text:
Photos by Bao Yen.
It is a typical Thursday afternoon and an Israeli sniper stands on the rooftop of a building in front of the Damascus gate, which connects East Jerusalem with the Old City's Muslim quarter.
More than twenty Israeli border police officers are spread around the gate observing passers-by, and the gate's side stairways are closed by police barriers.
The sniper's scoped rifle is pointed at the gate, one of the busiest and most central areas in East Jerusalem, but the people framed by his scope continue with their daily activities.
Old women wearing traditional Palestinian embroidery dresses sit on benches and continue chatting, street vendors sell fruits and vegetables, and a few tourists enter the Damascus gate to visit the Old city of Jerusalem.
Israeli security forces "have been on the rooftop for three months," says Hussein, who owns a restaurant in the building where the watchful sniper stands, and prefers not to reveal his full name. "They closed the access to the roof and nobody can go there. They don't even talk to us, they do whatever they want," he tells the Palestine Monitor.
Following the recent wave of violence in the region, a reinforcement of security around the Damascus gate and new restrictions on movement have been imposed on locals. Israeli police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld published a statement on Twitter saying that the police was taking the "necessary" measures "to prevent and respond to recent attacks."
Some of Hussein's clients tell him they don't know how he can continue living surrounded by dozens of heavily armed security officers, police dogs and a sniper on his rooftop. But what worries him the most is his empty restaurant.
"Tourists are afraid to come here. We used to have groups coming, and the restaurant would be full. Now nobody comes," he laments. "We had three people working here but I had to send them home, now it's just me and my son," he continues. "There is no work, no money, no future."
Shaped like a Roman theatre, the Damascus gate has been the main stage of violence in the last five months. An escalation of the long-running conflict started in the beginning of October, when two ultra-orthodox Israeli men were stabbed and killed steps away from the gate by a 19-year-old Palestinian, who was shot at the scene.
Since October, nearly 30 Israelis died in attacks carried out by young Palestinians, and at least 180 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces, some while carrying out attacks and others during clashes with the Israeli army.
At least 15 of the attacks happened around the Damascus gate, which is the main entrance to the Al-Aqsa mosque, as well as a route for Jews heading to the Western Wall to pray. It has also traditionally served as one of the main meeting points and centres of East Jerusalem.
Karim Salim works in a hostel in front of the Damascus gate, and lives close to the Old City. While working just a few meters from the gate's entrance, Karim heard gun shots several times in the last months. "Once it happened behind my back. There is no happiness here, no hope," he tells the Palestine Monitor.
"The attacks backfire on Palestinians," says Karim. Since the escalation of violence started "business dropped sharply and people are scared to come to the Old City," he says, adding that his hostel has been much emptier in the last months.
Star Bryans, a Canadian tourist travelling with her family, says she had a "travelling warning" but decided to come anyway. Despite feeling safe, she admits that the presence of "guns everywhere can be intimidating."
According to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, around three million people visited the country in 2014, with Jerusalem receiving by far the largest number of tourists. Income from tourism constitutes a large part of the city's economy. With added restriction on movement and security measures, merchants in the Muslim quarter estimate their business went down at least by half in the past months.
"Jerusalem is the best city in the world," says Tarfiq, a shopkeeper who prefers to be identified only by his first name. "Tourists from all over the world used to come here, but lately it has been different, people are afraid to come," he says.
From his shop, just a few meters away from the Damascus gate, he witnessed the last stabbing attack, carried out by a 20-year-old Palestinian, who was repeatedly shot by Israeli forces after wounding two border police officers. "I saw how the boy was shot 50 times. Why 50 times?" he questions. "The attackers are children," he points out.
The young profile of most attackers, whose deaths have been criticised by human rights groups as "unlawful executions" and "unjustified use of lethal force," have imposed harsher restrictions for Palestinian teens, who are frequently stopped, searched and sometimes barred from entering the Old City.
"My mother told me not to open my shop, she is afraid for me," says Waal Nagy, another shopkeeper working right next to the gate's entrance. "You can't have your life here, everyone is afraid. I fear for my 13-year-old son. He wants to help me in the shop but I tell him not to come. I am always afraid for him," he says.
A few meters away from Waal's shop, border police officers stand next to a restaurant in the Via Dolorosa street, a celebrated place of Christian pilgrimage. "Sometimes many IDF soldiers stand in front of the restaurant, covering the entrance," says Anwar Basti. The restaurant has been in his family since 1927. According to Anwar, in the last three months business went down by 80 percent.
"I don't want to see blood on any side," says Anwar. "When I see blood I feel very sad. The violence affects all Jerusalem", he adds. "If the Old City is empty we all suffer."
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text:
Some artists (and propagandists) will disagree, but I hope Glass is right.
ADDED: You can listen to the new "Retraction" episode of "This American Life" here (where there is also a link to the transcript PDF).
Ira Glass: You put us in this position of going out and vouching for the truth of what you were saying and all along, in all of these ways, you knew that these things weren't true. Did you ever stop and think, okay these things aren't true and you have us vouching for their truth?Fascinatingly, it turns out that Daisey had once done a story about that "Million Little Pieces" guy, James Frey, who got into so much trouble for palming off a fictionalized story as a memoir. A big part of the trouble was that Oprah Winfrey had promoted Frey's book. The section of the interview where Glass brings up Frey ends like this:
Mike Daisey: I did, I did. I thought about that a lot.
Ira Glass: And just what did you think?
Mike Daisey: I felt really conflicted. I felt... trapped.
Ira Glass: I have such a weird mix of feelings about this, because I simultaneously feel terrible, for you, and also, I feel lied to. And also I stuck my neck out for you. You know I feel like, I feel like, like I vouched for you. With our audience. Based on your word.I was your Oprah!
Mike Daisey: I'm sorry.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Connecticut weapon makers say restrictions would cost jobs
NEWTOWN -- Strict new gun-control laws would devastate the state's gun-manufacturing industry, according to a video released by the National Shooting Sports Foundation featuring three Connecticut companies.
The video, "Connecticut Manufacturers and Employees Speak Up," features executives and employees of O.F. Mossberg & Sons of North Haven, Stag Arms of New Britain and Ammunition Storage Components, also in New Britain.
The foundation, which promotes hunting and shooting sports, is based in Newtown, where 26 children and staff were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School Dec. 14 by a gunman with a semiautomatic weapon.
Since then, proposals to limit semiautomatic weapons and high-capacity magazines have been proposed by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and discussed in a task force he appointed, as well as by a special legislative committee.
Joe Bartozzi, senior vice president and general counsel of Mossberg, "the oldest family-owned and -operated firearms manufacturer in America," said in the video that the company has introduced new semiautomatic rifles that "have all been very well received in the marketplace."
While many call the guns "assault weapons," Bartozzi refers to them as "modern sporting rifles." The company also makes shotguns and bolt-action rifles.
"The modern sporting rifle is definitely misunderstood," Bartozzi said. "What people don't necessarily realize is that semiautomatic rifles have been in use commonly in this country since 1905." They look different but the mechanism is the same, he said.
"Like any semiautomatic rifle, it fires with one shot with one pull of the trigger. It's not a machine gun; it's not a military weapon."
Semiautomatics, like the Bushmaster AR-15 Adam Lanza used in Sandy Hook, are "a lightweight firearm that has very good accuracy, the controls are very ergonomically placed; it's light recoiling."
Banning semiautomatics like the AR-15 (a step that has not formally been proposed so far) or restricting them would severely hurt the business, Bartozzi said.
"We've just invested in this facility over $4 million in new equipment," he said. "We've hired 100 new people to operate these machines and assembly these new products that are being sent out to market. So the effect would be dramatic."
In a telephone interview Tuesday, Bartozzi said the proposals would affect about half of the company's 15 to 20 product lines. (The company does not make the Bushmaster.) Out of 270 employees, "30 to 40 of those employees are dealing just with our modern sporting rifles."
On the 24-minute video, Elizabeth Zajac, a Mossberg employee, says, "I would ask the legislators to think very carefully about their final decisions" because they "not only affect Mossberg and Mossberg's employees and our families but the communities that we live in, the vendors that supply us, the people that we rely on to purchase our tools, to resharpen our tools, to take care of our machines. I would really ask them to consider the long-term effect of what they're asking industry to do."
Efrain Lozada of New Britain, who works at Ammunition Storage Components, said "Don't take our jobs away. ... They should put themselves in our situation and see what would they do. They should try to do everything possible to keep everybody employed; that's the top thing here in Connecticut. ... All the jobs are walking out."
Last week, Malloy proposed a series of steps to lessen gun violence, including universal background checks. A semiautomatic weapon would be prohibited if it has a detachable magazine and at least one military feature, such as a folding or telescoping stock, a pistol grip, a bayonet mount or a flash suppressor. Magazines would be limited to holding 10 rounds or fewer.
Andrew Doba, Malloy's spokesman, issued a statement: "The goal of the governor's proposal is to make Connecticut safer. We hope the industry will join us in that effort."
Ron Pinciaro, executive director of Connecticut Against Gun Violence, said militarized semiautomatics are not simply hunting or target rifles.
"We certainly don't want to see people lose jobs and we certainly respect the fact that there's been a history of gun manufacturing in the state," he said. "The fact is that these are very dangerous weapons that do not belong in the hands of civilians."
Both California and New York have passed bans on militarized semiautomatics and a federal bill has been proposed, Pinciaro said.
"I think that they would have been clearly aware of the fact that this is a business risk to them and they have to take that risk into account," he said.
Call Ed Stannard at 203-789-5743.


text:
BioMedEcon is a leading provider of health economics and outcomes research for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, drug delivery, and medical device industries. BioMedEcon applies scientifically rigorous, customized, and solution-oriented approaches to demonstrate the clinical and economic value of our clients' products.
BioMedEcon strongly believes that product value must be demonstrated throughout the product's life cycle and across an ever-changing competitive and payer landscape. Our typical client engagements are therefore long term. We work collaboratively with our clients and key clinical and payer opinion leaders to identify, demonstrate, and present product value that optimizes coverage and reimbursement.


