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- Surface and Planetary Boundary Layer Questions
Surface and Planetary Boundary Layer Processes
What are Surface and Planetary Boundary Layer Processes?
The Earth's surface has many profound effects on the atmosphere that impact our ability to understand and predict its behavior. The rain that falls on your house originally evaporated from the surface (the ocean, a lake, or even a tree), and much of the heat that we receive from the sun is first absorbed at the Earth's surface and is then transferred to the atmosphere.
The lowest portion of the atmosphere (from surface to about 1 to 2 km high) is where surface effects are most evident. This region is known as the atmospheric boundary layer of our planet, or the planetary boundary layer or simply "boundary layer". The different ways in which the surface interacts with the boundary layer or the boundary layer responds to the surface are called surface and boundary layer processes. This heading also includes interactions between the boundary layer and the rest of the atmosphere.
The Earth has many types of surfaces - mountains, hills, lakes and seas, plants, and manmade structures. Each of the surfaces differs in how it interacts with the atmosphere. For example, more water will typically evaporate from a lake than from a pasture of the same size, and dark barren soil will absorb much more solar radiation than a bright snow surface. Surface and boundary layer processes determine how much heat, water, gases, and particles are exchanged between the surface and the boundary layer and between the boundary layer and the free atmosphere. Also of interest are how the winds and temperatures within the PBL are affected and where and when clouds start to form.
The Earth's surface is the source and often a depository for pollutants and various constituents in the atmosphere that can affect both the quality of the air we breathe and the ability for energy to pass through the air to the surface. The processes by which gases and small particles derive from and are deposited at the surface are also of interest to this ESRL theme.
Why is this important?
The Earth's surface is where the primary exchanges of heat and water that are starting points for driving the Earth's climate and weather systems occur.
Many important weather and climate phenomena (e.g., El Nino or hurricanes) are principally driven by atmosphere-surface interaction. Surface and boundary layer processes must be identified and understood in order to be replicated or simulated in computer models used to forecast daily weather, the extent of air pollution events, and the impact of human activity on future climate. These processes are often poorly resolved or are not even represented in current models. Accurate forecasts of the path and intensity of the next hurricane, the onset of monsoon rains, or the high temperature in Denver tomorrow require a careful accounting for PBL processes. For air quality, it is important to know the conditions under which pollutants enter the atmosphere, and the direction and distance they are transported.
What do we know?
Much is known about the basic mechanisms (physics) of surface and boundary layer processes. These include turbulent and non-turbulent air motions, radiative energy transport, thermodynamics, water phase changes, plant physiology, material reflectance, chemistry, and principles of conservation of mass, energy, and momentum.
Through extensive field observations, the behavior of the boundary layer has been investigated under many conditions. Those observations have been analyzed to demonstrate the extent to which basic physical mechanisms can be observed and understood at the surface and within the boundary layer. From these concepts, computer models have been developed and have been shown to reasonably replicate the many aspects of the observations. For example, we know that there are trade-offs between thermally driven lifting of air parcels and turbulent mixing of those parcels caused by higher speed winds over rough surfaces. This affects the rate of vertical transport of heat and mass from the surface into and through the boundary layer. Various vegetated surfaces have been studied to determine their particular impacts on the surface and boundary layer processes, as have other land and water surface types and conditions. The reflectance of the surface has been cataloged to allow the ratio of incoming solar radiation converted at the surface to be determined. Land-use surveys are conducted to further understand the distribution of surface properties. Studies of air-sea interaction processes have clarified the role of wind, waves, ocean currents, and whitecaps in the exchanges between the ocean and atmosphere.
The complete physical and chemical description of surface and boundary layer processes including their actual spatial and temporal description are far too complex to be handled by today's computers. So, simplifications called parameterizations have been derived to capture the essential aspects of these processes. Such parameterizations are an essential tool for predicting weather and climate.
What don't we know?
The need for information on very small spatial and temporal scales leaves many remaining gaps in our knowledge and capabilities. If we are to predict regional or global atmospheric phenomena on scales of minutes to millennia this information and understanding are crucial.
At ESRL we are working to fill the most critical of these gaps. Following is a summary of topics that we view as the most pressing in need of further study in the area of surface and boundary layer processes.
- Cloud formation and transitions within the boundary layer
- Impact of the exchange of heat and gases over the ocean on ocean temperatures
- Concentration and transport of pollutants in realistically variable boundary layer structures
- Factors affecting the vertical transport of heat and matter during the boundary layer daily cycle
- Partitioning of various causes of climate changes in the polar regions
- Interaction between the boundary layer and atmosphere above (free troposphere)
- Effects of waves and sea spray on hurricane formation
- Better representation of relevant surface features and their temporal variations in models
- Accounting for the complete surface energy balance over various land surfaces.
What is NOAA's role?
As the primary agency for understanding and predicting the future state of the atmosphere, NOAA has long addressed these issues and has contributed greatly to the current level of understanding of surface and boundary layer processes.
ESRL is developing improved remote sensing instrumentation to observe surface and boundary layer features. We conduct field campaigns to collect information in regions and under conditions not previously well observed and documented. We are carrying out long-term monitoring observations of surface energy exchange processes at global remote and regionally representative fixed surface sites. Several groups in ESRL are working with satellite-based programs to improve and extend their global and regional observations of surface properties. Ocean voyages are made to investigate aspects of the interactions and exchanges between the boundary layer and ocean in different climatic zones and geographical regions. Extensive work is being done to introduce and test methods of incorporating what has been observed and explained about the surface and PBL processes into research and operational atmospheric forecast models.
What will we need to know in the future?
Information available to describe the current state of the planet (e.g., land surface changes due to urbanization or forest cutting) must be sufficient for expanding modeling capabilities, and for validation of model predictions.
We must continue to have the capability to observe changes that have not been anticipated or predicted. Our observing capabilities need to expand and improve to meet the need for more highly resolved information on the boundary layer and surface.
What are the benefits for society?
By thoroughly understanding surface and boundary layer processes, scientists are able to include those effects into computer simulations of weather, climate, and air quality.
The interactions and feedbacks between processes are better represented and predictions will be more confidently accurate. Improved weather and air quality forecasts, due to better representation of surface and boundary layer processes, will allow asufficient warning for catastrophic and common events, further minimizing adverse effects on people, property, and the environment. Being better prepared for catastrophic events would inherently improve the quality of life for many individuals who might otherwise have been more adversely affected. In the longer term it is expected that the climate simulations will benefit from improved parameterizations of the surface and boundary layer processes such that those predictions can be more confidently used in policy and planning for the future.


