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Town Square
Why I'm supporting Elizabeth Lewis and David Henig for Atherton Council.
Original post made by James R. Janz, Atherton: Lloyden Park, on Oct 24, 2008
As Mayor, I have tried this past year to elevate the level of discussion at the City Council, to have the Council focus on the big issues, not the day-to-day issues that seem to have bogged us down.
But I'm concerned that upgrading the discussion level won't happen without some significant change on the Council, and I believe that David Henig and Elizabeth Lewis are two people that can help bring that about. Henig and Lewis are both honest, smart, committed, open-minded, and, most-importantly, capable of working with other Council members, Town staff, and the public with civility, respect, and empathy.
Bring some new people onto the Council, and let's have a Council that focuses on the future of the Town.
James R. Janz
Mayor of Atherton
a resident of another community
on Oct 25, 2008 at 10:29 am
In reviewing Jim Janz' endorsement, one should remember that this is a contest over whether the Town will be run by those who would treat Town Hall like burger king and "have it your way", with the only distinction being that 91 Ashfield Road doesn't have a drive through window.
To satisfy Janz and his cronies, perhaps a drive through window should be installed in the new Town Hall. After all Janz is one of the proponents of the Law's proposal to change the Town's General Plan to permit multi-family residential and retail development.
Pleaase also remember that Councilman Janz got caught up in "Developergate" himself as he was one of the three councilmen who was found to have received preferential treatment from the Building Department. But then again, what else should we expect from a land use attorney who knows on what side his bread is buttered?
To that point, I still remember Janz' reaction when it came to his attention two years ago that a prominent developer in Town had been caught with his "hands in the cookie jar".
Mr. Janz looked as though he had swallowed a goldfish (a very big and foul tasting goldfish indeed). I guess I'd have had the same reaction if my client or a friend of my client had just been issued a red tag on his beloved albeit illegal home improvement project.
On one point I do agree with Councilman Janz. Now is the time to look to the future. That's why I say goodbye and good riddance to Mr. Janz as he steps down from the Council.
I also strongly urge all Athertonians to view Mr. Janz endorsement with a healthy dose of skepticism. As the saying goes for Mr. Janz endorsement or those of any others: Consider the source.
a resident of another community
on Oct 30, 2008 at 5:57 pm
If "...Henig and Lewis are both honest, smart, committed, open-minded, and, most-importantly, capable of working with other Council members, Town staff, and the public with civility, respect, and empathy..." are the other folks (McKeithen and Moore) dishonest, not smart, not committed, closed-minded, and most-importantly, incapable of working with other Council members, Town staff, and the public with civility, respect, and empathy?
Discuss it at Watch Dog San Mateo: Web Link
a resident of another community
on Nov 2, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Hi Elizabeth:
Just in case I might have misinterpreted the documents Marc Hynes was kind enough to send me I thought I'd send them to you for your review.
Here's what I gather from the attached.
Somebody appeared to have misled the Building Department on the nature and purpose of your new residence. While the residence was characterized as an addition and alteration, the permit files and Mr. Lively can confirm that this was a "scrape and build new" job. Hence the application should have read "new residence". Now I hope folks at one of the local papers won't get too sensational on us and call it permit fraud.
The conditions of the conditional use permit were that any changes would have to be brought back before the Planning Commissoin. The conditional use permit also specifically referenced the May 22, 2000 plans drawn up by Abigail & Haws.
A June 10th, 2002 letter from Mr. Antony Joma, the project architect from Pacific Peninsula Group indicates that an entirely new set of plans were to be drawn up. Additionally, the architect appears to be under the mistaken impression that since, the new residence would remain within the footprint of the old plans, PPG would only require staff's approval, rather than going back to the Planning Commission.
A copy of the building permit and fees paid indicating that the main residence plus detached garage and guest house total 6,317 square feet of living area or about 32 percent of the 19,736 lot size. Even if one were to allow for an 1,100 square foot basement, we'd still be talking about a lot coverage of 23%, significantly greater than the 18% maximum lot coverage.
If after reviewing this document you decide that you owe it to the community to tear your house down and to build one that actually conforms to the Town's zoning ordinance, or if the Town makes this decision for your, I think you really do have a great lawsuit.
After all Pacific Peninsula Group builds lots of houses in Town, hence they, better than anybody ought to know the rules, right? That's why I'm copying Jim Janz in on this note as well.
I think Jim Janz would be a heck of an advocate. I've watched him in action. Sure I saw him lose his composure once (the time he looked like he swallowed a goldfish when he learned about Steve Ackley's illegal basement) but that was a once in a blue moon event.
Now if you, like Alan Carlson decide that you can no longer live in Atherton because of all the bad publicity you can expect to endure, I don't blame you one bit. In fact I can even sympathize with you. The press got so bad for me after all of those Charles Marsala press releases I too decided I'd had enough.
I also know what you might be thinking, if only I hadn't run for council, this might never have come to light. Now I can sympathize with that thought as well. If I'd decided to look the other way and ignore the goings on in the Building Department, I might still have my job.
As the saying goes, there's no sense in crying over spilled milk.
All the best.
John P. Johns CPA
a resident of Atherton: other
on Nov 2, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Does anybody out there know if it's true that ex mayor Marsala has been encouraging his friends to volunteer for grand jury duty??? Guess we can all expect to endure another exhausting diversion of some kind or another --but at least this time he would only be subverting county resources to run his charade -instead of using any more of the town's budget to pretend to litigate his pals lawsuits---You da man Charles--but it's spelled democracy not demockery, or at least it used to be


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Wednesday, 30 May 2012 12:15:00
At a recent meeting of self-described "stormwater geeks" facilitated by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Chesapeake Stormwater Network, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, and Water Environment Research Foundation, discussions ranged far and wide. At the end of the day (two days, actually),they came back to the central theme: local implementation is what will get the job done......
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Wednesday, 11 April 2012 10:00:00
Yesterday saw another Philadelphia first, when U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, joined by U.S. Representative Allyson Schwartz and city and federal officials, signed an agreement that represents a $2 billion investment in Philadelphia green infrastructure during an event at the Fairmount Water Works....
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Stucco has been inspected and repairs have been made on this spacious home in Kennett School District. This home has not 1, but 2 Master Suites. One for you and one for your guests. This home has been meticulously cared for with new well and new septic system recently installed. New roof and kitchen remodel (2013) Water treatment system and awnings (2012) Replaced windows, upstairs A/C, and painted exterior (2011) just to name a few. See Sellers Disclosure for full list of upgrades. The house has fresh paint and new carpet. The whole-house generator will be awesome on a stormy night when everyone else is left in the dark. Come and take a look. There is alot of BANG for your buck in this home. Located close to the Rte 52 corridor just off Fairville Road - easy commute to Wilmington and Phila. All reasonable offers will be considered! Make your appointment today!
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Last Week Tonight With John Oliver will premiere on April 27, HBO announced today. The new weekly satire show from the former Daily Show With Jon Stewart correspondent and stand-in host will air at 11 PM. Last Week Tonight will be produced for HBO by Avalon Television, with Oliver, Tim Carvell, James Taylor and Jon Thoday serving as EPs, and Liz Stanton producing. HBO first announced Oliver's move over from Comedy Central on November 14 last year. The British comedian took over the desk on The Daily Show last summer as Stewart was away directing his first feature film. Oliver took his final Daily Show bow on December 19 to start work on his own show. Not that Oliver will be straying far from the tested and true – Last Week Tonight will, like The Daily Show, be taking a satirical look at news, politics and current events.
HBO Sets Name & Date For John Oliver Debut
13 Comments
Another late night talk show. Can comedy fucking central come up with anything, anything, fucking new? There's talent out there, why can't these networks find it?
Uh… this is HBO…
Tucker doesn't read very well, does he?
This will be the exact same thing as the Daily Show, Colbert, Real Time, etc. Seriously wtf though
Seriously? Sunday night at 11pm? Maher has a 10pm slot. Just doesn't look like their doing Oliver any favors.
Maher's show is on Fridays.
Maher is in prime time. That was my main point. Worse yet, not being in prime time on a Sunday (11pm)just seems like an awful time slot to me.
I suppose the fact that HBO recycles its shows throughout the week helps. But, if this is the topical humor I'm expecting, it just won't have the same affect days later.
I love John Oliver, but "funny" show names are never a good sign.
Unlike The Daily Show and Real Time, Oliver will be having a good time attacking the news instead of angrily pushing one political view down our throats, thinly disguised as humor.
If this is anything like his standup, I'll pass.
Sounds like a poor man's Daily Show
To the haters: while John Oliver was busy working on developing his show for HBO, what were you doing today?
I look forward to John Oliver returning to the small screen. He's got a good sense of humor and has proved himself by years of writing hilarious material.


