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US 6392441 B1 Abstract A transmission line driver circuit that minimizes ringing effects while providing an acceptably fast output response. A plurality of increasingly powerful transistors are activated at different times to drive an output signal without ringing under low impedance conditions and quickly under high impedance conditions. The transmission line driver also includes a digital logic circuit. A strong inverter is connected to a digital logic unit. The strong inverter is activated when the first of two conditions is satisfied: 1) a feedback signal drops below a predetermined level; or 2) an output signal from a final delay is received by the output circuit. In this way, the strong driver will always contribute to driving the output signal, but will only do so when there is little likelihood of ringing.
Claims(14) 1. A driver circuit comprising:
a plurality of delays connected in serial;
a plurality of transistors connected to the plurality of delays, wherein at least one of the plurality of transistors is a strong inverter;
a driver circuit connected to the plurality of transistors; and
a digital logic circuit, wherein the digital logic circuit selectively activates the strong inverter upon the first occurrence of
a feedback signal having a voltage below a predetermined voltage; and
a signal from a final delay.
2. The circuit of
3. The circuit of
4. The circuit of
5. The circuit of
6. The circuit of
7. The circuit of
8. The circuit of
the plurality of delays comprises five delays;
the at least one inverter comprises five inverters, wherein an input signal propagates simultaneously to one delay and one inverter during each of the at least five stages.
9. The circuit of
10. The circuit of
an additive driver for applying each of the associated output signals from each of the at least five stages and an output signal from the strong inverter to an output signal.
11. A method for driving an output signal on a transmission line comprising:
measuring the feedback signal on a feedback signal run to determine whether the feedback signal drops below a predetermined voltage;
receiving an input signal;
activating a first transistor which is connected to a driver, wherein an output of the driver is connected to the feed back signal run; and
delaying the input signal with a plurality of delay circuits, wherein an output signal of a final delay is connected to a digital logic circuit;
activating a strong inverter upon the first of
the feedback signal dropping below the predetermined voltage; and
the output signal of the final delay reaching the digital logic circuit.
12. The method of
driving an output signal on a transmission line based on
at least one signal received from at least transistor, and
an output signal received from the strong inverter.
13. The method of
dropping at least one voltage threshold from an output signal from at least one transistor, such that the output signal becomes at least one voltage threshold below power supply voltage.
14. The method of
increasing the voltage applied to an output signal from at least one transistor by using a pull-up device, such that the output signal becomes equal to power supply voltage.
Description 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to driver circuits. More particularly, the present invention relates to a transmission line driver circuit that minimizes ringing effects while providing a fast output response. 2. Relevant Background Integrated circuits (ICs) comprise thousands or millions of individual devices interconnected to provide desired functionality. Significant effort is expended to improve processing techniques so as to reduce the size of each individual device in order to provide greater functionality and higher operating speed at reduced cost. Despite advances in integration, complex chips usually require multiple ICs coupled together in modules, circuit boards and the like. In order to function together, data must be transmitted rapidly between ICs. Currently, chip-to-chip transmission speeds are a fraction of the on-chip transmission speeds. Inter-chip data transmission is a significant bottleneck limiting overall system performance. The physical distance between the input and output devices makes �transmission-line� effects degrade the transmitted signal. Transmission-line effects are due to the impedance of the signal conductor that connect the devices. As the devices are spaced further apart, problems with transmission line effects become more pronounced. Moreover, as bus clock speeds increase, transmission line effects are significant for even relatively short conductor lines. For some types of integrated circuits, such as the fastest ECL chips, transmission-line effects have prevented signal runs from exceeding one inch. These limitations significantly constrain the complexity and performance that can be integrated on a circuit board. One technique of addressing the transmission-line effects is to utilize a driver to overcome the signal run's impedance and rapidly adjust the signal that is translated to signal bus. Although a conventional driver may be utilized when the signal run has a constant impedance, many factors may cause the impedance to change. When the impedance is high, such as under a maximum load with low source voltage and high temperature, the output signal may have an excessive response to transition from a voltage associated with high logic or power supply voltage (VDD) to a voltage associated with low logic, such as common potential or ground (VSS). Conversely, when there is a minimum load with high source voltage and low temperature, the output signal may have excessive ringing which is seen as noise in the input device. It would be desirable to have a transmission line driver circuit that minimizes or eliminates transmission line ringing effects on a chip and also provide a fast initial response for a large range of bus impedance without the use of additional external circuitry. Further, a need exists for a driver circuit that readily adapts to the varying load conditions found in practical systems. The present invention provides fast initial response times for a large range of bus impedances while limiting ringing caused by aggressively driving the output. The present invention involves the use of a plurality of delay circuits to synchronize the activation of a plurality of output driver transistors. An input signal is received and propagates through each of the delays in series, and each delay is connected to at least one threshold voltage drop or inverter module. Each of the threshold voltage drops and inverter modules are, in turn, connected to a driver that is in turn connected to the output bus. In this way, the signal is driven by progressively stronger devices. The invention integrates a feedback signal into a fast response circuit. This feedback signal measures an output signal at a predetermined time after a first weak threshold voltage drop is activated to determine whether the output signal is being driven to ground (GND) at a satisfactory rate. When the output signal falls below a predetermined voltage within a predetermined time, a strong inverter activates and causes the output signal to be driven to ground. If the output signal is not below the predetermined voltage at the predetermined time, the strong inverter activates automatically. By delaying the activation of the strong inverter until either the output signal is sufficiently low or the predetermined time has elapsed, the ringing effects would not exist since the activation of the strong inverter is designed to conduct when the output is at approximately 25% VDD. According to the present invention, an input signal is received and propagates through each of the delays in series, and each delay is connected to at least one threshold voltage drop or inverter module. Each of the threshold voltage drops and inverter modules are, in turn, connected to a driver. The driver is, in turn, connected to the output bus. In one embodiment, as the input signal propagates through each delay, an output device stronger than the previous output device is activated. This result may be achieved by using devices that result in different currents and voltages being applied to the output bus. In one embodiment, devices ranging in strength and voltage from a weak threshold voltage drop to a semi-weak inverter may be used. In this way, the driver circuit both drives the output signal quickly to low when there is high impedance and avoids ringing when there is low impedance. In another aspect, the present invention involves a digital logic circuit that can be used to activate a strong inverter. The digital logic circuit may be adaptive in that the strong inverter is selectively activated based upon feedback and the passage of a predetermined amount of time. For example, the digital logic