text:
Mathis can't catch Jose due to swollen thumb
MIAMI -- A constant when Jose Fernandez is on the mound has been veteran catcher Jeff Mathis.
Mathis has pretty much been the rookie's batterymate since May. But due to a swollen right thumb, Mathis was unable to go on Wednesday in Fernandez's final start of the season.
"He tried," manager Mike Redmond said. "He came in my office and he told me, 'Red, I can't do it. I just can't do it.' His thumb is all swollen, it's black and blue. I know he tried. Jose wanted him, too.
"I know Jeff really wanted that. I knew that was important for him to be back for Jose's last start. It's too bad."
The last time Mathis didn't catch Fernandez was on June 25. Rob Brantly caught that night against Minnesota. Koyie Hill was behind the plate Wednesday night.
"Koyie is a veteran guy too," Redmond said. "He will be fine."
Mathis injured his thumb in the fourth inning of Monday night's 5-2 loss to the Braves while trying to block a wild pitch in the dirt.
An X-ray that night came back negative. When the swelling subsides, a second X-ray will be taken to make sure there isn't a fracture.
"There will probably be another X-ray to rule out a fracture," Redmond said. "I think sometimes after the initial trauma to the finger, you let the swelling get out of there and re-evaluate. Hopefully everything is fine."


text:
|Oracle® Database 2 Day + .NET Developer's Guide
11g Release 2 (11.2)
Part Number E10767-01
|View PDF
This chapter contains:
Visual Studio groups all development code that you create into containers known as projects. Simpler projects often contain only one file. In this section, you will learn how to create a new development project.
The application you build in this chapter serves as a starting point for work in subsequent chapters, so it is important to follow the order of this guide.
NOTE: When necessary, instructions specify Visual C# or Visual Basic.
To start a new project:
Start Visual Studio.
Open the Start menu, select All Programs, and then select Microsoft Visual Studio 2008.
The Microsoft Visual Studio IDE environment appears.
In the Start Page, under the Recent Projects heading, click Create: Project.
Alternatively, from the File menu, select New, and then select Project.
A New Project dialog box appears.
In Project Types, select the type of project you are creating:
Visual C#:
Visual C#: Windows
Visual Basic:
Other Languages: Visual Basic: Windows
In Templates, select Windows Forms Application.
In the Name field, enter the appropriate name.
Visual C#:
Visual Basic:
The abbreviation
CS indicates C# projects and VB indicates Visual Basic projects.
In Location, enter the directory where you want to save the files.
For this guide, enter this directory
In Solution Name, the appropriate name, HR_Connect_CS or HR_Connect_VB should appear.
A solution can contain several projects; when it contains only one project, you can use the same name for both.
Check Create directory for solution.
Click OK.
The project is created.
The main window now displays a new title, either HR_Connect_CS - Microsoft Visual Studio or HR_Connect_CS - Microsoft Visual Studio, depending on the language, and contains Form1 shown below.
It is important to remember that many projects automatically name the first form Form1. This is the name of the form control. Do not confuse this with the actual name given to the code file, which is typically
Form1.cs or
Both Form1 and
1.xx can be renamed. For the purposes of this guide, we will rename
1.xx several times.
This section shows you how to add a reference to the
Oracle.DataAccess.dll file, which contains the data provider, Oracle Data Provider for .NET.
To add a reference:
From the Project menu, select Add Reference.
The Add Reference windows appears.
In the Add Reference window, under the .NET tab, select Oracle.DataAccess. Click OK.
Note that the new reference appears in the Solution Explorer.
You can add Oracle namespace directives that allow you to indicate an assembly's namespaces within the module. To do this, add C#
using statements or Visual Basic
Imports statements, at or near the top of a code file.
Note:Adding a reference makes the namespace available within the application. Adding a namespace directive within the application code makes the namespace more visible and allows for additional scoping.
To add Oracle namespace directives:
With Form1 active, from the View menu select Code.
Alternatively, you can use the F7 keyboard shortcut.
Add the following statements to the list of declarations depending on the language you are using.
Visual C#:
Add with other
using statements, before the namespace.
using Oracle.DataAccess.Client; using Oracle.DataAccess.Types;
Visual Basic:.
Add to the top of the file, in the declarations section.
Imports Oracle.DataAccess.Client Imports Oracle.DataAccess.Types
Save the changes by selecting Save from the File menu, or using the Ctrl+S keyboard shortcut.
You can create a user interface by adding the toolbox controls to the design form. This interface accepts connection information from the user.
To add toolbox controls:
From the View menu, select Designer.
This opens Form1, in design view, if it is not already open.
You will toggle between Code and Designer a lot. The keyboard shortcuts are F7 and shift- F7 respectively.
From the View menu, select Toolbox.
In the Toolbox, expand Common Controls.
In the Toolbox, select Label, and drag it onto the Form1.
On Form1, right-click label1.
From the menu, select Properties, if the Properties Window is not already visible.
The Properties Window appears.
In the Properties Window, change the Text property from label1 to User ID.
Repeat steps 4 through 7 twice, placing two more labels on Form 1 and changing their text properties to Password and Data Source.
In the Toolbox, select TextBox, and drag it onto the Form1, next to the User ID label.
In the Properties Window, change the Name property to userID.
Repeat steps 9 and 10 twice, positioning two more text boxes next to the existing labels, and setting the Name property to password and dataSource.
Select the text box next to the Password label. In the Properties Window, scroll to the PasswordChar property and set it to an asterisk (*).
This masks the password during entry.
From the Toolbox, select Button and drag it onto Form1.
In the Properties Window, change the Text property of the button from button1 to Connect, and change the Name property to connect.
Close the Toolbox.
Now we write the code that takes the information provided to the user interface and connects to the database.
To connect to the database, you must create a connection object.
To write code that connects to the database:
These steps enable your application to connect to the database based on data that the user enters into the Form1 control. See "Compiling and Running the Application".
From the View menu, select Code.
Add the code indicated to instantiate a database connection string.
Visual C#: Add the class variable
conn to the
Form1 class right after the
Form1() block with this code.
private OracleConnection conn = new OracleConnection();
Visual Basic: Add the
conn class variable in the
Form1 class declaration, using this code.
Public Class Form1
Dim conn As New OracleConnection
Save your changes.
Change to Designer view by clicking on the View menu and selecting Designer.
Double-click the Connect button on Form1 to open the code window to the
connect_Click() method.
Insert the code indicated into the
connect_Click() method.
Visual C#:
conn.ConnectionString = "User Id=" + userID.Text + ";Password=" + password.Text + ";Data Source=" + dataSource.Text + ";"; conn.Open();
Visual Basic:
conn.ConnectionString = "User Id=" + userID.Text & _ ";Password=" + password.Text & _ ";Data Source=" + dataSource.Text conn.Open()
Note: Before a connection can be opened, it must be built from user input for the
Password, and
Source. The
Open() method makes the actual connection.
Set the
Enabled attribute of the button to
false by inserting the indicated code at the end of the
connect_Click() method.
This disables the
Connect button, which is a good practice once a connection is successfully made.
Visual C#:
connect.Enabled = false;
Visual Basic:
connect.Enabled = false
You have now finished writing an application that can connect to the Oracle database. The following sections show how to use it.
This section shows how to compile and run the application you created in the previous sections.
To compile and run the application:
From the Build menu, select Build Solution.
Ensure that there are no errors reported in the output window, available from the View menu.
The following graphics shows a typical output result.
If there are any errors indicated, from the View menu, select Error List and fix the errors.
From the Debug menu, select Start Without Debugging to run the application.
In the Form1 application, enter the User ID, Password, and Data Source.
Click Connect.
This is where the application makes use of the
tnsnames.ora file. See "Configuring a NET Connect Alias".
Once the connection is opened, the Connect button is disabled. You have succeeded in implementing a connection to an Oracle Database instance.
Applications must be able to handle run-time errors gracefully. For example, if you try to log in using an incorrect password, the application you developed so far cannot establish a connection to the database, and exits with the following unhandled exception error,
invalid username/password,
You must reselect Start Without Debugging to try this with a different password.
Error handling manages occurrences of conditions that change the normal flow of program execution. Oracle Data Provider for .NET contains three classes for error handling and support:
OracleError class represents a warning or an error reported by Oracle.
OracleErrorCollection class represents a collection of all errors that are thrown by the Oracle Data Provider for .NET. It is a simple
ArrayList that holds a list of
OracleException class represents an exception that is thrown when the Oracle Data Provider for .NET encounters an error. Each
OracleException object contains at least one
OracleError object in the
Error property that describes the error or warning.
.NET languages use Try-Catch-Finally block structure for error handling. With this structure, the Try code is the main code, the goal that the application wants to accomplish. The Catch code catches errors of various types, as shown in the next two section. The Finally block comes last and always executes.
The Finally block frequently contains the
Dispose method, which closes and disposes of the connection. Having the
Dispose method in the Finally block ensures that the database connection is always closed after the Try-Catch-Finally block completes. Closing database connections after the application no longer requires database access is important for many reasons, especially data security.
Attempting to close a closed database connection does not cause an error. The attempt is irrelevant. Nonetheless, placing
Dispose() in the Finally code block guarantees that the connection is closed.
The next section shows how to use Try-Catch-Finally block structure with general errors, and the section after that, with Oracle errors.
This section shows how to handle general errors using a Try-Catch-Finally block.
To handle general errors:
Change the code of the
connect_Click() method in
Form1 by adding an implementation of the Try-Catch-Finally syntax.
New code is in bold font.
Visual C#:
private void connect_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) { conn.ConnectionString = "Data Source=ORCL;User Id=" + userID.Text + ";Password=" + password.Text + ";"; try { conn.Open(); connect.Enabled = false; } catch (Exception ex) { MessageBox.Show(ex.Message.ToString()); } finally { conn.Dispose(); } }
Alternatively, you can use C# syntax that disposes of a connection when it goes out of scope, with the
using keyword, as follows:
using (OracleConnection conn = new OracleConnection()) { conn.Open(); // application code ... }
Visual Basic:
Try conn.Open() connect.Enabled = false Catch ex As Exception MessageBox.Show(ex.Message.ToString()) Finally conn.Dispose() End Try
From the Build menu, select Rebuild Solution.
Ensure that there are no errors.
From the Debug menu, select Start Without Debugging.
Run the application again, as described in section "Compiling and Running the Application", and attempt to connect using an incorrect password. This time, the application catches the error and displays it in a pop-up window,
ORA-1017: invalid
In the completed Try-Catch-Finally block code shown below, the first Catch statement branch is skipped if there are no
OracleExceptions. The second Catch statement branch catches all other
The first catch statement contains
Case statements, which can be used to trap common database errors and display them in a user-friendly manner.
Note that the second
Case statement catches a specific example of
OracleException, when the database is not accessible.
To handle specific errors:
Stop the database instance. See Appendix A, "Starting and Stopping an Oracle Database Instance".
Add the
OracleException block shown below in bold, before the
Exception block previously added in the
connect_Click() method.
Visual C#:
try { conn.Open(); connect.Enabled = false; } catch (OracleException ex) { switch (ex.Number) { case 1: MessageBox.Show("Error attempting to insert duplicate data."); break; case 12560: MessageBox.Show("The database is unavailable."); break; default: MessageBox.Show("Database error: " + ex.Message.ToString()); break; } } catch (Exception ex) { MessageBox.Show(ex.Message.ToString()); } finally { conn.Dispose(); } }
Visual Basic:
Try conn.Open() connect.Enabled = false Catch ex As OracleException ' catches only Oracle errors Select Case ex.Number Case 1 MessageBox.Show("Error attempting to insert duplicate data.") Case 12560 MessageBox.Show("The database is unavailable.") Case Else MessageBox.Show("Database error: " + ex.Message.ToString()) End Select Catch ex As Exception MessageBox.Show(ex.Message.ToString()) Finally conn.Dispose() End Try
Compile and run the application again, as described in section "Compiling and Running the Application".
Note that the
ORA-12560 error appears in the pop-up window as
unavailable with no error number provided.
Restart the database instance. See Appendix A, "Starting and Stopping an Oracle Database Instance".


