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Every week we are going to introduce a Seed of the Week, where we are going to select one seed to highlight. We will share the historical attributes, the story that makes this variety an heirloom and why we love it so much!
This unique, pretty cuke is prized by gourmet chefs for its delicate flavor and crisp flesh. Deriving its name from its yellow skin, shape and size. An old heirloom that is sure to still please the discriminating cucumber lover and is easy to digest.
This one is easy to grow, works well in containers, and is extremely productive. Best when harvested young. Great for slicing, salads, on sandwiches and makes delicious pickles!
Please meet … Lemon Cucumber
A perfect vegetable to plant now and enjoy towards the end of summer – a perfect time to cool with cucumber water or salad! Best of all? It's on sale, for only $1.50 – time to eat cucumber
The Living Seed Company believes everyone should have access to vital, pure, open-pollinated seed varieties and through their The Giving Seed Program, seed donations have been sent to Haiti, India, Africa, Europe, South America and throughout the United States.
Over the past three years, The Giving Seed Program has given away over 4,000 packets of fresh heirloom seeds to school garden programs, inner city youth programs, community gardens, seed libraries, food banks, correctional facilities, veteran programs and others. The Living Seed Company also covers the cost of shipping.
We take recommendations for seed donations, feel free to email us at firstname.lastname@example.com. Interested in donating to our program?
Donations can also be made by calling us at 415.663.8002 or by sending a check to:
The Living Seed Company
P.O. Box 177
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956
The Giving Seed Program began with a vision to give back to our local, national and global community. We kicked it off with donating a collection for every ten collections sold.
Today, aside from giving away collections, we are also giving away individual packets suited to particular growing regions and community needs.
The Living Seed Company also gives out Basic Saving Booklets to encourage and support communities saving seeds and adapting them to their bio-regions.
A Few of our Donation Recipients
Thank you so much for your seed donation and for what your company is doing to save these valuable seeds. M. Fay
We are so appreciative of your generosity in choosing DUG as the recipient of a seed donation. Your donation means so much to the gardening community in Denver. Thank you! J. Romer
We are greatly appreciate your effort and helping us with the seeds program for Haiti. Again many thanks May God richly bless you. Pastor J. M. Etienne
Every month we are going to introduce a Seed of the Month, where we are going to select one seed to highlight. We will share the historical attributes, the story that makes this variety an heirloom and why we love it so much!
This stunningly beautiful vegetable is now sought after by chefs and home-cooks for its radiant colors, delicious taste and enhanced health benefits. Purple Carrots have been grown in since 900 A.D. in Afghanistan, Turkey and Middle East, but this incredible carrot was only Introduced in 2005. Dr. Philipp Simon and staff at the USDA in Madison, Wisconsin, bred a whole new spectrum of colored carrots, stay tuned for more of those varieties!
The Cosmic Purple Carrot adds a punch to any meal, whether enjoyed raw or cooked. Grate it in a salad or on the side, add some lime juice and relish in the crunch while enhancing your meal with a sweet spice!
Please meet Cosmic Purple Carrot …
An amazing colored carrot, Cosmic Purple on the outside and brilliant orange and yellow on the inside. A delicious sweet and spicy flavor that kids of all ages will love! This one is a favorite!
Purple has always been a sign of royalty and now purple vegetables are a sign of health. Rich in phytonutrients, this vegetable will add more than just beauty to your meal, it will enhance your overall well-being!
Want to have a garden, but don't have the space? Fret not, container gardens are the solution to the woes of urbanites and farmers alike. Aside from having the ability to produce a significant amount of food within a limited space, container gardens allow you to have full control of what going into your soil. This could be an easy solution for folks that may not know their soil quality while also protecting your crops from soil-borne pests. The fact that your garden would be raised also helps with pesky garden critters. It is also a wonderful idea for students and other young people that move often and are hesitant to grow a garden that they will end up leaving the following year, they can simply take their garden with them!
Containers also solve the problem if your garden is lacking sunlight, if your containers are on castors, you can easily wheel them as they follow the sun. This type of gardening also knows no boundaries, literally. I have seen full-grown fig, lemon and an assortment of other fruit trees flourishing in wine barrels! The idea is to do a bit of research and give your plants the room and light they need to grow. Some vegetables may be compromised if their container is too shallow, such as deep setting root vegetables. This method of gardening allows you to grow food anywhere from your porch, to your balcony to the sidewalk and even your rooftop! Take advantage of the vertical space in your container and add trellises, teepees or wire cages.
It is a solution that allows for maximizing productivity and creativity …. containers can be upcycled from old basins, bath tubs, wheelbarrows, wagons, baskets, chairs, cinder blocks, you name it! The sky is the limit with what you can use to make your container garden out of. Best of all, the more unique the vessel, the more outrageous your garden will look! Some things to keep in mind when you are reusing pieces that have old paint on them, it may have lead and you will not want to use it. Also, another thing to keep in mind is to remember is to drill sufficient holes for drainage, if not you will drown your plants. It has been suggested to drill the holes 2″ up on the sides, instead of on the bottom – this allows for a extra moisture retention, just don't over water your crops! Knowing how your pots hold or release water will also help you gauge the quantity of moisture necessary. There are solutions for self-watering, make sure you do sufficient research before you take off for the weekend! Depending on where you live will determine how moist/dry your vegetables will want to be, consult your local Extension office.
These types of gardens add dimension, texture, color and depth to a garden. You can specialize each container with specific vegetables or herbs. Perhaps using a few for companion planting vegetables and others create a medicinal, culinary and spice garden! Think of all the incredible things you enjoy eating and explore the possibilities of growing them, noting beats fresh food right out of the garden! Consider researching what plants do well together and which ones prefer to be at a distance. Take into account the amount of sunlight you have available and note to have a water source near-by, watering on a daily basis is key to a successful container garden. Our Urban Collection/Small Space Garden is geared for container gardens. These varieties thrive in variable light and space. When purchasing your seeds, always purchase them from a reliable source, check out our post on the Renaissance of Heirlooms to learn about why growing heirlooms and using open pollinated seeds is so important. Now is an ideal time to plant your heat loving crops, from seed, in order to enjoy a late summer and autumn harvesting! Take this opportunity and dig through your garage or attic, thrift-stores of curb side sales and create your container garden today!
Brigid Gaffikin as written for The San Francisco Chronicle
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Paul Chinn / The Chronicle
Matthew Hoffman and Astrid Lindo, owners of the Living Seed Co., grow several varieties of produce and plants in their garden in Nicasio.
From their home in a quiet stretch of Marin County near San Geronimo, two entrepreneurs are hoping to take gardening back to a time when an abundance of plant diversity was the norm.
Matthew Hoffman and Astrid Lindo grow, source and sell seeds of rare and heirloom edibles. Their young business, the Living Seed Co., hung up its virtual shingle just last year.
"What's amazing is 100 years ago, everybody saved their own seed and in just a short period of time, just a couple of generations, all that changed," Lindo said.
The numbers behind this shift are remarkable, according to a study of crop diversity in the United States by the Rural Advancement Foundation International, a family farm policy and advocacy group. By 1983, the 408 varieties of peas cultivated on American farms some 80 years earlier had dwindled to 25. Sweet corn saw a drop from 307 to 12 varieties.
Lindo and Hoffman are new to farming but have embraced their venture with a quiet energy and intensity that one suspects drove their lives well before they founded the company.
Hoffman, 36, traveled the world for a decade as a puppeteer with Jane Goodall's Giant Peace Dove Campaign. Lindo, 35, was born in Colombia but moved to Miami as a toddler. As an adult, she studied in Europe and New York before opening an interior design firm in Southern California. They met in 2009 and decided to make a life together.
Hoffman began thinking about a new career – one that would support the couple's commitment to helping others live healthy lives and that would support a family, too.
Starting a seed company seemed a natural fit. Hoffman grew up in rural Wisconsin in a family of gardeners and as a young child lived 2 miles off the grid in a two-room cabin.
"Really it just kind of clicked," he said. "To be able to grow your own seeds for your own garden … seems a really beautiful way to raise a family."
Hoffman undertook intensive training in New Mexico at the first-ever seed school taught by Bill McDorman, one of the veterans of the contemporary North American seed-saving movement.
His enthusiasm was infectious; within a few months, Lindo decided to set aside her interior design business and immerse herself in the fledgling business. The couple talked with experienced seed growers and farmers, researched catalogs, and scanned gardening forums and blogs online. And then they dug in and began growing their own seed. At the outset, they largely bootstrapped the company. When they decided to expand, they secured loans from friends.
"It was so beautiful," Lindo said. "To look back, you know, and a year later we'd farmed a third of an acre of painted mountain corn and some squash and tomatoes and lettuce."
McDorman, director of Native Seeds/Search, a Tucson organization focused on conserving the genetic diversity of crops grown in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, is effusive in his praise of the couple.
"These young kids are way smarter than we were," he remarked, reflecting on his generation of seed savers in the 1970s. "Matthew and Astrid are indicative of what's coming, a whole new wave."
Seed trading among farmers a century ago has its modern counterpart in businesses like the Living Seed Co., he said.
"That's where the real revolution is happening, in urban agriculture."