circuit may receive a feedback signal from the output bus and a timing signal from the final delay. The digital logic circuit may be configured so that the strong inverter is fired either when the feedback signal drops below a predetermined threshold voltage or after a predetermined amount of time, whichever comes first. Once the first of these conditions is satisfied, the strong inverter is activated in order to �slam� the output signal to VSS. In one embodiment, the predetermined threshold is 25% of VDD. In another aspect, the present invention involves a method for rapidly driving an output signal to a supply rail voltage (e.g., ground) without causing ringing under both high and low transmission line impedance conditions. Using a series of delays and a plurality of threshold voltage drop and inverter modules, an output signal is driven to ground with increasingly stronger modules. In a preferred embodiment, a strong inverter is activated after a predetermined amount of time to drive output signals to ground when there is a large impedance tied to the bus. The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 depicts an environment in which transmission line effects arise. FIG. 2 depicts a slow response time when an output signal is driven under a high impedance load by a prior art driver circuit. FIG. 3 depicts ringing effects that occur when an output signal is driven under a low capacitive load by a prior art driver circuit. FIG. 4 shows in block diagram form a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4(a) shows a schematic representation of a single stage in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 5 shows in block diagram form a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram of an embodiment of the present invention implemented using N-channel field effect devices. FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram of a driver in accordance with the present invention. FIGS. 8(a) to 8(c) represent three delay elements that may be used in the present invention. FIG. 9(a) and FIG. 9(b) are dual graphs for a line capacitance of 10 pf depicting the signal response time in the bottom graph and the driver timing on the top graph. FIG. 10(a) and FIG. 10(b) are dual graphs for a line capacitance of 100 pf depicting the signal response time in the bottom graph and the driver timing on the top graph. FIG. 11(a) and FIG. 11(b) are dual graphs for a line capacitance of 400 pf depicting the signal response time in the bottom graph and the driver timing on the top graph. FIG. 12 is a circuit diagram of an embodiment of the present invention using P-channel devices. FIG. 13 is a circuit diagram of an embodiment of the present invention using both P-channel and N-channel devices. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram indicating that the number of devices for threshold voltage (Vt) drops can range from 1 to N. FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram indicating that the number of threshold voltage drop or inverter modules can range from 1 to N. FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram indicating that the number of delays can range from 1 to N. FIG. 1 is a high block diagram representing a source integrated circuit (IC1) and a load integrated circuit (IC2) connected by a transmission line 10. Along the transmission line 10, there are a plurality of parasitic and/or explicit impedance elements such as inductors 11, 12 and 13 and a plurality of capacitors 14 and 15. Impedance elements 11-15 typically are parasitic elements associated with the conductive line 10 but may also include explicit devices coupled to line 10 as signal conditioners, filters, and the like. When there is a high impedance on a transmission line 10, a driver in accordance with the prior art may cause a slow transition from VDD to VSS, as depicted in FIG. 2. When there is low impedance on a transmission line 10, a driver in accordance with the prior art may cause ringing, as shown in FIG. 3. Referring now to FIG. 4, a block diagram of a transmission line driver circuit 10 of the present invention is shown. In general, transmission line driver circuit 10 includes an input node 12 for receiving an input pulse or step signal, a series of delay circuits 14, 16, and 18, a series of step-generator circuits 20, 22, and 24, a main driver circuit 26 for driving the transmission line 30, and a digital logic feedback circuit 28. While three delay circuits 14, 16, and 18 are shown, any number greater than or equal to two can be used. Correspondingly, while three step-generator circuits 20, 22, and 24 are shown, any number greater than or equal to two can be used. The exact number of delay and step-generator circuits used is determined by a tradeoff between the granularity of performance desired and the extra cost and complexity of extra circuitry. Delay circuits 14, 16, and 18 are coupled to receive the input pulse and are implemented using, for example, resistor capacitor (RC) delay networks, inverter circuits using long length transistors, CMOS RC equivalent circuits, or the like. Step-generator circuits 20, 22, and 24 are also coupled to input node 12 and each generate an output signal to main drive circuit 26. Main driver circuit 26 has multiple inputs for receiving the output signals of step-generator circuits and a single output for driving transmission line 30 as depicted in FIG. 7 and explained further below. A digital logic circuit 28 is used to feedback information from transmission line 30 under high impedance load conditions to an input of the main driver circuit 26 to initiate additional drive capability, as well as complete output signal transition for low impedance load conditions. FIG. 4(a) shows a functional block diagram representation of a single stage in accordance with the present invention. An input signal is received at input node 40. An output signal to main driver 26 flows through node 46, and an input to one or more subsequent stage(s) flows through node 45. Each stage includes a combination of devices including inverters, voltage drops, delays and pull-ups. The stage may include more than one of each of these devices. Also, each stage may omit one or more types of devices (e.g., a stage may have zero delay or zero voltage drop). Additionally, the stage may include other devices to suit the needs of a particular application. The relative magnitude and timing of the output signals generated each stage provide precise edge-shaping and conditioning of the output signal driving the transmission line as described in greater detail below. In one embodiment, the input signal propagates simultaneously to inverter 41 and delay 43. At this particular time the signal is at VSS which is inverted and provides the voltage drop module 42 with a high logic level (VDD). The voltage drop module 42 then supplies a voltage which is a threshold or more below VDD and the transition time for this voltage to change depends on the size of the devices used to implement voltage drop module 42. Long length devices would provide a slow transition of node 46, whereas large widths would provide a faster transition of node 46. For classification, a weak Vt drop module provides a slow transition of node 46. A semi-weak Vt drop module provides a moderate transition of node 46 and a strong Vt drop module provides a fast transition of node. The same classifications, in terms of strength, apply to an inverter module 41 as described above for the voltage drop module 42. In a particular implementation, voltage drop module 42 is implemented using field effect transistor (FET) threshold voltage drops coupled in series to provide a predetermined voltage drop. The predetermined voltage provided by voltage drop module 42 could be 1Vt, 2Vt, etc., depending on the supply voltage and voltage level that is desired. The output of voltage drop unit 42 is then transmitted as an output signal to main driver 26. Returning to node 40, the input signal is received by delay 43. All activity that occurs after the signal propagates through delay 43 is referred to as phase 2 activity. Delay 43 may include any number of unit time delays. For example, delay 43 may delay the input signal one unit time delay, two unit time delays to n unit time delays. Once the input signal propagates through delay 43, the signal is transitioned to the next stage and to pull up device 44 through node 45. In a preferred embodiment, pull-up 44 brings the voltage at node 46 to VDD. In this manner each stage drives output node 46 in two phases where a first phase is controlled by the drive strength and voltage drop of voltage drop unit 42 and the second phase is controlled by the drive strength of pull-up unit 44. FIGS. 5 and 6 show a second embodiment of the present invention. The primary distinction between the first embodiment and the second embodiment is that FIGS. 5 and 6 include stages having