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FDA Panel OKs Sanofi Insulin-GLP-1 Combo for Diabetes »
"A US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee urged approval â" though not without some reservations â" of a new injectable known generically as iGlarLixi that combines fixed doses of insulin glargine (Lantus, Sanofi) with lixis"...
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Avandamet Consumer
IMPORTANT: HOW TO USE THIS INFORMATION: This is a summary and does NOT have all possible information about this product. This information does not assure that this product is safe, effective, or appropriate for you. This information is not individual medical advice and does not substitute for the advice of your health care professional. Always ask your health care professional for complete information about this product and your specific health needs.
COMMON BRAND NAME(S): Avandamet
WARNING: The rosiglitazone in this medication may infrequently cause or worsen a certain heart problem (congestive heart failure). Tell your doctor right away if you notice any symptoms of heart failure, including: swelling of the hands/feet, unusual/sudden weight gain, trouble breathing.
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Javier Beltran Talks 'Little Ashes'
An older interview with Little Ashes star Javier Beltran reveals the director's intent to convey the romantic connection which existed between Spanish artists Federico Garcia Lorca and Salvador Dali. According to Beltran, who took on the role of playwright Lorca, "its not just the story of two people."
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As The Island Terns
As October is coming to an end, so is SEA TURTLE nesting season. This means that most or all of the nests have hatched already so we don't have to worry about those little babies making their way from the nest to the water …. sooooo ….bring on the beach art!
Seasons come and go and so do the shells and BEACH BLING. Over the weekend I found some sweet juvie SAND DOLLARS but I went back to Gulfside City Park today and didn't find any at all. Not one! But that's what shelling is all about… enjoy the treasures that Mother Nature has put before you at the moment because they may not be there any other day.
I had a few extra minutes today so I ran to the Lighthouse Beach since I haven't been hanging out there as much lately. So happy I did. It's always a good day when I find a BROAD PAPER COCKLE!
In just a few minutes I could have picked up oodles of CERITHS and in the same spot…. one LIGHTNING WHELK, one TULIP, a TARPON SCALE and what I think is the smallest double PONDEROUS ARK I've ever seen. Honestly, I haven't had time to inspect it so it could be a double TRANSVERSE ARK but it had that beautiful black periostracom. They look so much alike! If I figure it out, I'll take better photos then do another post.
Okay, I HAVE to share the funniest comment on my last post that made me literally laugh out loud today. Really, I was hanging with some friends this afternoon and I snuck a peak at my iPhone to see a new blog comment from Andrea. I didn't want to be rude, but I read the first line and got completely engrossed then let out a huge belly laugh. I know, so rude to my friends but after I read the comment to them, we all laughed out loud together. So this is the photo of ROYAL TERNS (and SANDWICH TERNS) I posted that Andrea commented on…
Andrea wrote…
"I guess they wanted to take terns shelling.
I hope it doesn't take a tern for the worst!
They say one good tern deserves another.
I hope they re-tern to Sanibel when I'm there!
OK, I'm done with the tern jokes.
Just hope everyone doesn't tern on me!"
LOL Thank you Andrea, it terned out so great I just had to share it again.
Our next Shelling Adventure is November 7… Join Us!Read More
Shelling And Birding With Bonnie
When I have a question about birds, I ask my friend Bonnie….. a birder. When we have traveled together, I have seen her (on many occasions) quickly digging binoculars out of her handbag to try to identify a bird in flight. I love that! A couple of years ago on Cape Cod, we both watched a bird doing something funny and I said "Look at the funny sea gull!". That's when I learned that there is NOT one bird that has the name of "Sea Gull". Weird, huh? So she is my go-to-girl when I have a question about a bird.
This is not a "Sea Gull" it's a Ring-billed Gull. I know this now because Bonnie met me on the beach at Gulf Side City Park to teach me about birding. We made a deal …. if I would teach her a little about shelling, she would teach me a little about birding. What a deal!!
She brought her binoculars and her Sibley Field Guide To Birds book to give me my first lesson on shore birds. So when we saw the Ring-billed Gull, she whipped out the Sibley and flipped to this page to show me this……(click it to enlarge)
Then we saw a Ruddy Turnstone….
Then she quickly turned to this page…but notice how many different changes and colors the Ruddy Turnstone goes through as it matures.
Then we saw a Laughing Gull. They really sound like they are laughing when they communicate.
Here is the Sibley page for Laughing Gull (again, notice the color changes!)…
So when we came across the next bird, Bonnie had to use process of elimination to figure out what bird this was. Notice the reddish color of the inside of the beak, the orange legs and the rest of the coloration.
The conclusion was that this is an adult nonbreeding Common Tern that is in a maturing stage to an adult breeding Common Tern. This was so much fun to figure out! You have to look at every detail of beak, legs and color patterns through the binoculars. It's a puzzle.
This is one of my favorites to see on the beach. I love that little spiky hair-do ( okay, it's really called a shaggy crest) . I think it was extra spiky since the fog was so thick and everything got damp so quickly… so it was even cuter. This is the Royal Tern…
Here are the details…
See? Birding is so similar to shelling. We identify both of them through patterns, colors, destinations, process of elimination ….and both of these beautiful sites are found by just taking a walk along the beach at any given time of day on Sanibel or Captiva. Here are just a few photos of the shells. I really was so much into the birds, I'm not sure I held up my end of the bargain to teach her about shells. Oops! Well, I'll have another good reason to get together with Bonnie. :)Read More
Shell Seekers at Day Break
Extreme early morning low tides means break out the flash lights before day break.
My buddy Ellen and I were out on the beach and in the cold water by 6:30.
The birds were shellebrating a new day.
And so were we.
I saw Kay on the beach with her shell bags overflowing. She wouldn't let me take her picture but she wasn't shy about letting me take a picture of her shell bag. I guess not- Look at that haul!
It doesn't look like Ellen got a lot of goodies….. but she sure did. She found some candy! Little HORSE CONCHS and all sorts of miniatures were all that she had her eyes set on and she found what she wanted.
That baby LACE MUREX (top middle) in the photo above is de-gorgeous!
She sent this photo to me of even more minis she found.
I found a few goodies today but I forgot to take pictures of mine. The sunrise was so magnificent, I couldn't help but enjoy every part of witnessing such beauty on the beach and hanging out with my good friend. A good day.
Read More
Tropical Treasure Weekend
The sky was brilliant blue with white fluffy clouds. The wind was calm so the gulf was like a sheet of glass but just enough breeze to cool the air. It was just like a tropical paradise. Ahhhh. Here are some photos of shells and some other island treasures that I ran into…..all this weekend.
While I was shelling on the east end of Sanibel, Margie from Rochester, NY showed me this cute baby SNOWY PLOVER closely watched by it's parents. This is an endangered bird so it's very exciting to see new healthy babies.
From Blind Pass on Captiva to the lighthouse on Sanibel, to boating to North Captiva then back to the east end of Sanibel, the islands were alive, healthy and the prettiest I've seen them. Not a bad weekend, I'd say.Read More