text:
China's Xi evokes Mao; targets critics, corruption
He rolls up his pants in a downpour, holds his own umbrella and reminisces with villagers about the good old days. In nearly 10 months as China's leader, Xi Jinping has projected himself as a man of the people in a Mao Zedong-inspired propaganda push to connect with an alienated public.
Xi's populist approach, calling for party cadres to renew their ties with ordinary people, is part of his strategy to cement control of the Communist Party, protect its image and head off any challenges to the notion of one-party rule.
The strategy also features a corruption crackdown, aimed at opponents within the party who threaten cohesion, and increasingly hard-line moves to silence influential critics on the Internet and elsewhere.
Whether those efforts are working, or are simply working against each other, might become clearer as senior party leaders prepare for a November meeting where they are expected to produce a new economic blueprint. Xi's administration says the country needs economic reforms, but those changes will likely chafe against vested interests within the party that are tied to China's powerful state-owned companies.
A key feature of Xi's approach is the "mass line," a Mao Zedong-era ideological campaign to get the party's rank and file to reflect on their own and others' misdeeds and bind themselves to the people they say they serve. The revival of the mass line underscores the new leadership's fears that widespread corruption in its ranks has eroded its image.
"He's really sort of like the pope in a way, standing for some kind of ideological purity," said Kerry Brown, a China expert at the University of Sydney. "And like the pope, he has to issue these papal edicts every now and again which set out the core beliefs."
Brown said, "I would see it as symptomatic of a crisis in that they are trying to demonstrate relevance and credibility where in fact that's long gone and this is a bit of an empty kind of gesture."
Xi risks undermining his own exhortations to party officials to listen to the common people with his aggressive efforts to control discourse and suppress calls for political reform.
Early in the year, reports began emerging of a secret document circulated among propaganda officials identifying threats to clamp down on such as constitutionalism, universal values, civil society and the Western concept of freedom of the press. Authorities have shut down critical blogs and last month started arresting influential bloggers. Civil-rights advocates also have been rounded up.
Meanwhile, Xi's administration has signaled its intention to exert control over the country's mammoth state-owned companies. An anti-graft campaign has netted a number of high-level officials in the oil sector in recent weeks.
"His objectives so far are quite clear, which are to clean up the top levels of the bureaucracy and, at the same time, to control the most critical elements of society," said Ding Xueliang, a Chinese politics expert at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. "That means to crack down on the two extremes: the most extreme corruption cases and the most extreme critical voices."
Playing to the party base, Xi, the son of a revolutionary veteran, has paid his respects at Mao's old residences, where he proclaimed that "the color of our red country will never change." It's seen as a bid to bolster the party's legitimacy - and thus his own - by emphasizing continuity and tapping into the revolutionary legacy of its founder.
Xi's evocation of Mao and the ideological assault on democratic values has disappointed liberal intellectuals in China who had seen his rise as a chance to curb the party's authoritarian rule with a fairer, independent judiciary and constitutionalism.
But Cheng Li, a China expert at the Brookings Institution, said many Chinese leaders have to defend Mao's legacy to reinforce party unity, and added that it's still unclear how politically conservative Xi really is.
"It's a little bit too early to jump to the conclusion that definitely Xi Jinping will embrace the Maoist approach. I think he may surprise us with more positive developments in the months to come," he said.
In a flurry of visits in July, Xi sought to portray himself as a no-fuss leader, rolling up his pants to talk to dock workers in the rain in the central city of Wuhan. In Zhengding county of Hebei, where he served as party chief three decades ago, he struck a nostalgic note to remind cadres how they should be spending their days.
"This reminds me of that time when I was with comrades every day, chatting, thinking and working together," Xi said. "I directly understood and felt the villagers' joys and sorrows."
Across the nation, party cadres have made a show of responding to Xi's call, holding meetings and visiting orphanages, hospices, schools and offices where residents submit complaints.
But a Maoist strategy may not prove effective on what has become a critically minded Chinese society. The hundreds of millions of users of China's popular microblogs have largely ignored the mass line campaign.
Commentators have noted with cynicism that officials should have been doing the work Xi advocates in the first place. Others have invoked the campaign to bolster causes the party opposes, such as subjecting the party to the rule of law.
But some are hopeful that in the absence of political reform, Xi's campaign could bring some benefits.
"To an extent, we're still hopeful that under Mr. Xi, the mass line will be used to protect the interests of the masses," said Huang Qi, a veteran activist who campaigns for victims of illegal land seizures and other abuses. Huang said some people he has helped have recently reported seeing progress in their complaints.
"Under the current system of one-party rule, even though we have been deceived countless times, we still have to have some hope," Huang said.
Follow Gillian Wong on Twitter at twitter.com/gillianwong


text:
Bruce M. Brusavich
California serious injury lawyer, Mr. Brusavich has more than 30 years experience and is tenacious, determined, and genuinely concerned for his clients. He is known for going the extra mile, spending whatever is necessary, using models and creative exhibits when relevant, and conveying to judges and juries the concern he has for the people he represents. Filled with energy, creativity, insight, and compassion. Torrance California Attorney Bruce Brusavich is the ideal serious injury lawyer for your case. His experience, record of success, no-holds-barred approach to law, and dedication to his clients set him apart.
(866) 968-2045
Areas of Practice


text:
We've reached that time of year when I notice that most everyone is behind in math, but the weather is so nice and there is so much to do outdoors that I'm afraid cracking down in the math department isn't going to happen. Everyone is caught up in their own projects, and it's hard to interrupt. Larkspur is very busy in her garden and I need to get focused on mine. I have to beg labor from all the boys, and that makes it a little tricky, but preparing soil for planting isn't among my current abilities. I wish at least one of them shared my love for growing things so I wouldn't have to beg, barter, and bargain. I have a little box of dye plants just waiting to go in the ground, and I'm very excited about transitioning into growing more dye plants. Jonny started working to get a few beds ready for me this evening, so tomorrow hopefully I can do some planting.
I've been working hard to distract Silas from a little winter addiction I enabled, and he fell into: watching children's shows on the computer (we've never owned a t.v.) It is so easy to fall into the habit of saying "Yes" to "watching a movie" far too often when you're tired, it's cold outside, and the one asking to watch is incredibly persistent. Sometimes a mom's got to do what she's got to do, and allowing a little video watching is a sanity saver. But some kids can't seem to watch in moderation, and they essentially become little t.v. addicts and it's all they want to do. When Silas asked for a movie recently and I told him, "No, you're about to go fishing with Daddy," and he replied that he'd rather watch a movie, I knew he had a problem. I discovered a long time ago that quitting cold turkey results in a long, whiny week, but eventually a much happier child, one able to occupy himself without constant movie begging. Right now I'm reading tons of pictures books, supplying plenty of paper and art supplies, encouraging the building of block houses and train tracks, pulling out the play dough, and of course now that the weather is warm, saying, "It's a beautiful day. Go outside and play." Together, I think we can beat this. If we're lucky, Silas might not even need a twelve step program.
My newest distraction is sock knitting. I've only knit one pair of adult sized socks, and they didn't excite me enough to encourage the knitting of any others right away. Maybe the timing wasn't right. I have knit lots of baby socks, but those are pretty quick, not to mention super cute. I blame my new near obsession on Instagram. There's a lot of sock knitting going on there. For some reason the cute little project keepers that people post their socks in progress stored in started to really appeal to me. So I ordered a few. (Red foxes here, feathers and blue with gray foxes here). I also bought a new set of double points. And while I have plenty of sock yarn, I did buy one more skein, inspired by this photo. Now I'm knitting socks, and planning for more socks, while my little girls ask when I'm going to finish the baby projects I have going. Soon, I tell them. Soon. But right now, I'm knitting socks!
p.s. The cake picture: they made it together–triple layer butter/vanilla cake–gluten free-with caramel frosting. It was huge and they ran out of frosting, but it was really good and they were proud of it. However, this pregnant lady is begging, "No more desserts!" I've got to get these kids interested in making dinner!