different delay, voltage drop and pull-up configurations, and there are six stages instead of four. FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram depiction of the second embodiment of the present invention. A signal is received at node 12. The output signal OUTSIG is conditioned by a plurality of temporally spaced, varying strength and voltage step generator circuits in order to have a quick response time without ringing. Additionally, circuit 50 includes a digital logic circuit 28 that has a strong inverter 58 that is selectively activated to drive the output signal OUTSIG quickly to VSS when the digital logic circuit 28 determines that the activation of strong inverter 58 will not cause ringing. The input signal IN is transmitted simultaneously to delay 14A and step-generator circuit 20. Step-generator circuit 20 is a weak 2Vt drop module. Accordingly, a weak VDD−2Vt voltage signal is propagated on DRV1. The pull-up (not shown) associated with step-generator circuit 20 is activated two delay time units after the input signal transitions, as described below. The pull-up brings the signal on DRV1 to a full VDD level. After the input signal propagates through the first delay 14A, it is transmitted simultaneously to step-generator circuit 22 and delay 14B. As with step-generator circuit 20, there is a weak Vt drop module. However, step-generator circuit 22 includes only a 1Vt drop, meaning that the associated pull-up will only increase the voltage by 1Vt when it is activated. Furthermore, the pull-up associated with step-generator circuit 22 is activated one delay time unit after delay 14B, substantially simultaneous with the pull-up associated with step-generator circuit 20. After the input signal propagates through delay 14B, the signal is transmitted simultaneously to step-generator circuit 24, delay 14C and the pull-ups associated with step-generator circuits 20 and 22. Because the inverter associated with step-generator circuit 24 is a stronger Vt drop module (semi-weak as opposed to weak), more VDD current is supplied through DRV3 than was supplied through either DRV1 or DRV2. This corresponds to a faster signal response on DRV3 versus DRV2 or DRV1. Step-generator circuits 25 and 27 are similar in operation to the previous step-generator circuits 20, 22, and 24. However, there is no voltage drop associated with either step-generator circuit 25 or 27. Accordingly, unlike the multi-phase operation of circuits 20, 22 and 24, there is no pull-up associated with circuits 25 and 27. These circuits transition DRV4 and DRV5 to VDD prior to the activation of a subsequent delay 14D and 14E, respectively. As the input signal propagates through the final delay 14E, the signal is transmitted through digital logic 54 to latch 56. If strong inverter 58 has not already been activated, it will activate upon transmission of the input signal from delay 14E. Strong inverter 58 is either activated based upon transmission of the input signal from the final delay 14E or based upon a predetermined voltage being detected on transmission line 30, as described in more detail below. Turning to FIG. 6, which is a schematic illustration of the circuit shown in FIG. 5, output bus 30 may include pull-up resistors (not shown) for an open-drain configuration, which in an idle state keeps the bus at the VDD power supply voltage (typically 3, 3.3, or 5 volts). When the input signal at node 12 switches from high to low, the first step-generator circuit 20 is activated once the gate-drain of device M16 transitions high. This produces a signal voltage of VDD−2Vt (where Vt is the transistor voltage threshold) on node DRVI, which in turn connects to one of the output driver transistors in driver block 26. As node DRV1 supplies a voltage to the driver block 26, the input signal IN is deferred by a first delay circuit 14A before the next input stage 22 becomes active. The delay circuits 14A through 14E can consist of either a resistor/capacitor (RC) network, long length (L) inverters or CMOS RC equivalent circuits as shown in FIGS. 8(a) to 8(c). Once the input signal propagates to the next input stage 22, transistor M46 begins to conduct, supplying node DRV2 with a voltage level equivalent to VDD−Vt. The next input stage 24 operates in a similar manner, except that the voltage drops and strengths are modified as described above. In a preferred embodiment, after the first two step-generator circuits 20 and 22, the output from the delay circuit (14B) will pull up nodes DRV1 and DRV2 to VDD via the P-channel pull-up devices. Circuit 50 includes a signal detection circuit 52 which comprises transistors M62, M42, M56 and M8 as well as devices 60 and N48. The signal detection circuit 52 monitors the feedback signal, FD. Circuit 50 additionally includes electrostatic discharge protection for an ESD event. Once the input signal IN transitions low, the FD signal will be at the VDD power supply level, and as the individual step-generator circuits 20, 22, 24, 25, and 27 are activated, the bus output signal OUTSIG will transition to VSS. Step-generator circuits 20, 22, 24, 25, and 27 can be formed of P-channel or N-channel transistors, and diode-connected P-channel or N-channel transistors. Bipolar transistors or other switching technology may also be used. The exact rate that the output signal OUTSIG falls to VSS depends on the bus impedance and the atmospheric, processing and voltage conditions. For conditions where there is very little bus impedance, high voltage and cold temperature, the bus signal transitions very quickly. This is the situation where the output fall time can contribute to ringing effects if the output signal transitions too rapidly. Circuit 50 of the present invention works well to insure that this does not happen by using the first step-generator circuit 20, which has a 2Vt drop weak signal to gradually pull the bus signal OUTSIG to VSS. In addition to preventing ringing, the present invention also drives the output signal OUTSIG with the strong inverter when the output signal OUTSIG drops below a predetermined level, Vlow. Once the output signal OUTSIG is less than Vlow, the likelihood of ringing effects is low. Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment the strong inverter 56 may activate once the output signal OUTSIG drops below Vlow, thereby speeding the transition to VSS. On the other side of the spectrum, where conditions such as low voltage, high temperature and high bus impedance exist, the bus signal will have a tendency to transition from VDD to VSS very slowly. The strong inverter 56 may activate once digital logic circuit 28 determines that there is high impedance on the transmission line, because there is a low likelihood that ringing will occur under such conditions. Digital logic circuit 28 may determine that there is high impedance by determining whether output signal OUTSIG exceeds the predetermined threshold Vlow after the output of the last delay 14E transitions to a high. If the output signal OUTSIG is greater than Vlow after 14E transitions high, then the strong inverter 56 activates. Accordingly, the strong inverter 56 will activate when either the voltage drops below Vlow or when the output of the last inverter transitions to high, whichever comes first. In this way, the output signal may be driven quickly to VSS by driver 26, but with continuous control over ringing. It is up to the designer to determine what percentage of VDD should be used for Vlow. In one embodiment, Vlow is equal to twenty five percent of VDD. This relationship may be achieved, for example, by having m8 approximately 6.5 times stronger than m42 taking into account the differential mobility between nmos and pmos devices. FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram of a driver 26 in accordance with the present invention. Driver block 26 has several individual N-channel devices M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, and M6, which pull down the output signal SIGOUT to the VSS supply level (typically ground) and the number of devices is directly related to the number of input stages. In addition to providing the output signal SIGOUT to the output bus, the driver may provide a feedback signal FD back to the signal detection 52 (FIG. 5) via device 60. There is a direct correlation between the size of the driver and the voltage levels and transition speeds of the gates of the n-channel driver. It is up to the designer to determine the desired sizing for the n-channel driver to meet the needs of a particular application. This would be based on the range of bus impedance, output current, high voltage specifications, as well as voltage and temperature ranges. For instance, under conditions of very low bus capacitance, high voltage and low temperature conditions, the present invention would supply signal to DRV1 and be an input to IN1. Since this signal on DRV1 is at VDD−2Vt, as