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The sun hasn't risen yet on this bone-cracking cold Christmas Eve morning. But neither freezing weather nor impending holiday stops the driven, spandex-clad troops inside Palo Alto's Fitness 101 from attacking an array of body-buffing machines.
Amid the youthful exercise cyclers is a striking figure: a trim, gray-haired man huffing a bit as he pedals in not spandex, but functional blue cotton slacks, a denim shirt and casual Hush Puppies-style shoes. "I wore these shoes in your honor. My sneakers are dirty and the shoelaces are broken, " confesses Doug Engelbart with a smile. No one among the BMW-driving, stock option-worshipping crowd pauses to look at the elderly man talking with a reporter. Here in the heart of Silicon Valley, the inventor credited with giving birth to the personal computing revolution is a virtual unknown, a 73-year-old sweating away anonymously on a stationary bike. Despite a recent wave of publicity, only the hardest-core geeks are aware that without Douglas Engelbart, many of the jobs, expensive cars and palatial homes built with silicon gold might not exist.
What they also don't know is that this fit senior citizen is just mid-revolution, still working feverishly on ideas that he hopes will change even more radically the way we work.
Engelbart's technological innovations of more than 30 years ago should have placed him at the top of the silicon heap--well above Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Netscape's Marc Andreessen and other luminaries credited with transforming our lives with personal computers, the Internet and the World Wide Web.
But the mild-mannered computer scientist who created the computer mouse, windows-style personal computing, hyperlinking--the clickable links used in the World Wide Web--even e-mail and video conferencing, was ridiculed and shunted aside. For much of his career he was treated as a heretic by the industry titans who ultimately made billions off his inventions.
Engelbart spent years exiled from the revolution he helped launch. "I was sent to Siberia, " he jokes, referring to the long stretch when he was ostracized from the research community.
His longtime friend, Paul Saffo, director of Menlo Park-based Institute for the Future, says Engelbart endured an even crueler fate. "At least in Siberia you no longer could see the revolution. Doug drove past the revolution every day and wondered, 'Why?"'
Engelbart is perhaps the most dramatic example of the valley's habit of forgetting engineers whose brilliance helped build companies--and entire industries. CEOs fail to mention them in corporate press releases; they never become household names. Yet we use their products, or the fruits of their ideas, every day.
True credit for the personal computing revolution belongs to a small cadre of pioneers who worked with Engelbart in his research lab or were influenced by his work.
This was a group dedicated to ideas and research. Back in the '60s, the goal wasn't necessarily to make money, but to create things that would improve our way of working and living. Although some, like Alan Kay, who envisioned the first laptop computer and other PC breakthroughs, achieved a modicum of fame and fortune, they aren't cultural icons like the millionaire founders of Yahoo!
"It's often the case that people who did the original work get lost by the time it gets out the back end of companies, " says Sun Microsystems Inc. executive Jeff Rulifson, one of those who worked with Engelbart. "What you find in the big product announcements is that all the fame goes to the engineering teams who worked the last couple of years of a 20-year cycle. Doug is a grand example of that."
But unlike many of his colleagues, who would learn to balance their idealism with less lofty goals such as making a living and advancing their careers, Engelbart remained a purist who doggedly refused to compromise his vision for a better world.
"We were doing this for humanity. It would never occur to us to try and cash in on it. That's still where Doug's mind is, " explains Rulifson, director of Sun's Networking and Security Center.
Engelbart still is working nonstop on the crusade he launched in the 1950s: He believes that as technology speeds up the rate of change, making the world increasingly complex, its power must be harnessed to help people collaborate and solve problems. He's clung stubbornly to his mission even after he lost his research lab, even when it meant less money, even after a devastating fire and a bout with a life-threatening illness. Even when the wise men of Silicon Valley ridiculed him.
Only in the last five years, as his once fantastic-sounding vision becomes reality, has he begun to win recognition. Last year he won the Turing Award, the Nobel Prize equivalent for computer scientists. He also was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. In 1997, he won the coveted Lemelson-MIT $500,000 prize.
He remains bewildered as to why it has taken so long for society to catch up to him. "The rate at which a person can mature is directly proportional to the embarrassment he can tolerate. I have tolerated a lot, " says Engelbart of his life. Reader's Digest paid Engelbart $35 to publish that quote, more than he was paid for many of his revolutionary inventions.
Against all odds
Why was such a brilliant visionary exiled? The answer is clear after talking with friends, family and colleagues. While they universally agree that Engelbart is extremely gentle and kind, they also describe him as "single-minded, " "bullheaded, " and, at times, a "control freak." Explains Andy van Dam, who credits Engelbart with inspiring his pioneering work in hypermedia, the use of graphics and text on computers, "He's not hostile, but he's going to do it his way. This is the hallmark of a visionary--they have this huge internal compass and they're going to sail in that direction, the weather be damned."
Futurist Saffo adds: "It's not so much that people overlooked Doug but that they studiously tried to ignore him because his ideas made them uncomfortable."
Engelbart's unwillingness to bend was in evidence when he met Steve Jobs for the first time in the early 1980s. It was 15 years since Engelbart had invented the computer mouse and other critical components for the personal computer, and Jobs was busy integrating them into his Macintosh.
Apple Computer Inc.'s hot-shot founder touted the Macintosh's capabilities to Engelbart. But instead of applauding Jobs, who was delivering to the masses Engelbart's new way to work, the father of personal computing was annoyed. In his opinion, Jobs had missed the most important piece of his vision: networking. Engelbart's 1968 system introduced the idea of networking personal computer workstations so people could solve problems collaboratively. This was the whole point of the revolution.
"I said, 'It [the Macintosh] is terribly limited. It has no access to anyone else's documents, to e-mail, to common repositories of information, "' recalls Engelbart. "Steve said, 'All the computing power you need will be on your desk top."'
"I told him, 'But that's like having an exotic office without a telephone or door."' Jobs ignored Engelbart. And Engelbart was baffled.
We'd been using electronic mail since 1970 [over the government-backed ARPA network, predecessor to the Internet]. But both Apple and Microsoft Corp. ignored the network. You have to ask 'Why?"' He shrugs his shoulders, a practiced gesture after 30 frustrating years, then recounts the story of Galileo, who dared to theorize that the Earth circles the sun, not vice versa. "Galileo was excommunicated, " notes Engelbart. "Later, people said Galileo was right."
He barely pauses before adding, "I know I am right."
Debunking the legend of the mouse
The first time I heard about Doug Engelbart I was confused. The invitation for "Engelbart's Unfinished Revolution, " a daylong symposium in December at Stanford University, promoted the computer scientist as the inventor of the computer mouse.
"That can't be right, " I told my husband. "The mouse was invented at Xerox PARC."
That's the story I'd been told since arriving in Silicon Valley. The legend goes like this: In 1979, Steve Jobs was touring Xerox Corp.'s cutting-edge Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) when he spotted a version of the mouse. He refined the idea and used it in Lisa, forerunner of the Macintosh.
What's left out of the story is that the mouse and a multitude of other personal computing firsts spotted by Jobs on that Xerox PARC tour actually came from Engelbart's lab at the Stanford Research Institute (SRI). The ideas were brought to PARC by Engelbart researchers who started migrating over in the early '70s.
The symposium, organized by Saffo and co-hosted by the Institute for the Future and Stanford University Libraries, whetted my interest in Engelbart's work. I called him and asked for an interview.
Hesitantly, he agreed to let me tag along and observe a typical Engelbart morning. And so, at 7 a.m., post-gym, Engelbart and I are sitting in his frigid home office. When I point out that a window is open, Engelbart looks sheepish. "I opened it last summer and forgot to shut it."
I bring up the Xerox PARC legend. "Yeah, I bump into that story a lot, " he confirms matter-of-factly. "People say, 'Oh, you invented the mouse? You were at Xerox PARC.' And I tell them, 'No, I was at SRI."'
He is eating granola. Every morning Engelbart breakfasts with his computer, a ritual he started after Ballard, his wife of 46 years, died about a year-and-a-half ago.
He still lives in the same Atherton home they purchased for $76,000 in 1968. It is comfortable but lacking the opulence characteristic of Silicon Valley's trophy houses.
"Doesn't it bother you that Steve Jobs and others got fabulously wealthy off your work and they get the credit?" I ask.
"I didn't do this to be famous, " Engelbart says in his soft-spoken, understated manner. "And how much money can you give to a guy who's just doing his job?"
If Engelbart was bitter about his life, he hid it from his three daughters and son. They never realized until they were adults that their father was responsible for revolutionizing technology. The only clue in their home was the teletype Engelbart installed in the '60s.
"He was telecommuting as early as possible, " says Christina Engelbart, associate director of the Bootstrap Institute, her father's Fremont-based think tank. She describes a warm, fun-loving family man, who enjoyed organizing neighborhood games. "All the kids loved him. He'd take us hiking and canoeing, " she recalls.
Engelbart's official biography, written by Christina, notes that Engelbart would help his wife fall asleep by delivering science lectures, and he'd make up science-fiction tales to entertain his children, and now for his nine grandchildren.
Engelbart boots up his computer. The modest-looking PC is networked to an extremely sophisticated computing system that you can't buy in the stores--a much-refined and advanced version of Augment, the system he debuted in 1968 and initially named NLS, for oNLine Systems. (Engelbart's mission is to augment human intelligence, hence the name.)
He manipulates the screen with a mouse in his right hand, while typing commands with his left hand on something that looks like five piano keys, called a chord keyset.
"I can 'talk' to the computer at the same time that I'm 'pointing, "' he explains. Although Engelbart spent the next 10 minutes describing how this device works, I never did understand him. He's the first to admit he's a lousy salesman of his own ideas, a serious handicap for a revolutionary.
The chord keyset, I subsequently learned, is ingenious. It's an auxiliary to a standard keyboard, allowing you to deliver commands in a shorthand code. If your right hand is busy using the mouse, your left hand can keep working.
"It needs to be much easier to use before I'd buy it, " I tell him.
