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Knutson's Country Harvest is located in Newark, Il. We have pies, (made from scratch) baked or frozen. Jams,Pickles, honey, etc. Our u-pick orchard includes strawberries, blueberies, apples, peaches and many other fruits and veggies.
This is a you pick berry business. Red Raspberries are available seasonally. Open every day from 8:00 AM to sunset during season. Check the website for all the details.
More Polish Pottery is the leading Midwest retailer for Ceramkia Artystyczna polish pottery stoneware. Guests can shop a vast selection of thousands of first quality pieces. Whether you just want to browse or shop, enjoy a unique shopping experience at this award-winning specialty shop. Visit during regular hours or schedule an appointment.
CITY:Big Rock
Plank Road Apple Orchard is a professional farm serving the Sycamore, Illinois Area with fresh wholesome locally grown Apples, Homemade Syrup and/or Honey. In addition to fresh fruits and veggies they offer for your convenience. They have U-pick and baked goods.
Windmill City Spinners & More Decor
Our shop specializes in artisan garden spinners, crafted by Bill Saloga. These beautiful pieces are as efficient as they are artistic, using an aerodynamic and bearing technology Bill and his dad developed, allowing the spinner to perform with as little as two m.p.h wind speed. As Windmill City Spinners changes from season to season our artistic presentation of home and garden décor makes this little shop a worthy destination.
Country Lights Soy Candles started making candles as a hobby in 1999. At first, the candles were a soy/petroleum mix. After some experimenting, we were happy to go to a 100% soy candle. It did not take long for us to realize that soy candles were becoming very popular. Our "factory" is located on our family's Centennial Farm in north central Illinois. All of the candles are hand poured by family members.
The DeKalb Farmers Market features locally-grown produce, wine, baked goods, flowers and artisan crafts. Live music is presented each week by the Egyptian Theatre. It's a great way to enjoy an afternoon. Open Thursday's from 10-2 June through September.
My vision is, and has always been, to produce a soy candle that is as fragrant when you burn it to the bottom as when you opened the lid. 1803 Candles is a cottage industry candle company founded in 2006.
A unique way to find all your home decor needs, anything from antiques to fabric and decorating items.
Opening its doors in the summer of 2014, owner Jessica Fong was looking to spread her love of fashion to those in the Chicagoland area. Located in the heart of Downtown Aurora, YM boutique is quickly becoming known as a must see fashion destination. YM boutique strives to bring the Midwest the latest trends first and people everywhere are looking to YM for those fashion finds you won't see anywhere else. Come see for yourself why YM boutique is a must stop destination for all your fashion needs.
New Game in Town is a great little shop specializing in Magic the Gathering and other CCGs, Darts and Dart Supplies, Comic Books, Miniatures, Dungeons and Dragons and other RPGs. Come in and play!
Upscale resale: re-defining the resale experience! Boutique Repeats is designed to provide customers with new and gently used clothes, purses, jewelry and more. At your favorite upscale resale shop, we buy, consign and sell designer and better brand name women's apparel, accessories, home decor and furniture. Let Boutique Repeats buy your high-end items, so you can go after that new must-have! This hassle-free selling experience is in a boutique environment that carries new inventory daily! Appointments are recommended for a personal buying experience, but not necessary.
Paw Lickin' Good Treats is a bakery dedicated to your dog or cat. The meet the demand for high quality, holistic food in the area. They are constantly on the lookout to bring in new and healthy new lines. On top of food and treats, Paw Lickin' Good Treats also carry bake your own cake, collars, harnesses, grooming materials, apparel, toys, nutritional supplements, and more. Even the pickiest eater will find something tasty here!
Nathan Winston Services was started in 1976 as a rubber stamp shop. Growth continued with the addition of engraving as we opened a full time retail store in 1985. Today we offer stamps, plaques, acrylics, clocks, and engraved and sublimated awards. We maintain our level of professionalism well above the standard. We are proud to be one of DeKalb's Business of the Year recipients, and Marking Device Magazine's Small Business of the year.
Antiques, Arts & Collectibles
At Sweet Earth our gifts say more!. We engrave on almost everything. We have the tools and experience to help you create a unique gift. We repair both fine and costume jewelry-AND all the work is done in the store by qualified professionals. We change watch batteries and remove links. We have the largest selection of beads & jewelry making products in the area. Every year in March we host our BEAD-A-THON. For that personalized touch, we provide engraving services and plenty of engravable gifts for every occasion. We can even put your message on your own treasures, engraving on a wide variety of materials including metals, glass and crystal. We carry beautiful gift ideas from linens and home decor to toys and puppets, greeting cards and wrappings.
With 35 dealers and 11,000 sq ft., Prindi's Antique Mall has something for everyone including antiques, gift items, collectibles, retro, re-purposed and a ton of jewelry.
Take some time and buy a unique gift for your special family and friends. We carry vintage and new jewelry, artwork, a basket of books for the avid reader, statues of dogs, stuffed bunny rabbits, selection of Gypsy Rose scarves, mittens, hats, pins as well as gently used clothing and purses. Come with an open mind...and you won't need that open wallet.
Video games and repair service
Becky Beck's Jewelry Store has been serving the DeKalb, Il area since 1992. Owner-operated, Becky and her expert staff are committed to providing their clients a comfortable, enjoyable jewelry buying experience, guided by a professional, knowledgeable Associate.
Plano Synergy is a wholesale distributor, whose foundation is built on a dream and a passion for the outdoors. As a newly created family of high performance outdoor brands, Plano Synergy embodies over 150 combined years of industry experience, values and product quality all thanks to each one of its founders. As devout fishermen and passionate hunters, each Plano Synergy brand sought out to create the finest products for their fellow outdoorsman; dedicating themselves to producing top quality tools of the trade to outdoorsmen of all experience and ability levels. Thriving on new challenges, new goals and bold endeavors to become the latest and greatest in the field, the makers of Plano Synergy products are determined to remove all limitations on the water, and on the field-because this isn't simply a hobby…it's a way of life. Our brands include Ameristep, Avian-X, Barnett Crossbows, BloodSport, Caboodles, Creative Options, Evolved, Flextone, Frabill, GroundEFX, Halo Optics, Plano Molding, Wildgame Innovations and Zink Calls with hundreds of products made in the United States. With this desire and strive for excellence instilled in the minds of the innovators behind our products, the possibilities for our future are endless. The people who work at Plano Synergy often come and stay awhile, and the same goes for the people that use our products. As a fellow outdoorsman, we feel you will be happy with our products and may go confidently knowing that your outdoor experiences go beyond the what you bring home at the end of the day, but the experience you get out of it.
Our retail gardens and shop have become a gardener's lush retreat of two city blocks tucked away in the historic industrial district and neighborhood of beautiful Sycamore. Ponds, statuary, plants and other garden necessities. Seasonal operation. Our Garden Room and Courtyard have become a popular destination for outdoor wedding ceremonies, indoor receptions, birthday parties, family gatherings and community events. The urban ambience of Blumen Gardens' event rental space is truly one-of-a-kind for the surrounding towns.
Made Just for You Gifts celebrates creativity and originality. Our mostly local crafters have printed, sewn, sawed, arranged, or glued their hand crafted gift and home decor items. Come in and explore our shop. Our friendly staff will be waiting with ice tea or warm cider to help you find something made just for you.
Besides creams and clusters and toffee and caramels, The Confectionary also make hard to find pieces including divinity, chocolate dipped ginger, sponge candy (seasonally) and sugar free chocolate clusters (made with real chocolate). Their batches are small and much of the work is done the old fashioned way: by hand.


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Here's how RW members rated this race in the past (282 votes).
In full: Don't be fooled by the race name, this has nothing to do with The City of Norwich....you could be anywhere rural.Having said that to 3000 odd runners all within 5 minutes walk of the start is an achievement in itself.The course is rural and flat and starts off on grass.I made the mistake of being honest and starting off in my predicted time slot and after half a mile hit the first wall of people punching above their weight.Very windy and exposed but a good feel throughout...A t-shirt would've been nice though.Not offensive but could be better.Date of review: November 28, 2011
In short: one of the better eventsIn full: The organisation was very good and the medal outstanding.It was a shame about the wind which to compound matters was in your face when travelling up the slight incline.Good support.Date of review: November 28, 2011
In short: Wind, wind and more wind!In full: Excellent organisation and support. Good flattish course and I was hoping for a PB. Ended up walking a lot and getting a PW (personal worst). The organisers can't control the wind, which was crippling for a lot of us. At least it stopped raining; I'm not a fan of horizontal downpours. I'll be back for another try next year.Date of review: November 27, 2011
In short: excellent support esp @ the showground, oh and windyIn full: a very well organised race, something for everyone, fast but slow enough at the back. nice goody bag and medal, excellent support esp @ the showground, oh and windy -)Date of review: November 27, 2011
In short: Good race, shame about the wind!In full: Would have been nice if toilets near car park were open. Marshalls allowed cars to park too close behind our car and if the people in front of us hadn't been leaving, we'd have been boxed in.Nice course, but a shame about the wind, it really sapped alot of energy from alot of people!Lovely, unusual medal and nice goody bag too. Still achieved a PB but that blooming wind lost me another couple of minutes and the volume of people at the beginning over-estimating their finish times didn't help.Date of review: November 27, 2011
In short: Great race!In full: Paid £28 and for that I got race entry, t-shirt, drinks on route, drinks and bananas at the end plus a fantastic goody bag with lots to eat and drink.No trouble with exiting the carpark and was well marshalled on entry. It is an almost flat route and where there was support it was very vocal and encouraging to tired legs.The only downside was something that no organiser can do anything about and that was the wind on the day which was brutal in some parts.Truly fantastic race and will do it again!Date of review: November 27, 2011
In short: Excellently organised, if a little exposed for windy November days. 9/10In full: I thought this was a very impressively organised race, surprisingly scenic. It dies undulate, but noting traumatic and up followed by decent downs. A fast course, I think, though be warned - it is exposed and on a windy day you'll feel it! I thought this was a great race and CONAC can be rightly proud of it. Excellent medal and goody bag too. The pre-race materials can sound a little officious, but that pays off in a race that runs very well. If I had to make one suggestion it would be a switch to water bottles. I know they have issues, but in the wind, the cups were almost undrinkable if not stopping. However, I can totally understand the argt against.Overall, a great race.Date of review: November 27, 2011
In short: my favoriteDate of review: August 18, 2011
In short: A good race to cut your teeth on.In full: My first Half, so not much to compare it to. But excellent support on the way around, pretty villages, nice course. The last bit in the showground is deceptively long on tired legs.Date of review: March 23, 2011
In short: well organised, nice medal and goodie bagDate of review: March 19, 2011
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Editor for this issue: Brett Churchill <brettlinguistlist.org>
WHERE: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. WHEN: Beginning afternoon on Friday, October 16, and ending Sunday morning, October 18, 1998. WHAT: As in the three previous workshops, we intend this to be a fairly informal gathering, open to students and faculty, but especially suitable for graduate students presenting work in progress. We hope it will be possible, as before, to accept all abstract submissions, but if the number of submissions received exceeds the capacity of the workshop, we will find a solution then. Presentations dealing with any of the various areas of phonological investigation (broadly construed) are welcome. Presentations are planned to be approximately 20 minutes in length with an additional period of discussion. WHO: You, hopefully. WHAT TO DO TO PRESENT: provide us with a title which clearly indicates the paper's topic and scope, your name and affiliation, and, if possible, a brief (1-2 paragraph) summary of the content of the talk BEFORE SEPTEMBER 20. E-mail submissions to the McWOP Organizing Committee at MCWOP4umich.edu FURTHER INFORMATION: email to MCWOP4umich.eduMail to author|Respond to list|Read more issues|LINGUIST home page|Top of issue