explained earlier, the gate to source voltage on ml would provide conduction, but not strong conduction. Therefore the device is not able to pull the charge off the output bus and sink the current to ground as quickly as if the gate of ml were at a full VDD level. For conditions where there is a large bus impedance, all drivers should have their gates at VDD to provide for strong conduction for all drivers. Since the n-channel devices are in parallel, the drive strengths are additive allowing for fast discharge of the output signal. Devices m0, m7 and r0 are used for electrostatic discharge and the Fd node is used as a feedback signal to the signal detection circuit FIGS. 8(a) to 8(c) represent three delay elements that may be used in the present invention. Delay circuits 14, 16, and 18 can include RC delay networks as shown in FIG. 8(a), inverter circuits using long length transistors as shown in FIG. 8(b), CMOS RC equivalent circuits as shown in FIG. 8(c), or the like. FIGS. 9-11 are dual graphs for load capacitances of 10, 100, and 400 pf respectively. FIG. 9(a) and FIG. 9(b) represent an input transmission low at 5.6V−45� C. with the fastest condition for a 5V semiconductor manufacturing process. As shown, OUTSIG has a fall time approximate equal to 15 ns with a load bus capacitance of 10 pf. FIG. 9(a) indicates that under these conditions, DRV1, DRV2 and DRV3 do the bulk of the work and provide a proper response to eliminate ringing on the output. The nominal condition is for nominal processing, room temperature and 5V supply. FIG. 10(b) illustrates the output response for an input transition low at 5V 27� C. nominal processing with a load bus capacitance of 100 pf. FIG. 10(a) shows the DRV signals responses for this condition with the corresponding output signal, OUTSIG. The output response exhibits a fairly linear relationship with time which keeps the fall time satisfactory. FIG. 11(a) and FIG. 11(b) represent an input transition low at 4.4v 90� C. with poor process which represent the slowest condition. FIG. 11(b) shows the output response with a load bus capacitance of 400 pf. Even with the large amount of capacitance, the present invention allows the signal time transition to ground at an acceptable rate. FIG. 11(a) shows that signals DRV4, DR5, and DRV6 are the major contributors which pull down the output signal using the larger drivers. Embodiment #1 There are a number of different approaches that can be used to supply the threshold voltage drops for the N-channel drivers. One approach is to use N-channel devices with their gate and drain tied together as shown in FIG. 6. A second approach is to use P-channel devices instead of N-channel devices as shown in FIG. 12. This figure shows m51, m52, m53 and m54 with their gates and drains tied together to produce the desired voltage levels. A third approach is to use a combination of N-channel and P-channel devices as shown in FIG. 13. FIG. 13 shows an N-channel, m16, supplying the first Vt drop and a P-channel, m51, supplying the second Vt Another important point is with regard to the device substrate contact. Normally, N-channel devices are connected to the substrate (VSS) and P-channel devices are connected to the nwell (VDD) for a p substrate process. However, to eliminate the effects of body-effected thresholds, the devices could be fabricated in their own well, which would subsequently perform better with variations in process, temperature and voltage. This is due to how the threshold voltages change from one condition to another since the change would be larger for body-effected thresholds than when the source to substrate voltage of the device is equal to zero. There are a total of three P-channel pull-up devices attached to the Vt drop circuits which, as explained in the present invention, are used to pull the DRV signals up to VDD. If the designer wanted to wait until the last possible stage to turn on these particular P-channels, then the gates of the P-channels could be connected to latched state. Therefore, these particular pull-up devices can be connected to any node desired depending on the designer's goals. Instead of the input signal activating only the first V, drop stage, it may simultaneously activates the second such that the delayed signal eventually propagates to the third and fourth stages. This type of arrangement uses fewer delay elements, which would essentially decrease the output fall time of OUTSIG. FIG. 14 indicates how an individual could use as many N-channel devices or P-channel devices to obtain the threshold voltage drop desired depending on the drive strength and supply voltage, processing, temperature and bus impedance. FIG. 15 illustrates the use of N number of instances for the threshold voltage drop or inverter modules which supply the drive signals for the output drivers. The number of modules would depend on how fast and to the desired output fall time. The more modules are used, the greater the output fall time and the faster the initial response of the output signal. FIG. 16 points out that the number of delay modules could also be increased as desired to obtain the required output response depending on conditions such as process, temperature, voltage and bus impedance. Having described and illustrated the principle of the invention in a preferred embodiment thereof, it is appreciated by those having skill in the art that the invention can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles. The applicant reserves the right to formulate new claims to such features and/or combinations of such features during the prosecution of the present application or of any further application derived therefrom. Patent Citations
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GRANTS PASS, Ore. — Police are searching for three suspects in the case of a vehicle theft. Police and Fire personnel were dispatched to a reported crash in the 1200 block of Fruitdale Drive. When they arrived, however, they found the incident was not a crash, but a car theft.
The theft victim said he had been pepper sprayed in the face and his 2002 Chevy Malibu had been stolen. The victim did not suffer any other injuries besides being pepper sprayed. The vehicle is described as silver, with Washington license plates: AHN 8731.
The three suspects police are looking for are all in their late 20s to mid-30s. The first suspect is described as a white man, around 38 years old, about 5'5″ in height, heavy set, blonde hair and blue eyes. The second suspect is a white woman, around 28 years old, with black shoulder length hair, and brown eyes. The third suspect is described as a Hispanic man, around 28 years old, with black hair, and black eyes.
The Grants Pass Department of Public Safety is asking the public's help in attempting to identify and/or locate the suspects and stolen vehicle. Please do not approach the vehicle or suspects if seen. Anyone with questions regarding this case is asked to call 541-450-6260.

subset: commoncrawl


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text:
Fox Is Making a TV Version of Hitch
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text:
LifeVantage Appoints Chief Sales Officer
SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 19, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LifeVantage Corporation (Nasdaq:LFVN), a company dedicated to helping people achieve healthy living through a combination of a compelling business opportunity and scientifically-validated products, announced today that David Phelps has accepted a role as global Chief Sales Officer for the company.
Mr. Phelps brings broad domestic and international network marketing experience to LifeVantage. He has extensive involvement in North America, Europe, Latin America, and nearly every major market in Asia. Mr. Phelps has worked with an impressive array of companies, including Synergy Worldwide, FFi, Jeunesse Global, MonaVie and Organo Gold. His senior executive assignments have included significant roles in sales, marketing, international expansion, business development, training and nearly every facet of distributor-facing development work. The core of his network marketing philosophy comprises two essential concepts: (1) Distributors are the most important asset of any company, and (2) Leadership development is at the heart of network marketing success. Mr. Phelps brings an extraordinary sense of passion to LifeVantage and he is dynamically committed to the mission and vision of the company. Mr. Phelps received his Juris Doctorate from Brigham Young University.
"We are excited to add Dave's unique talent and expertise to our team. His deep executive experience in network marketing adds a new dimension to our distributor-first management focus. We expect Dave to make a strong impact on domestic and international sales," said Douglas C. Robinson, LifeVantage President and Chief Executive Officer.