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Heintzeler, Claus O., Legler, Caroline, Seyed, Mohammad Adeli, Huerta, Javier and Elaluf-Calderwood, Silvia (2013) The value-add of mobile technology on established value chains: a case study in the charity service sector. In: 46th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS-46): Collaboration Systems and Technologies Track , 7-10 January 2013, Grand Wailea, Maui, Hawaii. (Unpublished)
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|H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions
H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
H Social Sciences > HE Transportation and Communications
|Departments > Management
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|29 Nov 2013 12:47
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st: RE: RE: graph interaction in survival analysis
"Kieran McCaul" <firstname.lastname@example.com>
st: RE: RE: graph interaction in survival analysis
Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:21:32 +0800
The at() options are used to produce curves at specific values of the
covariates in your model.
So if x and y are dichotomous and your model looks like this:
xi: stcox i.x*i.y
The model produces three beta coefficients, but Stata knows that there
are only two covariates and so four curves are produced using:
stcurve, survival at1(_Ix_1==0 _Iy_1==0) ///
at1(_Ix_1==1 _Iy_1==0) ///
at1(_Ix_1==0 _Iy_1==1) ///
at1(_Ix_1==1 _Iy_1==1)
If both x and y are code 0 or 1 and you had instead generated the
interaction term by hand:
gen int_xy = x*y
and fitted the model:
xi: stcox i.x i.y i.int_xy
The model now contains three covariates because there is nothing to tell
Stata that -int_xy- is simply the interaction between x and y.
So then you would need to specify values for three two covariates to
produce the four curves:
stcurve, survival at1(_Ix_1==0 _Iy_1==0 _Iint_xy_1==0) ///
at1(_Ix_1==1 _Iy_1==0 _Iint_xy_1==0) ///
at1(_Ix_1==0 _Iy_1==1 _Iint_xy_1==0) ///
at1(_Ix_1==1 _Iy_1==1 _Iint_xy_1==1)
Kieran McCaul MPH PhD
WA Centre for Health & Ageing (M573)
University of Western Australia
Level 6, Ainslie House
48 Murray St
Perth 6000
Phone: (08) 9224-2701
Fax: (08) 9224 8009
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-----Original Message-----
From: firstname.lastname@example.com
[mailto:email@example.com] On Behalf Of Weichle,
Sent: Monday, 26 October 2009 11:46 PM
To: email@example.com
Subject: st: RE: graph interaction in survival analysis
When graphing the interaction using stcurve after fitting xi: stcox
i.x*i.y, isn't the interaction term also necessary in each of the at1()
Tom Weichle
Math Statistician
Center for Management of Complex Chronic Care (CMC3)
Hines VA Hospital, Bldg 1, C202
708-202-8387 ext. 24261
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Writer's Block
You know you have writer's block when you start organizing your Word documents into color-coordinated folders instead of writing something. Every once in a while I flip back to the empty page and stare at it. It's just… so empty. It yearns for the words that normally spill from my mind in a jumble of nonsense that somehow works itself out into comprehensible prose. But every time I start, I stop. Start and stop.
Try #1: "Let me tell you a story. I do like telling stories." - Right. So what story should I tell? Well that's a good question. Maybe something on Greece… dammit, I can't think of anything. Typical.
Try #2: "I hate sitting still."-Great. Why? Because I just do. And I hate crying babies on planes. Fascinating, Emily. Tell me more. Not. Nobody cares if you don't like sitting still.
Try #3: "What would you do with the power to freeze time?" – Rule the world or stretch out the present as long as you could? Try and hold onto that precious moment forever? But would that ruin it? Would it lose the sparkle of vitality that made you come alive with laughter and energy for those few brief moments?
So what do you do when you have writer's block? The solution is extraordinarily simple, really. The solution is to write. I mean look at me, I wrote an entire post about my seemingly fruitless struggles and also managed to come up with a couple of ideas to tie up my earlier writing attempts. Maybe I should write about the power of the mighty Spartans and the petty squabbles of ancient Greece. Or maybe I could write about time, the fragility of life and how quickly those brilliant moments fade away into the dim realm of memory. Who knows? That's the brilliance of words. Their combinations are limitless.
Category: Art and Literature, featured
About the Author (Author Profile)Emily Sheehan is from the rainy city of Seattle, Washington. She loves lattes and latte foam, the quiet of snowfall, fantasy novels, black cats, and The Lord of the Rings movies. She aspires to become an executive producer or director and make movies that tell fantastic stories. If she can make at least one person laugh once a day for the rest of her life she'll be satisfied.
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Love for all things Calvin and Hobbes


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|CFDA Number:
|84.240 - Program of Protection and Advocacy of Individual Rights
|Program Goal: Protection and Advocacy of Individual Rights (PAIR) Internal Goal
|Objective 1 of 1: Identify problem areas requiring systemic change and engage in systemic activities to address those problems.
|Indicator 1.1 of 1: Policy changes: By FY 2008, the percentage of PAIRs that report changes in policies and practices as a result of their efforts will increase to a rate of 82 percent.
Source: Grantee Performance Report, 1820-0627 Annual Protection and Advocacy of Individual Rights (PAIR) Program Performance Report.
Frequency: Annually.
Next Data Available: April 2006
Data Validated By: No Formal Verification.
Appropriate reviews of annual data are conducted by ED program specialist. Onsite reviews of individual programs are conducted when resources permit, and random sampling of onsite files is cross-checked with reported data for verification.
Explanation: Actual performance, based on 49 out of 57 PAIRs reporting successful systemic change activities in FY 2004, exceeded the target. Performance trends are based on actual data reported for FY 2000 through 2004. These data demonstrate significant annual increases in the percentage of PAIRs achieving changes in policies and practices.
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Published on 27th November 2013 by Edward Chester
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Looking Backward From 2000 to 1887 HTML version
Chapter 10
"If I am going to explain our way of shopping to you," said my companion, as we walked
along the street, "you must explain your way to me. I have never been able to understand
it from all I have read on the subject. For example, when you had such a vast number of
shops, each with its different assortment, how could a lady ever settle upon any purchase
till she had visited all the shops? for, until she had, she could not know what there was to
choose from."
"It was as you suppose; that was the only way she could know," I replied.
"Father calls me an indefatigable shopper, but I should soon be a very fatigued one if I
had to do as they did," was Edith's laughing comment.
"The loss of time in going from shop to shop was indeed a waste which the busy bitterly
complained of," I said; "but as for the ladies of the idle class, though they complained
also, I think the system was really a godsend by furnishing a device to kill time."
"But say there were a thousand shops in a city, hundreds, perhaps, of the same sort, how
could even the idlest find time to make their rounds?"
"They really could not visit all, of course," I replied. "Those who did a great deal of
buying, learned in time where they might expect to find what they wanted. This class had
made a science of the specialties of the shops, and bought at advantage, always getting
the most and best for the least money. It required, however, long experience to acquire
this knowledge. Those who were too busy, or bought too little to gain it, took their
chances and were generally unfortunate, getting the least and worst for the most money.
It was the merest chance if persons not experienced in shopping received the value of
their money."
"But why did you put up with such a shockingly inconvenient arrangement when you saw
its faults so plainly?" Edith asked me.
"It was like all our social arrangements," I replied. "You can see their faults scarcely
more plainly than we did, but we saw no remedy for them."
"Here we are at the store of our ward," said Edith, as we turned in at the great portal of
one of the magnificent public buildings I had observed in my morning walk. There was
nothing in the exterior aspect of the edifice to suggest a store to a representative of the
nineteenth century. There was no display of goods in the great windows, or any device to
advertise wares, or attract custom. Nor was there any sort of sign or legend on the front of
the building to indicate the character of the business carried on there; but instead, above
the portal, standing out from the front of the building, a majestic life-size group of
statuary, the central figure of which was a female ideal of Plenty, with her cornucopia.
Judging from the composition of the throng passing in and out, about the same proportion


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Ian Cognito, Stephen Carlin
Just The Tonic, Nottingham, Sun
Supreme maverick Cognito brings his distinctive brand of chaos to this popular night, also featuring deadpan pedantry from Edinburgh-born Carlin.
Christian Reilly
Bottle Rocket Comedy, Leicester, Thu
Skilled guitar-playing parodist, who takes apart the icons of rock history with a sharp wit and bags of charm.
Best Of Leicester Comedy Festival
On Tour Subscription Rooms, Stroud, Thu
A selection of the most impressive up-and-comers on the circuit, featuring rambunctious Jarred Christmas, Carl Donnelly and Holly Walsh.