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Number of Required Coins
: 22
Current Finest Possible Set Rating
: 69.210
View Set Composition
( Shop )
There are three major sub-types in this series, but for the most part the "type one" coins of 1851-53 are uncollectible due to their extreme rarity. How rare are they? PCGS has graded one 1851 (a beautiful Proof 66 from the Eliasberg collection) and zero examples of 1852 and 1853. In fact, no 1853 Proofs are believed to exist! The "type two" coins of 1854-58 are quite a formidable task, as well. There are just over 30 examples of the 1858 certified in PR65 or better, and 1858 is considered the "common date" of the second type! This great series is a little out of favor at the moment, so it offers excellent value.
Notes: The 1869/8 was categorized as a major variety and placed in this set on 10/24/14. This set has bonuses. Please see the Set Composition for a listing.


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Cream Colour Base has been around for years, and the color collection keeps expanding, so there must be a lot of people buying these somewhat slick, crease-prone (when used as eyeshadow) colors. The shade range offers options for eyes, lips, and cheeks, and their intensity varies, so this is definitely a product to test at the counter before purchasing. The creamy base is ill-advised for blemish-prone skin, but normal to dry skin looking to add a soft, radiant (or iridescent, depending on the shade) glow may want to give this a try.
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(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
By lili
from SF Ba
About Me Trendy Style
Best Uses
Comments about M.A.C. Cream Colour Base:
Cream Colour Base can be used on the face or eyelids. On the eyes it's best as a base with powder shadow applied over it, since on its own it tends to crease. CCBs come in shimmer and matte shades, so shimmers are better as highlighters and mattes for contouring or blush. These are versatile because they have multiple uses. However, CCB is more of an expansion of one's makeup, not an essential product.
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M.A.C. Cosmetics At-A-Glance
What more can one say for this long-standing makeup line whose products have spoken eloquently for themselves for years? In many ways, M.A.C. Cosmetics is a pivotal line not only for makeup artists but also for any in-the-know cosmetics consumer. Although M.A.C. has several singularly outstanding products, they generally excel by virtue of the range of choices offered. The color selection for everything from lipsticks to foundations is exceptional. Most of the makeup brushes are beautiful, full, and soft, as well as properly sized to fit the contours of the face and eyes.
When it comes to skincare you may be tempted to dismiss the small assortment M.A.C. offers and skip right to their makeup with its well-earned positive reputation. But doing so would mean missing a handful of beautifully formulated products that are worth trying. By no means is M.A.C.'s skin-care line one-stop shopping (at least not if you have blemishes, skin discolorations, or require more than a couple options per category), but you'll find more than just the color products impressive here, and the prices aren't unreasonable either!
M.A.C.'s salespeople are often trained makeup artists, too. This is especially true in the freestanding M.A.C. boutiques, where the staff tends to be true makeup artists.
Note: M.A.C. sets itself apart from other beauty brands by staying ahead of the curve by launching a seemingly-constant rotation of impressive limited edition products, usually with fashion-forward themes. Though it's impossible to review every limited edition product, many of M.A.C.'s are as impressive as those in their permanent collection.
Strengths: Some impressive moisturizers; praiseworthy foundations in a mostly gorgeous range of shades; good concealers; several great powder-based products including blush, bronzer, and eyeshadow in various finishes; dizzying array of lipstick shades in mostly sumptuous formulas; several very good mascaras (regular and waterproof); top-notch makeup brushes; many of the Prep + Prime products work as claimed.
Weaknesses:A few products with high levels of potential skin irritants.
For more information about M.A.C. Cosmetics call (800) 588-0070 or visit www.maccosmetics.com.
The Beautypedia and Paula's Choice Research teams have one mission: To help you find the best products for your skin, whether they're from Paula's Choice or another brand. By combining efforts, we're able to share scientific research and remain committed to the highest standards based on our decades of experience objectively reviewing thousands upon thousands of skincare and makeup formularies in all price ranges.
Beautypedia cuts through the hype to bring you product insights and recommendations you won't find anywhere else!
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Friday, May 1, 2009
Do You Want to Be an ODA?
After spending at least a decade studying its organizational delegation system, FAA, on Nov. 14, 2005, established a new Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) program. The system promises industry more autonomy and efficiency. Although the current organizational designee programs in the engineering arena will expire in November 2009, FAA has tried to make the new regime as attractive as possible.
Not everyone buys it, but many big players, including Boeing, are putting themselves through the rigorous application process.
"FAA raised the bar with ODA," claimed David Grossman, a 30-year agency veteran who now heads ODA Consultants, in Aurora, Colo. The ODA procedures manual, for example, is much more detailed and process-oriented regarding how approvals are done than it was under the previous delegation systems. The procedures manual, with its common set of requirements, along with rigorous audit processes, is designed to allow FAA to keep its finger on the pulse of the industry.
ODA involves "systems oversight," a term which can mean either more or less scrutiny, depending on the circumstances. According to Grossman, FAA will be doing a higher level of oversight. "They're going to be doing less certification work," but "if they find issues, they will get into it deeper," he said. The aim is a data-driven system that enables FAA to spot trends, identify anomalies, and fix problems before they become safety issues. The FAA essentially will offload routine surveillance onto the ODAs and free itself to focus on challenges, risks and trouble spots.
Internal and external audits are a prominent feature. "If you put yourself in the FAA's shoes — with more delegation, you have less visibility," said Vasant Gondhalekar, Cessna Aircraft's director of engineering and lead ODA administrator. Audits are the way the agency "makes sure that the applicant is not deviating from the norm." The ODA, which is responsible for the annual internal audits, then, has to think about itself "as though we are the FAA," he said. "The FAA position is, you are our eyes and ears, so we expect you to do everything that we would do." Cessna has received type certificate (TC) and production certificate (PC) ODAs for both Part 23 and Part 25 aircraft.
American Airlines, which received major repair, alteration and airworthiness (MRA) and supplemental type certificate (STC) ODA approvals last October, agrees about the rigor of the internal audit process. The airline had to beef up its procedures to meet the requirement, as it transitioned from Designated Alteration Station (DAS) and SFAR 36 delegations.
In the case of ARINC's Aircraft Integration and Modification group, which moved from DAS to STC ODA status in late 2007, the self-audit requirement includes review of 10 percent of the STCs issued in that period. "We look at the data to make sure it's adequate to show compliance and that we followed the certification plan" agreed to with the FAA for the project, explained John May, ARINC's ODA administrator. The audit findings are reported to the company's Organizational Management Team (OMT) — a group of FAA officials assigned to monitor a particular designee — within a week after work is completed.
FAA Viewpoint
FAA believes ODA will increase the efficiency of government oversight. Under this system, FAA can provide "oversight without having to do everything personally," explained David Hempe, manager of the Aircraft Engineering Division in the agency's Aircraft Certification Service.
While ODA will increase FAA's discretion and focus its resources, making ODAs more independent, "at the start here, they're going to keep a pretty close eye on things," May suggested. Systems oversight, to be sure, does not mean handing over the keys to industry. FAA retains the right of first refusal on designees' projects. "Every activity they do [is preceded by] a letter of intent" to the company's OMT at the agency, Hempe said. The FAA examines the risk factors and indicates the areas, if any, it will be involved in.
But change has occurred. Cessna and FAA, for example, are "constantly in communication" with each other, Gondhalekar said. And Cessna still has to send its certification plans to FAA, explaining what changes it wants to make and how it wants to do them. But if the company has shown that it has done a certain type of certification testing many times before, the FAA can delegate that activity. "It becomes a good partnership — we are using resources on the right things."
Under the previous regime, "even if we had done that certification [activity] many times before, we would still have to get [FAA] involved, and they would have to spend time looking at things they have looked at so many times before," Gondhalekar said. But if there is anything new and novel, FAA will always be involved, he explained.
American has had similar experience. The agency "does not review our data on a daily basis," said Chuck Williams, manager of engineering support and lead ODA administrator for American's Maintenance and Engineering organization in Tulsa, Okla. If FAA has a question, they contact the airline. Otherwise, the ODA unit files quarterly reports, summarizing work done in the previous three months and describing the status of ongoing projects. "They have really gone to a higher level of oversight," he said.
ARINC tells much the same story. Every project still requires the submission of a certification plan and a program notification letter, May said. The administrator is responsible for audits, certification plans, training and coordination with the FAA and among ODA members. Still, the new system allows ARINC to better manage its schedules and respond to customer needs, said Rob Moore, director of business development. The agency "is starting to relinquish approval authority to companies that are qualified to make certain approvals and decisions at the company level." Straightforward, noncomplex mods, for example, receive more delegation than complex work involving areas of interest to FAA.
The big benefit is schedule flexibility, Cessna's Gondhalekar agreed. "Before we had to bake in up to 30 days required for FAA review and approval, whereas now we can just do it."
Procedures Manual
The most time-consuming part of an ODA application is writing and approving the procedures manual. Many of the companies had to redo their manuals, Hempe said, to include things like the steps the FAA wanted to see in approving ODA unit members. Writing a single manual to cover multiple sites can incur the additional task of standardizing processes within the company.
But the manual is key to oversight. First and foremost, systems oversight means that, through the procedures manual, "we are now going inside the halls of a company and helping to define the processes and expectations by which that company needs to work," including quality and technical procedures, Hempe said. The second part of the system is the "everyday interaction that we have with them," he said. The third piece is the FAA biennial audits. If issues arise, the onsite visits can become much more frequent. All three allow the agency to "go through the barrier" formed by the previous individual designee system and "be more involved with the company." FAA will manage the managers, so to speak, rather than manage all the individual designees. Instead of being "individual-centric," oversight is "systems-centric," as Hempe put it. Because the agency will have a better idea of the big picture, it "can pick and choose the most critical areas and pay attention to those."
As the agency evaluates organizations, the manual provides a basis for comparison. FAA can "gather data and look [for trends]," Hempe said. "We can look at best practices, critical issues, identify critical risk, and adapt our policies." Because companies will be working to the same standard, FAA will be able to look across parts manufacturing approval (PMA), STC and MRA ODA holders, for example. ODA will allow FAA to "move to more of a safety system model," allowing "SMS [safety management system] functions of trending."
