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Article Archives: Illinois
HFFI Serves Up Community Development Opportunities in the Midwest
IFF, a nonprofit lender and real estate consultant in Chicago, Ill., was among the recipients of funding from the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) in September 2011. IFF received a $3 million grant and is using the award to leverage more than $25 million in additional capital. The lender will invest the combined funds in food-related projects in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin. The initial emphasis will be on full-service, for-profit grocery stores in "food deserts" in the metropolitan areas of Chicago; Milwaukee, Wis.; Dubuque and Des Moines, Iowa; St. Louis, Mo.; and East St. Louis, Ill., where IFF has developed a pipeline of potential projects. Over time, IFF will finance and, where appropriate, directly develop a range of both for-profit and nonprofit retail food outlets as well as other types of food-related businesses, including rural business models.
IFF intends to work with one or more national community development financial institution (CDFI) partners to establish a fund for grocery-store lending across the Midwest. To share risk and stretch its capital further, IFF will seek the participation of other CDFIs, community banks, its regional and national bank partners, and foundations. Banks and foundations will be able to invest in the fund, and local or regional investors will be able to target funds geographically.
If you are interested in learning more about the fund, please contact Trinita Logue at (312) 596-5117 or email@example.com.
Small Loans, Big Returns
Headquartered in Milwaukee, WtW makes its loans from 43 offices in 21 states: California, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
WtW offices are located in social service agencies affiliated with the Alliance of Children and Families (ACF). ACF agencies screen and provide financial education to borrowers and service the loans. WtW local offices provide financial education to more than three persons for every individual who receives a loan. Investors in WtW include several national foundations, the Community Development Financial Institution Fund of the U.S. Treasury Department, local United Way offices, and financial institutions. Banks can be involved by investing in the national WtW loan fund, by referring to local WtW offices prospective borrowers who do not meet conventional credit criteria, by participating in local WtW loan committees, and by providing grants and in-kind donations to WtW.
For more information, contact President Jeff Faulkner at (414) 359-1448 ext. 2, e-mail him, or visit his Web site.
Chicago Loan Fund, an Active CDFI Lender
The Chicago Community Loan Fund is a nonprofit and certified community development financial institution serving the Chicago metropolitan area. It provides loans for affordable housing projects. Recent investments include:
The fund has more than $17 million in assets. Since its inception in 1991, the fund has made more than 130 loans totaling approximately $25 million. The fund also provides technical assistance to prospective nonprofit borrowers, beginning with a regular series of one-day, intensive "Project Readiness" workshops. Banks can assist the fund by (1) referring to the fund's prospective borrowers that do not meet conventional credit criteria; (2) participating in structured fund financing packages; and (3) providing grants and in-kind donations to the fund.
For more information, visit the Chicago Community Loan Fund or contact Calvin Holmes at (312) 252-0440.
Illinois Facilities Fund Capitalizing $100 Million Loan Program
Contact Trinita Logue at (312) 629-0060 or email@example.com; www.iff.org.
Regional CDFI Benefits Illinois Co-Ops
For more information, contact Margaret Lund at (612) 331-9103 or at email@example.com. NCDF's web site is www.ncdf.org.
Community Development Lending Leads to Improved Infrastructure
For more information, contact Debra Martin at (800) 775-9767 or email@example.com.
Introducing ICADC...
For more information, contact Joyce Probst at (217) 789-0125 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Venture Capital in the Midwest
Contact: Tom Parkinson at (312) 357-9600; email@example.com; www.hopewellventures.com.
Micro-Loans for Child Care Businesses
For more information, contact Lucero Trevino at (312) 814-8736.


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Climate change presents a dual opportunity for municipal solid waste managers.
On the one hand, it's renewing interest in waste-to-energy (WTE) projects and technologies capable of converting waste into products and fuels, prompting several of the 90 or so WTE facilities in North America to expand. More than 420 landfills recover and convert landfill gas into usable energy; government incentives could fund about 570 new recovery projects in the next few years that would produce up to 1,370 MW of energy.
On the other hand, it's causing regulatory agencies to more closely monitor operations. The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the U.S. EPA's authority to control emissions, and nearly a dozen states have set goals to reduce emissions by as much as 80% below 1990 levels by 2050.
WTE facilities may face reduction mandates, while landfills may be more extensively regulated to reduce methane emissions. Mandates for energy-efficient recycling may be more extensively imposed.
So the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) is monitoring several bills that are likely to be reconsidered by the 111th Congress, which convenes this month:
Both landfill gas and WTE projects qualify for this credit, as do facilities under construction before the expiration date but which are producing and selling electricity within two years of the expiration date.
The bill also would extend the Section 54 Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs) Program, for which landfill gas and WTE facilities are eligible, for 10 years.
As the debate over emissions continues, managers should conduct a "greenhouse gas inventory" of operations to identify sources and estimate their emissions, says John Skinner, SWANA's executive director and CEO.
"All vehicle emissions, combustion sources, and other processes that generate greenhouse gases should be included," he explains. "That would ... serve as the comparative basis for future emission reduction efforts."
At the state level, California continues to lead the nation in establishing mandates to reduce emissions. The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 requires facilities that emit significant amounts — including landfills — to adopt regulations by Jan. 1, 2011 (see page 37). California also is one of more than two dozen states that require electric utilities to use more renewable resources. Some states have followed California's lead. In Minnesota, for example, Gov. Tim Pawlenty has proposed that one quarter of the state's energy needs be derived from renewable sources by 2025, requiring more than 5,000 MW of renewable projects.

subset: commoncrawl


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By Christina Schave
Of all the equipment in their fleets, public works directors say skid-steer loaders are the machines most commonly used in wintertime. Crews use machines for general construction work during warm months, then repurpose loaders with attachments for snow removal. To keep compact equipment in peak operating condition, equipment managers must begin thinking about winterizing as soon as the first leaves hit the ground.
Mike Fitzgerald, loader product specialist for Bobcat Co. , offers the following checklist of procedures and inspections that should be performed as weather turns colder, to prepare for the different ways cold temperatures can affect machinery.
1. Fluids, oils, and fuels
Without the proper engine oil, engine coolant, hydraulic oil, and fuel for cold weather, a skidsteer loader's performance won't be up to par. Refer to the operator's manual for instructions on filling machines with the correct fluids for winter conditions.
For example, when the temperature turns colder, it's important to have an engine oil viscosity that matches the outside operating temperatures and a low-temperature grease for proper lubrication on pivot points.
Change fuel and hydraulic oil filters, as they may have collected water and debris over the spring and summer. This will help minimize future maintenance problems.
As with any automobile, the engine coolant — or antifreeze — in compact equipment should be tested according to manufacturers' specifications prior to the weather turning chilly.
The wrong fuel can also cause maintenance problems. In cold weather conditions, typical No. 2 diesel fuel can gel. Fleets in far northern regions may want to consider a cold-weather-rated No. 1 or blended diesel fuel.
Using approved anti-gel additives can minimize fuel-related problems.
2. Pair advanced fluids to Tier 4 machines
Today's skidsteer engines burn cleaner and run hotter, even in cold months. As the EPA's engine emissions standards take effect in the compact equipment industry, equipment managers must be more knowledgeable about fuel and oil selection to prevent downtime issues.
"Interim Tier 4 and Tier 4 engines require ultra-low sulfur diesel, which burns cleaner in the new exhaust treatment devices and systems designed to lower engine emissions," Fitzgerald says. Advanced oil, called CJ-4, is required for these engines, as it is formulated to reduce ash. Delivery filters on fuel storage and transfer tanks will also help ensure clean fluids.
3. Treat attachments equally
Skidsteer loader attachments such as snow blades, snowblowers, angle brooms, and spreaders are some of the most popular and hardest-working tools during winter months, and deserve the same attention as the machine itself.
Visual checks of attachment components such as hoses, cylinders and guards, broom bristles, cutting blades, and edges can help determine if wear is developing or damage has occurred. Some attachments also require fluid-level checks and lubrication.
4. Tires and batteries
One of the first signs of cold weather may be a skidsteer loader's sagging tires, as their air pressure drops with the temperature. Low tire pressure can translate into unwanted down-time when you need a machine most. Check the owner's manual for the proper pounds/square inch (psi) and inflate tires accordingly.
Downtime is unavoidable, however, if you have a dead battery. There's nothing worse than needing to quickly respond to a snow or ice storm to clear public walkways or roadways, only to find that your machine won't start.
Cold weather plays havoc on batteries because it requires them to generate nearly twice as many cranking amps to turn over and deliver oil to the engine. That's why fleets in colder climates go through batteries faster than those in warmer climates.
It's imperative to have a load test performed on compact equipment batteries before the first snow hits the ground. Also, check the battery cables and connections for any wear or corrosion because such defects could result in hard starting.
5. Don't forget your operators
Once you've made sure your skidsteer loaders will perform at optimal levels in winter, you'll want to focus on operator comfort features, such as heating and defrosting systems. Inspect each system and perform routine maintenance — like changing cab air filters — as specified in the owner's manual.
Also, inspect the cab's door and window seals to ensure heat won't seep out, and install a new windshield wiper blade and cold-weather washer fluid.
Snow removal operators can spend as many as 12 hours a day inside the cab of a skidsteer loader, so it's vital that they stay warm and comfortable.
— Christina Schave (email@example.com) is responsible for Bobcat Co. public relations through Two Rivers Marketing, based in Des Moines, Iowa.