Engelbart's easygoing manner vanishes. "I hate the term 'user-friendly, "' says the guy credited with virtually inventing the concept. "People balk if they have to learn a different way of doing something."
The keyset has never been turned into a viable commercial product--which drives Engelbart nuts. To Engelbart, the fact that many of his innovations are user-friendly is incidental. He believes the commercial world's fixation on user-friendliness has seriously slowed down the computer revolution. Instead of developing the best tools, marketers want products that are easy to use, even if they aren't the most productive. So consumers are sold inferior products. He sighs, "This is what I came up against in the '70s."
The crusade
You could say that love inspired Doug Engelbart's computer crusade. Or some brew of love, mixed with a disturbing vision of his future life as an electrical engineer at NACA Ames Laboratory, which later would become NASA.
In December 1950, the day after he proposed to his future wife, 25-year-old Engelbart was driving to work in Mountain View. "I realized that I didn't have any more goals than a steady job, getting married and living happily ever after, " he recalls. And so he started mulling over more compelling goals, eventually asking himself, "How can my career maximize my contribution to mankind?" At the library, "I started researching crusades, " Engelbart says nonchalantly, as though everybody flips through periodicals in search of a life mission. One Saturday morning, as he sat in his rented room in Los Altos, the kid who grew up on a farm near Portland, Ore., during the Great Depression suddenly knew how he could help save humanity: "I thought, 'Damn, I never realized the world is so complicated. If we don't improve our ability to deal collectively with complex things, as the problems grow more urgent, we're in trouble."'
Engelbart had read about the development of the computer, and it started to gel with an article he'd read years earlier by Vannevar Bush, the renowned MIT scientist. Bush predicted that one day there would be machines that could reduce the Encyclopaedia Britannica to the size of a machine box, "a sort of mechanized private file and library."
Engelbart now envisioned this machine. During World War II, he'd worked as a radar technician. It struck him that the same engineering principles could allow people to interact with computers by visually displaying information on computer screens.
This was 1951, however; computers were room-sized Neanderthals that crunched numerical data fed into them from punch cards.
But Engelbart saw "people sitting in front of displays, 'flying around' in an information space" as they organized and traded ideas with incredible speed and flexibility.
He called his fiancee and broke the news that he was quitting his job and going back to school. At UC-Berkeley, Engelbart helped build an experimental programmable computer, earned his Ph.D. and was hired as an acting assistant professor. He told anyone who would listen about his vision of personal computers networked together. The reaction, as recorded in his official bio: "He was tipped off by a colleague that if he kept talking about his 'wild ideas' he'd be an acting assistant professor forever."
Engelbart landed a research job at SRI. The Defense Department was handing out grant money to explore new ways of harnessing the computer's power. One project was ARPA, forerunner of the Internet, which would hook together government and research organizations over a timeshare network. By 1967, Engelbart was overseeing his own research lab where his assistants--mostly kids in their 20s--were inventing the personal computing tools needed to fly through cyberspace.
On Dec. 9, 1968, Engelbart and his research team unveiled the future according to Engelbart.
For an hour-and-a-half, an amazed crowd of 2,300 at the Joint Computer Conference in San Francisco watched what's still called "the mother of all demos." Engelbart demonstrated a new way to work: personal computer workstations that could talk to each other, allowing collaboration from anywhere in the country.
This was more than a vision; they showed off hardware and software, built by his team from scratch, equipped with some element of virtually every system we use today: the computer mouse, the graphical user interface (visual display of text and graphics), windows, networking, a Web-style browser to fish up information out of cyberspace, e-mail, even video conferencing.
"It was one of the greatest experiences in my life, " recalls fellow pioneer Alan Kay. "Engelbart was like Moses opening the Red Sea."
Diehards can repeat Engelbart's opening line from memory:
If in your office, you as an intellectual worker were supplied with a computer display backed up by a computer that was alive for you all day and was instantly responsive, how much value could you derive from that?"
Then, on a gigantic movie screen, he brought this new world alive. TV cameras switched from shots of Engelbart's hands working new contraptions called a mouse and a chord keyset, in conjunction with a standard keyboard, to shots of the computer screen where Engelbart was effortlessly adding, deleting and reorganizing a grocery shopping list. Like magic, the cursor moved words and thoughts.
The world premiere of video conferencing was a show-stopper: Talking into a director's-style headset, Engelbart punched up his colleague at SRI, 30 miles away. "Hi, Bill, " said Engelbart as Bill's head filled the left corner of the screen, surrounded by text. "Now we're connected ... let's do some collaborating." The two proceeded to work jointly on a piece of text, passing the cursor and computer controls back and forth. Engelbart and his team had invented what's now called "groupware"; 30 years later it's hard to find software that allows you to do what they did in the demo--share control of a computer screen for sophisticated collaboration.
Van Dam, a 20-year-old faculty member of Brown University at the time, couldn't believe what he was seeing. "I found it staggering. It just blew me away." For days after the demo, van Dam hung around the SRI lab, trying to comprehend the incredible world Engelbart had uncorked.
It's networking
"What did you think would happen after the demo?" I ask as Engelbart flicks off his computer in preparation for a photo shoot later that morning--he's won another award and a picture is needed for the awards program. Wistfully, he answers, "I thought corporations and researchers would say, 'Aha!' and a movement to change the way we knowledge-work would get going."
Not exactly.
Over the following two decades, he kept handing industry giants the next great idea--actually about 20 paradigm-shifting ideas--the kind of ideas venture capitalists consider the Holy Grails of technology. And they kept handing them back. Engelbart eventually lost his government funding, his team defected and his lab was shut down.
"I'm not surprised by the way he was treated. The vision he had was too far out there, " observes Silicon Valley archiver Tim Lenoir, professor of history and philosophy of science at Stanford University. Or, in futurist Saffo's words, "It [the demo] was like a UFO landing on the White House lawn." The idea of cheap PCs was science fiction in an era of multimillion-dollar mainframes.
Initially, the landmark demo buoyed Engelbart's reputation, making it easier to win more government funding. The Augment system helped support the ARPA network. Work slowly started on personal computers as Xerox PARC researchers began to build a prototype, but the price--about $10,000--still made it impractical for consumers.
Meanwhile, Engelbart kept insisting that collaboration, not people working alone on desktops, was the end goal. But by the late 1970s, the supposed visionaries of technology were tuning out his message, dismissing Engelbart as a pioneer who'd never moved on.
"I was stigmatized. In some quarters, there were serious questions about my sanity and my integrity, " he observes. Why did he continue? "I didn't have enough imagination to think of a better goal."
Losing your reputation is one thing, being homeless is another. In 1976, fire destroyed Engelbart's Atherton home. A month later, while he and his family were living in temporary quarters at a hotel, the federal government cut off funding for Augment. By 1977, SRI was preparing to mothball Engelbart's revolution. He had no money to keep it going on his own.
It's hard to imagine a technology innovator today losing total control over such groundbreaking inventions. So I suggest the obvious, "Couldn't you have made money off the mouse?"
"Even though my name was on the patent, SRI, the research organization, owned it. This was standard practice at the time, " he says.
He did make some money off his invention. In the early '80s, SRI wrote Engelbart a check for $10,000 in a show of appreciation.
Engelbart wasn't preoccupied with money, but with saving Augment. SRI agreed to sell the system in 1977 to Tymshare, a phone networking company interested in Augment for office automation. Engelbart, the only remaining member of his research team, went along. He explains, "I went and stayed and stayed because that system represented a real outpost from where I thought we could go."
But he was alone in the commercial desert. Tymshare wouldn't support more research. He had a small cubicle in a Cupertino low-rise office building, one block from Apple Computer, where Jobs was launching the PC revolution.
Some nights he would wake up in a cold sweat. "I'd say, 'It's suicide to keep doing this.' Then I'd go through the reasons again." His reasoning goes like this: "Every year sooner" that the world learns how to tackle problems collectively, then every year sooner the odds increase that we can cope before "complex problems crash our whole society."
Nobody ever accused Engelbart of worrying about the small stuff.
When aeronautical conglomerate McDonnell Douglas Corp. acquired Tymshare in 1984, Engelbart was treated, in his words, "like a strange coding adviser." He tried to convince managers that they could improve productivity by using an internal computer network to collaborate and swap information. Engelbart was talking about an intranet--an innovation that caught on in corporations about three years ago.
"I showed them how it could change the way they did their design work and support for buyers, " Engelbart says. "Some people got excited. But then upper management canceled it. One guy said, 'IBM and Hewlett-Packard aren't using this sort of thing. I can't believe its worth doing."'
A pioneers' reunion
Although Engelbart considers the year he lost both his house and research funding the "lowest point in my life, " he almost died in the mid-'80s when he was diagnosed with lymphoma, a type of cancer. Doctors told him he had a 50 percent chance of survival. Thirteen years later, he is cancer-free, in excellent health and still championing his crusade.
On this Christmas Eve morning, Engelbart is a handsome figure, decked out in a suit, as he poses for the photographer at the Stanford Shopping Center. "I hardly ever wear a suit, " he says, looking uncomfortable but distinguished. From here, we'll head to his small corner office at the Bootstrap Institute, the think tank he founded in 1989.
During the years Engelbart battled lymphoma, he retired from McDonnell Douglas and founded the institute with help from his daughter, Christina, and her husband, Howard Franklin, who'd worked with start-ups. Logitech International, the firm that's made billions selling a commercial version of Engelbart's mouse, donated office space in its Fremont headquarters. Through the Bootstrap Institute and its offshoot, the Bootstrap Alliance, Engelbart is exploring the best way to network our collective brain power to improve the way organizations communicate and solve problems. Or, as he puts its, we need to "bootstrap our collective IQ."
A critical and missing component toward that goal is software written with open standards. How difficult a quest? Bill Gates would have to give up proprietary control over the way Microsoft software is written. But as the world networks more, the push for such standards intensifies.