text:
Re: The Geekiest Fett Thing You Own
Where do you manage to get those from?
It was like thousands of voices cried out for a sequel and were suddenly silenced...
Message Boards - Boba Fett Fan Club → Serious Geeking → The Geekiest Fett Thing You Own
Where do you manage to get those from?
You make 'em yourself. =3 Its easy to make on on MKDS, but its a lot harder to do it on F-Zero GX, since you need serious patience to make a custom decal. Its totally worth it though.
...forgot about this too because I haven't played Animal Crossing in a while XD Yeah I made a custom Boba print that can be used as a shirt or unbrella (shirt looks better though).
I just bought a 5 piece mini ornament set....all because it had a little tiny Boba Fett. Who now hangs on my Christmas tree, right next to Vader....
I have the Boba Fett Unleashed figure, the Boba Fett Transformer (My favorite piece in my "Collection"), a couple shirts with Boba and the Mandalorian Skull on them, a whole bunch of pictures I printed off the Internet and hung above my bed, and a bunch of other odds and ends.
I'm still adding to my collection though.
If I had Forza Motorsport (which I don't) I'd make a Boba Fett car...Do I get Geekiness points for that? *Smiles Sweetly*
i just got this off of ebay to add to my vinyl collection...
and here is a pic of my other vinyl that i posted about earlier
What are they staying?
i don't know i cant make it out but when it gets here in 2-9 buisness days ill update but it looks like it says something funny to me.
where do you teach i wanna be one of your students...ill get all a's
I'm just a part-time Spanish teacher, K-8...and he was getting an A+ anyway, but this just sealed the deal.
By "vinyl" do you mean a record? And what exactly is on them?
Probably my Boba Fett hoodie that I wear just about every day. ("Capture by Design. Kill by Necessity" Confusess my relatives an awful lot. XD ) Not just cuz it's Fett, but because I wanted a hoodie and it was just perfect for me. A lot warmer than it looks.
yea a record and their both punk rock but not punk rock remix of anything John Williams
A lot warmer than it looks.
And strangely effective on rainy days.
What are they saying?
it just came in today YAY! the vinyl just says the dark side onboth sides plain black but the cover says...
c3po-star wars man i was into that sh!# way before y'all ever had a clue. knowhutumsayin? i was kickin'it wit the millenium falcon while you sorry mugs was still pushin your hot wheels 'round the porch!
Luke with r2d2 head on- i know!! wassup with all these perpetratin muthaf*!#as tryin to claim O.G. star wars geeks an' sh!#! don't ever try to front holmes. you claimin' O.G., but you know back in the day you had a MON-CHI-CHI!
Chewie-and then there these crossover muthaf*!#as. the ones on the G.I. JOE tip until STAR WARS got on the one! this posin a$$ on my block tryin to mix his two sets together an' sh!# ! i clocked his sh!# with my Darth Vader carrying case!..
Boba Fett- SH!# everybody claimin' STRWARS these days. All these trendy muthas gonna drive me to claim Battlestar Galactica!
so thats what they say( nothing on the back) i did my best to edit out the vulgarity without making it so you don't know the words. so i apologize ahead of time to the mods if it isn't good enough and if you have to edit it i understand so i guess if the mods do and you want to know what it says pm me.
I have a stuffed Ewok from when they were released with Return of the Jedi. It is like 23 years old now and it still has it's cape.
I just bought a 5 piece mini ornament set....all because it had a little tiny Boba Fett. Who now hangs on my Christmas tree, right next to Vader....
I bought that ornament set too, for the same reason! The little Fett helmet is hanging next to the Stormtrooper on my tree.
I also have a little figure of Boba with blaster standing on top of my computer, the Boba Pez dispenser on my desk, the Burger King water squirter on my bookshelf, and the watch hanging on a nail on the wall. Also, a stack of books featuring Boba in the bookshelf and a Boba Widget on my desktop that utters Boba quotes when you double-click on it.
I really want to get that sweatshirt!
I have the ornament set now too. It's cool!
I have a stuffed Ewok from when they were released with Return of the Jedi. It is like 23 years old now and it still has it's cape.
I have a few of the old 1983 Ewok teddybears too, but I don't see how that relates to Fett?
Well not to Fett but SW in general. Anyway their was supposed to be a museum in Coruscantthat showed the Battle of Endor with a stuffed Ewok their perhaps they hired Fett to get one. Hence the lame tie in.
Hmm best bounty hunter of all time being hired to capture a Ewok...
Hey it was in the bloopers on the Super-Ultra Editions of the OT dvds. Wicket runs around a corner and Boba's right there behind him.
Did you see the outtakes in The Bounty Hunter Game?
Dude those were hilarious. Especially "Nobody comes to see a Hutt without something to offer..."
I like the one were Vosa slaps the snot out of Jango.
That one is good as well. lol im just thinking about level where the Bandogorra had a spawn point and i was somewhere they couldn't get me and i just kept torching them as they came.
Hey it was in the bloopers on the Super-Ultra Editions of the OT dvds. Wicket runs around a corner and Boba's right there behind him.
From my understanding, that was from a documentary/ mockumentary about the boy who played Wicket, and/or Wicket.
There's a glass fett ornimate on my Christmas tree now. XD
Message Boards - Boba Fett Fan Club → Serious Geeking → The Geekiest Fett Thing You Own
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Call of Duty: WWII
WWII Private Beta Level Cap to eventually reach level 40, stats to carry from weekend 1 to weekend 2
Activision Assist has shared an updated article stating the the final, highest level cap the WWII beta will see is level 40. Currently, the beta level cap is at 25 on PlayStation 4. The Activision Assist article states that the level cap will "gradually" increase to level 40 over the beta period.
In addition, Activision has stated that all of your beta stats and unlocks will not carry over to the final game at launch on Nov. 3. Your stats will be reset at the end of the beta. For PS4 players, all of your stats, however, will carry over from beta weekend 1 to weekend 2.
SOURCE: Activision Support
Call of Duty: WWII
Warzone devs 'fast-tracking' fix for weapon glitch
Infinity Ward has posted a tweet confirming the studio is fast tracking a fix for the weapon glitch occurring in Call of Duty: Warzone, especially on PC.
The glitch blows the weapon's polygon out of proportion when rendering causing it to block the entire screen.
This issue started to happen with the Season 5 update last week and is continuing to cause issues for many PC players. Many of the largest PC creators have voiced their frustration over the issue.
In a tweet, the studio confirms they are working to get out a fix ASAP.
A release time frame for this fix is not confirmed at the time of this writing, so stay tuned for updates.
Call of Duty: WWII
Call of Duty: WWII now available for free with PS Plus on PS4
As announced on May 25, Call of Duty: WWII is one of the free games for PlayStation Plus members on PlayStation 4 for the month of June.
Call of Duty: WWII is now available for download on the PlayStation 4 store and is listed as free as long as you have an active PlayStation Plus membership on your account. Once you download it, it is yours to keep forever, as along as you maintain an active PlayStation Plus subscription.
Visit the PlayStation Store HERE to download. Players are also receiving 1,100 Call of Duty Points by downloading Call of Duty: WWII.
Call of Duty® returns to its roots with Call of Duty®: WWII – a breathtaking experience that redefines World War II for a new gaming generation. Land in Normandy on D-Day and battle across Europe through iconic locations in history's most monumental war. Experience classic Call of Duty combat, the bonds of camaraderie, and the unforgiving nature of war against a global power throwing the world into tyranny.
Call of Duty®: WWII creates the definitive World War II next generation experience across three different game modes: Campaign, Multiplayer, and Co-Operative. Featuring stunning visuals, the Campaign transports players to the European theater. Multiplayer marks a return to original, boots-on-the ground Call of Duty® gameplay. Authentic weapons and traditional run-and-gun action immerse you in a vast array of World War II–themed locations.
Call of Duty: WWII was first released in 2017 and developed by Sledgehammer Games and Raven Software. The title was Call of Duty's big venture back to its roots of WWII era since the original release.
Call of Duty: WWII features a full campaign experience, multiplayer experience with new modes like War mode and Headquarters social space, and the co-op Nazi Zombies experience.
The base game is included with PS Plus, and there's four DLC packs for Call of Duty: WWII also available as an add-on purchase with additional MP maps, War mode maps, and Nazi Zombies experiences.
Call of Duty: WWII is available for FREE with PlayStation Plus from now through Tuesday, July 6.
Call of Duty: WWII
Call of Duty: WWII will be FREE with PlayStation Plus on PS4 in June
PlayStation has announced that a Call of Duty game will be FREE with PlayStation Plus for PlayStation 4 players in June.
The company has announced that the 2017 release of Call of Duty: WWII will be one of the PlayStation Plus free games in June.
Players on PlayStation 4 who are PS Plus subscribers will be able to download and play Call of Duty: WWII for FREE starting Tuesday, May 26 from the PlayStation 4 store on their console.
Once you download it, you can own it permanently as long as you have an active PS+ membership. The offer to download this expires July 6.
Call of Duty: WWII first released on November 2017 and was Sledgehammer Games' last Call of Duty game release. The title debuted as one of the best selling Call of Duty games on this generation, featuring a campaign taking players back to WWII-era, multiplayer with War mode and Headquarters social place, alongside Nazi Zombies.
Call of Duty: WWII is the third free Call of Duty title for PS Plus members in history. The first was Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 in June 2018, followed by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered in March 2019.
YouTuber shows the effects of Skill-Based Matchmaking in Cold War
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text:
Macy's profit up 11 percent in 4Q, but misses forecast
Winter storms blamed
Macy's Inc. reported an 11 percent increase in fourth-quarter profit, but its results missed Wall Street expectations as a string of winter storms chilled sales in January.
The results, released Tuesday, come on the heels of a solid holiday shopping season the Cincinnati-based retailer, which operates more than 840 Macy's and Bloomingdale's stores. The department-store chain has been a standout among its peers throughout the economic recovery as it has benefited from its moves to tailor merchandise to local markets.
But like other retailers, severe winter storms have caused Macy's to close stores and also kept shoppers at home. At one time during January, 244 Macy's and Bloomingdale's stores were shut down because of the weather, and business remained sluggish until Valentine's Day, Macy's Chairman, President and CEO Terry Lundgren said in a statement.
Macy's is still sticking with its annual profit and sales forecast, issued earlier last month, on hopes that business will bounce back in the spring.
"Once warm spring weather arrives and our full assortment of fresh spring merchandise is in place, we believe customers will return to a more normalized pattern of shopping," he said.
The department store chain said it earned $811 million, or $2.16 per share, in the three months that ended Feb. 1. That compares with $730 million, or $1.83 per share, a year earlier.
Revenue slipped 1.6 percent to $9.2 billion.
Analysts were expecting $2.17 per share on revenue of $9.28 billion, according to FactSet.
Revenue at stores open at least a year rose 1.4 percent, below the 2.5 percent increase that Wall Street analysts expected.
For November and December combined, the traditional holiday shopping season, revenue at stores open at least a year rose 4.3 percent. The figure includes sales from departments licensed to third parties.
Macy's reiterated that revenue at stores opened at least a year for the current year is expected to be up in the range of 2.5 percent to 3 percent. It also stuck with its earnings forecast of $4.40 to $4.50 per share for the year.
Analysts expect $4.45 per share for the current fiscal year, according to FactSet.
Shares slipped 77 cents to $52.29 per share in premarket trading.