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Posted 3 years and 3 months ago by
Topic: Workers Compensation
"Slip & fall" and "trip & fall" accidents can appear to be minor incidents but can cause serious and sometimes permanent injuries. The most common injuries that result from slips, trips, and falls involve the feet, ankles, wrists, back, knees, head, neck, and shoulders. Injuries ranging from cuts and bruises, broken bones, brain injury, and torn ligaments can be painful and require surgery, physical therapy, medication, and medical treatments. Costs can add up quickly, especially if your injury prevents you from returning to work for a period of time. When injuries do occur, it is important to seek the help of an experienced personal injury attorney who is knowledgeable about premises liability law.
Property Owners Can Be Found Liable for Slips and Falls when Negligent with Maintenance and Repairs
When property owners fail to take precautionary measures to prevent slips, trips and falls, they may be held liable for your injury. Whether the incident occurs inside or outside of a building, property owners who fail to adequately maintain their property, or fail to fix problems that can lead to injury in a reasonable amount of time can be held accountable.
Some of the most common places where injuries result from slips, trips, and falls happen on the outside of a property. Holes in a parking lot, uneven surfaces, poor lighting, and broken or non-existent handrails on steps pose serious risk to business visitors Untreated snow and icy areas can be the biggest culprit is slip and fall accidents.
Flooring inside of commercial buildings is often the site of accidents involving slips and falls. Floors inside of stores, restaurants, and malls are usually tiled and can become slippery when wet. Spills, weather-related moisture tracked in from the outside, and general cleaning can lead to serious injury when customers or employees slip and fall onto the hard surfaces. Tile floors are often waxed, which can make them slippery or even sticky in some areas. Carpeted floors also pose a serious risk when they become worn or damaged. Many accidents occur when people trip over rolled edging on carpet or on areas that are bulging. Property owners are expected to provide warning signs for wet floors or uneven surfaces.
Stairs, elevators, and escalators are another area of concern for building owners. Missing handrails, trash or debris, and the absence of non-skid materials on stairs can lead to falls. Elevators and escalators that malfunction due to a lack of regular maintenance and inspection create a high risk to those who use them. Serious injury can occur when malfunctioning equipment causes people to fall or stumble, or if clothing or appendages get stuck in unsecured areas of elevators or escalators. Property owners must perform proper maintenance and repair in these areas to avoid catastrophes.
Media Personal Injury Attorneys at Schmidt, Kirifides & Fridkin Provide Experienced Representation To Slip & Fall Victims
If you or someone you know has been injured from an accident resulting from the carelessness of a property owner, contact the Pennsylvania and Delaware personal injury attorneys at Schmidt, Kirifides & Fridkin. With offices conveniently located in downtown Philadelphia and Media, Pennsylvania, and Wilmington, Delaware, our dedicated and knowledgeable personal injury attorneys serve clients throughout the entire Philadelphia-Wilmington area, including Delaware County, Chester County, Montgomery County, Berks County, and Bucks County. Call us toll free at 1-877-268-6466 for a free consultation or fill out our free online inquiry form.
"Slip & fall" and "trip & fall" accidents can appear to be minor incidents but can cause serious and sometimes permanent injuries.


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US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that the US says "sorry" for the losses suffered by Pakistani military in the Salala check post attack.
Pakistan is reopening vital Nato supply routes into Afghanistan closed since a deadly November attack, Clinton added.
Federal Minister for Communication Qamar Zaman Kaira, reading out a formal decision of the Defence Committee of the Cabinet announced that the Ground Lines of Communications (GLOCs) were being opened. He added that no lethal Nato cargo will be allowed, except for that which is meant for Afghan security forces.
During a telephone conversation with her Pakistani counterpart Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, she "informed me that the ground supply lines into Afghanistan are opening," Clinton said.
Islamabad had long said that Washington must apologise for the air raid that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers before it would re-open the routes, closed in anger after the US attack.
"Foreign Minister Khar and I acknowledged the mistakes that resulted in the loss of Pakistani military lives," Clinton said in a statement.
"We are sorry for the losses suffered by the Pakistani military. We are committed to working closely with Pakistan and Afghanistan to prevent this from ever happening again."
The blockade has forced the alliance to rely on longer, more expensive northern routes through Russia and Central Asia.
No transit fee
Initial hopes of a deal on re-opening the routes fell apart at a Nato summit in Chicago in May amid reports that Pakistan was demanding huge fees for each of the thousands of trucks that rumble across the border every year.
But Clinton said: "Pakistan will continue not to charge any transit fee in the larger interest of peace and security in Afghanistan and the region.
"This is a tangible demonstration of Pakistan's support for a secure, peaceful, and prosperous Afghanistan and our shared objectives in the region. This will also help the United States and ISAF conduct the planned drawdown at a much lower cost."
The statement said that the Pakistani minister announced that "no lethal equipment will transit the GLOC into Afghanistan except for equipping the ANSF.
Clinton said that she and the foreign minister spoke about "the importance of taking coordinated action against terrorists who threaten Pakistan, the United States, and the region; of supporting Afghanistan's security, stability, and efforts towards reconciliation; and of continuing to work together to advance the many other shared interests we have, from increasing trade and investment to strengthening our people-to-people ties."
She added that both the countries should have a "relationship that is enduring, strategic, and carefully defined, and that enhances the security and prosperity of both our nations and the region."
Pakistan Taliban threatened to attack Nato supply routes after the announcement of reopening Nato supply routes came.
Improving ties
Severely strained ties between the United States and Pakistan are poised to improve after the two countries agreed to reopen ground routes key for the war in Afghanistan, Pakistan's ambassador to the United States said.
"We appreciate Secretary Clinton's statement, and hope that bilateral ties can move to a better place from here. I am confident that both countries can agree on many critical issues, especially on bringing peace to the region," Ambassador Sherry Rehman said in a statement.
John Allen
The US commander of Nato troops fighting the Taliban welcomed Pakistan's decision to reopen Nato supply lines into Afghanistan after a seven-month blockade.
General John Allen made the remarks in a statement released in Kabul that also paid tribute to the "sacrifices" made by Pakistani, as well as Afghan and Nato troops in the war.
"I look forward to future opportunities to work together toward our common goals, by taking coordinated action against terrorists," he said.
Leon Panetta
On the reopening of supply routes, Secretary Defence Leon Panetta said, "I welcome Pakistan's decision to open the ground lines of communication. As I have made clear, we remain committed to improving our partnership with Pakistan and to working closely together as our two nations confront common security challenges in the region."
The Salala incident had prompted Pakistan to conduct a policy review of its ties with the US, demanding that the US issue a high-level apology over the incident, and end drone strikes before the routes would be reopened.
The US, on numerous occasions expressed regret over the incident, but did not offer a clear apology as demanded by Pakistan. ISAF Commander General Allen had also offered a "personal apology" to Pakistan army chief.
Clinton's statement came as Pakistan held a meeting of its Defence Committee for Cabinet (DCC), chaired by Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, to discuss the Nato blockade.


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A lone "Impeach-Obama" protester on Long Island last week was threatened by police with arrest for "reckless endangerment." This week, he returned with friends; and the police threatened to give them all a "court summons" for creating dangerous conditions, shutting down this freedom-of-speech protest.
Video: "Impeach Obama" Protesters Threatened with Court Summons
"Loophole" from Obama's IRS: Protect your IRA or 401(k) with gold and silver... click here to get a NO-COST Info Guide >
O keeps trying to get rid of free speech
He already has. H.R. 347.
I suggest you do some research.
Get rid of that idiot in the White House already who the hell does he think he is
Look at all the ad signs near overpasses. We should have a "Overpasses For Obama's Impeachment" fund to buy the largest sign near a city's largest highway, to stop the police state harassment!!!


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It only takes a minute to get started. Fill out our uncomplicated sign up form and login to the website.
This step is noncompulsory but will seriously multiply your chances of getting interest from other over 50s members on the site. Write a little something about yourself, your hobbies and upload some good photos of yourself.
Use our website's state-of-the-art search to encounter over 50s members who meet your criteria. Or just leaf through listings and encounter members that appear interesting.
Discovered someone who could be a good match? Send an email to them or just a wink and see what they say. With a little luck you'll be on your way to finding your soulmate.
It'll only take 30 seconds


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UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va.- Incoming tennis player, Jacob Dunbar received the USTA/Midwest Section's Wallace R. Holzman Sr. Award this past week.
The award recognizes the outstanding 16 or 18-and-under age division male player for the USTA/Midwest Section for the highest standards of tennis accomplishments, character, conduct, sportsmanship, and amateurism.
Dunbar is ranked No. 21 in the Northeastern Ohio Boys' 18 . Earlier this season he was honored with the Ohio Tennis Coaches's Association John P. Harlow Sportsmanship Award. The award was given to an athlete who advanced to the semifinals of the state tournament and showed good sportsmanship throughout the entire tournament.
The past two years he has been named the Medina County Most Valuable Tennis Player. He has won two USTA Super National Championships and eight USTA National Open Championships.
In addition, Dunbar represented the USTA/Midwest Section in the 2012 USTA Zone Team Championship for Boy's ad Girl's 16.
Dunbar is graduating high school a year early and will start at the University of Richmond in Fall 2013, where he will join his brother Ethan on the tennis team.