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TV News Producer / Assignment Editor
Date: December 20, 2013
Location: Colorado Springs, CO.
Position: TV News Producer / Assignment Editor
KRDO-TV in Colorado Springs has an immediate opening for a Weekend Assignment Editor/Producer.
If you are looking for an opportunity to work in a great news market with a beautiful setting, here's your chance. Our staff has covered plenty of stories that are of national importance. For example: the Black Forest and Royal Gorge wildfires, major flooding throughout El Paso County, and a historic recall election.
Colorado Springs is just an hour away from Denver and it is very common for people to make a major market jump from KRDO-TV.
Job Description:
The candidate will have strong formatting and writing skills. We are a fast-paced newsroom that puts an emphasis on enterprise reporting, breaking news and weather coverage. Your duties will include directing reporters and photographers to complete assigned tasks, responding to viewer inquiries, and making regular "beat" calls to police and fire agencies to stay on top of breaking news. You must have a winning attitude and want to be an integral part of the "big story". If you are bi-lingual in Spanish, that's a plus.
Required Qualifications:
A degree in journalism, mass communications or equivalent experience is required. You will need to have excellent verbal and written communications skills and strong attention to detail. The ability to stay calm under pressure and handle stress is a must. Must be a good team leader, proficient in multi tasking and have a flexible schedule. All candidates will be required to take a writing test.
The ideal candidate will have strong writing skills, be an aggressive producer, and will run the weekend assignment desk.
Desk responsibilities include:
· Plan and coordinate news coverage
· Research and set up stories
· Use newsroom resources efficiently.
· Monitor law enforcement and fire/emergency frequencies on scanners.
One year of previous newsroom experience preferred including the ability to generate story ideas, research and write original content.
Please send resumes/demo tapes to:
News Channel 13
Attn: Human Resources
399 S. 8th Street
Colorado Springs, CO. 80905
Fax (719) 575-6327
Email: email@example.com
Successful candidate must pass a drug test and background check.
News Channel 13 is an Equal Opportunity Employer


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View more photos from this vendor»
View more photos from this photographer»
The wedding cake featured green ribbon, a cluster of peonies and succulents, and three different flavors.
"I will dream of this cake for the rest of my life," says Heather.
Photo by Mad Chicken Studio
Cake by How Sweet It Is Cakes


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Spacious 6 Person Apartment in Krakow - Mezzotint (211)
Size90 m²
Floor No.
- Kitchen
- Internet/WiFi
Accommodation summary
|Starowiślna, 30-001 Krakow, Poland
|Property type
|Property ID
|Acceptance rate
|Response time
|A few hours
|Calendar updated
Electric cooker, Refrigerator, Electric kettle, Crockery and Cutlery, Coffee, Tee, Mineral water
Shower, WC, Washbasin, Soap, Towels
Single bed: 1
Double bed: 1
TV, TV(Sat), WiFi-Internet
Single bed: 1
Double bed: 1
House rulesOur standard check in and check out times are as follows:
Check in: from 14:00
Check out: till 12:00
Earlier check in or late check out is possible depending on availability and need to be agreed before arrival.
|Price for > 2 guests
|$ 17 US per guest/night extra
|Check-in after
|Check-in before
|On arrangement
|Check-out before
|Cancellation Policy
Reviews for this host's other properties
Three of us stayed at this apartment.
It is in a fantastic location and is in a very beautiful building.
The apartment is very well laid out and is well equipped.
We really loved staying here.
2 teeny-weeny improvements - provide a tea pot and an iron. Otherwise a perfect place to stay.
Beautiful apartment in the center of Cracow. The outer appearance of the floor should not hesitate to book it when. In general, in Krakow usually they have that aspect.
Add a new set of towels with some more towel per person and a shower mat.
A magnificent place to stay in Krakow
Precioso apartamento en el centro de cracovia. La apariencia exterior del piso no debe hacer dudar a la hora de reservarlo. En general, en Cracovia suelen tener ese aspecto.
Añadiría un juego de toallas nuevo, con alguna toalla más por persona, y una alfombrilla para la ducha.
Un magnifico sitio para quedarse en Cracovia
Top Location of Apartment Turin,
Despite late arrival, no problems for key pick,
Top Lage von Apartment Turin,
Trotz später Anreise keine Probleme zwecks Schlüsselübergabe,
Agreement with the agency on time and
apartment clean and in an excellent position in the historical center,
well served by public transport and other services.
Pleasant stay.
Intesa con l'agenzia puntuale e
appartamento pulito e in ottima posizione nel centro storico ,
ben servito da mezzi pubblici e servizi vari.
Piacevole soggiorno.
A large apartment, with large rooms. Plagued with hard beds and not the least heat.
We arrived at 28 degrees, many steps up to the top floor. We had not seen that it was NOT air conditioned, so it was very hot in every room. Especially in the living room which was located in the middle of floor, no windows that could be opened. There was one fan there, and we got 2 extra, so little air was there.
En stor leilighet, med store rom. Plaget med harde senger og ikke minst varmen.
Vi kom til 28 grader, mange trapper opp til toppetasjen. Vi hadde ikke sett at det IKKE var aircondition, så det var veldig varmt i alle rom. Spesielt i oppholdsrommet som lå midt inne i etasjen, uten vinduer som kunne åpnes. Det var 1 vifte der, og vi fikk 2 ekstra, så litt luft ble der.
Very happy with the stay! Very convienient location.
The apartment was not ready when we arrived the decorators were still working. We were asked at the office to return in 2 hours and were taken to the 'house of beer' for refreshments. When we were then taken to the apartment the workmen were just finishing. The apartment was very comfortable and spacious and ideal for three couples. It was not however the apartment we had reserved having reviewed the advertised photographs! Despite this I would highly recommend the apartment and would return for another break.
Nice apartment, clean and cosy. There are only 2 bedrooms with double beds. 3 couples will not be comfortable. At night it might be noicey. Well after all it is rhight at the main square.
All in all good experience.
I was absolutely satisfied in the apartment Desiderio. The room was nicely decorated and close to the centrum. It was clean and everything was super clean. I would only complain about the one probably it took a long time until we reach the house by the apartment was found had since the address was not entirely correct. Otherwise, a super holiday in a beautiful city. Always gladly again :)
Ich war absolut zufrieden in dem Apartment Desiderio. Das zimmer war schön eingerichtet und nah am centrum. Es war sauber und alles super gepflegt. Ich würde vllt nur bemängeln das es lange gedauert hat bis wir das haus indem die Ferienwohnung war gefunden hatten da die Adresse nicht ganz korrekt war. Sonst ein super urlaub in einer wunderschönen Stadt. Immer wieder gerne :)
The location of the apartment is fantastic, it could not be better, right on the corner of the pedestrian area in the old town, yet very quiet. We were 9 people (5 children) there, perfect for the 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The kitchen is equipped okay for breakfast, does not slow suited to cooking for more, there are only 2 pots, a small one for example. Eggs and a larger one. Also 2 chairs we had to organize ourselves, there were still what a 1/2 flight of stairs in the stairwell. The apartment is clean and bright Initially we found the blankets very thin because it was cold outside and the heating was turned off, but then the weather got better. The apartment was
clean! Beds / bedding, and towels all in white and everything fresh. Two houses away is a supermarket.
The only negative was that I have tried several times (6 times) by mail to reach the landlord Martin to learn how and where we get the apartment keys and if there is a car park and we need to bring linen, but he did not respond. We then contacted Wimdu and they have taken care of and everything worked.
We were able to pick up the key 23 against clock and it was us a guarded parking nearby recommended.
Die Lage der Wohnung ist fantastisch, es könnte nicht besser sein, direkt an der Ecke zur Fußgängerzone in der Altstadt, trotzdem sehr ruhig gelegen. Wir waren zu 9 Personen (5 Kinder) dort, wegen der 4 Schlafzimmer und 2 Bäder perfekt. Die Küche ist zum Frühstücken okay ausgestattet, zu Kochen für mehrere nicht umbedingt geeignet, es gibt nur 2 Töpfe, einen kleinen für zB. Eier und einen größeren. Auch 2 Stühle mussten wir uns noch organisieren, es standen noch welche eine 1/2 Treppe höher im Treppenhaus. Die Wohnung ist sauber und hell. Anfangs fanden wir die Bettdecken sehr dünn, da es kalt draußen war und die Heizung war abgestellt, aber dann wurde das Wetter besser. Die Wohnung war
sauber! Betten/Bettwäsche und Handtücher alles in weiß auch alles frisch. Zwei Häuser weiter ist ein Supermarkt.
Negativ war das ich mehrfach (6 mal) per Mail versucht habe den Vermieter Martin zu erreichen um zu erfahren wie und wo wir die Wohnungsschlüssel bekommen und ob es einen Parkplatz gibt und wir Bettwäsche mitbringen müssen , aber er hat nicht reagiert. Wir haben dann Kontakt zu Wimdu aufgenommen und sie haben sich gekümmert und es hat alles geklappt.
Wir konnten den Schlüssel gegen 23 Uhr abholen und es wurde uns ein bewachten Parkplatz in der Nähe empfohlen.
- Quality assured accommodation
- Every host is verified by telephone
- Secure payment via SSL encryption


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Office of Student Conduct
Campus Partners
Forms & Resources
If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesistate to contact us.
The following information has been compiled in an attempt to make the student academic dishonesty process as easy and efficient as possible. Students have the right to proceed through UMD's academic grievance process if they disagree with the allegations and/or the faculty member's sanction. Therefore, it is in everyone's best interest to resolve academic dishonesty at the lowest level possible. The following suggestions are for your consideration in handling student academic dishonesty.
Faculty Members
Department Heads
When students are accused of academic dishonesty, they have the right to disagree with the allegations and/or severity of the sanction imposed by the professor. In accordance with UMD's Academic Grievance Policy, if the case is not resolved between the professor and student, the next step is for the student to meet with the department head. [If the professor is the department head, the student meets with the assistant/associate dean in your college.] The academic integrity officer will provide you with the Report of Academic Dishonesty and the evidence. The student will contact you to schedule a meeting.
To ensure that students are provided their due-process rights, your role is to meet with the student and to listen to the student's side of the story. Be open minded and willing to address the student's concern. Likewise, you most likely will need to consult with the professor before and/or after meeting with the student to hear the professor's account.
If you feel the allegations are correct and/or the sanction is appropriate, use this as an educational opportunity to help the student understand why you are supporting the professor's decision. If you feel the allegations and/or sanction are inappropriate, speak with the professor, and offer a resolution to the problem. As uncomfortable as this may be, it is a critical step in the process and will help in our goal to resolve cases at the lowest level possible.
Send the student an e-mail confirming your finding, and copy the academic integrity officer. Inform the student that he/she must contact the academic integrity officer if your finding is not acceptable to the student and he/she wants to proceed through the academic grievance process. If a resolution is not reached between the department head and the student, the next step in the process is to have the student meet with the assistant/associate dean of the college.
Levels of Offenses
In determining what sanction you will impose, take into account what the student has had to say and what level of offense occurred. The bulleted items are examples meant to clarify a category, rather than being the only options within that level. Again, this is a suggestion, as you determine the expectations for your classroom.
Minor Offenses
In general, minor offenses involve errors in judgment without a clear intent by the student to violate academic integrity.
Moderate Offenses
In general, moderate offenses are unpremeditated dishonest acts that directly affect only one student.
Major Offenses
In general, major offenses are premeditated dishonest acts or dishonest acts that directly affect the grade of other students.
Source (for levels of offenses): Penn State University; used with permission