And a handful of major corporations--IBM, Sun Microsystems, Fuji Xerox Co. in Japan--and government agencies have joined the Bootstrap Alliance to explore new ways to stay ahead of the fast-changing technology curve. There's talk of a new collaboration with SRI.
The Alliance's work has allowed Engelbart to join forces with old collegues such as Jeff Rulifson. Rulifson's unofficial role is interpreting his mentor's abstract-sounding vision and keeping Engelbart from driving recruits out the door. "He has a precise idea about what people should be working on, " says Rulifson. "He wants them to take big steps but they don't always want to do it that way. I've been able to get people to take small steps."
Interpreting Engelbart was also Rulifson's unofficial role at the Stanford symposium, a remarkable reunion of the pioneers who bucked the common wisdom of their time--when IBM reigned over a kingdom of unwieldy, screenless, imageless machines--and invented computers that interact with human beings.
"I got enough recognition that day [at the symposium] that I finally got validation with my family, " admits Rulifson. Even though he won the prestigious Association for Computing Machinery's 1990 award for his work with Engelbart and Bill English on the Augment system, Rulifson is a virtual unknown in a world that worships high-tech's moneymakers.
Netscape founder Marc Andreessen, one of the symposium panelists, was struck by the contrast between these original silicon revolutionaries and the pioneers of his generation. "The biggest difference in innovators like Doug is that the human impact was foremost in their minds, a social idealism that isn't there today, " observes the 27-year-old inventor of the browser credited with giving the public easy access to the World Wide Web.
"When you were working on Mosaic [the browser], were you trying to overcome a technological challenge or change mankind?" He laughs at my question and answers, "The former. Not many people have Doug's kind of willpower."
The old pioneers shake their head. "I do get heartburn to see young kids getting obscenely wealthy on third- or fourth- or fifth-level indirect ideas derived from Doug's work, while the guy who started this whole field still has to worry about making sure he's OK in his old age, " says van Dam, now overseeing research on interactive books at Brown University. He has high praise for Andreessen's work but calls Mosaic and its companion Web-linking technology 'crude' compared with the browser developed by Engelbart's team.
"It was more powerful and quicker, " confirms Rulifson, who wrote the software for the '68 browser. Instead of just linking you to a general Web page, the Augment browser took you to the exact piece of information.
"That's probably true, " admits Andreessen good-naturedly. He says he did study Engelbart's work but he couldn't find detailed information about the code. Now he owns a complete set of Engelbart's papers and is searching through them for a still unmined Next Great Idea.
Does he feel guilt over making millions off Engelbart's innovations? "That's a tough question, " he answers. "People take different paths because of their goals." Engelbart agrees. "I don't see why he should feel guilty. I had my opportunity, if not more, but I never pursued it."
It's enough that he has won back his reputation--something many visionaries don't live to see.
As the photo session wraps up, the photographer shows us the instant digital proofs on her computer monitor. Using a mouse, she starts moving around head shots of Engelbart.
"Did you ever think that 30 years later, the mouse would be used for this?" I ask. Up shoot the thick gray eyebrows. He looks genuinely puzzled. "I figured 10 to 15 years." Engelbart shrugs, "What's taken so long?"
Tech Pioneers
Some of the computer scientists responsible for groundbreaking technological innovations in the past three decades have achieved a measure of fame; others toiled for years with little or no recognition outside the industry. Those who appeared at the tribute to Douglas Engelbart at Stanford University in December:
- Stuart Card -- Took idea of the mouse and helped refine it. Still at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, developing new paradigms of human-machine interaction. William K. English -- Credited with building the hardware and many software interfaces for Engelbart's groundbreaking two-way interactive oNLine System. (Engelbart showed him a sketch for an idea--the computer mouse; English built it.) After leaving the Stanford Research Institute's Augmentation Research Center, English continued his work at Xerox PARC. Later moved to Sun Microsystems; now retired and lives on a houseboat in Sausalito.
- Charles Irby -- Worked with Engelbart as chief architect of NLS at SRI. Led design of the Xerox Star user interface at Xerox PARC. Responsible for consumer products and technology at Silicon Graphics.
- Alan Kay -- Conceived ideas of the personal laptop computer, overlapping-window interface and modern object-oriented programming. One of the founders of Xerox PARC. Member of the University of Utah ARPA research team that developed 3-D graphics; participated in the original design of the ARPANET. Currently VP of research and development, The Walt Disney Company.
- Ted Nelson -- Coined the term 'hypertext.' Now heads Project Xanadu, which seeks a "deeper" form of hypertext and publishing than currently available.
- Jeff Rulifson -- Worked with Engelbart and English at Xerox PARC on NLS, videoconferencing and more. Moved to SRI as a mathematician. An ARPANET pioneer. Currently executive at Sun Microsystems.
- Andries "Andy" van Dam -- In 1967 collaborated with Nelson on the development of the Hypertext Editing System (HES); has since built multiple other hypermedia systems. A founder of Brown University's Department of Computer Science.


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FILE - In this March 25, 2009 file photo, Video game enthusiasts attend the Game Developers Conference, in San Francisco. The schedule for the 2013 GDC held March 25-29, illustrates the dramatic changes that have reshaped the gaming industry in recent years, an evolution that's as much about business models as it is about pixels. GDC organizers have added a summit on free-to-play games, planned talks on topics like crowd funding and micro-transactions and coordinated panels with such titles as "Making Money with Mobile Gaming" and "Why Won't FarmVille Go Away?" (AP Photo/Ben Margo, Filet)
The GDC attracts over 22,500 attendees, and is the primary forum where programmers, artists, producers, game designers, audio professionals, business decision-makers and others involved in the development of interactive games gather to exchange ideas and shape the future of the industry.
It's grown from an informal gathering of about 25 developers in the living room of a notable game designer 26 years ago, to a week-long conference for more than 22,500 industry insiders.
Initially, the GDC was focused on computer games, but the industry has now diversified to the point that it includes any number of platforms, such as dedicated gaming consoles, handheld devices, mobile, smartphone and tablet devices, online, and of course computers.
From year to year, the GDC continues to define market innovations and future vision, providing insight into the future of gaming. This year developers are getting ready to make games for a new console coming out this coming holiday season: PlayStation 4.
But one of the GDC booths that got the most attention this year is an independent start-up company called Oculus VR, which made what some are calling the first Virtual Reality headset that gamers will actually want.
Several major new titles set to be released later this year were unveiled at GDC 13, including:
- the next installment in the military action first-person shooter game "Battlefield 4." The 25-game Battlefield series has sold 50 million units worldwide since its inception in 2002.
- from the makers of Mortal Kombat, "Injustice: Gods Among Us" is an upcoming superhero fighting game based upon the fictional universe of DC Comics.
- the third-person action-adventure "Star Trek: The Video Game," uses actor likenesses and voices from the upcoming Star Trek movie from Paramount Pictures
There was also an update on one of the most popular casual games of all time. Tetris Blitz is a new, faster-paced version of the classic puzzle game designed for smart phones and tablets.

subset: commoncrawl


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POSITION: Left Wing
SHOOTS: Left
BIRTHPLACE: Lloydminster, AB, CAN
DRAFTED: BUF: 2003-74 overall
|Memorial Cup All-Star Team (2004) WHL East First All-Star Team (2005) Traded to Atlanta by Buffalo for Atlanta's 3rd (Jerome Gauthier-Leduc) and 4th (Steven Shipley) round picks in 2010 NHL Draft, March 3, 2010. Signed as a free agent by Toronto, August 28, 2010. Signed as a free agent by Crimmitschau (German-2), October 23, 2012. Signed as a free agent by Ottawa, July 5, 2013. Missed Majority of 2015-16 due to upper-body injury at Columbus, October 14, 2015.
Pet Peeve: Loud eaters
BECAME A LEAF: Signed as a free agent by Toronto, August 27, 2010.
TRANSACTIONS: Originally Buffalo's third choice, 74th overall, in 2003 Entry Draft. Traded to Atlanta by Buffalo for Atlanta's third (Jerome Gauthier-Leduc) and fourth (Steven Shipley) round choices in 2010 Entry Draft, March 3, 2010.
2011-12 SEASON: Played 73 games for the Maple Leafs collecting 43 points (20 goals, 23 assists) with 37 penalty minutes. Ranked 1st on the Maple Leafs in plus/minus (+3) and 2nd in game-winning goals (4-tie). Suspended for 3 games (Oct. 1 – 8: 1 preseason game and 2 regular season games) for illegal hit to head of Justin Abdelkader Sept. 30 at Detroit. Missed game Oct. 20 at Boston due to injury. Played 300th career NHL game and scored 2 goals Nov. 3 at Columbus. Missed 3 games (Nov. 17 – 20) due to upper-body injury. Played 100th career Leafs game and scored a goal Nov. 27 at Anaheim. Missed game Dec. 6 at New Jersey due to upper-body injury. Registered a career-high 7-game point streak (Dec. 22 – Jan. 5) with 8 points (3 goals, 5 assists). Collected 3 points (2 goals,1 assist) including game-winning overtime goal and a (+3) rating Jan. 24 at NY Islanders. Registered a 5-game point streak (Jan. 24 – Feb. 6) with 9 points (5 goals, 4 assists). Collected 100th career NHL assist Feb. 18 at Vancouver. Collected 2 assists, including 100th Maple Leafs point Feb. 13 at Florida. Missed 2 games (Mar. 23 & 24) due to upper body injury. Collected 2 assists Mar. 31 vs. Buffalo.
