dry bits remain. Add the pumpkin puree and stir to completely combine.
- Use a cookie or ice cream scoop to fill each muffin liner about 2/3 of the way full. Bake in the center rack, rotating tins back to front and top to bottom {if using more than one rack} once until muffins spring back lightly when touched and are just baked through, about 25 minutes for large cupcakes and 18 for minis. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the frosting. Beat the Neufchatel cheese and butter together with an electric mixer or the whip attachment on an immersion blender until smooth and fluffy with no lumps. Add sugar and honey or agave to taste {start with a little ~ the rich cheese, butter and pumpkin are decadent and tasty with just subtle amounts of sugar!}, plus a splash of vanilla. Beat until fluffy. Frost the cooled cupcakes, using the back of a small spoon or off-set spatula to swirl the frosting into careless swoops. Top with your favorite cake topper or candles and celebrate!
Whole Wheat Bavarian-Style Soft Pretzels
These are really quite simple {no proofing required}, and just the thing for a first birthday. Babes of almost any age will love to hold these in their hands, nibble, suck or teethe on the soft whole wheat hiding beneath the shining, golden crust. Add coarse sea salt for grown-ups, and sides of mustard for dipping.
1 1/2 cups warm water {about 100 degrees F}
2 1/4 teaspoons {one packet} active dry yeast
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1/2 stick {4 tablespoons} melted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 egg, separated
2 tablespoons baking soda
coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
makes 6 giant pretzels or 12 small ones
- Preheat the oven to 415 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment or silpats.
- Test the water temperature with a thermometer or your fingertips. It should feel like a warm Jacuzzi, between 100 and 110 degrees F. Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and set aside to soften. The yeast should spread and begin to expand across the surface of the water. Add the sugar and stir together.
- Whisk together the bread or all purpose flour, and 1 1/4 cups of the whole wheat flour and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, olive oil and egg yolk. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients with a rubber spatula or the dough hook of a stand mixer, stirring until just a few dry bits remain.
- Remove the dough to a lightly floured surface {or continue with the dough hook} and knead the dough together, adding up to 1/4 cup more of the whole wheat flour as needed. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic, and in one uniform ball. Set aside to rest.
- Mix together 2 cups warm water and the baking soda in a shallow pan. Divide the dough into 6 or 12 equal size portions. Keep the dough covered and working with one portion at a time, roll the dough between the heels of your hand and the floured bowl to make a long, skinny rope, about 1/4 inch in diameter. Holding both ends, cross the ends over each other, make one twist and then press the ends into the curved edge to create a pretzel shape. Dip each pretzel into the baking soda water then lay out evenly on the baking sheet.
- Beat the egg white until frothy. Brush the tops of each pretzel with egg white and sprinkle with coarse salt or leave plain, for babes. Bake in the center racks of the oven, rotating the trays once, until the pretzels are evenly golden brown and slightly shiny, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly before stacking and serving.


text:
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text:
Baseball America's John Manuel has a post up about the June Draft class, where Luhnow addresses - or doesn't address - at whom they are looking for the 1-1 pick next month:
"I think it's fair to say nobody in this class has separated themselves as an obvious choice. It's like the saying goes, different strokes for different folks. We may like one player more than another, but there is a group of four or six or eight players that you're talking about as being in consideration."
All the usual names are brought up, but Manuel says the consensus #1 pick is Byron Buxton.
Click the link to read quotes from Bobby Heck about how the Astros have been able to seamlessly integrate what they have been doing for the last four years with what Luhnow was doing in St. Louis. Take that however you'd like.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
"Buxton is the consensus #1 pick..."
2 comments:
Where's the link?
- May 15, 2012 at 3:21 PM
- Astros County said...
- May 15, 2012 at 3:24 PM
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text:
Title: Elenion ancalima
Rating: G
Theme: "All Things are Possible" AU
Elements: "Seasons come and go, he/she remained unchanged by their passing."
Summary: Nerdanel wonders whether perhaps it would have been better if Fëanáro had not listened to his father.
Word Count: 2236
Seasons come and go, Fëanáro remained unchanged by their passing. Looking back to the days of the Death of the Trees, Nerdanel wondered if it would not have been better – for him – had he not heeded his father's words that had urged him to calm. Of course, she only watched from afar now, but Maitimo, whenever he visited, shared his concerns about his father's state of mind, and sought her counsel. She wished she had any answer to give him, but it had been a long time since Fëanáro had listened to her, or – in truth – to anyone except Finwë, and even his father had been heard more often than he had been heeded.
Finwë had been sorely hurt when Melkor broke the doors of Formenos and took the Silmarils. While Fëanáro raged at the taking of his Jewels and cursed Melkor and named him Moringotto, and would fain have given chase, he could not leave Finwë while his father lay so close to death. The King only returned to health slowly, and it was long before Fëanáro left his side, leaving the daily rule of the Noldor to Fingolfin. Curufinwë and Tyelkormo spoke against what they saw as the usurping of their father's right as Finwë's eldest son and heir, but Fëanáro said naught, nor did Maitimo. When their sons had tried to rouse the Noldor to give chase to their Enemy and take back the Silmarils, Fëanáro did not respond. It had been Tyelkormo's idea, and when Finwë spoke against it, Maitimo and Makalaurë seemed relieved. Fëanáro, though, spoke neither for nor against it, not even reacting to the mention of the Silmarils.