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Frances L. Horton
Frances L. Horton
Pine River
Francis L. Horton, 89, of Pine River, passed away Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013, at Good Samaritan Society, Pine River.
She was born Nov. 29, 1923, to Selmer and Laura Halvorson at her grandma Halvorson's farm near Starbuck, Minn. Fran attended a one-room country school for eight years before graduating from Felton Consolidated High School in 1942. She went on to graduate from St. John's School of Nursing in Fargo, N.D., in 1944, then the Mayo Clinic Physical Therapy School in 1951. She enjoyed her nursing and physical therapy career.
Fran married E.T. Horton on Dec. 3, 1951, and they were blessed with two sons. After her husband's disability retirement, they moved to Crosslake and Fran continued her work in physical therapy at Good Samaritan Homes in Brainerd for nine years and as a caregiver to her son, John, who was handicapped in a water accident, and her husband following his stroke. She worked with the Crosslake Ambulance and was active in the Mid-Minnesota Women's Shelter, Legion Post 500 Auxiliary and Color Guard, Immaculate Heart Church Choir and Befrienders, Crosslake Lutheran Church Stephen Ministry and Crosslake Historical Society.
Fran was a Grief Group Coordinator, an honorary member of Whitefish Sno Goers since its inception and was chosen as Crosslake Woman of the Year. One of her most enjoyable activities was with Pam and Kevin's Friday "Grubbers" group at Uppgaard Sanctuary in Crosslake.
Fran is survived by her son, Thomas Horton, and daughter-in-law, Edna, of West Hills, Calif.; son, John Horton of Brainerd; brother, Warren Halvorson of Las Vegas, Nev.; grandsons, Keith Horton, Jesse Horton and Robert Horton; granddaughter, Kassandra Horton; and dear friend and caregiver, Michelle Becker of Crosslake.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, E.T., in 1987.
Services were at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 23, at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Pine River, with Father Bruce Engen officiating. Visitation was one hour prior to the service. Burial will be in Pinewood Cemetery, Crosslake. Arrangements were with Kline Funeral Home, Pine River.


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Charles Gabriel Takes on Expanded Role
Feb 18, 2014
Scaling the AOL On Network to global audiences continues to be a leading focus for my team in 2014. With global growth already under way at the AOL On Network and with guidance from global leaders already in place in Bob Lord, Jim Norton, Graham Moysey and Tal Simantov, I'm pleased to announce Charles Gabriel will broaden the scope of his role to focus on global video sales.
Over the past three years, Charles has evolved to be a big voice in our industry and regularly leads conferences, publishes articles (TechCrunch, Adweek and others), has a wealth of relationships and is viewed as an industry expert. Charles has been a key player for several years now, playing a critical role in growing revenue before 5min was acquired in 2010 through our best year to date in 2013. Charles has been instrumental to the evolution and success of the AOL On Network, and our success largely stems from his ability to scale video sales and expand our reach and sales offering to both digital and traditional media buyers.
In this new role, Charles will be responsible for growing AOL Video's revenue in addition to integrating Adap.TV's media offering into his existing org. He'll work with Graham and Tal to anchor AOL's video presence in key global marketplaces, and we expect exciting announcements in the upcoming months.
I'm continuously impressed by Charles's ability to tell our video story. He has mentored our sellers to become the strongest video talent in the industry and he continues to invest in the team and their development. I'm confident that Charles will lead AOL Video sales into the next phase of growth in 2014.
AOL's @cgabriel10 takes on expanded role as he broadens the scope of his role to focus on global video sales http://t.co/5avbaa7q0G
- AOL Inc. (@AOL_Inc) February 19, 2014


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Sign up to receive Food Bank news and updates:
First Name:
Last Name:
E-Mail Address:
Let us know what topics you would like to stay informed on:
Optionally, you can let us know your mailing address:
Agency Intranet Login
CookShop users, click here: CookShop Database
In our city, 3 million New Yorkers experience difficulty affording food. If you or your family is facing difficult decisions between keeping food on the table and meeting
other basic necessities such as rent, medical expenses or utilities,
the Food Bank's programs can help provide essential resources to help
you get by.
Find a soup kitchen, food pantry or senior center that is convenient to you. The Food Bank can also help you locate after-school and summer programs, low-income daycare centers, Open Market BackPack Programs for children, shelters, rehabilitation centers and youth programs in our citywide network.
Over the summer months, hundreds of thousands of children in NYC lose access to free and reduced-price school meals. The Food Bank works with the NYC Department of Education to make sure these children have access to the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP, also known as Summer Meals).
If you need help buying food, you are not alone. Thousands of New Yorkers are reaching out for help in this tough economy. The federal Food Stamp Program is a simple, dependable way to buy food in times like these.
Last year, the Food Bank For New York City helped get New Yorkers more than $60 million they were owed in tax refunds and credits. You earned it. The Food Bank will help you claim it.
Browse our collected links to access other resources available to New Yorkers in need from job training and legal assistance to meal delivery, utility assistance and more.
Contact Us ¦ Policy & Disclaimer ¦ Form 990
Main Office: 39 Broadway, New York, NY 10006 ¦ Phone: 212.566.7855 ¦ Fax: 212.566.1463
BBB Accredited Charity
© 2016 Food Bank For New York City. The Food Bank For New York City name, program names and materials are registered trade and service marks.


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Tractor-trailer slams into convenience store
LUCAMA, WILSON COUNTY (WTVD) - A tractor-trailer slammed into a convenience store near Wilson Friday.
It happened along U.S. Highway 301 in Lucama at the Aycock Grill and Gas.
The owner said one of his employees was inside at the time. Two customers were standing just feet away from the spot where the semi slammed into the side of the building.
A kerosene tank and two cars were shoved into the store on impact.
The State Highway Patrol said the driver was headed north on Highway 301 when he apparently veered off the road and smashed into the building.
An eyewitness, who was outside when it happened, saw the entire incident unfold. Jessica Holland said she rushed to help the driver who was pinned inside the truck for about 20 minutes before help arrived.
"He was pinned in. He was responsive to start with and he was hollering back at me, but as far as getting to him, I couldn't check on him," said Holland. "[He was] very shook up, just lucky to be alive is all I know."
The driver's injuries are only minor. He was taken to Wilson Medical Center. His condition is unknown.
The building is a total loss and will have to be demolished.
(Copyright ©2013 WTVD-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
For more information, visit WTVD.


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You missed it This great deal for Envirosax is over. But don't despair, we've got more great deals every day.
Five Eco-Friendly Designer Rosa, After Dark, Sesame Street, Savanna, or Mystery Assortment Bags with Storage Pouch
100% recommendedin LivingSocial customer ratings
Paper? Plastic? Au contraire, mon frère! Join the environmentally friendly brotherhood of sustainable carrying equipment, courtesy of today's deal: $22 for the purchase of five designer Envirosax bags with a storage pouch in one of four styles -- Rosa, Sesame Street, After Dark, Savanna -- or a mystery assortment, plus included delivery nationwide (a $45 value). As the creator of the original reusable designer bag, Envirosax offers an environmentally friendly solution to single-use plastic bags. Envirosax pouches are fully washable, anti-fade, water-resistant, and can hold up to 44 pounds. They're also lightweight and can be rolled up and tucked into your purse or glove box. Get a grip on these super-chic satchels -- we guarantee it'll make your fashion cents and sustainability efforts go hand in hand.
PAID VALUE EXPIRES ON May 30, 2022
PROMOTIONAL VALUE EXPIRES ON August 15, 2012


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Set against the backdrop of World War I, War Horse tells the epic tale of an unbreakable bond between a boy, Albert, and his "miracle" horse, Joey. As England is launched into the Great War, Albert is crushed to learn that his father has sold Joey to the British army. The story follows the courageous colt on a grand journey through the battlefields, where he makes a lasting impression on those from all sides of the war. Meanwhile, Albert has followed Joey to the front lines, never giving up hope that he will find his best friend.
The movie marks the second release from director Steven Spielberg this holiday season. (The first, The Adventures of Tintin, rolled into theaters on December 21. Read an interview with the director here.) The film is based on the 1982 novel by British children's author Michael Morpurgo. It was also inspired by the successful stage play.
Spielberg's longtime producing partner, Kathleen Kennedy, was the one who convinced him to bring War Horse to the big screen. Kennedy had seen the play in London. She was so affected by the story that she urged Spielberg to see it too. "That sealed the deal," he said. He was also moved by Morpurgo's book. "War Horse says a lot about courage; the courage of this boy and what he overcomes to achieve what he needs—not just for himself, but also for his best friend, his horse Joey," Spielberg explains. "It's also about the courage of this extraordinary animal."
The Perfect Cast
Fourteen different horses played the part of Joey in the film, as he grows from a foal to an adolescent to an adult. A team of makeup artists painted matching white socks on the legs and attached matching white stars on the foreheads of the horses used to portray Joey as an adult. Trainers taught the horses to do special stunts. Oftentimes, the creatures were so expressive in their emotions that they upstaged their human costars.
"Just living with horses for so many years, I know that they really do convey tremendous expression," says Spielberg. "There were times in the movie when I wouldn't even tell the horses what to do. They'd be in a scene and would be reacting in that scene in ways I couldn't imagine a horse would be able to react or act."
Hollywood newcomer Jeremy Irvine plays Albert in the film. The actor admits that he'd never been an animal person before being cast in the role. Irvine and his costars trained on horseback for two months before filming began. "I'd never been on a horse in my life—or acted in a movie—so I had quite a lot to learn, really!" Irvine said, with a chuckle. "But I had the most fun in those two months learning to ride. These horses are so sensitive. They're magnificent."
Tales of a War Horse
The movie takes place during wartime, but it's not a war film, says Spielberg. The true heart of the story lies in the relationships between Joey and the people he meets and helps as he finds a way back to Albert. Audiences will be rooting for the horse and his boy to reunite until the very end. "The film really focuses on the human elements and the people that Joey touches," says Irvine.
One of those people is British cavalry officer Captain Nicholls, played by Tom Hiddleston, who buys Joey from Albert's father. After working on the film, Hiddleston says he now understands what people mean when they talk of the bond a person can have with an animal. "The gift that Albert gives to Joey is one of kindness and compassion and love and courage and hope, and Joey takes this with him on his odyssey," says Hiddleston. "Every human being that Joey comes into contact with is someone he touches with those same qualities. Through Joey, we learn a lot about the best in people."
War Horse gallops into theaters on Christmas Day. (A note to parents: This film is rated PG-13 for scenes of war.)
For more Holiday Films, go to timeforkids.com/holidaymovies.


