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Optimism Bias and Loss Aversion. Risk Perception and The Fiscal Cliff.
Optimism Bias – "Things will work out okay" or "things will work out better for me than the next guy" or, simply, "It won't happen to ME!" – is one the mental games we play in order to do the things we want to do even when those choices come with costs or danger.
Let's say you are told that somewhere ahead, in the direction you are walking, is a cliff. If you keep walking, you will get there fairly soon. Scared? Probably not. After all, you know you can stop before you get too close to the edge.
Let's say you are also told that when you get to the cliff, if you have the courage to look down, you will see a terrifying fall of 1,000 feet. Scared now? Maybe, but still, probably not too much. The broad firm path you are traveling stretches to the horizon, and the idea of that fatal fall is abstract, not real.
Welcome to Optimism Bias, one of the many subjective components of risk perception that often get us into serious trouble. Optimism Bias – "Things will work out okay" or "things will work out better for me than the next guy" or, simply, "It won't happen to ME!" – is one the mental games we play in order to do the things we want to do even when those choices come with costs or danger. Optimism Bias is what lets us drive when we've had too much to drink, bask in carcinogenic solar radiation to develop 'that nice HEALTHY tan', or pig out on another huge fatty meal when we already weigh far too much. "It won't happen to ME!", we tell ourselves.
And it is Optimism Bias that has brought the United States to the edge of the 'fiscal cliff' of tax increases and spending cuts scheduled to take effect at the turn of the year that could throw the U.S. economy into recession. (Indeed, governments around the world face similar predicaments for the same basic reason.) Optimism Bias has allowed us to continue spending on all the things we want, but can't completely afford, by playing down the risks of overspending in our minds with the deceit that "Things will work out okay."
Other components of risk perception psychology enter in along the way. We tell ourselves we have control…over the car when we drive drunk ("I'm a good driver"), over the risk of skin cancer ("I'll wear SPF 9,000"), over our weight ("I can start dieting and exercising…soon.) We pretend we can apply some reasonable prudence to our spending, whether it's personal or governmental…when we need to. That reassuring feeling of control – false in all cases – allows us to be unduly Optimistic and go blithely on believing things will work out okay…even as the risk increases.
Fortunately, the psychology of risk perception is dynamic. How scary things feel can shift over time, depending on circumstances. If something makes the loss start to feel more real – a near miss for a drunken driver, a treatable case of basal cell skin cancer for the sun worshipper, a minor heart attack for someone who is overweight, the 'fiscal cliff' for the United States government - Optimism Bias fades and another subjective facet of risk perception takes over. Loss Aversion. When the evidence of the danger gets strong enough and it feels like health and safety are really on the line, Optimism Bias and a sense of control give way to the powerful imperative of self-protection. The RISK side in the 'Risk versus Benefit' equation starts to carry more emotional weight, and we finally start taking the evidence of danger – the prospect of Loss - more seriously.
We are witnessing just this psychological risk perception shift in the United States at the moment. The end-of-the-year deadline that would trigger dramatic tax increases and budget cuts, imposed by The Budget Control Act of 2011 in a deal between the President and Congress that allowed our leaders to avoid these hard decisions a year and a half ago, has put the cliff in sight, just as it was designed to do. It was intended to make the evidence of harm real, and imminent, to deny us the blinders of Optimism Bias that have allowed business-as-usual, and shift us into Loss Aversion, the more worried state that makes us readier to act.
The deadline was also designed to force the warring political camps to compromise, to make the threat to the U.S. economy so serious that ideological purity would have to give way to the greater common good. That is what both sides acknowledged when the 'fiscal cliff' first hit the public's radar screen just after the election. Liberals say they are ready to make billions in spending cuts and changes to entitlement programs, and conservatives are willing to leave Grover Nordquist's absolutist 'no new taxes of any kind ever' pledge in the dust and accept the need for revenue increases. The political posturing of the last few days notwithstanding, Loss Aversion has kept everyone clear-eyed about the imminent danger and more in a mood to find solutions and compromise than when the cliff was further down the road, still far off enough to ignore.
Too bad we aren't more dispassionately rational about risk and able to make the wisest, safest, most informed and intelligent choices about health and safety all the time. Optimism Bias leads us do all sorts of dumb and risky things, or to wait so long to take a threat seriously that by the time we decide to act our options are limited and solving the problem imposes painfully serious consequences of its own, as will be the case with solving the fiscal crises facing so many governments, and as surely will be the case with climate change.
This all makes the 'fiscal cliff' crisis just one more great teaching moment about how human risk perception really works, and about the need to understand the flaws in a system we rely on to keep us safe that combines intellect and instinct, reason and gut reaction, facts and feelings, in ways that don't always keep us as safe as we'd like to be.
COVID-19 amplified America's devastating health gap. Can we bridge it?
The COVID-19 pandemic is making health disparities in the United States crystal clear. It is a clarion call for health care systems to double their efforts in vulnerable communities.
- The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated America's health disparities, widening the divide between the haves and have nots.
- Studies show disparities in wealth, race, and online access have disproportionately harmed underserved U.S. communities during the pandemic.
- To begin curing this social aliment, health systems like Northwell Health are establishing relationships of trust in these communities so that the post-COVID world looks different than the pre-COVID one.
COVID-19 deepens U.S. health disparities
Communities on the pernicious side of America's health disparities have their unique histories, environments, and social structures. They are spread across the United States, but they all have one thing in common.

"There is one common divide in American communities, and that is poverty," said Debbie Salas-Lopez, MD, MPH, senior vice president of community and population health at Northwell Health. "That is the undercurrent that manifests poor health, poor health outcomes, or poor health prognoses for future wellbeing."

Social determinants have far-reaching effects on health, and poor communities have unfavorable social determinants. To pick one of many examples, food insecurity reduces access to quality food, leading to poor health and communal endemics of chronic medical conditions. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified some of these conditions, such as obesity and Type 2 diabetes, as increasing the risk of developing a severe case of coronavirus.

The pandemic didn't create poverty or food insecurity, but it exacerbated both, and the results have been catastrophic. A study published this summer in the Journal of General Internal Medicine suggested that "social factors such as income inequality may explain why some parts of the USA are hit harder by the COVID-19 pandemic than others."

That's not to say better-off families in the U.S. weren't harmed. A paper from the Centre for Economic Policy Research noted that families in counties with a higher median income experienced adjustment costs associated with the pandemic—for example, lowering income-earning interactions to align with social distancing policies. However, the paper found that the costs of social distancing were much greater for poorer families, who cannot easily alter their living circumstances, which often include more individuals living in one home and a reliance on mass transit to reach work and grocery stores. They are also disproportionately represented in essential jobs, such as retail, transportation, and health care, where maintaining physical distance can be all but impossible.

The paper also cited a positive correlation between higher income inequality and higher rates of coronavirus infection. "Our interpretation is that poorer people are less able to protect themselves, which leads them to different choices—they face a steeper trade-off between their health and their economic welfare in the context of the threats posed by COVID-19," the authors wrote.

"There are so many pandemics that this pandemic has exacerbated," Dr. Salas-Lopez noted.

One example is the health-wealth gap. The mental stressors of maintaining a low socioeconomic status, especially in the face of extreme affluence, can have a physically degrading impact on health. Writing on this gap, Robert Sapolsky, professor of biology and neurology at Stanford University, notes that socioeconomic stressors can increase blood pressure, reduce insulin response, increase chronic inflammation, and impair the prefrontal cortex and other brain functions through anxiety, depression, and cognitive load.

"Thus, from the macro level of entire body systems to the micro level of individual chromosomes, poverty finds a way to produce wear and tear," Sapolsky writes. "It is outrageous that if children are born into the wrong family, they will be predisposed toward poor health by the time they start to learn the alphabet."
Research on the economic and mental health fallout of COVID-19 is showing two things: That unemployment is hitting low-income and young Americans most during the pandemic, potentially widening the health-wealth gap further; and that the pandemic not only exacerbates mental health stressors, but is doing so at clinically relevant levels. As the authors of one review wrote, the pandemic's effects on mental health is itself an international public health priority.
Working to close the health gap
Northwell Health coronavirus testing center at Greater Springfield Community Church.
Credit: Northwell Health
Novel coronavirus may spread and infect indiscriminately, but pre-existing conditions, environmental stressors, and a lack of access to care and resources increase the risk of infection. These social determinants make the pandemic more dangerous, and erode communities' and families' abilities to heal from health crises that pre-date the pandemic.