Even from the distance of her father's home, Nerdanel could see how the fire that defined Fëanáro had gone out. He no longer made aught, and his forge lay cold. Even when Aulë called on his craft in containing light for the making of the vessels for Telperion's last silver flower and Laurelin's last golden fruit, Fëanáro did not rouse.
Eventually, with light restored to Valinor, Nerdanel had found life returning to some kind of normality. She had only come to Valmar for the feast in praise of Eru and to see Fëanáro and Nolofinwë reconciled. Of course, after the Darkening she had stayed to find out what would happen; she would admit only to herself that she had stayed out of concern for Fëanáro too. Now, though, she had felt free to return to her father's home, and to her craft projects.
News from the East was rare, and as far from the heart of Valinor as she dwelt, Nerdanel heard most of it late. Still, she did learn of the troubles of the Sindar in Middle-earth, and of the coming of Men, though these were news from afar, unimportant to daily life, and easily forgotten after a half-shrug of pity. Even so, it was clear even to her that the Sindar were losing.
Others took more of an interest, as she heard from Maitimo; the Teleri wanted to come to their kin's aid, along with many among the Noldor who were related by blood or marriage, but the Valar naysaid all plans.
Then, as it happened, one year Nerdanel travelled to Alqualondë to buy materials for dye-making. One evening, as she was sitting in a quay-side tavern, there was a commotion outside.
"A ship!" she heard someone call. Knowing this would not usually be a cause for excitement, she quickly finished her meal and followed the other patrons outside to see what was going on.
Indeed there was a ship – and it was in bad condition, listing to one side as it came into the harbour, with its sails tattered and torn. Yet that was not all that was notable about it, as even Nerdanel could see that it was of an unfamiliar type.
Slowly, the ship approached the quay; finally, as one of the crewmen jumped to the quay to tie the ropes, it could be seen that the ship's crew looked Telerin. At the prow stood a woman, dark of hair with a pale blue, waterstained cloak wrapped tightly around her, and beside her a ragged, weary-looking man, in an equally worn dark green cloak.
Once the ship was moored, the woman lightly jumped to land, the man following more slowly. Nerdanel sensed a power in the woman, yet it was bleak exhaustion that was foremost on her face.
After a quick, somewhat wary look at her audience, the stranger spoke. Her speech was barely comprehensible to Nerdanel; yet with what she knew of the Telerin language, Nerdanel could make out that the stranger's name was Lúthien, that she was the daughter of Elwë Singollo – at that there was some excitement among the watching Teleri, and Nerdanel noticed someone setting off towards Olwë's palace at a run – and Melian the Maia, and that, together with her mortal betrothed, she had come to beg the aid of the Valar for Elves and Men in Endórë.
There were murmurs in the crowd as they closely looked at her companion for the first time, for none of them had seen a mortal before. The woman, Lúthien, continued speaking, and soon it was silent again. "By this token…" she said as she opened a small pouch at her belt to take something from it. Nerdanel gasped in shock as she held aloft a Silmaril.
Over the next few days, as Lúthien and the mortal rested in Olwë's palace to recover from their journey, and their crew spent their time talking with the people of Alqualondë, more of the story became known. She had, together with her betrothed who was called Beren, retrieved the Silmaril from Moringotto's crown. Two of the crew were sailors in Círdan's the Mariner's service, and the third was one of King Elu's captains. Círdan's two men spoke a dialect of the speech of Endor that was closer to that of their Telerin kin here in Aman than Lúthien's Doriathrin speech. The men were unclear on the details of how the Silmaril had been retrieved, but confirmed that the Enemy still held the other two.
"But why would anyone set out to break into the Enemy's stronghold?" the tavern's owner asked.
"For the brideprice Elu had set Beren, as he was unwilling to grant his daughter's hand to a mere Mortal," the Elf named Mablung, who had quickly managed to make himself understandable in Telerin, said, "Although, between you and me, he never thought her suitor would survive." He paused and took a swig of ale. "Of course, he never expected her to join him in his quest either."
"What happened next?" Nerdanel asked.
"Well, they were away for most of a sun-year," Mablung replied, "But then before they got back, the Enemy attacked Doriath, until even Queen Melian's defence was overwhelmed and his Orcs and other foul creatures poured in. By the time Lúthien returned with Beren, Menegroth had been sacked and burned, and the survivors, still led by Thingol and Melian, driven towards the east, to the riverland, and by now perhaps even into the mountains beyond. Now these two were close to trapped, for there was no way for them to go east or south to rejoin the Doriathrim in hiding, and west there lay armies of the Enemy too. Even so, they decided to make for Círdan's lands." The Elf paused, taking his mug of ale in hand, though he did not drink, only stared into unseen depths. Finally, he shook his head, and took another swig. "By the time I found them, Beren was wounded with a poisoned Orc arrow, and the Orcs were after them. I sent the men in my patrol off to distract the Orcs, and by her request guided my lady and her betrothed to Eglarest."