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It's so cute! The interior is...gorgeous.Volkswagen says the 2014 Golf is 23 percent more fuel-efficient than the current model, an improvement attributable to the reduced weight and more aerodynamic body.There's also a variety of new technology meant to improve the driving experience, starting with variable-ratio steering, an electronic front differential introduced on the Volkswagen GTI, and adaptive cruise control. A new City Emergency Braking function uses a laser sensor to detect imminent collisions at speeds below 19 mph. It can pre-charge the brakes or apply full braking force if the driver doesn't react in time. Another feature called PreCrash automatically tenses the seatbelts and closes the windows if it detects panic braking or a loss of vehicle control. On top of that, Multi Collision Brake applies the brakes when the airbags deploy, so as to stop the car after a big crash.The 2014 Volkswagen Golf also gains Lane Assist, which uses cameras to detect whether the driver is veering out of the current lane. If so, the system vibrates the steering wheel and steers the car back into its intended lane. A fatigue detection system sounds an alarm if it detects a drowsy driver. Finally, Dynamic Light Assist uses a front-facing camera to prevent the headlights from dazzling other drivers. The system uses a moving aperture to prevent the high-beam headlights from blinding oncoming traffic, and automatically switches to the low-beam lights if necessary. Others gadgets that were already available on the European Golf include adaptive suspension, traffic sign recognition, self-parking, and push-button start.Moreover, the switch to MQB has helped Volkswagen trim as much as 220 pounds from the new Golf, meaning we can expect curb weights of 2700-2800 pounds. That's due to incremental diets in all parts of the MQB platform -- the electrical system of the new Golf is seven pounds lighter than before, the seats are now 15 pounds lighter, and a redesigned air conditioner saves six pounds. The biggest change of all comes from the body shell, which adopts stronger and lighter types of steel in order to save 51 pounds. Whereas the sixth-generation Golf used high-strength steel in 66 percent of its body, the new car's body is made of 80 percent high-strength metals.That weight loss was achieved even though Volkswagen's hatchback has grown. It is now 2.2 inches longer, at 167.5 inches overall, and 0.5 inch wider at 70.8 inches overall. That allows for 0.6 inch more rear legroom and 1.2 inches more shoulder room on the inside. At the same time, the roof is 0.8 lower and the front wheels are 1.7 inches farther forward than on the old Golf, translations designed to give the new car a sportier stance. Out back, the hatchback area grows by about one cubic foot, and the liftover height is lower so it's easier to load cargo. Dimensionally, the seventh-generation Golf is within spitting distance of the Ford Focus hatchback. The Focus is a few inches longer, but only a smidge wider and taller than the new Golf.
Come on...
I don't like the front, but I love everything else. I don't like the square shape of this or the new A3.
Not too much of a departure exterior wise which is a good thing. But is that shiny black plastic on the dash? If so, then that's a huge turn off.Be curious to see what the GTI will be like.
=================================No, Brian, it's a foreign car, the "T" is silent. Sweet, I'm getting an Audi!
The Golf isn't being decontented. The interior reminds me of the CC.
Love it.
I'm excited for the GTI. It's going to be about 10% lighter and 20% more powerful.
this is a great looking car
------------------2006 Mercedes Benz SLK 3502008 Mercedes Benz ML 350 4Matic2012 Mercedes Benz E550 Cabriolet 2012 Ford Focus SEL
I've never been a fan of the Golf, but I will admit the 2014 looks promising. Lower curb weight = faster, and the interior is impressive. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on it.
Raindrop wins with his beautiful flows.----------------------'12 Mazda 3 '02 Cavalier coupe '71 Beetle (RIP)
I thought there was already a thread on this... anywho, I really like it!
Interior is nice. Exterior is the definition of generic.
=================Only Saabs, Fords and Mitsubishis are allowed on my driveway.
Gavas:Interior is nice. Exterior is the definition of generic.This.


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you ever see a porno and the girls a**hole looks tore up before anything ever penetrates it? Well that's called "blown spokes." Like the spokes of a bike that was messed up.
Tore up
Burnt out
Ate up
Tore up
Burnt out
Ate up
The tweaked out lady's blown spokes.
by pookamiss March 10, 2012
The vengeful act of crapping on a lover's chest while they sleep.Buy the plush


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Discussion in 'Member Introductions' started by shadyecko, Apr 8, 2007.
How is everyone
Hi, welcome to the club!
Doing great! How are you?
PS: Welcome to the club!arty:
Welcome aboard, We got a few from Jersey...Post away!
Welcome aboard and back at ya.
What are you driving these days?
2005 chevy silverado 1500 z71 5.3 v8.. fully loaded
Ewww heated leather seats...comfy. Got any pics? Done any cool stuff to it?
i havent done anything to it yet, got a baby on the way so its pretty much stock...i do wanna do some stuff to it though... i have a couple of pix i will take more...its got a spray on bedliner too...
Hey classy ride. That spray on bedliner is great stuff!
thank you....yeah it is... i wanna get a cold air intake, the ss camaro ram air hood, i wanna put tire size at 285-70-17, ss gauge cluster, and the late 05/06 grill...and maybe the navi system, i love the way the stereo sounds all bose wit the sub its great..friend tol me i had the sub in the truck and i told him he was crazy then i found out for myself..
Separate names with a comma.


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Casting Calls: Columbus

Vote for the hottest girls from the Biggest Small Town in America.

Back by popular demand, it's Playboy's Casting Calls! Each week we'll be re-releasing full city sets, featuring your favorite Playmates, Cybergirls and Amateurs before they officially appeared on Playboy.com. You can access the full sets by clicking the links or pictures below. And be sure to vote for your favorite each week below; the winner will be featured in an exclusive new set in 2014.
Winner of Casting Calls Philadelphia: Alyssa A Marie
Your choice for the hottest woman of Philly was sexy blonde Cybergirl Alyssa A Marie, and we couldn't agree more! Alyssa is now in the running to win a brand-new photo shoot. Check out more of her photos on Playboy.com, then check back to vote for more Casting Calls.
Andrea - 2011
Angela Chadwick - 2008
Beth Williams - 2008
Jessica N - 2011
Kristy - 2008
Nicole - 2011
Rebecca - 2011
Stephanie - 2008
Sydney - 2011


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A stately antique inspired classic that offers clean and fresh finishes in a weathered oak and vintage white, Hancock Park collection lures with traditional and cottage comfort. Crafted of oak veneers and hardwood solids, the finishes are distinguished in water spotting, refined softening powder glazing and just the right amount of distressing and rasping. Raised panel and arch details marry with decorative bracket bases, lambs tongue detailing and ship lap sides on many of the case pieces to create an eclectic collection pieces that can stand alone or work seamlessly together, offering a fresh twist to classic style.View More Items in This Collection
Leave a review & win $100
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text: How big of a fire hazard is melting bee's wax in the oven or directly on the stove top anyway? I was always tought never to melt wax in anything other then a double boiler. I kind of like the idea of melting wax in a crock pot to get the excess honey out to feed back.. croc pots are cheap at the thrift store.


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Create a free account to check out faster, store multiple shipping addresses, view and track your orders in your account, and much more.
Please enter your password to continue.
The well-fitted jacket, the slim and crisp shirt, polished leather shoes—you've got the sartorial standards down pat. Now you're ready to graduate to advanced techniques. Enter: the pocket square. A longtime accessory of the seriously stylish, a quality pocket square adds just the right amount of panache to casual and formal ensembles alike.
I bought this for my boyfriend after he received a similar one in his birchbox. He loves these pocket squares! He uses them as a bandana of sorts and not a pocket square with a suit, but in either use, this is a classic piece....soft to the touch and very useful. He never leaves home without one5


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Jules Clément Chaplain (French, 1839–1909)
Jean Auguste Barre, 1879
Bronze, 5 1/4 in. diameter
Chaplain won the Prix de Rome for medal-engraving in 1863, and went on to have a highly successful career, including election to the Académie des Beaux-Arts in 1881 and an appointment as Art Director of the Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory in 1896. In 1877 Chaplain became the official medallist of the French government, creating a series of presidential portrait medals. His many animated and realistic medallions of intellectuals and artists, however, constitute his greatest achievement.
Portrait in profile of the sculptor and engraver Jean Auguste Barre (1811–1896). Inscribed: auguste barre statuaire et graveur. Signed: j. c. chaplain 1879.


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Marine in custody after hazmat situation at hotel
MOREHEAD CITY - Morehead City emergency officials confirm a person wanting to commit suicide prompted the evacuation on Arendell Street Monday. That person has been identified and arrested by Craven County deputies.
A person speaking to the distressed Marine called Morehead City Police Monday morning. Fire officials evacuated the Hampton Inn, Taco Bell, and Bistro by the Sea as a precaution.
The fire chief says someone threatened to kill his or herself with a chemical, prompting the evacuation. The individual has been identified as 20-year-old William O'Brian, a Camp Lejeune Marine from Michigan. Morehead City Police have charged O'Brian with charges of damage to property, possession of a synthetic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia, and tampering with a fire suppression system.
Chemicals and other pieces of evidence were found in the hotel room. Morehead City Police will not release the specifics of those items but say they could have created a chlorine-like gas. Police say O'Brian checked himself into the hotel Sunday.
The rest of the hotel was deemed secure, and police believe no one was at risk during the incident.