For Lindo and Hoffman, revolution goes hand in hand with education.
"I think part of our responsibility is to re-inspire people to grow out some of these unique varieties and keep them going and keep them fresh," Lindo said. "A lot of seed companies are taking them off the racks, and so they may just disappear."
"You can watch, over the season, which of your lettuce plants or tomato plants did really well, save the seeds from those, plant them again the next year," Hoffman said. "That's one of the beauties of seed saving … every time you save your own seeds, you're adapting it to your location, so that plant's going to do better each succession."
Four of the company's five seed collections include a seed-saving booklet that groups seeds by how easy or difficult they are to save.
The couple have embraced the educational potential in the Internet, too. They have a lively Twitter feed, a blog and a Facebook page as well as a YouTube channel with instructional videos on seed-saving techniques.
The company also donates seeds to school garden programs, urban garden programs and correctional facilities.
"Most people aren't going to grow all of their own food, but growing some of their own food – it's fulfilling in a way that's beyond, you know, explaining to somebody unless you've done it," Hoffman said. "But it's worth the experiment, even if you're just growing a little bit of lettuce."
The Living Seed Co. grows its own seeds in Dixon and Nicasio and sources other seeds from seed banks that farm only in North America. A look at some of the offerings:
'Amish Paste' tomato: An heirloom tomato with origins in Philadelphia, the 'Amish Paste' disappeared for decades before being rediscovered in Wisconsin. Delicious fresh but also ideal for canning and sauces.
'Mammoth Grey Stripe' sunflower: This drought-tolerant, long-blooming, fast-growing native sunflower reaches heights of up to 12 feet, and its flowering head can reach a width of 2 feet. The seeds can be eaten or used for butter or oil.
'Painted Mountain' corn: A highly productive flour corn developed by cross-breeding 70 corn varieties for high-altitude growing, a short season and extreme conditions in countries experiencing famine.
'Stars and Moon' watermelon: Introduced in North America around 1900 and a staple of seed catalogs in the early decades of the 1900s, this deeply hued, pink-fleshed melon is dappled with yellow blotches that resemble stars in a night sky. It was rediscovered in Missouri in 1980.
'Merveille des Quatre Saisons' lettuce: A vigorous French butter-head with a long growing season and tolerant of a wide range of climates, this heirloom lettuce was grown in France at least as early as the late 19th century.
Living Seed Co.'s Giving Seed Program donates one collection to a school or charity for every 10 collections sold. Learn more at www.livingseedcompany.com or call (415) 662-6855. Read the blog at livingseedcompany.wordpress.com and check them out on twitter:@LivingSeedCo; Facebook: www.facebook.com/LivingSeedCompany; and YouTube: bit.ly/wR0P3B
Brigid Gaffikin is a freelance writer in Piedmont. email@example.com
This article appeared on page F – 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle
Eating is one the many fundamental actions, for life, that everyone shares. What people eat is what drastically differentiates us from other cultures and the very thing that brings us together with like-minded foodies. We are living in a time where a lot of attention is being focused on food, whether it is the amount we are eating, the quality, how miles it has traveled and of course whether it has been genetically altered. Whatever your interest in food may be, we are living in an exhilarating time in the history of food.
Despite that 1 in 3 Americans is obese and most food found in our supermarkets, if it is not organic, is genetically modified, there is a food revolution happening in the midst of all of this.
As we know, we began as hunters and gatherers. Eating and cooking solely what we could hunt and harvest. Through time, technology and the advancements of the industrial revolution things changed dramatically. We began canning, preserving and freezing.
Today, most Americans take very little regard in what they eat, how it is processed, what is in it and most of all, how much of it they eat. The irony is how much of our eating habits have changed drastically in a mere 100 years. From our food supply, quantity and nutritional content, to the amount of imported goods we consume. Perhaps a simple way of addressing this is we went from viewing food as a sacred commodity to a simplified convenience.
While most of America has accepted that we moved from an agricultural society to industrialized agriculture and embracing that fact that most of our food travels 1500 miles – there is a huge subculture that has sprouted up globally. This movement touts local, seasonal and organic – backyards are being converted into food forests and front lawns are being torn up to make way for urban gardens!
The movement has taken root in all of America's largest cities, while infiltrating small towns and growing communities. It is taking shape in the form of expanding farmers markets, community gardens, edible school yards and even homesteading. There are several large installations of some of these applications found in places like NY MOMA's infamous indie art museum known as PS1. Annually there is a competition of young architects at the opportunity to build an oasis during their summer installation. Winners, several years ago, built an urban farm, producing food and raising chickens, right in the middle of Queens!
In the San Francisco Civic Center – the entire front lawn has been replaced with a garden, in time for the Slow Food festival – and the harvest will coincide with festivities all through Labor Day in 2009.
In downtown Los Angeles, there is an annual Public Fruit Jam in Echo Park – where an art gallery was opened to the public to bring local fruit to make jars of fresh jam. I attended a few years ago and I brought in green sour apples from my backyard, coupled with figs, lemons and mint to create this outrageous homemade jam!
So what are the advantages to eating local and seasonal?
With local food there are much lower energy costs and the nutritional value of your food is much higher, since the crop was not harvested early. Most of all, you are supporting your local farmers, your community and a really incredible movement that is taking shape and coming soon to your community!
Swapping recipes, seeds and gardening tips are no longer a thing of the past, but rather a really hip and obvious thing to be doing, now!
Don't have a yard? Fret not … food in pots grows incredible varieties! Don't have time or the patience to grow your own? There are Community Supported Agriculture known as CSA's – where you can have a box of beautiful organic fruits and veggies grown in a local farm delivered to your door weekly! Check out Local Harvest to see where your local CSA is.
There is that classic adage that you are what you eat. The reality is that our habits around food have lost their value – and now more than ever, is a critical time to begin asking the right questions and being aware of what you are consuming and most of all, knowing where your food comes from.
We are finding ourselves relying on our community as well as our neighbors. In essence we are adopting the ways of our ancestors. The need to continue to push the envelope all while looking back and taking in the strides taken by our predecessors!
Organic, Rare and Heirloom Seed Collections
The Living Seed Company is an heirloom seed company dedicated to supporting families, friends and communities growing healthy food and saving their seeds.
To take some of the guess-work out of gardening we have developed collections of organic heirloom vegetable and herb seeds, suited to your region and growing needs.
All of our seeds are open pollinated, non-GMO, untreated, organic or grown on small natural farms and were selected for their versatility in the culinary arts.
The Founders Collection Our original widely adapted collection suited for most climates
Northern Collection Our long season collection, suited for shorter climates
Southern Collection Our short season collection is suited for longer climates
Urban /Small Space Collection This mini collection is perfectly suited for Urban settings or small gardens and even container gardens
Salsa Collection Our salsa collection is suited for all the fresh salsa lovers out there!


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P2V, V2V and V2P migration
New & Notable
P2V, V2V and V2P migration
P2V, V2V and V2P migration News
November 22, 2011
Long-distance live migration moves within reach
Doing a long-distance live migration these days is a Herculean effort, but F5 Networks says it's time is coming for mere mortals.
September 22, 2011
Hyper-V 3.0 shared-nothing live migration a boon for small shops
Shared-nothing live migration in Hyper-V 3.0 will improve small IT shops' planned maintenance prospects, but the technology comes with some limits.
June 10, 2011
VMware launches Converter 5.0 beta: Virtualization news in brief
The new version of vCenter Converter Standalone will optimize disk partition alignment, Virsto snares $12 million in funding, and VMware partners with Hitachi on cloud services.
June 25, 2010
Red Hat users eye Xen-to-KVM move
Support for KVM server virtualization has grown, but users who make the move from KVM to Xen face a potentially complex migration process and political minefields in the data center.
P2V, V2V and V2P migration Get Started
Bring yourself up to speed with our introductory content
PlateSpin is a company that provides tools to help with server virtualization, including physical-to-virtual migrations and server workload management. Continue Reading
Recognizing and correcting common VM migration problems
A careful and systematic approach can speed the recognition and correction of common VM migration problems. Continue Reading
Troubleshooting the top five virtual machine migration errors
It's not uncommon for a virtual machine restart to fail. Combat VM migration errors by learning to diagnose the error and prevent it from recurring. Continue Reading
Evaluate P2V, V2V and V2P migration Vendors & Products
Weigh the pros and cons of technologies, products and projects you are considering.
As virtual machine migrations accelerate, don't get left behind
Workload mobility is a key part of virtualization, and it should continue to get better and become a bigger part of an IT admin's everyday operations. Both Microsoft and VMware say they can improve the speed and efficiency of live migrations. ... Continue Reading
How Storage vMotion works under the hood
VMware makes moving a VM from one datastore to another simple with Storage vMotion, but the details of how the feature works are much more complex. Continue Reading
Should you use CredSSP or Kerberos authentication for Live Migration?
Hyper-V admins need to choose between CredSSP or Kerberos authentication for Live Migration. Find out which is more secure and easier to use. Continue Reading
Manage P2V, V2V and V2P migration
Learn to apply best practices and optimize your operations.