CAREER: 2010-11: Played 82 games for the Maple Leafs collecting 62 points (21 goals, 41 assists) with 37 penalty minutes. Ranked 1st on Maple Leafs in assists, 2nd in points, and 3rd (tie) in powerplay goals (6). Established career-highs for games played, goals, assists, points, powerplay goals and shots. 1 of 5 Maple Leafs players to play in all 82 games. Made Maple Leafs debut and scored game-winning goal Oct. 7 vs. Montreal. Scored a goal Oct. 15 at NY Rangers and became 1st player in franchise history to score a goal in each of his 1st 4 games with the club (1917 to date). Collected 100th career NHL point (assist) Nov. 10 at Florida. Tied a Maple Leafs franchise record for assists in a period with 3 assists in 2nd period Nov. 16 vs. Nashville. Registered a seasonhigh 5-game point and assist streak (Dec. 14 – 26) with 5 assists. Collected 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist) Jan. 7 at Atlanta. Scored 20th goal of season Mar. 12 vs. Buffalo. Collected 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) and a (+3) rating Mar. 29 vs. Buffalo.
2009-10: Split season between Buffalo and Atlanta. Played 60 games for Buffalo collecting 26 points (13 goals, 13 assists) with 47 penalty minutes. Played 21 games for Atlanta collecting 9 points (3 goals, 6 assists) with 2 penalty minutes. Made debut with Atlanta and scored a goal Mar. 4 vs. NY Islanders (Dwayne Roloson). Played 200th career NHL game Mar. 25 vs. Toronto. Scored 1st career shorthanded goal Apr. 9 at Washington.
2008-09: Played 71 games for Buffalo collecting 31 points (17 goals, 14 assists) with 56 penalty minutes. Recorded a season-high 4-game point-streak (Oct. 25 – Nov.1) with 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists). Played in 100th career NHL game Jan. 13 vs. Carolina. Tied a career-high with 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) Dec. 20 at Montreal. Missed final 3 games of regular season due to upper body injury. Missed 8 games as a healthy scratch.
2007-08: Split season between Buffalo and Rochester (AHL). Played 37 games for Buffalo collecting 15 points (8 goals, 7 assists) with 20 penalty minutes. Missed 1 game due to flu. Played 43 games for Rochester collecting 42 points (14 goals, 28 assists) with 26 penalty minutes. Scored GWG in his 1st game of season Nov. 7 vs. Boston.
2006-07: Played 19 games for Buffalo collecting 7 points (3 goals, 4 assists) with 4 penalty minutes. Played 1st NHL game Dec. 19 vs. Montreal. Collected 1st NHL point (assist) Feb. 20 vs. Philadelphia. Scored 1st career NHL goal Feb. 22 vs. Ottawa (Martin Gerber). Played 51 games for Rochester and ranked 1st on team in scoring with 63 points (21 goals, 42 assists). Played in 2007 AHL All-Star Game. Played 6 playoff games for Rochester collecting 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) with 4 penalty minutes.
2005-06: Played 69 games for Rochester in 1st professional season collecting 53 points (21 goals, 32 assists) with 71 penalty minutes. Ranked 2nd on team in goals and points. Scored 1st professional goal Oct. 28 at Toronto Marlies.
2004-05: Played 58 games for Medicine Hat (WHL) and ranked 2nd on team in scoring with 74 points (30 goals, 44 assists). Played 13 playoff games for Medicine Hat and ranked 1st on team in scoring with 11 points (3 goals, 8 assists). Named to WHL East First All-Star Team. Played 6 games for Canada at IIHF World Junior Championship scoring 4 goals. Won gold medal with Canada. Played for "Team WHL" in CHL's Canada-Russia Challenge in December 2004. Played 3 playoff games for Rochester collecting 1 assist.
2003-04: Played 62 games for Medicine Hat collecting 75 points (35 goals, 40 assists) with 93 penalty minutes. Played 20 playoff games collecting 18 points (8 goals, 10 assists). Won WHL Championship with Medicine Hat. Played 4 games for Medicine Hat at Memorial Cup collecting 5 points (1 goal, 4 assists) with 2 penalty minutes. Named to Memorial Cup All-Star Team.
2002-03: Played 70 games for Medicine Hat collecting 75 points (23 goals, 52 assists) with 104 penalty minutes. Played 11 playoff games for Medicine Hat collecting 9 points (3 goals, 6 assists) with 8 penalty minutes.


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The Marconi OMS 1600 Optical Multi-Service Metro is a compact and advanced multiservice transport and switching platform (MSTP/MSPP).
The Marconi OMS 1600 family is optimized for the delivery of a wide range of traditional and data services from an SDH or SDH/DWDM/OTN infrastructure. It enables operators to respond profitably to the demand for Full Service Broadband services.Marconi OMS 1600 enables significant network simplification, and rapid and efficient delivery of multiple services. It is a compact, multiservice transport and switching platform designed specifically for an environment of growing demand for new data services.


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Friday, October 15, 2010
Chicken Soup (Part 1)
Well, I guess we just got a little more serious about the whole 'homesteading' thing...
Our Speckled Sussex hens were not quite living up to our expectations as egg layers. They were an impulse purchase at the local hay and grain. I cannot be purchasing chicks on impulse. This is a 6,000 square foot urban lot with a 1200 square foot house on it. There is not a whole lot of room for livestock. Chickens live a long time and only lay eggs regularly for a few short years.
I was in the process of introducing two new young hens to the flock which was not going well. First of all, they were supposed to be an Americauna, a Wellsummer, and a Barnevelder. But, noooo..... We ended up with an Americauna (fine), an Aracauna, and another damn Speckled Sussex! To make things worse the Speckled Sussex turned out to be a rooster. Roosters are not allowed within city limits. What a mess. Another impulse purchase gone awry. The rooster went to live on a ranch outside of town.
So, I began to introduce the two young hens to the resident flock after carefully raising them in an separate enclosure within the main enclosure. Everybody was happy. Then, the second the smaller enclosure was removed all hell broke loose. The resident Americauna went for blood and the Sussex joined in. The terrified new hens decided to live in the tree above the coop and have nothing to do with the older hens since they want to KILL them.
All I wanted were some nice little hens to lay some nice big eggs on a regular basis for the kids to collect and for us to eat. But, no. It had to be blood and mayhem and chickens living in the trees!
So, that was it. I decided the Sussex had to go. I'm still attached to my first ever chicken (the older Americauna) so I gave her a break (for now). Luckily she went into a full molt and was too weak to continue to try to KILL the new hens.
I got out my copy of THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF COUNTRY LIVING, turned to the section on butchering chickens and made plans for the following morning. We happened to have an out of town guest staying with us who probably thought we had completely lost our minds. "Have you ever done this before?", he asked. "No", we both answered and carried on with our plan.
My husband got up the next morning and said, "O.k., I've got my killin' pants on!". He reached for the cleaver and headed out to the backyard. Our visiting friend and I followed. I got a big pot heating on the outdoor stove. I looked over toward the coop and saw my husband holding Hanna (one of the Speckled Sussex). He looked like he was just having a little talk with her. I asked, "Are you going to be able to do this?". He said, "Yep". We all headed over to where the cleaver was waiting.
Posted by Petaluma Urban Homesteaders at 8:38 PM
Labels: chickens
3 comments:
- Amy said...
I hate introducing new hens to a flock. I won't do it anymore just for that reason!
I butchered one chicken a year ago... it wasn't fun and definitely not pretty but hey, at least now I know how to do it!
- October 15, 2010 at 9:59 PM
- Beware of Guard Ducks said...
This is my favorite part of the post, "All I wanted were some nice little hens to lay some nice big eggs on a regular basis for the kids to collect and for us to eat. But, no. It had to be blood and mayhem and chickens living in the trees!"
Ha! Isn't that so true w farm animals. You think what could go wrong? Yeah right! It's a lot of work, but so worth it. Good luck!
- October 22, 2010 at 12:37 PM
- audra said...
That's some good story telling! Can't wait to get to part 2...
- December 31, 2010 at 5:21 PM
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b. dolan wrote: if you watch old richard pryor he used to do that shit perfectly... and eventually the audience would show up feeling like they could say anything to him at any time.
mancabbage wrote: badly drawn boy tried to barge me out the way at the crobar (horrible bar full of fat men singing iron maiden). not realizing who he was at first we got into a barny, he started insulting me and then i clocked who he was and told him he was a coffee table, daily mail, richard and judy rockstar which made my day. i shoulda threatened to steal his hat but meh, anyway it turns out his car had broken down and was outside (his mate who had come over to apologize to me for him being a twat, had told me).. As i left i found two of my friends pissing on his engine.


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In Theaters This Week
Stunning. Surprising. Brilliant.
The latest James Bond film,"Skyfall," is all that and more. For the last half a century -- the Bond franchise marks its 50th anniversary this year with the release of its 23rd installment -- 007 has been dazzling viewers with thrilling action sequences, dapper suits, and, of course, his iconic Aston Martin DB5. Despite its long existence, "the game," as M puts it, certainly isn't getting old.
"Skyfall" is the first James Bond flick to be released in the last four years, as well as the first installment I've seen. The last film, "Quantum of Solace," came out when I was just 11 years old. Although I'm new to Bond, I walked into the theater expecting to get a taste of the densely-packed action and high class style the character has made famous over the years. Within one minute of watching the film, I could tell I would not be disappointed: The opening scene is a rough-and-tumble chase through the winding lanes of Istanbul's Grand Bazaar.
Don't be fooled into thinking that the excitement is over, though. Within minutes, Bond is up and running again on an around-the-world mission to catch cyberterrorist Silva, a crazy psychopath and computer genius played by a flawless Javier Bardem. His next stop is the dazzling city of Shanghai, literally ablaze with neon lights, cars, and skyscrapers, followed by Macau, where he sails through a luminous dragon's mouth and into a casino to track down his target. A short visit to a deserted island to meet his nemesis, and it's off to Scotland, where he confronts Silva one last time at the Bond family's ancestral estate.
All the while, Bond and his fellow MI6 agents are in no shortage of old fashioned or cutting-edge weaponry. The most exciting fight sequences in the film seamlessly blend pocket-size radios and customized guns with grenades, rifles, and dynamite. Despite the pleasing action, what captivated me most was the iconic style and ease with which 007 went about his business. Bond's ever sleek suits barely suffered a wrinkle as he rode over rooftops and gunned down the bad guys, and his classic beige Aston Martin DB5 sparkled as he brought it out from an old garage in the middle of the film.