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Not to mention age and speed separate them.. Cruz still has more room to grow potential wise... Although he may never replicate his sophomore season #'s. by he can definitely get more consistent with he silly drops making a move before he secures the catch. I also still believe that He has a lot of room to improve an area of blocking...
Are we really nitpicking about the age and maturity and drops... You want to point to a negative in Cruz's game, fine, cite a few more drops than average. How many positives does he bring to the table, talents that are not found in too many receivers? On his current climb he will easily be the best slot receiver in the NFL for the next several years. While maybe we can do as well with a less skilled slot WR, it doesnt mean Cruz himself is easily replaceable.
Not injury prone, big game performances, very likeable, local product... I would be very upset if he didnt stay here long term.
Problem is I would be equally upset about Nicks, and I'm not sure they can get both locked up long term.
Last edited by GiantsInSB38; 04-10-2013 at 10:22 AM.
It doesn't matter what the statistics say about these other receivers. Cruz needs to focus more on catching the football. For 2 season's in a row he's had the habit of taking his eyes off of the ball too soon, and it's resulted in a lot of easy catches that were dropped. . It's an area that Cruz needs to be more consistent in.
Last edited by Marvelousmik; 04-10-2013 at 11:07 AM.
Don't take it personal, we're just debating.
~Big Mike~


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Draw a square. A second square of the same size slides around the
first always maintaining contact and keeping the same orientation.
How far does the dot travel?
Points A, B and C are the centres of three circles, each one of which touches the other two. Prove that the perimeter of the triangle ABC is equal to the diameter of the largest circle.
An AP rectangle is one whose area is numerically equal to its perimeter. If you are given the length of a side can you always find an AP rectangle with one side the given length?
Here are four tiles:
They can be arranged in a $2$ by $2$ square so that this large square has a green edge:
If the tiles are moved around, we can make a $2$ by $2$ square with a blue edge:
If I had nine tiles it would be quite easy to paint them so that, when they were arranged in a $3$ by $3$ square, the edge of this large square is green. I would need four tiles for the corners of the square, four tiles for the edges and one tile would go in the middle of the square so wouldn't need painting at all.
This is how the green-edged square would be made:
But I also want to be able to make a square with a blue edge and another square with a yellow edge.
How can the other sides of these tiles be painted so that all nine tiles can be rearranged to make two more $3$ by $3$ squares - one with a blue edge and one with a yellow edge?
Now try to colour sixteen tiles so that four $4$ by $4$ squares can be made - one with a green edge, one with a blue edge, one with a yellow edge and one with a red edge.
Find a way to colour $25$ tiles so that five $5$ by $5$ squares can be made, each with a differently coloured edge.
Do you think this is possible for $36$ tiles and six coloured edges?
Will it always be possible to add an extra colour as the squares get larger?
For a 3D version of this problem why not try " Inside Out "?
Click here for a poster of this problem.


text: For my 04 Sierra 1500 5.3L I had to replace the tube assembly with the high and low side ports (and orifice tube in between) because of a stuck, non-serviceable schrader valve on the high side port. I'm doing some work that will require me to open the system up, again, so there's no sense charging the system with R134a (since I know I'll need to replace it in a few weeks). It's cool/cold out, so I see no need to use or engage the AC. As I understand it the compressor should be prevented from engaging by the low pressure sensor in the system, anyway -- which may be relevant as I have climate control (I tend to manually make sure there's no snowflake showing, though). So, is there any reason not to leave the system at -27Hg for the next few weeks? Please advise.