"LifeVantage is the best grassroots success, leadership development, and product story in all of network marketing today," Phelps noted. "With this extraordinary foundation, the Company has powerful momentum to lead our distributor family to financial success and personal freedom." About LifeVantage Corporation LifeVantage Corporation (Nasdaq:LFVN), a leader in Nrf2 science and the maker of Protandim®, the Nrf2 Synergizer® patented dietary supplement, TrueScience® Anti-Aging Cream and LifeVantage ® Canine Health, is a science-based nutraceutical company. LifeVantage is dedicated to visionary science that looks to transform wellness and anti-aging internally and externally with products that dramatically reduce oxidative stress at the cellular level. The Company was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more information about LifeVantage, visit www.lifevantage.com. Forward Looking Statements This document contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words and expressions reflecting optimism and satisfaction with current prospects, as well as words such as "believe," "anticipates," "look forward to," "should" and variations thereof, identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements we make regarding our anticipated growth and expansion of operations and our growth potential worldwide. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance and the Company's actual results could differ materially from those contained in such statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current expectations and beliefs concerning future events affecting the Company and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the Company's actual results or outcomes to be materially different from those anticipated and discussed herein. These risks and uncertainties include, among others, the Company's inability to successfully expand our operations in existing and other markets and thereafter manage our growth; the Company's ability to retain independent distributors or to attract new independent distributors on an ongoing basis; the Company's ability to expand its product offerings; violations of law or our procedures by the Company's independent distributors; the potential for third-party and governmental actions involving the Company's network marketing efforts; the potential for product liability claims against the Company; the risk that government regulators and regulations could adversely affect the Company's business; future laws or regulations may hinder or prohibit the production or sale of the Company's existing product and any future products; unfavorable publicity could materially hurt the Company's business; the Company's ability to access raw materials for its products as it grows; and the Company's ability to protect its intellectual property rights and the value of its products. These and other risk factors are discussed in greater detail in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q under the caption "Risk Factors," and in other documents filed by the Company from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this document. All forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to the Company on the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this document, except as required by law.CONTACT: Public Relations Contact: John Genna (801) 432-9172 Vice President of Marketing & Communications Investor Relations Contact: Cindy England (801) 432-9036 Director of Investor Relations or John Mills (310) 954-1105 Senior Managing Director, ICR, LLC
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Tuesday, February 26, 2013
'Les Misérables' DebutsLes Misérables kicks off its run at the Adrienne Arsht Center this Tuesday as part of Broadway in Miami 2012-2013 series. This year marks the 25th anniversary production of Boublil & Schönberg's legendary musical, which boasts new staging and scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo. The film adaptation has also recently garnered an abundance of critical acclaim. 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, 305-949-6722; arshtcenter.org/tickets/calendar/view.aspx?id=11107
Miami MadeThe fifth season of Miami Made will take place from Tuesday, February 26 through Sunday, March 3, celebrating works-in-progress produced, created, and performed by Miami-based artists. The six-day celebration will feature a pop-up event at the Riviera South Beach hotel and several performances at the Adrienne Arsht Center's Carnival Studio Theatre. 2000 Liberty Ave., Miami Beach; Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd.; arshtcenter.org/miamimade/
We go behind the scenes with musician and actress Zoë Kravitz at her Ocean Drive photo shoot.


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NewStar Reports Fourth Quarter 2012 Net Income Of $6.2 Million, Or $0.12 Per Diluted Share
- New Loan Volume – New funded loan volume exceeded $400 million for the quarter and $1 billion for the year – up 20% from 2011
- Revenue Growth – Risk-adjusted revenue 1 in the fourth quarter increased 3% from the prior quarter and was up 29% for the full year
- Margins – Net interest margin in the fourth quarter improved to 4.58% from 4.22% in the prior quarter and to 4.34% for the full year from 4.28% in the prior year
- Credit Trends – Provision for credit losses increased $2.2 million from the prior quarter, but was down $4.6 million, or 27%, for the full year as NPAs decreased 23% from the prior quarter and 16% from the prior year
- Funding – Completed a new $326 million securitization and added a new $75 million credit facility to support continued growth in ABL business and replace capacity from decrease in credit facility with DZ Bank
- Building Book Value – Book value per share increased by $0.19 to $12.06 in the quarter, or $0.64 from 2011
BOSTON, Feb. 13, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NewStar Financial, Inc. (Nasdaq:NEWS), a specialized commercial finance company, today reported net income of $6.2 million, or $0.12 per diluted share for the fourth quarter of 2012. These results compare to net income of $6.4 million, or $0.12 per diluted share in the fourth quarter of 2011 and $6.1 million, or $0.11 per diluted share in the third quarter of 2012. Income before income taxes (pre-tax income) was $10.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2012 compared to $10.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2011 and $10.5 million in the third quarter of 2012.
The company also reported that net income for 2012 increased approximately 70% to $24.0 million, or $0.45 per diluted share, compared to $14.2 million, or $0.27 per diluted share in 2011.
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Product Features:
- Actionable options commentary and news
- Real-time trading community


text:
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Miss Lily's
Flowers & Gifts, American (New), Restaurants24174 Front St
(419) 832-3000
I'm visiting from California and my BFF brought me to Grand Rapids to walk around and do a little shopping. We stopped at Miss Lilly's for a late lunch. I...read more
Pam G.
First time customers. Husband had the Housley which was a Reuben thick with corned beef and sauerkraut. I had the Towpath which was a grilled chicken with...read more
Carole R.
Great breakfast. All from scratch. Prices very reasonable
Great coffee, and great service. We even got to meet Miss Lilly herself!read more


text:
Top Health Communicator Profiles (Listed A-Z)
View Our Leaderboard of the Most Active Health Communicator Experts & Advocates
Andrea Littlefield - Bangor Beacon Community
We are improving the health of people w/chronic diseases through care mgmt facilitated thru #HIT in Bangor, ME. #ONC Tweets by Andrea Littlefield @jeffysmom.
B.J. Hardick, DC
Dr. B.J. Hardick has dedicated his life to maximizing the health and human potential of his community. His health centre in London, Ontario is one of the largest clinics of its kind in North America. In Dr. Hardick's seminars and care for patients, he teaches and implements the principles of Maximized Living which he has championed his entire life. Dr. Hardick received his Bachelor of Science at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. He earned his Doctorate of Ch
Barbara Ficarra
Barbara Ficarra is an award-winning journalist, medical blogger, freelance writer, media broadcaster, speaker, consultant, media trainer, health educator and registered nurse. Barbara is founder and Editor-in-Chief of Healthin30.com. She is creator, executive producer and host of the Health in 30 radio show (presently on hiatus), a live 30-minute program that brings listeners the latest health information, and empowers listeners to take charge of their health.
Ben Hirschler
Pharma, biotech, health and science correspondent at Reuters in London. Any opinions expressed are my own.
With extensive experience in the pharmaceutical business Miguel is a journalist specialised in this sector.
Bridgette Collado
My expertise lies in social media strategy, technology and health literacy. Working as a freelance health communication consultant, I use my knowledge to help guide clients social presence strategy. Former roles have also given me experience in social science research and communication. As part of the
Caroline Sutherland
Medical Intuitive, health expert and best selling author of The Body Knows, books published by Hay House. Vast clinical background in environmental medicine.
Charles Ornstein
senior reporter at ProPublica, president of Assn. of Health Care Journalists, adjunct prof at Columbia U., Penn grad, Detroit Lions fan, husband and father
Chris Morrison
Editor w/ Elsevier Business Intelligence (f.k.a. Windhover/FDC Reports) family of publications


text:
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Door op dinsdag 01 juni 2010 20:38 - Categorie: , Views: 1.022.432


text:
When will people learn that there's absolutely no point in getting angry and cursing at somebody on the Internet? Since you're more than likely never going to meet the other person you're trying to yell at, it's worthless to try and intimidate them with insults or bodily harm. If these idiots were able to form even the most basic of rational thoughts, maybe they would realize this. But, as I'm sure you have already noticed, these morons are on Something Awful for a purpose - they have the intelligence of paste, or perhaps Jeff K.
The idiot in this prank, Mongoose, is a shining example of why we need to start pumping billions of dollars into our educational system. Not only does he seem to have some kind of hyperactive thyroid problem, but he also tries to pass himself off as some manly, violent, cursing homophobe. It gets even more "interesting" when he gets off the computer and lets his sister use ICQ, at which point I "turn the tables" on them.
WARNING: This prank has VERY strong language, and it will probably cause you to lose faith in all humanity.