After a week, word came that the two were summoned to Valmar, and that Lúthien would be allowed to present her case in the Máhanaxar. As the ruling would be in public, Olwë and many other Teleri journeyed to Valmar also. Nerdanel tagged along as well; not only had hearing the crew's tales awoken her interest in the lands beyond the Sea, but anything that involved the Silmarils was bound to involve her family as well.
In the Máhanaxar – alone, for Beren was not allowed there – Lúthien spoke long and eloquently, asking the Valar to come to the aid of Elves and Men in Middle-earth who were so close to defeat by the Enemy; or if they would not, to at least allow those Elves who were willing to come.
Nerdanel glanced around the Máhanaxar. As expected, the Valar were inscrutable, but most of the Elves present looked gripped by Lúthien's words – strangely accented as they still were – and ready to storm the Enemy's stronghold straightaway.
Once Lúthien stopped speaking, Námo looked at her long. She met his gaze calmly, undaunted as she had been before under the scrutiny of the Powers; and suddenly Nerdanel could see how she had been able to face Melkor in his dark aspect. She did finally look away, but only because Manwë himself spoke.
"You seek the help of the Valar to free the peoples of Middle-earth from the reign of our brother Melkor, yet I am loath to allow an intervention, for that may cause further, and worse, harm to your lands and your people."
So have they ever said since the Trees were slain and the Silmarils taken: "Less harm will be done if we let Endórë be," Nerdanel thought, careful to keep her thoughts to herself.
"Perhaps," Lúthien replied. "Yet the Enemy is also an intrusion from outside, one we do not have the strength to stay. You do have that strength, but you will not act for fear of doing harm in the acting. Yet harm is also done through your inaction. When we are at last all slain or driven into the sea, will you sit here still and say to each other that at least you did no harm?"
After another long silence, in which Nerdanel knew the Valar spoke together in mind, Manwë addressed Lúthien again. "Very well. The Valar, and all those who be willing to join us, will go to war against our fallen brother for the sake of the peoples of Middle-earth." Before the clamour of those present could burst loose, he raised his hand. "First, though, we will address the matter of the Silmaril that you retrieved."
Lúthien nodded, and left the Máhanaxar. One of the Maiar joined her, and Nerdanel thought she would be taken back towards Valmar.
Nerdanel noted a long look exchanged between Manwë and Námo, but looked away to watch Fëanáro, who was standing with their sons around him. She was certain she had not seen him look so awake for many years.
Now all the Valar rose, and with Yavanna and Nienna leading, they walked from the Máhanaxar towards Ezellohar, where the lifeless Trees stood. Only Nerdanel, Fëanáro and their sons were allowed to follow. Once they reached the Trees, Yavanna stood between them, and gestured at both Fëanáro to step forward.
"Once, I asked whether you were willing to unlock the Light of the Trees that now only exists in the Silmarils to attempt to restore the Trees to life," Yavanna addressed Fëanáro, who did not answer, though his expression grew dark. Yavanna sighed sadly, and went on. "That cannot be my request now, for the Trees are beyond hope of reviving, and Sun and Moon already light the whole of Arda."
"Then why…?" Fëanáro looked confused
Nienna spoke. "While it is true that the whole of Arda now has light, yet our fallen brother has woven his power into the very earth, and water and air are also defiled by his touch. The Silmarils contain the Light of the Trees…"
"No!" Fëanáro almost shouted, "I will not break the Silmaril!"
"That is not what we would ask of you," Nienna replied gently. "Though we have agreed to come to the aid of the Children in Middle-earth, we will not march off to war within a day, or even a year. What is needed now is a sign of hope, that they are not abandoned… Singollo's daughter and Beren son of Barahir are agreed that the decision on this must be yours. If the Silmaril that has come back were placed in a vessel in the sky, its light would serve as a beacon of hope for Middle-earth, and a threat and a challenge to Melkor."
Fëanáro was silent for a long time, until at last he spoke. "And who will steer the vessel?"
"No one has been appointed yet," said Nienna, "But most likely one of the Maiar will come forward, as they did for the Sun and the Moon."
Fëanáro shook his head. "Nay, for those who stepped up to guide these had already some association of old with the Trees. None among the Maiar cares for the Silmarils as I do. If you will do this, I will guide the vessel, or none will."
And so it was done.
Nerdanel almost missed the launch of the vessel as she was engaged in smithing work that could not be easily interrupted, but as Fëanáro's ship rose into the sky, she stood outside to watch until it disappeared from sight far in the east.
- Current Mood: relieved


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Lymphedema Treatment
What is lymphedema?
Lymphedema is a collection of fluid that causes swelling (edema) in the arms and legs.
What causes lymphedema?