How do we eliminate these divides? Dr. Salas-Lopez says the first step is recognition. "We have to open our eyes to see the suffering around us," she said. "Northwell has not shied away from that."

"We are steadfast in improving health outcomes for our vulnerable and underrepresented communities that have suffered because of the prevalence of chronic disease, a problem that led to the disproportionately higher death rate among African-Americans and Latinos during the COVID-19 pandemic," said Michael Dowling, Northwell's president and CEO. "We are committed to using every tool at our disposal—as a provider of health care, employer, purchaser and investor—to combat disparities and ensure the equity of care that everyone deserves."

With the need recognized, Dr. Salas-Lopez calls for health care systems to travel upstream and be proactive in those hard-hit communities. This requires health care systems to play a strong role, but not a unilateral one. They must build partnerships with leaders in those communities and utilize those to ensure relationships last beyond the current crisis.

"We must meet with community leaders and talk to them to get their perspective on what they believe the community needs are and should be for the future. Together, we can co-create a plan to measurably improve [community] health and also to be ready for whatever comes next," she said.

Northwell has built relationships with local faith-based and community organizations in underserved communities of color. Those partnerships enabled Northwell to test more than 65,000 people across the metro New York region. The health system also offered education on coronavirus and precautions to curb its spread.

These initiatives began the process of building trust—trust that Northwell has counted on to return to these communities to administer flu vaccines to prepare for what experts fear may be a difficult flu season.

While Northwell has begun building bridges across the divides of the New York area, much will still need to be done to cure U.S. health care overall. There is hope that the COVID pandemic will awaken us to the deep disparities in the US.

"COVID has changed our world. We have to seize this opportunity, this pandemic, this crisis to do better," Dr. Salas-Lopez said. "Provide better care. Provide better health. Be better partners. Be better community citizens. And treat each other with respect and dignity.

"We need to find ways to unify this country because we're all human beings. We're all created equal, and we believe that health is one of those important rights."

Decades of data suggest parenthood makes people unhappy
Decades of studies have shown parents to be less happy than their childless peers. But are the kids to blame?
- Folk knowledge assumes having children is the key to living a happy, meaningful life; however, empirical evidence suggests nonparents are the more cheery bunch.
- The difference is most pronounced in countries like the United States. In countries that support pro-family policies, parents can be just as happy as their child-free peers.
- These findings suggest that we can't rely on folk knowledge to make decisions about parenting, on either the individual or societal levels.
The parent trap
A mother soothes her baby child
(Photo by Jenna Norman / Unsplash)
Headlines claiming parents to be more dejected than nonparents certainly grab our attention, but such stories are hardly news. Empirical studies have been tracing out this pattern since the 1970s. Here are three sample papers demonstrating the trend:

A 2011 review by Thomas Hansen, a researcher at Norwegian Social Research, compared our folk understanding on the relationship between parenthood and happiness to the evidence. It found that people believe "the lives of childless people are emptier, less rewarding, and lonelier than the lives of parents," but that the opposite proved true. Children living at home interfered with their parents' well-being.

A meta-analysis by the National Council on Family Relations looked at a more specific metric of happiness: marital satisfaction. It found that couples without children reported more romantic bliss. The difference was most pronounced among mothers of infants, while fathers disclose less satisfaction regardless of the child's age. The authors noted the discrepancy likely resulted from role conflicts and restrictions on freedom.

Finally, a study published in the American Journal of Sociology looked at 22 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries and compared the association between parenthood and happiness. Researchers Jennifer Glass (University of Texas, Austin) and Robin Simon (Wake Forest University) found that nonparents reveal higher levels of well-being in most advanced industrialized societies.

The happiness gap was widest in the United States, where parents were 12 percent less cheerful than childless adults. Fourteen other countries—among them Ireland, Greece, Britain, New Zealand, Switzerland, and Australia—also showed a less-than-sunny outlook for parents, but not to as large a degree as in the U.S.

Are the kids alright?
A Spanish family sit down together for a meal.
(Photo from Flickr)
Based on a glance at this research, one could posit that children are a predominant source of unhappiness—and yes, we all know that one kid who is Exhibit A for this statement. But these researchers were careful to note that these effects are correlative, not causative, and there are many factors in the mix beyond progeny.

Hansen's review points out that the parents most susceptible to unhappiness were women, singles, those in lower socioeconomic strata, and those living in less pro-parenthood societies. Meanwhile, the National Council on Family Relations saw the largest decrease in martial satisfaction among the higher socioeconomic groups, likely because their status afforded them greater freedoms before having children.

Glass and Simon found eight countries where parents reported higher levels of happiness than nonparents, including Spain, Norway, and Portugal. Their analysis indicated that countries offering "more generous family policies, particularly paid time off and childcare subsidies, are associated with smaller disparities in happiness between parents and nonparents."

A potential reason? Parents in countries supporting pro-family policies contend with fewer stressors. They can take more parental leave, enjoy expansive subsidized care, and aren't as financially burdened by educational expenses. This is especially true when compared to the U.S., which provides little support for parents compared to the other countries in the study.

Importantly, Glass and Simon also found that such policies had no detrimental effect on the happiness of nonparents. In fact, the presence of strong pro-family policies led to greater happiness for women of all statuses.

Parental unhappiness is... complicated
A young mother sits with her daughter.
(Photo by Katie Emslie / Unsplash)
Taken together, these three studies suggest a major cause of parental despondency is scarcity. Lower-class parents find it difficult to patch together the money, resources, and social networks necessary to succeed in their own lives while also supporting their children. Even upper-class parents can grow weary if a resource in short supply is traded off, such as time or the freedom to self-actualize.

Countries with pro-family policies can offset these scarcities to help balance the happiness gap between parents and nonparents.

But research in this field casts a wide net. As studies shift their focus, they draw different conclusions to give us a fuller, if more complicated, picture of parenthood's many pitfalls. Taken together with scarcity, all of the following factors likely have some pull on parental happiness, though it is difficult to say to what degree.

Culture of extended families. Countries like Spain and Portugal, where parents report being 3.1 and 8 percent happier than nonparents respectively, culturally center on extended families. The Spanish manage personal problems through family, an approach that extends to child rearing where many hands make light work.

In sharp contrast, the United States culturally centers on a sense of individualism and mobility. Its nuclear family model consists of small family units where parents take near sole responsibility for raising children while the extended family lives in separate domiciles, sometimes hundreds of miles away.

Who becomes a parent. Glass and Robin note that their results could be tempered by parental selectivity. They propose that countries like Spain and Italy, which have low fertility rates, may select toward people who truly desire to have children. The United States, with its much higher fertility rate, could have people not strongly predisposed to parenthood having children nonetheless.

Children in the home. An analysis from the Institute for Family Studies found that men aged 50-70 are happier than their childless peers if their children have left home. However, men who still had children at home reported being less happy than either nonparents or empty nesters. For women of the same age, being an empty nester resulted in a slight decrease in happiness compared to nonparents, but a steep decline if the children lived at home.

Number of children. The same analysis showed that women with only one child were seven percentage points less likely to report being happy than nonparents, while women with three or four children showed no discernible difference. No significant variance emerged for men.

Nicholas H. Wolfinger, the analysis' author, admits these results are counterintuitive and posits two possible explanations. The first is unmet family size preference redounding unhappiness, as many people settle for fewer children than they'd like. The second is a strong sense of familism offsetting parenthood's more negative effects. It is unlikely that family size in-and-of-itself causes a decline in happiness.

Parenting style. The way a parent approaches parenting may have substantial effects on their happiness. Developmental psychologist Alison Gopnik argues in her book The Gardener and the Carpenter that our modern parenting model, in which we view children as material to be molded into a particular type of adult, is not only wrongheaded but also a source of stress and misery for many parents.

"It isn't just that the [current] parenting model isn't the natural model, it's also just not a very productive model," developmental psychologist Alison Gopnik told Big Think. "It hasn't helped parents or children to thrive. It's led to a great deal of anxiety and guilt on a part of parents and a great deal of hovering expectations for children that really aren't necessary and in fact may even be counterproductive if we still want children to innovate and create."

Self-perception. A Pew Research Center survey found that parents who reported being very happy with life also believed they were doing an excellent job as a parent.

We still have much to learn about parenthood, and the results of so much variegated research can sometimes feel in contention. Even so, it should be clear that our folk assumptions about family are in need of a major update, and we must reconsider our views on parenthood, both from an individual perspective and with regard to social policy.

With that said, there are two strong conclusions we can draw from what we do know. For nonparents, your choice to be childfree will not doom you to a sullen, meaningless existence where you'll spend your final days contemplating a life wasted, like some inverse It's a Wonderful Life.