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This premium coastal property with its own vineyard, dazzling views and waterfront access, has been the stuff of dreams for generations of Haslam women.
"This property has been the realisation of two dreams - my 'horsey' dream and my daughter's dream to have her own vineyard," says Jan Haslam.
Jan bought the 19.84ha of largely bare coastal land in 1990 for grazing for her horses, using waterfront access to ride them around Whangateau Harbour at low tide. She added an architecturally designed home, where she's offered boutique accommodation, a cottage for her 86-year-old mother Eileen, a converted barn, stables and implement shed, and landscaping.
"It's so private here and I've got views from everywhere," she says.
Jan's husband, Alex Rollinson, shares the tranquillity when he's not driving South Island tour buses nine months a year.
Around 1990 one of Jan's two daughters, winemaker Tracy Haslam, returned from overseas confident the property's conditions suited red grapes. Now 4ha is planted in premium grafted French clones: 75 per cent merlot, 15 per cent cabernet franc and 10 per cent syrah.
Producing about 32 tonnes annually, the vintage generates around 2300 cases. The family will keep the Ti Point label and brand (some of it now comes from grapes grown elsewhere), but leave the vines, which have produced award-winning wines. New owners can purchase the vineyard machinery and have the vineyard managed and operated for them.
The property is an hour's drive from Auckland city, handy to Matakana, Leigh and Omaha. A driveway takes visitors past two ponds and equestrian facilities to reach the main home and cottage on a rise, capturing coastal and vineyard views.
Jan asked architect Richard Naish of RTA Studio for a quintessentially Kiwi ambience and the ability to section off some space for boutique accommodation, if needed.
The first of the home's two adjoining shapes is a corrugated ColorSteel and glass section, where Jan has stayed when she's had guests.
The second is a stylish stretch of cedar and glass, remarkable for its jaw-dropping wraparound views and for referencing a local landmark. The curvaceous roof and curved timber ceiling is reminiscent of the old tram cars used as baches, which gave the closest bay its name. It opens up, pavilion-style, embracing wraparound decks and vistas taking in Tramcar Bay, the north-facing vines, the countryside and Omaha.
"Everyone who comes here says it's hard to do it justice in words," says Jan.
The sunny, open-plan living, dining and kitchen space's floor is long-stored King Country rimu Jan milled specially. Old piles from Princes Wharf accent the interior and exterior.
The muted colours of Omaha on an overcast day inspired the kitchen's blue-grey cabinetry. In winter its wood-burning wetback stove is used both for cooking and heating water, warming radiator-style heaters in the two premium bedrooms and office. Both bedrooms have great views. One has an en suite bathroom and the other is next to a sleek, separate bathroom.
The rest of the home has an open-plan bedroom-living area with walk-in wardrobe, en suite and kitchenette. There's an additional bathroom off the lower level's over-sized double garage, with double carport alongside.
The nearby clay-brick cottage where Eileen lives features a lovely outlook, covered veranda, open-plan kitchen-living-dining, bathroom, walk-in wardrobe and one bedroom. Relatives live in the converted timber barn set slightly to the east, where Jan used to live. It has two big, versatile rooms incorporating a kitchen and sleeping areas, a mezzanine, bathroom and parking for two cars.
Grounds include 2ha of native trees, an orchard, bore water, 10 fenced paddocks for stock and extra equestrian facilities. The family keeps kayaks down their western track, which offers water access to Tramcar Bay.
Tracy and her young family are Hawkes Bay-based, where husband David Mason is director of Sacred Hill Wines. The family is selling as Jan and her husband plan a lifestyle change which will include her travelling more to trek with her horses.


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WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission said Thursday that it would consider changing its rules to permit the use of cellphones and other wireless-data devices during airline flights.
The change, which was placed on the agenda for the commission's Dec. 12 meeting, would still be months away, requiring a public comment period of weeks and a final draft of the rules. But it would constitute a major shift for airline passengers.
The use of cellphones during flights has been vigorously opposed by many passengers and by flight attendants, although some airlines in Asia and Europe already offer cell service.
An FCC official said U.S. airlines would be given the option of outfitting their planes with equipment that would allow the use of cellphones above 10,000 feet.
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said the rules, if adopted, would "expand consumer access and choice for in-flight mobile broadband," meaning the commission thinks both Wi-Fi and wireless cellphone data plans could be used.
A swift negative reaction came from the Association of Flight Attendants, a union representing airline workers.
"Flight attendants, as first responders and the last line of defense in our nation's aviation system, understand the importance of maintaining a calm cabin environment," the union said in a statement. "Any situation that is loud, divisive and possibly disruptive is not only unwelcome but also unsafe."
The FCC measure would allow voice calls through the use of what is called a picocell, a small base station that would be installed on a plane, collect all cellphone activity during the flight and send it down to the ground.
Airlines in the United States already have the ability to allow phone calls using voice connections over Wi-Fi networks.
Last month, the Federal Aviation Administration changed the rules to permit airlines to allow the use of electronics during takeoff and landing, and passengers generally rejoiced at the ability to be able to read an e-book or play a game on their tablet or smartphone.
But sitting next to someone who is chatting away for hours could quickly outweigh the common complaint of sitting next to a crying baby.
"Really bummed to hear that news," wrote Randi Zuckerberg, author of the book "Dot Complicated" (and sister of Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook). "Airplanes were the last socially acceptable place to require people to unplug."


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* Prices may differ from that shown
The Magnetic cock ring is an advanced technology which increases the blood-flow to the penis and thus may increase the duration of an erection. Inside the smoke coloured cock ring are five point magnets that create a magnetic field round your penis which helps keep it firm and erect, and may also help prevent premature ejaculation! The wonders of magnetism, its bound to draw you to it!