text:
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text:
Field survey is not the most exciting thing to do in archaeology. It's often hot or muddy or exhausting or all of the above. Sometimes you walk for eight hours and find absolutely nothing. Sometimes you find really cool things.
Today, we took a break from our excavation of a large lithic site to check out a field.
Fieldwalking in archaeology is pretty much exactly how it sounds. You get assigned a field, you drive over to it and walk a lot. The field has usually been ploughed a few weeks before and we wait for a few good rains to settle the dust. Canada does not have a significant period of architectural development, so the vast majority of our archaeology can be found less a metre below the surface. Ploughing brings artifacts up to the surface and rain washes away excess dirt, leaving them ready for us to find.
We do it systematically. Standing five metres apart from each other, we walk in straight lines in a grid pattern, staring at the ground in front of us. Most of us have been doing this for so many years that artifacts seem to leap up from the ground and we spot them as easily as if they were glowing pink. When we find something culturally modified (a flake, an arrowhead, etc), we put a bright orange flag next to it.
When we find something, we reduce our survey to a smaller scale. Instead of being five metres apart, we stand shoulder to shoulder and walk more slowly, doing an intensive survey of the area for roughly 15m square. If we find more artifacts, we flag them as well and expand our area until we have a significant buffer zone of no artifacts. If we find enough artifacts and place enough flags, it is declared a site. And thus, most of the archaeological sites in Canada are found.
We did well today. Our site was a field within a sod farm. The sod had been harvested a while back and the land had been ploughed for us. We had a few decent rain storms over the past few days, so the weathering was decent. We started out and almost immediately found a few flakes. Intensive survey didn't reveal much else, so they were declared to be "IF's" (Isolated Finds) and we moved on.
It was pouring when we got up in the morning but by the time we actually started working, it was nice outside. We've been having a really hot and dry summer so far, so the cool breeze and overcast sky was appreciated. And since it was a sod farm, the land was mercifully flat. Sometimes, we have to survey giant hills with badly ploughed fields, where each step is both exhausting and dangerous, not knowing where your feet will land. This was a walk in the park in comparison.
Around 11am, we found our first arrowhead. Not the prettiest specimen ever made, but hey, it made us happy. Looking around the point revealed tons of other lithics and we declared our first site. Half an hour later, we found a decent biface and some more flakes, leading to our second site.
After lunch, we finished walking the property with time to spare. We finish up the intensive survey and start cataloguing our finds. Each IF is noted on a map. Each "diagnostic" (an artifact, usually a tool, that can be used for dating methods) is automatically recorded as a site, regardless of whether we find much much else around it. Anything with seven or more finds on the surface is also declared a site. We record what we find, where we found it and we get a GPS reading of the location on the property. When the time comes for us to return to dig it all up, we'll look over it again and map out the exact location of all the finds before we start digging.
After the day's work, we come out with two sites that will require further excavation, two tools and tons of isolated finds. And, best of all, we finish an hour early on the Friday of a long weekend and we head home happy.


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Physical remote controls might be nice when it comes to precision, but they've got nothing on mind-control when it comes to awesome. Using an EEG headset, a computer, and some serious thought-power, researchers have developed a quadrotor you can steer with your brain.
Developed at Zhejiang University, the Flying Buddy 2 is controlled with a series of very specific thoughts. Thinking "left hard" makes it take off or land, "left lightly" makes it rotate, "right" makes it go forward, "push" makes it go up, "clench" makes it go down, and blinking makes it take pictures. Presumably these thoughts were chosen because they're easy to read from brainwaves, because most of them are definitely not intuitive.
The whole system was built with the disabled—specifically the paralyzed—in mind, in hopes of giving them another way to interact with the world around them. It doesn't seem like it'd be the easiest thing to get the hang of, especially as far as precision is concerned. It's only in the prototype stage right now, so it's got a way to go, but it's still pretty impressive. Not a bad substitute for telekinesis. [New Scientist via Wired]