Nor are parents doomed to immolate their happiness on the altar of their child's future. Parenthood can be a source of exuberance, but simply raising a child will not magically bring contentment to your life. If anything, you'll have to work harder for that contentment as many factors, some in your control, some not, dictate parental happiness. Anyone considering parenthood should weight them judiciously before making a decision.

Lonely? Hungry? The same part of the brain worries about both
MRI scans show that hunger and loneliness cause cravings in the same area, which suggests socialization is a need.
- A new study demonstrates that our brains crave social interaction with the same areas used to crave food.
- Hungry test subjects also reported a lack of desire to socialize, proving the existence of "hanger."
- Other studies have suggested that failure to socialize can lead to stress eating in rodents.
People sometimes crave socialization, literally.
 Forty participants underwent 10 hours of either social isolation or fasting before being placed in an MRI machine. Those who fasted had their brains imaged while viewing pictures of food; those emerging from isolation viewed photos of socializing people.

 The areas of the brain related to hunger pains, reward, and movements, the substantia nigra pars compacta and ventral tegmental area (SN/VTA), are also associated with cravings for food or addictive substances. When those who fasted viewed images of food, these regions of their brains lit up. Most interestingly, the same brain regions lit up when those who had been isolated for 10 hours saw pictures of other people socializing.

 Test subjects also filled out questionnaires during and after the fasting and isolation periods. Not only did this confirm that people felt cravings for what they had missed, but that the effect was similar in both cases.

They also showed that very hungry people were less responsive to images of socializing, suggesting that "hanger," the state of being irritable as a result of hunger, is a demonstrable state.

How can I use this information? I'm asking for a friend.
 The obvious takeaway is that it is perfectly normal to feel a need for interaction with others after an extended bout of isolation. Our brains treat some form of interaction as a basic need that must be met. While not shown as clearly in humans, not getting these needs often drives mice to stress eat, a finding that makes a great deal of sense in light of these new findings.

Exactly how we can meet the need for socialization outside of just meeting up with people (a tricky proposition at the time of writing) remains up for debate. Anybody who has tried a Zoom party during the pandemic can attest to it just not being as nice as seeing friends in person.

 The study's authors are aware of this issue and note that:

 "A vital question is how much, and what kinds of, positive social interaction is sufficient to fulfill our social needs and thus eliminate the neural craving response. Technological advances offer incessant opportunities to be virtually connected with others, despite physical separations. Yet, some have argued that using social media only exacerbates subjective feelings of isolation."

Unfortunately, the study cannot offer us an answer to this question just yet.

Like always, there are limitations to this study.
 This study involved 40 participants. While its essential finding is likely to be generally applicable, exactly how applicable it is to the broader population cannot be known with certainty from such a small group. The participants were also healthy, well-connected young adults who might react to various problems differently than other demographic groups.

Their tendency to do so while being the focus of endless studies on psychology is a well-recorded problem.

 Likewise, the fact that the participants knew they would only be isolated for 10 hours may have impacted how they reacted to the isolation—it is often easier to endure something when you know precisely when it will end.

Getting around that in future experiments may prove impossible. From an ethical standpoint, it would be difficult to structure an experiment on humans predicated on the idea that they will be kept isolated from all social interaction indefinitely.

 Lastly, while all of the participants were quite hungry after 10 hours, there were enough variations in how lonely people felt after isolation to suggest a more significant variance in need for socialization than in demand for food. While this seems obvious, we all know both introverts and extroverts; it does make it more challenging to determine how much social interaction counts as a "need" that the brain craves just as it craves food.

As usual, more research is needed.

 The idea that humans are social animals existed long before modern neuroscience was possible. Now, we can see exactly what happens in the brain when we can't socialize. While the final word on the subject is still to be said, it might be time to give a friend a call.

A Chinese plant has evolved to hide from humans
Researchers document the first example of evolutionary changes in a plant in response to humans.
- A plant coveted in China for its medicinal properties has developed camouflage that makes it less likely to be spotted and pulled up from the ground.
- In areas where the plant isn't often picked, it's bright green. In harvested areas, it's now a gray that blends into its rocky surroundings.
- Herbalists in China have been picking the Fritillaria dealvayi plant for 2,000 years.
Fritillaria dealvayi
The plant is  Fritillaria dealvayi, and its bulbs are harvested by Chinese herbalists, who grind it into a powder that treats coughs. The cough powder sells for the equivalent of $480 per kilogram, with a kilogram requiring the grinding up of about 3,500 bulbs. The plant is found in the loose rock fields lining the slopes of the Himalayan and Hengduan mountains in southwestern China.

As a perennial that produces just a single flower each year after its fifth season, it seems Fritillaria used to be easier to find. In some places its presence is betrayed by bright green leaves that stand out against the rocks among which which it grows. In other places, however, its leaves and stems are gray and blend in with the rocks. What's fascinating is that the bright green leaves are visible in areas in which Fritillaria is relatively undisturbed by humans while the gray leaves are (just barely) visible in heavily harvested areas. Same plant, two different appearances.

2/2: The picture on the left shows a Fritillaria delavayi in populations with high harvest pressure, and the one on… https://t.co/oriBNZGcsV
 — University of Exeter News (@University of Exeter News)1605891854.0

How we know we're the cause
There are other camouflaging plants, but the manner in which Fritillaria has developed this trait strongly suggests that it's a defensive response to being picked. "Many plants seem to use camouflage to hide from herbivores that may eat them — but here we see camouflage evolving in response to human collectors."

"Like other camouflaged plants we have studied," Niu says, " we thought the evolution of camouflage of this fritillary had been driven by herbivores, but we didn't find such animals." His close examination of Fritillaria leaves revealed no bite marks or other signs of non-human predation. "Then we realized humans could be the reason."

In any event, says Professor Hang Sun the Kunming Institute, "Commercial harvesting is a much stronger selection pressure than many pressures in nature."

Credit: maron/Adobe Stock
The study
Since herbalists have been plucking Fritillaria from the rocks for 2,000 years, one might hope a record would exist that could allow researchers to identify areas in which the plant has been most thoroughly picked. There is no such documentation, but Liu and Stevens were able to acquire this type of information for five years (2014–2019), tracking the harvests at seven Fritillaria study sites. This allowed them to identify those areas in which the plant was most heavily harvested. These also turned out to be the locations with the gray-leaf variant of Fritillaria.

Further supporting the scientists' conclusion that gray Fritillaria was more likely to evade human hands and live long enough to reproduce was that participants in virtual plant-identification tests confirmed the species was hard to spot in the wild.

"It's possible that humans have driven evolution of defensive strategies in other plant species, but surprisingly little research has examined this," Stevens notes.

Hang Sun says such studies make clear that humans have become drivers of evolution on our planet: "The current biodiversity status on the earth is shaped by both nature and by ourselves."

MIT breakthrough in deep learning could help reduce errors
Researchers make the case for "deep evidential regression."


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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Willie Clayton turned in 16 points and 16 rebounds to guide Charlotte to a 71-63 overtime victory over UNC Asheville in a nonconference game Wednesday night.
Charlotte (12-2) scored the first eight points of overtime, turned that into a 13-2 run and cruised to victory from there.
Ingram's jumper put Charlotte ahead 56-51 with 2:26 left in regulation, but Jeremy Atkinson hit a 3-pointer and a layup to tie the game and the teams went to overtime knotted 56-all.
UNC Asheville (6-8) was led by double-doubles from Atkinson and Keith Hornsby - Atkinson had 16 points and 13 rebounds and Hornsby had 16 points and 10 boards.
Ingram scored 16 points and DeMario Mayfield 15 for the 49ers.
Charlotte's start is its best since beginning 13-1 in 1976-77, the year the 49ers reached the Final Four.
The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for UNC Asheville.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
IF We buy pizza, drinks, or salad
THEN Shakespeare's Pizza will invest 15% of our money in an energy audit and energy efficient retrofits at the store.
26 Apr 2012 11:00AM
27 Apr 2012 01:00AM
Shakespeare's Pizza
225 S 9th St
Columbia, MO 65201, USA
It's a party, not a protest! On April 26th join us at the yummiest event of MU's Sustainability Week to chow down and save the planet, all in one bite (or gulp). Here's the deal: you buy pizza or beer, then Shakespeare's will take 15% of the money from your purchase and re-invest it in an energy audit and energy efficiency retrofits at the store. Here's the catch: for your money to count you'll need a super-secret code from Sustain Mizzou. You'll be able to find us at Earth Day, on Lowry Mall during Sustainability Week (April 23-27), on Facebook, and prancing around Columbia in carrot costumes.
Traditionally mobs have formed to protest businesses with bad practices, but this Carrotmob campaign will be the opposite of a boycott: we'll party at Shake's to bring more customers to a local company with good practices!
So grab some friends, track us down, and join the Carrotmob! You'll have never felt so good about stuffing your face.
No updates yet!
Have ideas for Carrotmob? Experiencing problems on our site? Please use the form below. You can also reach us at: firstname.lastname@example.com. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Happy mobbing!
The fastest and easiest way to join Carrotmob is by connecting with your Facebook account. You will also be able see what your friends are doing on Carrotmob and quickly share some of your activities with your network. To learn more about how this works, read this. If you are curious about the permissions we're requesting of your Facebook account, read this. Clicking this button will NOT post anything to your Facebook wall.