Mongoose - Hi
Mongoose - what are you doing
Lowtax - Working
Mongoose - on what
Mongoose - You are a very boiring person, fuck u
Mongoose - You suck my cock every day
Lowtax - I know, you turn me on!
Mongoose - What the hell you fucking freak, fuk u
Lowtax - Do you enjoy the beach?
Mongoose - I just insultyed u u fuckin priock
Lowtax - Have you ever ate bar-b-que?
Mongoose - Fuck ur bar-b-que whatever
Lowtax - How do you feel about "The Golden Girls"?
Mongoose - The golden girls suck ass, its only for stupid lesbos
Lowtax - I once went to the circus and there were lions and one of them took a dump and then the trainer came out and stepped in it and fell down
Mongoose - Youre lying you idiot
Lowtax - I DO NOT LIE Lying is for awful men
Mongoose - IM AN AWFUL MAN HAHAHAH
Mongoose - I will get all of my firends asnd we will kick your ass, we will fuind j00
Lowtax - OH NO!!! Are your friends big and sweaty and sexy like you? ANSWER ME PLEASE, HOT PANTS
Mongoose - were gonna sick oru pitbull on you you fucking prick, then welll laugh and shiut pon tyer face mother frcker!
One roommate's art-fueled movement goes terribly wrong.
Emma Stone was the most paranoid person I had ever met. In private she wore a full suit of medieval armor at all times, visor down.
Reading is good, in general, but sometimes it's just another way to put insane porn into your body.
How to Enjoy this Article: 1) CLICK on the link 2) READ the intro (optional) 3)LAUGH at the artwork!
Even the Armor of God won't save you from flying missionaries, terrible banditos, or Tom Arnold!
Our Something Awful ICQ pranks target the worst and most idiotic folks on the Internet. Believe it or not, these ICQ pranks are all - unfortunately - real.
Copyright ©2015 Rich "Lowtax" Kyanka & Something Awful LLC.


text: On Tue, Jun 03, 2014 at 11:16:32AM +1200, Christopher Gregory wrote: > > It is really weird that the times do vary between runs of the script. > On a non-realtime OS you should always expect _some_ variation. If you look in 'top', even on a system without 'cron' or 'at' there will be a lot of processes which might wake up. Also memory pressure if you are doing other things during the build and disk-head movement (on rotating hard disks). For different toolchain versions there will also be differences (usually, newer means slower to compile, but with 4.9 I have seen shorter compiles in some packages. Also, after watching the frequencies of my four AMD cores during compilation with -j1 on a mostly idle system (I was worried about why the ondemand governor showed excessive variation in my SBUs for recent system builds) I realised that work is being shuffled around the cores. On modern intel, the 'performance' governor has replaced 'ondemand' and works as well as ondemand used to (i.e. it quickly speeds up and quickly slows down when the load has gone). ĸen -- Nanny Ogg usually went to bed early. After all, she was an old lady. Sometimes she went to bed as early as 6 a.m.


text:
PSSI has been successfully added into Your Stock Email Alerts list.
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Please enter Portfolio Name for new portfolio.
PSS World Medical, Inc.'s quarterly accounts payable declined from Mar. 2012 ($188 Mil) to Jun. 2012 ($181 Mil) and declined from Jun. 2012 ($181 Mil) to Sep. 2012 ($168 Mil).
PSS World Medical, Inc.'s annual accounts payable declined from Mar. 2010 ($174 Mil) to Mar. 2011 ($165 Mil) but then increased from Mar. 2011 ($165 Mil) to Mar. 2012 ($188 Mil).
Accounts payable is money owed by a business to its suppliers shown as a liability on a company's balance sheet. It is distinct from notes payable liabilities, which are debts created by formal legal instrument documents.
It is part of the current portion of the liabilities (due within one year or within the normal operating cycle if longer) reflected on the balace sheet of the company. A higher Accounts Payable means lower Working Capital needed to operate the business.
* All numbers are in millions except for per share data and ratio. All numbers are in their own currency.
PSS World Medical, Inc. Annual Data
Mar03 | Mar04 | Mar05 | Mar06 | Mar07 | Mar08 | Mar09 | Mar10 | Mar11 | Mar12 | |
Accts Payable | 118 | 124 | 155 | 174 | 169 | 182 | 180 | 174 | 165 | 188 |
PSS World Medical, Inc. Semi-Annual Data
Jun10 | Sep10 | Dec10 | Mar11 | Jun11 | Sep11 | Dec11 | Mar12 | Jun12 | Sep12 | |
Accts Payable | 163 | 171 | 190 | 165 | 187 | 193 | 206 | 188 | 181 | 168 |
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What's in Season | Spring
A Seasonal Eater's Guide to Spring Produce
by Nicole Perry
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A Seasonal Eater's Guide to Spring Produce
We love a zingy citrus and brussels sprouts salad as much as the next person, but as Wintery weather drags on, all those leafy greens and root vegetables can get a little dull — so we welcome verdant Spring produce with open farmers market totes. With that in mind, we've compiled a handy guide to what fruits and vegetables we can all look forward to devouring this coming season, from peppery radishes to exotic cherimoyas, and loads in between.
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To understand the development of networks leading to normal and pathological (e.g. epileptic) dynamics, we observe the role of different factors using computer simulations (Kaiser et al. Cerebral Cortex 2009; Varier and Kaiser PLoS Comp Biol 2011; Lim et al. Cerebral Cortex 2014).
We developed a detailed simulation of resected cortical tissue that can reproduce experimentally recorded local field potentials as a started point to study stimulation and pharmacological intervention in a computational model of human brain function (Tomsett et al. Brain Structure and Function 2014).
We analyse in vivo and in vitro neural activity data for validating computational models of brain dynamics (Roopun et al. PNAS, 2009)
For human structural connectivity yielded from diffusion tensor imaging we observe topological and spatial network changes (Sporns et al. Trends Cogn Sci 2004; Kaiser Neuroimage 2011).
info content
School of Computing Science, Newcastle University
Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University
Interdisciplinary Computing and Complex BioSystems


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Craftsman Cape Cod Home with Pool -Early Bird Deal
Bedrooms: | 5 |
Bathrooms: | 2.5 |
Sleeps | 10 |
Per week | $3,300 |
Per month | $1,990 |
Type: | Home |
This is a bright vactation property with expected Cape Cod charm. Home has gated pool and hot tub /patio back yard with fire pit as well as hardwood floors and open, living areas!
With 5 Bedrooms and 2 ½ Baths, it will easily accommodate up to 10 Guests. The newly renovated Kitchen is complete with Stainless Side By Side Refrigerator, Gas Stove, Stainless Dishwasher, Microwave, and so much more. Just off the Kitchen, step into the Large Dining room with seating for the group. Dine and then relax in the Bright and Airy Living room with Sofa and Love seat, Cable TV and DVD player.
From the Table and Chairs on the Patio Surrounding the In Ground Pool enjoy a glass of Ice Tea, a Cup of Coffee or just take in the tranquility as your guest take a dip in the Pool. Take advantage of the Patios Large Grill for an Afternoon Barbecue of Hot dogs and Hamburgers.