One of the causes of lymphedema is surgery to remove lymph nodes, usually during cancer treatment. Normally, lymph nodes filter fluid as it flows through them, trapping bacteria, viruses, and other foreign substances, which are then destroyed by special white blood cells called lymphocytes. Without normal lymph drainage, fluid can build up in the affected arm or leg, and lymphedema can develop. Medicines such as tamoxifen (Nolvadex™), radiation therapy, and injury to the lymph nodes can also cause lymphedema. This type is called secondary lymphedema.
Primary lymphedema can be present at birth or develop during puberty or adulthood. The cause of primary lymphedema is not known.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of lymphedema include feeling as though your clothes, rings, wristwatches, or bracelets are too tight; a feeling of fullness in your arms or legs; and less flexibility in your wrists, hands, and ankles.
How is lymphedema treated?
Treatment for lymphedema depends on its cause and includes wearing compression garments such as stockings or sleeves, proper diet and skin care, and fluid drainage.
Elevating an arm or leg that has swelling can help ease the drainage of lymph from the affected limb. Whenever possible, rest a swollen arm or leg on a comfortable surface, above the level of your heart. Don't put pressure on your armpit or groin area, and don't hold a limb up without support for very long since this can increase swelling.
Gentle exercise can help reduce swelling. The use of muscles during exercise naturally helps lymph fluid to circulate, which can reduce swelling. However, exercise also increases blood flow to the muscles being used, which can increase the amount of lymph fluid present. If you have swelling, it is important to properly bandage an affected limb before exercising. Ask your health professional how to use a bandage for this purpose and what exercises are appropriate for your condition.
After surgery or radiation treatment
If you have had lymph nodes removed or have had radiation therapy as part of cancer treatment, you may be able to avoid lymphedema or keep it under control by following the tips below.
- Contact your doctor promptly if symptoms of an infection—such as redness, pain, or increased swelling—develop in your arm, hand, leg, or foot.
- Protect the area below the surgery from injury, even many years after surgery.
- Ask your doctor how to handle any cuts, scratches, insect bites, or other injuries that may occur.
- Use sunscreen and insect repellent when outdoors to protect your skin from sunburn and insect bites.
- Do not ignore a feeling of tightness or swelling in or around your arm, hand, leg, or foot. Let your health professional know about it immediately.
If you have had lymph nodes removed from under your arm:
- Do not have blood drawn from the arm on the side of the lymph node surgery.
- Do not allow a blood pressure cuff to be placed on that arm. If you are in the hospital, make sure you notify your nurse and other hospital staff of your condition.
- Wear gloves when gardening or doing other activities that may lead to cuts on your fingers or hands.
If you have had lymph nodes removed from your groin:
- Bathe your feet daily in lukewarm, not hot water. Use a mild soap, preferably one that has moisturizers, or use a moisturizer separately.
- Wear comfortable and supportive shoes that fit properly.
- Wear the correct size panty hose and stockings. Avoid wearing constricting garters or knee-high or thigh-high stockings.


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Shop Profile: Victoria's Hold General Store
Owner Marla Ebell turns a stylist's eye on everyday objects.
Owner Marla Ebell turns a stylist's eye on everyday objects.
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Next month, both President Barack Obama and newly minted Secretary of State John Kerry head for the Middle East. They should listen to a range of views, see the sights, and pause to smell the hummus. Also: Consider a few policy adjustments.
Below is a briefing � a briefer briefing than they will get from their advisers � on the state of the states, the players in play, and some different approaches to contemplate.
Israel and the Palestinians: The most that is possible now is the resumption of negotiations � without preconditions. The Israelis are not about to make concessions just to get Palestinians to sit down and talk with them, especially because Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has violated his obligations under the Oslo Accords by attempting to change the status of the Palestinian territories unilaterally. Meanwhile, Hamas, a terrorist organization whose primary goal is not Palestinian statehood but Israeli extinction, remains firmly in control of Gaza, from which Israel withdrew in 2005, receiving nothing but rocket attacks in return. Abbas is almost 78, a heavy smoker in poor health. He has designated no successor. When he dies, Hamas will attempt to take over the West Bank as well. Israel will do whatever is necessary to prevent that. Surely, heading off a crisis this predictable should be a priority.
Lebanon: Hezbollah is both Iran�s foreign legion and a terrorist organization; its most recent attack on civilians was in July in Bulgaria. Despite that � or perhaps because of it � Hezbollah has become the most powerful force in Lebanon. Hezbollah is installing missiles: at least 60,000 so far, not just in the south but throughout the country, including in densely populated areas where Lebanese civilians are being set up as human shields. If these missiles are fired at Haifa, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, thousands of Israelis will be killed. Unless the situation changes, the next war between Hezbollah and Israel � a war for which momentum is now building � is likely to be exceedingly bloody. Time to put effort into averting this catastrophe as well?
Syria: What started as a peaceful protest against an oppressive dictatorship has turned into a sectarian/religious/ethnic conflict that has taken nearly 70,000 lives � with no end in sight. Iran and Hezbollah continue strongly backing the Assad regime. Foreign combatants with links to al-Qaida are fighting on the other side. Is it too late to identify and assist factions that share our values and interests so that they will have some clout after Assad falls? The question is worth exploring.