How to do better physical to virtual migrations
Physical to virtual migrations are largely wizard-driven these days, but there are some key prep tasks you can do to make them even better. Continue Reading
Resistance is futile: Five ways to secretly virtualize a server
Facing resistance against virtualization? Here are five ways to virtualize a server on your own without anyone knowing about it. Continue Reading
Have you done everything to secure VM live migrations?
If you haven't taken these simple but critical measures to secure VM live migration traffic, you could be vulnerable. Continue Reading
Problem Solve P2V, V2V and V2P migration Issues
We've gathered up expert advice and tips from professionals like you so that the answers you need are always available.
Put your live migrations in the fast lane with 2012 R2 and SMB 3.0
Using PowerShell can speed up and automate Live Migration. But, if you really want to shift into high gear, consider using SMB 3.0 file shares. Continue Reading
Using Hyper-V 2012 Cluster Live Evacuations for smooth migrations
Hyper-V 2012 Cluster Live Evacuations gives admins several options to move VMs from one node to another in the case of an emergency or maintenance. Continue Reading
Three scenarios when it's worth paying for third-party P2V tools
Third-party P2V tools are expensive, but there are some important use cases that make a robust P2V migration product well worth the expense. Continue Reading

subset: commoncrawl


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The 2013 iTunes Festival continues to be the gift that keeps on giving.
Having already served up super charged sets from the likes of Lady GaGa and Janelle Monae, it was Jessie J's turn to rock the stage at the London-based extravaganza.
Currently celebrating the release of sophomore set 'Alive', the Pop powerhouse surprised the thousands in attendance by bringing out Brandy to perform their new duet 'Conquer The World'.
Watch Jessie and the Vocal Bible serve up a sermon on how to electrify a stage after the jump…


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The strong-yet-delicate look of the Caboche Suspension by Foscarini was originally inspired by a plastic bracelet seen in the 1930s. The lens-like baubles around the sphere multiply the light from within, making it reflect the light like hundreds of luminous crystals. Designed by Patricia Urquiola, a Spanish designer who worked under the tutelage of Achille Castiglioni and has partnered with a number of international brands, including Alessi, Kartell and many others. Urquiola says the Caboche was designed to be a timeless classic, remaining relevant in a wide range of interior styles for years to come. Read more


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Travers: Wicked finish for V.E. DayTHE ASSOCIATED PRESS | August 24,2014SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. V.E. Day caught Wicked Strong late to take the 145th running of the Travers Stakes by a nose Saturday over an impressive field that included Belmont champion Tonalist and favorite Bayern.
Ridden by Javier Castellano, V.E. Day beat out the co-second choices after going off at nearly 20-1 and returning $41.00, $13.20, and $7.30 in the $1.25 million Grade 1 stakes race.
Trainer Jimmy Jerkens swept the top two spots in the 1-1/4-mile Grade 1 stakes for three-year-olds, with the more well-regarded Wicked Strong coming second and retuning $4.40 and $3.10.
I wasnt absolutely sure it was V. E. Day because he had so much mud on him, until they got a little closer and I saw the silks and then I knew it was him, Jerkens said. I said, Man, what a feeling. I know Im going to win the Travers. I just dont know with who.
Bayern, trained by Bob Baffert, had nothing to give after winning the Haskell Invitational in his most recent start and ran out of steam approaching the quarter pole. Mr. Speaker, who won the Grade 1 Belmont Derby on the grass in July finished fifth. Tonalist paid $3.40 to show.
Im happy for Jimmy, Castellano said. Hes a great horseman. He does such a good job.MORE IN Wire SportsEAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. Odell Beckham Jr. Full StoryLILLE, France Roger Federer has now claimed all the big prizes on offer in tennis and, for... Full StoryHARRISON, N.J. Full Story
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- RICHARD'S POOR ALMANACK: In 1944, U.S. begins B-29 bombing raids on Japanese main islands; in 1950, Great Appalachian Storm begins to form; 1963, Lee Oswald killed by Jack Ruby; 1974, D.B. Cooper hijacks Seattle-bound airliner; 1974, 'Lucy' found.
- RICHARD'S POOR ALMANACK: On this day in 1927, striking Colo. miners attacked with machine guns by state police; 1877, Thomas Edison announces invention of the phonograph, 1959, Alan Freed fired by WABC 770 AM for accepting payola to promote records.
- RICHARD'S POOR ALMANACK: On this day in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivers short speech in Gettysburg, Pa.; in 1984, a Pemex LNG facility destroyed by series of gas explosions, 600 people are killed; in 1998, Senate builds fire under Bill Clinton.
- RICHARD'S POOR ALMANACK: On this day in 1831 – Independent South American super-state, Gran Colombia, dissolved; 1856 - Fort Buchanan built to control Apache warriors; 1970 - William Calley Jr. goes on trial after 1968 massacre at My Lai, Vietnam.
- RICHARD'S POOR ALMANACK: Wisconsin Sen. Joe McCarthy takes advantage of Cold War jitters and builds a tidy little fiefdom for himself on Capitol Hill. It's all good, but pride goes before you know darn well what. The junior senator is damaged going down.
- RICHARD'S POOR ALMANACK: On this day in 1927, Leon Trotsky is expelled from the Soviet Communist Party, leaving Joseph Stalin in control of the Soviet Union; in 1970, Oregon DOT tries to dynamite a dead whale off a beach with a rather shocking result.


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This is my favorite salad ever. The blue cheese gives just a hint of the flavor that is brought out by the balsamic dressing. This salad is almost identical to the TGI Fridays pecan crusted salad, but the chicken is not rolled and breaded in pecans and bread crumbs and fried. It's a healthier version of it.
Units: US | Metric
Serving Size: 1 (389 g)
Servings Per Recipe: 2
Make this season merry, bright and manageable with our easy ideas.


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For undergraduate, introductory courses in Engineering Economics. Used by engineering students worldwide, this best-selling text provides a sound understanding of the principles, basic concepts, and methodology of engineering economy. Built upon the rich and time-tested teaching materials of earlier editions, it is extensively revised and updated to reflect current trends and issues, with an emphasis on the economics of engineering design throughout. It provides one of the most complete and up-to-date studies of this vitally important field.
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Supreme Court drug test rulings.
Drug testing, which is becoming an increasingly divisive issue in collective bargaining and legislative halls, drew two opinions from the Supreme Court that validated such efforts, in limited circumstances.
In Skinner v. Railway Labor Executives Association, the Court held that railroad operating crews can be tested for drug use after being involved in accidents. Writing for the seven-member majority, Justice Anthony Kennedy said the provisions of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution prohibiting searches without probable cause did not apply in this case because of "special needs" in the safe transport of the public resulting from the fact that railroad employees "can cause great human loss before any sign of impairment becomes noticeable to supervisors or others."
In dissent, Justice Thurgood Marshall, joined by Justice William J. Brennan, Jr., conceded that eradication of illegal drug use was a proper national objective, but concluded that testing of railroad workers without any evidence of wrong-doing allows "basic constitutional rights to fall prey to momentary emergencies."
In the other case, National Treasury Employees Union v. Van Raab, Justice Kennedy, writing for the five-member majority, held that the U.S. Customs Service's Drug Enforcement Administration had the right to routinely test employees involved in interdicting illegal drugs and employees who carry firearms. Justice Kennedy said that testing of these employees is necessary to assure that they have the "unimpeachable integrity and judgment" required to counter illegal drug traffic, which is "one of the greatest problems affecting the health and welfare of our population." The Court did not extend the ruling to messengers and baggage clerks because of uncertainly over whether individual employees would gain access to restricted information.
Justice Antonin Scalia led the dissent, explaining that he joined the majority in the railroad case because of the compelling need to protect railroad passengers, but could not favor the decision in the Customs Service case because only 5 of 3,600 employees tested had positive results, leading to the conclusion that there was "no real evidence of a problem that will be solved by urine testing."
U.S. Attorney General Richard Thornburgh described the two decisions as victories in the war on drugs, saying that the Administration would tailor drug-testing plans being established in Federal agencies to conform with the ruling. Federal employee unions, which have filed legal challenges to a number of the testing programs, contended that the Court's rulings had limited application and, pending further decisions, would not apply to "general" employees.
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The Daily Apple
The Daily Apple: Healthy living on Long Island. The latest news and information from Newsday about healthy living, workouts, diets and health issues on Long Island. Have an idea for the blog? Send us an email and let us know at firstname.lastname@example.com
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Doctor's Diagnosis: Ovarian cancer
My mom was "old school" and never complained as she experienced the various aches and pains that are a normal part of the aging process.
So it was very alarming when she started having vague abdominal pains, and complained of feeling bloated after eating small meals. Eventually we discovered the source of her problems: she had ovarian cancer. Despite surgery and chemotherapy, she eventually...Read more »
Doctor's Diagnosis: Narcan
It's no secret that Long Island has recently experienced a large increase in deaths from heroin overdoses. Years ago, when my friend Raymond became a police officer in Suffolk County, he underwent extensive training in the traditional techniques law enforcement uses to deal with this type of problem. Recently he got called back for additional training: He needed to learn how to use Narcan.
Narcan...Read more »
Health in the news: How much do you know?