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You're Being Watched — And Not Just By The Government
The NSA is tapping our phones and reading our emails, but they may not be the only ones. In fact, smart criminals can turn almost any device you own against you
ANG CUI STANDS ON THE STAGE at the annual Chaos Communication Congress in Hamburg, Germany in December 2012. He's an accomplished security engineer, but, he tells the audience, his greatest technological achievement is creating the gigantic PowerPoint presentation they are about to witness.
"If we can power through the PowerPoint without my laptop bursting into flames, I think we've really accomplished something," he says. The audience laughs and cheers.
Cui and his colleague, Michael Costello, are in Hamburg to explain how they managed to break into a popular phone made by Cisco Systems — a piece of hardware found on desks in thousands of offices all around the world. Their hack, Cui says, turns the phone's receiver into an always-on listening device.
Cui works in computer security, but he doesn't really focus on computers: he worries about the multitude of devices that surround them. Most of the gadgets that populate our lives — the printers, the phones — don't run anti-virus software, and Cui's spent the past five years breaking into them to prove that they should.
The crowd in Hamburg is rapt. Cui's presentation offers a glimpse into the frightening new world of digital espionage. If hackers get into your printer, he says, they can get a copy of everything you print. If they hack into your video conferencing system, they can monitor your every move. And, he explains to the audience, if they hack into your office phone, they can record every single thing you say.
It's a few weeks before the announcement, and I'm getting a sneak preview of what Cui and Costello have done. We meet at Cui's office at Columbia University in New York—he is a fifth-year Ph.D. student at its Intrusion Detection Systems Lab.
When I arrive, he hands me a small electronic device. He'd built it himself: it's a mess of circuitry and electrical tape about the size of a credit card. There is a small phone cord coming out of one end.
He tells me it is called the Th1ngp3wn3r (in hackerspeak, to pwn something means to own it, to take control of its functions). Cui plugs it into an Internet-connected Cisco Unified IP phone that sits on his desk.
"This is something that you would take with you to a job interview," he tells me in the rapid-fire cadence of a hip, educated New Yorker. "You plug it into the back of the phone while nobody's watching. The hack takes about a minute."
Next he pulls an Android phone from his pocket. He sends a piece of malicious software from his cell, through the th1ngp3wn3r, and onto the Cisco phone. The screen in his hand flashes white text scrolling over a blue background. Lights blink on the th1ngp3wn3r. Cui sits the cell phone down on his desk. Something is happening.
On Cui's nearby laptop, lines of information begin popping up every few seconds. It's data coming from the phone; the malware is active, and has already rewritten some of the fundamental code that manages the desk phone.
"Now the phone is sending out a whole bunch of traffic," he says. After some typing and clicking on his laptop, Cui opens a file and presses play. A recording of his words from just a moment ago, repeated from his laptop's speakers, rings out around the office.
"Now the phone is sending out a whole bunch of traffic," it parrots back.
In just a few seconds an ordinary office phone has become a listening device, and the room is now bugged. And although he was in the same room as the phone when he activated the bug, he could have been anywhere. "This thing could be in Taiwan and it would still send," he says.
What if he takes his th1ngp3wn3r to a large company? He could connect it to a Cisco phone in the lobby and copy over his malware within minutes.
"And from there, you can actually get the phone to own other phones," he says. "So you can take over the whole company."
Cui showed me photographs of the same Cisco phones in other places: a conference room on Air Force One, on the president's desk in the Oval Office, and behind a technician at an Illinois water pump facility that was allegedly hacked in 2011.
"These things are all over the place," he said.
Taking the phone that sits on the desk of the world's most powerful man and turning it into a listening device was not easy. Cui and Costello had to reverse engineer the phone's source code in order to tell the microphone to stay on all the time. The process took years, but was accomplished with limited resources.
"My budget was one person, 150 dollars, a laptop, and licenses to software that's available to everyone," Cui explains. "That's just, you know, tools of the trade."
He pauses for a moment. "What can you do with a billion dollars of funding?"
The answer to that question may seem obvious in the wake of recent revelations about the activities of the NSA. The agency has much more than a billion dollars of funding — its budget is classified, but most estimates put its budget at around $10 billion each year — which it is using, in part, to conduct a trawling operation to collect a vast amount of data from communications companies, Internet services and email providers.
But while the extent of the NSA's surveillance programs are played out in the media, in the courts, in hotels in Hong Kong and airports in Moscow, there is no reason to believe that American intelligence operatives are the only ones sucking up our personal data. And understanding how to stop random acts of surveillance is what Cui has spent his life working toward.
Red boxes and rebellion
ANG CUI'S PATH began in rebellion. He was born in China thirty years ago, but grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. As a young teenager growing up on in mid '90s New York, he immersed himself in what was a sort of golden age for hacking. Hackers and phone phreaks could still trick payphones into mistaking tones played into their receivers as coin deposits; the world was largely unencrypted and it was a playground for smart kids like Cui.
"I was a little punk kid running around calling people," Cui says. He'd use a device called a Red Box to play tones into payphones to call voicemail message boards run by 2600, the magazine for hackers. On the voicemail boxes, hackers would leave messages for each other. "There were a lot of people trading information about random stuff. 'Oh, I own a server in NASA.' NASA was always getting picked on in those days. It still is," he said. "People would say, like, 'I'll trade you a Red Box for an account on NASA.'"
One early brand of mobile phone, StarTech, had handsets that could be reprogrammed to listen in on other cell phone conversations. They were easy to find in used cell phone bins in Chinatown, selling for $15. "And you'd just walk around and listen to people's stupid conversations," he says. But his life as a teenage spy was ultimately frustrating: the tawdriness of people's conversations disappointed him.
"It blew my mind that this thing works, and works reliably, everywhere on the planet, and the bulk of humanity uses it to say, like, 'What do you want for dinner tonight? Let's call Chinese food.'"
Cui's formal education in computer science began at Stuyvesant High School. It continued at Columbia, as did his rebellious streak. In his senior year, Cui organized a controversial beauty pageant, and was also trying to start an online business from his dorm room. The website — a collection of questions that companies ask at job interviews — ended up violating the school's bandwidth quota. He was put on probation and asked to write an essay on the importance of following network usage policy.
"But I never wrote it," he says. "I was too busy running the beauty pageant. So I graduated on probation, technically."
After college, Cui went to work in the financial sector as a security engineer. That was when he realized there was no way to secure the printers and IP phones that sat in every office. Instead, he had to rely on vendors to secure the devices before he ever received them.
"You can't install software on it; you're not allowed to look at the code it runs," Cui says. "Intuitively, knowing about security, you realize this thing is completely vulnerable. It can definitely be attacked."
For three years, Cui considered the problem and grew increasingly frustrated. "The reason I came back to Columbia to do my Ph.D. is I wanted to tear apart everything that I wasn't allowed to touch before," he explains.
Professor Sal Stolfo, who runs the Intrusion Detection Systems Lab at Columbia University, accepted Cui into the program five years ago. "His application was very late but very interesting," Stolfo told me later, by email. "And a bit of his reputation for fun and harmless shenanigans made it easy to accept his application."
Two years into his Ph.D. program, Cui and his team scanned the Internet in search of the most vulnerable devices: those that still use their default passwords. Their targets included webcams, routers, printers, and connected telephones. In total, the scan identified 540,000 publicly accessible devices that were still configured with their factory default passwords. If you have a wireless router at home that you plugged in and never configured, then one of those was probably yours. But that wasn't all they found.
"This is not just, you know, my mom's Linksys router," Cui told me. "We found video conference units in district attorneys offices in various states, definitely sensitive offices. And when you have an embedded device like a video conference unit, you get eyes and ears. And this is just what's perceivable from public Internet. If the scan were to look at organizations from the inside, the number would be much higher."
It was after the scan in 2010 that Cui began to hack the devices themselves. He started with printers, and devised a way to take control of an HP printer by sending a malware-embedded document to it. With this exploit, an attacker could email the malicious document to their target – say, a resume – and once the document is printed, the printer is owned: It would then send the attacker a copy of every document it printed.
"This one just cost maybe like $2,000 and some duct tape," Cui said. "You no longer have to be a nation-state to engage in the nation-state level of sophisticated hacks on the embedded system side. And, again, there's no defense, and no detection mechanism for it."
Not long afterward, a computer engineer named Dillon Beresford wanted to see what it would take to find vulnerabilities in some of the most important computers there are—the sort of machines that control a power grid.
Beresford chose the Siemens S7 PLC. The now-famous computer virus known as Stuxnet had recently infected the same Siemens model in a nuclear facility in Iran. Stuxnet infected the PLC and caused the centrifuges it controlled to explode. Stuxnet, the New York Times later reported, was developed in a joint operation between the United States and Israel.
Because the Siemens S7 is widely used in critical infrastructure facilities here in the United States, Beresford wanted to test how insecure the units were. If Stuxnet could infect a PLC and cause centrifuges to explode, similar malware could infect a PLC in a power plant and shut down a grid.
Beresford started his project with no experience hacking PLCs. Within a month, he discovered eight vulnerabilities on the Siemens system. Perhaps the most troubling of his discoveries was a backdoor — a username and password combination hardcoded into the machine's firmware, and mistakenly left by Siemens engineers. Malware could be programmed to go through that backdoor and issue malicious commands, very much like Stuxnet.
And all it took was one man with a background in engineering, working alone in his apartment in Texas.
"I wanted to try and debunk some of the myths about how it would have taken a nation-state with millions of dollars in funding and a team of talented researchers to develop an offensive weapon that could be used and deployed in the field against critical infrastructure," he said at a press conference announcing his discovery.
Beresford handed his findings over to Siemens and gave them time to resolve the issues before presenting the vulnerabilities at a conference.
But then Siemens released this statement: "While NSS Labs has demonstrated a high level of professional integrity by providing Siemens access to its data, these vulnerabilities were discovered while working under special laboratory conditions with unlimited access to protocols and controllers."
Beresford fired back by email.
"There were no 'special laboratory conditions' with 'unlimited access to the protocols'. My personal apartment on the wrong side of town where I can hear gunshots at night hardly defines a special laboratory. I purchased the controllers with money my company so graciously provided me with."
In the wake of Beresford's disclosure, security experts criticized Siemens for leaving so many security holes open in such a crucial system. Beresford didn't have to disclose his findings for the vulnerabilities to exist; there is no telling whether they'd previously been discovered by less scrupulous individuals. Before Beresford discovered these issues, and until Siemens released patches to fix them, every facility that used these units was highly vulnerable to cyberattacks.
Slack security
Such a response is not unusual. Cui disclosed information about his phone hack to Cisco in October 2012. Cisco developed and released a software patch four weeks later. But by the time the conference took place, Cui and Costello had found out that the patch the company had released didn't actually work. In fact, it was even worse: the update amounted to nothing more than four new lines of code.
"Between the time that we notified them and the release date, it was approximately one line of code per week," Costello told the audience.
Experts often criticize vendors for the holes they fail to catch before releasing products. And when vendors learn of new vulnerabilities, Cui and many of his colleagues say they are too slow in their response and sometimes inept in their approach to solutions.
But most companies that build software and devices perpetually have long lists of bugs and security holes to fix. They fix one, and someone finds another. And they can't be proactive, because they can't predict every way in which a clever hacker may infiltrate their systems. They can only react to threats as they occur.
Computer security expert Bruce Schneier believes this is simply something we have to live with. "If there are 10 million vulnerabilities in Windows," Schneier told me over the phone, "you can go find and patch a hundred, but who cares. You're better off waiting for the bad guys to find their hundred and patch those. Because you have no choice. It's like terrorism. It's idiotic to believe that if you put a guard in front of the Sears Tower, you've made a difference. Because there are millions of office buildings."
In other words, companies have to wait for attacks on their systems to occur before they can defend against them. Consider a company that manufactures machines that are used to control processes in critical infrastructure. The company implements security measures into the machine's software before sending it out into the world. But once the machine is out there, a hacker finds a way around those measures. How long should it take for the company to release a patch? What if the vulnerability is in a machine that controls a power grid, like the one Dillon Beresford found?
Ang Cui thinks he may have the answer to that, too.
EARLIER THIS YEAR, Cui sent an email out to a small group of reporters, explaining how his team had developed a new piece of software that could protect phones from hackers. He calls it Symbiote.
A few days later, Cui and Stolfo hosted a demonstration of their defense mechanism. In their lab, they had the phone set up next to a laptop. Cui asked everyone to gather around. "Before I show the demo, let me just show you guys how we're doing all this stuff," he said.
Instead of relying on companies to fix security holes — an impossible task — Symbiote lives inside a device and tries to understand how it works. For example, when Symbiote is injected into a Cisco phone, it analyzes each of the phone's typical functions and looks for patterns.
When the phone's receiver is placed on the hook, the chip that controls the receiver's microphone is switched off. When the phone sends data to the outside world, it's sending calls and voice messages; it is not broadcasting a never-ending stream of audio.
Like a patrol officer who recognizes the patterns of movement in a neighborhood, Symbiote learns the patterns of the phone's functions. And if it detects something it doesn't recognize, it sends out an alert that lets the administrator shut down the system immediately until a fix can be found. If it's a phone, it stops it from being turned into a listening device. If it's a printer, it stops it from relaying documents. And if the machine was in a critical infrastructure facility, the alert could even save lives.
Symbiote, Cui explained, is tiny. It takes up fewer than 200 bytes on the phone's firmware. It lives on the phone, sending out a single datum over and over again, indicating that all is well. That stream is monitored by another device, like a laptop. If Symbiote detects a process it isn't familiar with, the repeating datum changes, and the laptop notices.
And, crucially, because Symbiote learns about the machine it's injected into from the inside out — it isn't programmed to understand a specific device's vulnerabilities, just to examine its host and see what behavior is unusual — it could potentially protect anything.
But there are still questions. After all, if the NSA is spying on all of us, does this even matter?
If we use services like Google or Facebook, we have no control over whether they share our information with the government. But if the companies that manufacture our devices decide to install software like Symbiote onto them before distribution, snoopers would be cut off from an entire array of surveillance.
Right now, there's a smartphone in your pocket that has a built-in microphone. It probably has a camera as well. It probably has GPS. If you look up at your computer screen, you may very well be looking into a built-in camera. All of it can be hacked. And as of now, no device manufacturer has implemented a host-based defense like Symbiote to ensure that it isn't.
And then there's another fundamental question. Does it work?
There is a lot riding on the answer. Stolfo and Cui have been working closely together, and are starting a company, Red Balloon Security. Their plan is to sell Symbiote to device manufacturers — and that could mean big money if companies like Cisco believe exploits like the one Cui discovered are a serious threat. But can it do what they say?
IN HIS OFFICE, a circle of reporters gathers around, Cui connects the th1ngp3wn3r to the phone. He sends his exploit code to it. The small crowd tightens.
He counts down: "Three. Two. One."
For a moment, nothing seems to be happening. Then a red light on the Cisco phone starts blinking. Symbiote has detected a change.
A cell phone on the table starts ringing. Cui answers it on speaker.
"Hello, neighbor!" the phone says. "My IP phone has been pwned."
He looks around, smiles, and hangs up.