As for Syria�s chemical weapons, what�s the plan to make sure those don�t end up in the hands of Hezbollah or al-Qaida?
Jordan: King Abdullah II, a moderate from an Arab clan that traces its ancestry to the Prophet Muhammad, faces enormous challenges. Among them: a flood of Syrian refugees, the rise of Islamism and Iran�s regional ambitions. Jordan needs American help and, like all the reasonable actors in the Middle East, benefits from American strength and is endangered by American weakness and retreat.
Egypt: The government of President Mohamed Morsi now appears intent on establishing a Muslim Brotherhood dictatorship. The good news is that millions of Egyptians are courageously standing up to him. Morsi must be made to understand that American support is not an entitlement. It�s true that Morsi has not abrogated the peace treaty with Israel, but that�s not because he wants to sing �Kumbaya� with his Jewish neighbors. It�s because he�s smart enough to know that a war against Israel is not winnable, at least not now.
Iran: The 900-pound camel in the Middle Eastern tent. Iran�s nuclear weapons program is a threat to the region � and beyond. Policy recommendations:
1. Continue on the diplomatic track, but remember that a bad deal is worse than no deal.
2. Toughen sanctions to the point that they cause the collapse of Iran�s currency over the next 18 months.
3. Make the American military threat credible.
4. Give Israelis the military capabilities they don�t now have. That will allow them to exercise more patience while making Khamanei nervous.
Taken together, such policies would send this message: The world�s most threatening regime will be prevented from acquiring the world�s most lethal weapons. Ordinary Iranians need to understand: They are suffering for no good reason.
What about Turkey, Iraq, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Tunisia, Libya, Mali, Algeria and Morocco? Leave those for later trips. I�ll leave those for later columns.
Email Clifford D. May at email@example.com.


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ERP Upgrades Give Companies a 'Big Data' Edge
By Dennis McCafferty | Posted 01-06-2012 Print
Managing the ever-growing amount of data your organization produces can be a daunting problem. New cloud technologies seem to present some solutions, but they also bring their own data challenges, according to a recent survey from consulting firm KPMG. What do CIOs and IT organizations need to do to make sense of their Big Data? To gain an edge over the competition, they need to reduce the complexity of data and use it to make better decisions, the survey finds. And many decision-makers are turning to Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution upgrades to make that happen. "In the past, the focus was usually on connecting processes or transactions from disparate systems, often creating a hodge-podge of unfocused information," says Stephen G. Hasty, national advisory innovation leader for KPMG. "Today, executives have solicited business-unit input in advance, and planning for new IT frameworks at leading organizations already includes data analytics, predictive modeling and cloud strategies to improve corporate knowledge." More than 335 executives took part in the research. Here are selected highlights:
IT Solutions Builder TOP IT RESOURCES TO MOVE YOUR BUSINESS FORWARD
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Theophany (from Greek theophania, meaning "appearance of God") is one of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church, celebrated on January 6. It is the feast which reveals the Most Holy Trinity to the world through the Baptism of the Lord (Mt.3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22).
Baptism of Christ
This observance commemorates Christ's baptism by John the Forerunner in the River Jordan, and the beginning of Christ's earthly ministry. The Feast of Theophany is the culmination of the Christmas Season, which starts on December 25 and ends on January 6. In mystic commemoration of this event, the Great Blessing of Water is performed on this day, and the holy water so blessed is used by the local priest to bless the homes of the faithful.
The feast is called Theophany because at the baptism of Christ the Holy Trinity appeared clearly to mankind for the first time -- the Father's voice is heard from Heaven, the Son of God is incarnate and standing physically in the Jordan, and the Holy Spirit descends on Him in the form of a dove.
This feast is also sometimes referred to as Epiphany by English-speaking Orthodox Christians, but that name more properly refers to the Western Christian feast falling on that same day and commemorating the visit of the Magi to the child Jesus. The term "Epiphany" does appear in the services for this feast, however.
Originally, there was just one Christian feast of the shining forth of God to the world in the human form of Jesus of Nazareth. It included the celebration of Christ's birth, the adoration of the Wisemen, and all of the childhood events of Christ such as his circumcision and presentation to the temple as well as his baptism by John in the Jordan. There seems to be little doubt that this feast, like Easter and Pentecost, was understood as the fulfillment of a previous Jewish festival, in this case the Feast of Lights.
Celebration of the feast
The services of Theophany are set up exactly as those of the Nativity. Historically the Christmas services were established later.
The Royal Hours are read and the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is served with Vespers on the eve of the feast. The Vigil is made up of Great Compline and Matins
The Liturgy of the feast begins with psalms of glorification and praise instead of the three normal Antiphons. And the baptismal line from Galatians 3:27 once again replaces the Thrice-Holy.
- For as many as been baptized into Christ,
- have put on Christ
- Alleluia
The gospel readings of all the services tell of the Lord's baptism by John in the Jordan River. The epistle reading of the Divine Liturgy tells of the consequences of the Lord's appearing which is the divine epiphany.