How well have you been paying attention to the health-related stories in the news this week?
Take our quiz for the week of Aug. 4 to find out.
App readers, please click the link below to take the quiz.
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text:
A method for compressing a first bit digital input representative of first pixel data into a second bit digital output representative of second pixel data, the method comprises the steps of defining a logarithmic function for converting the first bit digital input into the second bit digital output; replacing a portion of the logarithmic function with a polynomial function; and compressing the first bit digital input into the second bit digital output by utilizing the logarithmic and polynomial function.
1. A method for compressing a first predetermined bit digital input representative of an image into a second predetermined bit digital output representative of the image, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) defining a logarithmic function for converting the first predetermined bit digital input into the second predetermined bit digital output;
(b) replacing a portion of the logarithmic function with a polynomial function for forming a resulting function which is continuous in value and slope; and
(c) compressing the first predetermined bit digital input into the second predetermined bit digital output, via a processor, by utilizing the logarithmic and polynomial function which compressing reduces the required storage capacity for storing the image, wherein the logarithmic and polynomial functions are substantially equal to: ##EQU19##
2. The method as in claim 1, wherein step (b) includes:
(b1) calculating which portion of the logarithmic function includes a slope with a predetermined quantity; and
(b2) replacing the portion of the logarithmic function with a slope substantially at the predetermined quantity with the polynomial function which is continuous with the remaining portion of the logarithmic function.
3. The method as in claim 2, wherein step (b1) includes calculating which portion of the logarithmic function includes a slope of a value of substantially one.
4. The method as in claim 2, wherein step (b) includes calculating a polynomial which contains no discontinuity between it and the logarithmic function.
5. The method as in claim 1 further comprising the step of: limiting the number of first bit digital input compressed into the second bit digital output substantially equal to: ##EQU20##
6. The method as in claim 1 further comprising the step of converting the second predetermined bit digital output into the first bit digital input substantially equal to: ##EQU21##
7. The method as in claim 1, wherein the logarithmic and polynomial functions are alternatively substantially equal to: ##EQU22##
8. The method as in claim 1, wherein the logarithmic and polynomial functions are alternatively substantially equal to: ##EQU23##
The invention relates generally to the field of electronic imaging and, more particularly, to electronic imaging having reduced memory capacity requirements for a digital representation of an image by utilizing a combination of a polynomial and logarithmic transformation.
The storage of high resolution digital images within an electronic still camera system typically requires substantial memory. For a single sensor camera, a typical image with a resolution of 768 pixels per line�512 lines�10 bits per pixel would require 3,932,160 bits or, equivalently, 491,520 bytes of semiconductor memory storage space. If, for system requirements, each 10 bit pixel value must be stored in a 16 bit word of memory (wasting 6 bits per word), the required amount of memory to store the entire image increases to 786,432 bytes. If the data could be transformed in some reversible manner to require only 8 bits (1 byte) per pixel, without significantly degrading image quality, then only 393,216 bytes of memory are required for a 25% savings of storage memory.
Logarithm transforms have been used in the past to transform ten bit pixel values into eight bit pixel values. Typically one would use an expression such as Equation 1 to map 10 bit linear exposure data into 8 bit logarithmic exposure data. ##EQU1##
In Equation 1, "x" is the 10 bit linear exposure value, "y" is the corresponding 8 bit logarithmic value and "round()" rounds the result to the nearest integer. Equation 1 can be inverted to produce Equation 2 for transforming a 8 bit logarithmic value to a ten bit linear exposure value. ##EQU2##
Although the presently known and utilized method for data transformation is satisfactory, it is not without drawbacks. One drawback of the above described logarithmic transforms is that the transform process is inefficient. For example, some of the 256 possible 8 bit logarithmic code values which can be produced to represent 10 bit linear code values by Equation 1 are not used. This is best illustrated by the following examples.
Consider the example where x=9 and x=10. The corresponding values for y using Equation 1 are y=85 and y=88. It is instructive to note that it is not possible to produce a value of y=86 or y=87 for an integer value x with Equation 1. Therefore, these values of y are not used in a system that implements Equation 1, and as previously stated, the result is that not all of the possible 8 bit code values are used.
The previous numerical example also illustrates another drawback. Recalling that x=9 produces y=85, produces a result in which eighty five 8 bit code values are used to represent the range of x=0 to x=9. Obviously, only 9 of these 8 bit values for y are used, resulting in the 74 missing 8 bit values. The reverse problem occurs for large values of x. Consider the example of x=969 and x=996. The corresponding values for Equation 1 are y=253 and y=254. Thus one 8 bit code value corresponds to a range of 27 10 bit code values.
Consequently, a need exists for a method and apparatus for the compression of imaging data in which the method and apparatus prevents the occurrence of missing 8 bit code values and minimizes the number of 10 bit code values represented by any given 8 bit code value.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above. Briefly summarized, according to one aspect of the present invention, a method for compressing a first bit digital input representative of an image into a second bit digital output representative of the image, the method comprises the steps of: (a) defining a logarithmic function for converting the first bit digital input into the second bit digital output; (b) replacing a portion of the logarithmic function with a polynomial function and (c) compressing the first bit digital input into the second bit digital output by utilizing the logarithmic and polynomial function which reduces the storage capacity necessary for storing the image.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a combination logarithm/linear polynomial function of the form of equation (3) and a preferred embodiment of equation (3), equation (4): ##EQU3##
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for the compression of digital imaging data so that memory capacity is minimized during storage of the data.
It is a feature of the present invention to provide means for replacing a portion of a logarithmic function with a slope greater than approximately one with a polynomial function.
It is an advantage of the present invention that the compression of data representing an image does not reduce the quality of the image.
The above and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent when taken in conjunction with the following description and drawings wherein identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures.
Advantageous Effect of the Invention
The present invention has the following advantages of having no missing code values in the 10 bit to 8 bit transform and of greatly reducing the number of 10 bit code values represented by a given 8 bit code value throughout the range of 10 bit code values.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 2 is a graph illustrating ten bit code values versus eight bit code values.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a charge-coupled device (CCD) 10 for receiving and capturing an incident image in electronic form and then converting the image via an analog to digital converter (A/D converter) 15 into ten bit digital form. The digital representation of the image is electronically sent to a look up table 20 for conversion of the ten bit digital image into an eight bit digital image. The look-up table 20 is electrically connected to and created by a central processing unit (CPU) 30 which utilizes a data compression method of the present invention and is described in detail below. The CPU 30 preferably inputs the data to the look-up table 20 off-line or, in other words, when the look-up table 20 is originally created so that during operation the look-up table 20 simply cross-references the ten and eight bit data.
Once the data is converted to eight bit data, it is stored in memory 40 for later use. It is instructive to point out, although obvious to those skilled in the art, that data stored in eight bit form utilizes less memory than ten bit data. When this data is needed for other purposes, for example editing and other similar purposes, the eight bit data is converted back to ten bit by a look-up table 50 which is created similar to the other look-up table 50 (via a CPU 60); however, it obviously cross references in the opposite direction. The data is then manipulated by a calculator 70 for editing the data representing the image and then passed to a third look-up table 80 which is also created similar to the first look-up table 30 (via a CPU 90) for conversion back to eight bit data. The data is then again stored in memory 100 where it may be accessed by the second look-up table 50 and again edited as described above, or the image may be output to any suitable output device 110, such as a printer or display.
It may be obvious to those skilled in the art that CPU 30 and look-up table 20 could be the same device as CPU 90 and look-up table 80 for performing both operations. This would eliminate the need for redundant hardware.
The CPUs 30, 60 and 90 create the look-up tables 20, 50, and 80 as follows. Referring now to FIG. 2, first, the ten bit linear code value is transformed to an eight bit logarithmic code value by methods which are well known in the art, such as equation (1) which is illustrated by the thin line. To eliminate the occurrence of missing 8 bit code values in the 10 bit to 8 bit transform, the portion of the logarithmic curve that has a slope in excess of unity must be modified or replaced to prevent the slope from exceeding unity. This is most easily achieved by switching to an appropriate linear function at a point (k) that the logarithmic slope exceeds unity. Although unity is the preferred value, any value that is generally close in value to unity may be used. The resulting form of this transform is presented in Equation 5. ##EQU4##
For clarity, the logarithm base, u, will be defined later. The value xo is the maximum value x can attain and is a known constant. This leaves three constants, a, b and k, that need to be determined. Three constraints, which are described in detail below, are chosen so that a, b and k may be uniquely determined and, more importantly, cause the transform to possess a number of desirable properties.
The constraints chosen are presented in Equations 6a through 6c. In Equation 6c, dy- /dx refers to the first derivative of y- with respect to x. In the sane equation, dy+ /dx is defined similarly.
y- (x=k)=y+ (x=k) (6a)
y+ (x=xo)=yo (6b) ##EQU5##
Equations 7 and 8 define y- and y+, accordingly.
y- (x)=x (7)
y+ (x)=a+blogu (x) (8)
Combining Equations 6 through 8 produces expressions that can be used for determining a, b and k for a given set of values for u, xo and yo. Equation 6a insures that there is no discontinuity at the transition from logarithmic function to linear function. Equation 6b scales the logarithmic function to map the full scale value from the input space, xo, into the full scale value of the output space, yo. Equation 6c guarantees that the slope of the logarithmic function never exceeds the slope of the linear function. The slope of the linear function is unity by design.