There is no doubt that "Skyfall" is one of the best movies of 2012. Even as a teen who has never seen a Bond flick before, everything about the movie was riveting. The action sequences were executed perfectly, the style and aesthetics were spot on, and the plot contained a steady stream of surprises that kept me on the edge of my seat. This is a movie that people will be going back to see twice. I know I want to. And when it's time for 007's next installment to hit the big screen, I'll be the first in line for a ticket, wanting more.
The Life in Perspective board is made up of teens who write for the features sections. Tara Iyer is a sophomore at Evergreen Valley High School in San Jose. Reach her at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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December is upon us, and that means holiday shopping, long waits in airport security, enough Christmas music to last a lifetime, and, of course, "best of" lists.
Paste is kicking off the year end season with their "50 Best Albums of 2012″ list. "Best of" lists are obviously a matter of opinion: we know that. Paste's list will be different than Vice's list which will be different than Pitchfork's list. The fun lies in the overlap. It's nice to see which albums everyone [...] Read More >


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2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 stalk celery (including leaves,) diced
1/2 poblano pepper, seeded, diced (can use bell pepper)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, finely diced
2 cups shredded zucchini (can use yellow squash)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup chicken broth (I used 1/2 cup water and one packet of Savory Choice Chicken Broth Concentrate)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
1 14 3/4 oz can creamed corn
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
3 cups crumbled cornbread (I used six cornbread muffins)
salt and pepper
In large skillet, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, poblano and jalapeno peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until onions are translucent, 5-6 minutes. Add zucchini, season again with salt and pepper and saute for another 5-6 minutes, until zucchini is softened and cooked. Add garlic and saute for another minute or two. Sprinkle flour over all and stir to combine. Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, to cook flour. Slowly add in broth and buttermilk and stir to a smooth consistency. Season with onion powder, thyme, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Add creamed corn and frozen corn kernels. Simmer for a few more minutes then remove from heat. Stir in parsley.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl place cornbread crumbs. Add the above mixture and stir well to combine. Spray 9X9 baking dish with cooking spray. Pour mixture into dish. Place in preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes.


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Ein el-Hillweh was established near the city of Sidon in 1948 by the International Committee of the Red Cross to accommodate refugees from Amqa, Saffourieh, Shaab, Taitaba, Manshieh, al-Simireh, al-Nahr, al-Sofsaf, Hitten, Ras al-Ahmar, al-Tiereh and Tarshiha in northern Palestine.
UNRWA began operations in the camp in 1952, gradually replacing the tents with concrete shelters.
Many refugees at other camps within Lebanon, particularly those near Tripoli, were displaced to Ein el-Hillweh during the civil war. The camp became the biggest camp in Lebanon, in terms of both population and area size. It was especially hard hit by violence between 1982 and 1991, which resulted in a high number of casualties and the near total destruction of the camp.
Ein el-Hillweh's inhabitants mainly work as casual labourers in construction sites, orchards and embroidery workshops, or as cleaners. There is quite a high drop-out rate in schools as students are often forced to leave school in order to support their families.
Shelters in the camp are small and very close to each other. Some still have metal sheet roofing. UNRWA constructed a multi-storey housing complex in 1993-1994 to accommodate some displaced families, mainly from the Nabatiyeh camp, destroyed by Israel in 1974.
A number of displaced refugees continue to live on the edge of the camp in extremely poor conditions.
Employment opportunities
The Wavel camp was originally a French army barracks, and the original twelve buildings provided shelter to Palestine refugees in 1948.
In 1952, UNRWA assumed responsibility for providing services in the camp. Wavel is 90km east of Beirut in the Beqaa Valley, near the city of Baalbek.
Although the camp suffered less structural damage than other camps during the years of civil conflict, living conditions are particularly severe.
Housing is unhealthy as many refugees still live in the original Mandate-era army barracks, which lack daylight and ventilation. Conditions are particularly harsh in the winter, as the valley is a remote rural area with severe winter weather.
When combined with poverty, these conditions result in a number of social problems. Palestine refugees are only able to find seasonal work in agriculture and construction. Students often drop out of school in order to support their families.
The camp's water system, sewerage and storm water drainage systems were recently rehabilitated.
The Shatila camp in southern Beirut was established in 1949 by the International Committee of the Red Cross to accommodate the hundreds of refugees who poured into the area from Amka, Majed al-Kroum and al-Yajour area villages in northern Palestine after 1948.
The camp was devastated during the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon and was frequently targeted during the Lebanese civil war, which resulted in the destruction of property and displacement of refugees.
Most of men work as labourers or run grocery stores, and women work as cleaners.
Environmental health conditions in Shatila are extremely bad. Shelters are damp and overcrowded, and many have open drains. The sewerage system needs considerable expansion. An infrastructure project is currently being implemented in the camp to upgrade the sewage, the storm water system and the water network.
The destruction of Nahr el-Bared camp (NBC) in 2007 led to the loss of the homes and properties of the Palestinian community. Over 27,000 Palestine refugees were forced to abandon their homes. The UNRWA compound housing the Agency's health centre, schools and relief office was also completely destroyed. Almost seven years later, much of the community remains uprooted and continues to rely heavily on assistance from UNRWA.
The effects of this displacement have compounded the already severe socioeconomic conditions facing these refugees and constitute a chronic humanitarian crisis. While UNRWA has continued to provide urgent relief assistance to displaced NBC residents since 2007, shortfalls in available funding have forced the Agency to review its level of relief provision and to target scarce resources at those most desperately in need.
The total estimated cost of reconstructing NBC is US$ 345 million, of which US$ 188 million has been secured to date. This leaves a shortfall of US$ 157 million which needs to be found. The shortfall in relief assistance for NBC for 2013 is US$ 6.4 million. The budget for 2014 is estimated at US$ 8.7 million.
The reconstruction of Nahr el-Bared Camp (NBC) is the largest project that UNRWA has ever implemented in any of its five fields of operation. The project involves the reconstruction of residential units for 4,867 families, 1,105 shops, the UNRWA Compound and all camp infrastructure. The physical reconstruction of NBC commenced in November 2009 following the removal of over 500,000 cubic metres of rubble and the successful clearance of over 12,500 unexploded ordinances (UXOs).
For ease of planning and delivery, the reconstruction of NBC was divided into 8 Packages. To date, all of Package 1 and most of Package 2 have been completed and handed over, three of the Blocks in Package 3 are completed, three are underway and the remaining block will be commencing in early 2014. In Package 4, which is fully funded, work has commenced on six of the eight Blocks, with the remaining two to commence soon after. Package 5 is currently at the design stage and funding for this and the other three remaining Packages is currently being sought.
In the UNRWA compound, construction of the health centre and five of the six school complexes, including the Northern Training Centre (NTC), has been completed. The remaining school, currently unfunded, will be constructed once later Packages in the development have been completed. Funding for the reconstruction of the Camp Services Office and the NGO offices (Women's Programme Centre and Audi Club) is also needed.
As of January 2014, 1,321 families (5,857 residents) have returned to live in their new apartments and 284 shops have been provided for traders. The remaining 3,546 displaced families (15,723 residents), however, continue to live in temporary accommodation in the NBC-adjacent areas and in nearby Beddawi camp.
Rashidieh camp is divided into "old" and "new" sections.
The older part was built by the French government in 1936 to accommodate Armenian refugees who fled to Lebanon.
The "new camp" was built by UNRWA in 1963 to accommodate Palestine refugees who were evacuated from Gouraud camp in the Baalbek area of Lebanon. Most of the inhabitants of Rashidieh camp originally come from Deir al-Qassi, Alma an-Naher and other villages in northern Palestine.
The camp lies on the coast, 5km from Tyre. Rashidieh was heavily affected during the Lebanese civil war, especially between 1982 and 1987. Nearly 600 shelters were totally or partially destroyed and more than 5,000 refugees were displaced. Remaining shelters need serious rehabilitation.
Employment opportunities are very limited. Most residents work seasonally in agriculture and construction.
Almost all shelters in the camp are ventilated, and are supplied with water and electricity. Although they all have private toilets, the camp has no sewerage system. UNRWA is awaiting the construction of the main municipal sewer line in order to construct a sewerage system and connect to it. The storm water drainage and water supply system was recently rehabilitated.
The Mieh Mieh camp, 4km east of Sidon, was established in 1954.
Refugees in Mieh Mieh generally came from Saffourieh, Tiereh, Haifa and Miron in Palestine.
The camp suffered considerable damage during the years of civil conflict, particularly in July 1991 when 15 per cent of its shelters were destroyed, along with UNRWA's school and distribution centre.
The socio-economic situation of the refugees is extremely difficult. Men find work as casual labourers in construction sites and in orchards. Women work in orchards, in embroidery workshops and as cleaners.
The water and sewerage systems were recently rehabilitated, and all shelters are now supplied with water through a network connected to UNRWA's water plant. However, due to frequent water shortages, another well is needed.
The smallest camp in Lebanon, Mar Elias was founded in 1952 by the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox convent to accommodate Palestine refugees from the Galilee in northern Palestine. It is located southwest of Beirut.
Most of the men in the camp work as casual labourers or for small businesses, such as grocery stores or car maintenance workshops. Some women work in sewing factories or as cleaners.
There is a high incidence of chronic disease in this camp, with many refugees suffering from hypertension, cancer and diabetes.
The infrastructure needs comprehensive rehabilitation.
El Buss refugee camp is located 1.5km south of Tyre.
The French government originally built the camp in 1939 for Armenian refugees. Palestinians from the Acre area in the Galilee came to el-Buss in the 1950s and the Armenians were moved to the Anja area.
Because of its relatively small size and location, the camp was spared much of the violence that other camps experienced throughout the Lebanese civil war.
The residents of El Buss generally work in seasonal agricultural and construction.
The camp's inhabitants live in concrete block shelters, some of which were built by the refugees themselves. The water, sewerage and storm water systems were rehabilitated between 2007 and 2008.