text:
Me: My order was returned without ever having got to me.
Amazon: I can see that it got sent to the wrong distributor who must have realise this and just returned it.
Me: I see, this has happened twice in the last few weeks, is it going to happen again?
Amazon: I'm sorry to hear that, I've extended your Prime by a month free of charge.
Me: Thanks for that, but it seems odd that this never happened before, but has happened twice in a few weeks now. Is this likely to happen again?
Amazon: I've upgraded the delivery on your new order to Express, you'll receive it tomorrow before 1:00PM.
Me: …
Please, please stop asking, I'll give you anything!
Me: My order was returned without ever having got to me.


text:
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(Santa Ana)—Santa Ana College's (SAC) automotive technology program got a jumpstart on the fall semester with the gift of four vehicles that will be used in classes to help train skilled technicians, which is extremely critical for the automotive industry. Two vehicles were gifted by Kia Motors America, bringing the total number of vehicles provided by Kia to six since 2010. In July, General Motors Corporation (GMC) also donated two vehicles to the college's automotive program. This was the first gift of autos from GMC to SAC.
The recent Kia donation included a 2011 Sorento mini-van and a 2012 Rio compact car. These vehicles join the following vehicles previously donated by Kia: a 2011 Sportage CUV, a 2011 Sorento CUV, a 2010 Forte compact sedan, and a 2011 Optima mid-sized sedan.
"We are thrilled by Kia's donation of the most sophisticated automotive technology on the market today," said Bart Hoffman, SAC dean of the Human Services and Technology Division. "This generous gift will help better prepare our graduates with the hands-on knowledge and experience that will help them compete for and get good auto technology jobs. Auto dealers and repair shops know that our graduates come with the skills to get the job done well and efficiently and donations like these from Kia make that possible."
In 2012, the SAC automotive technology program was accredited by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation, Inc. (NATEF) and the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). SAC's automotive program serves about 600 students annually, preparing them for careers in the ever-changing field of automotive technology. The program, which has been serving the community for more than five decades, offers five different certificates and associate degrees.
"Kia is the single largest donor of cars to our auto technology program," said Glen Hammonds, SAC professor of automotive technology. "Private-public relationships like the one between Santa Ana College and Kia Motors America are a win-win for our students. They learn to troubleshoot and solve problems on real vehicles using industry-standard equipment and the workforce benefits with graduates who are ready to deliver on the job."
GMC's donation of two 2007-2008 Arcadia SUVs were made possible because the college is accredited by NATEF. The GMC vehicles were brought from Simi Valley to Santa Ana thanks to a donation of towing provided by Automobile Club of Southern California (AAA).
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports, the nation's demand for auto mechanics is expected to have grown about 17% from 2010 to 2020, adding 124,800 jobs. In California, the job growth is expected to be nearer to 20%. Auto technicians overall earned an average of $35,790, but 10% earned more than $59,590, in 2010, the most recent year for which the BLS has data.
For more information on SAC's automotive and diesel technology programs, contact Glen Hammonds at email@example.com or (714) 564-6664.
About Santa Ana CollegeSanta Ana College (SAC), which will turn 100 years old in 2015, serves about 18,000 students each semester at its main campus in Santa Ana. The college prepares students for transfer to four-year institutions, provides invaluable workforce training, and customized training for business and industry. In addition, another 13,000 students are served through the college's School of Continuing Education located at Centennial Education Center. Ranked as one of the nation's top two-year colleges awarding associate degrees to Latino and Asian students, the college is also recognized throughout the state for its comprehensive workforce training programs for nurses, firefighters, law enforcement and other medical personnel. SAC is one of two comprehensive colleges under the auspices of the Rancho Santiago Community College District. Visit www.sac.edu to learn more.
Judy Iannaccone
(714) 480-7503


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The Association for Responsible Development's (ARD) February meeting will be at 10 a.m., at town hall, 170 MacGregor Avenue. The guest speaker will be Rita Kurelja, of the Estes Park Housing Authority who will give an update on the current building project for affordable housing in Estes Park. In addition, she will provide some insight regarding future needs for affordable housing in town following completion of the current project.
All are welcomed to attend.
ARD will conduct its business meeting for members at 8:30 a.m. in the same room.
The mission of the Association for Responsible Development, a 501c4 organization, is to preserve the unique mountain character and scenic beauty of the Estes Valley by promoting appropriate and responsible development. All members of the community are invited to become members and participate in its discussions. Dues for membership are $20 per year, and may be mailed to: ARD, PO Box 3882, Estes Park, CO 80517, or by delivering to the Treasurer at the business meeting.