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A new technology called compressive sensing slims down data at the source
Brian Hayes
When you take a photograph with a digital camera, the sensor behind the lens has just a few milliseconds to gather in a huge array of data. A 10-megapixel camera captures some 30 megabytes—one byte each for the red, green and blue channels in each of the 10 million pixels. Yet the image you download from the camera is often only about 3 megabytes. A compression algorithm based on the JPEG standard squeezes the file down to a tenth of its original size. This saving of storage space is welcome, but it provokes a question: Why go to the trouble of capturing 30 megabytes of data if you're going to throw away 90 percent of it before anyone even sees the picture? Why not design the sensor to select and retain just the 3 megabytes that are worth keeping?
It's the same story with audio recording. Music is usually digitized at a rate that works out to roughly 32 megabytes for a three-minute song. But the MP3 file on your iPod is probably only 3 megabytes. Again, 90 percent of the data has been discarded in a compression step. Wouldn't it make more sense to record only the parts of the signal that will eventually reach the ear?
Until a few years ago, these questions had a simple answer, backed up both by common sense and by theoretical precept. Sifting out the best bits without first recording the whole signal was deemed impossible because you couldn't know which bits to keep until you'd seen them all. That conclusion now seems unduly pessimistic. A suite of new signal-processing methods known as compressed or compressive sensing can extract the most essential elements "on the fly," without even bothering to store the rest. It's like a magical diet: You get to eat the whole meal, but you only digest the nutritious parts.
A one-dimensional signal, such as a sound, is easy to visualize as a wiggly line, representing amplitude as a function of time. You can digitize this waveform by measuring the amplitude at frequent intervals. How frequent? The answer comes from the Nyquist-Shannon sampling criterion, named for Harry Nyquist and Claude Shannon (who both did their work at Bell Laboratories, though 30 years apart). A rough-and-ready version of the rule says: "Always take samples at more than twice the highest frequency present in the signal."
In the case of audio signals meant for human ears, with a highest frequency of roughly 20 kilohertz, a common sampling rate is 44.1 kilohertz—safely above the cutoff. Thus one second of digitized audio is encoded in a sequence of 44,100 numbers.
The Nyquist-Shannon rule has an intuitive rationale: Each cycle of an undulating signal has an upward and a downward wiggle, and you need at least one sample in each wiggle. Shannon proved that this is all the information you need: With samples taken at twice the highest frequency, you can reconstruct the original waveform exactly. On the other hand, failing to heed the rule has ugly consequences. When the signal is undersampled, some features are missing from the digitized version; worse yet, spurious components called aliasing artifacts are added.
The Nyquist-Shannon rule might seem to forbid all forms of data compression, either during or after the sensing process, but that's not the case. The limit applies only when signals are encoded in a particular way—namely as a stream of evenly spaced samples. Other ways of representing a signal can be much more compact.
Consider the simplest audio signal: a pure sine wave at a single frequency. Rather than compile a voluminous (and highly repetitive) sequence of samples, you could just write down the frequency, the duration and the intensity of the sound. (Ordinary musical notation would almost suffice for this purpose.) This transformation—going from the time domain to the frequency domain—yields a description of the sine wave in just a few bits of information.
Of course most sounds are not pure sine waves; even a single note played on a piano has many overtones and transient effects. Thus it's not immediately obvious that converting to the frequency domain will save space; you might trade a long list of amplitude samples for an equally long list of frequency components. But it turns out that the sounds people are interested in recording tend to be sparse in the frequency domain: They concentrate the bulk of their energy at just a few frequencies. In other words, the graph of energy as a function of frequency has a few strong peaks, with a low background level everywhere else. The MP3 algorithm for compressing audio signals filters snippets of sound into 32 frequency bands and then discards bands that are too faint to be audible.
Images, too, can be encoded and compressed in the frequency domain, although the process is more complex because the data are two-dimensional. Spatial frequencies define variations in brightness or color across the image plane. In a photograph of sunrise over the ocean, broad areas of sea and sky define a low-frequency signal, whereas details of waves or clouds are encoded in higher spatial frequencies. The Nyquist-Shannon limit determines the resolution of the image. (If you want to photograph a picket fence, you need at least two pixels per picket.) The JPEG compression algorithm works by dividing an image into square blocks of 64 pixels, identifying the spatial frequencies within each block, and retaining only the most prominent frequencies.
Frequency analysis is not always the key to data compression; sometimes another domain works better. But every kind of signal that people find meaningful has a sparse representation in some domain. This is really just another way of saying that a meaningful signal must have some structure or regularity; it's not a mere jumble of random bits. And this observation leads to a general strategy for compression: Find a domain in which the signal is sparse; measure N components in this domain; sort the results from largest to smallest; finally, discard all but the top k components. Typically, N is quite a large number (perhaps a million) and k is much smaller (several thousand).
Compressive sensing also works by choosing a domain in which the signal is sparse and then retaining only k out of N components. But the challenge is to find the k largest values without making all N measurements.
In my efforts to understand recent work on compressive sensing, I have found it helpful to set aside all the messy details of sound waves and photons, reducing the process to its mathematical essentials. Imagine that the signal arrives at the sensor already in numerical form; it is a vector, a sequence of N numbers. We are assured that this signal vector is sparse: Only k of the elements are nonzero. But we know nothing about where those k elements lie or what their values are. Our task is to determine the positions and values of the nonzero elements with as few measurements as possible.
In this abstract and simplified version of the sensing process, "making a measurement" means selecting some subset of the signal elements and determining their total value. If the subset happens to be a single element, then the measurement yields that element's value directly. If we choose multiple elements, we can measure all of them at once, but we learn only the sum of their values, with no information about how the sum is apportioned among the individual elements.
The classical sensing protocol measures each element individually. In this way we are sure to learn the whereabouts of all k nonzero elements, but the process takes N operations. If there is to be any hope of solving the problem with fewer measurements, we'll somehow have to get more information out of each measurement.
By ganging together pairs of adjacent elements we can cover the entire N-element vector with just N/2 measurements. However, all we learn about each pair of values is their sum. We have reduced the resolution without gaining any information. Lumping together more than two elements allows even fewer measurements but makes the ambiguity still worse. The strategy doesn't look promising.
But wait! We are ignoring a vital fact: The vector is known to be sparse, with most of the entries equal to zero. Perhaps by exploiting this knowledge we can make further progress.
Suppose the vector is the ultimate in sparseness—a long string of zeros with just one nonzero number lost somewhere among them. Then the process of measurement becomes a search for the one distinguished element. For this problem there are well-known strategies much better than checking the elements one by one.
The task brings to mind a genre of mathematical puzzles about counterfeit coins. In one such puzzle you are given a sack of N coins and told that one of them is underweight. Using a scale calibrated in units of a genuine coin's weight, how many weighings does it take to identify the bogus coin? Putting coins on the scale in batches rather than individually can reduce the worst-case number of weighings from N to the logarithm of N. For a sack of eight coins, here is a recipe for solving the problem in three weighings: First weigh the set {1,2,3,4}, then {1,2,5,6} and finally {1,3,5,7}. The results of the three trials surely identify the light coin. For example, if the first and second sets are both light but the third set is correct, then coin 2 must be the culprit; if no set is light, coin 8 is implicated. (Going from eight weighings to three may not seem all that impressive, but with a million coins the same trick would reduce the number of weighings from 1,000,000 to about 20.)
An algorithm based on this kind of reasoning could solve the compressive-sensing problem for the special case of k=1. Unfortunately, this success is of no practical importance because signals with a single significant component—such as the pure sine wave mentioned earlier—are vanishingly rare in the real world. But a variation of the method can be made to work for larger k.
A simple version of compressive sensing works something like the coin-puzzle algorithm, "weighing" various subsets of the N-element signal vector. But instead of relying on carefully designed, pre-specified subsets, we choose the subsets at random. For each subset we generate a vector of N random bits, which take on the values 0 or 1 with equal probability; then an element of the signal vector is included in the subset only if the corresponding random bit is a 1. "Weighing" the subset consists in adding up the values of all the signal elements selected in this way. We then start over with another random bit vector, repeating the process some designated number of times. Call this number m. After m repetitions, we have m subsets and m sums, from which we can try to deduce the values of the N signal elements.
There's a lot going on behind the scenes in this procedure. In the vocabulary of linear algebra, the "weighing" of a random subset would be described as calculating the inner product of the signal vector and a random bit vector. (An inner product multiplies the corresponding elements and takes the sum.) On a larger scale, the entire series of m weighings amounts to multiplying the signal vector by an m × N matrix of 1's and 0's, yielding a vector of m sums as the result. Finally, the process can also be described as a system of linear equations. A typical equation might look like this:
0x1 + 1x2 + 1x3 + ... + 0xN = S.
The variables x1 through xN are the N elements of the signal vector, and the 0 and 1 coefficients are the elements of a random bit vector; S is the sum of this particular subset. A solution to such a system of equations assigns values to all the x's—which is exactly what we're seeking.
If we have N equations in N unknowns (and if the equations are all distinct) the system is certain to have a unique solution. But we need an algorithm that works when there are fewer equations—when m is less than N. Under these conditions the problem seems to be underspecified: There are too many variables and not enough constraints. When the subset process maps N numbers of the original signal into m sums, information is irretrievably lost. It's like adding up a column of digits: Given the digits, you can calculate a unique sum, but the sum doesn't tell you what digits it came from.
Again we seem to have reached an impasse, but again we have neglected the role of sparseness. The constraints on the solution include not only the m equations but also the knowledge that most of the x's must be equal to zero.
That extra constraint is crucial. For values of m that remain well below N, it becomes overwhelmingly likely that only one solution is consistent with both the equations and the sparseness constraint. The lower limit on m depends on the details of the sensing process, but a good approximation is k log2 N. For the case of N=1,000,000 and k=1,000, you get the equivalent of a megapixel picture with only about 20,000 measurements.
The ideas behind compressive sensing came together about five years ago when Emmanuel J. Candès, a mathematician at Caltech, was working on a problem in magnetic resonance imaging. He was surprised to discover that he could reconstruct a test image exactly even though the available data seemed insufficient according to the Nyquist-Shannon criterion.
Working with Justin Romberg (now at Georgia Tech), Candès showed that this result was not a fluke and worked out much of the underlying theory. Later Candès began collaborating with Terence Tao of UCLA (who was about to win the Fields Medal, the major prize in mathematics). In 2006 Candès, Romberg and Tao published a paper that set forth the basic principles of compressive sensing. They showed that the method achieves an efficiency close to the theoretical optimum (so we should not expect even better methods to come along soon).
Even before the Candès-Romberg-Tao paper was formally published, the results began to attract wide attention, and a number of other workers and departments launched related projects. David Donoho of Stanford University (who was Candès's Ph.D. advisor) has made notable contributions both to theory and to applications. At Rice University Richard Baraniuk leads a large and active group; Romberg continues at Georgia Tech. By now there is a worldwide community, with workshops, conferences, web sites, special issues of journals and all the other apparatus of a rapidly expanding research area. (On the other hand, there is no consensus yet on what to call the field; many variations on compressed/compressive/condensed sensing/sampling remain in circulation.)
A prehistory of compressive sensing has also come to light, particularly in the earth sciences. In the 1970s seismologists learned to construct images of reflective layers within the earth based on data streams that did not seem to satisfy the Nyquist-Shannon criterion. The techniques can now be seen as prefiguring compressive sensing.
The last big challenge of compressive sensing is decompressing! Given a vector of m sums and an m × N matrix of random bits, how do you recover the original signal vector of N elements? It's one thing to know that a unique solution exists, another to find it.
The approach devised by Candès and his colleagues treats the decoding of the compressed signal as an optimization problem. The aim is to find, among the infinite set of solutions to the m equations, the solution that optimizes some measure of sparseness. The obvious thing to optimize is sparseness itself; in other words, look for the solution that minimizes the number of nonzero signal elements. An algorithm for conducting such a search is straightforward; unfortunately, it is also utterly impractical, requiring a blind search among all possible arrangements of the k nonzero elements. A camera based on this technology would produce pictures you could view only by solving a certifiably hard computational problem.
A more familiar mode of optimization is the method of least squares, known for more than 200 years. This prescription calls for minimizing the sum of the squares of the vector elements. There are efficient methods of finding a least-squares solution, so practicality is not an issue. However, there's another show-stopper: In compressive sensing the least-squares solution is seldom the correct one. Thus a camera using this algorithm gives you a picture you can see quickly, but the image is badly garbled.
These two optimization methods seem quite different on the surface, but they have a hidden connection. For each vector element x, the least-squares rule calculates x2 and then sums all the results. The search for a sparsest vector can be framed in similar terms, the only change being that x2 is replaced by x0. The zeroth power of 0 is 0, but for any other value of x, x0 is equal to 1. Thus the sum of the zeroth powers counts the number of nonzero elements in the vector. This is just the result we want, but there is no efficient algorithm for finding it.
At this point, having found that x2 doesn't work and neither does x0, the Goldilocks alternative is irresistible. How about x1? Of course x1 is simply x, and so the optimization strategy derived from this rule amounts to a search for the solution vector whose elements have the smallest sum. There are efficient algorithms for performing this minimization. Equally important, the method produces correct results. Given a sparse input (all but k elements exactly zero), the compression-decompression cycle almost always reconstructs the input exactly. For an approximately sparse input (all but k elements near zero), the reconstruction is a good approximation.
The version of compressive sensing I have presented here is something of a caricature. In particular, the pretense that a signal arrives at the sensor preformatted as a sparse vector of numbers glosses over a great deal of real-world complexity. In practice some transformation (such as conversion from the time domain to the frequency domain) is usually needed. And the random vectors that govern the sampling of the signal may have elements more complicated than 0's and 1's. But the basic scheme remains intact. Here is the compressed version of compressive sensing: Find a sparse domain. Sum random subsets of the signal. Decompress by finding the solution that minimizes the sum of the signal elements.
Can you expect to find a compressive-sensing device in your next digital camera or audio recorder? Probably not, but several research groups are actively exploring the prospects.
Kevin F. Kelly and his colleagues at Rice University have built a series of compressive-sensing cameras. At the heart of these devices is an array of micromirrors that can be independently switched between two positions. By swivelling the mirrors, light from any subset of pixels can be focused on a single photodetector, which thereby sums up the luminosity of the entire subset. The mirror array has an effective resolution of 65,536 pixels; the camera can produce images of equivalent resolution with a few thousand random-sample measurements.
For conventional photography, a mirror-array camera may never compete with the technology that puts 10 million photosensors on a single chip. But the compressive-sensing camera may find a niche elsewhere, such as imaging at wavelengths outside the visible range.
Another area where compressive sensing has promise is magnetic resonance imaging—where the whole story began. The imperative in MRI is not so much compressing data for storage but acquiring it quickly, because the patient must hold still while an image is formed. Ordinary after-the-fact compression is no help in this respect, but compressive sensing offers hope of faster scanning without loss of resolution or contrast.
Other likely areas of application are radio astronomy, where long-baseline interferometers operate at the limit of spatial resolution, and perhaps even genetic screening and analysis of gene activation, where hundreds or thousands of signals are difficult to extract from a noisy background.
Candès and Tao argue that compressive sensing is based on a kind of uncertainty principle, where the spectrum of the signal and that of the measuring instrument have complementary roles. The traditional sensing strategy takes sharply focused samples; it's like hunting with a spear. This works well when the signal is spread out over a broad domain. But when the signal itself is highly structured and narrowly focused, the better plan is to spread the measurements out over the domain—to hunt with a net rather than a spear.
© Brian Hayes
You can find this online at http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/num2/the-best-bits/7
© 2016 Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society


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January 4, 2011
We play – Totem Tennis
We got this Totem Tennis set for Christmas. B was really hoping to get one after playing at preschool.
When we put up the set on Christmas day, B was hitting about 1 in every 5 balls that came past him. Then, his dad showed him how to play with one person and hit the ball first, forehand and then, backhand, to keep the ball moving all the time.
B was determined to learn to hit the ball just like Dad. Now, less than 2 weeks later, he has mastered the Totem Tennis and rarely misses when playing with one player. (This is the same persistence and determination I encounter when B wants something and I have to say 'no').
Childhood 101's We Play linkup.
7 comments:
- Miss Carly said...
I used to love playing totem tennis growing up!
- January 4, 2011 at 2:41 PM
- Narelle said...
We have one of these too but for some reason the kids just aren't interested! How old is B?
- January 4, 2011 at 3:28 PM
- CatWay said...
Narelle, B is 5. He was interested in totem tennis from playing at preschool, but I think the thing that has really motivated him is seeing someone (his dad, who played tennis as a kid) who was quite skilled.
- January 4, 2011 at 6:30 PM
- Elise said...
I remember doing this for hours with my sister when we were in primary school.
Sounds like B and dad are going to be spending lots of time together having fun with this.
- January 4, 2011 at 9:11 PM
- Aspiring Mum said...
We love totem tennis! We take ours camping as well.
Our kids also tend to play more when we hit with them.
- January 4, 2011 at 10:36 PM
- Philippa said...
I don't think I have seen this game since I was a kid! I was never very good at it :)
- January 4, 2011 at 11:09 PM
- Marita said...
Fantastic hand eye co-ordination skills and great that he is giving it a go and keep on practicing until his skills improve.
- January 7, 2011 at 11:10 AM


