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A triaxial gyro system includes a loop controller for generating a multiplexed digital biasing waveform. The controller receives the multiplexed outputs of the three gyros in digital form from an analog-to-digital converter. The loop controller is arranged to generate a digital waveform for multiplexed driving of the phase modulators associated with the three gyros. Within the loop controller, the multiplexed gyro outputs are independently processed in such a way that a biasing waveform is generated which permits sequential driving of the phase modulators without any need for resetting buffer cycles.
1. Apparatus for measuring rotation rates about three orthogonal axes comprising, in combination:
a) three fiber optic gyroscopes, each of said gyroscopes being arranged to measure rotation about one of said axes and to provide an analog output in response thereto;
b) three phase modulators, each of said modulators being arranged to impose a predetermined optical phase bias to a counterpropagating beam pair within one of said gyroscopes in response to a modulating voltage waveform;
c) means for multiplexing the analog outputs of said gyroscopes into an output analog waveform;
d) an analog-to-digital converter for converting said output analog waveform to digital form;
e) a loop controller for receiving said digital output waveform and generating a digital waveform for biasing said gyroscopes, said biasing waveform comprising sequences of digital words, alternating by axis, wherein said words describe voltage levels for biasing said gyroscopes;
f) a digital-to-analog converter for receiving said digital biasing waveform and converting it to analog form for driving said phase modulators;
g) said loop controller being arranged so that digital words relating to a particular axis are determined independently of those relating to any other axis;
h) means for inputting a modulation sequence; and
i) said loop controller including (i) means for generating voltage values for incrementing said biasing waveform, (ii) said means being responsive to said means for inputting a modulation sequence; and (iii) said means for generating voltage values includes means for deriving said voltage values independently by axis.
2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said modulation sequence is a random sequence.
3. Apparatus as defied in claim 1 wherein said modulation sequence is pseudo-random.
4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said modulation sequence is deterministic.
5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 further including means for combining said voltage values with said biasing waveform on an axis-by-axis basis.
6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 further including means for resetting said biasing waveform.
7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said means for resetting further includes:
a) means for comparing each value of said waveform with a voltage for producing a 2π phase shift in the gyro associated with the corresponding axis;
b) means for selecting between said waveform and said waveform decremented by 2π for application to said digital-to-analog converter; and
c) means for generating a RESET signal when said waveform is decremented by 2π.
8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 further including:
a) means for adjusting scale factor; and
b) said means includes means for determining scale factor error on an axis-by-axis basis.
9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said means for determining scale factor further includes means for demodulating said digital output waveform.
10. Apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said means for demodulating said digital output waveform further comprises:
a) an exclusive-OR gate;
b) said exclusive-OR gate being arranged to receive said modulation sequence and said RESET signals;
c) a multiplier for synchronously multiplying said digital output waveform by the output of said exclusive-OR gate; and
d) an accumulator for receiving and storing the outputs of said multiplier on an axis-by-axis basis whereby the content thereof is related to scale factor error.
11. Apparatus as defined in claim 10 further including means for adjusting predetermined registers of said loop controller in response to the content of said accumulator.
12. Apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein said registers include:
a) a register for storing voltages for effecting substantially �π/2 phase shifts between counter rotating light beams in said gyros on an axis-by-axis basis; and
b) a register for storing voltages for effecting 2π phase shifts between counter rotating light beams in said gyros on an axis-by-axis basis.
13. Apparatus as defined in claim 10 further characterized in that:
a) each of said modulators is driven by a variable gain amplifier; and
b) the gain of each of said amplifiers is adjustable in response to the content of said accumulator.
14. Apparatus as defined in claim 10 further characterized in that:
a) each of said phase modulators is driven by a dedicated digital-to-analog converter; and
b) the reference voltage of each of said digital-to-analog converters is adjustable in response to the content of said accumulator.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for measuring rotation rates about three orthogonal axes. More particularly, this invention pertains to a loop controller for use in a triaxial gyro of the type in which a multiplexing arrangement is employed for reducing system components.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The Sagnac interferometer is an instrument for determining rotation by measurement of the non-reciprocal phase difference generated between a pair of counterpropagating light beams. This instrument generally comprises a light source such as a laser, an optical waveguide consisting of several mirrors or a plurality of turns of optical fiber, a beamsplitter/combiner, a detector and a signal processor.
In an interferometer, the waves coming out of the beamsplitter counterpropagate along a single optical path. The optical waveguide is "reciprocal"; that is, any distortion of the optical path affects the counterpropagating beams similarly although they do not necessarily experience such perturbation at the same time or in the same direction. Time-varying perturbations may be observed where the time interval is comparable to the propagation time of the light around the optical waveguide whereas "non-reciprocal" perturbations affect the counterpropagating beams differently and according to the direction of propagation. Such non-reciprocal perturbations are occasioned by physical effects that disrupt the symmetry of the optical medium in which the two waves propagate. Two of the non-reciprocal effects are quite well known. The Faraday, or collinear magneto-optic effect, occurs when a magnetic field creates a preferential spin orientation of the electrons in an optical material whereas the Sagnac, or inertial relativistic effect, occurs when rotation of the interferometer with respect to an inertial frame breaks the symmetry of propagation time. The latter effect is employed as the principle of operation of a ring gyroscope.
It is known that the fringe or interference pattern formed by the counterpropagating beams of a gyro consists of two elements, a d.c. component and a component that is related (e.g. cosine function) to the cause of the phase difference between the beams. This phase difference provides a measure of the non-reciprocal perturbation due, for example, to rotation. As a consequence of the shape of the fringe pattern, when small phase differences are to be measured (e.g. low rotation rates), the intensity of the combined beam is relatively insensitive to phase difference as such difference occurs close to the maximum of the phase fringe pattern. Further, mere intensity of the composite beam does not indicate the sense or direction of rotation.
For the foregoing reasons, an artificially biased phase difference is commonly superimposed upon the counterpropagating beams. The biasing of the phase shift, also known as "non-reciprocal null-shift," enhances the sensitivity of the intensity measurement to phase differences. A maximum degree of sensitivity is achieved by shifting the operating point of the gyroscope to �π/2 (or odd multiples thereof). Furthermore, by alternating the bias between +π/2 and -π/2, two different operating points are observed. This enables the system to determine the sign of the phase difference and, thus, the direction of rotation.
In addition to phase modulation, the processing of an interferometer output commonly employs "phase hulling" that introduces an additional phase shift through a negative feedback mechanism to compensate for that due to the non-reciprocal (Sagnac) effect. Commonly, the negative feedback generates a phase ramp whose slope is proportional to the rate of rotation to be measured. In actual practice, a ramp whose height varies between 0 and 2π radians is employed as the nulling phase shift cannot be increased indefinitely due to voltage constraints.
U.S. patent Ser. No. 4,705,399 of Graindorge et al. discloses a digitally-based arrangement that employs a "stairstep" waveform. The height of each step is equal to the measured phase difference while the width or period of each is the group delay time of the optical coil. On the average, the slope of the ramp is equivalent to the measured non-reciprocal phase difference per unit of time. This method is compatible with digital signal processing and enjoys many resulting advantages. The phase modulation may be directly added to the digital ramp through the synchronization offered by a digital signal processor. The (combined) signal ultimately controls the phase modulator that is positioned near one end of the optical fiber coil.
Many applications, including navigation, require rotation and position information with respect to the three orthogonal space axes. Accordingly, a triad of interferometers would then be required, one for sensing rotation about each of the rotation axes. The necessity of deploying multiple interferometers can greatly complicate the amount and complexity of associated signal processing electronics. One approach to simplifying the signal processing electronics and thereby reducing the cost of a triaxial fiber optic gyroscope is taught in U.S. patent Ser. No. 5,033,854 of Matthews et al. entitled "Multiplexed Fiberoptic Gyro Control" in which the amount and complexity of the control electronics are simplified and reduced by multiplexing the outputs of the three fiber optic gyros to derive angular and rotation rate data as well as drive signals for the phase modulators associated with the three gyro coils by means of a single processor. In that patent a plurality of gyros is sampled at a rate of nτ where τ is the gyro optic transit time and n is an integer. The sampled signal is then fed to the digital signal processor and used to form a rate feedback signal which is then converted to analog form to drive the phase modulators. The same signal is employed to drive the phase modulators associated with the three gyro sensor coils. Accordingly, the modulators must possess identical operational characteristics. Otherwise, differences between the devices would most likely be reflected in differing scale factors that would adversely affect the accuracy of the device. Furthermore, such errors could be cumulative in nature with mounting bias errors eventually rendering the device useless.