ODA, in the long run will be a "huge benefit to safety," Hempe asserted. As FAA gets smarter about trends, it will be looking for hidden precursors and failure modes. These could be things like assumptions made during certifications, equipment trends, reliability issues and human factors issues. Spotting these trends could help to adjust policy, improve oversight and reduce risk.
Other Advantages
ODA holders cite other advantages, as well. American pointed out that its ODA organization can manage its own members. Under the DAS system for alterations, for example, if American needed to bring on a qualified designated engineering representative (DER) in a highly specialized area like 16-g seat testing, the company still had to go to FAA and get their permission and concurrence in order to bring that person aboard, Williams said. The process could take several days.
"Under ODA, we manage all of that," Williams said. The ODA organization sets up the interview panel, reviews the credentials, hires the ODA unit member and then informs FAA. Before ODA, American had six DERs on staff for major repairs, but they essentially worked for FAA: the agency evaluated their work and monitored their currency. Now the ODA does "100 percent audits for DER repairs," Williams said.
The ODA unit has brought on an administrative person to help manage the audit activity, and may add other engineering and technical resources to oversee projects. "A lot of the project management and oversight that used to be at the FAA is now within the ODA unit," he said.
Under the ODA, American can also issue experimental airworthiness certificates for temporary flight testing of new installations such as inflight entertainment systems. And it can replace a damaged standard airworthiness certificate document without hiring a consultant designated airworthiness representative (DAR).
American's ODA unit currently includes five administrators — one lead and two assistant administrators, as well as three MRA administrators — plus 34 unit members. Twenty-four of the 34 are airline employees. The remaining 10 are contractors, typically in some very specialized area such as smoke evacuation testing.
American has completed a number of projects under its ODA. For example, it removed the first-class seats on an old MD80, which it then retired and donated to an aviation maintenance school in Puerto Rico. Under its MRA ODA, the airline was able to make this change and approve the data. The MRA ODA also covers repairs for damage or corrosion that go beyond the limits of the aircraft manufacturer's structural repair manual. "We have the authority to approve those repairs," Williams said.
This means that the ODA holder is, in a sense, less tethered to the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), Williams agreed. Without the authority to approve repairs, the airline previously would have gone to either the OEM, FAA, or individual designees for approval.
There is "absolutely a price to this [ODA status]," Gondhalekar said, referring to tasks such as internal auditing and the need to maintain a lot more information. Cessna's ODA unit includes about 150 members, most of whom are company employees, and five ODA administrators — the lead, Gondhalekar, and administrators for Part 23, Part 25, standardization and procedures, and quality.
ARINC's ODA unit includes 20 members, three of whom are full-time employees. Much of the work, such as the approval of technical data, the issuance and amendment of STCs and the approval of airworthiness certificates, is similar to that of a DAS, May said. Among the new features, however, is the ability to issue experimental certificates and ferry permits.
A recent ARINC ODA project for the South Korean Civil Aviation Authority added a flight inspection system to a Cessna aircraft so the CAA can validate their landing aids. Other activity under the ODA includes satcom projects, a transponder upgrade and avionics modifications.
The FAA also tried to make the ODA concept more flexible than previous designations and to "expand the scope" to repair stations, airlines, PMA'rs, and small entities, Hempe said. PMA'rs, for example, can set up an organizational structure permitting them to conduct examinations, testing and inspections on behalf of the FAA, Hempe said. Instead of having every document approved sequentially, the PMA ODA holder can apply for approval at the end of the project. They can also work multiple projects and submit them together.
All told, there are six flavors of ODAs: TC, PC, STC, MRA, PMA and technical standard order (TSO) authorizations. The delegations being phased out by November 2009 include DAS, SFAR 36, Delegation Option Authorization (DOA) and Organizational Designated Airworthiness Representative (ODAR).
The FAA's Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) program raises questions, as well. For one thing, the authority is not transferable, pointed out Sarah MacLeod, executive director of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA). That means, if the company is sold, the ODA does not go with it. FAA officials agreed that ODAs are not transferable and have "no property right," but argued that the designation has "tremendous appeal for those that use it effectively to benefit their business and the FAA."
Another point is that ODA is a privilege, not a certificate, so if FAA decides to withdraw it, the ODA holder would not have the same due process rights a certificate holder would have, such as a certificate action before the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). "If you want to be fully at the whim of the [FAA] administrator — more than you are now — go get an ODA," MacLeod said.
FAA pointed out that although ODA holders aren't entitled to due process under the law, they "certainly are afforded fair and equitable treatment and are entitled to the FAA following established processes for managing and removing ODAs."
MacLeod also raised the question of objective standards. "You really need to have an objective standard that you are required to meet," she said. But "once we get into this nebulous area of approvals, as opposed to certificates, we get further and further away from an objective standard."
Protection of proprietary data is also a question, she said. For example, what happens to an ODA's data if FAA pulls the approval? Interestingly, American's experience so far under ODA has been that less, rather than more data, has been exchanged with FAA. Prior to ODA, all of the data relating to major repairs was sent to the agency, said Mark Boes, managing director of engineering and support. Under the ODA, by contrast, American maintains that data — basically for as long as the airplane is in service. Now as before, however, data provided to FAA is protected by a standard legal statement regarding confidentiality.
MacLeod doesn't rule out ODAs completely. If a company has a strong enough organization, tight discipline, and data protection, ODA authority can help make business deadlines. But even in the best of delegations, FAA retains certain approvals, she said.
Under ODA, the FAA delegates more of the steps leading up to final approval, rather than overseeing every move along the way. But suppose a company with a certification almost within reach has a whistleblower issue. The entire process could become suspect and subject to FAA review, MacLeod warned.
Bottom line, she said: ODA is "very attractive — candy is always attractive, but you get rotten teeth." — By Charlotte Adams
Gulfstream in the Vanguard with ODA
Savannah, Ga.-based Gulfstream Aerospace obtained approval for its initial organization designation authorization (ODA) in March 2008, becoming the first aircraft manufacturer to achieve the FAA approval. The initial ODA applies to design and production operations in Savannah. The company is nearing expanded ODA approval for all final phase and service center sites in Savannah and Brunswick, Ga., Appleton, Wis., Dallas, Texas and Long Beach, Calif. General Dynamics Aviation Services (GDAS) locations in Las Vegas, Nev., Minneapolis, Minn., Westfield, Mass. and West Palm Beach, Fla. are being considered for future ODA expansion.
The ODA office manages type certificate (TC), production certificate (PC) and major repair and alterations (MRA) activities under a single organization. When the approval expands to other locations, supplemental type certificate (STC) and parts manufacturer approval (PMA) will be included in the authorization.
Gulfstream originally decided to pursue ODA approval to replace existing FAA Designated Alteration Stations (DAS) and Organization Designation Airworthiness Representatives (ODAR) and establish new ODA authorities across the company. The process to approve the Savannah design and production center took approximately two years, and the effort to expand the authority to other sites is expected to take around 18 months.
For the Savannah site, the office was established to develop ODA procedures and create an organizational structure, which was a significant effort, according to Bill Whitton, vice president of Gulfstream's ODA office. Existing FAA designees required ODA training, interviews (in some cases) and approvals. The agency also carried out review iterations and coordinated the transition of existing FAA projects into the ODA office.
Led by Whitton, the current makeup of the office consists of 13 full-time employees, split between ODA project managers/approvers and administrative support. There are also around 50 part-time ODA "designees," or engineering personnel, and around 20 inspectors. Full-time staff is projected to grow to 20 with the expansion of the authorization, as well as the number of designees.
Whitton says that the ODA processes at Gulfstream "have stabilized in the first year of operation. Like any process change, there is a cultural change. We have encountered some challenges to assimilate the old methods into the new procedures. With that, there have been lessons learned with the ODA implementation."
Seeking the multi-ODA type involving numerous locations "created several unique procedural decisions that are believed to be first-time decisions for the ODA initiative," Whitton points out.
"Overall, the ODA implementation is becoming part of normal operations in Savannah design and production. The challenges typically surface with new projects that have unique parameters that have not yet been exercised by ODA procedures," he adds.
The current authority allows Gulfstream, on behalf of FAA, to approve amended type certificate projects, such as design changes to aircraft systems or structures in Savannah. A recent revision to the ODA procedures manual gives Gulfstream the ability to manage new aircraft projects, although its latest aircraft program, the G650, remains under FAA oversight. The authorization also grants Gulfstream the ability to approve aircraft production status and certain repairs. FAA continues to oversee all certification projects and participates directly in some.
"Eventually, the ODA will allow Gulfstream to improve the certification cycle time," Whitton says. "The FAA remains involved with the ODA approval process. As the ODA stabilizes, matures and demonstrates reliable, repeatable and robust processes and deliverables, the FAA will gradually delegate more to the Gulfstream office."
Some "real opportunities" for the growth of the program include areas such as cross-site utilization of ODA methods, personnel and common projects, simplified communication with FAA, and the benefits of standardization, he adds.
"There are focused efforts today within Gulfstream and the FAA to achieve this go-ahead in the next few months," Whitton says, referring to the additional sites. He adds that going through the process with Savannah design and production has given the office "a significant benefit in understanding what is required for ODA expansion."
While the current ODA approval is limited to aircraft manufactured in Savannah, long-term plans call for expansion to alterations of both mid-cabin aircraft and those made by other manufacturers. Whitton notes that there are several advantages to having in-house ODA personnel. Under FAA oversight, Gulfstream has been able to approve documents previously restricted to direct FAA approval, which has reduced cycle times. Document reviews associated with conducting flight tests, for example, have created opportunities to boost efficiency. The expansion of authority "will continue to provide these benefits, with the standardization across multiple sites driving further resource, procedural and project completion efficiencies," Whitton says.
Obtaining ODA is also consistent with a company objective "to continually enhance our relationship with the FAA," he explains. The manufacturer's Partnership for Safety agreement with FAA, established in 2000, has been a "cornerstone" in the relationship with the agency. "This foundation has been a spring board for the development, review and approval of ODA initiatives. Gulfstream views the effort as the next opportunity to strengthen the relationship," he adds. — Andrew D. Parker, Managing Editor