Additional Amenities: Washer & Dryer; basic... Dishes, Pots, Pans, Glassware, Silverware, Toaster, Utensils, Gas Grill, Coffee Pot, Blender, Fans, Linens, Blankets, Pillows and so much more…..
1st Floor Bedroom #1 – (1)- Full
1st Floor Bedroom #2 – (1) – Two Twin Beds
2nd Floor Bedroom #1 – (1) – Full
2nd Floor Bedroom #2 – (1) – Full
2nd Floor Bedroom #3 - (1) – Queen
Contact Irene (owner) for general questions...
Questions welcome and have a Cape Cod of a day!
Irina Tenenbaum
Hospital and airport 15 min, central and close to choice of beaches (5 min drive-Mayflower Beach in Dennis and few minutes drive-Gray's Beach). Enjoy a fifteen minute stroll or quick drive to boardwalk.
Run to parks, bike tails, and Cape Cod baseball league, with golf course only 4 min down the road or that favorite food spot.
Home down the street from Route 6A with Hyannis (Barnstable Municipal Airport (Airport Code: HYA) in Hyannis) 12-15 min and Route 28 7-8 min.
Begins | Ends | Week Night |
Weekend Night |
Weekly | Monthly | Min Stay |
Oct 01 2013 | May 31 2015 | - | - | - | $1,990 | full period |
Jun 20 2015 | Sep 12 2015 | - | - | $3,300 | - | 6 nights |
Check In: 3 p.m. Check Out: 10 a.m. | ||||||
Lodging tax: none | ||||||
Deposits: Security Deposit is 25-50% of rental rate. Security Deposit is due at lease. Balance plus Security Deposit is due thirty days prior to arrival; other payment timeframes considered depending on dates involved. Contact owner for special, low off-season rates! | ||||||
Payment Options: Visa, Money Order, Mastercard, Discover, Cashier's Check, Personal Check | ||||||
Other Fees: Cleaning and additional supplies requested may have a fee associated; fee varies based on item(s) requested. Unable to accommodate shorter than Sat-Sat week rentals during peak times. Early check-in/out considered. Pets considered. |
47 Union St. had a great pool & plenty of room for our family. Love the bedroom with the picket fence bed. Really nice rental Agents. Hope to stay there next year. Thanks for the air conditioner.
I would like to take a quick minute before I leave to tell you how much we enjoyed our vacation here. The pool was awesome. The second we arrived we felt as if we were "on vacation". All of the time put into decorating this home to make guests feel as if they are on a "Cape Cod" vacation was so appreciated. We will definitely come back! Thanks again!
Thank you so much for sharing your home with me. Loved the pool, and the quaint & peaceful retreat! I'll come again:)
Our thanks to all of you who stayed with us in 2011! Even more thanks for all the great feedback... Hope all return in 2012 and in years to come -you know who you are Nancy, Dave, Sue... and the rest of the best summer guests!
p.s. the house might not be on the beach but its blocks from it and it has a kick ass pool!


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Which Is The Killer, Current or Voltage? Heard a few people say it is the current that kills, not the voltage. I... 3/11/2014 9:39:12 AM 7,725 57
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Jason Burby | May 13, 2013 | Comments
If you haven't looked at how people in different geographies are accessing your content and tried to find ways to better communicate with them, you have an untapped opportunity waiting for you.
As I write this I am on a flight with my wife to Central America for a quick anniversary getaway and then I am off to Miami for Compete's Digital CMO event. As I look around the plane there seem to be a few different types of people:
These people are thinking about different things and focusing on different things as they prep to board the plane and while on the plane. But more important is how these people were feeling when they were preparing for their travels. They surely were in different mindsets, with different priorities and needs depending on which of the groups they fall into.
In fact, with a recent client we found some really surprising results and preferences when booking travel. We recently completed a round of testing (A/B and multivariate) for a "travel-related" website that allows people to book travel. We were looking to increase the conversion of identifying travel and then booking the travel that was found, as well as increasing the average booking value. We hypothesized about what could drive conversion as well as increasing the booking value (I apologize about needing to be somewhat vague, but I need to for client confidentiality reasons).
We started testing a few different areas throughout the research and purchase process around calls-to-action, wording, imagery, and layout. We chose not to test pricing differences in this round. This was not a single test but a series of tests. At first blush we were getting pretty mixed results on our different tests, most not making much of a difference on a macro level.
But then we dug a bit deeper into the data. We looked at weekday results, vs. weekend results (which often can show considerable differences). In addition, we analyzed dayparts, but didn't find anything significant with either of those.
Deeper again, we looked to understand why things weren't moving. We decided to look at where people were searching from. Meaning what city or state were they in when they were looking to book travel. Eureka - we found some amazing things. Many of the tests (not all) were showing considerable differences depending on where people were searching from. Between LA and New York you might think there could be a difference (and there was). But we also found significant differences between people accessing the site from cities as few as 300 miles apart. What was happening is that some versions were working really well in one geography and the same one poorly in other geographies. This caused the test to look like a wash in terms of results when there were some real winners hidden in there.
But we still weren't satisfied; we also looked at a few other things:
Now you can see that there are all of a sudden a ton of different combinations. Did all of them matter? No. But some of the combinations made a material impact. The impact of these changes equate to over $2 million per month in increased revenue (with a higher than normal profit margin when compared to their typical revenue).
Most of this lift has to do with tuning to geographical "tips" or hints that visitors carry with them. But our work isn't done. We are continuing to test, tune, and leverage behavioral targeting techniques to figure out ways in which we can help our client improve even more. All while also focusing on any long-term impact and softer things like satisfaction scores (which have increased slightly).
The impact of local and mobile can mean many different things to marketers. It doesn't need to be complex and you will often be surprised by what you find in terms of differences. If you haven't looked at how people in different geographies are accessing your content and tried to find ways to better communicate with them, you have an untapped opportunity waiting for you.
Give it a shot. Got to run, the flight attendant just dropped off a vacation drink, which I am going to enjoy while watching the business travelers prep for their meetings!
Image on home page via Shutterstock.
Want to learn more?
Attend ClickZ Live New York March 30 - April 1. With over 15 years' experience delivering industry-leading events, ClickZ Live brings together over 60 expert speakers to offer an action-packed, educationally-focused agenda covering all aspects of digital marketing. Register today!
As President of the Americas at POSSIBLE, Jason is responsible for leading the long-term stability and growth of the region. With more than 20 years experience in digital strategy, he is a long-time advocate of using data to inform digital strategies to help clients attract, convert, and retain customers. Jason supports POSSIBLE's clients and employees in driving new engagements and delivering great work that works. He is the co-author of Actionable Web Analytics: Using Data to Make Smart Business Decisions.
Follow him on Twitter @JasonBurby.
March 24-25, 2015
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More Minnesota schools are turning to specialized programs to better address the needs of a small but struggling set of students -- the highly gifted -- and to bring new kids in their doors.
Parthiv Krishna left Oliver Calder, and Meili Gong all students at Excelsior Elementary school and part of a program called "Navigators"; a program for exceptionally gifted third-though fifth- grade students with IQ's of 145 or higher.
Eleven-year-old Benjamin Ogilvie reads a biology textbook for fun. But it wasn't long ago that he found school boring.
"It just wasn't challenging," said the fast-talking fifth-grader. "If you can imagine a third-grader in a first-grade classroom, that's what it was like."