The preceding and other shortcomings of the prior art are addressed by the present invention that provides apparatus for measuring rotation rates about three orthogonal axes. Such apparatus includes three fiber optic gyroscopes. Each of such gyroscopes is arranged to measure rotation about one of the axes and to provide an analog output in response thereto. Three phase modulators are provided, each of which is arranged to impose a predetermined optical bias to a counterpropagating beam pair within one of the gyroscopes in response to a modulating voltage waveform.
Means are provided for multiplexing the analog outputs of the gyroscopes into an output analog waveform. An analog-to-digital converter converts the output analog waveform to digital form. A loop controller is provided for receiving the digital output waveform and generating a digital waveform for biasing the gyroscopes wherein the biasing waveform comprises sequences of digital words, alternating by axis, in which the digital words describe voltage levels for biasing the gyroscopes.
A digital-to-analog converter receives the digital biasing waveform and converts it to analog form for driving the phase modulators. The loop controller is arranged so that words relating to a particular axis are determined independently of those relating to any other axis. Means are provided for inputting a modulation sequence. The loop controller includes means for generating voltage values for incrementing the biasing waveform. Such means is responsive to the means for inputting a modulation sequence and the means for generating voltage values includes means for deriving the voltage values independently by axis.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of this invention will become further apparent from the detailed description that follows. This detailed description is accompanied by a set of drawing figures. Numerals of the drawing figures, corresponding to those of the written description, point to the various features of the invention. Like numerals relate to like features throughout both the written description and the drawing figures.
FIGS. 1(a), 1(b) and 1(c) are block diagrams of alternative multiplexed triaxial gyro systems that may employ a loop controller in accordance with the invention; and
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the loop controller of the invention.
FIG. 1(a) is a block diagram of a multiplexed triaxial gyro system incorporating a loop controller in accordance with the invention. By multiplexing the outputs of gyros 10, 12 and 14 into a single stream of digital data bits for application to a loop controller 16 in accordance with the invention, the overall system eliminates numerous electronic components otherwise required for separate processing of a gyro triad.
The outputs of the rotation-sensitive gyros 10, 12 and 14 are applied to switchable preamplifiers 18, 20 and 22 respectively. Each of the preamplifiers is switched by the loop controller 16 in such a way that the output of each is blanked on an alternating basis. That is, the output of each preamplifier is switched off for two consecutive loop transit times (τ) out of every three. As such, the signals applied to the filters 24, 26 and 28 comprise synchronized sequences of gyro data with each individual gyro's output during every third loop transit contributing to the total analog data utilized.
The outputs of the filters 24, 26 and 28 are combined at a node 30, so that the emerging analog signal comprises the outputs of the three gyros 10, 12 and 14 in a multiplexed or time-shared format. This composite waveform is applied to an analog-to-digital converter 32 wherein the corresponding digital waveform is generated for application to the loop controller 16.
The loop controller 16 accepts the multiplexed digital output of the analog-to-digital converter 32 and, in response, generates and provides a digital signal for use in modulating the gyros 10, 12 and 14. This digital output is applied to a digital-to-analog converter 34 whose analog output is then applied to a driver 36, the output of which drives phase modulators 38, 40 and 42 associated with the gyros 10, 12 and 14 respectively. A single waveform, generated by means of the loop controller, simultaneously drives each of the phase modulators 38, 40 and 42. As mentioned above, only one-third of loop transits of the counter-rotating light beams generate data relevant to a particular axis or gyro. Furthermore, it will be seen that the loop controller 16 is arranged so that the signal applied to the converter 34 does not include blanking periods for resetting. This permits the accumulation of twice as much information as is possible in systems that require resetting to avoid cross-axis data contamination.
As will be discussed below, the loop controller 16 is designed to perform both primary and secondary demodulation of the multiplexed gyro outputs, extracting rate data, generating and applying modulation of any predetermined form and measuring and correcting for scale factor errors. Also included is a loop gain measurement capability which makes use of a deliberate perturbation and observes the effect on the gyro output.
Alternative multiplexed triaxial gyro systems incorporating a loop controller 16 in accordance with the invention are shown in FIGS. 1(b) and 1(c). Each of the alternative configurations offers specific performance features not found in the system of FIG. 1(a).
In the embodiment of FIG. 1(b), the driver 36 is replaced by three variable gain amplifiers 44, 46 and 48, each associated with a phase modulator. Such substitution results in a corresponding simplification of the design of the loop controller 16 by eliminating the need to update the values stored in registers 72 and 84 (discussed below). This reflects the ability of the variable gain amplifiers 44, 46 and 48 to independently adjust the voltage output of the digital-to-analog converter 34 prior to application to the phase modulators 38, 40 and 42. The adjustability of amplifier gain allows the system (through the microprocessor) to direct appropriate scale factor adjustment signals (generated in response to the values extracted from the register bank 72, discussed below) directly to the amplified 44, 46 and 48 and to bypass modifications to the values stored in the registers 72 and 84.
The embodiment of FIG. 1(c) employs three digital-to-analog converters 50, 52 and 54, each with an associated driver 56, 58 and 60 for applying voltage signals to the phase modulators 38, 40 and 42 respectively. In this embodiment, scale factor adjustments are made by varying the reference voltages of the digital-to-analog converters. Again such adjustments would be provided by the microprocessor in response to values derived at an accumulator 120 (discussed later) of the loop controller 16. Once again, updating of the values stored in the registers 72 and 84 would be unnecessary. As opposed to the previously described alternative embodiment of FIG. 1(b), the present embodiment is subject to less noise as a consequence of the superior noise characteristic of the digital-to-analog converters vis a vis variable gain amplifiers.
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the loop controller of the invention. The controller, as previously mentioned, receives the output, comprising a multiplexed stream of rotation rate data from the three gyros accumulated during the (three) prior loop transit times, of the analog-to-digital converter. It then processes this data to derive and provide a stream of (multiplexed) data that is then applied to the digital-to-analog converter for driving the three phase modulators. The modulators thereby impose the desired optical modulations of the counterpropagating beams within each of the three gyros.
A summer 62 (optional) receives the digital output of the converter. The presence of the summer 62 will allow the subsequently described processes to operate upon an average of a number of samples gathered during a single loop transit. This permits "over sampling", a technique which is well known for improving the effective resolution of digital signals. In actual practice, satisfactory results have been obtained without employing this averaging feature and, in such cases, the summer 62 may be eliminated.
The output of the summer 62, if employed, is applied to a summing node 64 where it is combined with an offset correction that is stored in a register 66. Digital values for providing offset corrections are stored within the register 66 according to gyro axis and sign to account for the measured d.c. shift in the cosine curve that is implicitly described by the output of the analog-to-digital converter. The offset corrections stored in the register are calculated and updated by the loop microprocessor and are based upon the measured loop gain and an input perturbation described below.
A delay 68 of three loop transit times is interposed between the register bank 66 and a port 70 (discussed below) so that compensation for offset at the summing node 64 will take place on an "axis-by-axis" basis. That is, a data alignment process effectively demultiplexes the data from the analog-to-digital converter. As a result, a multiplexed stream of the outputs of the three gyros emerges from the summing node 64 compensated and without errors caused by cross-axis data processing. For each axis, the line emerging from 68 selects between one of two offsets. Each of these corresponds to a value which is determined not only by constant offset but also by the perturbation deliberately injected as described below.
The sense and the magnitude of the loop perturbation values (+d or -d) to be applied are input at the port 70. In addition to their use in determining the correction values used in offset register 66, such perturbation values are entered (without a time delay) into a modulation register 72 that is internally arranged to store voltage values for producing optical phase shifts of π/2+d and π/2-d at one of six storage sites on an axis-by-axis basis. Such register values represent the instantaneous modulation values for application to the gyro phase modulators (discussed below.)
The sense or direction (plus or minus) of the modulation to be applied is input at a port 74, thereby selecting the sign of the modulation value at 76. The loop controller 16 is amenable to the application of modulations of all possible types (e.g. deterministic, random or quasi-random) as the port 74 may accept any sequence of "l's" and "0's" indicative of the direction of application of sequential optical bias steps.
Returning to the output of the summing node 64, a multiplexed series of compensated values, this stream of digital data is applied to a demodulator 78 that is switched between "plus" and "minus" in accordance with the sense of the loop perturbation value applied at the port 70 and delayed by three loop transit times. The offset-compensated and (now) demodulated values are then applied to an accumulator 80 whose three outputs (one separate accumulation for each axis) measure the deviation of the loop error signal from predicted values (on an axis-by-axis basis.) The outputs of the accumulator 80 are provided to the loop microprocessor 17 for adjusting loop gain whereby the result of the application of the perturbations will be as predicted.