For the preferred embodiment of Equation 5, the values of u, xo and yo are supplied in Equation 9. ##EQU6##
It is noted at this point that the choice of u is completely arbitrary. While the specific values for a and b will change with u, the resulting transform relation between x and y will be unaltered. The resulting expression in the form of Equation 5 is given in Equation 10. ##EQU7##
Recognizing that x only assumes integral values and rearranging the logarithmic expression for mathematical convenience produces Equation 11. ##EQU8##
Due to the round() function the remaining nonintegral coefficients in Equation 11 can be rounded to the nearest integral without significant loss of accuracy to produce Equation 12. ##EQU9##
Note that Equation 10 (and its derivatives Equations 11 and 12) is only one possible solution for the given constraints of Equations 5 through 9 due to the presence of the round() function. Also, as demonstrated with Equations 11 and 12, there are a variety of ways of expressing the results of an Equation 10-type solution.
It should be noted that all solutions of the form of Equation 10 (and its derivatives) can be inverted to create the reverse transform. The inverse of Equation 12, for instance, is given in Equation 13. ##EQU10##
Comparison of Equation 12 with Equation 1 demonstrates the reduction of the number of 10 bit code values represented by 8 bit code values. FIG. 2 is a plot of both transforms where the heavy line illustrates equation (10) and the thin line illustrates equation (1).
For every value of x above the transition point (k), where x=68, the slope of Equation 12 is steeper than the slope of Equation 1. This can be mathematically proven to be strictly true. Since the slope of Equation 12 is steeper, the number of 10 bit values represented by a 8 bit value must be smaller than for Equation 1. For values of x below the transition point(k), there is, by design, an exact one-to-one correspondence between 10 bit values and 8 bit values. This eliminates the problems that occur when the slope of Equation 1 becomes greater than unity.
For some applications it may be desirable to control the number of 10 bit values mapped into a single 8 bit value for large 10 bit values. In this case, we return to Equation 3 (repeated as Equation 14a) and append a linear polynomial to the upper end of the logarithmic segment. Two example embodiments are demonstrated below.
Assume there is a constraint that limits the allowable number of 10 bit values represented by a single 8 bit value to 10. A version of Equation 14a that is appropriate is given in Equation 14b. ##EQU11##
In Equation 14b, "1n(x)" is the natural logarithm of "x". For convenience, Equation 14b can also be expressed as Equation 15. ##EQU12##
The following constants can be defined. ##EQU13##
The value for y2 ' is the reciprocal of the maximum number of 10 bit values that may be represented by a single 8 bit value. Finally, Equations 17 through 22 provide the constraints needed to determine the values of a, b, c, d, k1 and k2. In Equations 20 through 22, y1 ' refers to the first derivative of y1 with respect to x, i.e., dy/dx. In the same equations, y2 ' and y3 ' are defined similarly. ##EQU14##
y1 (k1)=y2 (k1) (17)
y2 (k2)=y3 (k2) (18)
y3 (x3)=y3 (19)
y1 '(k1)=y2 '(k1) (20)
y2 '(k2)=y2 ' (21)
y3 '(k2)=y2 ' (22)
The combination of Equations 14 through 22 produce Equation 23. ##EQU15##
The number of 10 bit values represented by a single 8 bit value using Equation 23 never exceeds 10. All the desirable properties of Equation 12 are also present in Equation 23.
Instead of a fixed limit on the number of 10 bit values represented by a single 8 bit value, an upper and lower bound over a given region of 10 bit values can be provided. For example, consider the version of Equation 14a given in Equation 24. ##EQU16##
In addition to Equations 15 through 22, Equations 25 and 26 are also specified. ##EQU17##
y3 '(x3)=y3 ' (26)
The upper portion of Equation 24, i.e., y3 (x), is now permitted to slowly increase the number of 10 bit values represented by a single 8 bit value from 10 to 12 for 10 bit values between k2 and x3. The resulting transform is given in Equation 27. ##EQU18##
The process used to create Equations 23 and 27 can be used to produce any number of embodiments of Equation 14a.
The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. However, it will be appreciated that variations and modifications can be effected by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.
For example, the input (x) could have other than 10 bits, for example 12 or 16 bits, and/or the output (y) could have other than 8 bits, for example 6 bits or 10 bits, as long as the output has fewer bits than the input.
Parts List:
10 charge-coupled device
15 analog to digital converter
20 look-up table
40 memory
50 look-up table
70 calculator
80 look-up table
100 memory
110 display
Patent Citations
Referenced by
Legal Events
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Converged IT stacks threaten storage interfaces
In a world of converged IT stacks the standard interfaces on which external storage depends are threatened. External storage depends upon standard interfaces: Ethernet and NFS/CIFS/TCP/IP for filers and iSCSI and Fibre Channel for block access. We have a layered approach to connecting servers and external storage, and also …
I might be vertical but what's the BMI?
HP (& its server selling competitors) are addressing a problem. In a virtualised environment the world needs less servers. So the answer is: make all those servers into something else, like... storage.
Take Left Hand as an example: you want storage that comprises, say, 72 physical drives. You get something in the order of 12 CPUs and 24GB of memory along with your drives all stuffed into 6 storage units (good job I didn't say servers). A typical mid-range, dual controller storage array does that with a couple of CPUs & maybe 8GB memory, tops.
Looks like EVA technology is also due for server fattening if El Reg's recent notes are accurate.
HP's might be a vertically integrated model but it sure gets lardy around the bottom.
Dual controller arrays are dying
The legacy dual controller model is going away. You talk about the fact that the Left Hand solution comes with each node tuned to deliver the best performance from its' 12 drives? You say a dual controller array 'does that' with less, but as you add more drives you don't add memory or controllers so the controllers become more burdened. The Left Hand solution scales performance as you scale capacity, without a controller swap. So how is that a bad thing?
Without control over software the stack can't be said to be integrated. The biggest optimizations are giving the filesystem/buffer cache layer visibility into the interconnect and disk/SSD hardware, as NetApp did with ONTAP and Sun with ZFS. From that point of view the only fully integrated stack is the Oracle/Sun one There is no reason why HP or Cisco couldn't make equivalents by making enhanced versions of the ext4 and btrfs filesystems optimized for their hardware or virtualization, but they have shown no inclination to do so this far.
ATA over ethernet
I noticed how that one was missing. A converged stack and open source.
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Open Graph Protocol Solution for Joomla Make Your Site Open Graph Protocol Compatible in a Matter of Clicks After activating this Component + Plugin your site is Open Graph ready. A pioneer Joomla Component that give full control over Joomla content for all kind of Open. Tags: Open Graph, Open Graph for Joomla, OGP, OGP for Joomla, OG Extension, Open graph Components
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11 | 10 | 2011
According to the preliminary data available for the execution of the State Budget for the nine months January – September, on a fiscal basis, the deficit amounts to 19,163 million Euros compared to the new target of 19,242 million Euros set in the Preliminary Draft Budget submitted in the Parliament for 2012. During the same period in 2010, the State Budget deficit amounted to 16,650 million Euros.
On State Budget (Ordinary and Public Investment Budget), expenditures are lower than the new target by 74 million Euros while State Budget total revenues (Ordinary and Investment Budget) are increased by 5 million Euros.
In particular, on a nine month basis (January – September), net revenues amounted to 34,980 million Euros and they are declining by 4.2% comparing to the respective period of 2010 and restricting the shortfall (5.3%) in the first eight months of 2011. The revenue shortfall can be mainly attributed to the larger than projected recession – during the period when the Budget was being prepared – in the last quarter of 2010, the reduced receipts from withholding personal income tax in 2011 due to the more favourable tax treatment of personal income as a result of the new tax law and the income reduction, and finally, the increased tax refunds due to the clearing of past years' obligations.
The revenues from the Public Investment Budget increased by 39.2% or 529 million Euros vis-à-vis the nine months of 2010.
It is noted that the current revenue shortfall is expected to be tackled during the next three months, based on the anticipated performance of the tax regulations included in the implementing Law of the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2011-2015.
Furthermore, It should be noted that the report on the execution of the State Budget provides revenue data for the nine months of 2011 on a cash basis. The total level of revenues for 2011, on a national account basis however, is calculated based on the course of revenues in the first two months of 2012 also, while part of the revenues for the first months of 2011 contribute to the calculation of 2010 revenues on a national accounts basis.
Ordinary budget expenditures increased by 7.0% compared to the same period of 2010. This increase is mainly due to:
In particular, primary expenditures increased by 2,9% or 1.050 million Euros during the same period, mainly due to the increased grants to Social Security Funds (primary to the Agricultural Insurance Organization – OGA by 471 million Euros and to the Wage Earners Fund – IKA by 1,307 million Euros), to OAED by 306 million Euros and to hospitals by 700 million Euros.
Moreover, Public Investment Budget (P.I.B.) expenditures declined by 35.1% or 1,906 million Euros.