text: CASE NUMBER: 223 CASE MNEMONIC: TEMELIN CASE NAME: Czech Temelin Nuclear Power Plant A. IDENTIFICATION 1. The Issue Two Soviet designed nuclear reactors in Temelin, in the Czech Republic are to be completed and renovated by I & C Energo, a joint venture consisting of Westinghouse Electrical Co. of Pittsburgh, Ceske Energeticke Zavody (CEZ), the Czech state utility, and CME, a private Czech concern. The funding for the Temelin project will be guaranteed by a loan of $317 million by the U.S. Export Import Bank (ExIm). The project has not only been approved by the ExIm, but has been endorsed by the National Security Council, the U.S. Regulatory Commission and the Clinton Administration. The Temelin reactors would generate 2000 Megawatts of electricity, of which a quarter would be available for export to Western Europe. 2. Description The opponents to the power stations are numerous and include individuals and groups from the Czech Republic, the U.S. and Austria, and the Austrian government. Although the deal includes the incorporation of Western nuclear safety measures, opponents are skeptical of any nuclear power plants primarily based on Soviet technology. The U.S. Congress, which is to have final say on the ExIm Loan on March 3, 1994 has raised questions concerning environmental impact assessments and liability in the event of an accident. However, the opportunities in Eastern Europe for an industry increasingly unpopular in the U.S. and Western Europe, the need for an alternative to polluting coal burning plants in the Czech Republic and the support from the Czech and U.S. government all contribute to the likelihood of a positive response for the loan. Because of mainly financial problems, construction of the two VVER 230 Soviet type reactors which were eighty and sixty percent completed (according to Greenpeace) ceased in 1989. In light of heavy pollution by coal-fired plants and the need for income the Czech Republic has encouraged the CEZ, which is being privatized, to finish the reactors (see BALTIC and KRAKOW cases). The project has cost $900 million so far and will, on completion, be worth $2.7 billion. In search of capital to clean coal-fired power stations and complete Temelin, the CEZ must export energy. In 1993, CEZ exported three percent of its total electricity to primarily Switzerland and Italy and earned $2 billion. Nuclear power, according to the CEZ, will be better for the environment, and is more cost-effective than burning lignite. CEZ intends to eventually close coal-fired plants on completion of the Temelin reactors. In addition, because of Temelin's proximity to Western Europe, export of electricity will be more feasible. Westinghouse Co., the world's largest supplier of nuclear fuel and services, has won two contracts with Czech energy concerns worth $350 million to supply U.S. manufactured technology and equipment and services. The Westinghouse deal is a positive sign for the American nuclear industry which has not had orders for new plants since the 1980s, as well as for the world's nuclear industry. With eighty nuclear power plants in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union in need of renovation and improvement of safety, the competition will be fierce. Other participants in the project include Citibank, which will grant the loan. Financing will also come from Belgian export credits provided by European banks. The Czech government will also guarantee the loans. The Temelin project has aroused concern primarily because it will be an untried combination of old Soviet technology and new Western technology and because of its proximity to other countries. Situated only 100 km from the Austrian border, nuclear fallout stemming from the Temelin reactors would have devastating transboundary effects. The 1986 Chernobyl accident and its far- reaching consequences, the fact that no evacuation plans for Temelin exist and the fact that the reactors lie on the edge of an active seismic zone have fueled the growing opposition (see CHERNOBL case). The Austrian government, along with the Austrian based environmental group, Global 2000 and Greenpeace actively lobbied the U.S. congress, the Nuclear Energy Commission and Vice President Gore to block the ExIm loan. The opposition argues that the norms in the Czech Republic are not the same as in the West and that energy saving measures would be safer and cheaper than completing Temelin. A study conducted by a Belgian consulting firm found that Temelin, which will produce 2,000 Megawatts of electricity is the cheapest method for producing electricity but that energy efficiency could save 3,500 Megawatts of electricity. The decision to build Temelin was made despite a significant decline in demand for power in recent years. In addition, a World Bank report found that between 1995 and 2010 there will be no increased demand for electricity throughout Europe. Nonetheless, the nuclear industry expects demand to grow by two percent annually from 1995 on. Austria has attempted to persuade the U.S. of Temelin's deficiencies after the Czech Republic consistently resisted discussions on developing alternatives to Temelin. Austria has offered aid to the Czech Republic in the form of cooperation in energy efficiency and in construction of combined gas and steam power plants. The Czech Republic refuses to reconsider its plans for Temelin and has made clear that Austria is infringing on its sovereignty by attempting to prevent the completion of Temelin. Austria maintains that sovereignty is irrevelant in the event of a nuclear accident. Czech relations with the World Bank are also strained. The World Bank refused to assist the Czech Republic in Temelin unless it was changed to a gas power station but did negotiate a deal (Energy II) for a loan to improve Czech coal-fired plants. However, the World Bank has stopped the loan because the money necessary for a state guarantee has been swallowed by the guarantee for the Temelin project. The question of liability has added to the complexity of the Temelin issue. The Czech Republic, as well as Austria, are not signatories of the Vienna Convention on civil liability for nuclear damage. The convention holds operators of plants responsible for accidents and charges them with financial security to cover costs brought on by accident, mainly in the form of insurance. The legislation is necessary to ensure that operators are insured or financially secured against accidents. A requirement for the ExIm loan is that the Czech Republic joins the Vienna Convention. Since Austria is not backed by the Convention it could only attempt to extract reparations by bilateral negotiations with the Czech Republic. With the approval of the ExIm loan by Congress, their is nothing to stand in the way of the completion of Temelin on this side of the Atlantic. However, the guarantee on finishing Temelin has not been signed between CEZ and Westinghouse. Meanwhile, developments in the Czech Republic could threaten the impending contract. The recently created State Office for Atomic Safety is not ruling out a new round of talks on the construction and authorization of Temelin because it does not anticipate receiving necessary documents on a new security system on time. Moreover, the Czech Green Party, supported by Austrian and German Greens have launched a campaign to seek new Czech legislation concerning nuclear power and an environmental impact assessment. Mayors of local communities and the Environmental Ministry may support this initiative. 3. Related Cases MOCHO case CHERNOB case JAPANSEA case JAPANSPL case ARCTIC1 case KOMOSOL case Keyword Clusters (1): Trade Product = Utilities [UTIL] (2): Bio-geography = Temperate [TEMP] (3): Environmental Problem = Pollution [POLA] There is also the Bhaaten Power Plant and Westinghouse in the Philippines and Electricite de France and Slovensky Energeticky Podnik at the Mochovce reactors in Slovakia (see MOCHO case). 4. Draft Author: Mary-Ellen Foley B. Legal Clusters 5. Discourse and Status: DISagreement and INPROGress 6. Forum and Scope: CZECH Republic and UNIlateral 7. Decision Breadth: 3 8. Legal Standing: TREATY The treaties are the Vienna Convention on Civic Responsibility for Nuclear Accidents and the Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy. Various citizen groups filed a $43.5 billion lawsuit against Westinghouse to "scare it" out of its deal with CEZ. The total amount of lawsuits from NGOs, citizen groups and the Austrian government (federal and state level) exceeds $280 billion. C. GEOGRAPHIC Clusters 9. Geographic Locations a. Geographic Domain : EUROPE b. Geographic Site : Eastern Europe [EEUR] c. Geographic Impact : The CZECH Republic 10. Sub-National Factors: NO Whether the CEZ receives funding (and Westinghouse, indirectly) ultimately rests with the U.S. Congress. Without a loan, the CEZ will not be able to contract Westinghouse and the completion of the reactors will be delayed (until a new financier is found). Whether Westinghouse is responsible for compensation for "expected damages" will be determined by Austrian law which can hold foreign firms liable for any damages by their activity. 11. Type of Habitat: TEMPerate D. TRADE Clusters 12. Type of Measure: Regulatory Ban [REGBAN] The Austrian government has filed a claim of $36 billion against Westinghouse. There have been no direct trade nor regulatory measures except for the ExIm requirement that the Czech Republic enter the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability. 13. Direct vs. Indirect Impacts: INDirect The Austrian claim against Westinghouse, if successful, would indirectly affect trade. The claim is legally based on environmental reasons (the damages incurred from reactors). However, some have pointed out that Austria would not have acted against Temelin if Siemens had been contracted by CEZ. 14. Relation of Measure to Environmental Impact a. Directly Related : YES POWER b. Indirectly Related : NO c. Not Related: : NO d. Process Related : YES UTILity Electricity will be the end product. Austria's measures are aimed directly at the producer. There has been no mention if Austria will ban imports of electric power in the future. 15. Trade Product Identification: UTILity Westinghouse will supply Temelin with nuclear fuel, instrumentation and control systems. Electric power will be available for export in 1996, providing domestic energy needs are met first. The Czech Republic is expected to increase energy consumption by 12 percent during the next twenty years. Nuclear energy is considered essential because coal reserves are dwindling and burning the coal is causing severe environmental damage, such as acid rain. Moreover, oil imports at world market prices are difficult because of the shortage of hard currency. 16. Economic Data In 1993, CEZ exported $2 billion worth of electricity. 17. Impact of Measure on Trade Competitiveness: MEDium 18. Industry Sector: UTIlity 19. Exporter and Importer: CZECH Republic and EURCOM Westinghouse $220 million CEZ Czech Republic $317 million Importers of Czech power include Italy and Switzerland. Through the business venture with Westinghouse, the Czech Republic serves as the importer of U.S. goods and services. E. ENVIRONMENT Clusters 20. Environmental Problem Type: RADIOactive A nuclear accident would contaminate land, air and bodies of water. Radioactive wastes, or spent fuel from the reactors will affect land and possibly water. 21. Name, Type, and Diversity of Species Name: MANY Type: MANY Diversity: MANY 22. Resource Impact and Effect: HIGH and PRODuct 23. Urgency and Lifetime: MEDium and 100s of years The problem of the Temelin reactor in relation to the environment is not too urgent since the plant is not running. Upon start-up, "urgency" would only be manifested through an accident (a leak or explosion, for example). However, as feasible sites become rare, storage of spent fuel will be a serious problem. 24. Substitutes: SYNTHetic and CONSV F. OTHER Factors 25. Culture: NO 26. Trans-Border: NO Nuclear fall-out has no geographical limits -- all European nations would be affected to some degree in the event of a nuclear accident. 27. Rights: YES Environmentalists believe that the decision to build Temelin is at variance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms because information released on the reactor has been biased. There has been no public participation in the decision-making process, no vote in Parliament and no environmental impact assessment. They maintain that the Czech Constitution, which holds that state bodies are to work in the citizen's interest, is being violated. Fifty-four out of 60 of the towns surrounding Temelin have asked the government not to build the plant. There is, however, expected to be a national referendum on whether the Temelin plant should be completed. Furthermore, the rights of concerned citizens in countries surrounding the Czech Republic are also being ignored. Because of "sovereign rights" of states, individuals have no say concerning life threatening risks caused by neighboring countries. 28. Relevant Literature Baxter, Andrew. "Westinghouse in Czech Nuclear Deal." The Financial Times. May 19, 1993, 8. Bollag, Burton. "Westinghouse Expects Czech Nuclear Deal." The New York Times. 6 April 1993, Sec. D, 4. CTK National News Wire. "Constitutional Court Receives Compliant Against Temelin." 25 February 1994. In Lexis Nexis. . "Czechs Selling Electricity to Pay for Temelin." 17 February 1994. In Lexis Nexis. . "Government Accedes to Stipulations on Nuclear Responsibility." 17 August 1993. In Lexis Nexis. . "Greens Attack Austrian Government over Temelin." 1 February 1994. In Lexis Nexis. . "Reconsideration of Temelin not Ruled Out." 13 April 1994. In Lexis Nexis. . "Revealed Study Increases Austria's Temelin Chances." 18 February 1994. In Lexis Nexis. . "Temelin was Subject of Congress Hearing." 25 February 1994. In Lexis Nexis. Greenpeace. Background Brief: US Tax Dollars Create Nuclear Hazard in Eastern Europe. Washington D.C.: Greenpeace, February 1994. Hudik, Bernhard. "Greens Oppose Czech Nuclear Power Plant." Propriety to the United Press. 14 April 1994. International Atomic Energy Agency. International Conventions on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage. IAEA: Vienna, 1966. Leslie, John. "Survey of World Nuclear Industry." The Financial Times. 17 November 1993. Lippman, Thomas. "U.S. Nuclear Loan Deal Draws Austrian Protest." The Washington Post. 23 February 1994, Sec. A, 24. Lohmeyer, Michael. "Tschechische Republik: Verhindert Das Parlament in Prag den Weiterbau von Temelin," Die Presse. 5 February 1994. Reuter Textline in Lexis Nexis. The New York Times. "Company News." 3 July 1993, Sec. A, 35. Ratnasabapathy, Senthil. "Environment: Activists Fight U.S. Plans for Czech Nuclear Plant." Inter Press Service. 4 February 1994. In Lexis Nexis. . "Environment: Austria Seeks Nuclear Damages from U.S. Firms." Inter Press Service. 6 October 1993. In Lexis Nexis. Reuter European Business Report. "Czech Government Accused of Cover-Up Over Temelin." Reuters Limited. 16 February 1994. In Lexis Nexis. Die Presse. "Nur Geringe Chancen." 29 January 1994. In Lexis Nexis. The Wall Street Journal. "Westinghouse Electric Corporation." 18 May 1993, Sec. B, 9. References