The Dbayeh camp is 12km east of Beirut on a hill overlooking the Beirut-Tripoli highway.
It was established in 1956 to accommodate Palestine refugees who originally came from the Galilee in northern Palestine.
Because of its strategic location, the camp suffered a great deal of violence and destruction during the civil war. In 1990 alone, a quarter of its shelters were destroyed or severely damaged and over 100 of its principally Christian Palestine refugee families were displaced. It is the only remaining Palestinian refugee camp in the eastern suburbs of Beirut.
Residents live in severe economic hardship and many are unemployed. A few men find work as casual labourers and some young men work in shops or as cleaners. The camp's infrastructure is currently undergoing comprehensive rehabilitation.
The Burj Shemali camp is 3km east of the city of Tyre in south Lebanon.
The camp was established to provide tented shelter for refugees from Hawla and Tiberias in northern Palestine in 1948. The camp also houses displaced Palestine refugees from other parts of Lebanon. UNRWA began providing services there in 1955.
The camp suffered a great deal of damage during the years of civil conflict and much work still needs to be done to improve the infrastructure.
Most shelters have been rebuilt with concrete blocks, though there are still many makeshift centres with zinc roofing. All shelters have electricity. Water is supplied through three UNRWA-operated wells. The water supply network and the sewerage and storm water drainage systems were funded by the EU. The camp is supplied with potable water from four local wells.
Unemployment is extremely high in Burj Shemali. Most men find work in seasonal agriculture, construction and manual work. Women work in agriculture and as house cleaners.
The camp has recently undergone infrastructure improvements, including instalment of a water supply network and sewerage system. A four-year project to repair or reconstruct 450 shelters began in 2007.
Established by UNRWA in 1955, Beddawi camp is located on a hill in north Lebanon, 5km north of Tripoli.
All shelters have indoor water supplies. The water system, sewerage and storm water drainage systems were recently rehabilitated.
Beddawi bore the brunt of the crisis at Nahr el-Bared, where fighting between the Lebanese armed forces and the radical militant group, Fatah Al-Islam, forced 27,000 refugees to flee. Beddawi's population swelled from 15,000 to 30,000 almost overnight.
At mid-2009, around 10,000 displaced people were still living in Beddawi and surrounding areas. This put a huge strain on UNRWA's services in Beddawi and placed further burdens on Beddawi's residents themselves.
UNRWA has built prefabricated school buildings for displaced children and expanded Beddawi's health center capacity to provide the primary healthcare services to cope with the increased population.
The League of Red Cross Societies established the Burj Barajneh camp in 1948 to accommodate refugees who fled from the Galilee in northern Palestine. The camp is in the southern suburbs of Beirut, near Beirut International Airport.
Burj Barajneh suffered heavily throughout the Lebanese civil war. Refugees' property was badly damaged and nearly a quarter of the camp's population was displaced.
Men from the camp generally work as casual labourers in construction, and women work in sewing factories or as cleaners.
It is the most overpopulated camp around Beirut and living conditions are extremely poor. The camp also has narrow roads, an old sewage system, and is regularly flooded during winter.
In December 2009 a rehabilitation project funded by the European Union began. It will install a new water supply system, replace the sewage network, clear storm water and reinstate alleys and roads.


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With cholera importation again a looming threat to America, Kinyoun entered the Marine-Hospital Service (MHS) on 4 October 1886 (Figure 9) (11, 25, 27) in a key position at the Staten Island quarantine station, the most likely port of entry for exportable European infectious diseases like cholera. The life of an MHS officer in this era was typically one of adventure but also of danger, with many officers dying in the line of duty, especially from yellow fever and other infections they were trying to contain. As was customary in the MHS, and probably as a legacy of the secretive former military man/MHS Surgeon General Woodworth (11), Kinyoun received a code name he carried with him throughout his MHS career: Abutment. The New York quarantine station hospital (still standing as of 2012) was a facility newly rented from the Marine Society (Figures 10–14) (28–33), the entire station having just been relocated from Bedlow (Bedloe) Island (now called Liberty Island) to allow construction there of the Statue of Liberty. Hamilton quickly set up the nation's first federal bacteriology laboratory in a museum room and placed the 26-year-old newcomer in charge of it (2, 28, 29). Kinyoun opened up shop in August 1887 (2, 28, 29)—apparently on August 27 (33), the beginning of the NIH.
Kinyoun's 16-year MHS career corresponded with the emergence and growth of American microbiology and epidemiology and an MHS-influenced expansion of national public health. The Hygienic Laboratory began as a diagnostic laboratory supporting MHS quarantine activities against the (then) four quarantinable epidemic diseases: cholera, yellow fever, smallpox, and plague. At the time, cholera and yellow fever were the biggest of these threats; cholera was potentially the most amenable to new approaches due to Koch's 1884 isolation of a putative causative organism (24), which allowed for patient diagnosis and environmental detection using bacteriologic techniques. Especially during the warm weather "quarantine season," American consular offices around the world would cable the MHS about outbound ships that might harbor any of these quarantinable diseases, or which had left ports with ongoing epidemics. MHS officers in U.S. ports would then meet and inspect the ships, examine patients, conduct epidemiological investigations and, if necessary, quarantine and fumigate the ships, cargo, and ballast while disinfecting and isolating ill and well passengers, clothes, possessions, and mail (34).
Kinyoun had barely set up the Hygienic Laboratory when an Italian ship arrived in New York on 22 September 1887, reporting eight suspected cholera deaths en route; a sister ship followed shortly thereafter with three more deaths en route. Cholera had never been isolated in the United States; indeed, there were only a handful of men who had the knowledge and equipment to do so. Kinyoun's investigation led him to obtain cultures from living and (later) dead autopsied cholera patients that grew cholera vibrios, work which was thereafter confirmed by his friends Edward Orem Shakespeare (1846–1900; Blockley Hospital, Philadelphia), Biggs (at Bellevue), and T[heophil] Mitchell Prudden (1849–1924; at the [New York] College of Physicians and Surgeons) (Figure 6), to whom he had sent the cultures for "blind" confirmation. Only when the three men met to compare results—all positive—did Kinyoun and his Missouri MHS colleague Samuel Treat Armstrong (1859–1899) report the sensational news of the first bacterial detection of cholera in the Western Hemisphere (35,36). With the coup he had hoped for, Hamilton began boasting about Kinyoun and the Hygienic Laboratory, while gradually expanding its scope. As these events were unfolding, Kinyoun's 3-year-old daughter Bettie contracted and died of diphtheria (18), her physician father unable to save her. Diphtheria was the same terrible disease that had killed Kinyoun's New York patient and brought him close to quitting medicine forever. Bettie's death was a tragedy from which Kinyoun would never fully recover. He poured himself into work. The MHS soon overcame the National Board of Health to survive as the nation's sole public health agency (2). Within two years, in 1889, The Journal of the American Medical Association was calling for a "United States Public Health Service," an idea and a term still more than two decades away from realization. Even before authorizing legislation was enacted by Congress, Kinyoun moved beyond pure bacteriologic support of quarantine measures, extending his research to other infectious diseases of public health importance.
From 1887 until he stepped down as Hygienic Laboratory director 12 years later, Kinyoun pushed himself and the laboratory rapidly forward as mostly European microbiology breakthroughs created ever more applied research opportunities. He was fully supported by Hamilton and by Hamilton's successor Walter Wyman (1848–1911) (Figure 15) (37), another officer who had once studied in European laboratories in the pre-microbiology era.
In 1888, the New Orleans quarantine station was reorganized according to Kinyoun's recommendations, setting the stage for important yellow fever studies of the next decade (38). In late 1888, Kinyoun took an additional three months of laboratory training at Johns Hopkins under Welch (36). Later that year, Kinyoun's first MHS protégé, Henry Downes Geddings (1859–1913), began running a spinoff yellow fever laboratory in Florida's Dry Tortugas (Figure 16). When Robert Koch (1843–1910) announced that tuberculin was a cure for tuberculosis in 1890 (39–41), Kinyoun went to Berlin as a visiting scientist—simultaneously chaperoning the family of Lizzie's cousin, Georgia Sen. Joseph E. Brown (1821–1894)—and became among the first to conclude, based on laboratory and hospital investigations under Koch's direct supervision and at the Charité and Maobit hospitals, that tuberculin was not the hoped for cure (39, 40). Even so, he helped his German colleagues better evaluate treatment efficacy with modification of clinical study methods to introduce standardized examinations of patients, thereby controlling for type and severity of disease in those who did and did not receive treatment (39, 40).
As he worked in Berlin, Kinyoun sent tuberculin to Geddings with instructions to set up a parallel tuberculin clinical research program in Washington, DC (41). Somehow he managed to retain both his own skepticism about tuberculin and Koch's friendship, conducting a series of experiments under Koch while simultaneously working with Koch's most irritating critic, Rudolf Virchow (1821–1902) (Figure 17). From Kitasato Shibasaburō (1853–1931), the Koch laboratory's fellow visiting scientist from Cambridge, Ernest Hanbury Hankin (1865–1939), and from Paris-based Ilya Mechnikov (1845–1915), Kinyoun learned nascent principles of immunology (40), an even newer field than microbiology. He (correctly) predicted that further breakthroughs were inevitable, "[i]f the [immunological] theories of Kitasato, [von] Behring, and Hankin could be put into practical operation in combating acute infectious diseases by immunizing persons against them . . ." (40). Among the first scientists to fully appreciate the intimate relationship between microbiology and immunology, Kinyoun went on to articulate an early concept of two different components of immunity: innate and acquired immunity. From Berlin, he continued on to Paris to work under Pasteur, learning, among other things, how to produce rabies vaccine.
Bringing reagents, techniques, protocols, and ideas back to the United States, Kinyoun turned the Hygienic Laboratory—which moved to Washington, DC, in 1891 (Figures 18 and 19)—into a modern European style laboratory strongly oriented toward research with applied public health and clinical applications, while simultaneously supporting the many ongoing MHS outbreak investigations (Exhibit 1).