Since the main feature of the feast is the blessing of water. It is prescribed to follow both the Divine Liturgy of the eve of the feast and the Divine Liturgy of the day itself. But most local parishes do it only once when most of the parishioners can be present. The blessing verifies that mankind, and all of creation, were created to be filled with the sanctifying presence of God.
- When You, O Lord were baptized in the Jordan
- The worship of the Trinity was made manifest
- For the voice of the Father bore witness to You
- And called You His beloved Son.
- And the Spirit, in the form of a dove,
- Confirmed the truthfulness of His word.
- O Christ, our God, You have revealed Yourself
- And have enlightened the world, glory to You!
Kontakion (Tone 4)
- Today You have shown forth to the world, O Lord,
- and the light of Your countenance has been marked on us.
- Knowing You, we sing Your praises.
- You have come and revealed Yourself,
- O unapproachable Light.
Forefeast hymns
Troparion (Tone 4)
- Today the Lord enters the Jordan and cries out to John:
- "Do not be afraid to baptize me.
- For I have come to save Adam, the first-formed man."
Kontakion (Tone 4)
- Prepare, O Zebulon,
- And adorn yourself, O Naphtali;
- River Jordan, cease flowing
- And receive with joy the Master coming to be baptized.
- Adam, rejoice with our First Mother
- And do not hide yourself as you did of old in Paradise;
- For having seen you naked,
- He has appeared to clothe you with the first garment.
- Christ has appeared to renew all creation.
Eve and Afterfeast hymn
Troparion (Tone 4)
- Of old, the river Jordan
- Turned back before Elisha's mantle at Elijah's ascension.
- The waters were parted in two
- And the waterway became a dry path.
- This is truly a symbol of baptism
- By which we pass through this mortal life.
- Christ has appeared in the Jordan to sanctify the waters!
External links
- Discourse On the Day of the Baptism of Christ Saint John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople
- Epiphany The Orthodox Faith by Fr. Thomas Hopko
- Feast of the Theophany of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ - OCA website
- The Baptism of Christ - Uncovering Bethany beyond the Jordan - 47 min Documentary
- Icons of Theophany
- βίντεο που παρουσιάζει το Θαύμα στον Ιορδάνη Ποταμό (in Greek) Video that shows a miracle of the Holy Waters at the Jordan River.


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Size: 16.0 x 13.0 x 6.9"
16.0 x 13.0 x 6.9"
Keep your gear protected from the elements, while traveling, or during extreme shooting conditions in the field in this black Watertight 101179 Hard Case from Condition 1. Airtight, this hard-shell case is waterproof up to 3' for 30 minutes. It's O-ring sealed and designed to withstand the rigors of extreme conditions while traveling or in the field. You can open it by way of the two spring latches, which feature lock holders for an optional padlock. An auto pressure equalization valve works to keep contents secure during air travel while the Pick-N-Pluck foam provides secure customized padding around your gear. A convoluted foam lid ensures your gear will stay put during the most tumultuous of journeys. The case is carried by a durable top grip handle, and features finger grooves on each side that make lifting easy. The case is stackable, which comes in handy while traveling with multiple cases. It is made in the USA.
|Carry/Transport Options
|Top Handle
|Closure Type
|Interior Contents
|Cube/Diced Foam
|Exterior Dimensions (W x H x D)
|16.0 x 13.0 x 6.9" / 40.6 x 33.0 x 17.5 cm
|Interior Dimensions (W x H x D)
|14.6 x 10.5 x 6" / 37.1 x 26.7 x 15.2 cm
|6 lb / 2.7 kg
|Packaging Infowbybcqzbuqdqszsydsazrqvueaudebbrtau
|Package Weight
|6.9 lb
|Box Dimensions (LxWxH)
|16.614 x 13.937 x 7.638"


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Patient-provider communication and information access via online patient portal: Understanding user behaviors to improve healthcare and outcomes (iSchools, 2013-02)Patient-physician communication is moving online. While face-to-face communication remains critical, information technologies (e.g. SMS, email, e-visit system) have been used to serve additional communication channels ...
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(iSchools, 2013-02)The Internet has permeated the economic, political, cultural and social domains of global society and transformed the way in which we present and transmit knowledge. The infrastructure underlying the Internet continues to ...
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(iSchools, 2013-02)Entrepreneurs are important drivers of innovation. Their work is highly creative while also requiring a distinct paper trail for processes such as incorporation of a business, filing of patents, and management of shifting ...
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Sociomateriality of information standards in infrastructure: Structure, organization, and process constraints (iSchools, 2013-02)Research on technical details and justifications of specific information standardization schemes is well-established, and research on social construction of standards and the standardization process also has a strong ...
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A New Provision in the 2008 Farm Bill's Energy Title could be just the incentive some producers need to test growing biomass for huge renewable energy markets ahead.
The new Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) may help solve "the chicken or the egg problem" in the development of the cellulosic ethanol industry, says Anna Rath, vice president, commercial development, Ceres Inc.
The problem definitely is a question of which comes first: Many growers have been interested in growing dedicated energy crops but have not had a market for them, and cellulosic ethanol producers have been unwilling to construct plants without readily available feedstock nearby.