The value output from the summing node 64 is additionally applied to an accumulator 82 (one for each axis) for measuring the average value(s) of the multiplexed signal. The three average values (by axis) are again provided to the loop microprocessor 17 for calculating the offset errors and updating the values of compensation stored in the register bank 66.
The compensated value is also applied to a primary demodulator 86 that receives an indication of the sign of the modulation (as input at the port 74) through a 3τ delay 88, thereby indicating the "direction" (positive or negative) of the modulation applied during the preceding loop transit time for each axis. An accumulator 90 then receives the error signal from the demodulator 86 and adds it to the previous error signals to provide rate estimates for the three axes on an axis-by-axis basis. These estimates are provided to the loop microprocessor 17 and, in multiplexed form, applied to an arithmetic shifter 92 that acts as a multiplier, providing gain by powers-of-two. The gain applied by the shifter 92 scales the loop gain for purposes of gyro feedback.
The output of the arithmetic shifter 92, applied to the accumulator (one for each axis) 94, integrates the multiplexed signal on an axis-by-axis (demultiplexed) basis to provide measurements of Δθ for the three axes. In addition, the output of the shifter 92 is applied to a summing node 96 in which modulation values, selected by axis from the register bank 72, are combined with the shifted rate estimate value (from 92) of the corresponding axis derived during the most recent loop transit time. Thus, the stream of multiplexed data output from the summing node 96 comprises modulation values superimposed, axis-by-axis, upon prior demodulated rate values. The values of this multiplexed stream are then tested for sign. As will be seen below, when a negative value is detected it is converted to a positive value by addition of a 2π phase shift.
A comparator 98 determines the sign of elements of the above-described multiplexed data stream. In the event that a rate-plus-modulation value is found to be non-negative, a switch 100, controlled by the comparator 98, is moved to the closed position (shown by dashed line) and applied directly to a register bank 102 that sorts the values by axis. In the event that a negative value level is detected at the comparator 98, a value corresponding to a 2π phase shift is added to the signal from the node 96 at a summing node 104. (Values corresponding to 2π phase shifts are stored by axis in a register bank 84. It will be seen later that these values are updated throughout the loop control process in accordance with a scale factor adjustment mechanism discussed below.) Thus, a signal comprising a stream of digital words defining non-negative values is input to the register bank 102. The values sorted in the register 102 provide the digital representation of voltage changes or increments DDACX, DDACY and DDACZ, (from the prior three loop transits) that are to be sequentially made to the previous modulator voltage to drive the phase modulators 38, 40 and 42 (through the digital-to-analog converter 34) during the next three loop transits. Thus, the incremental voltage changes DDACX, DDACY and DDACZ are selected to produce phase shifts between the counterpropagating beams within the gyros 10, 12 and 14 of π/2�d+Δθ (corresponding to a positive value detected at the comparator 98) and 3π/2�d+Δθ (corresponding to a negative value detected at the comparator 98). The values input to the register bank 102 vary with the position of the switch 100.
While a single voltage is commanded to the converter 34 at any given time and a single equivalent analog voltage waveform drives the modulators associated with each of the x, y and z axes, it should be recalled that, in processing the gyro outputs, the data from two of every three gyro loop transits is blanked or ignored in independently deriving DDACX, DDACY and DDACZ. Accordingly, the "combined" drive waveform is not subject to cross-axis based errors that might occur if axes were combined during the derivation process. Rather, the analysis of gyro outputs and the derivation of modulation signals takes place independently (in terms of axes), allowing the generation of a common drive signal in which specific portions are "targeted" axis by axis.
It will be seen that, in combination with subsequent signal processing (to be discussed), the voltage increments DDACX, DDACY and DDACZ are added to the existing modulation voltages to drive the phase modulators associated with the gyros without resetting or clearing the prior state of the converter 34. This means that each gyro effectively "takes off" where the prior gyro ended. Since, as mentioned above, the loop is closed by processing the axes independently, then combining, threshold selecting and updating in a common system, one is assured that the multiplexed stream applied to the converter 34 includes independently generated data for each of the three axes. It is the incrementing of a common drive signal with independently-derived voltage adjustments that permits the system to operate without continual resetting. As a result, the system achieves twice the measurement sensitivity of a loop controller that must "cycle" an output digital-to-analog converter. The dedication of "buffer cycles" between the three channels via resetting would slow the analysis of data to 1:6 loop transits per axis thereby significantly limiting bandwidth.
The incremental values are output from the register bank 102 in a multiplexed signal that is then input to a summing node 106. The summing node 106 also receives the latest value commanding the digital-to-analog converter 34 (and, thus, the voltage applied to the phase modulators 38, 40 and 42) through a τ delay 108. This signal, whose elements constitute the values for driving the phase modulators, is applied to a difference node 110, as is a value corresponding to a 2π phase shift (from the appropriate register bank 84). The difference voltage is then applied to a comparator 112 that controls the position of a switch 114. When the comparator 112 detects a negative value, the stream from the summing node 106 will not require resetting as this indicates that the value of the voltage waveform corresponds to the range of 0 to 2π. In this event, the switch 114 is set to a position (indicated by dashed line) that directs the output from the summing node 106 to the digital-to-analog converter 34 and to the delay register 108.
When either a positive or zero value is detected at the comparator 112, a "RESET" condition is indicated. In such a case, the switch 114 is moved to the position indicated by the solid line and the output of the difference node 110, rather than that of the summing node 106, is directed to the digital-to-analog converter 34. Of course, regardless of the position of the switch 114, the signal comprising previous multiplexed DDACX, DDACY and DDACZ values is fed back to the summing node 106 so that the voltage waveform output to the converter 34 is cumulative, containing the "integrated" values and not voltage increments, for driving the phase modulators 38, 40 and 42. Thus, the summing node 106 and the τ delay 108, in combination, act as an integrator.
In addition to selectively actuating the switch 114, every time an evaluation is made, the comparator 112 provides an indication, whether "RESET" or "NO RESET" to an exclusive-OR gate 116 through a τ delay 118. The detection of a RESET at the comparator 112 triggers a process for determining and correcting scale factor error. Such error may exist either in the values, stored in the register bank 72, for affecting �π/2 modulation or in the values, stored in the register bank 84, that correspond to 2π. The exclusive-OR gate 116, after τ delay, receives an indication (RESET or NO RESET) at one input and the sense (positive or negative) of the modulation delayed by 3τ at its other input. (The delays 88 and 118 differ by 2τ to account for the duration of various computations.)
As discussed above, only non-negative values are stored in the register 102. When -π/2 modulation is detected at the comparator 98, a 2π shift is superimposed and the modulation is converted to 3π/2. A +π/2 modulation is not modified.
It can be shown that, when a scale factor error is present, the inputting of a 3π/2 modulation "step" will produce an error in signal intensity that is minus three times that which would result from a π/2 modulation step. A scale factor error determination can therefore be made by differentiating between π/2 and 3π/2 modulation values. If a modulation value +π/2 (positive direction) causes a reset in the subsystem comprising 106, 108, 110, 112, and 114 described above, then the +π/2 will be converted into a -π/2. The XOR (exclusive OR) performed by 116 in this case will indicate a +3π/2 condition. If a reset was not generated, then the modulation will remain +π/2 and XOR 116 will indicate a �π/2 condition.
On the other hand, if the modulation direction (commanded by 74) is reversed, then the -π/2 modulation will be converted to +3π/2 by the subsystem comprised of 98, 100 and 104 discussed above. If the 3π/2 does not cause a reset, then the XOR 116 will indicate a �3π/2 condition. If a reset is generated then the +3π/2 is converted back into a -π/2 and this will be again indicated by XOR 116. In summary, a positive direction with no reset yields an XOR of 1 and a +π/2 modulation. A positive direction with a reset yields an XOR of 0 and a - 3π/2 modulation. A negative direction with no reset yields an XOR of 0 and a +3π/2 modulation. A negative direction with a reset yields an XOR of 1 and a -π/2 modulation. Overall the XOR 116 is able to distinguish �π/2 from �3π/2 applied modulation.