Exhibit 1. Kinyoun's first decade (1887–1896) as director of the Hygienic Laboratory. Selected research projects undertaken by Kinyoun and other efforts, organized by the year begun. In addition to these activities, Kinyoun was responsible for running the Hygienic Laboratory and supporting the investigations and diagnostic needs of the other MHS officers stationed across the country and abroad. Dates are approximate in some cases. See monograph text for additional information and references.
1887—Studied cholera diagnosis and growth properties in sea water; urged hospital isolation of tuberculosis patients; began work that debunked Carlos Finlay's claim for a micrococcal etiology of yellow fever but began correspondence with Finlay and was eventually persuaded by Finlay's theory of mosquito transmission.
1888—Studied microbial disinfection with steam/pressure and later sulfur and formaldehyde; began invention of multiple disinfecting machines.
1889—Studied bacteria on hands, nosocomial transmission by health care workers, and epidemiology of pneumococcal pneumonia and hospital carriage epidemics; identified role of pre-outbreak bacterial colonization in institutional epidemics; developed early credible theory of why pneumococcal epidemics usually occurred in winter.
1890—Studied yellow fever etiology, pandemic influenza, malaria, and lack of efficacy of cobra venom as cholera treatment.
1891—Proved lack of efficacy of tuberculin in treatment of tuberculosis; produced rabies vaccine; prepared first pneumococcal vaccine and first pneumococcal immune serum; studied "enteric fever"; studied contamination of potable water and water safety standards.
1893—Helped prepare new federal quarantine regulations; set up Hygienic Laboratory exhibit at the World's Columbian Exposition ("Chicago World's Fair").
1894—Was first American to study newly discovered plague bacillus; studied new diphtheria antitoxin in Berlin, Paris, and Washington, DC; became first to prepare and test smallpox immune serum in humans; conducted study of ventilation of U.S. House of Representatives; began three-month laboratory instruction course for MHS officers. Cohosted Convention of American Bacteriologists, first national organization of American microbiologists, followed four years later by the Society of American Bacteriologists (now the American Society for Microbiology); served as President in 1909.
1895—Warned about plague importation to United States; increased outbreak investigations related to general public health and unrelated to quarantine or marine issues; worked on typhoid fever.
1896—Conducted studies to distinguish variola from vaccinia; researched malaria; worked on streptococcal vaccine; began plague research program; worked on disinfection of railway coaches; was active against anti-vivisection movement; taught courses to civilians in Hygienic Laboratory.
From the outset, he believed that the Hygienic Laboratory "should form the nucleus of one national in its character" (31). In support of quarantine practice, Kinyoun invented numerous industrial disinfecting machines and experimented with temperature and pressure variables in them (42). Returning to Berlin and Paris in 1894, he became the first American to study Kitasato's/Yersin's newly discovered plague bacillus, and was also fortunate to witness firsthand a spectacular therapeutic breakthrough that must have had great personal significance: von Behring and Kitasato's diphtheria antitoxin (43–45). Kinyoun seems to have fully comprehended that he stood at the beginning of "a new epoch" (46). On the hospital wards, in the laboratory, and poring over clinical and epidemiologic information in both Paris and Berlin, he admitted that "I have tried hard to find fault, to pick flaws in the statistics, but have signally failed. The work must stand for itself," and "[it] has opened up a whole new field in infectious diseases" (43, 44). Perhaps remembering his own lost Bettie, Kinyoun was even moved to perhaps the least guarded comment yet found in his scientific writings and speeches, describing the antitoxin's lifesaving effect on dying children as "so astounding that at first one is almost compelled to ask one's self 'is this possible?' " (44, 45).
Back home, Kinyoun set about producing and distributing diphtheria antitoxin and other new biologicals (47), inviting specialists from around the nation to come to the Hygienic Laboratory to take a six-week course in preparation techniques under him, and making diphtheria antitoxin available to all of the MHS hospitals and to private physicians who were willing to send him detailed clinical information about their patients. He pleaded that physicians now had a moral responsibility to correctly diagnose and promptly treat their patients. As the lifesaving antitoxin began to be used, Kinyoun was also keenly interested in its impact on the epidemiology of diphtheria. He concluded that subclinical cases and those treated successfully were still transmitting diphtheria to others. In addition, he found that, although successful treatment was saving lives, it was actually increasing disease transmission, particularly to close contacts, because recovered children were quickly removed from isolation to resume contact with family members and schoolmates. He sent out and tested reagents, consulted with physicians and scientists, and became a committed advocate eager to speak at national and neighborhood meetings on hygiene, public health, and good medical practice. To save as many children as possible, Kinyoun set up a public diphtheria laboratory at Georgetown Medical School, at great personal expense (38).
Kinyoun developed a smallpox immune serum and tested it in a human clinical trial, apparently the first such effort anywhere (48). He kept up an energetic multifaceted research program (Exhibit 1); worked on making a streptococcal vaccine; was among the earliest to develop an experimental pneumococcal vaccine and an immune serum (49); conducted important yellow fever work; studied bacterial carriage and transmission by well carriers; advocated for nosocomial (hospital- and medical-care-acquired) infection control (46); and in his spare time studied the brand new technique of Roentgenology (radiology) while getting a Ph.D. from Georgetown University in 1896. In the early 1890s, he mentored would-be Army researcher Walter Reed, who became a lifelong friend and confidant. When the U.S. House of Representatives requested it, he conducted an investigation of the ventilation of House chambers and suggested cost-effective changes, wryly implying that the offensive odor problem was partly due to members spitting tobacco juice onto the carpet (50). When Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders came back from the Spanish-American war, Kinyoun put them under quarantine in Camp Wickoff, at Montauk Point, Long Island, to be treated for malaria, measles, and enteric fevers (51).
In Kinyoun's 1897 summary of the Hygienic Laboratory's first decade, he boldly proposed that instead of merely trying to study and control infectious diseases during epidemics, the federal government should create a laboratory-supported national and international research enterprise to "[look] into the nature, origin, and prevention of contagious epidemics, and other diseases affecting the people, and should also make investigations into other matters relating to public health" (52). This was a farsighted notion that went beyond the visions of most others in anticipating its mandate when it became the NIH some 33 years later. Meanwhile, the Hygienic Laboratory was expanding, and Kinyoun was developing increasingly comprehensive laboratory training programs for MHS officers (53).
Last Updated August 28, 2012
Last Reviewed August 28, 2012


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Miharu Hariko Papier-mache Doll, Samurai on Horseback
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|Miharu Hariko papier-mache doll of Samurai on Horseback armed with sword, bow & arrows. Miharu Village, Fukushima Prefecture, ca.1988. H.7.5"(19cm) x L.7"(18cm.) Excellent Condition. Miharu-machi (town) is located just NW of Koriyama City in central Fukushima Prefecture. They say the towns name mi (3) haru (spring) comes from the fact that the three famous blossoms of spring; plum, peach, and cherry, bloom here in profusion. This colorful backdrop, along with a scenic rural setting, and a long craft history, help to provide the inspiration for the papier-mache dolls known as Miharu Ningyo (Miharu Dolls.) Over 300 years ago, the first ancestor of the Hashimoto family to settle in the region was Hashimoto Keibu, a samurai displaced by civil wars. His descendants began making Miharu Ningyo under the patronage of feudal lords during the Edo Period (1600-1868.) Similar in form and theme as the clay dolls produced a bit north at Tsutsumi in Sendai-han (Province) , Miharu Ningyo were instead made of scrap paper pressed over mountain willow wooden molds, then glued and hand painted. Such items were sold to the retinues of samurai and officials that were forced to travel to and from their outposts to the capital in Edo (Tokyo) under the Shoguns san kin kotai (alternating residences) system. Souvenirs to take back to Tokyo were a must along the route. At the peak of the trades history in the 1700's some 30 families worked at this craft in Miharu, proding such items as Ebisu, Daikoku, &Daruma dolls. Today, there are about a dozen of the Hashimoto descendants continuing the tradition today at a collective of farm houses and gift shops known as Deko-Yashiki. Miharu artisans started out with paper because there were no good clay deposits in the area, but today say that paper actually creates a more lively, and expressive figurine than the stiffer, hardened clay. This can especially be seen in the dancing figures. Other standards are Ebisu, Daikoku, & Daruma dolls, as well as masks, and the popular zodiac animals. To meet the annual demand for the zodiac figures, work begins in the summer months and only a limited number of the following years animal is made, and released for sale at years end. But, loyal customers dont mind the annual wait. Todays dolls still use high quality hand-made paper of mulberry bark fibers, and are still hand-painted by the Hashimoto family descendants in this centuries old traditional folk craft. The techinique of hariko (papier-mache) is said to have come to Japan from China during the Muromachi Period (1333-1568.) The making of hariko dolls, masks, and other folk toys was an industry that saw great growth during the Edo Period (1600-1868) due to an increase in regional travel by samurai retinue and government officials from outlying castle towns to and from the capitol in Edo. This was especially true in areas where paper manufacturing was already established, and where the raw materials (proper woods such as mulberry; and clean cold running water) where readily available.


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LOS ANGELES -- Some thoughts on this Game 2 morning, with the Warriors gunning for a 2-0 series lead ...
Some more to the story line: If the Warriors had a theoretical coaching candidate shortlist, I believe TNT broadcaster Steve Kerr and Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg would be at the top of it.
The news today that the Knicks just fired Mike Woodson (with Kerr as the almost certain No. 1 candidate) and that Rick Adelman retired from the Timberwolves (with Hoiberg as a likely top option) certainly complicates things for any hypothetical Warriors wish list.
But those openings and wish lists were anticipated by everybody in the league, the Warriors front office included.
This is a many faceted decision: First, is Jackson their guy into the future?
It has been emphasized to me that no decision on this has been made, up or down, and it all has to start with that decision.