It should be noted that the above data correspond to the execution only of the State Budget and thus do not reflect all fiscal data that are taken into account when measuring the General Government deficit according to the ESA95 (Eurostat's) classification, which is the benchmark for the assessment of the Economic Policy Programme.
Hellenic Republic Ministry Of Finance © 2014
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This document details how to set up Quest ActiveRoles Server and ActiveRoles Quick Connect together in a hosted environment, where accounts from a client AD domain are synchronized to a host AD domain.
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Acquisitions - Enstratius, RemoteScan, StatSoft


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Tuesday, March 17, 2015
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Yesterday, the big news that moved markets was Pfizer's 68 billion dollar acquisition of rival Wyeth. Pfizer will pay $33 in cash plus 0.985 shares of Pfizer stocks for each share of Wyeth. At Monday Wyeth closed at $43.39, which is 10.30% lower than the combination of Pfizer stock and cash, at the current price for Pfizer at $15.65.
Warren Buffett had a nice discussion on his arbitrage experience with Arcata Corp in the 1980's in his 1988 letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders.
To evaluate arbitrage situations you must answer four questions:
(1) How likely is it that the promised event will indeed occur?
(2) How long will your money be tied up?
(3) What chance is there that something still better will transpire - a competing takeover bid, for example?
(4) What will happen if the event does not take place because of anti-trust action, financing glitches, etc.?
1. The next step in the process is that Pfizer will file with the SEC a Registration Statement on Form S-4 that will include a proxy statement of Wyeth that also constitutes a prospectus of Pfizer. Wyeth will mail the proxy statement/prospectus to its stockholders. The transaction is subject to the approval of Wyeth shareholders, and other customary closing conditions. The deal is likely to be reviewed by the Federal Trade Commission, which typically handles pharmaceutical acquisitions.
The transaction will be financed through a combination of cash, debt and stock. A consortium of banks has provided commitments for a total of $22.5 billion in debt, $22.5 billion in cash and 23 billion in equity. The deal is being financed by five banks: Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Barclays, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan Chase.
2. Pfizer and Wyeth expect the transaction to close at the end of the third quarter or during the fourth quarter 2009.
3. Given the size of the deal it is unlikely that another suitor will come after Wyeth. One potential suitor that comes to mind could be Novartis (NVS). which will experience a similar problem just like Pfizer between 2011 and 2012, as several prominent drugs such as Diovan, Zometa,Femara, Lescol and Exelon which accounted for over one fifth of the pharmaceutical company's 2007 sales will face US patent expirations.
4. The proposed transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by the stockholders of Wyeth, notification and clearance under certain antitrust statutes. In addition, the proposed transaction is subject to Pfizer's financing sources not declining to provide the financing due to a material adverse change with respect to Pfizer or Pfizer failing to maintain credit ratings of A2/A long-term stable/stable and A1/P1 short term affirmed. There are
no other financing conditions to closing in the merger agreement. Pfizer is financing the $22.50 billion debt with a jumbo one-year bridge loan and almost all the cash on its balance sheet.
After one year however, that bridge loan will come due and will have to be traded in for permanent financing, which could be jeopardized if the credit crunch hasn't loosened by then.
After the deal was announced Fitch Ratings downgraded Pfizer's credit rating to 'AA' from 'AA+,' and placed the company's ratings on a negative watch. Moody's Investors Service and Standard & Poor's are reviewing their ratings on the acquirer. In the Pfizer loan agreement for the takeover, the banks can step back if Pfizer's credit rating falls five notches below AAA to A or A2. If Pfizer's credit rating falls enough for the banks to decline to finance the deal, Wyeth could potentially walk away with $4.5 billion.
In a document filed with the SEC there were several reasons why the deal might not go through
"There is the possibility that the merger does not close, including, but not limited to, due to the failure to satisfy the closing conditions; Pfizer's and Wyeth's ability to accurately predict future market conditions; dependence on the effectiveness of Pfizer's and Wyeth's patents and other protections for innovative products; the risk of new and changing regulation and health policies in the U.S. and internationally and the exposure to litigation and/or regulatory actions. the ability to obtain governmental and self-regulatory organization approvals of the merger on the proposed terms and schedule; the failure of Wyeth stockholders to approve the merger"
This would be an interesting deal to watch. Wyeth is trading at $43.39, Pfizer at $15.65, and the value of each WYE share if tendered by PFE today is $48.41. In the event that the deal closes as planned by late 3Q or early 4Q 2009, arbitrageurs could make as much as 11.50%.
For updates on the merger, check out this page.
Relevant Articles:
- Pfizer's deal with Wyeth could be a blessing for shareholders, not as good for long term growth.
- Is Pfizer (PFE) a value trap for investors?
- Dividend Aristocrats in danger
- Constellation Energy (CEG) Merger Arbitrage Opportunity.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Pfizer/Wyeth Merger Arbitrage Opportunity
Yesterday, the big news that moved markets was Pfizer's 68 billion dollar acquisition of rival Wyeth. Pfizer will pay $33 in cash plus 0.985 shares of Pfizer stocks for each share of Wyeth. At Monday Wyeth closed at $43.39, which is 10.30% lower than the combination of Pfizer stock and cash, at the current price for Pfizer at $15.65.
5 comments:
Sounds like a great idea. As long as Pfizer's stock stays above $10 you will profit.ReplyDelete
Actually it doesn't really matter what Pfizer's stock price actually is in order to do the PFE/WYE merger arbitrage.
Just buy one WYE share and sell short one PFE share and if the whole deal goes through, you will be richer by 10-11%..
10% return is not that great for this arb considering the large uncertainty and duration.ReplyDelete
If the deal is approved by WYE shareholders i would think that there's a high chance it will go through. Furthermore PFE needs to get more revenues, so a WYE acquisition will be a nice way to profit.
- AnonymousJanuary 31, 2009 at 3:35 AM
We would like to know that Wythe is settling all of the HRT lawsuitsReplyDelete
before selling out to Pfizer.
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If you don't do this, it's almost guaranteed that your spiritual life and your relationship with Jesus will become stagnated. read more
Charisma Magazine
Page 9 of 82
5 Cs to Move From the Red Zone to the End Zone
Do you have someone who will 'get under the rock' with you on the deep issues of life? read more
7 Compliments Every Husband Should Speak Out Loud to His Wife
Is your wife confident in herself? Have you been sowing kind, affirming words into her life? read more
8 Creative Ways to Flirt With Your Spouse
Has the romantic spice left your marriage? Here are some fun and creative ways to get it back. read more
7 Awesome Ways to Surprise Your Wife in 7 Days
You and your marriage might need these 7 tips more than you think. Are you ready to accept this challenge? read more
As a Father, Have You Taken a Free Pass?
Have you left the responsibility of raising your kids to your wife? How do you spend any extra time you might have during the day? read more
2 Ways to Improve Your Marriage Immediately
If you do these things, the chances of your marriage growing stronger are sure to multiply. read more
Does the Bible Really Condone Premarital Sex?
A growing number of believers are reading between the lines of Scripture. Is this newfound freedom or massive deception? read more
God vs. Sports: What Defines Your Identity?
Is your favorite sports team more important in your life than God? Which do you spend more time with? read more
What Struggling Men Have in Common
They all have this one prevailing trait, and it is far from unfixable. read more
9 Things Wives Should Never Say to Their Husbands
This time, it's the husbands' turn. What other phrases have you discovered that cause more ...
Win a $100 Visa Gift Card and Other Great Prizes
Share our Top 12 Christian Gift Ideas with your friends for a chance to win these great prizes!
Praying Down Powers and Principalities
Many people go to unhealthy extremes in their approach to spiritual warfare. Instead of diving down ...
What Would Jesus Say to Kim Kardashian?
Jesus offers His salvation to everybody—even if you are a reality TV star who poses nude.
10 Foods That Increase Your Risk of Cancer
Plain and simple, here are some foods (and drinks) that you should stay away from.
Warring With Wisdom and Revelation
God is calling us to a higher level in spiritual warfare. Here's how you can up your game for ...
When 'Apostles' and 'Prophets' Lust for Fame
One can't help but notice how many so-called ministers flaunt their titles, positions, ...
9 Things You Should Never Say to Your Wife
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How to Respond When Your Child Says, 'I'm Gay'
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Get R.T. Kendall's New Book & Devotional
Experience the Holy Spirit in a way that will change your life!
6 Keys to Keep the Fire of God Burning in Your Life
Every day we're faced with challenges that can quench the flame of faith. Here's how to fan ...
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Bill Johnson: Claiming the Power to Heal As Jesus Did
God gave every believer the power to heal as Jesus did. But releasing such miracles through you is ...
Are We Really in the End Times?
Perry Stone cuts through the confusion surrounding the current end-times debate to answer two ...
7 Characteristics of Authentic Prophetic Ministry
Too much of the church is sinking in the quagmire of apostasy. Here are key scriptural elements ...
3 Things to Do When You're Drowning Spiritually
Stop flailing your limbs and cursing your situation. Take these simple steps to grow beyond the ...