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Sepultura -- Montreal, Quebec -- April 25th, 2012
Venue: Club Soda
Opening band: Talamyus
Damn, it's been a long time since my neck, body and ears were sore like this. I guess that means I had a good time yesterday Anyway, I'll proceed with the review.
I got to the Club Soda a bit after 7:00 pm, and it felt great to be back there: a year or two ago, almost every show I attended was in there, but a few months had passed since a really interesting show took place there (last time was UneXpect/Neuraxis in October 2011 I believe). I looked at the Krisiun merch and saw the shirt I decided to buy at the end of the show (this one; I love how the logo is placed above the picture, with the red border). These guys are probably the least known band on this tour, and also my favourite, so I really felt like encouraging them. Then, I realized that the music that was playing was actually a band, and not the venue music. I had totally forgotten there was a local band playing before Havok. The locals were in fact Talamyus, a band of which I owned a CD since a very long time, but that I never enjoyed that much. They play a mix of thrash, death and viking metal. They had recently gotten a new female singer (apparently named Krystal Koffin ), relieving guitarst Benoît St-Jean from a part of his vocal duties. I don't want to sound sexist, but she blew. She had raspy screams with absolutely no power, and even with tons and tons of reverb and echo, the back vocals still buried her's. Also, she didn't seem at ease on stage and she partly killed the energy of the band. Singer aside, the band was ok; they had some heavy parts, but it felt a bit too generic for me and they didn't play any of the better songs from the album I own (In These Days of Violence).
The semi-boring performance then made room for four thrilling and blistering sets, starting with the american thrash metal revival band Havok. To me, they're one of the best band of this new wave of thrash: they've got nothing new, but their songs and energy are super efficient, especially in a live context. After a long change-up in which they had problems with the guitars, they opened their set with the lightning speed thrasher "No Amnesty", just like they did when they opened for Exhumed, resulting in a huge circle pit with the rest of the crowd headbanging and screaming. They also played a new song from their upcoming EP Point of No Return. It was a more mid-tempo song with bass/vocal parts and some thrashier ones. I wouldn't say it qualifies as one of their best, but it was still good. However, they did finish with one of their best, "Afterburner". It was a really satisfying thrash set. My only complaints are concerning the over-triggering of the bass drums and the absence of "Category of the Dead", that I still dream of hearing them play.
Then came the band I was the most looking forward to see; the brazilian killing machine that is Krisiun. It was my first time witnessing their live show and I was far from being disappointed. Their songs sounded like a hurricane of violence and heaviness. Alex's vocals were brutal as always, Moyses' shredding was mind-blowing and Max's blast beats sounded like a fucking avalanche (yes, I like nature references ). Most people at the concert didn't seem to know them: there were small pits (5-6 people, including me sometimes) and the front was headbanging, but the rest were still. Though, I believe they got themselves many new fans yesterday. A lot of people seemed to be impressed and there were even chanting their name by the end of the set. To my huge surprise, they ended with the song that made me discover Krisiun a few years ago: Slain Fate. No need to say I headbanged and moshed my life off during that tune. I can't wait for them to come back here!
Next on were the Bay Area thrash legends Death Angel. I had previously seen them play at Heavy MTL last year and I wasn't that impressed, but this time it was totally different. They were definitely the most energetic band of the night and they really got the crowd going (a lot more than Sepultura). There were almost-constant pits and the crowd was loud as hell. Mark Osegueda knew how to handle a horde of thrashers (his voice was also outstanding) and the guitarist/bassist trio kept on moving and interacting with the crowd, which made their performance very enjoyable. The highlights were obliviously the songs they played from their masterpiece The Ultra-Violence, and "Thrown to the Wolves" at the end with the huge circle pit.
Seputura then had the tricky job of closing this streak of extraordinary performance, and I've got to say they did it pretty well. They started with "Dark Wood of Error", which is a pretty weak track from Dante XXI and I had doubts about the crowd's reaction, but then they bursted in their classic "Refuse/Resist" and the pit automatically erupted. Sadly, as they got to the middle of their set, people gradually left (probably to catch the last metros in some directions, and because, as GarageMetal said it earlier, a lot of them were there to see Death Angel). The room then became a lot less full than it was when they played here about a year ago, and the pits became spacier and more tame. It was pretty lame that when they bursted out old classics like "Escape to the Void" and "Subtraction" (a pretty nice addition to the set, just like "Meaningless Movements" last year), the crowd was quasi-calm. Still, the people that stayed had a great time. I know a lot of people chose not to recognize their current line-up as the "real" Sepultura, but they've got tons of energy. Derrick Green is a great frontman and the new drummer is pouding, and very skilled as he proved it in his impressive drum solo. When the end of their performance drew nearer, I decided to use the wasted space in the pit at my advantage. During "Territory", "Ratamahatta" and "Roots Bloody Roots" I kept jumping and "dancing" to the bouncy riffs. I had fun. Also, I wasn't expecting them to play "Polícia", which got the pits raging again and which I found to be on purpose with the events happening here in Quebec these days. For those who haven't heard of it, there is a huge student protest movement (in which I'm much implicated) going on since the last 3 months against the climb of tuition fees. The government refuses to negociate with the students, that are on strike, and people are getting angrier day by day. The government uses riot police to beat up and arrest innocent protestors and this is why I felt that a song denouncing policiary brutality was a good choice. Then, Derrick surprised me even more by dedicating "Inner Self" to the student movement. It generated huge pride and willingness to mosh in me. I love it when bands are informed about political matters like this one. The pits during that song and during "Arise" were very violent and fun. The two last ones were really fun too, but it was nothing compared to when they played them last year (with everyone jumping, thet was fun), because there was about two thirds of the crowd that had already left. Nonetheless, Sepultura gave a great performance, just as the 3 bands before them did. If this tour comes near you, I would strongly recommend you to go see it.
No Amnesty
Fatal Intervention
Point of No Return
Covering Fire
Kings of Killing
Combustion Inferno
The Will to Potency
Vicious Wrath
Hatred Inherit
(Roots Bloody Roots teaser)
Slain Fate
Death Angel
I Chose the Sky
Mistress of Pain
Claws In So Deep
Evil Priest
Buried Alive
Relentless Revolution
Seemingly Endless Time
The Ultra-Violence (first minute)
Thrown to the Wolves
Dark Wood of Error
Dead Embryonic Cells
Convicted in Life
Septic Schizo / Escape to the Void
(drum solo)
Just One Fix (Ministry cover)
Polícia (Titãs cover)
Inner Self
Roots Bloody Roots
8/6 - SubRosa
Last edited by VoidFlame; 04-26-2012 at 09:02 AM.
8/6 - SubRosa
Krisiun CRUSH live. For a three-piece to have that sound?!?!
01/07 -- Slave to the Grind Festival
01/21 -- Alcest
I'm glad you had a good time.
I have been wondering about Talaymus. I liked them on FB, but I haven't heard any of their stuff. The singer looks hot.
I am seeing this show on Sunday. I am looking forward to all bands!!
" Capitalist by Day, Anarchist by night! "
I hope we get Policia also.
" Capitalist by Day, Anarchist by night! "
8/6 - SubRosa
she's not hot at all man...believe me
8/6 - SubRosa
|death angel, havok, krisiun, sepultura
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In a recent post including my conversation with poet Katie Ford for our Repossessing Virtue series, Ford talked about how in these hard economic times she finds comfort in literature, and more specifically, in the poetry of James Wright. During our talk, she mentioned a poem he had written, and the title was so compelling, I just had to dig around to find it.
"In Terror of Hospital Bills"
I still have some money
To eat with, alone
And frightened, knowing how soon
I will waken a poor man.
It snows freely and freely hardens
On the lawns of my hope, my secret
Hounded and flayed. I wonder
What words to beg money with.
Pardon me, sir, could you?
Which way is St. Paul?
I thirst.
I am a full-blooded Sioux Indian.
Soon I am sure to become so hungry
I will have to leap barefoot through gas-fire veils of shame,
I will have to stalk timid strangers
On the whorsehouse corners.
Oh moon, sow leaves on my hands,
On my seared face, oh I love you.
My throat is open, insane,
Tempting pneumonia.
But my life was never so precious
To me as now.
I will have to beg coins
After dark.
I will learn to scent the police,
And sit or go blind, stay mute, be taken for dead
For your sake, oh my secret,
My life.
Copyright 1971 by James Wright. Reprinted from "Collected Poems" with permission from Wesleyan University Press.
I'm struck by the lines, "It snows freely and freely hardens / On the lawns of my hope," and how the speaker wonders "what words to beg money with" when hospital bills finally bring him to poverty. Yet later, the speaker says "But my life was never so precious / To me as now."
It's a sentiment I feel I'm hearing often in these Repossessing Virtue conversations and in listener comments — that despite the fear and anxiety of this time, this economic collapse has offered us an opportunity to reexamine and refocus our energy on what we really value.
We'd love to hear what you think of this poem, or what other poems and/or poets are you turning to lately. One listener said he's been reading a lot of Mary Oliver and John O'Donohue this past year. What other poets are offering you comfort or insight during these economic times?