The output of the gate 116 is applied to a demodulator 118 that also accepts the multiplexed gyro output signal. The output of the demodulator 118 is entered into an accumulator 120 that sorts and sums the product of the multiplexed gyro output signal and the output of the gate 116 by axis. The demodulator 118 is arranged to employ gate 116 outputs (that distinguish between a �π/2 and �3π/2 modulation steps) to assign the appropriate sign to the intensity values of the gyro output signal. Since, as discussed above, any error in signal intensity resulting from 3π/2 modulation should be minus three times that resulting from a π/2 modulation step, the demodulator rectifies intensity signals due to scale factor error. The outputs of 120 provides a measure of the scale factor error on each axis.
In the event that net values should accumulate in the accumulator 120, such net values will provide measures of scale factor error on an axis-by-axis basis. In the event that the loop controller 16 is employed with a triaxial gyro system of the type illustrated in FIG. 1(a), such values, input to the microprocessor 17, would be utilized to generate corrective values for adjusting the voltages (represented as digital values) stored in the registers 72 and 84 to correct the voltage values for affecting π/2 and 2π phase shifts respectively in the gyros. In the event that the controller 16 is employed with a triaxial system of the type illustrated in FIG. 1(b), the data stored in the accumulator 120 is utilized to adjust the gain of the variable gain amplifiers 44, 46 and 48. Finally, in a system according to FIG. 1(c) the data is employed by the microprocessor 17 to adjust the reference voltages of the digital-to-analog converters 50, 52 and 54.
Thus it is seen that the present invention provides a loop controller for a multiplexed triaxial gyro system. The controller provides numerous advantages in triaxial gyro systems of varying configurations. By independently processing data associated with each of the three axes and then combining the derived modulation inputs into a composite drive signal, it is possible to process and control the three gyros without the introduction of buffer cycles that otherwise limit accuracy and bandwidth. Further, the controller provides the system with an elegant means for correcting scale factor errors on an axis-by-axis basis.
While this invention has been described with reference to its presently-preferred embodiment, it is not limited thereto. Rather, this invention is only limited insofar as it is defined by the following set of patent claims and includes all equivalents thereof within its scope.
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text: Computer Engineering Minor The Computer Engineering minor is designed to provide students from other computer-intensive majors—such as computer science or other engineering majors—with a foundation of knowledge in the hardware portion of computer systems. The minor consists of a minimum of seven ECE courses resulting in 25 credits. There are four required courses and an additional 12 credits of elective courses. For more information, visit the Drexel University Course Catalog.


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FA and Nike insist 'don't blame us' for cost of new England football shirt
Posted: April 01, 2014|
AN MP and football fans have expressed their astonishment at the £90 cost of the new England football shirt.
But the Football Association and manufacturer Nike both said they would not be to blame for whatever the price was in the shops.
Nike revealed the new kit yesterday.
But fans have slammed the white adult home shirt as too expensive, with some even suggesting boycotting the product.
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Derby North MP Chris Williamson says he has written to the Football Association demanding for a "more realistic and affordable price".
The V-neck shirt – which is what the players will wear for the World Cup finals in Brazil – features a blue Nike tick along with the traditional Three Lions crest.
It has white satin tape on the shoulders and has a pin-stripe effect. The matching shorts cost £25.
Mr Williamson recently made a trip to Qatar, which will hold the 2022 World Cup, to warn of the dangers faced by workers on the construction sites building the stadium.
He said: "This is an utterly outrageous rip-off. Football used to be a working class sport but it's been commandeered by greedy corporate interests.
"The FA has clearly lost touch with reality. The country is in the grip of a cost-of-living crisis and they should rethink this decision.
"I have written to the FA's CEO, Alex Horne, to demand that he gets a grip of this and comes forward with a more realistic and affordable price to enable England supporters to support their team."
Nike is also selling another white shirt – called the 'stadium shirt' – but this will not be a replica of the players's kit. This will cost £60.
The sports firm also revealed England's away shirt – a round-neck shirt in red – costing £60.
This features a graphic of St George's Cross on the front which is an optical illusion and can only be seen from a distance.
Martin Lotti, Nike football global creative director, said: "Two references really stood out during the design process for the home kit – that stunning all-white kit England wore in Mexico in 1970 and the idea of the armour of English knights."
Parents who want to buy the shirt for their children will be forced to pay £40 for the shirt for three-to-eight-year-olds and £42 for eight to 15-year-olds. Kenny Sharpe, manager of Stockbrook Colts football team, said there was "no chance" he would pay £90 for the adult shirt.
"I'd be happy to pay £30 for it but not any more than that. I train six-to-16-year-olds and they would not be able to afford to pay for the children's kit.
"Some of them turn up in jeans and their school uniform."
Derby Telegraph readers have taken to our website and Facebook page to give their views.
One person said: "That's ridiculous, why spend that much for summit that you're only going to wear once or twice before we get kicked out the World Cup?"
Another suggested not buying the shirt at all.
They said: "Time for good old market economics to take over. Here's what we have to do - don't buy the shirt.
"As long as people pick up the shirt for £90 they'll keep upping the prices. If there is a rebellion and they hardly sell any they will get the message.''
Another user commented: "The justification for pricing the shirt at £90 is that there are sufficient people in the market who are stupid enough to pay that much. Why sell them at the £20 they might merit when they can be sold at £90?"
A Nike spokeswoman said it was a retailer's decision on what price they set for retail.
She said: "The England kits contain innovative performance technologies that have a certain amount of research and development costs.
"The suggested retail price is consistent with pricing across the football-replica industry in the UK.
"Consumers are given a choice when purchasing the shirt. The adult shirt will have a suggested retail price of £60 for a stadium jersey and £90 for a match jersey.
"Nike set the wholesale price and it is a retailer's decision on what price they set for retail. The vast majority of shirts that are going to retail are the £60 stadium versions."
England striker Wayne Rooney said: "I'm always proud to put on the England kit and with these ones it'll be no different.
"I can't wait to get out to Brazil and play in them this summer."
The FA said: "The FA is a not-for-profit organisation that puts £100 million back into the game every year. It is through relationships with partners such as Nike that we are able to maintain that level of investment in football.
"The FA's policy is to avoid any involvement with how its partners/licensees set their prices, so as to avoid any risk of or implications of price fixing."
A Football Supporters' Federation spokesman said: "Fans with kids often argue that strips are changed too often. The FSF would advocate manufactures incorporating a 'best before' date into the strip's label. Supporters buying a strip would then know exactly what they're paying for and be able to make a decision based on that.''
Both the home and away kits will be worn this summer in Brazil.
The new home kit will be first used in a friendly match with Peru at Wembley on May 30.


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The Soil & Water Stewardship Public Speaking Contest is open to high school ag science students interested in conservation. The contest is aimed at broadening students' interest and knowledge of conservation and how people must depend on and take care of the world around them for survival .
The contest is conducted through the Texas FFA, with contests at the local, area and state level. To prepare for the contest, students are to consult with their ag science teacher and work with their local soil and water conservation district. Students are encouraged to visit with their local SWCD to find out more about conservation practices in their area.
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text: No recent wiki edits to this page. Innerloop Studios was founded in May 1996 and had its offices in Oslo, Norway. The company closed its doors in 2004, having developed only four games. Their fifth game, Vikingjarl - a turn-based strategy game, was in development set to be released in 2006.


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One thought on ""Scribble Linens" Reversible Chalkboard Tablecloths via KarasPartyIdeas.com #ScribbleLinens #Chalkboard #ChalkboardTable #Tablecloth"
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Hey! I know this is kinda off topic however , I'd figured I'd ask. Would you be interested in exchanging links or maybe guest authoring a blog post or vice-versa? My blog goes over a lot of the same subjects as yours and I feel we could greatly benefit from each other. If you might be interested feel free to shoot me an email. I look forward to hearing from you! Great blog by the way!↓


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Introduces Automata Studios cofounder and CEO Branden Hall, a software architect and programmer who pushes the limits of the web, and teaches others how to do the same.
"Wow! It just keeps getting better and better. I hate the fact that I will never be able to quit—I am now a lynda.com addict." —Sharon W.
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Quips, Sayings, and Proverbs 2.5
|12 1 1
Dealing with Vital Matters
Doing efficiently what had better be left undone, might call for the dreary fare and ruin in the long run.
When you know where to stop, you have stability. When you have stability, you can be tranquil. When you are tranquil, you can be at ease.
When you are at ease, you can deliberate. When you can deliberate you can attain further aims. [Cf. Confucius, The Great Learning]
He who possesses the country must be prudent. [The Book of Odes, cf. Bp, Bos]
Some Words
Say "Bah!" to stupid disregard of the flesh the sooner the better.