text:
April 23-27,
Hyatt Regency
Crown Center
Kansas City,
Here for the
2011 NCER Conference
List of Exhibitors
CEUs for NCER 2007
Registration Information
Upcoming Deadlines
Speaker and Poster Presenter
Confirmation Forms & Info
Featuring Cultural Opportunity -
Visit the Dead Sea
Scrolls in Kansas City
are invited to interact in an interdisciplinary setting to
experience state-of-the art science and engineering planning and
policy in a partnership environment and to formulate goals and approaches to
ecosystem restoration. The conference will provide many
opportunities to learn about ecosystem restoration efforts
throughout the country and to learn absout ecosystem
restoration programs including Missouri River Basin, Parks, Canada,
Agency efforts, Louisiana Coastal Area, Columbia
River, Everglades, San Francisco Bay/Delta, Chesapeake Bay, Great
Lakes, Puget Sound, and the Mississippi River
Basin just to mention
a few. Throughout the conference, participants will investigate
challenging restoration-related questions, such as:
How do we effectively partner to integrate planning, policy and
science such that each contributes to the other in an effective,
relevant and timely manner?
What are the state-of-the-art approaches, technologies, tools and data
available for ecosystem restoration. Who is leading the way?
there local, regional and national policies guiding restoration?
For restoration projects involving multiple governmental
agencies, non-government organizations, tribal governments and
other partners, how do we ensure continuity and completion of
large-scale, multiyear restoration projects?
How do we ensure that restoration policy facilitates integration
of new science, new and improved technology, and new and
improved modeling into restoration planning and implementation?
How can the scientific information be used to achieve
environmental sustainability in restoration programs? How do we
set restoration objectives and define success?
Are there opportunities for innovative win-win solutions that
sustainably integrates humanity and nature in the restored
Return to Index
purpose of 2nd NCER is to provide a forum for physical,
biological, and social scientists, engineers, resource managers,
planners and policy-makers to share their knowledge and research
results concerning ecosystem restoration throughout the United
States. The public forum will exchange information and "lessons
learned" on opportunities for and challenges of achieving ecosystem
restoration through partnership. Conference participants will have the opportunity to
learn about multi-scale ecosystem restoration programs (e.g.,
Missouri River, Great
Lakes , Everglades, San Francisco Bay/Delta, Chesapeake Bay Columbia
River, Louisiana Coastal Area, Puget Sound, Mississippi River) and what has contributed to success, as well as lessons
learned from these programs. The roles of policy, planning and science in establishing
goals and performance expectations for achieving successful and
sustainable ecosystem restoration will be explored. Successful
partnerships and means to leverage resources will be an important
component of these meetings.
Return to Index
conference is designed to bring together scientists and engineers, policy makers, planners
and partners who are actively involved in
and/or affected by all aspects of ecosystem restoration regardless
of project or program size.
Participants will interact in an interdisciplinary setting to
summarize and review state-of-the-art science, planning, means to
create partnerships and leverage resources, management activities,
and to formulate goals and approaches to ecosystem restoration. This
includes federal, state, and local agency personnel, tribal
governments, non-government organizations, private interests, water
resource engineers, water resource managers, environmental
consultants, environmental policy managers, ecological scientists
and researchers, hydrological modelers, students, and environmental
interest groups.
1. Science of Restoration
Ecology and Hydrology
Water Quality and
Fish and Wildlife
Population Responses
Restoring Processes
Below and Through Barriers
Restoration and Water/Land Management Needs
Restoration and
Invasive Species
Information Systems
Preserving Genetic
Flow Regimes
2. System Responses
and Trends
of Global Change
Detecting and
Understanding Change
Interim Objectives
for Long-Term Trends
Measures/Standards /Indicators
Trend Analysis
Dealing With Natural
Linkages and
Predicting Outcomes
Effective Population
Balance Between
Created vs. Natural Systems
Planning for Restoration
Defining "Success"
and Setting Objectives
Conceptual and
Quantitative Models
Landscape Scaling
Budget Development
Leveraging Resources
Through Partnerships
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Scoping (including
interest of stakeholders)
Opportunities and
Considering Human
4. Adaptive Management
to Application
Risk and Uncertainty
Master Manuals
Framework for
Engineering for
Project Robustness
Monitoring Program
Coupling Models and
5. Partnering and
Integrating Science
Throughout Institutional Structure
Effective Communication and Information Sharing Tools
Strategic Input of
Science in Management Decisions
Getting Past Data
Role and Obligation
of Science to Communicate to the Broader Restoration Community
Examples of Effective
Governments and
Agencies at Work
Public Education
6. Priorities for
Ecosystem Restoration
National Policies and
Programs to Facilitate Restoration
Establish National Priorities
Lessons Learned from
Large Scale Case Studies: Chesapeake Bay, Everglades, CALFED,
Great Lakes, Glen Canyon, Louisiana Coastal Area, Missouri
River, Columbia River, Puget Sound,
Upper Mississippi River
Synthesis of Lessons
Future Direction and
Science based
Click buttons
below to view:
Plenary Session Speakers
Panel Session Summaries
Monday, April 23, 2007
7:30am – 5:30pm
Office Open
7:30am – 12:30pm
Authors to set
up Session I poster displays and Exhibitors
[Exhibit Hall]
9:00am – 12noon
Management Workshop [New York B]
1:00pm – 5:30pm
Plenary Session: Restoration in the Spirit
of Cooperation
[Hallmark Hall]
6:00pm – 8:00pm
[Crown Center Square]
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Early Morning Refreshments
[Exhibit Hall]
8:30am – 9:35am
Plenary Session: 2007 Farm Bill as a
Potential Tool for Ecosystem Restoration
[Hallmark Hall]
9:50am – 4:00pm
Six Concurrent Sessions
12noon – 1:00pm
Boxed Lunch Provided in Exhibit Hall
4:00pm – 5:30pm
Major Challenges in Ecosystem Restoration
Programs: Defining Success [Hallmark Hall]
5:30pm – 8:00pm
Formal Poster Session I & Networking
[Exhibit Hall]
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
7:30am – 8:30am
Early Morning Refreshments
[Exhibit Hall]
Plenary Session: Partnering for Sustainable
[Hallmark Hall]
10:00am – 12noon
Boxed Lunch
in Exhibit Hall
1:00pm – 3:30pm
3:30pm – 5:30pm
Ad hoc meetings & Informal Networking;
Poster & Exhibit Hall Open for Viewing
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Early Morning Refreshments
[Exhibit Hall]
Plenary Session: Priorities and Measures for
[Hallmark Hall]
10:00am – 3:30pm
4:00pm – 4:30pm
Plenary Session
4:30pm – 6:00pm
Major Challenges in Ecosystem Restoration
Programs: Setting Priorities
[Hallmark Hall]
6:00pm – 8:30pm
Formal Poster Session II & Networking
[Exhibit Hall]
Friday, April 27, 2007
7:30am – 8:00am
Early Morning Refreshments
[Exhibit Hall]
8:00am – 9:30am
Major Challenges in Ecosystem Restoration
Programs: Measures for Determining Success
[Hallmark Hall]
9:50am – 12noon
Conference Concludes
- Assembly and Break for Field Trips
12:30pm – 5:30pm
Terrestrial Restoration Trip
ORGANIZER: Jeff Robichaud,
River Restoration Trip
ORGANIZER: Chris White, USACE, Kansas City
(NOTE: Government Employees– Please be sure to note
meals as provided when filing your travel
Restoration Coffee Houses
A major goal of NCER is to provide participants with a unique
opportunity to collectively identify vitally important issues
faced by ecosystem restoration programs around the country. It
is important we understand what practices and processes are used
for dealing with issues, determine what has worked and what
hasn't, and most importantly, why.
Approaches taken by four of the major restoration programs in
the country, Chesapeake Bay, Everglades, Missouri River, and
California Delta, in dealing with challenging issues faced by
all ecosystem-scaled restoration programs will be tracked
through three special Restoration Coffee House (RCH) sessions.
Open discussions between session panels and the audience are
intended to explore and evaluate different approaches, and to
create syntheses of useful information for wide applications.
These sessions will explore three such vital issues including:
(1) approaches for defining and agreeing upon successful
restoration endpoints,
(2) setting priorities for implementation of program
components in the context of constraints and trade-offs, and
(3) integration of system-wide assessments of ecosystem
Following NCER, conclusions of these RCH sessions will be
converted into a "restoration strategies" white paper.
Click on
the links below for detailed descriptions of each
Restoration Integration Issues in the Mississippi River Basin
Several sessions of
the conference, including the Tuesday morning plenary session,
an open discussion session, and focused concurrent sessions
throughout the week, will address ecosystem restoration within
the Mississippi River basin, especially ideas related to
cumulative project benefits. These sessions will be organized to
foster the flow of planning and policy information from relevant
agencies and organizations to field practitioners, and the
experiences and recommendations of field staff to high level
decision makers.
The Tuesday plenary session will explore ways by which the next
Farm Bill might facilitate greater attention to multi-scale
spatial restoration approaches that support both site and
downstream objectives.
The Tuesday open discussion will provide an opportunity for
practitioners to explore common questions and to present
collaborative suggestions to a selected set of management and
policy representatives from relevant restoration organizations.
Common questions, prepared in advance by polling the restoration
community, could include:
• What is intended
in the concept of river restoration integration or "scaling-up"?
• Why is
"scaling-up" important, and to who?
• What are the
major existing constraints to "scaling-up"?
• Which agencies or
organizations are, or should be, responsible? What new or
modified management/institutional
structures might be necessary?
• What resources,
tools, and programs (ie. Farm Bill) are available?
• Who is currently
interested/committed to moving forward with restoration
integration within the Mississippi River Basin?
Concurrent sessions focusing on programs at the sub-basin scale
(i. e. the Upper Mississippi, Lower Mississippi, Missouri, and
Ohio rivers will be promoted.
USACE Staff Gathering
SPECIAL SESSION: Informal USACE Staff Gathering to Share
Ecosystem Restoration Information Including Lessons Learned
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
4:00pm – 5:30pm
There will be an informal gathering of USACE staff involved
with or interested in large-scale ecosystem restoration programs
and projects from around the country. The purpose of the meeting
is to allow conference attendees from Corps Districts, commands
and research facilities to meet their counterparts and share
lessons learned and exchange information through a series of
interactive questions to a panel which will include
opportunities for audience involvement. This informal meeting
was organized by Jim Boone of the Jacksonville District, South
Atlantic Division. It will be moderated with introductory
comments by Ed Theriot from Corps Headquarters and the new
National Environmental Community of Practice Leader with help by
Sandra Brewer of Rock Island District, Mississippi Valley
Division and David Vigh, NCER07 Conference Chair, Mississippi
Valley Division. At the panel table will be Ken Barr, Rock
Island District, Mississippi Valley Division, Mike George, Omaha
District, Northwest Division, Troy Constance, New Orleans
District, Mississippi Valley Division, and Cheryl Ulrich,
Jacksonville District, South Atlantic Division.
Adaptive Management Workshop
offered by CAMNet
Monday, April 23, 2007
9:00am – 12:00pm
is offering an introductory course on adaptive management (AM)
free of charge to conference attendees. The objective of the
course is to introduce AM principles to natural resource
practitioners as an alternative to traditional management
approaches. The workshop will be taught using a combination of
lecture and practical group exercise designed to provide
participants with "hands-on" experience in developing a mock AM
program. Topics to be addressed include: experimental design,
monitoring and evaluation, collaboration, and consensus building
with stakeholders and environmental organizations.
workshop is intended to help participants:
Gain an understanding of what
AM is and is not and when it is appropriate to use AM;
understand some of the real
world challenges involved in the implementation of an AM
program designed to enhance restoration success;
identify strategies to
overcome institutional barriers in order to improve the
effectiveness of AM efforts; and
Because of the interactive nature of this workshop,
attendance is limited to the first 50-registrants, and
advance registration is required. Please indicate your
interest in participating on the conference registration
form. As seating space is limited, should you need to cancel
your registration, please notify us no later than 14-days
prior to the workshop so that another registrant may fill
your seat.
The Adaptive Management
Workshop is full.
Click here
for additional information on the AM Workshop. (PDF format)
(Advance registration by March 1st required -
Registration for Field Trips is CLOSED)
NCER 2007 will feature two field trips highlighting ecosystem
restoration in the Kansas City area. Indicate your desire to
participate when you register online. Both field trips include
lunch, refreshments, transportation and private guides. As
outdoor travel is involved, dress comfortably and be prepared
for the weather. Advance registration by March 1st is required.
Field Trip #1: Rocky Point Glades & Jerry Smith Park
(Limited to first 60 registrants.)
Friday, April
27, 2007
1:00pm – 5:30pm
Join Kansas City WildLands, Kansas City (MO) Parks and
Recreation Department, the Missouri Department of Conservation
and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for an exciting
guided half-day tour. Biologists and wildlife ecologists
familiar with ongoing restoration efforts will guide you on a
tour of two efforts to restore and manage the remnants of Kansas
City's original landscape, including native prairie.
Point Glades (Swope Park)
Located in Swope Park (Kansas City's largest
park), Rocky Point Glades contains a mosaic of small limestone
glades set within a fire-maintained oak woodland. An aggressive
restoration of this site was initiated in 1999 and has been
accomplished with volunteer labor. Restoration including woody
removal, exotic species control, native plant reintroduction and
prescribed burning is still in progress. Here chinkapin and post
oaks preside over a part forest, part prairie herbaceous flora
atop a dramatic layer of Bethany Falls limestone outcrops.
Nearly 200 species of native plants have been identified at this
site which showcases the forest/prairie ecotone of this region.
Jerry Smith Park & Saeger Woods
Conservation Area
two contiguous tracts contain remnant native prairie. An
approximately 40-acre area on the west side of Smith Park has
been the subject of intense restoration efforts since 1998
involving tree removal, prescribed burning and control of
sericea lespedeza. The site contains the largest population in
Missouri of the state-listed eared false foxglove. Smith Park
contains the largest remaining tract of remnant prairie on the
Missouri side of the metro area and the only one in the city
limits of Kansas City. Prairie forbs grown at Powell Gardens
from locally collected seed have been planted here at KC
WildLands public workdays in recent years. The smaller east
prairie of Jerry Smith Park was cleared of woody invasive
encroachment in the 2004, and the newly opened prairie underwent
its first prescribed burn in the fall of 2004. This area has a
diverse spring flora which includes a number of conservative
prairie forbs.
Field Trip #2: Missouri River - Kansas City Reach
(Limited to first 100 registrants.)
Friday, April 27, 2007
1:00pm – 5:30pm
This guided boat trip on the Missouri River through the Kansas
City area will include several informal presentations on the
Missouri River Recovery Program along with many developed and
natural sights to see. The conference field trip fee covers the