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- The Poetry Foundation's blog for poetry and related news.
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Journal, Day Three
How now return to lecture halls:
O we who thought to cultivate this land
Have crouched like cattle in a freight;
Have scented death and lived too late;
Have whimpered as we fell between the cars;
And chance we live our sight is dull without the scars.
—Kenneth Patchen
Was that the veil shifting a little today, turning its glaucomic corners slightly in the breeze, was that Ted Kennedy piercing through? Do we still have a Constitution? Is this a day one could call new? Were these the voices heard as in a chorus?
Ted Kennedy: "Today . . . I am introducing legislation to reclaim the rightful role of Congress and the people's right to a full voice in the President's plan to send more troops to Iraq. My bill will say that no additional troops can be sent and no additional dollars can be spent on such an escalation, unless and until Congress approves the President's plan.
"My proposal is a straightforward exercise of the power granted to Congress by Article I, section 8 of the Constitution. There can be no doubt that the Constitution gives Congress the authority to decide whether to fund military action. And Congress can demand a justification from the President for such action before it appropriates the funds to carry it out.
"This bill will give all Americans an opportunity to hold the President accountable for his actions . . . Congress must have a genuine debate over the wisdom of the President's plan. Let us hear the arguments for it and against it. Then let us vote on it in the light of day. Let the American people hear––yes or no––where their elected representatives stand on one of the greatest challenges of our time."
Tennyson as heard through the mouth of Ted Kennedy: "Come, my friends. 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.'"
Nancy Pelosi: "We must have the most honest and open Congress in history."
Joseph Lieberman: "The president has the authority under the Constitution as commander-in-chief during wartime to take decisive action. Any steps by Congress to stop Bush from sending more troops would be an extreme action in a time of war."
Tony Snow: "Nobody is satisfied with the status quo in Iraq, including the president."
Incoming House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer: "On Thursday and Friday, we're going to adopt rules that will change the way the people's House operates to ensure its integrity, to ensure its openness and to ensure its transparency."
Can we be brave enough to be even guardedly optimistic and let our shoulders inch down a little from our ears as we climb the morn into our cars and drive the hard uniform or cracked and crumbly asphalt depending upon where we live?
For some of us the measure of our love is hate…
This is our history: quivering laurels, unsown…
We plumb a rattling grave
And follow rain into the hungry drift…unknown.
Your Sophocles and Spengler please, we must rehearse
Perhaps an orchestra or words will soar the brakeman's curse…
Then let us praise this heritage, this humble lot
Revere this God, this flag, this tommyrot.
—Kenneth Patchen
Thanks so very much for writing Stacy Davis and Jen X—and most especially with such great questions—I just now saw your comments—But Stevens will have to wait until tomorrow—it's late, my daughter needs shuttling off to bed—We will see the Noble Rider in the morn.
And please do keep comments and questions coming, I am depending on them—
Posted in Uncategorized on Wednesday, January 10th, 2007 by Gillian Conoley.