To flourish, penetrating insights need deeper understanding than surface interpretations give. To make seemingly wonderful realisations count, you have to stick to them and let them into the everyday life - which may seem like surface living - it's fairly often like that. What is needed is living out good things one comes across.
Living out good things?Once God was afraid. He thought: "Since there is nothing but myself anywhere, what am I afraid of?"
He also found he was not happy; he desired a mate. He turned into a man and wife in close embrace.
He divided his body in two; from that division husband and wife came about. Therefore the body, before one accepts a wife, is half of oneself, like the half of a split pea.
And therefore this space is indeed filled by the wife.
He was united with her. From that union human beings were born. She reflected: "How can God unite with me after having produced me from himself? Well, let me hide."
She became a cow, God became a bull and was united with her, and from that union cattle were born. In this way he produced everything that comes in pairs -
God created a man and wife in order to enjoy happiness, yet did not do away with his own keen self. [Cf. Hirr 40]
Bos: Cranmer-Byng, L., and S. A. Kapadia, trs. Book of Odes (Shi-King). London: John Murray, 1908.
Bp: Legge, James, tr. The Book of Poetry. London: Trübner and Co, 1876.
Hirr: Nikhilananda, swami. Hinduism. Madras: Ramakrishna Math, 1968.
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Annual Night with the Stars at the Eagle River Nature Center
Featured speaker: Dr. Seth Shostak, Sr. Astronomer with the SETI Institute. Dinner by guest chef Patrick Hoogerhyde of Bridge Seafood. Tickets online at www.ernc.org or by phone at 907-694-2108. $100/person. Proceeds support the astronomy series.
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The agreement also calls for "substantial upgrades" to Payson Park.
The agreement was announced Friday — more than three years after problems with the distict's booster clubs were first identified by critics and an independent study by the district's law firm, then recently confirmed by the U.S. Education Department's Office for Civil Rights.
The Office for Civil Rights noted that the district was not in compliance with Title IX, a federal mandate that requires equal athletic opportunities for girls. The agreement calls for the district to expand athletic opportunities and facilities for eighth-grade and high-school girls, including a volleyball program, equal compensation for coaches, improvements to locker rooms and upgrades to Payson Park, according to an executive summary presented last month to the school board.


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Unlocking the Key to Deep Sleep
By Sarah Fenske
Making the Ferguson Commission Matter
By Danny Wicentowski
My Fake Boyfriend Became a Real-Life Crush
By Lindsay Toler
Rep. Jeffrey Pogue Bill Would Ban Unisex Bathrooms
By Danny Wicentowski
Darren Wilson Gives Speech to Nonprofit
By Danny Wicentowski
Angel Stewart and Other Victims of Violence Ask for Mercy
By Jessica Lussenhop
Obama Praises St. Louis' LaunchCode
By Lindsay Toler
By Lindsay Toler
Randi's voice is scratchy and strained from the tubes down his throat during the surgery. Hangover from the anesthesia has left occasional blurry spots in his otherwise remarkable memory. The procedure left him weak, grudgingly confined most of the time to a wheelchair. "It's not a matter of pride," he explains. "It's a matter of the impression you make on people. You want to appear to be empowered. It's the show business in me."
When Randi was fifteen, he heard of a preacher in his hometown of Toronto who claimed he could read minds. Randi had been reading every book he could find on magic and illusions, so he figured he could figure out what trick the preacher was using on his flock.
One Sunday morning, Randi watched the preacher use a classic "one-ahead" scam. The preacher used information obtained ahead of time to trick the crowd into believing that he could read minds. Randi took the stage as he imagined his hero Harry Houdini might have done and preached to the congregation about being duped, explaining the trick the preacher had used. He was immediately run out of the church.
Dissidence would become a regular reaction to Randi, who was born Randall James Hamilton Zwinge in 1928. He describes himself as a quick learner but a bit of a rabble-rouser — he was once kicked out of his Sunday school class for heresy.
When he was twelve, he stumbled into a matinee performance by famed magician Harry Blackstone Sr., who made a lady float in the air just feet from the stunned boy. "That got me," Randi says. "That grabbed me, and it never let go. It's still got a hold of my head right now."
A year after the church incident, Randi was in a bicycle accident that left him in a full-body cast for thirteen months. Randi figured that even confined to the cast, he could still perform at nightclubs as a mentalist. "In those days, they were paying me 70 bucks a week," he says. "Now that was a lot of Canadian dollars, I can tell you." He decided he would make it clear at the end of every show that he was simply using illusions. But he was disturbed when audience members would insist he had paranormal powers — ironically ignoring the only bit of truth he'd spat out all night. People seemed to want to believe in the supernatural.
Before he graduated high school, Randi left town with the carnival, performing as "Prince Ibis." At age 22, he pulled off a highly publicized escape from a Quebéc City jail cell, a trick Houdini used to perform. A local newspaper dubbed him "L'etonnant Randi," The Amazing Randi, "with an i at the end," he says, "like Houdini." For three decades, Randi toured the world by train, plane and ship, headlining marquees from the Deep South to the Far East. He was bound in straitjackets and dangled over waterfalls, buried alive, handcuffed and locked in an oversize milk jug.
But Randi could never shake the need to educate the naive. Working at nightclubs in East Asia, he learned new con-man techniques, and when he came back, he had a bug for debunking. In the 1960s, he hosted a radio show in New York in which he would, among other things, argue with astrologers ("complete woo-woo," he says) and confront chiropractors ("three chiropractors, three completely different diagnoses").
The height of his fame came when Johnny Carson invited him to The Tonight Show. Carson had him back 37 times, and the two became good friends. "Johnny was a very skilled magician, very accomplished," Randi says.
Living in northern New Jersey, Randi befriended other great American thinkers like astronomer Carl Sagan and science fiction writer Isaac Asimov. Randi and Asimov would sing Gilbert and Sullivan tunes deep into the night. "He had such a wonderful voice," Randi remembers. Randi and Sagan would discuss their shared love of astronomy. Sagan helped name a comet after Randi.
Randi even played himself on an episode of Happy Days — he levitates Mrs. Cunningham, and in the final shot of the episode, Randi steals Fonzie's patented "Ehhh." At one point, Randi toured with Alice Cooper, cutting the rock god's head off with a trick guillotine at the end of every show.
In the '70s, America developed a new fascination with all things paranormal — crystals, tarot cards, astrology parties. Randi found the trends disturbing, and he was particularly irked by a young Israeli named Uri Geller, who said he could bend spoons with his mind and read the thoughts of total strangers. He appeared on countless television shows and was featured in magazines in dozens of languages.
The degree to which people took Geller seriously bothered Randi. Reputable scientists from several labs studied "the Geller effect," how brainwaves affect pliable metal. Those scientists no longer discuss those experiments. Sen. Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island, former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, invited Geller to the floor of Congress to send positive brain waves to Mikhail Gorbachev. The senator and the psychic later claimed at least partial success.
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His heart was visible, and the dismal sack that maketh excrement of what is eaten.
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Avery is a fairly popular girl's name in my area.
Edward is pretty traditional, OK but not super exciting in my opinion.
Liam will make him feel comfortable in a crowd as it is ridiculously popular.
Duncan is kind of cool.
Now take into account the whole name, and what trouble that might cause. Let's say for example your last name is Stevens. If you were to go with Avery, then Scott as a middle name, your kid would always be an ASS. Seriously, you can't over-think this thing enough.
My last name is Greene. My first name is Ryan. I have lived in apartments where the previous tenant was also Ryan Greene. It really sucks having an utterly common name. So when it came to naming our kids, I insisted on slightly unusual first names. But on the flip side of the coin, if your last name is Zribowkowlski or something else exotic, maybe something a little more bland might be a better option.
Whatever you choose, once you and the wife make a firm decision, I recommend not telling anyone of your choice. We've known people who had the names stolen for other children in the family, and who have been harassed for their choices. Everyone's got an opinion, and they won't all agree. So **** them until it's legal and on paper.
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Should I name my baby boy Maximus?
One of my former co-workers named his kid Maximus. I never really asked why. He wasn't a fighter or anything. Personally, I would say not to.
Historical names are fine by me, or even cool potentially. With the exception of things that are popular because of blockbuster movies. That usually makes it pretty douchey in my eyes.
For example, all the MMA fighters who can't even spell Thermopylae who quote 300. They probably wouldn't be so enthralled if they knew how much Ancient Greek society encouraged homosexuality.
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Congrats BM :)
Maximus would be a strong middle name but is a little heavy for a person to carry as a name (will make a good fight name if he turns out to be a badass).