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For Dividend Security Check Out These 10 Profitable Champions
If you like dividend stocks, you probably want to make sure they can maintain, or even grow, their dividend. If history is any indicator, Dividend champions can likely offer the stability you're looking for. [Related list: 20 Highest Yield Dividend Champions ]
"Dividend Champion" is a term coined by The DRiP Investing Resource Center referring to U.S Companies that have offered AND increased their dividend for a minimum of 25 straight years. Just over 100 make the cut.
Because dividend payments are taken from a company's profits, it's important to make sure the profit margins of "champions" are strong. So t o narrow down the list to the names below we wanted to pick out stocks with impressive profitability metrics. In particular, to analyze their profitability, we compare the companies' trailing twelve month (TTM) gross, operating, and profit margins with their industry averages to find those more profitable than their peers. Here's a breakdown:
TTM Gross margin: This metric that tells us the percentage of a company's revenue is left after paying all production expenses. Costs include overhead, payroll and taxation. ((revenues – cost of goods sold) / Revenue ) *100 = Gross margin %
TTM Operating margin: This tells us the percentage remaining after all operating expenses are paid. Operating expenses include: supplies, repairs, research and development, and depreciation. (Operating Income / Net Operating Revenue) *100 = Operating Margin %
TTM Pretax margin: A company's earnings before taxes. This incorporates all of the expenses associated with business excluding taxes. It can help to determine the overall operating efficiency of the firm. The higher the pretax margin, the more profitable the company. (Net profit before taxes / net sales) *100 = Pretax Margin
Business Section: Investing Ideas
Below is a list of stocks that we compiled using the criteria above.
As a recap: These stocks are dividend champion that have a market cap over $300 million and are trading over $1 per share. They have also reported gross, pretax and operating margins more profitable than their industry peers. These impressive margins help ensure they will continue to consistently pay and increase their dividends.
The list below has the final stocks. Do you think they will maintain their dividend for the years to come?
1. 3M Co. ( MMM): Operates as a diversified technology company worldwide. Market cap at $71.92B, most recent closing price at $102.62.
The company has raised dividends for 54 consecutive years. Current yield: 2.34%. TTM gross margin at 50.75% vs. industry average at 42.96%. TTM operating margin at 21.68% vs. industry average at 13.81%. TTM pretax margin at 21.24% vs. industry average at 12.7%.
2. Commerce Bancshares, Inc. ( CBSH): Operates as the bank holding company for Commerce Bank, N. Market cap at $3.51B, most recent closing price at $38.42.


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Something about pomegranates gets me thinking about the fast approaching holidays. It maybe the abundant use of cranberries, no doubt. In thinking of the coming holiday with savory and sweet things to make, pomegranates will be in use as an exciting substitute for cranberries. Perhaps a pomegranate gelée with coconut cream will be the dessert to serve.
If you are wondering if I love panna cotta, I do! And since I have been in the habit of replacing the cream for coconut milk I can enjoy these types of desserts more often.
Finding new ways to work with this coconut base I have decided to pair with it, pomegranate gelée. Using a concentrate made from pure fruit juice there is no refined sugar in this dessert and still is sweet. If you prefer a sweeter version you can dilute the juice concentrate to two-thirds instead of the drinking dilution rate.
Why stop with just plain old water, you could make a tea to replace the water. Mango tea, apricot tea, citrus teas are all good choices. Do they even make a pomegranate tea? I had better stop here or I will find myself back in the kitchen working on these ideas right after this post. Do take note, I will reveal my discoveries! Enjoy this dessert at room temperature, it's nicer.
Pomegranate Gelée & Coconut Cream Recipe
1 ½ cups pomegranate juice* [sweetened w/ fruit juice]
1 package powdered gelatin [approximately 2 ¼ teaspoons]
¾ cup coconut milk
2 Tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon powdered gelatin
Pistachios [for garnishing]
Pomegranate Seeds [for garnishing]
preparing the pomegranate gelée:
1. Sprinkle gelatin over a ¼ cup of cold pomegranate juice. Set aside.
2. Heat the remaining juice until hot.
3. Whisk juice into bloomed gelatin and fill desired vessels.
4. Chill until set, approximately 2-4 hours depending on the vessel size.
preparing the panna cotta:
1. Sprinkle remaining gelatin over cold water. Set aside.
2. Heat coconut milk until hot.
3. Whisk heated liquid into the gelatin.
4. Cool coconut base slightly in an ice bath so it won't liquefy gelée.
5. Pour mixture over the set gelée and chill again until fully set.
Serves approximately 3 depending on size of dish you choose.
*note: Dilute pomegranate juice concentrate in a ratio of one part juice to three parts water. For a sweeter version dilute juice of one part to two parts water or flavored tea of choice.