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The decade's top ten innovations in police technology
The policing business has seen many changes this past decade, most of them positive. It would be nice to break even but the most recent trend appears to be a rise in assaults, especially random ones, against police officers. Still, the decade of innovations has been good to the industry. Here is the short list, in no particular order, of changes.
Before we begin, you should know that at least three dozen innovations came to mind when I started this research. When I checked further, I found a trend which I suspected before I started. Many innovations fielded between 2000 and 2010 were fully developed in the previous decade. The policing industry is cautious, with good cause. The list dwindled to the point where I had to open it up to what was popular in the past decade.
There is a much larger list of honorable mentions (maybe I will write that article toward the end of 2010?). Some of them are absolutely brilliant in design, but need the next decade of data to measure their success. An example of this is the latest in hemostatic products, or clotting agents. These are chemicals introduced into a wound to control life threatening bleeding. They work, but require policy, training, and more contributions to the data domain.
Huh? Policy, training, and the data domain? Yes. These products are designed for times when other methods of bleeding control have not been successful and the patient will have a delayed arrival in a full facility. This requires policy and training. How does one contribute to the data domain? Use the products and report the success rate. I expect to see Celox and QuickClot on the next list of innovations.
AEDs, or automated external defibrillators, are computerized medical devices designed to assess a person's heart rhythm and determine if the patient needs a therapeutic shock. When needed, AEDs can deliver the correct dose of a life saving shock.
The technology for AEDs is not particularly new, nor is any technology in this article. The new innovation is their increased prevalence in the patrol car. Law enforcement experts didn't take long to figure out that quick response and integrated training means an improvement in "saves."
Medical manufacturers have made AEDs rugged and portable. They have simplified their operation and enabled them to update the algorithms (to meet current medical recommendations). The new machines record the application event, talk to the operators, and provide essential data for cardiologists to analyze later.
There are no national statistics on AED "saves" but medical experts have known for years about the value of bystander CPR: The faster the therapy, the higher the survival rate, especially long-term survival. It is a simple logical pursuit to conclude that the fastest way to get them to the patient is to put one in each patrol car.
High output LED
Although the technology for LEDs has existed for decades, the current high out put white LED is a very recent innovation. This innovation all but revolutionized tactical lighting for patrol use.
The forerunner to the white LEDs found in cutting edge strobing flashlights came from research done by Shuji Nakamura, who developed a high brightness blue LED. Originally thought to be useful only as a replacement for incandescent indicator lights, LED devices became popular overnight.
In this decade, Cree Inc. carried the torch, literally. Cree began producing LED devices mounted on a base which fired several times more lumens per watt than their incandescent counterparts. This put LEDs into the realm of tactical use.
As high output LEDs entered the market, new applications were inevitable. Probably the best benefit of LED lighting is the fact that an LED does not have a delay in starting up. That is, an incandescent light has a faster rise time than an LED. If one were to compare an LED with a standard light bulb in a high speed film, the LED would reach its peak brightness quicker.
What does this mean? It means increased officer safety. A handheld strobing device would be unheard of without the LED. Oh yeah, I know, photography flash strobes. They've been around since news photographers quit using black powder. However, the white LED has increased their efficiency and made them practical.
There are some emerging studies which suggest that there is a decreased driver reaction time and alertness when LED signals are used. The brain can recognize the abruptness of the LED's activation, compared to other light sources, even if the conscious mind cannot recognize the subtle difference. It creates a slightly higher sense of urgency, which can cause a higher state of alertness. Although there is not a lot of data out there, research will likely determine that LED lightbars are more effective. Even if they weren't, the new ones definitely have a lower profile.
The white LED has opened the door for brighter lights at much less power consumption. I can't wait for the next lighting innovation!
Lighter, Faster Bullets
Reducing the bullet weight in grains and increasing the velocity for a similar effect is also nothing new, especially if one were to look at cartridge history from the 1870's to the 1900's. However, the law enforcement bullet innovations have seen some unusual trends, which demonstrate manufacturers are putting their homework to good use.
The most conspicuous innovation is the 5.7x28mm cartridge, developed for the FNH Five-seveN series of handguns. I wouldn't have predicted this, but this handgun has been adopted by many agencies and is approved for tactical police competition. I put several hundred rounds through one and several rounds through ballistic gelatin. I now understand why this trend is here to stay.
The lighter bullets, driven to extreme velocities, have demonstrated their ability to cause consistent disruption in the wound channel.
The second most conspicuous part of this trend has to do with bullet design, especially better jackets and cores.
I began this decade with several 25-pound buckets of Vyse gelatin and an Ohler Model 35P chronograph. The past decade has determined several things:
1. My wife has begun to threaten me, "If you mix another batch of that stuff in my kitchen..."
2. Cor-Bon self defense (dakotaammo.net) JHP bullets scream out of the barrel and consistently perform — clearly, reduced weight and high velocity works for them.
3. 9MM LUGER +P 124 GR. SUPREME ELITE BONDED PDX1 (S9MMPDB) and Speer Gold Dot (GDHP) 124 grain 9mm bullets do not shed their jackets, even on a bad day.
4. Remington has the right idea with brass jacketed bullets with a driving band like the GSB9MMD. Three of my test guns fired sub 1" groups with a bullet that retained 97-99 percent after barrier.
Wearable Video Cameras
The current trend of equipping officers with video and audio recording has solicited mixed emotions from many officers.
I ran an audio recorder in the previous decade, using a bulky tape machine in my pocket. I can recall several times where a witness testified about something that did not agree with I told the court (hmm…that never happens, huh?). It was simply a matter of playing the miniature cassette I had booked into evidence to resolve the issue.
The new wearable video cameras have features like video remote streaming, GPS tagging and discreet form factors. This is light years ahead of the stuff I used.
Wearable Body Armor
Nope, not a new concept either. I was going to pass this one by until I compared one of the more recent concealable vests with one I was issued for patrol. It was half the weight, though somewhat stiff, with the same level of protection. I expected that. The part I didn't expect was the absence of warnings about getting the product wet. Today's fibers are better.
The bonus with some of the newer materials is their resistance to puncture attacks.
This technology is limited to only a few products, but it certainly will catch on.
GPS Tagging in Vehicle Systems
The other day, I received a video of a recent vehicle pursuit. The video was about 15 minutes long and included the initial radio transmission about the investigation, followed by 10 minutes of high speed driving down country roads. At about minute eight of the pursuit, the suspects tossed a gun. At about minute eight and a half, they tossed a package. The pursuit ended when the suspects surrendered, maybe six miles after tossing stuff out the window in what looked like desolate wilderness.
The officer hit the "log event" button on the recording device during both evidence tosses. An assisting deputy recovered the stuff within a few minutes. I'm all for GPS tagging.
One-Handed Knives
If one were to keep statistics on knife use on patrol, the results would be a lot less dramatic than the imagination of the customer getting ready to make a knife purchase. The "last ditch" uses can be counted on one hand. The "everyday cutting chore" uses are plentiful. Either way, the tech specs describe a knife which can be rapidly deployed with one hand, have a sturdy blade of approximately 3-5 inches, robust liner, locking mechanism and wet grip utility.
Most cutting actions on patrol call for a quality one handed knife. That is, the officer usually holds or steadies an object in one hand and cuts with the other. Most, not all applications are facilitated by a partially serrated knife. For example, officers will cut heavy packaging (think marijuana bricks in multiple layers of plastic or kilos of methamphetamine), webbing or rope(think seatbelts, tie-downs ) or delicate things which require instinctive knife use (fingerprint tape, evidence seals and single use packaging).
Anyone who has had an automatic knife fire unintentionally in the pocket will likely be a fan of the one handed locking/unlocking mechanisms out there for police use.
My favorite: the Axis Lock. I carried a Model 710SBKD2 for duty (in both blue and camouflage uniforms) since the beginning of this decade. All Axis Lock knives are ambidextrous and can be deployed/recovered one handed.
Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR)
The ability to drive through an area and search plates for stolen or suspect vehicles is priceless. I used to use a Police Explorer to run plates to look for stolen vehicles. Now there's a hardware/software solution designed to not spill something in your car. That's progress.
Breathable Membranes
Officers of the past decade have enjoyed lighter, breathable fabrics which are water resistant. These membranes have been added to gloves and boots with an added bonus of being pathogen resistant.
The latest innovation in water/chem/pathogen resistance comes from Magnum. Their new ion-mask product is not quite a membrane. It is impregnated in the material in a vacuum. Space age stuff.
Improved Retention Holsters
The 1990's saw retention holsters made of layers of laminated synthetic materials. The past decade enjoyed lightweight holsters made of pressure-molded materials and fibers.
The shape of the retention devices changed also. Most notable were the Serpa CQC designs by BLACKHAWK! Within the past few years, they kicked it up a little with a Level 3 Serpa Auto Lock Duty Holster, which has a very natural fast draw. Unlike the holsters of the 1990's, the past decade of innovations included holsters which did not require any other motions besides "scabbarding" to return to the original level of security.
The Eleventh Innovation: The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004
I bet you expected I was going to limit myself to technological innovations. This one is just too big to ignore.
Actually HR 218 is an amendment to Chapter 44, Title 18 of the US Code sec. 926B, which allows qualified officers and retired officers their concealed carry privileges off duty between states.
This provision has added to the margin of safety to which law enforcement officers nationwide should be entitled. The amazing part of this one is the fact that we are reviewing it this decade, not, say…at the turn of the twentieth century.
An Even Dozen: Ballistic Lenses
I tested several models of ballistic lenses the past few years. I shot them, sprayed them with chemicals and looked at their optical clarity.
While ballistic lenses are designed to prevent fragments and secondary projectiles from stopping the fight, there are some incidents where they have literally lived up to their name.
The lenses are stronger and the ANSI standards have improved the quality. This is not the innovation. I tested the ESS Ice Series Eyeshields and Rudy Project Ekynox SX Tactical glasses, both of which exceed ANSI Z87.1-2003+ and meet the standard of the.15 caliber ballistic impact test MIL-PRF-31013. ESS and Rudy Project have managed to make serious operator wear rather sexy.
The future? The Ekynox SX Tactical glasses have a ballistic lens that goes from rose to dark grey in seconds.
2010 and Beyond
As usual, I was unable to write an article within the parameters of the assignment — then again, I never could color within the lines. At last count, my list of innovations included 30 other items, including traffic stuff like laser radar devices and forensic stuff like mirror lock up on digital SLRs. The new electric patrol motorcycles are quicker than their gas counterparts within city limits and rifles like the EMD Windrunner and CheyTac have shifted the paradigm a little this past decade. The only solution for me then is to keep writing about what is new throughout the next decade.
Request product info from top Police Technology companies
Thank You!
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BME103:T930 Group 6 l2
|BME 103 Fall 2012
| Home
Lab Write-Up 1
Lab Write-Up 2
Lab Write-Up 3
Course Logistics For Instructors
Wiki Editing Help
Thermal Cycler Engineering
System Design
Key Features
To begin with we will change the frame from a wooden construction to recycled aluminum. This will maintain the light-weight portability of the machine, but will greatly reduce the fire hazard of heating a wooden box to the required temperatures. Also, by eliminating the need for wood, the machine will be more eco-friendly. We will then add an additional row and column to the heating block to increase the product output without too much change to the overall size or cost of the machine. However, the increased productivity of the additional row and column will require the addition of a new larger heating lid. We will also add two carrying handles to either side of the machine. This will aid in the transport and increase the machine's portability.
1. Using a micro-pipette, transfer 1.0-1.5 micro liters of desired DNA sample into at least three test tubes.
2. Micro-pipette approximately 3.0 micro liters of reagent solution, including forward primer, reverse primer, GoTaq polymerase and buffer solution, into each of the test tubes with the DNA.
3. Invert tubes, then turn upright to mix solution.
4. Plug in OpenPCR Machine and turn it on.
3. Open lid and place tubes into holder in PCR machine (can fit up to 25 tubes). Close the lid.
4. Program the folowing cycles on the OpenPCR program:
- Stage 1: 1 cycle, 95 degrees Celsius for 3 minutes
- Stage 2: 30 cycles, 95 degrees for 30 seconds, 57 degrees for 30 seconds, 72 degrees for 30 second
- Stage 3: 72 degrees for 3 minutes
- Final Hold: 4 degrees
5. Run reaction.
6. After cycles are complete, open the lid and remove tubes for signal reading (see DNA Measurement Protocol below).
DNA Measurement Protocol
1. Remove lid from black box and invert the box, open the front flap.
2. Place one glass slide into the holder.
3. Depending on the amount of samples being used, take a clean pipette for each sample and label it so that it is only used for that sample of DNA. For example, label a pipette for SYBR green with a horizontal line on the pipette bulb, and label a pipette for diluted water with a vertical line on the bulb. Do NOT use pipettes for any other solution than what they are labelled for.
4. Using the designated pipette, squeeze two drops of SYBR green dye inside the round glass windows on slide, preferably the second dot of the second row.
5. Begin by adding a sample of diluted water to the SYBR green dye, and using the appropriate labelled pipette, add two drops in the same spot as the SYBR green dye.
6. Align the sample so the blue LED shines directly though it focusing the light on the other side.
7. Move holder apparatus inside the box so that no light reaches it.
8. Place smartphone with the flash off onto holder and direct camera lens at the slide apparatus.
9. Take photo with smartphone.
10. E-mail the taken image to computer.
11. On the computer open the image file using ImageJ (program can be downloaded from the Internet.)
12. In ImageJ, under the "analyze" tool bar select "Set Measurements."
13. Make sure the following boxes are checked, and no other boxes other than the ones listed: -Area -Mean Grey Value -Integrated Density
14. From the download folder drag the image file into ImageJ.
15. When the image is opened in ImageJ from the top drop down menu select "Image" and then "Color" and then "Split Channels."
16. Close out the red and blue channel, only use the green channel
17. With the Oval tool select only the entire drop of liquid, avoiding the background but encompassing every bit of the droplet.
18. After the droplet part of the image is selected, go to "Analyze" then "Measure" or press Ctrl + M.
19. Now move the circle to the background of the image by clicking and dragging on the circle, be careful not to change its size.
20. Save the results as an excel spreadsheet (set by default).
21. Once the Image has been processed, using a clean pipette, remove the sample of diluted water and SYBR green dye from the slide.
22. Repeat steps 4-21 using included calf thymus DNA as a control, and move back on the glass slide two rows to eliminate contamination.
23. Once the control has been analyzed, repeat step 4-21 using the sample DNA, ensuring to move back two rows on the glass slide each time a new sample is tested.
24. Once there are no more rows on the glass slide, carefully discard the used slide and begin using a new one.
Research and Development
Background on Disease Markers
Bayesian Stats
P(A|B) is the probability that Alzheimer's disease will occur given a positive PCR test result (a T present instead of a C in the SNP), P(B|A) is the probability that a Alzheimer's patient will test positive for the disease, P(A) is the probability of having the Alzheimer's mutation, and P(B) is the probability of people without the Alzheimer's disease mutation that yield positive results.