That's why his Minnetonka school and others across Minnesota are focusing more on a unique group of struggling students: the highly gifted.
Despite shrinking budgets, a dozen Minnesota schools in the past eight years have started specialized programs for highly gifted elementary students who are often in the top 1 or 2 percentile for achievement. The state designated funding for gifted education for the first time in 2005. And just this year, the state launched an informal network to support these programs.
"It's really about the realization that one size doesn't fit all and for a highly gifted student, a specialized environment is the best," said Wendy Behrens, the state's gifted and talented education specialist. "We have made some amazing progress in our state."
Increasingly tight school budgets may have actually spurred an increase in programs as districts fight harder than ever to attract and retain students -- and the state aid that comes with them.
At Inver Grove Heights' Atheneum Gifted Magnet Program, the first full-time gifted program in the state, more than half of the 120 students in second through fifth grades are from 28 other school districts.
Other districts apparently have taken note. Since the Inver Grove Heights program was launched in 2002, about a dozen school districts from Bloomington to Brainerd have followed suit. Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose schools started a program this year, and Lakeville will launch one next fall.
Cutting other programs
While the trend is promising to advocates, there's still "an uphill battle" in gifted education, especially in terms of improving diversity, said Richard Cash, who oversees Bloomington's gifted programs.
In the district's Dimensions Academy and Elements programs, 37 percent of students are non-white or low-income. "It's gotten better, but there's still a ways to go," he said.
Other school districts may face resistance to starting such specialized programs.
"There's an embedded belief that [highly gifted] kids will make it on their own," said Bill Keilty, who runs Spring Lake Park's Lighthouse Program for gifted students and is president of the Minnesota Educators of Gifted and Talented.
Several gifted program directors say that although many districts think specialized gifted programs are costly, they're relatively cost-neutral because they're housed in schools and taught by current teachers. Transportation and training are the biggest expenses, they say, but the additional state revenue brought in by new students helps balance those costs.
Other districts may fear accusations of inequality if they start gifted programs when other at-risk groups need help, said Atheneum's coordinator Erin Boltik.
"That's what you end up fighting -- or the idea that they're gifted ... [and] they're going to get it on their own."
Keilty said the No Child Left Behind federal legislation puts pressure on schools to focus on struggling students at the other end of the spectrum. Other critics claim IQ is a fixed notion, he said, and that given enough time and studying, "anyone can be a rocket scientist."
'Not about elitism'
But advocates argue that many highly gifted students need help long before honors or Advanced Placement middle and high school classes.
"Their unique needs as learners are evident early on," Boltik said.
For years, highly gifted elementary students such as Janette Boik's children were pulled out of the classroom for a couple hours a week, or clustered with a few gifted students in one class. It left them unchallenged, underachieving and unmotivated to stay in school, she said.
Her daughter later enrolled in Atheneum even though it was 45 minutes away from their home.
"It's not about elitism," Boik said. "It's about providing appropriate education to every child. They need to have challenges just like the average child needs challenges."
The last straw for Gina Doerner of Minnetonka was when her first-grade son, who was reading advanced books such as Harry Potter, was scolded for not sitting still while the teacher read a popular children's book.
"He couldn't fake interest in something that was years below his level," said Doerner, who recognized her son needed the Lighthouse Program or "he would never have made it."
Finally challenging students
Although experts say that not every gifted student would benefit from these specialized schools, many profoundly gifted students -- those with IQs of 145 or higher -- do benefit.
"Kids aren't gifted for one hour a day, but all day long," Cash said. "They still deserve to learn every single day as well."
According to the National Association for Gifted Children, research shows that grouping gifted students together in a self-contained environment is the most effective setting. Behrens added that the highly gifted are at the highest risk for underachievement.
In Bloomington's highly gifted programs, Cash said that second- through eighth-graders achieve two or three times more than when they are in general education classes.
While the dozen gifted programs in the state are structured differently, most have gifted-trained teachers, fast-paced classes and are set up as a school within a school.
At Minnetonka's Excelsior Elementary, Ali Alowonle's classroom for Navigators, an exceptionally gifted program, looks like any other. But her 19 fourth- and fifth-graders, who have IQs of about 145 or higher, learn high school- and college-level lessons and process information four times faster than their peers. They may breeze through one lesson in 10 minutes and spend two hours on another indepth lesson.
Not only does Navigators challenge them, Alowonle said, it provides a safe space for kids to relate to each other without fear of being singled out or even bullied.
"Definitely these kids are at risk and if we don't do something to meet their needs, they could go as far as dropping out to being disinterested," she said. "Without a lot of this, these kids would be lost. For some of them ... it was a lifesaver."
Kelly Smith • 612-673-4141
Poll: Who is doing the best job coaching a Minnesota pro sports team?


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RCB Fan Meet up is happening this Saturday at Cibo Esca Pub in Chandra Layout, We're planning to watch a Match on Big Screen. This is not a sponsored meet up, it's pay for what you Drink\Eat. Interested Fans can contact me on 9538366424 or on FB.
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Steve Sarkisian on the state of the Huskies
Aug 27 '13
Pac-12 Networks' Mike Yam and Rick Neuheisel sit down with Washington coach Steve Sarkisian to discuss his team's status going into the new season. Get an inside look at the Huskies during the Washington Football Training Camp show debuting Sunday, Aug. 18 at 7 p.m. PT.
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Aosta Valley GenealogyEdit This Page
From FamilySearch Wiki
Guide to Aosta Valley, Italy ancestry, family history, and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
The Aosta Valley (Italian: Valle d'Aosta, French: Vallée-d'Aoste or Val-d'Aoste) is a mountainous region in north-western Italy. It is the smallest and least densely populated region in Italy. It is also the only region in Italy without provinces. Valle d'Aosta contains 74 comuni (communes) and its residents speak Italian and French and a small minority speak a dialect of German origin. The region was granted autonomous status in 1948.
Getting started with your research
Although civil registration has not yet been filmed in Valle d'Aosta, the military records (held in the Archivio di Stato in Torino) have been filmed. These records include conscription records for nearly every male born in all 74 comuni (communes) in the region between 1792 and 1904. As mentioned in the Italy Page, these draft records include information for each draftee regarding name, parents' names, place of residence, birth date and place, vocation, literacy, and physical description. They also show the draft board's decision regarding the draftee's fitness for service. If the draftee had emigrated, the date and destination are noted. The dates shown in the catalog record refer to the year of birth of the draftee.
The Valle d'Aosta region of Italy contains no provinces since the province of Aosta was discontinued in 1945. All administrative duties are performed by the region, which was granted autonomous status in 1948.
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Product #: EMC4547009_TQOn the Go (Resource Book Only) eBookGrade 3Ships Free!
Please Note: This ebook is a digital download, NOT a physical product. After purchase, you will be provided a one time link to download ebooks to your computer. Orders paid by PayPal require up to 8 business hours to verify payment and release electronic media. For immediate downloads, payment with credit card is required.
Skill Sharpeners Math series: This unit uses a transportation motif to provide practice in number/operations (subtraction/multiplication/division facts, counting, fractions of sets), geometry (three-dimensional shapes, coordinate pairs), data analysis (graphs), and tests in standardized format. (Find other units by searching 'Math Skills 3')
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