Not to be a downer but I can see kids at school picking on him as it rhymes with anus/Uranus - not even kidding here, I have to say something when I notice a fail name for a generation.
Have you and your wife thought of anymore?
Here are a few more to add to the list you will likely ignore :)
Ajax (Jack or Jax for nicknames)
Wyatt"I'm reluctant to sound like a total fa66ot as well, but my background in sculpture gave me an edge in understanding how we're expected to move thru space." - The Other Other Serge
How about Magnus? Not quite as over the top as Maximus, and a fairly common first name in Sweden. We named our son Magnus (the name is rare, but not unheard of here in Germany), and so far we haven't had any problems.There are no wrong threats, only wrong answers. (Strategy game truism)


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As a long time fan and season ticket holder, I would like to see more from the team and the coach. For the last few years, the Griffins have seemed unable to play 60 minutes of hockey. The running joke in the stands is if they will be playing "this" period or not. At best, we see two periods of drive, coordination and effort. Then, there is that other period. One season of 40 minute hockey point to player conditioning (physical and mental). Multiple seasons of players who seem unable to manage an entire game point to coaching issues in my mind.
What an exciting game to listen to. Sat in the truck to listen to the last few minutes and then ran in to get the overtime on the house radio. Interesting calls in the last few minutes. The discussion of the game in which an ejected player participated and scored the winning goal in a shoot out was interesting.
Interesting. I have been told that we are now part of a group of states (more than 40) participating in the Common Core Curriculum. The goals were to ensure that all kids were being taught the same stuff. There was to be a Common Core testing system to go along with this, so when the results come back states would be compared on an equal testing system. The testing for the Common Core was to begin in 2014. We have the math and reading/writing common core, and are waiting on social studies and science at the elementary level. Why create something else? Are the folks making these decisions unaware of what is going on with the Common Core?
In the last unit I deployed with, many people lost jobs due to military service. Several lawsuits were won, but many were lost, or not filed. Employee support of the Guard and Reserve laws exist, but there are many ways around them, that companies are getting better at figuring out. How long a person can pay bills and take care of themselves/family while the legal process grinds away is limited. The loss of jobs happens a lot more than most people would believe. Sad, but true.
While the first 2 periods were disappointing to listen to, the third was phenomenal radio hockey! It was especially nice to hear the entire game - all on one radio station. Sounded like there was great periods of play inter-spaced with some complete breakdowns in puck management.
There needs to be more security-and planning. Drunks threatening folks and "accidentally" pouring beer on others are not great things. Food thrown at the ice and landing on the crowd is another problem. I think the comment about the Van Andel Buidling staff not being equipped for the event is a big issue. We have made recommendations about having some identified walkways, free of lines, as well as better control over the obviously drunk folks (this should not be my job) and had replies that the staff were looking into the issues. We were told that the new area being built would help with the issues - but it did not. I have season tickets, enjoy beer, and do not look forward to Fridays. I cringe when I think about how the crowd would respond to a fire or other emergency. I can not believe the fire marshal has blessed this mess.
I hope Conklin shows us how great he can be, and uses this stint with Grand Rapids as a plus.
While I hope that we see Conklin in Grand Rapids (we really need a goalie that can help support the team), I want Joey to keep playing. Put anyone on the bench for too long and they don't stay sharp.
While I hope that we see Conklin in Grand Rapids (we really need a goalie that can help support the team), I want Joey to keep playing. Put anyone on the bench for too long and they don't stay sharp.
This has been a while coming. Amadio's decision making about when to incur penalties has not been good this year. Many hits and fights after the other player was already going to the box, which cancelled out our advantage. When on defense, Amadio's stationing on top of the crease led to some pucks going in that could have been stopped by a goalie who wasn't blocked. I will miss his energy. I saw another old favorite, Darryl Bootland, with many of the same skills, playing for the Kalamazoo Wings. Great team player, but just not as good as the Griffins are trying to be.
Did you report this theft (basement full of supplies) to the authorities?
Besides not knowing if they can get the benefits, the hoops Veterans need to go through to get them takes years and a lot of will power. Many give up, as following all the rules, submitting and resubmitting and reresubmitting the same forms over and over is more than some feel they can do. Many Veterans I know personally, have claims in adjudication that have been there for more than 5 years. In the last few years, the VA has gotten better at having information available to troops returning from deployments, but those already out in the civilian world do not get this information. Sad.
Same rules for no seat belts? Drinking? Speeding? Eating too much McDonald's fatty food?
I ask my tax guy the same thing every year. We drop the itemized list and the bills on his desk and he just shakes his head. He tells me to spend less on the students.
The last two parking tickets (and only ones we ever got) were both bad tickets. The parking meter still had time on it when I came out of a site in Lansing, but there was a ticket. The parking police did not bother to climb the snowbank like I did, and just wrote the ticket. Of course, to fight it meant a day off work, a 120 miles on the car, and fighting with the courts. The other ticket was similarly given. Legal parking site, paid meter, with a ticket. It is too costly to fight them, and they will now have extra leverage to force you to pay, as opposed to just never visiting these cities again. Way to go.
You forgot the final step. The campaign is to pass a voucher bill.


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Music-Theater Piece Opened Kennedy Center in 1971
(Bethlehem, PA)—The Moravian College Choir and most of the rest of the Music Department will perform a major work of the socially conscious '70s for its spring concert: Leonard Bernstein's Mass: A Theater Piece for Singers, Players, and Dancers.
Traditionally, conductor Paula Ring Zerkle, director of choral activities at Moravian, chooses a major choral work with orchestra, such as a classical Mass or Requiem, to feature at the spring concert. This year she has picked the Mass that Bernstein was commissioned to write for the 1971 opening of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
"I wanted to involve some musical theater, because the students were interested in that," she says of her decision to perform the Bernstein work. "We don't have the facilities to do huge musical theater, and besides, the high schools do those all the time. I wanted something educational, fun, and provocative, and this seemed to be all those things."
The Mass had a controversial premiere. Bernstein used it to comment on his own passionate views of American social and spiritual decay, as well as the possibilities for hope and renewal. He combined the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Mass with a "descant" text by Stephen Schwartz, composer of Godspell (1971), that comments on the liturgy. These songs are often designated as "tropes," which is the same term used for spiritual commentary-interruptions in the movements of the Mass as it developed in the medieval church. PARENTAL NOTE: There is mild profanity in one song.
Bernstein was concerned with the fraying of American spiritual life, with the Vietnam War, and with the decline and failure of the programs of Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty. His commitment to a liberal social agenda was satirized by journalist Tom Wolfe in a famous essay called "Mau-Mauing the Flak-Catchers," published with a sister essay called "Radical Chic" in 1987.
In the Mass, a chorus of street people "reinvent" the Catholic Mass. A sidewalk folksinger emerges from their midst to become the Celebrant, performing the Eucharistic ritual serving of bread and wine. As the chorus cries to him for food, comfort, and peace, he becomes more angry and frustrated that he cannot solve their problems. At last, he goes mad and sacrifices himself in lieu of the Eucharist.
The sacrificial section is a perfect example of Bernstein's use of layered text and music: The choir sings the "fraction" anthem, a Latin response to the breaking of the wafer, while the Celebrant sings Schwartz's commentary, "Things Get Broken," referring to life in general and his own life in particular.
Perhaps America's best-known composer for the Broadway musical West Side Story and such classical works as the "Kaddish" and "Jeremiah" symphonies, Bernstein (1918-90) drew on eclectic sources for the Mass: rock, jazz, electronic music, Gregorian chant, and Broadway sing-ability for such signature numbers as the opening "Simple Song."
The first performance included more than 200 performers. Tenor Alan Titus sang the Celebrant, the Norman Scribner Choir of Washington, D.C., and the Berkshire Boy Choir were the chorus, and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Company supplied the dancers. The stage performers were accompanied by a full symphonic orchestra augmented with several rock bands.
Moravian's production, using a chamber reduction provided by Bernstein's estate, will feature Noah Rachels '00 as the Celebrant and Matthew Bailey '07, Reading, as the Preacher. The Choir will be joined by the Moravian College Women's Chorus (singing the boys' chorus parts) and orchestra with expanded percussion battery.
Rachels, who lives in New York City and is currently studying voice and making the rounds of opera and musical theater, was a student of Bronwyn Fix-Keller, an artist-lecturer in music who is staging the choral numbers for the Mass. Fix-Keller is the director of opera for the College.