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� Keep copies or originals of your course materials available locally (or on an alternative site): assignments, discussion board questions, even wiki and blog assignments should be retained off site.
� Archive your course: use Control Panel, then Archive Course. There is a free reader called bFree that you can install in order to access your course archive (http://its2.unc.edu/tl/tli/bFree ). Note, however, that this utility does not give access to the Grade Center.
� Grades and copies of student work are also best kept off site, on a local computer or flash drive. Download the Grade Center regularly, .To DOWNLOAD your grades to an Excel spreadsheet, go to Grade Center, move your cursor to Manage, and choose Download.
� Keep a list of the students in your section(s) and their emails. If you do not have this, you can get a list from Steve Castellano (firstname.lastname@example.com) if you provide him with your course and section number.
� Keep the emails of your Instructors up to date.
� Keep copies of all the files and other projects that you have submitted through Blackboard.
� Keep a copy of your grades, and even, if appropriate, contributions to Discussion Board Forums and Blogs or Wikis.
� Email your instructor for directions on how to continue your work in the course.
� Send an e-mail message to the students in your class and let them know about extended deadlines and other changes in your class schedule (if any).
� Also, consider attaching important files (like reading assignments) to this message.
� OR, rather than e-mailing important files to your students as attachments, put these files on an alternate server such as
o personal server space which comes with most personal or home ISP (Internet Service Provider) contracts
o (free) personal server space provided by various organizations/vendor including Google Documents
o shared folders provided by file synchronization services like Sugarsync (free 45 day trial) or Dropbox (first two 2GB are free)
(Thanks to Manfred Kuechler and the Hunter College Bb Information system, http://bb.hunter.cuny.edu/, for tips and information!)


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Good Morning,
I'm back, and I'll be ready to hit the posts again just as soon as I wade through hundreds of emails! Boy was it ever nice to leave the "financial engineering" behind for a few days and be out in nature! I have a couple of articles by others to post and I'll get those up as soon as I can today. I also have a short anecdotal economic article I want to write regarding a small town I stayed in on my trip and I'll be working to write up a "trip report" with a few pictures and a short story as we did get a lot of good pictures.
I'm not really caught up on the news yet but I did get to quickly go over the charts, so let's talk about the technical landscape that I see at first glance…
First of all, the futures are down pretty hard this morning, here's the overnight action in the DOW and S&P futures:
Looking at the longer tern charts, the most glaring thing I see is that the DOW Industrials made a new high yesterday as what appears to me to be wave c of B continued. You can see that we closed above the upper Bollinger yet again. A close back beneath the upper Bollinger will be a market sell signal when it occurs, which may very well be today. You can also see that we are way overbought on the daily stochastic. Exceeding the height of the previous "head" invalidates the prior bearish Head & Shoulder Pattern, the first time I have seen that pattern fail in this bear market. However, when you look at the volumes, they are still quite low compared to the volumes seen during the last declines:
A big warning for the bulls is that the Transports did NOT make a new high with the Industrials yesterday. In fact, both the Transports and the Financials were down yesterday, diverging against the rest of the market. Note that the Transports finally had the 50dma cross above the 200, but the oscillators are way overbought here as well. Yesterday's candle is a red hammer giving you a clue that a reversal could be at hand but needs downside confirmation from today's action:
The SPX produced an outside hammer yesterday which looks like a pretty good, but obvious, topping candle. Reversal needs to be confirmed by today's action and so far the futures seem to be pointing that way:
The VIX produced an inverted hammer yesterday that is also outside and looks like a potential reversal indicator. I think we're going to see a downtrend here if it's confirmed, but I'm not sure how long that downtrend will last. Watch the VIX this morning, it should be telling:
Bonds rose pretty hard yesterday and that was divergent from an up market as well.
There was a historic eclipse yesterday across much of Asia, particularly in China and India. Could that mark a turning point in their markets? Could be, I'd be careful about being long right now, especially China as their rebound rally is WAY overdone.
Well Fargo I see got to mark their assets to their own fantasy and declared themselves to be profit makers like most of the big banks have this quarter – their stock, however, still got racked for more than $2 last night. Morgan Stanley, however, did not "make money" and missed expectations – they too got hammered in overnight action and are down significantly.
Thanks to those who keep the comments going on the market threads, I really appreciate it! It's nice knowing that I can get away for a few days and still have a small community of people sharing their thoughts and observations.
Three Dog Night - Out in the Country (Whenever I need to leave it all behind or feel the need to get away…)
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Morning Update/ Market Thread 7/22
Posted byAmy Jamison at6:10 AM