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My dad and I have a pastime not common to many father/daughter combos. We call it guitar gawking. It's a simple process, really. We find a music store that sells guitars. We go there. We stare at guitars, fondle them, compare and scrutinize, note the changes since the original was released. We go from the sweet smelling acoustic room to the wall of electric guitars, sometimes even pressing up against the cases of musical relics with price tags of monumental proportions. See, like baseball and fishing, a love of guitars is something I share with my dad. His support in my musical endeavors shaped me immensely. Gave me confidence. Gave me a voice.
But that isn't the case with many little girls. I learned my first chords on my dad's Martin Shenandoah, and rocked out for the first time on his Les Paul. I had choice instruments. But plenty of girls have none at all. Especially not guitars. And if their dads can play, chances are they're not going to share. In fact, a widely cited statistic is that only 7% of electric guitars sold are purchased by women.
In music, it may be that our perceptions of what's acceptable for girls and boys really hasn't come a terribly long way. And it starts young. Take this BBC article from 2008, citing a report by the Institute of Education. At that time, in the UK, boys dominate the "cooler" instruments: 81% of electric and bass guitar players were boys. Girls ranked high with the harp (90%) and the flute (89%). From the BBC article, Julianne Regan of All About Eve recounts her experience growing up in music:
There was no opportunity to learn anything other than traditional orchestral instruments at school and so I muddled along on my own and felt quite isolated as I went to an all-girl school and none of my peers seemed to have any interest in electric guitar… It seemed like a freakish thing for me to be interested in. I was quite popular at school and had a load of friends, but this was just seen as "one of my little quirks".


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New Horse Armoury, Tower of London, 1870s
New Horse Armoury, Tower of London, 1870s
Date: 1470 | Object number: IV.20
|2.98 kg (6lb 9oz)
|Object Provenance:
|Sallet, North Italian, about 1470
|Object Number:
Italian, about 1470, extensively modified in the 19th century
Skull of one piece with deep sides and a long tail. It has been adapted, probably in the 19th century, with the addition of a red velvet covering over which is fitted a series of fleurs-de-lys of gilt bronze, a large one at either side of the skull and a row of them round the base of the skull at the level of the original lining rivets, whose holes have been used for the nuts and bolts fastening the fleurs. The lower edge is bordered by large, pyramid-headed rivets en suite. The helmet also has a lining of red silk padded with tow, which probably dates from the modification of the helmet.
Purchased from the Peucker collection, Berlin, 1854
It can be clearly seen displayed in the New Horse Armoury in photographs from the 1870s.
In the 1980s -1990s it was displayed in the Medieval Gallery in the White Tower, and was illustrated as plate LXXVII in Dufty & Reid's picture book of the collection.
J. Hewitt, Official Catalogue of the Tower Armouries, London, 1859: 28, IV.22 [not just in the Grangerised one]
Viscount Dillon, Illustrated Guide to the Armouries, Tower of London, London, 1910: 117, IV.11
Plate LXXVII A R Dufty & W Reid European Armour in the Tower, HMSO 1968
|2.98 kg (6lb 9oz)
|Object Provenance:
|Sallet, North Italian, about 1470
|Object Number:


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Depot's centennial to be celebrated Sept. 6 with tea
In honor of the 1913-2013 centennial celebration of the Historic Pine River Depot, Heritage Group North will present Tea at the Station, a Petticoat Junction Function, from 2-4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6, at the depot as a kickoff to Heritage Days.
This event will be a ladies tea reminiscent of the 1913 time period. Bring your own tea cup and saucer. Hats and gloves are welcome and optional. A program will include remarks by local historian and archeologist Douglas Birk.
Prizes will be given for the best hat, as well as other surprises.
Tickets are $25 per person. Make checks out to Heritage Group North and send to Alison Stephens, Box 520, Pine River, MN 56474.
Seating is limited. Respond no later than Aug. 15. Tickets will be mailed.
For more information, contact Alison at 480-747-2299, 218-587-2583 or email@example.com.


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Every "Who" in Who-ville, ages 1-9, can celebrate the season with Santa, crafts and joy at the Elf Workshop, 9-11 a.m. or 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8 at the Danville Community Center. Light refreshments will be served. Pre-registration is required for either session. Walk-ins will not be accommodated. Go to www.danvillerecguide.com to register online, or mail registration form to the Danville Community Center, 420 Front St., Danville, CA 94526. Volunteers also needed. Call 314-3400 for more information.
Read the full story here Web Link posted Sunday, November 18, 2012, 10:36 PM
Town Square
Be Santa's little helper
Original post made on Dec 3, 2012
Like this commentPosted by Geoff Gillette
a resident of Danville
on Dec 3, 2012 at 9:53 am
Geoff Gillette is a registered user.
Good morning,
An update to the Elf Workshop. Unfortunately, both sessions for this weekend's event have filled and a wait list has been started.
The event is still in need of volunteers for both sessions and all are encouraged to help out with the great Town event.
To be put on the wait list or to sign up to volunteer, call 314-3400.
Thanks and have a great day!
Geoff Gillette
Public Information Coordinator
Town of Danville
(925) 314-3336


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It was so good to see you again, and reconnect! I am amazed at your journey, and Im enjoying keeping track of your experiences...
thank you for being a reason for us all to come together!!
California Cousins and Great Food
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They had prepared food for me. I had stayed with Joel and Mary Ann Gibson for the funeral several years ago. On the way to the cemetery, back in 2006, I told them I would be back. This time on a motorcycle
The food was great. Even greater was the feeling I received from my cousins, their children, and wives. My Cousin Lou Anne's daughter was there. Her sense of humor will glue the most divided families. The long standing patriarch of the cousin's family, Mr. Gibson was there. He remembered it all. He called me "Baby Boy." Only those that knew me as a child called me that. It was so good to be called "Ba Boy" again.
Mark, the middle child of the clan, had acted as middle children do. Keep everything and everyone together. Mark was the one that looked in on my Dad. He was also the one to connect me with him at the end. Thank you Mark.
They all spoke of the selfish attitude of my father. they spoke of the sayings he had, declaring he would not liquor for anyone. He had his own vices to support. He made sure no one asked him for money. They spoke now with laughter and fond remembrance of a man that espoused self support. That message was not lost on me.
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It was so good to see you again, and reconnect! I am amazed at your journey, and Im enjoying keeping track of your experiences...
James, thanks so much for sharibg your journey with me/us. My parents were divorced when I was 5 yrs old. I spoke rarly with my father over the years. When we did actually see each other, I was in my mid 30's, After all of the reconnecting small talk, he asked me for money!!! For me, that final face to face conversation was closure, We maintained communication for a while after that and eventually we lost touch. He passed away a few years ago, I think we all need to have closure of some sort.


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Trip Start Sep 13, 2006
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Next morning we went up the Casamance river to the regional capital called Ziguinchor. The Casamance region of Senegal is separated by the rest by a small country called The Gambia. And it is considered to be the most beautiful part of Casamance being extremely green compared to the dryer north and some people consider the beaches to be the most beautiful in all of Africa
The Casamance region got quite a bit of publicity ever since the Government of Senegal and the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance started a low level civil war. Most of the rebel leaders were in lower Casamance and were supposedly helped by Guinea-Bissau but were chased out but Senegal forces and supposedly left mines in there wake. The few remaining rebels hanged out in upper Casamance near the Gambia border. Nowadays the region is recovering form the bad press and the tourists are coming back.
At Ziguinchor we spent 3 days checking out the place, and left one morning to get to Oussouye which was about halfway to the coast. After meeting a german girl coming the other way Ghalied and I heard about 3 canadians who we had previously met in St Louis so we found them and hit the town. Beer and food here was the cheapest I've found since I've been in Senegal and the local really nice. Yet apart from walkine around and maybe a bike ride there really wasn't all that much to do here, not sure what we did the 4 days we were here. One day I did walk direction to Elinkine (Coast) till I got to the nearest village and checked out a museum. We had the brilliant idea of walking to the coast and hiring a donkey to carry the baggage. But try as I might I couldn't one of the many donkeys the roamed the streets away from their owner
With another few tourists we hired a boat and crused up the river till we got to the Carabane island and pent a further 3 days here. Apart from trying to go fish we spent a lot of time on the beach and discovering the town and island. Only problem is when you go swimming the bottom was 2 foot of mud and when we used our shower only brown water came out. So we left and retraced our steps back to Oussouye and left the Canadians who were going north to return to the coast at Cap Skirring.
Cap Skirring is a tourist trap with absolutely beautiful beaches and a huge club med. Luckily there are plenty of smaller hotels along the coast so we found one and spent a further two days here just cruising the beaches before returning to Ziguninchor.
This travel entry is a bit short cos my internet hour is running out and tomorrow I'm off to Guinea-Bissau. Will try and come back and pad with ideas later.