2 Key Deceptions Behind Your Spiritual Battles
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4 Kingdom Laws for Understanding Angels
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5 Financial Red Flags That Can Sink Your Family
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4 Overlooked Ways the Holy Spirit Is Active
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The World-Shattering Secrets of the Shemitah
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working towards a product/interrogating process/difficulties of form and method
I'm working to develop and create a storyboard for the video piece I want to produce for my final project, but I am wondering if the directive and narrative-reflective form of the storyboard. That is, this happens, then this, then this. And that is not the kind of video I want to make, nor does it reflect the way I do my work, so I'm not sure if I should try to conform to the process, that it might make my work better, or if I should just do as I typically do, which is to be a bit more organic in my process, although perhaps less deliberate?
Janelle Monae Setting the Seen and Accompanying Links
I would suggest looking into all of Janelle Monáe's album The ArchAndroid both for musical/cultural value but also for its message and presentation (especially if you plan on reading the Moya Bailey article). It's very readily available from standard music venues, or just ask around for people who have the album.
Mentioned in class:
Double Rainbow was the blog series done by Caroline Narby for Bitch Magazine's blog about the autism spectrum.
Vampires and Cyborgs: Transhuman Abilities and Ableism in the Work of Octavia Butler and Janelle Monáe by Moya Bailey at Social Text Journal.
hello, cruel world
I wanted to learn more about the outreach that Kate Bornstein does today, and her website "Hello Cruel World" is something that I feel is really great.
I think that most people who disregard conversations about gender and sexuality as something that doesn't pertain to them if their lives fit in the expected gender binary don't realize the amount such ignorance can further pain those who are struggling with their identities in such a way. Kate says "I think that the world needs more kind people in it, no matter who or what they are, or do"
I think that in some ways I am also guilty of not trying to learn as much about issues of gender and sexuality, because I have never struggled with my own sexual orientation or felt that I am wrongly gendered. Even so, the gender workbook helped me realize that the "ideal" woman and man are pretend ideas that no one can ever really fulfill no matter how hard that they try. Even if one considers themselves able to fit neatly inside society's accepted gender binary, the binary's ideals pose a problem for everyone. . . regardless of whether you 'appear' to be fitting well within it.
The Miniature Earth Project- youtube video
This was something interesting that I found a while ago and todays class is reminding me of this video so I decided to post it to see what people think. I found it interesting that the She's the First video promotes their usage of twitter and social media; while this video talks about how few people have interent access in relationship to how many people are actually in the world. I have other thoughts about the video but I am hoping to see what everyone else thinks too!
the video comes from this website: http://www.miniature-earth.com/
Country Club discourse(s)
recall - - Discourse = "set of values and viewpoints in terms of which one must speak and act, at least while being in the discourse" (Gee)
So Mia and I were talking about going to this country club/Alumni benefit/conference. (we went to an alumnae conference in Santa Monica over the weekend to represent the 360 program - this is a post that we wrote together on the airplane on the way there)
We started talking about clothing. We both realized that we had no idea what would be appropriate to wear in this environment – as neither of us has spent a significant amount of time in a country club (and by that I mean that I have gone to one once, and she has never gone to one). Should we wear skirts? Dresses? what length is appropriate?
So we're wondering: what kind of discourse are we entering? Are we actually going to have an opportunity to speak frankly and genuinely about our experiences, or will the discourse silence some aspect of our behavior? It's certainly silencing our creative fashion sense!
Clothing is a perfectly reasonable cause for concern – every time I've done any career counseling, I've been told that first impressions are essential. So appearance is essential. Uncertain about the kind of discourse you are entering + wearing the wrong thing = making your illiteracy obvious and embarrassing.
So that's we were so worried about this on our trip to Ghana – we had no idea what our clothing would say about us. Legitimate? Eh, I think so.
NGOs in Ghana – intial reflections on group project & trip
While in Ghana, I couldn't help but think about my group's discussion of NGOs in Ghana and their work, and compare these things to the realities that we saw on the ground. I still have a lot of questions, but my post is long overdue, so observations + questioning will have to be sufficient for now!
During our project, one of the more resonant questions for me was, "How do NGOs collaborate and is this collaboration successful?" I think this question guided some of my observations during the trip.
Observations: Looking around the Dalun Youth Association (DYA) building, I saw some posters, asked some questions. All this happened very quickly, so I'm not 100% this is the correct information, but I'll relay what I remember and wrote down.
DYA exists to bring the youth together – students gather here and "because they are together, they are stronger and can advocate for the needs of the community, what they see the community needs to develop" (field notes), like new roads to Tamale (which I would also advocate for, for both selfish and unselfish reasons). DYA uses sports as a tool for development – in this rural community, athletic competition is a perfect way to bring people together, both young and old. Once the people are gathered, the youth can spread their message of change. And this message is much more powerful coming from a vibrant, organized youth group.
Breathless and French Feminism
This semester I am taking Intro to Film with Michael Tratner. We recently watched a 1960's French New Wave film directed by Jean-Luc Godard, Breathless. This movie featured two main characters: Michel and Patricia. Michel steals a car, impulsively shoots a policeman, and spends the rest of the film on the run from the police. He imposes himself on his "girlfriend" Patricia, a young New Yorker who sells newspapers in the streets of Paris. Michel spends most of his time trying to convince Patricia to sleep with him and have her run away with him to Italy, and Patricia spends most of her time blowing him off and pursuing her career as a journalist.
just speak nearby/working towards ideas
Initially, I thought about feminism across different geographic locations as global feminism, as a feminism rooted in nations, defined and given flavor by the nation as a whole. That is, thinking about American feminism and Indian feminism and Ghanaian feminism and French Feminism. But then, that is SO American-centric of me. When I try to think of a certain American feminism, it's impossible. Just to think of Bryn Mawr feminism strikes me as impossible. And I'm not trying to suggest that we're all special feminist snowflakes, or that there is not sense of shared feminist thought or identity. But our shorthand, our labeling of feminisms as rooted in some national identity/location/region can have the possibility of flattening and erasing nuance from how feminists express themselves in a variety of contexts.
Be Like Others: An Issue Transcending Borders
Of the many riveting cultural situations that we have only begun to explore in class so far, one of the most striking were those of men and women born in the body of a sex that they do not identify with and how society responds to them as transgendered individuals. As I approach the question of feminism and how it differs geographically, I want to take a look into the transsexual community in America and compare it to that in Iran, specifically after having watched the film "Be Like Others".
In the United States, transgender issues are rising to the forefront – in films such as "Boys Don't Cry" and "Transamerica" and in news stories about transgendered children and the increase in support for these individuals and their families. Coming across the color photography project My Right Self was an experience that provided me with a more personal and moving account of what it is like to be transgendered and hopes to do the same for the public.
The website is an informative project while the photographs are intended to be a traveling show and part of advocacy to benefit the healthcare community, those who are transgendered and their loved ones. The website's eager invitation to use photography as a vehicle to initiate conversation shows that part of America, even if a slim one; is becoming more accepting and actually attempting to understand this point of view on some level.
I have known two things for a while:
1. I like music, and I have feelings about it
2. I like feminism, and I have feelings about it
I realized in class that even if we don't end up with classes dedicated to music and feminism/other cultural movements, I would really love the opportunity to talk about it incessantly with other people. And then I realized we have Serendip and good ideas just abounded.
PROTOCOL: Anyone can offer up a playlist, preferably with links to where we can actually listen to the music. If there are music videos, please post them! Even if it's not the official video and just someone's project, if you like it share it! This particular part does not have a theme, but if someone is inspired to do that sort of thing that would also be totally sweet. The music you post does not necessarily have to be explicitly feminist, it can talk about issues you think are important, or maybe even just have certain lyrics you really respond to. You can also edit and post multiple times, because music is wonderful and I don't think anyone is going to get angry if you add more. If you feel like adding commentary that would also be really cool, but feel free to just post the links and let us ruminate on our own. Interpret this entire activity as you will, there is no "proper model".
My initial contribution:


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Best Sushi in Montclair?
- l
- lovessushi Mar 24, 2012 05:01 AM
Meeting a friend for a bite one day next week - we won't be able to meet until close to 9 btw. We'd like to eat sushi and Montclair is the perfect midpoint.
Any recommendations on the best sushi there? I'm looking for quality, nothing fancy shmancy, just good, clean, fresh fish. Good rolls would help too as my friend is not the adventurous sort... :)
Toro sushi seemed to get high marks on one of those "other" review sites, but some seem mixed, and frankly I'm not sure how accurate that site is anyway!
Our favorite sushi place in this area is Aki, just over the Montclair line in Bloomfield. http://www.akisushius.com/ (the music on the website really doesn't suit the restaurant)
We've tried all the sushi restaurants in Montclair and like Aki best.
re: ellenaitch
Funny I was going to write asking about Aki tonight - while I was looking up Toro I saw the entry for Aki and was wondering if it's any good. Got good reviews and looks interesting. Though glad the music doesn't suit the restaurant ;)
Thanks for the rec!
re: scarlet knight
Bamboo Asian Bistro? I was looking at it but it seems to have mixed reviews and sushi did not seem to be as well liked as the other types of food there...
Aoroza is excellent
Nori is great as well
re: harrison
Thanks! Lot's to choose from!