Then a baritone, Rachels sang the role of Papageno in the Moravian College Opera Ensemble's production of Mozart's Die Zauberflöte and participated in master classes at Moravian with international opera singers Paul Plishka and Sherrill Milnes and with retired Metropolitan Opera assistant conductor Gildo di Nunzio. He has been a scholarship student at the International School of Performing Arts in Doylestown, Penn. He currently studies with Susan Young and Charles Riecker as he makes the transition from baritone to tenor. He has sung at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church and the Park Avenue Synagogue in Manhattan, and he has a day job on the staff of Friends of Carnegie Hall, a fund-raising organization for the famous concert venue.
The Mass will be performed at 8:00 p.m. Saturday, April 17, and 4:00 p.m. Sunday, April 18, in Foy Concert Hall, part of the College's Church Street campus in downtown Bethlehem. Tickets are $12, $6 students/seniors, from 610 861-1650.


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Mr. Chairman, thank you for this opportunity to meet with the Committee. Let me begin by saying a few words about the remarkable man seated next to me—General Tommy Franks.
On Monday, I was in Tampa to attend the change of command ceremony where General Franks handed the reins of U.S. Central Command to his able deputy, General John Abizaid.
It was an occasion to reflect on General Franks and what the CENTCOM leadership team has accomplished during his tenure as the Combatant Commander. It is an extraordinary record of achievement.
Think back to September 11th—a dark day for our country. But how fortunate our nation was to have General Franks and his team in command at CENTCOM.
Consider what they have accomplished:
In less than a month, they had developed and were executing a war plan for Afghanistan employing a range of capabilities—from the most advanced (such as laser-guided weapons), to the antique (40 year-old B-52s updated with modern electronics) to the rudimentary (a cavalry charge)—they and our Afghan and coalition allies drove the Taliban and al-Qaeda from power in a matter of months.
The plan they developed for Operation Iraqi Freedom was even more innovative and transformational—employing an unprecedented combination of speed, precision, surprise, and flexibility.
The Iraqi regime very likely expected the war to begin, as did the 1991 Gulf War, with a sustained bombing campaign. Instead, General Franks started the ground attack before the air campaign—sending a large force of Special Operators into Western Iraq, followed by thousands of coalition forces streaming across the Kuwaiti border. Instead of a long march through the South, with pitch battles for each city along the way, they drove through to reach the gates of Baghdad in a matter of weeks—liberating the Iraqi capital and toppling the regime in less than a month.
The plan was adaptable and flexible, allowing General Franks and his team to turn difficulties into opportunities. For example, the inability of coalition forces to enter Iraq from the north was disappointing. But instead of bringing the 4th Infantry Division out of the Mediterranean to the Gulf, General Franks kept them in the Mediterranean—creating the impression in Baghdad that the attack would not start until the coalition could open the northern front. This very likely contributed to the surprise of the Iraqi regime when the war began without those forces in the fight.
One of the most interesting aspects of the campaign was the fact that the "lessons learned" process began before the war began. General Franks installed a "lessons learned" team from Joint Forces Command with his command from the start. They did more than take notes to improve our performance for the next war—they provided immediate feedback, allowing CENTCOM leadership to apply "lessons learned" in real time and improve coalition performance in this war.
I'll leave it to General Franks describe in detail the lessons he believes are most important. For my part, I'd say some key lessons so far include:
· The importance of speed, and the ability to get inside the enemy's decision cycle and strike before he
is able to mount a coherent defense;
· The importance of jointness, and the ability of U.S. forces to fight, not as individual de-
conflicted services, but as a truly joint force—maximizing the power and lethality they bring to bear;
· The importance of intelligence—and the ability to act on intelligence rapidly, in minutes, instead of
days and even hours;
· And the importance of precision, and the ability to deliver devastating damage to enemy positions,
while sparing civilian lives and the civilian infrastructure.
Another lesson is that in the 21st century "overmatching power" is more important than "overwhelming force." In the past, under the doctrine of overwhelming force, force tended to be measured in terms of mass—the number of troops that were committed to a particular conflict. In the 21st century, mass may no longer be the best measure of power in a conflict. After all, when Baghdad fell, there were just over 100,000 American forces on the ground. General Franks overwhelmed the enemy not with the typical three to one advantage in mass, but by overmatching the enemy with advanced capabilities, and using those capabilities in innovative and unexpected ways.
There are many more lessons we will learn from the experience in Iraq, and we are still in the early stages of studying them. Admiral Giambastiani and his team at Joint Forces Command are leading this effort, and the conclusions that are drawn will most certainly affect how the U.S. Armed Forces, and the services organize, train and equip for many years to come.
This will be one of General Franks truly enduring legacies. He led the coalition forces that liberated two nations. But how he liberated those countries—the tactics and strategies he developed and employed—will contribute to the freedom of our country and our people for years to come.
So, while General Franks may be leaving the Service, his service to our country will live on—in the impact of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom will have on budgets and procedures, training and doctrine. And the people he led, those who served with him in Iraq and Afghanistan, will now take those transformational experiences to their next important commands, and teach them to the next generation.
So Tom, we salute you, and we thank you for your remarkable service to our country.
Mr. Chairman, Operation Iraqi Freedom will go down in history, not just for what was accomplished, but also for what did not happen as a result of the speed and flexibility of the war plan General Franks and his team employed. Consider just some of the things did not occur:
So for all the difficulties in Iraq today—and there are tough challenges to be sure—it is important to keep in mind all of the problems that Iraqis do not have to overcome because of the way the war was fought. Today, Iraqis do not have to rebuild oil wells, bridges, roads and dams that were not destroyed in the war. They do not have to bury large numbers of innocent civilians, or rebuild residential neighborhoods, because of the compassion and precision with which coalition forces fought.
Iraqis do face the enormous challenge of rebuilding from three decades of tyranny. We must not underestimate how difficult that task will be. But we can take comfort knowing that, as we freed them from tyranny, we did not add to their burden by destroying Iraq's infrastructure. To the contrary, we saved it.
Today, coalition forces are helping the Iraqi people rebuild, and get on the path to stability and democratic self-government. We are making progress in helping Iraqis re-establish security and commerce; restore power and basic services; reopen schools and hospitals; and establish rule of law. With each passing week, more services come online; power and water are restored in more of the country; gas lines disappear; and more Iraqi police are on the streets.
Indeed, civil society is beginning to form. There are now dozens of independent newspapers sprouting up, in Baghdad and throughout the country. Town councils and associations are forming, and people are expressing opinions openly for the first time in decades.
Vendors in Baghdad are selling videotapes detailing the atrocities that took place in Saddam's prisons. As the President put it last week, these are "the true monuments of Saddam Hussein's rule—the mass graves, the torture chambers, the jail cells for children."
Despite the difficulties they face, most Iraqis are far better off today than they were four months ago. The residents of Baghdad may not have power 24 hours a day, but they no longer wake up each morning in fear, wondering whether this will be the day that the death squads come to cut out their tongues, chop off their ears, or take their children away for "questioning"—never to be seen again.
It is true there are some Iraqis who are not better off today—those who comprised the small, elite segment of Iraqi society that benefited from the dictatorship. Such people exist in any dictatorship. And they are understandably unhappy now that the regime that favored them has been removed from power. Today some of them are in hiding. Others are engaging in acts of sabotage and violence.
Let me say a word about the security situation in Iraq today. There seems to be a widely held impression that regime loyalists are operating freely throughout the country, attacking coalition forces at will. That is not the case.
Large portions of Iraq are stable. Most of the recent attacks have been concentrated in Baghdad and three corridors reaching West, North and East out of the Iraqi capital.
At this moment, coalition forces are engaged in operations to deal with the threats in these areas. Indeed, a number the recent incidents in those regions are the result of offensive operations by the Coalition—cases where Coalition forces have sought out and engaged enemy fighters.
Mr. Chairman, the problem is real—but it is being dealt with in an orderly and forceful fashion by coalition forces.
Some may ask: why is the Coalition still engaging hostile forces nearly 10 weeks after major combat operations ended? The answer has to do with the nature of the enemy.
In Iraq, coalition forces drove the country's leaders from power. But unlike traditional adversaries of wars past that sign a surrender document and hand over their weapons, the remnants of the Ba'ath regime and Fedayeen death squads in Iraq did not surrender. Some were killed or captured, but many others faded into the population, and are forming pockets of resistance against coalition forces.
We now have to deal with those remnants of the regime—just as we are dealing with the remnants of al-Qaeda and the Taliban hiding in border areas of Afghanistan. Those battles will likely go on for some time.