However, with significant investments from the federal government, continued improvements in cellulosic ethanol production economics, and improvements in biomass crop yields, the large-scale production of energy crops is drawing nearer.
What is the potential? The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 amended the Renewable Fuels Standard to provide for 36 billion gallons of renewable fuel in 2022. Just 15 billion gallons of the 36-billion-gallon target will come from corn starch-based biofuels. The remaining 21 billion gallons will come from other sources, such as energy crops, ag residues or municipal wastes.
Russ Sanders, director of marketing, Pioneer Hi-Bred, figures that if each ton of biomass produces at least 75 gallons of cellulosic ethanol, 280 million tons of biomass will be needed to produce 21 billion gallons of renewable fuel.
Energy crops are not yet well understood. But several public institutions and private sector companies are increasing their focus on how to produce, harvest, store and transport them.
To help growers through the learning curve, the BCAP will enable biorefineries and grower groups to apply for up to a 75% cost share on the establishment of energy crops. The program also will enable growers to receive an undeclared amount for ongoing annual payments until a biorefinery begins to purchase their feedstocks.
This program will provide for five-year contracts for herbaceous crops and 15-year contracts for woody crops. It also will provide incentives for producers to harvest, store and transport biomass to bioenergy facilities.
Although the BCAP has no designated funding yet, the USDA is expected to have flexibility in its design. A production tax credit for up to $1.01/gal. will be available through December 31, 2012.
First energy seed brand
Ceres, Thousand Oaks, CA, develops energy crops that can be grown for use in cellulosic ethanol production and biopower. The company recently announced it will market energy crop seed and traits under the brand name Blade Energy Crops. Because Blade Energy Crops will be the first multi-crop energy seed brand, a great deal of its seed could be used in the biomass program over the next few years. Ceres has scaled up seed production and is taking orders this fall for 2009 planting.
The new lineup includes two switchgrass varieties bred specifically for cellulosic ethanol production: EG 1101 was bred from Alamo switchgrass, and EG 1102's parental variety is Kanlow.
Both varieties provide a 10 to 30% improvement in biomass yield over their parents, Ceres's Rath says. The new varieties have been developed for improved establishment. In addition, they have been shown to work well in both biochemical and thermochemical conversion technologies.
These lowland switchgrass varieties are best adapted to the South and Southeast. Ceres also is working on varieties adapted to more northern locations and is sponsoring research at South Dakota State University to develop improved upland varieties for the northern Great Plains.
Arvid Boe, SDSU plant breeder, notes that switchgrass can compete with conventional crops on semiarid land. Switchgrass can produce relatively large amounts of biomass under both good and poor growing conditions, he says.
Starting this fall, growers will be able to book seed at www.BladeEnergy.com. An agronomic team will be available to answer grower questions. Ceres also is working with Noble Foundation extension agronomists at various universities and independent crop consultants to provide agronomic assistance to growers.
The Noble Foundation in Ardmore, OK, will manage some production-scale demonstration fields of energy crops near Guymon and Maysville, OK, this year. This is in conjunction with an Oklahoma Bioenergy Center program that involves planting more than 1,000 acres to dedicated energy crops.
Abengoa Bioenergy is building a cellulosic ethanol plant in Hugoton, KS, less than 35 miles from Guymon, which will be able to use the program's feedstocks. It is expected to be operational in 2010.
Ceres will provide seed and agronomic expertise for the establishment and management of the demonstration fields. The Idaho National Laboratory, the lead feedstock supply and logistics lab for the U.S. Department of Energy, will provide expertise in harvest, collection and processing of biomass along with Abengoa.
Over the next several months, Ceres will hold grower meetings, focused primarily in areas near small-scale cellulosic biorefineries, including some of the six biorefineries that have been designated to receive Department of Energy funding. They are in Kansas, Florida, California, Iowa and Georgia.
For 2009, Ceres also will offer four high biomass sorghum varieties. ES 5150 and ES 5140 are Sorghum x Sudan grass hybrids, and 5141 BMR and 5142 BMR are brown midrib varieties with low lignin content.
The Sorghum x Sudan grass hybrids yield between 12 and 15 dry tons/acre and the BMR hybrids yield a bit less than that, Rath says. All have been selected for improved yields and high conversion into ethanol.
Still in the Ceres research pipeline are sweet sorghum hybrids, giant miscanthus and short-rotation woody biomass crops. When they are fully developed, the sweet sorghum hybrids will be marketed in sugarcane areas for conversion into ethanol. Ceres is collaborating with Texas A&M on sweet sorghum research.
Ceres's research work on giant miscanthus is still in the early research stages. Because this cane-like grass is vegetatively propagated, the company is working on more cost-effective propagation techniques, Rath says.
Mendel partners with Monsanto
Like Ceres, Mendel Biotechnology, Hayward, CA, is a "product of the genomic era of the late 1990s," says Mendel CEO and President Neal Gutterson. His company focuses on the application of functional genomics to develop dedicated energy crops as well as agronomic crops with beneficial traits. It has relationships with other companies, including Monsanto Company, for the commercialization of improved seed products.