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China has a lot of freshwater cultured pearls that need to be sold and eBay is a great venue for sellers to display their wares. Unfortunately, over time, many sellers have gravitated to using unscrupulous tactics in an effort to compete with each other.
eBay users believe that they are buying real Tahitian, Akoya and South Sea pearls. This hurts honest sellers and devalues the real saltwater pearls sold by jewelry stores.
This presentation was delivered live at the Pearl Guide Ruckus in July 2016, so you will not hear the accompanying talk, but I hope that you will find it enlightening.
Jeremy Shepherd's comments on direct selling from pearl farms:
The farms in China are freshwater pearl farms. Pearls are always processed and this is done in massive processing factories. Pearls are an agricultural crop in China and are sold to these processing factories by weight or while still in their shells. Most small, family-run farms produce just a few kilos - nowhere near enough to match a single pair of perfect earrings let alone a strand.
Every pearl dealer in China claiming they are farmers and original wholesalers is lying. Even those selling freshwater pearls. Those making the same claims about akoya, Tahitian and South Sea have almost certainly never even met someone who farms those types of pearls.
Blaire Beavers
Managing Editor
Pearl Guide News


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Shine the Light! is LightCMS's ongoing program of giving where we partner with web designers around the world to donate websites to deserving non-profit organizations in their communities. Today, I'd like to share with you about one such Shine the Light!
It's always a joy to spread the word about the good work designers are doing through LightCMS's Shine the Light! program. With Shine the Light!
Last night, the Journal Record Publishing Company held its annual Beacon Awards banquet here in Oklahoma City. Our company, Element Fusion, was honored to be invited as a finalist for the Beacon Award for philanthropic impact by a small business in the State of Oklahoma. We were even more surprised and honored when we were named the recipient of this award last night.
Sean Lukasik is a LightCMS reseller that has recently participated in our Shine the Light! program, a program that allows resellers to donate a website with up to one full year free on LightCMS. Through the program, Sean donated a website to the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes.


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The Carnegie
2 Bedroom | 2 Bathroom | 1,819 Square Feet Contemporary Finishes Shown $790,000 – $1,200,000
Virtually Tour the Carnegie
Luxury Finishes and Features
- — Available in Traditional or Contemporary Finishes (Contemporary Shown)
- — Expansive 9′ – 14′ Ceilings with floor to ceiling windows
- — Spacious balconies for extended outdoor living
- — Imported engineered hardwood floors
- — Sound Control with Insulated double glazed low-E windows
- — Hand-selected designer bath and kitchen fixtures and sophisticated hardware
- — Custom crafted cabinetry with European soft-close hinges
- — Soft water system with on-demand hot water through central hot water system
- — High-efficiency heating and cooling system with water source heat pump
- — Recessed, in ceiling sprinkler system
- — Pre-wiring in residences for available Smart Home technology and speakers
- — Pre-wiring in residences for available motorized shades in living and dining areas
- — Exotic granite and marble countertops and custom lighting fixtures
- — Miele® and Sub-Zero® appliances and Full Size Washer & Dryer Hook Ups
- — Highly controlled access throughout the building, parking garage, and grounds
- — Monitored entrances and access-regulated elevators
- — Two high-speed residential elevators, in different locations, for added privacy
- — Service elevator
- — 24 Hour Concierge and Valet Service
- — Guest Suites for Out of Town Visitors
- — Climate Controlled Storage
- — Business Center
- — Smart Technology Owners Portal
- — Pets Welcome > Secure On-Site Pet Park
- — Underground Secure Parking and ample surface Guest Parking
- — Wireless Internet access in lounge areas and business center
- — On-site General Manager
- — On-Property Sport Court
- — 140,000 Square Feet in Amenities and Additional Living Space
Luxury Interior Residence Finishes
Rustic colors beautifully contrast a host of textures in this traditional design palette. Wide-plank, hand-scraped wood flooring surrounds the living areas. A gourmet kitchen takes center stage with a menu of colors and textures — from polished glowing granite and wide, deep moss-colored subway glass tiles. Beautifully carved wood cabinetry frames the kitchen and bath in a medium honey-cherry stain. The master bath finishes your visual experience in dramatic chocolate or crème polished marble.
Rich tones mix with natural stone elements in this elegant, yet transitional, design palette. Crème-like carpet sets an inviting tone in the bedrooms, while the kitchen and living areas feature sleek brown wood flooring. The kitchen boasts subtle river-colored granite countertops, a striking complement to the dark Nubian wood cabinetry. Draped in crisp, stunning honed travertine and polished Diano Reale marble countertops, the master bath takes on a spa-like feel.
Sleek, contemporary style radiates from this striking design palette. Dark chocolate wood flooring coats the entrance, living room and kitchen areas, while complementary dark-toned carpet blankets the bedroom suites. A world of flavor beckons from the modern crisp lines of the dark cabinetry, accented by a backsplash adorned in striking accent tiles. The master bathroom sparkles in a mix of sparkling white countertops, limestone floors and ebony accents.
I absolutely love my condo! My husband and I have a farm outside of San Antonio, and The Broadway provides us with the opportunity to lock and leave, feeling 100 percent secure. The convenient location allows me to travel to work, the grocery store and the airport within minutes.
It's surprising how green it is. When you look out the window, instead of buildings, you see trees and golf courses. We think it's the perfect view.
Three generations of our family live in two exquisite high-rise homes at The Broadway, and the kids love it just as much as their grandfather does.
My move from an expansive home with country club views and wide open spaces to The Broadway was an easy transition. After looking at the other options, my customized condo chose itself. Not only does it feature comparable views to my past home, but the location allows me to enjoy lunch or dinner with friends all within walking distance of my front door. I love living at The Broadway and do not see myself going anywhere, anytime soon.
The service at The Broadway is unmatched. My husband and I love the view, interiors, resort-style pool and the ability to walk our dog. The building is very secure and accessible to many of our favorite shops and restaurants.
My wife, daughters and I love all of the conveniences The Broadway has to offer. From its central location in the heart of San Antonio, to the lock-and-leave lifestyle provided, we could not be more thrilled to be part of this incredible community.
Living at The Broadway is like staying at a five-star resort. My home has beautiful views of the city, as well as 24-hour concierge services.
We wanted the sky. My husband and I had a big house with trees, and we never saw the sky. God's canvas is up in the sky, and we love the drama of it.
I was searching for something new and fresh, and The Broadway accommodates those needs. From the five-star amenities and maintenance-free lifestyle, to the outstanding concierge service, I am pleased to call The Broadway home.


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Regards, Hazel
"Each kindness shown to birds or men is sure to flutter back again"
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Lot to learn
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
We spend 90% of net income on conservation, public education and advocacy
The RSPB is a member of BirdLife International. Find out more about the partnership
© The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654


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What's New
Dime Museum Font by Solotype
This idea of "wrong way weights" was originally called French Clarendon by the Americans, Italienne by the French, and American by the Italians. Sounds like nobody wanted to own up to it.
When it was revived by ATF in 1933, it was given the name P. T. Barnum. Many variations have appeared.
Dime Museum is an old wood type.
Tags: Font, Handwritten, Special Effect


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A printed T-shirt is a much better choice in comparison to a boring monotone T-shirt which does not have any print on it. Actually, it is because of the prints on the T-shirt that you can portray to your onlookers what your preferences are.
Again, T-shirt printing is a better form of embellishment than a hand work or an appliqu work that is done on a T-shirt. The reason is that you will find it much easier to wash and clean a printed T-shirt in comparison to its intricately embellished counterparts. There are even more information you would like to know about printed T-shirts. So, we have prepared a F.A.Q for your convenience.
Can there be color bleeding in the printed section of a T-shirt?
It is an incident that rarely happens. Rather, it is better to say that color bleeding associated with a printed T-shirt varies according to the printing technology that has been used on it. For instance, if you opt for T-shirt printing Perth and remain rigid about screen printing only then chances of color bleeding will never arise. The dyes are steamed and set inside the fibers of the dress during screen printing. This makes them color fast. But if you insist upon T-shirt printing Sydney and ask for tie-n-dye then color bleeding may be a possibility as the apparel is only top dyed.
Can I dry printed T-shirt in a cloth dryer?
Yes, you can readily use a cloth dryer to dry your printed T-shirt. But there is a recommended temperature that you must know before using the device for your dress. The wash care label stitched onto your T-shirt will say it all.
Can I dry my printed T-shirt in the sun?
Unless and until you dry your printed T-shirt without turning the reverse side of it towards outside, sun drying will not harm your apparel. But as it is implied, repeated sun exposure can discolor your T-shirt if you expose its outer side repeatedly during drying.
Can strong chemicals harm printed T-shirts?
To be honest, strong chemicals are a confirmed -no' for every dress you have, whether it is a solid colored one or a printed one. Discoloration and deterioration of the fabric of your garment becomes evident when you use harsh chemical based detergents. So, printed T-shirts are not at all any exception.
Can I iron cotton printed T-shirts?
You can definitely iron your printed T-shirts as you will not like to wear a crinkled and worn out cotton T-shirt when you are outdoors. Just remember that you need to iron it on the reverse side of the print to prevent the color pigments from getting damaged.