Also, I think it's obvious that there's no definitive stay/go playoff threshold for Jackson's tenure. It's not: Win the first round or more and you're the guy, lose and you're out. That is not the call here.
It'll just be a judgment at the end of the run, whenever it comes, and then there's Jackson's contract situation (he has one year left, and he'll almost surely want an extension to bump up his pay and to avoid being a lame duck next season).
Those are decisions to be made BEFORE the Warriors start wading deep into any potential alternate candidate list.
But you could probably assume that a first-round victory can only help his standing and a jump into the Western Conference finals would make him very valuable to this franchise.
Co-owner Joe Lacob can make funny faces on the sidelines during games ("I'm expressive!" he told me with some exasperation at halftime of Game 1 when I told him a viral photo of him glaring in the first half had hit the Internet), but he loves winning.
And this will be his decision.
Yes, Brothers was on the crew for Game 5 at Denver last season, when Stephen Curry got hammered a few times, even tripped, the Warriors lost, and Jackson went apoplectic in his postgame media session.
Jackson accused the Nuggets of sending hit men after Curry and said he had "inside information" from a Denver employee about that tactic.
The result: The NBA fined Jackson $25,000 for trying to influence the refereeing in the series.
Brothers also officiated the Warriors' Game 1 overtime loss in San Antonio.
Apparently Hilton Armstrong helped suggest it and Sunday Curry said it was along the lines of getting the Warriors' big men to align correctly so that the Clippers' backside three defenders have to spread out to try to cover them.
That makes the whip passes from big to big much more effective.
Obviously the Clippers will make adjustments for tonight's game, and then we'll see what the adjustments to the adjustments will be.
I predicted that the Warriors would win Game 1.
I'm predicting that the Clippers will come back ferociously, get much better play out of Jamal Crawford, Matt Barnes and Danny Granger ... and win Game 2 Monday -- maybe by double-digits -- to even the series.
Read Tim Kawakami's Talking Points blog at blogs.mercurynews.com/kawakami. Contact him at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
LEGO Shop Home Themes City Police ATV
Police ATV
- Item: 60006
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- Pieces:51
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Build the LEGO® City police ATV with an Elite Police officer, burglar, handcuffs, walkie-talkie, wheelbarrow, diamonds and a crowbar!
Stop the diamond thief with the LEGO® City Police ATV!
The burglar has loaded a stash of stolen diamonds onto his wheelbarrow and is getting away! Help the Elite Police officer to catch him on his speedy Police ATV! Retrieve the diamonds and handcuff that crook to restore peace and order to LEGO® City once again! Includes 2 minifigures: an Elite Police officer and a burglar with assorted accessories.
- Includes 2 minifigures: Elite Police officer and a burglar with assorted accessories
- Accessories include wheelbarrow, crowbar, walkie-talkie set, handcuffs and 4 diamonds
- Handcuff the crook!
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- Police ATV measures over 1" (5cm) high, 2" (6cm) long and 1" (4cm) wide
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text:
Nashua Telegraph: Wheels greased for debt gridlock
'The blame for (the national debt) lies with the Congress and the president, with Democrats and Republicans alike, most all of whom have been unwilling to make the hard choices or to explain to the American people that there is no such thing as a free lunch.' - late Sen. Warren B. Rudman
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Crop diversification has become a way for Pine Island farmers to deal with the vagaries of weather and market conditions. Sod farmer Chip Lain, for example, has expanded into soybean production and has invested in a 20,000 bushel grain bin. He also makes garden soil that he delivers to retail customers, Things like this compensate for a reduced demand for sod in a still-slow construction market.
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"Cops and Robbers," the new one-man play by hip-hop artist-turned police officer Jinho "The Piper" Ferreira, was borne of frustration.
After Oscar Grant was shot by a BART police officer in 2009, Ferreira, a West Oakland native, attended some of the protests with his wife. They heard people denouncing cops for being racist and not caring about the community. To Ferreira, some of the venting was "preaching to the choir."
He imagined a scenario for fixing the dysfunctional divide between police and the black community: "Identify every bad cop in the country and get them fired." But then he asked himself, "Who would replace them? And if none of us would replace them, what the hell are we doing here?"
That question sparked the energetic and intellectually voracious Ferreira's surprising decision to become a cop. He enrolled in the Alameda County Sheriff's Academy and landed a job on the force. But Ferreira, now in his 30s, wanted to do more. In a four-day "purge" of writing he penned "Cops and Robbers."
Opening this weekend at Berkeley's Marsh theater, the one-man show dissects an officer-involved shooting through the perspectives of 17 characters. While Ferreira's piece is often confrontational, he hopes it inspires conversations about race, police use of force, the media and black-on-black crime. The characters are drawn from people Ferreira knew growing up in West Oakland during the crack epidemic of the 1990s, as well as others he's met since becoming a deputy sheriff.
"I've walked a lot of these paths," said Ferreira. "And I believe I have brought what I've learned about these worlds to the stage."
Ferreira's play certainly doesn't preach to any one choir. The versatile actor plays all 17 parts, including a fiercely ambitious female TV reporter, the desperate parolee shot by the officer, a sociopathic street thug and a bombastic conservative radio host.
Through twists and turns, audiences learn that some of the "good guys" aren't so good while the "bad guys" are much better or much worse than anyone could imagine.
Ferreira is comfortable with such contradictions because, he admits, he embodies a fair number himself: "My story is kind of all over the place," he said.
His divorced single mother chased crack dealers out of their backyard while pushing her son to embrace reading. At Berkeley High, he found football and played well enough there and at Contra Costa College to earn a scholarship to Eastern Illinois University. But he returned to Oakland after a year. "I still needed to do some growing up."
He describes his 20s as somewhat aimless, hanging out with neighborhood friends who were "not the most clean-cut" individuals. He also lost friends and neighbors to violence, suicide and prison.
But Ferreira was no slacker. He poured himself into hip-hop, partnering with Richmond guitarist David Lopez to form the group Flipsyde. They enjoyed international success, with their album "We the People" going gold in India. While making music, Ferreira also earned a degree in African-American studies at San Francisco State and married Dawn Williams, a doctoral student in education at UC Berkeley, with whom he has three children.
The decision to go into law enforcement was agonizing but also Ferreira's "most courageous." He and Dawn worried friends would see him as a traitor to their community. He also didn't know if other officers would want to work with him, given he'd written lyrics that criticized police.
To his surprise, he found enlightened new colleagues, including Lt. Marty Neideffer, who drafted Ferreira to work for the new youth center he was opening in San Leandro.
"A sergeant told me I should look at this guy: He's amazing, he's talented, he's a rapper and he's a good cop," said Neideffer, who is among Ferreira's law enforcement colleagues who have seen "Cops and Robbers" and appreciate how it aims to break people out of their "ideological silos."
Ferreira's directors, husband and wife Lew Levinson and Ami Zins, hope a successful run at the Marsh will lead Ferreira to more opportunities to perform his play to diverse groups.
Some of the "dudes from the block" enjoyed the show, Ferreira said. He is proud that they probably encountered new viewpoints.
"That's what I feel I'm doing with this play, exposing people to different perspectives," Ferreira said. "You can't cover much ground if you're only talking to people who think like you."
Who: Jinho "The Piper" Ferreira
What: Actor, writer, hip-hop artist, Alameda County sheriff's deputy
Play: Written and performed by Ferreira, "Cops and Robbers" is a one-man show that plays Aug. 16 to Sept. 13 at the Marsh Berkeley Arts Center, 2120 Allston Way. Tickets are $20-$35. 510-841-1903, http://themarsh.org


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It was terrible to hear about the fire Monday morning at David Kinch's Manresa restaurant in Los Gatos, a culinary star that we're lucky to have in our backyard. And it reminded me of another blaze nearly 20 years ago, when a grease fire started at Original Joe's in downtown San Jose on June 23, 1995.
Owner Brad Rocca remembers that day well, as he was at work when it started. He and the staff didn't panic but shut off the hood fans to keep the fire from spreading through the ducts, opened the doors and called the Fire Department.
"Once they broke open the wood paneling in front of the hood, you could see just how bad it was burning," Rocca said Monday.
He and his brother, Matt Rocca, initially expressed hope they could be back in business by that weekend, but the reality was more than three months. That was an agonizing amount of time for some of us to go without veal parmigiana.
"I never worried about losing customers, and neither did my brother, Matt," said Rocca, who wished Manresa and its staff the speediest of recoveries. "Like the adage, sometimes you don't appreciate what you have until it's gone. Well, I think many of our regular customers missed not being in their daily/weekly routine and were counting the days when we reopened. Fortunately for us, they all came back!"
Rocca also recalled a fire on the fifth floor of the restaurant's building in 1972. Times were apparently different then, as the Fire Department didn't immediately order the restaurant evacuated and diners refused to leave their meals unless the fire reached the second floor. It didn't, and they kept eating as firefighters battled the blaze.
IT RUNS ON THE SUN: Electric cars are all the rage right now, but could solar-powered cars be the next thing on the horizon? The Phoenix, a solar-powered car built by engineering students at Oregon State University, is on display Tuesday evening in Palo Alto.
The speedy vehicle won the 2013 Formula Sun Grand Prix, and its creative team is working on its next-generation car to compete in the 2015 World Solar Challenge, a race across Australia. Tuesday's event runs from 6 to 8 p.m. at "Project Green Home," a house on Stanford Avenue. designed to produce as much energy as it consumes.
Get more information or register at www.projectgreenhome.org.
COCKTAIL FOR A CAUSE: Darin Gile, the award-winning bartender at the Fairmont San Jose, has created a new summer drink for the hotel's Lobby Lounge. The #Cooler -- that's "Hashtag Cooler" for readers not up on their Twitterspeak -- mixes vodka with muddled raspberries and kiwi and is topped with lemonade. The flavor's great, and it goes down even easier knowing that the Fairmont is contributing a portion of the proceeds to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Contact Sal Pizarro at email@example.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/spizarro.