cost of a bus ride to and from the boat along with a box lunch.
If you do not wish to ride the bus or eat lunch you are welcome
to drive up on your own. The Corps' tour of Missouri River
Recovery sites is free to the public. We will be on a U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers inspection barge pushed by a Corps boat. The
barge has both outside and inside covered spaces, plenty of
seating, and restroom facilities. Participants will be bussed
from the conference hotel, board the barge in Parkville at the
English Landing boat ramp (Rivermile 377), and travel downstream
on the Missouri River for about three hours (25 river miles) to
the La Benite Park boat ramp.
Remember to bring your binoculars and a light coat if windy or
Field Trip
Fee: This fee includes lunch, transportation to the
barge, and refreshments. The barge tour itself is a free service
provided by the Corps. Please refer to the web site for detailed
field trip information.
For Attendees with Professional
you maintain a professional license issued by a society, an
association, an occupational licensing board or a department of
professional regulation within your state, you may be eligible to
earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for your participation in
NCER. You will need to contact the appropriate authority who manages
your professional certification to verify your organization or
individual state's licensing requirements, and to confirm what
documentation is required. While we are not approved as an official
CEU provider, your state may recognize this event as a qualified
program, and you may be eligible to earn CEUs for your
participation. A Record of Attendance Log will be maintained at the
conference where you can sign in and sign out each day and create a
record verifying your daily attendance. Within 30 days upon
conclusion of the conference, we will mail you a formal "Certificate
of Attendance" indicating the actual number of contact hours you
accrued based on your participation hours recorded in the attendance
log. It is your responsibility to compile all necessary paperwork
and provide it to the appropriate licensing board or professional
organization with whom you are certified, and to confirm this
program content is acceptable based on their individual standards.
IMPORTANT NOTE: In
general, one Continuing Education Unit (CEU) is defined as 10 hours
of instruction. One hour is calculated as 50 minutes of face-to-face
instruction. If you have any questions regarding CEU requirements as
they pertain to your professional certification or license, please
directly contact the appropriate licensing board within your state.
The University of Florida, Office of Conferences & Institutes and
its employees are not authorized to act on your behalf or to provide
consult regarding CEUs.
Registration Fee
Registration Deadline
Early Bird
Discounted Registration
By February 16
Regular Reduced
By March 16
AFTER March 16
*Photocopy of valid student ID
required. The student fee does not apply to post-docs.
Fee payments must accompany all registrations by the deadline to
qualify for the
applicable discount.
(10 years of age
and older)
Bird Discounted Registration
Reduced Registration
The Guest Fee is not for use by
Friday, April 27,
(1:00pm - 5:30pm)
Rocky Point Glades &
Jerry Smith Park
Missouri River
Restoration Projects
By March 1
Field Trip Fee includes lunch and
Advance registration by March 1st required.
What Does the
Registration Fee Include?
Meeting & Student Attendee:
The NCER 2007 registration fee provides full participation in the conference
including registration materials, an abstract book, a nominal
environmental restoration donation, a customized conference
portfolio and canvas tote along with almost all meals throughout the
workshop including morning, mid-day and afternoon refreshments every
day; a Welcome Reception on the Plaza Monday evening, a Poster
Session & Networking Reception on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and
a boxed lunch on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Field Trip Fee: This fee
includes lunch, refreshments, transportation and access to tour
sites by private guides. Please refer to the web site for detailed
field trip information.
Guest Fee: The NCER 2007
guest fee allows guests 10 years of age and older to attend the
Monday Welcome Reception, and the Tuesday & Thursday Poster Session
& Networking Receptions.
Click here
for a printable version of the Registration Fee Schedule
Before clicking on
the Register Now! link below, we recommend that you have payment
information on-hand, such as credit card, check number or purchase order number,
if we are to invoice your institution.
are delighted you wish to register for this event.
Advanced registration is closed, however, we will be happy to
register you onsite and look forward to your participation.
Refund Policy:
All refund requests must be received in writing by
April 1st, 2007. A processing fee of $125.00 will be
deducted from all meeting participant refunds, $25.00 from all guest refunds and
$10 from each field trip refund.
Special Needs:
Participants with special needs can be reasonably
accommodated by contacting the Office of Conferences
& Institutes at least 21 working days prior to the
conference. We can be reached by phone at
1-352-392-5930, by FAX at 1-352-392-4044, or by
calling 1-800-955-8771 (TDD). The TDD number can
only be accessed from within the State of Florida.
The Midwest Natural Resources Group
and US Geological Survey are proud to sponsor an Internet Café at NCER 2007. This service will
feature comfortable computer stations and allow conference attendees
to stay "connected" to their offices, check e-mail, and search the
The Internet Café will be conveniently located in the foyer of
the Exhibit Hall - please feel free to stop by and take advantage of
this service, which will be available from 1pm on Monday, April 23
through conclusion of the conference at 12noon on Friday, April 27.
On behalf of the organizing committee of
NCER 2007, it is our pleasure to announce the conference will
feature nearly 50 exhibits on hand to showcase the latest in
restoration services at this premiere national event. Attendees will
be able to meet exhibit representatives individually and personally,
and network with colleagues from around the country. Ample time is
available to explore the exhibits and learn about cutting-edge
products, publications, tools, and services available to restoration
Exhibits will be on display during early
morning refreshments and mid-day and afternoon refreshment breaks
each day. There will also be two evening poster session receptions
and two boxed lunches served in the exhibit hall on Tuesday and
If you are an EXHIBITOR, Click the
button below to view detailed Exhibitor Information and
Detailed Exhibitor Information!
List of Exhibitors
Hyatt Regency Crown Center
2345 McGee Street,
Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Tel: 816 421 1234; FAX: 816 435 4190
Web Site:
The conference will be held at the beautiful
Regency Crown Center. The Hyatt is the ultimate central location
in Kansas City, and is connected by an enclosed walkway to the
fascinating Crown Center, an office and shopping complex featuring
numerous restaurants and specialty shops where attendees are sure to
find the fare of their choosing - all at affordable prices.
Room Rate Information:
The Hyatt Regency is offering the prevailing Government Rate for
the conference, which is currently $96 per night with one or two
people in a room (single or double occupancy) and $121 a night with
three or four people per room, plus sales and occupancy tax
(currently 15.225 percent) plus $1.50 per night (plus tax) city
development fee.
You may upgrade to the Hyatt's Regency Club Level for an
additional $30 per night. Please note these room rates are
non-commissionable, and may change depending on federal per diem
established for Kansas City at the time of the conference.
To make a room reservation, contact the Hyatt's Hotel
Reservation Department by calling (816) 421-1234, or 1-800-233-1234.
Be sure to specify you are attending the National Conference on
Ecosystem Restoration (NCER). All hotel reservations must be made
by Friday, March 9, 2007. After this date, reservations will be
accepted based on availability at the hotel's prevailing rates. (To
receive tax exempt status, payment must be made in the form of a
government issued check, credit card or purchase order, and, be
accompanied by a Missouri sales tax exemption certificate presented
at check-in.)
Special Instructions: A first night's room deposit must be
made with a credit card, check or cash within 10 days of placing
your reservation. For any reservations that "no show" or, are
canceled within 72 hours of arrival, the deposit will not be
refunded. Check-in time is after 4pm and check-out time is 11am.
Should you arrive early or depart after these times, baggage storage
areas are available for early arrivals and late departures.
- Adults are 18 years old and over. Children under 18 are free.
- Rollaway beds are available for $20 per day plus current taxes.
- Self parking is $13/day.
SPONSORS ($25,000 or more)
Ronnie Best
Barry Gold
Mike Sullivan
($10,000 or more)
Ron Ott
John Engel
SPONSORS ($5,000 or more)
Joanne Chamberlain
Tom Denes
Patricia Strayer
Raed El-Farhan
Tim Feather
SPONSORS ($2,500 or more)
Stephen Parker
ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS (Up to $2,500)
Pamela J. Wilson
Partnership Opportunities
NCER provides an excellent opportunity
for organizations and companies to become an active partner in
hosting this conference as a sponsor and an exhibitor.
Displays, poster presentations and
exhibitor booths will be situated in the Exhibit Hall. This area
will be the primary gathering place for attendees where morning,
mid-day and afternoon refreshments and daily lunches are served. The
agenda also features two Poster Session & Networking Receptions
which are heavily attended and provide interaction during evening
becoming an active partner, your company will:
Strengthen its prominence as a leader
in providing ecosystem restoration services
Increase brand recognition and national
Enhance product awareness
Reinforce visibility in the
environmental and restoration arena
Showcase new products and services
Network with colleagues who make
decisions for small and large-scale restoration projects
Be featured on the conference web site
with a link to your home page
Be recognized in the
conference program
NOTICE: As of March 27, exhibit space is no longer available
and sponsor recognition materials have gone to print.
free 8' x 10' booths
(no longer available)
free conference registrations
Company name on conference signs
Company logo & link on conference website
Sponsor recognition at a plenary session
Complimentary insert in attendee packets
free 8' x 10' booths
(no longer available)
free conference registrations
free 8' x 10' booth
(no longer available)
free conference registration
Click here to review
Printable Sponsorship
Commitment Form
PDF format
To become an NCER Partner,
- or -
Beth Miller-Tipton, Conference Coordinator
University of Florida/IFAS
Office of Conferences and Institutes (OCI)
PO Box 110750
Gainesville, FL 32611 USA
Return to Index to Index
Printable file of
Partnership Committee
(PDF format)
Kansas City Weather
Click here to find driving directions to
Kansas City, MO from any address in the USA by simply typing in the starting address and
then the end destination address; very user friendly.
Return to Index Index
Official travel resource
for Kansas City
What's New in
Visitors Center
Truman Presidential Museum
& Library
The Ecological
Society of America
Society of
Wetland Scientists
Conference on
Restoration and Creation
Wildlife Habitat Council
G. Ronnie Best
Coordinator, Greater
Everglades Science Initiative
US Geological Survey
Pembroke Pines, FL
Donald F Boesch
University of Maryland
Cambridge, MD
Jim Boone
Chief, RECOVER Branch
US Army Corps of Engineers
Jacksonville, FL
Sandra Brewer
US Army Corps of Engineers
Rock Island, IL
Becky Brown
Administrative Support
US Army Corps of Engineers
Vicksburg, MS
Tom Denes
National Planning Program
URS Corp
Gaithersburg, MD
Steve Emmett-Mattox
Vice President
Restore America's Estuaries
Niwot CO
David Erne
Senior Associate
Booz Allen Hamilton
McLean, VA
Beverley B. Getzen
Former Chief, Office of
Environmental Policy
RET; US Army Corps of Engineers
Wadesboro, NC
Barry D. Gold
Marine Conservation Initiative
The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
San Francisco, CA
Allen Hance
Senior Policy Analyst
Northeast-Midwest Institute
Washington, DC
Valerie Hansen
Project Manager
US Army Corps of Engineers
Kansas City, KS
Dan Hayes
Permit Evaluation Section
Regulatory Branch
Rock Island District, USACE
Dave Koran
US Army Corps of Engineers
Washington, DC
Ken Lubinski
Science Director
The Nature Conservancy/
Upper Mississippi River Program
Brownsville, MN
Frank J Mazzotti
University of Florida/IFAS
University of Florida-Wildlife Ecology
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Ross Melinchuk
Director of Public Policy
Ducks Unlimited, Southern Regional Office
Ridgelend, MS
Beth Miller-Tipton
UF/IFAS Office of Conferences and Institutes (OCI)
Gainesville, FL
John Ogden
Chief Environmental Scientist
South Florida Water Management District
West Palm Beach, FL
Ron Ott
Deputy Director for Science
CALFED Bay-Delta Program
Sacramento, CA
Denise Reed
University of New Orleans
Department of Earth and
Environmental Sciences
New Orleans, LA
Jeffery Robichaud
Chief, Data Integration &
Support Operations Branch
Environmental Services Division, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency
City, KS
Jennifer Salerno
Booz Allen Hamilton
Austin, TX
Charles Simenstad
Research Associate Professor,
Coordinator, Wetland Ecosystem Team
University of Washington
Seattle, WA
John Sowl
Landscape Ecologist
National Park Service, Midwest Region
Omaha, NE
Ann Spaulding
Brown and Caldwell Water Resources
Walnut Creek CA
Tom St. Clair
Senior Project Manager
Jacksonville, FL
Patricia Strayer
Brown and Caldwell
West Palm Beach, FL
Mike Sullivan
Mississippi River Basin
North Little Rock, AR
David A Vigh
Environmental Team Leader
US Army Corps of Engineers
Vicksburg, MS
Chris White
Environmental Resources Section
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Kansas City, MO
Return to Index
G. Ronnie Best, Conference
Coordinator, Greater Everglades Priority
Ecosystems Science
United States Geological Survey
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Jim Boone, Programs & Project
Track Coordinator
Chief, RECOVER Branch
US Army Corps of Engineers
Jacksonville, FL
Sandra Brewer
Senior Biologist
US Army Corps of Engineers
Rock Island District
Rock Island, IL
Becky Brown
Administrative Support Assistant
US Army Corps of Engineers
Vicksburg, MS
Beverley B. Getzen
Former Chief, Office of Environmental Policy
RET; US Army Corps of Engineers
Wadesboro, NC
Darlene R. Guinto, Decision
Analysis Track Coordinator
Senior Planner and Civil Works Program Manager, Northwestern
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Portland, OR
Dan Hayes, Plenary Speaker
Sub-Committee Chair
Chief, Permit Evaluation Section
Regulatory Branch
Rock Island District, USACE Casey Kruse
Chief, Threatened and Endangered Species Section
US Army Corps of Engineers
Omaha District
Yankton, SD
Ken Lubinski, Missouri River
Sub-Committee Chair
Science Director
The Nature Conservancy/
Upper Mississippi River Program
Brownsville, MN
Beth Miller-Tipton
Director, Office of Conferences and Institutes
University of Florida/IFAS
Gainesville, FL
Tom St. Clair, Program
Committee Chair - and -
Adaptive Management Track Coordinator
Senior Project Manager
PBS & J (Everglades Partners Joint Venture)
Jacksonville, FL
Patricia Strayer, Riverine Track Coordinator
Brown and Caldwell
West Palm Beach, FL
David A. Vigh, Conference Chair
Environmental Team Leader
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Mississippi Valley Division
P.O. Box 80
Vicksburg, Mississippi 39181-0080
Becky A. Brown, Conference Assistant
Administrative Support Assistant
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Mississippi Valley Division
P.O. Box 80
Vicksburg, MS 39181-0080
G. Ronnie Best, Conference Co-Chair
Coordinator, Greater Everglades Priority
Ecosystems Science
United States Geological Survey
c/o University of Florida/IFAS
Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center
3205 College Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314-7799
Tom St. Clair, Program Committee Chair
701 San Marco Blvd., Suite 1201
Jacksonville, FL 32207-8175
David Erne, Partnership & Exhibitor Committee Chair
Booz Allen Hamilton
8283 Greensboro Drive
McLean, VA 22102
You are visitor number: since 04/12/06.
This page is designed and maintained by:
the UF/IFAS/OCI Graphics Editor and Webmaster.
Last update:


text:
Types of digital storage devices
Storage devices are available, in various high-performance types. Such asrandom access memory (RAM), Static Ram (SRAM) or Dynamic RAM (DRAM), these types of memory are possible to read from and can be written to randomly. The main differences between Dynamic and Static ram are the need for a periodic refresh of dynamic memory, which can also make the static memory a preferable choice for some applications. The main types of storage devices that we are offering include:
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- SmartMedia Cards
- Solid State Hard Drives (SSD)
- USB Sticks


text:
Masks sold on Redbubble are for general public use only and are not intended for use in medical settings. More legal info here.
- Non-medical face masks help you express yourself even when you can't show your face
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Contact Us / t: 727-580-4393
Award-winning sales and marketing exec, consultant and product launch specialist to manufacturers of high performance audio / video products for consumer and professional applications. Holder of 2 patents for analog matrix surround decoding, winner of 12 CES Innovations Design & Engineering awards, recognized in the Who's Who of American Inventors, and the leading advocate for adoption of the Blu-ray audio standard for music and movies; currently the CEO of Essence For Hi Res Audio manufacturing the HDACC Upsampling 24/192K DAC Preamp, DPA-440 Class D Power Amp, and online marketer in the USA for Acoustic Energy, Ceratec, Core Power Technologies, REVO, Verisonix Headphones, and ARCHT One.
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text:
Exclusive: WeddingWire Says "I Do" to $25 Million in Capital
WeddingWire, a company that aspires to be the Yelp for weddings, by courting brides and the businesses that serve them, has secured $25 million in capital.
AllThingsD has learned that the minority investment comes from Spectrum Equity, known for investing in other deals, such as SurveyMonkey and Ancestry.com.
Neither company immediately returned calls seeking comment. But according to sources familiar with the deal, some of the cash will be used to fund the company's growth, while a portion of it will be used to buy out existing shareholders.
WeddingWire provides an online directory for couples seeking information about local vendors, including photographers, venues, caterers and florists. It sells ads to businesses, and generates recurring revenue by helping vendors build mobile sites, as well as providing them with tools that help them manage appointments online, among other things.
In 2007, the five-year-old company in Bethesda, Md., raised $5.5 million from Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Four years later, Martha Stewart sold its stake to Catalyst Investors for $11 million. Sources would not disclose the company's valuation, but based on the size of today's investment, you can guess it's in the range of $50 million to $100 million. WeddingWire is profitable today.
This year, Inc. magazine named WeddingWire the 309th fastest-growing private company. According to that information, the company's 2011 revenue totaled $10.1 million, up 1,200 percent over the past three years. It has 100 employees.
Last year, WeddingWire acquired ProjectWedding.com from eHarmony, and today it is powering listings for sites owned by Martha Stewart and Condé Nast. According to the company's Web site, it is expanding into adjacent verticals, such as EventWire.com, MitzvahWire.com and PromWire.com, among others. Competitors include Yelp and wedding-specific sites like TheKnot.com.


text:
Strained right calf could land Jeter on DL again
SAN DIEGO -- Derek Jeter has been limited to just five games this season due to injuries, and the Yankees' captain is facing the possibility of yet another stint on the disabled list.
An MRI performed on Saturday in San Diego revealed that Jeter has a Grade 1 strain of his right calf. The Yankees have not announced how they will proceed with the 39-year-old shortstop, but a decision is expected before Monday's game against the White Sox in Chicago.
This has been by far Jeter's most difficult big league season, and his frustration has been obvious.
"It's been terrible. It's been like a nightmare," Jeter said after Sunday's 6-3 loss to the Padres. "The whole season has been a nightmare. I really don't know what to tell you; I wish that wasn't the case and we were sitting here talking about something besides another injury. We'll see what happens. I have no idea."
Jeter is traveling to Chicago with the team. He has been dealing with the calf injury since last Monday, having felt a sensation something like a deep bruise after he came off the disabled list and played in a July 28 game against the Rays.
The injury is to the same calf that sidelined Jeter with a Grade 1 strain in June 2011, stalling his pursuit of his 3,000th career hit.
"It's different because when I did it last time, I felt it," Jeter said. "I was running to first base and I felt it. This time, I didn't feel anything while I was playing. It was later on that night and the next day.
"I can't pinpoint when it happened. I don't know when it happened. Maybe adrenaline got me through it, but it would be speculation if I try to figure out when I did it."
Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that his hope continues to be that he can write Jeter's name in the lineup on Monday, but he will not rule out the disabled list.
Because it is so late in the season, however, Girardi said he is more inclined to push Jeter through the Grade 1 strain -- the least severe strain classification -- to avoid what would be Jeter's third stint on the disabled list this season.
"[The strain] could become more, we're aware of that," Girardi said. "But as I said, it's that time of year. We've got to weigh the decision."
Jeter returned from a pair of left ankle fractures to make his season debut on July 11, injuring his right quadriceps in that game. Girardi said that Jeter's unorthodox schedule may be contributing to his repeated injuries.
"I think that if he had a normal Spring Training and he wasn't coming off the injury like he did, I don't think these things would be happening," Girardi said. "My guess is next year will be different, but only time will tell."
Jeter has four hits in 19 at-bats (.211) for the Yankees this season, owning a home run and two RBIs. Last year, Jeter led the Majors with 216 hits and batted .316.
"I've been pretty fortunate in my career not to have to deal with too many things," Jeter said. "Now it seems like I'm dealing with a lot at one time. I have no choice but to move on. Hopefully, it heals quickly and I can get back out there."


text: Ixionyx 1 Posted February 11, 2012 My players successfully claimed the vessel "Chains of Judgement" at the end of the Broken Chains adventure. It will take a while to restore fully, but they intend to keep it and use it as their mobile base of operation rather than choosing a world or the like. I'm cool with this, but it needs renaming. So, I'm looking for suggestions... What have you named your vessels in Black Crusade? What cool chaos heretic names have you come up with? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Move over, Rebecca Black: There's new young singing sensation trying to make her mark with a, ahem, catchy tune.
Spunky tween Nicole Westbrook has released the tune "It's Thanksgiving," in which she croons about how excited she is about the fall feasting holiday. No surprise here — it's produced by Patrice Wilson, who also wrote Black's insidiously catchy viral hit "Friday."
First Listen: Rebecca Black sticks it to critics in "my moment"
Even the lyrics are similar to the simplistic ones from "Friday." Here's a sample: "Oh, oh, oh, it's Thanksgiving Day. We, we, we, we're gonna have a good time. Oh, oh, oh, it's Thanksgiving. We, we, we are gonna have a good time with the turkey, mashed potatoes. We, we, we are gonna have a good time."
Considering "Friday" was ranked 29th on the U.S. Billboard Top 100, and was covered by the likes of Glee and Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon, "It's Thanksgiving" should get its 15 minutes — at least until Nov. 23.
Listen to the song below:
What do you think about "It's Thanksgiving"? Is it better than "Friday"?


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