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I really wanted the gold one but after waiting four months I realized it probably wasn't coming back in stock. I am the worst at forgetting hair ties, bobby pins and chapstick when I change purses.... this great little pouch allows me to keep all with my keys.5


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Westport Cultural Council has money to share
The Westport Cultural Council has set an October 15 postmark deadline for organizations, schools, and individuals to apply for grants to support cultural activities in the community.
Council co-chair Terry Somerson said that these grants can support a variety of artistic projects and activities in Westport including exhibitions, field trips, workshops, lectures, concerts, films, or performances in schools.
"Westport has a wonderful tradition of artistic creativity, fascinating history, and beautiful nature. We encourage those who want to contribute to the cultural richness of our community to apply. This year, we would especially like to see proposals for programs designed for Westport teens, who we feel are underserved when it comes to engaging cultural activities," Ms. Somerson said.
Grant guidelines and complete information on the Westport Cultural Council are available at www.mass-culture.org, www.westportculturalcouncil.org, or email the council at email@example.com. Applications may be mailed (postmarked on or before October 15) or delivered in person to the Westport Town Hall or the Westport Free Public Library no later than Monday, October 15.
The Westport Cultural Council is part of a network of 329 local cultural councils serving all 351 cities and towns in the Commonwealth. The LCC program is the largest grassroots cultural funding network in the nation, supporting thousands of community-based projects in the arts, sciences, and humanities every year. The state legislature provides an annual appropriation to the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, which then allocates funds to each community.


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Joel Osteen's disturbing inability to say that Mormonism is something other than Christian reflects a particular affliction from which our culture suffers. I'm not sure what to call it other than the cult of agreeableness, a widespread tendency to avoid disagreement, conflict, and contradiction whenever possible, a disposition to never draw hard lines for fear that we'll upset or make ourselves unattractive by the action. … [Read more...]
The cult of agreeableness
November 9, 2011 by 131 Comments


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Coral Hills, Maryland
|Coral Hills, Maryland
|Census-designated place
Location of Coral Hills, Maryland
|Coordinates: 38°52′20″N 76°55′41″W / 38.87222°N 76.92806°WCoordinates: 38°52′20″N 76°55′41″W / 38.87222°N 76.92806°W
|United States of America
|Prince George's
|• Total
|1.5 sq mi (3.9 km2)
|• Land
|1.5 sq mi (3.9 km2)
|• Water
|0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
|292 ft (89 m)
|Population (2010)
|• Total
|• Density
|6,600/sq mi (2,500/km2)
|Time zone
|Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
|• Summer (DST)
|FIPS code
|GNIS feature ID
Coral Hills is an unincorporated area and census-designated place (CDP) in Prince George's County, Maryland, in the United States.[1] As of the 2010 census, the CDP population was 9,895.[2]
Coral Hills is located at 38°52′20″N 76°55′41″W / 38.87222°N 76.92806°W (38.872312, -76.928010).[3]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2), all of it land.
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 10,720 people, 3,833 households, and 2,694 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 7,046.6 people per square mile (2,723.0/km²). There were 4,177 housing units at an average density of 2,745.7/sq mi (1,061.0/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 3.59% White, 93.56% African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.25% of the population.
There were 3,833 households out of which 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.3% were married couples living together, 30.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.31.
In the CDP, the population was spread out with 30.7% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 6.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 88.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.0 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $41,122, and the median income for a family was $45,288. Males had a median income of $30,799 versus $30,466 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $17,876. About 9.2% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.3% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Coral Hills, Maryland
- ^ "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Coral Hills CDP, Maryland". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on September 11, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2013-09-11. Retrieved 2008-01-31.


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Monteverde Cloud Forest
Trip Start Dec 30, 2010
44Trip End Ongoing
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The Monteverde Cloud Forest of Costa Rica is one of the crown jewels in all the world
because of the habitat that it maintains and even more impressive is the 22,000 acres
adjacent to it named the Eternal Forest Of The Children which was made possible by
contributions from school children from 44 countries around the world who spread the
word about this virgin forest and it's importance and then raised the funds to purchase
the land. Monteverde itself was bought by Quakers who left Alabama because of their
convictions as conscientious objectors in the 60's and they also saw the rapidly
diminishing forests and sought to preserve this important piece of the world.
Getting there is no simple matter however; as the last 15 miles is unpaved
washboard road with large rocks protruding through the dirt and the maximum speed
you can make if you want to keep your teeth is 10-12 miles an hour. We arrived just
after dark in the nearby town of St. Elena and after a quick meal, we called it a day
because we wanted to be at the reserve at dawn for the ranger led walk at 7:30. All
night long you could hear the wind howling over our cabana and the overhanging trees
scraping across the metal roof. As dawn approached, I looked outside and saw how
high up we were with a misty drizzle obscuring the more distant hills below us. Already
in our yard, I could see half a dozen good birds so I was more than ready to go into the
What we found there was a cloud forest aptly named; because the huge trees
seemed to disappear into the fog and mist. Even on a clear day, visibility would be
severely limited by the sheer numbers of overlapping trees, ferns, and tree-ferns. On
each tree were a myriad of bromeliads, orchids, and clumps of moss that made
camouflage for any animal a wonderfully simple matter so that combined with the wind
and the misty rain, we saw very few birds at all. The most famous bird here is the
Resplendent Quetzel, a large green bird with a red belly, a nice crest and an elegantly
long green tail, but they don't really get here until the 60 different kinds of avocado trees
begin to produce ripe fruit in late March and April so we had little chance of an
encounter. What we did see was a Black Guan, the Emerald Toucanet,
hummingbirds at the feeding stations near the headquarters.
accustomed to people photographing them at close range that they whizzed between us
with abandon and many times their wings actually brushed our faces and clothing. And
such colors!!
focusing mechanism created by the flurry of their wings as they hovered nearby; but I
hope we got enough good ones for you to enjoy. After that we visited a fascinating bat
"museum" where we learned about bats that drink nectar with tongues 1 1/2 times their
body lengths, bats that eat insects, birds, frogs, fruit, and even bats that catch and eat
fish. On a scale there, I learned that for my weight, I would have to eat 60 buckets of
insects a night if I were a bat. Inside the building they have built a room where dozens
of bats can be seen flying around as they visit nectar stations and bowls of fruit, then
hang upside down while they munch their bits of melon. Microphones amplify and
broadcast their sonic location calls to the visitors to complete the effect.
Finally, we went to the Eternal Forest at dusk for a night hike where we saw sleeping
Wood Thrushes, Mot-Mots
ribbon snake
poisonous; but many in Costa Rica are. We also saw trees with thorns the size of your
thumb that protect them from sloths and other leaf eating creatures, trees that smelled
Page 2
like citronella that fend off insects, and a hollow secropia tree that has colonies of Aztec
ants living inside of it that attack any animal that tries to climb it to eat it's foliage.
What an interesting day....I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings. A live volcano


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OWC - The Basics: Information Session for New & Prospective Students, July 17 in DeFuniak Springs
Okaloosa-Walton College will hold an information session, "OWC-The Basics: What You Need to Know to Begin College", for new and prospective students on July 17 at the college's Chautauqua Center in DeFuniak Springs, located at 908 U.S. Highway 90 west. The session will run from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm in building one, room 154. Information about OWC, the college's open door admissions process, financial aid, special in-state fees for Alabama residents, and OWC programs of study will all be available.
Staff will also provide information about the college's new Bachelor of Science degrees in Elementary Education and Middle Grades Math and Science Education. Representatives from OWC's Basic Recruit Academy programs will be on hand to answer questions from those interested in a career as a law enforcement or corrections officer. The college will offer the Correctional Officer Academy in DeFuniak Springs in the Fall term in an evening and weekend class format.
OWC Student Services staff and Academic Advisors will be available to provide prospective students with individual assistance to fill out admissions and residency forms, provide placement testing information, and answer questions. Financial aid staff will be available to answer questions about scholarships, grants, loans and other financial aid concerns. OWC offers among the lowest college tuition in Florida and a comprehensive student financial aid program.
Those interested in starting OWC in the upcoming Fall term are especially encouraged to attend the July 17 session. Okaloosa-Walton College has an open-door policy for admissions and there is no fee to submit admissions forms. The college is now accepting new students for the fall term that begins in August and the Spring term that begins in January.
For more information on Okaloosa-Walton College or directions to the college's Walton County location,please visit www.owc.edu or call Maddie Fricano, Coordinator of Recruitment at (850) 729-6467 or the OWC Chautauqua Center at (850) 892-8100.