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Most Popular Hairstyles
Sleek and Straight Mocha Brown Bob with Highlights
This short hairstyle has both passion and flair to it. It is a bob style that has been layered and has lot's of volume. The hair is rounded at the back with a thick fringe on the forehead.For this style, the haircut is short.A warm mocha brown with lighter highlights.
Company: John Amico Products Salon: Avalon Salon & Day Spa, Deer Park IL Hairstyle: Shyla Kurnick Haircolor: Shyla Kurnick Makeup: Barbara Dolecki Spatula Photography: Scott Bryant


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Stryker's $30 a Share Mako Surgical Deal Smokes Out Shorts
Updated from 10:56 a.m. ET to include Gabelli comments.
NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- Medical equipment manufacturer Stryker
Stryker's acquisition values MAKO Surgical shares at $1.65 billion in cash, or about an 85% premium to the company's closing share price on Tuesday. The acquisition may prove to be a big boost to the credibility of makers of controversial robotic medical equipment. It also may prove painful for short-sellers who have piled into short positions in the shares of MAKO and Intuitive Surgical, given lingering questions about the safety of medical robots.
MAKO is among the most shorted stocks on the Nasdaq with 10,313,353 of its 47 million shares sold short as of September 13. That represents a short interest of about 22% of MAKO's outstanding shares. MAKO surgical shares were up over 82% to $29.39 in Wednesday afternoon trading.
For short-term MAKO shareholders, Wednesday's acquisition by Stryker comes at a significant short-term premium, however it is roughly 33% below the company's all-time share price high and comes at a time when the company has shored up its cash balances through secondary stock offerings and shown a better ability to meet its earnings guidance.
Founded in 2004, MAKO is a pioneer in robotic assisted orthopedic surgery technologies, including its Robotic Arm Interactive Orthopedic System and flagship MAKOplasty Partial Knee Resurfacing procedure. MAKO recently expanded its product offering to include the MAKOplasty Total Hip Arthroplasty, a new robotic arm application for hip replacements.
For Stryker, the acquisition is a long-term bet on robotic orthopedic surgery, according to Jeff Jonas, Associate Portfolio Manager of the Gabelli Healthcare & Wellness Trust.
Jonas said in a telephone interview that while the deal has a clear long-term rationale, it came at a significant premium and will be dilutive to near-term earnings.
The acquisition is expected to be dilutive to Stryker's adjusted earnings per share by between $0.10 - $0.12 in its first full year, neutral the second year and accretive thereafter.
"I think it is very plausible that it will be accretive in the third year," Jonas said. The Gabelli Healthcare & Wellness Trust owns Stryker shares. While the trust doesn't own any MAKO shares, other Gabelli funds do have holdings.
According to Jonas, it may take a few years for investors to see whether Stryker made a smart acquisition, given the still uncertain cost benefits of robotic surgery.
Stryker shares were falling over 2% to $69.31 in Wednesday afternoon trading.
"The combination of Stryker's established industry leadership with MAKO's innovative products and people contains the power to positively transform orthopedics," Maurice Ferré, MAKO's CEO, said in a statement. "It is with this in mind that MAKO's board of directors unanimously voted to recommend that MAKO's shareholders vote in favor of it."


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Word mark
Trademark: 'MLF'
On 21. 12. 1998 the community trademark application no. 001029842 was filed for MLF (Word mark) by Masters League Football Limited before the OAMI.The goods and services in respect of which registration of the trademark was sought are in classes 16, 18, 25, 28 and 41. The current status of the trademark is application withdrawn.
Status is 'Application withdrawn'
The Community Trade Mark application has been withdrawn by the applicant for whatever reason. So right now there is no protection of this very trademark ad you can file it.
|21. 12. 1998
|Nice classes
|16, 18, 25, 28, 41
You can follow this trademark. You will receive an email, whenever we detect changes of the trademark filing.
This service is for free. You can unsubsribve whenever you want. More information.


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Q: Who is required to complete orientation?
A: Orientation is mandatory for all first-time PRCC students, including students who have previously dual enrolled while in high school. All freshmen are required to attend an on-campus orientation. Transfer students are required to complete the online orientation module located on the PRCC website at http://www.prcc.edu/admissions/transfer-student. If you are a returning student, you are not required to complete orientation this semester.
Q: What should I expect at orientation?
A: Students who are required to complete orientation can call the Office of Recruitment and Orientation to sign up for an early orientation event where they will register for classes, obtain their student IDs and parking decals, and learn about financial aid and their PRCC RiverGuide accounts. Also, during the first few weeks of each semester, these student will be required to participate in a series of sessions held on each campus. Emails and college-wide announcements will be made at the beginning of each semester about these orientation sessions. If you need further assistance or have any questions, please call the Office of Recruitment and Orientation at 601-403-1197.


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Emmys: Here's Our Dream Ballot for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Jun 14, 2015 6:00 PM EDT
Emmy season is upon us! For the next two weeks, voters will be filling out their nomination ballots before the big announcement on July 16. We have a few selections in mind ourselves. First up: our wish list for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Co… Read more


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By Freya Bellin
In making this recipe, I was reminded to never underestimate the power of fresh herbs. I went with a mix of pretty much every herb listed below (parsley, cilantro, mint, basil, tarragon, thyme), and despite my concerns that the flavors might clash, everything came together. The leeks and herbs made my kitchen smell like a garden, and the color is gorgeous. Cannellini beans make a great base for this dish. They're very creamy but relatively neutral in flavor, so they take well to the herbs and leeks. The result was earthy and fresh—not to mention quite versatile. As noted below, you could serve this dish with fish or chicken (you may want a chunkier, hand-mashed consistency for that), or you can puree it and use it as a topping for crostini, as I did. And I will admit to just eating it by the spoonful as well.
After a quick taste-test, I decided to add just about a tablespoon or 2 of lemon juice (about 1/3 of a fresh lemon) to the mixture. The citrus really brightened up the flavors and gave it a nice zing at the end. Recipe from The Food Matters Cookbook.


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Vitamin D concentration in newborn cord blood is correlated with maternal intake of supplemental vitamin D, and lower levels are associated with increased risk of the infant developing eczema
- 1Depatment of Internal Medicine, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- 2Depatment of Public Health Sciences, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Correspondence to: Edward M Zoratti
Depatment of Internal Medicine, Henry Ford Hospital, 4B One Ford Place, Detroit, MI 48202, USA; ezoratt1{at}hfhs.org
Commentary on:
Implications for practice and research
Conflicting evidence regarding the role of vitamin D in allergic disease highlights the need for well-designed clinical trials.
This study and others suggest that early life vitamin D insufficiency may increase eczema risk.
Supplementation during pregnancy may increase cord blood vitamin D and subsequent early life exposure.
The human fetus is dependent on maternal vitamin D status during gestation. Vitamin D deficiency rates in pregnant women have been reported as being more than 70% in some clinical practices.1 Our understanding of prenatal vitamin D's role in modulating immune function and the risk of developing allergic disorders is still in its infancy. Jones and colleagues recently examined whether vitamin D3 levels in cord blood were associated …


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0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
I even did a thread on the forum and didn't get any replies? I am trying to find someone that knows this cheese.http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,25387.0.html
I've never tried it, and at $20 per LB for the link you provided I don't think I will be trying it anytime soon.
Penn Mac carries it also.http://www.pennmac.com/items/4741//scamorza-smoked-italian-cheese


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18 mountain bikers and about 25 equestrians participated in Carrot Fest on Saturday. It was a casual event and it was a great opportunity to learn about the other user group in a social setting.
We were high up on the Horse Camp marine terrace with great views of the ocean and the back country. The sunshine was breaking up the morning fog and there was no wind.
After a registering and refreshments, Rebeckah from SCCHA and Sebastien from MBOSC discussed the basics of horse-bike interaction on the trails. That discussion gave way to an open forum of experiences with the other user group.
Some new things that I have learned about horses and equestrians:
- Horses can't see directly in front or behind them.
- A horse is a prey animal who will run if threatened.
- Carrots are like candy to horses (which is why they love them so much). It's not part of their regular diet and too much carrots will make them sick.
- Equestrians can feel the tension when horses get nervous from bikers. This tension can make the equestrians feel threatened and may cause them to shout at these bikers – which may create an atmosphere of hostility.
As a mountain biker, these are the things I can do on the trail when encountering equestrians and horses:
- Talk and indicate that you are a "human" when approaching horses. Expecially from behind. Bikes are quiet and horses have sensitive hearing. They may think that cyclists are predators.
- Communicate with the equestrian about passing the horse. Some horses are comfortable with bikes and will allow you to ride by. Others may wish that the horse or the bike should come to a complete stop when passing.
- Ride slow when passing a horse and give them plenty of room.
I also appreciated that equestrians are not fully in control of their horses. While horses are obedient and have been trained, it still has a mind of it's own and still subjected to physiological constraints like hunger and fear. An equestrians control of where they want to go must be negotiated with the horse. For example, when an equestrian wants to stop, they must communicate this desire to their horse then the horse will stop. There may be a bit of a lag between the desire to stop by the equestrian and when the horse will actually stop. This is different from bikers because there is no other animal brain to negotiate with when controlling the bike. I acknowledge that not all bikers are in control of their bikes and some bikers have primitive brains.
This was a great way to build understanding between equestrians and mountain bikers. Many of the equestrians I talked with have had positive encounters with mountain bikers on the trail. We are blessed in Santa Cruz county to have such a great relationship with the other user group. Both user groups have a lot of common ground and goals and we can work together to accomplish these goals.
We thank all participants for coming to Carrot Fest for showing the initiative to learn about the other user group. I especially like to thank Sebastien Praley from MBOSC and Rebeckah Crill from SCCHA for representing the co-operation between mountain bikers and equestrians in putting this event together. I also like to thank Supervising Ranger Joe Conners from California State Parks for helping with getting the location prepared for the event.


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Support World CouncilWith Amazon Smiles!
The credit unions were assisted by the Association of Vermont Credit Unions (AVCU) and the Federacion Nacional de Cooperativas de Ahorro y Credito del Peru (FENACREP). The signing creates the second such partnership between Vermont and Peru credit unions, said AVCU (Newslines Express Oct. 8).
AELUCOOP Board Chairman Pedro Miyasato and Manuel Rabines, FENACREP president, spent Thursday meeting with Vermont FCU managers and staff at the credit union's Burlington and South Burlington offices. They learned the history of the credit union from President/CEO Bernie Isabelle, and received overviews of Vermont FCU's balance sheet from Vice President of Finance Jean Giard and of deposit and loan products from Vice President of Lending Lisa Randall.
Lance Potter, the credit union's vice president of information systems; Lori Crowley, assistant vice president of marketing; and Patrick Reeves, deposit operations manager, also provided information about Vermont FCU and interacted with the visitors throughout the day. WOCCU's Tom Belekevich provided translation services.
AVCU President Joe Bergeron and Rabines facilitated the signing of the international partnership agreement by representatives of the two credit unions. Isabelle said both financial institutions, and their respective trade associations and fellow member credit unions, will continue to benefit from the cooperation that the WOCCU program fosters.
"These international partnerships are another example of the collaborative spirit and efforts that have become commonplace in the credit union movement," Isabelle said. "The information disseminated and the friendships developed in these arrangements will help us all in our ultimate goal of serving our members. These partnerships also reinforce the worldwide credit union concept of 'people helping people' which will further differentiate us from the 'for profit' institutions in our respective marketplaces."