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Accreditation and CLE Rules for New York
National Academy of Continuing Legal Education is a NYS Accredited CLE Provider. The NY CLE Board maintains an Accredited Provider directory on their website. You can find us listed on the most recent directory at http://www.nycourts.gov/attorneys/cle/aplist.pdf.
Experienced NY attorneys may earn all 24 CLE credit hours from National Academy of Continuing Legal Education, including 4 credit hours of Ethics and 1 credit hour of Diversity, Inclusion and Elimination of Bias. Experienced NY attorneys may carry over up to 6 excess CLE credit hours, in any category of credit, into the next biennial reporting cycle. Attorneys may complete their CLE in a variety of formats including our DVDs, Audio CDs, Online & iOS/Android App.
Update 1/1/2018: A new category of credit called "Diversity, Inclusion and Elimination of Bias" became effective January 1, 2018. Experienced attorneys who are due to re-register on or after July 1, 2018, must complete at least 1 credit hour in the new category as part of their biennial CLE requirement. This does not add to the biennial CLE requirement of 24 credit hours nor change the requirement that experienced attorneys earn at least 4 credit hours in Ethics and Professionalism. Please note: Newly Admitted Attorneys are not required to earn Diversity, Inclusion and Elimination of Bias CLE credit.
New York attorneys must report that they are CLE compliant on their biennial registration form and must retain proof of compliance for a minimum of four years. Accordingly, National Academy of CLE issues a NY CLE Certificate of Attendance for all CLE activities.
Newly admitted attorneys are required to take "transitional" courses (designed to help them develop a foundation in the essential skills to practice law) 16 credits each year for the first two years following their admission to the Bar. The 16 credits must consist of 3 Ethics credits, 6 Skills credits, and 7 Law Practice Management (LPM) or Professional Practice (PP) credits. Newly admitted attorneys must complete their CLE requirement in a format permissible for the category of credit. For more information, see http://ww2.nycourts.gov/attorneys/cle/changes_for_2016.shtml.
Newly admitted attorneys who have earned more than 16 transitional CLE credit hours before the first anniversary of admission to the Bar may apply up to 8 of their additional credits earned during the first year of admission towards their second-year requirement. Once the second-year requirement is complete, up to 6 additional credits may be applied towards the next reporting cycle. Ethics and Professionalism credits may not be carried over. For more information, see Carryover Credit FAQs.
New York State CLE Board
25 Beaver Street, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10004
(t) 212-428-2105
(f) 212-428-2188


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Who cleans area rugs?
Like your carpets, area rugs should ideally be cleaned at least once a year to remove dust and dirt and help them last longer. In general, carpet cleaning professionals also clean area rugs. Some rug cleaners bring their cleaning equipment to your home, while others remove your area rugs and clean them at their facilities. Either way, the rug should be cleaned with the solution most appropriate to its specific fabric and construction. It should also be completely dry before you return it to the floor.
How much does it cost to clean a rug?
Area rugs are typically found in high-traffic areas of the home, like hallways and entryways, so they collect more dirt and stains than simple vacuuming can handle. Similar to carpet cleaning, professionals can come to your home to deep-clean your area rugs. The national average cost for rug cleaning ranges from $80 to $120, but may be higher or lower depending on the rug's size and fiber type. Rug cleaners generally charge by the square foot; for example, a standard 8-foot by 10-foot rug costs an average of $100 to clean. Natural fiber rugs, such as wool or silk, are usually more expensive to have cleaned than synthetic rugs. A carpeting cleaning company may charge on average $1.50 per square foot to clean a synthetic rug, $2 per square foot for a wool rug, and $3 per square foot for a silk rug. Some delicate rugs need to be washed by hand, which increases the price. Carpet cleaning companies often offer additional services, such as removing odors or applying moth deterrent, which can add 20 cents to 25 cents per square foot.


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Here is what should be doing, but keep putting off: school play costumes. This one is for a wizard hat (cone shaped) that we need to embellish first. I don't have much silver lame in my fabric stash, so I'm going to have to procure some. We're also responsible for a renaissance princess costume, but finally caved and bought one online. (It's purple and my daughter is thrilled.) I figured by the time I tallied the pattern and fabric costs + time it would just be cheaper to by one. (I feel so lazy.) For as much as I love to sew, I just do not love using synthetic fabrics to make costumes. I sound like such a snob. lol.
Finally the winner has been announced for the Modern Basics book. Thanks so much to all who entered. Amy is sharing a little more about her quilts today. If you want one Amy still has some available signed copies in her Shop. It's also available at Amazon.


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Student or Learner
3. The same remarkable circumstance applies to the formation of heavier elements. If the strong nuclear force that holds together protons and neutrons had been even slightly weaker, then only hydrogen could have formed in the universe. If, on the other hand, the strong nuclear force had been slightly stronger, all the hydrogen would have been converted to helium, instead of the 25 percent that occurred early in the Big Bang, and thus the fusion furnaces of stars and their ability to generate heavier elements would never have been born.
The active form is correct, but you could also use the passive.


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Even as Prime Minister Antonis Samaras of Greece prepared to launch his "charm offensive" against eurozone leaders to plead for more time for his country to meet goals set for its rescue, Germany and France were discussing a united front against allowing any more leeway in the rescue calendar.
Reuters reported Thursday that, despite Samaras' attempt to win additional time for Greece to comply with conditions set by eurozone officials, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and President Francois Hollande of France were discussing ways to send a firm message to Athens that it must adhere to its original conditions.
Of course those talks between Merkel and Hollande are complicated by the fact that the French president has been pressing Merkel and other austerity adherents in the eurozone to turn their focus toward growth instead as a means of combating the crisis. And the two do not enjoy the rapport Merkel had with Hollande's predecessor, Nicolas Sarkozy.
Hollande was elected on a platform of advocating growth, while Merkel is being held to a firm position by party members at home who insist that no quarter should be given to a country they see as shirking its duty.
Still, Samaras is determined, too. In an interview that appeared in Germany's Bild newspaper hours before the Greek prime minister met with eurozone chief Jean-Claude Juncker in Athens on Wednesday, Samaras said that if the eurozone gives Greece extra time to meet its obligations, that does not automatically translate into more money as well.
"All we want is a bit of 'air to breathe' to get the economy running and to increase state income. More time does not automatically mean more money," Samaras was quoted saying. He added, "Let me be very explicit: we demand no additional money. We stand by our commitments and by fulfilling all our requirements. We have to crank up growth because that decreases the financial gaps."
The hardliners in the eurozone are not receptive to Samaras' pleas. The Dutch finance minister, Jan Kees de Jager, was quoted saying in response to Samaras, "If it concerns delaying reforms and budget cuts, then it is not a good idea."
Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble of Germany was also unreceptive, saying in the report, "More time is not a solution to the problems." And Merkel had talked tough on Wednesday as well; she was quoted saying that she was "going into these talks with the awareness that we have to achieve that every partner sticks to his commitments." Still, Athens has few options and the eurozone may find that it is similarly pressed. The climate in France has changed since Sarkozy's tenure, as indicated by the words of Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault of France about Hollande's visit to Merkel to discuss the situation. Ayrault was quoted saying, "It's not just about balancing budgets, although we must hold to that, it's also about growth."
Hollande has already managed to exert his influence beyond Paris and insert measures into the European fiscal pact that are pro-growth rather than pro-cuts. His influence has made hardliners wary. While there is little appetite to incur the costs that would be involved in pushing Greece from the eurozone, stalwart austerity champions in Berlin are warily watching Hollande's behavior in France toward that country's deficits as a harbinger of events in the broader eurozone.
A source in the Berlin government said in the report, "If Hollande gives up on his targets because of rising domestic political resistance, we can hardly expect more painful reforms from states like Italy or Spain."
And while Merkel and Hollande hope to present a united front to Greece, that may not be so easy if Germany does not bend. A Hollande aide said in the report that the French president "has always maintained it is indispensable for Greece to respect its commitments, while at the same time it should be given hope for growth."
There are signs of cracks in Germany as well, as some government officials seem to acknowledge the difficulty of the current conditions imposed on Greece.
Norbert Barthle, part of Merkel's center-right governing coalition in the German Parliament, was quoted saying, "With Greece, we cannot change the cornerstones of the aid package or tamper with the principle of conditionality. But I can imagine we could adapt certain things within that framework such as interest rates or maturities on credit, like we already did with the first package."