I agree with Aki in Bloomfield. I live across the street from Nori, and it's OK. But Aki is better all around. Better sushi, a ton of rolls, lots of daily specials.
re: abgilliam
Sorry, but you had lots of GOOD suggestions, and imo, you just (unknowingly) chose the worst off the list. Nori in Caldwell (not affiliated, as far as I know) is excellent, but Nori in Montclair, notsomuch.
re: bifpocaroba
Wow! Has that always been the case? I've always been told they weren't connected, which seemed odd. Either way, the one in Caldwell has always been v good, imo.
re: bifpocaroba
I agree. Ocha in Caldwell is definitely my favorite!!
re: SuzieQ
Just chiming in again here since I just tried Ocha. Plan was for movie and Aozara and got shut out of movie part. So we ventured up Bloomfield Ave to hit Ocha. Wife and I both loved it - fresh, diverse choice, many specials and friendly staff. Worth passing 5 other sushi places on way there!
re: harrison
Did you try the sushi pizza? It's awesome.
re: bifpocaroba
I was tempted - next time for sure!
Daikichi is average at best for sushi. My wife is native Japanese and Daikichi is within walking distance for us - if it were good it would be our go-to place, but the fish is generally not high quality so we don't go there often for sushi. In the Upper Montclair area we prefer Toro - the chef is Taiwanese but trained in Japan for a number of years and his food is great. Aozora is very good - more of a "nouveau/fusion sushi" concept - well executed, though not very traditional.
Hello there, best sushi in terms of fish qualituy is Aozora in Montclair
Nelson provides freshest and most interesting fish at reasonable proces for the quality. His Omekase sushi or sashimi cannot be beat. Aozora signature is a very nice collection if you don't mind having rice.
I must add, his cooked selection is pretty good as well. TRY IT!!!!!!
re: zubaki
We went to Aozora on Saturday night. Sat at the bar with Nelson and ordered Omakase. Now there is an "Omakase" on the menu, which is on very large plate of Nelson's selections, and then there's the traditional Omakase, where Nelson asks you your approximate budget, and then starts in bringing course after course. I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about sushi, and what's good and what's not. Aozora's selection of fish was top notch. Nelson knows where each fish at his bar is from, and when the optimum time to serve it is. Dinner was stellar, ending with a homemade flourless chocolate cake....which along with everything else we had, was wonderful. Nelson totally makes the Omakase meal a wonderful experience. If you love pure sushi, try the sushi bar at Aozora. You won't be disappointed!


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"The soul of the Caucasus" - online radio that you can listen over the internet. Internet radio stations face it: Caucasian Estrada, Caucasian and Russian ... See more
Hadera - Israel - Russian
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Android L vs iOS8 – who is borrowing from who?
Icons, notifications and synchronisations – Google Android and Apple iOS seem to come closer together with each update.
While Google, with its history of sweet-themed iterations – including Cupcake, Gingerbread and Jellybean – keeps us guessing on what Android's 'L' means ('Lollipop', 'Liquorice'?), we have already had a peek at the OS. Once again, Google is claiming plenty of 'firsts' and 'cutting edge' developments. Just as Apple did when it released iOS8. But there's a hint of flattery from both sides – increasing similarities between the two operating systems. iOS8, for example, has finally joined Android in offering battery monitoring, while Android 'L' will support 64-bit processors.
With so many similarities between iOS and Android we look at what's really new and what's actually more of a copy and paste.
Phone reviews – read our verdict on the latest handsets.
New with Android 'L'
'Material Design'
Like a Scandinavian sweater the current trend for operating systems is for flat, minimalist designs. Each Android OS has a stock design, available to Google's Nexus devices and open for phone makers to develop for their own handsets – Samsung's 'TouchWiz' and HTC's 'Sense' are examples. Google's stock Android is already the simplest and Android L seeks to make it even simpler. A sleeker stock OS will hopefully ensure less customisation by manufacturers, a more consistent look for apps and menus across different phones, and faster updates.
- Who was first? Apple introduced a flatter, minimalist design in iOS 7.
Trusted environments touch-free unlocking
Instead of requiring a PIN or pattern code to access your phone, Android L will unlock to a basic screen without you having to enter a password if it detects a 'trusted environment', such as a home wi-fi network or nearby smartwatch. If you're somewhere new or not wearing a smartwatch, it'll still present a lock screen that requires authentication.
- Who was first? Google for trusted environments – having already given the iPhone 5S a fingerprint scanner Apple could have something similar up its sleeve.
Laptop, smartphone and multi-device synchronisation
Google's Chrome browser can already sync pages and settings between devices, but Android L offers greater synchronisation with Chromebooks, including 'trusted environment' unlocking, screen mirroring and notification sharing, like your Chromebook alerting you when your phone's battery is low. It's designed to work across tablets, smartwatches and TVs, too.
- Who was first? Apple's iCloud, iOS7 and Mavericks are already great examples of ecosystem integration between different devices. iOS8′s 'Handoff' and 'Continuity' features will build on this, letting you take apps and files to other devices simply – say a document from your Mac to your iPhone, or handle calls and messages on your Mac.
iOS 8
Interactive notifications
Notifications will pop-up on top of apps at the top of the screen and will be ordered according to importance. Users will be able to pull-down and interact with notifications, such as typing into a keyboard within the Notification Center to respond to an SMS, rather than having to open the app itself.
- Who was first? Android has a long-established system that lets users pull down, access and clear individual notifications. Android 'L' will build on this with its Heads Up feature.
iOS has never really had widgets (shortcuts or app extensions) – unless you count 'stocks' and 'weather' which lurked in the iOS5 and 6 Notification Center before being replaced by iOS7′s 'Today' view. Instead, you had to pop in-and-out of full-screen apps to use them. However, in iOS8 users can add app widgets, including third-party widgets to the Notification Center. It's part of Apple's 'Extensibility' feature which also brings a new QuickType on-screen predictive keyboard and supports third-party keyboards, too.
- Who was first? Android has long-featured widgets as well as Google's predictive and third-party keyboards.
Smartwatch compatibility
The rumoured iWatch is yet to become reality but iOS8 is geared-up for it. An updated Health app features a dashboard bursting with health and fitness information to track progress, while a new HealthKit tool allows developers to bring health and fitness apps together.
- Who was first? Android was ready for the recent smartwatch wave, and Android L will have dedicated Android Wear apps.
- Top 5 best camera phones – our pick of the best camera phones
- Mobile phone reviews – see which models performed best in our lab tests
- How we test mobile phones – what it takes to become a Best Buy
4 comments
I prefer the Samsung AMOLED+ screen to any other I have used or seen. Otherwise, Android v. IOS is pretty much neck and neck. But for me, the superior screen weighs in Android's favour.
Now I am familiar with Android, it would take a significant leap in the technology to get me to switch to IOS.
Windows is streets ahead of both. Don't think much of Which's "impartiality".
Well Windows mobile has been catching up and this has resulted in Windows having a minimal market share. Windows 8.1 is getting closer, but I expect Windows 9 mobile will be on par – if they can get the App library up with Android/IOS.
The latest usage figures are IOS – 26%; Android – 37% and Windows <5%.
But as this article is clearly headed 'Android L v. IOS8', whether Windows mobile is irrelevant.
And how is, 'Windows is streets ahead of both.' being impartial?
I gave up on an Ipad 4 – Obviously I and Apple don't work and think in the same way I found IOS7 to awkward and limited in setting it up the way I like to work(no offline access to the file system other than the awful Itunes – mad or what?). Switched to a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 20124 and am really happy with it – So flexible and user friendly, fast, incredible screen and so easy to set it up to work the way I like. Sold the Ipad – good riddance.
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If you missed the 17th Annual EGGtoberfest here are the highlights Click Here
I do the pan pizza (linked above, Pizza Hut-ish only better) in the CI.SmokeyPitt said:The recipe I used calls for you to pre-bake the crust before adding toppings:However, I plan to try Carolina Q's recipe next time I do it. He posted some pics that looked stellar; and it seems easier.
LBGE,SBGE Sweet home Alabama........ Stay thirsty my friends .
Yep. I've been doing it for 4 years. Up to 900°. 'Course, with my luck, there's prolly lead in 'em. :)jls9595 said:Can terracotta pot feet used in place of the BGE feet, I didn't get any with mine.
Large and Small BGE, and a baby black Kub.
And all the toys to make me look like a Gizmo Chef.
Chattanooga, TN.
Large and Small BGE, and a baby black Kub.
And all the toys to make me look like a Gizmo Chef.
Chattanooga, TN.
Atlanta, Ga. LBGE and soon to have Small
Wants: Thermapen, Adjustable Rig, Digi Q and more time...
Well, I went and used the tipo dough anyway and it came out freaking delicious. I've never made pan pizza before. I included some of the smoked andouille sausage I made last week. Insanely good. Kept checking if it was cooked enough since I have no idea what I'm doing. Good think I did because they took a lot longer than I was used to. No doughyness at all.nolaegghead said:I have a kilo of Tip 00 dough that I made last week in the fridge. Anyone know if it would work for a pan pizza or would it be not worth it. I'm planning on starting a brisket tonight on the large egg I usually use for pizza. I don't have the rig for the medium.