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'Can you hear the rain?'Tuesday, June 15th, 2010
The news this week is full of reports of 16-year-old sailor Abby Sunderland's round-the-world solo attempt, not to mention international rescue attempts after she got lost and stranded in the Indian Ocean. Coming so closely on the heels of last month's news that a 13-year-old boy had become the youngest to scale Mount Everest, the blogosophere is drawing connections between these kids and 7-year-old Jessica Dubroff.
Jessica, you'll recall, died in 1996 while trying to set a record as the youngest child to fly cross-country. That quote in the title of this blog is reportedly what Jessica asked her mom over the phone, minutes before she, her CFI, and her dad took off in a heavily loaded Cessna Cardinal. They encountered bad weather and possibly wind shear before crashing shortly after takeoff in Cheyenne, Wyo. The crash killed all three.
That was a dark day in April. I wasn't yet working here, but I can get a sense of the tragedy from looking at our files. Then-President Phil Boyer spent hours and hours talking to television and radio news reporters and made appearances on CNN's Larry King Live and ABC's Good Morning America, and other staff members provided almost 100 media interviews in the 48 hours following the accident. Technical Editor Mike Collins recalls that day very well; he and AOPA Air Safety Foundation President Bruce Landsberg had been monitoring the news coverage of the Dubroffs leading up to the crash, and shared a concern–which turned out to be unfortunately well founded–that the father seemed to be in it for the publicity more than anything else.
Now we have this most recent onslaught of record-setting attempts by youngsters. Sailing around the world… climbing Mount Everest? Who or what is driving these kids? In Abby's case, she has an 18-year-old brother who recently made the same trip. In Jordan Romero's case, he wanted to scale seven of the highest mountains in the world, and his father was a part of the Everest climbing expedition. Still, was I the only parent who got chills watching news footage of Jordan huddled in a tent after his record-setting attempt, telling his mom he loved her by satellite phone? Recall that he still had to make the perilous descent down the mountain.
I'm all for teens taking on challenges that will broaden their horizons and make them stronger and more confident individuals. That includes learning to fly airplanes and gliders under the watchful eye of a good instructor.
But there's a line somewhere, and too many children are crossing it–or being shoved over it. And for what?Fifteen minutes of fame in our 24/7 news cycle? A possible reality TV show on a basic cable TV network? (Yeah, I'm looking at you, Richard Heene.) Let kids be kids until they can't be kids any longer. They will have their entire lives to set the world on fire.


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How to Select a Cord Blood Bank
When selecting a cord blood bank, it's smartest to search the Web to thoroughly research your choices, as well as pick up the phone, ask your relevant questions. Assuming that a company is properly accredited (but, don't assume, make sure they are), some things to consider begin with longevity. Find out how long has each particular cord blood bank been in business. Some have a longer track record and have experience solely in cord blood banking. As with any business that's successful, the amount of years in a specific business most often means that a company is successful. Therefore, financial stability and profitability are essential factors for your choice. If a company does not have the financial legs to sustain operations in the long-term, where does that leave you and your newborn's stem cells? Choose a bank that is solid, with a track record of financial success.
In addition to length of time in business, find out how much experience each particular company has with providing samples for use in lifesaving medical transplants. There are still many cord blood banks that have yet to provide a single transplant sample and clearly don't have the same experience as the others. Find out who has performed the most and then do a comparison. Also, ask about the viability of samples after they've been thawed. If the viability isn't there, then the sample is useless.
There's also the issue of location where your newborn's stem cells will be stored. Many cord blood banks have their storage facilities close to their corporate headquarters, whereas one other, Cord Blood Registry, has strategically placed its lab in a location historically free from natural disasters and airport closures. This is actually a very important point to consider, especially in a scenario where you've chosen to bank with a certain company and when the time comes to ship your sample, a hurricane or snowstorm has shut down the airport. The question that begs is then, what exactly happens to your sample if it can't even make it to the storage facility?
Lastly, there's the issue of pricing. There are differences between the many cord blood banks out there; however, this is one area you may want to not place as great an emphasis on as some of the other factors. There is surely a minimum of costs involved that a cord blood bank must charge to meet the basic requirements of accreditation. There are also many of your own costs that accompany childbirth, and this is one that should be seriously considered. If you can't afford an upfront, one-time payment, many cord blood banks offer low-interest financing. This can make the decision to choose a bank much easier, especially knowing that your special day is soon to arrive.


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Next Talk - Prof. Wolfgang Lehner, February 17, 2012
Prof. Wolfgang Lehner TU Dresden - SMIX - A Self-Managing Index Infrastructure for Dynamic Workloads, Februar 17, 2012, 11 am s.t., Rudower Chaussee 25, Haus 3, Raum 3.113 (First Floor), 12489 Berlin (Abstract)
Past Talks
Prof. Wolfgang Lehner, Februar 17, 2012
Title: SMIX - A Self-Managing Index Infrastructure for Dynamic Workloads
Bio: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Lehner (1969) is full professor and head of the database technology group at the Dresden University of Technology (Technische Universität Dresden), Germany. He received his Master's degree in Computer Science in 1995 from University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. He continued his studies as research assistant at the database system group until 1998, when he earned his Ph.D. degree (Dr.-Ing.) with a dissertation on the optimization of aggregate processing in multidimensional database systems. Thereafter (11/1998) he joined the Business Intelligence (BI) group at the IBM Almaden Research Center in San Jose (CA), where he was involved in projects on adding materialized view support and multiple query optimization techniques to the core engine of the IBM DB2/UDB database system. After his return to Germany, he again joined the database system group at University of Erlangen-Nuremberg as senior researcher. Together with his group, he initiated comprehensive research in exploiting database technology to support complex message-based notification systems. From 10/2000 to 2/2002, Wolfgang Lehner was on a temporary assignment at the University of Halle-Wittenberg holding the professorship for database systems. In 7/2001 finally, he finished his habilitation with a thesis on subscription systems and was therefore awarded with the venia legendi. Since 10/2002, Prof. Lehner is conducting his research, teaching his students, and is involved in multiple industrial projects at the TU Dresden. Since then, Wolfgang Lehner was temporarily visiting scientist at Microsoft Research in Redmond (WA), at GfK Nuremberg, at SAP Walldorf, and at UBS Zurich.
Prof. Bernhard Seeger, Januar 23, 2012
Titel: "XXL2020 - Towards a flexible and extensible infrastructure for generating tailor-made data processing systems
Abstract: In order to meet new user requirements and to exploit new hardware developments, many tailor-made data processing systems have been developed over the last 15 years. One fundamental research question is, therefore, how to design a flexible and extensible data processing architecture supporting the fast generation of tailor-made data processing systems. The XXL2020 infrastructure developed at the University of Marburg is one approach that has been shown to be successful, not only in academia, but also in industry. In this talk, the basic concepts of XXL2020 are introduced and examples of systems are outlined that have been derived from XXL. One such example is PIPES, a platform for complex event processing that has been commercialized and since recently is owned by Software AG. A second example is a raster data management system currently used in real scientific applications for supporting analytical queries on massive raster data sets. More recent work is dedicated to facilitating the usage of XXL, whose primary interfaces are still too complex for non-experts. XXLinq is a pure Java approach that allows fast and easy coding of complex data-intensive applications based on XXL2020. The ongoing (research) challenges of XXLinq are to optimize the declarative user code to run fast on modern virtualized hardware and to take away the burden of physical database design from the end-user.
Bernhard Seeger is a full professor for data processing infrastructures at the University of Marburg since 1995. Prior to his current position he obtained his habilitation from the LMU München and his doctoral degree from the University of Bremen. He has worked on multidimensional and temporal indexing, physical database design, analytical and I/O-efficient algorithms. For the last decade his research focus has been on complex event processing and new architectures for flexible query processing frameworks. He has been a chief architect of XXL, an open-source library for query processing, and a co-founder of RTM Realtime Monitoring GmbH, which is now owned by Software AG. He has published over 100 papers with more than 4500 citations.
Prof. Tamer Ozsu, December 12, 2012
Title: Some Results in Graph Data Management
Prof. Alfons Kemper, May 30, 2011
Title: HyPer-sonic Combined Transaction AND Query Processing


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Topic: Problem on Acts_as_authenticated....!~~~ please help
I try to install the Acts_as_authenticated plugin to my application.
I followed the simple instruction..
installed the plugin
script/generate ...
Then I can go to /users/signup/ successfully.
But after I filled in the form, I get an error message..
"ActiveRecord::StatementInvalid in AccountController#signup"
"Mysql::Error: Column 'remember_token_expires_at' cannot be null: INSERT INTO users (`salt`, `updated_at`, `crypted_password`, `remember_token_expires_at`, `remember_token`, `shipping_address`, `billing_address`, `login`, `created_at`, `email`) VALUES('627c5e3db997948fcf8b0b4579adf84d24190476', '2007-07-11 23:40:22', 'adeb4a0992e0bc1806413b0ea2bede5a60149d2a', NULL, '\"\"', NULL, NULL, 'samuel', '2007-07-11 23:40:22', 'firstname.lastname@example.com')"
It seems that the program cannot get the value of "remember_token_expires_at" , But i got totally no idea where i have went wrong or am i missing something...
I have added 2 extra column to the table, I dun know whether it leads to this problem..
please advice.