In April, Mendel announced it will work with Monsanto to enhance the development of its dedicated energy seeds. Monsanto will lend crop testing, breeding and seed production expertise.
Field testing will help identify the best varieties for eventual commercialization, says Mike Edgerton, ethanol and quality traits technical lead, Monsanto.
Over the past few years, Mendel collaborated with a group in China on miscanthus collection. In addition to the plant material from China, Mendel acquired a miscanthus breeding program from Germany. The company now has about 2,000 accessions in its collection. It is studying these cultivars for use as bioenergy feedstocks and is working with Monsanto and other collaborators on the first U.S. field trials of seed-propagated miscanthus varieties in several Southeastern and Midwestern states. The research is focused on identifying first-generation seed-propagated varieties and best breeding parents for future varieties.
Many good public varieties will be used initially and will require government subsidies to be cost competitive on a large scale, Gutterson says. Mendel is developing high-performing feedstocks that will not require subsidies to be competitive, he adds. The company's goal is to be a stand-alone seed producer, distributor and marketer. It also is working on forage sorghum as a cellulosic ethanol feedstock.
Last year, Mendel entered into an agreement with BP, the British oil and natural gas company, to develop a seed business based on these energy crops. A shareholder, BP is funding a five-year biofuels research program at Mendel.
Pioneer teams up with Genencor
Another big collaboration — this one between DuPont and Genencor, a division of Danisco A/S — is further evidence that multinational companies see a potential profit in cellulosic ethanol. The companies have agreed to form a joint venture to develop and commercialize next-generation biofuels from feedstocks such as corn stover and sugarcane bagasse.
DuPont and its Pioneer Hi-Bred business will work with Genencor, a leader in the development and production of enzymes for cellulose conversion, to better understand the enzymatic processes (including pretreatment and fermentation of cellulosic feedstock) and increase biomass productivity per acre.
Increasing grain production by 40% in the next 10 years is possible, Sanders says, adding that Pioneer's goal is to help develop corn that could produce as much as 750 gal. of ethanol/acre from grain within 10 years, up from the current 500 gal./acre. With corn stover, grain fiber, cobs and advanced processing technologies, a cornfield could take that level up to as much as 1,000 gal./acre, he says.
Pioneer's work on corn stover and cobs will help researchers better understand what other factors they should be exploiting without going backward on grain production, Sanders says. The company is researching dry-down potential as well as improving handling, storage and transportation.
In addition, Pioneer breeders are working on high biomass forage sorghum and sweet sorghum. Traditionally grown across the southern U.S., sweet sorghum varieties could be developed for more northern environments, Sanders says. The company also is exploring the use of genetic marker technology to produce forage sorghum hybrids that could yield more than 10 to 15 tons/acre.
Syngenta improves ethanol hybrids
Over the next few years, Syngenta's work on the corn-expressed amylase enzyme could dramatically boost the efficiency of the existing corn ethanol industry without requiring a drastic change in the way corn is produced and used, says David Witherspoon, head, Renewable Fuels, Syngenta. The corn-expressed amylase product has completed the FDA consultation process and is currently under USDA review for deregulation, he explains. The alpha-amylase enzyme is used to convert starch to fermentable sugars.
"By expressing a robust alpha-amylase enzyme directly in the endosperm of corn grain, we've pioneered a new approach to improving ethanol production in a way that can be integrated smoothly into the existing infrastructure," Witherspoon says.
Syngenta recently completed a six-month, full-scale trial at a 50-million-gallon dry grind ethanol plant. The trial showed that the technology can have a large positive impact on ethanol production.
"With the corn-expressed amylase product, we've demonstrated the viability of this approach and we're investing in this platform to bring forth future innovations across a number of key crops," Witherspoon says.
Energy crops present an "enormous" opportunity for U.S. agriculture, he says. However, they need to be developed in a sustainable, manageable way for growers. "Despite the huge potential of cellulosic ethanol and alternative feedstocks, the existing renewable fuels industry can't move away from starch-based ethanol in a significant way anytime soon," Witherspoon says. "The challenge is to deliver more corn at competitive prices now and to make more efficient use of that corn and to use knowledge of key crops and plant science to ultimately make cellulosic ethanol economically competitive with petroleum."
Growers will decide
Ceres's Rath is optimistic about the outlook for dedicated energy crops but adds that growers will ultimately make the decision about what to plant. With corn and soybean prices as high as they are now, energy crop production will unlikely start in the Corn Belt. However, because dedicated energy crops require fewer inputs than conventional row crops, growers might want to focus on net income rather than just revenue.
The cellulosic ethanol industry is ramping up. One company has produced cellulosic ethanol since 2004, and more than 20 companies are constructing or operating biorefineries to gather further data needed to increase commercial production, says Brent Erickson, executive vice president, Industrial & Environmental Section, Biotechnology Industry Organization.
"The sky's the limit," Rath says. "If we want to make a significant dent in reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, dedicated energy crops are the way to do it."


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