In Iraq, we face added challenges. In addition to remnants of the former regime, coalition forces are also dealing with tens of thousands of criminals the regime released into the streets before the war began. They are now at large and are doing what criminals do—looting, robbing and killing people.
In addition, our forces must also deal with foreign terrorists who crossed into Iraq for an opportunity to harm the coalition and to try to shake our resolve in the war on terror. They will not succeed.
So there are a number of sources of instability. But this much is certain: Iraq has been liberated. The Ba'athist regime has been removed from power, and will not be permitted to return. But our war with terrorists—the remnants in Iraq and Afghanistan and terrorist networks across the globe—continues. And it will take time.
Just as we are dealing with terrorist networks in Afghanistan—breaking them up as they attempt to reconstitute—we will deal with them in Iraq. It will take time, but we will prevail.
As President Bush made clear last week:
"There will be no return to tyranny in Iraq. And those who threaten the order and stability of that country will face ruin, just as surely as the regime they once served."
To help ensure long-term security, the coalition is forming a new Iraqi Army. Walt Slocombe, the Director of Security Affairs for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, announced last month the start of recruitment for the new Army, with an initial goal of having a division of 12,000 men ready within a year, and 40,000 less than three years. As with the training of the Afghan National Army, the objective is to create a situation where, over time, Iraqis can take responsibility for their own stability and security, and not need to depend on foreign forces.
One of the challenges facing the coalition is finding Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs. We are still early in the process, and the task before us is sizable and complex. Major combat operations ended less than 10 weeks ago. The Iraqi regime had 12 years to conceal its programs—to move materials, hide documents, disperse equipment, develop mobile production facilities, and sanitize known WMD sites—including four years with no UN weapons inspectors on the ground. Uncovering those programs will take time.
The coalition did not act in Iraq because we had discovered dramatic new evidence of Iraq's pursuit of WMD; we acted because we saw the existing evidence in a new light—through the prism of our experience on 9/11. On that day, we saw thousands of innocent men, women and children, killed by terrorists. And that experience changed our appreciation of our vulnerability—and the risks the U.S. faces from terrorist states and terrorist networks armed with weapons of mass murder.
The United States did not choose war—Saddam Hussein did. For twelve years, he violated 17 United Nations resolutions without cost or consequence. His regime had an international obligation to:
- To destroy its weapons of mass destruction; and
- To prove to the world that they had done so.
He refused to do so.
It was the UN Security Council which passed the 17th resolution declaring Saddam Hussein was in "material breach" of his disarmament obligations, and giving him one "final opportunity" to disarm. If he had in fact disarmed, why didn't he take that final opportunity to prove that his programs were ended and his weapons destroyed? Why did he continue to give up tens of billions of dollars in oil revenue under UN sanctions, when he could have had those sanctions lifted simply by demonstrating that he had disarmed? Why did he file what all agreed was a false declaration with the UN? Why didn't he cooperate with international community—as Kazakhstan, Ukraine and South Africa did?
Had he done so, war could have been avoided. If he had in fact disarmed, he had everything to gain and nothing to lose by cooperating with the UN. Yet he did not cooperate. He continued to lie and obstruct the UN inspectors. The logical conclusion is that he did so because he wanted to keep his weapons—and believed that he could continue to outwit the international community for another 12 years —just as he had for the past 12 years—and survive.
Mr. Chairman, terrorist regimes have been removed in Iraq and Afghanistan—but the global war on terror continues. The President declared last week:
"As long as terrorists and their allies plot to harm America, America is at war…. From the beginning, we have known the effort would be long and difficult, and that our resolve would be tested. We know that sacrifice is unavoidable…. We did not choose this war. Yet, with the safety of the American people at stake, we will continue to wage this war with all our might."
The objective in the global war on terror is to prevent another attack like September 11th—or a biological, nuclear, or chemical attack that could be far worse—before it happens.
One wonders, looking back on history, what might have happened if the world heeded Winston Churchill's warnings in the 1930s—if, instead of ignoring the growing evidence, free nations had united, and formed a coalition to intervene and stop Hitler before he completely rearmed; before he invaded Czechoslovakia, and Poland, and set Europe aflame. Consider the lives that would have been saved if the world had faced up to the mounting evidence and the compelling logic of the case Churchill presented, instead of waiting for perfect evidence of his capabilities and intentions in the form of 25 million dead human beings.
The historical record of appeasement is a sorry one. And in an age when terrorists and dictators are seeking nuclear, chemical and biological weapons of mass murder, we need to consider the lessons of history.
We can look to our experience on September 11th. We can look to Saddam Hussein's brutal record of using chemical weapons on foreign forces and on his own people, his history of aggression against his neighbors, his rewards to families of suicide terrorist bombers, and his stated hostility against the United States. We can look to his 12 years of defiance of the international community's demand that he disarm—and the near unanimous assessment of successive Democratic and Republican administrations, the intelligence community (both ours and those of foreign countries), the Congress, and the UN that he had weapons of mass destruction. We can look at all this and imagine a world in which such a dictator was permitted to develop nuclear, chemical or biological weapons, while the world's free nations stood by.
We can say, with confidence, that the world is a better place today because the United States led a coalition of forces into action in Iraq—and because of General Tom Franks' skilled execution of the President's orders.
So, yes, we are paying a price in Iraq and elsewhere around the world today—a price in lives and treasure. But it must be compared to the price we paid on September 11th and the price we would have paid for doing nothing.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.


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Eastern and Central Kentucky
Letcher County Rest Home Takeover Ordered
By Beth Musgrave and Valarie Honeycutt Spears, Lexington Herald-Leader
A judge has ordered that a receiver take over a troubled personal care home in Letcher County that has been the subject of numerous state citations and federal and state criminal charges. Letcher Circuit Court Judge Samuel Wright granted a temporary restraining order Thursday and appointed a receiver to oversee the finances and day-to-day operations of the troubled Jenkins home that is licensed to care for 44 residents. Wright issued the restraining order and appointed the receiver at the request of Attorney General Jack Conway's office.


text: Jedd Gyorko and Tyler Kuhn Make Their MLB Spring Training Debuts Jedd Gyorko and Tyler Kuhn Make Their MLB Spring Training Debuts Featured SHARE Caleb Wygal , March 8, 2012 / 298 0 Two Mountaineer baseball players have opportunities to crack Major League rosters this spring. Jedd Gyorko received an invite to the San Diego Padres Spring Training roster after a great first full season in the minors last season and earning MVP in the Arizona Fall League. The Chicago White Sox invited Tyler Kuhn to camp after promoting him to their AAA affiliate in Charlotte last summer. Kuhn was also in Spring Training with the Sox last season. Kuhn made his 2012 début with the team on Tuesday against the L.A. Angels, coming in to pinch hit and took over 2nd base. He went 0-2 in the loss, not reaching base. On Wednesday, Kuhn went 1-2 with a single and a strikeout against the Brewers. The game ended in a 10-6 loss. Gyorko appeared in the Padres first Spring Training game on Sunday and Monday against the Seattle Mariners, going 0-2 in both contests. On Tuesday, Gyorko had an RBI single against the Royals. In Wednesday's game, the Padres split the roster. While one half of the team played against the Rangers and Japanese rookie sensation, Yu Darvish, Gyorko and the other half of the squad played against Cincinnati. Gyorko started that game, going 2-4 at 3B and scoring 1 run. "There were some good at-bats," Padres manager Bud Black said. Bookmark on Delicious Digg this post Recommend on Facebook Share on Posterous share via Reddit Share with Stumblers Tumblr it Tweet about it Buzz it up Subscribe to the comments on this post Print for later Tell a friend


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Updated at: 11/25/2012 4:35 PM
(AP) DAYTON, Ohio - Jodie Cornelie-Sigmundova was 9 of 9 from the field with a career-high 21 points to go with a pair of blocks as the No. 24 Dayton women rolled over Eastern Illinois 105-42 Sunday to win the Dayton Marriott Classic.
It was the first time Dayton (6-0) scored in triple digits since a 101-80 win over Harvard on Dec. 30, 2010. The 63-point margin of victory is the largest for Dayton since jumping to Division I.
Ally Malott added a double-double for the Flyers with 15 points and 13 rebounds, while Sam Mackay hit 6 of 8 shots en route to 14 points, six rebounds and five assists.
Dayton opened on a 9-2 run and led 56-21 by halftime. The Flyers hit 80 percent (24 of 30) from the field in the first half, including 6 of 7 from beyond the arc.
Sydney Mitchell led Eastern Illinois (2-3) with nine points.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)