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Aug 21, 2012 at 12:50 pm #1293203
Donald HowardMember
Any recommendations on what a crew should carry for a mess kit?
I believe we will be rehydrating food in individual bowls since freezer bag cooking is no longer allowed.
For a bowl:
GSI bowl. Can you tell me what type as they make several?
ZipLock brand container. What size?
Any other suggestions on bowls?
Did crews carry cups or just use a water bottle?Aug 21, 2012 at 2:52 pm #1904644
Arnold OSullivanMember
We bought GSI bowls and lexan spoons and treated them as crew gear. Carried them and a folding serving spoon in a mesh bag. We carried our own aluminum pots, two-eight quarts and one four quart and rehydrated in the pots.We had an 11 man crew so the weight was not that bad.Aug 24, 2012 at 1:23 pm #1905714
Mark RashSpectator
@markrvpLocale: North Texas
For cheap and functional it's hard to beat the Ziploc MEDIUM bowls. They have a lid so you can use them to mix up drinks as well.
You can also get a ready-to-go cozy from Antigravity Gear
http://www.antigravitygear.com/antigravitygear-3-cup-bowl-cozy.htmlAug 24, 2012 at 3:23 pm #1905763
Erik BasilBPL Member
@ebasilLocale: Atzlan
We're using the black, plastic "margarine container" style bowls from the frozen Won Ton soup sold in six packs at Costco. The containers are boilable and seal just like a butter/Parquet tub, but will fit the cheapo-light measuring cup from a classic "Scout" clamshell mess kit. We make reflectix cozies for each, including a disc on the lid, and then toss one of those plastic cups inside.
Now, each guy has a drinking cup with measuring marks, a big bowl/cup/scoop that keeps food hot, can be held with hot stuff in it, doesn't burn lips and is super easy to clean (finger/lick, then add 1/4 cup hot water, seal, shake until the steam swells it, pop and drain/drink –sanitized). Since some of us are buying the soups anyway, cost of the kit is limited to the Reflectix.Aug 25, 2012 at 9:17 am #1905943
david richardsonBPL Member
@drichiLocale: midwest
I like the medium ziplock bowls. Some times going to small makes for too much food spillage. The medium size works well with a reflectex cozy. Also there are several cups that will fit inside of it.Aug 26, 2012 at 6:14 pm #1906257
We used 4 cup Ziploc bowls with cozies made from reflectix. I brought an extra one for our Ranger. They worked great.
Scouts split the meals before then put in boiling water (Reactor stoves). We didn't measure but had the Scouts put in water until it was about 2 inches above the amount of food they had. If it looked like not enough water it was simple to add some more later (also gave an extra shot of heat to the meal).
Meals stayed hot until they read to eat. Using Reactors and Cozy we never had any almost burned, lost of hot water situations.
Before cleaning most of the Scouts and Adults would put in a small amount of hot water and then drink the dregs. Some added Cider to the mix…
For sterilizing and cleaning we used a Philmont, 8 quart pot, it was part of the three pot kit they had. Pot could fit easily in a pack and we could get our bowls just into the pot for cleaning and pre steriling.
For cleanup we used paint filters.
For spoons we tried McFlurry spoon,99c Soup Spoon at Philmont, and the Campware long spoon. Those that had the McFlurry spoon tossed them and bought camp spoons since they couldn't keep their McFlurry clean.Aug 28, 2012 at 5:59 am #1906771
Ernie DelcherMember
@efd57Locale: Northern New Jersey
I've been following the 'no more ziplock/turkey bag cooking' threads. We are going in 2013 and will also be using Reactor stoves.
How many in your crew?
How many stoves did you use?
What size pots on the stoves (1.7 L or 2.5 L)?
ErnieAug 28, 2012 at 11:48 am #1906882
Dan LeeBPL Member
@scoutbuffLocale: Colorado
We trekked earlier this summer before the "no turkey bag" decree but won't go there…
We read in another crew's lessons learned to use common gear for everyone. We found that this worked very well for our crew.
We used 12 ziploc bowls (4 c size I believe) that were about the same size as a large MSR fuel cell. (Left lids in Base Camp.) Additionally, we purchased 12 lexan/plastic spoons at Walmart for $0.50/each. By having everyone use common gear, we found that:
1. Easy/faster to assemble the "kitchen" for meals. One Scout carried all of the bowls and spoons rather than everyone having to find their personal gear. Nested together easily.
2. Cleaner. Seemed to us that the boys paid closer attention when cleaning as they didn't know which bowl they would have for the next meal.
3. Cheaper for everyone. No need for titanium, squishy rubber bowls, folding bowls, etc.
We used MSR PRs with one 6 qt and one 4 qt pot. Used cozies from reflectix for the pots as meals rehydrated. Although we used the turkey bag cooking method, I could see how you could rehydrate in each individual's bowl if you took a bit larger bowls. I think the 4 c size would be a bit small for some of the portions. Hope this helps!Aug 29, 2012 at 10:32 pm #1907482
We had 11 in our crew, 9 Scouts and 3 Leaders, and the shorter trek.
Two Stoves and an extra 9 oz can of fuel was about right. Weather was nice and we took advantage of free coffee at the camps where possible so we didn't boil a lot for drinks.
We used the 1.7L pot that came with the stove. It did about 3 meals. You could get by with one stove. If you have patience scouts….
Other things.
I wish I brought my umbrella. Storms came up quickly and it would have been nice to have one in the crew for cooking and walking back from things like evening coffee.
We use their rainfly but our sister group used a Tyvek one that they said worked great.
When I get a picture of their setup I will post..
Packs.. All were under 35 pounds. My son's was under 30 (he weights 105)
I have a Excel checklist I did if you are interested. Just send me an email to
firstname.lastname@example.com 30, 2012 at 1:51 pm #1907645
Stephen EversonMember
If I understand your posting correctly, you put the 8 quart pot on the reactor stove.
I was going to test the idea of using the 2.5L pot with 4 cup ziplocs and see if the ziplocs fit…. If so, then I could avoid carrying the 8 quart pot all together and just go with 2.5L reactor pots.
thanks for you postingAug 30, 2012 at 2:42 pm #1907673
Ernie DelcherMember
@efd57Locale: Northern New Jersey
The way I read Steven's post is…
They boil water in the Reactor 1.7 L pot (2 stoves/2 pots), split each meal in 1/2 and re-hydrate in the individual ziploc bowls. The 8 qt is used for cleaning and sterlizing only.
Your idea of using the 2.5 L is interesting. Let us know if it works as I would also like to forgo taking a 6 or 8 qt pot.
BTW, I found a site that shows a home built flat pot (i.e. normal pot) adapter for the Reactor. It is made out of the bottom of a gas canister. It takes away some of the benefits of the reactor but allows the use of normal pots (and fry pans). Link http://www.oldmanthatcansee.com/?page_id=301
Steven, correct me if I got it wrong and maybe elaborate on how you use the 8qt.
ErnieAug 30, 2012 at 7:15 pm #1907782
Sorry for the confusion.
We boiled the water in the Reactors and then put the hot water into the 8 quart pot. Each bowl had to be sterilized before used for eating. The pot water was then used
After the meal, campsuds was added to the water in the pot for cleaning. To rinse we pour hot water from the Reactor into the bowls, stir it around and then poured the rinse water into the pot that was used for cleaning.
While not optimal it was the solution we worked out with the Ranger to avoid bringing two big pots.
If you can get the Ziplocs bowls into the 2.5L or a smaller bowl (the Gatorade power containers would probably fit) you can probably avoid the one pot. I was okay with the one pot since we were required to clean the bowls into something (think of the pot as a sink) and I hate putting any food into the Reactors..
Our sister group was required to cook and clean with the big pots from Philmont. While I didn't see it my understanding is they took the 1.5L pots off the Reactors and use them as stands to hold the big pots between two Reactor elements..
Hopefully that helps.Aug 31, 2012 at 1:33 pm #1908007
spelt with a tBPL Member
@speltLocale: SW/C PA
.Sep 1, 2012 at 3:41 pm #1908283
I can't count, we had 8 Scouts and 3 Adults. Odd number resulted in sharing with the Ranger the first 2 days then getting an extra portion the last 3 days.
Another note. They give you plenty of Trail Snacks, most very salty. In the Pic is just a sampling..Sep 2, 2012 at 5:56 pm #1908549
Stephen EversonMember
Agree on the number of snacks they give you. It seems that Philmont went to the nearest 7-11, Rutters, Sheetz, insert name of your local big gas station/food store and decided to shop there for backpacking food.
I'll try out my idea of 2.5L pot and figure out what size ziploc/whatever bowls fit into them. I really want to avoid carrying the big pots. That was my job in 1982 during my trek to Philmont. See picture below. Granted, as an advisor I would not be carrying the pots, but a crew member would.
30 years and some things never change. :)Sep 4, 2012 at 6:04 pm #1909107
Donald HowardMember
We ended up buying the ZipLock medium bowls with lids. The plan is to make an insulated cozy that will work with both the bowls and a quart sized freezer bag. We plan on going with the hopes of doing freezer bag cooking (since that's what the scouts are use to) with a back up of using the bowls to rehydrate meals in.Oct 17, 2012 at 11:01 am #1922174
Hi Donald,
If you go with the bowls, I would also bring a cheap lightweight spatula.
It will probably be lighter then the one provided by Philmont, we were required to carry.
They won't complain when you use it to scoop out that ChiliMac still stuck in the bowls..
Your clean up gets a lot easier and quicker..
Also remember to bring paint strainers versus having to use their frisbee or your own strainer. We brought a lightweight strainer (trying to avoid trash), the cheese from the ChilMac pretty much ruined it after our second meal.
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It is if there is a shipwreck involved.
It is if there is a shipwreck involved.
Lol - y'all!
Zone 7b ~ Central Arkansas
8fr medium equipment
You can look this up in the ABCXYZ...at least the older versions had this account, paraphrased (from another thread in 2008) it is:
there is also at least one interesting historical account that relates to these "lozenge plates"[That form the bottom of the cell]. apparently, there was a discrepancy between the measured angles of these plates, and the theoretical. there was no resolution in this...until a ship wreck occurred. in looking into the cause of the shipwreck it was determined that the navigation was done properly....but that the standard set of log tables had an error in one entry that caused the ship to navigate into the rocks. this same entry was used in the theoretical calculation of the angles, and once corrected in the table, the theoretical and the measured matched
I do not know if "logarithmic tables" were involved also, but we had another shipwreck in recent days aiming to Mars. Apparently, there were discrepancy in units between manufacturer and JPL - some used miles and another, kilometers. Space-ship missed... the target... Sergey
Last edited by cerezha; 09-17-2012 at 05:01 PM. Reason: clarification
And then there is the Costa Concordia but then Id like to think that their logarithmic tables were a little more current.
Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted. - Emerson
"I was in the last class in my high school that learned how to use one of those- 1973 or 74, then our Scientific Calculations and Measurements class got TWO Texas Instruments TI-50 calculators. We thought we were pretty hot stuff..."
Same here and I still have the slide rule but the Texas has packed it in yonks ago. We used to share one Texas between about 20 of us - I think the first one cost more then $ 300. Ten years later they gave a more powerful calculator away when you had two or more films developed...but that is another story!


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