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subset: commoncrawl


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Last night was Grizzly Bear's time to shine as part of Stephen Colbert's StePhest Colbchella '012 RocktAugustfest, and the group showed up to play three songs. Also, they did a highly entertaining interview with Stephen aboard the Intrepid, so don't miss that. Watch performances of "Two Weeks," "Sleeping Ute," "Yet Again" and the interview below.
"Two Weeks"
"Sleeping Ute"
"Yet Again"


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You won't see a lot of fanfare and hoopla surrounding an Ab Bench. What you do get is a proven piece of exercise equipment whose only job is to train your abs pure and simple.
Although I like ab benches in the gym where it's nice to have a variety of equipment to train abs, I think they're a rather large waste of money for the home gym trainer.
Unless you have a huge home gym (if you did you'd probably be shopping for a club style ab machine not an ab bench) there's no need to clutter up your precious floor are with an ab bench.
The smart choice is to get an adjustable weight lifting bench and add an exercise ball to your workout space.
The combination of a good weight bench and an exercise ball is far more versatile and more effective for not only training your abs, but also for working out your entire body in a limited space.


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Joy Global vs. Caterpillar: Which Offers Better Value?
Simplicity and necessity are the two primary criteria I evaluate to determine whether a prospective investment deserves a deeper look. When you have a company that is both simple (i.e. you understand how it functions) and whose function is necessary for society, half the decision of whether or not you should invest is already made. This set of criteria is what initially drew me to look at shares of Joy Global , a manufacturer and servicer of mining equipment used for the extraction of natural resources like iron ore and coal.
With a market capitalization of $5.45 billion, Joy Global is fairly large but far from blue-chip status. Because of this, the company has seen some rather attractive growth over the past few years, growing its revenue by 65.6% from the end of its 2008 fiscal year through its 2012 fiscal year. Over the same time horizon, its net income has grown even more, rising 103.6% from $374.3 million in 2008 to $762 million in 2012. This alone should be appealing to some investors, but the deal is further sweetened when one considers that the company is trading at a paltry 7.1 times its 2012 earnings, especially while the S&P 500 is trading at 19.4 times.
Joy Global vs. Caterpillar
On top of having a history of growth and trading at a very low multiple, Joy Global has something else going for it: attractive margins. The five-year average net profit margin for the company is 12.8%, compared to the 6.6% net profit margin of Caterpillar , its competitor with a $55.4 billion market capitalization. Whereas there has been a general but fairly inconsistent improvement in Caterpillar's net profit margin over the past five years, Joy Global has posted more consistent levels of improvement as can be seen in the table below:
Table by author; data from MSN Money
Although the factors behind these numbers are numerous, the primary contributor fueling Joy Global's superior net profit margin is its cost of goods sold as a percentage of revenue.
In essence, the primary driver behind the company's superior profitability appears to be its ability to reduce costs at a very high level, which is advantageous.
In addition to beating out its largest publicly traded competitor in regard to its net profit margin, Joy Global's balance sheet is more attractive as well. As of its most recent fiscal quarter, the company had a current ratio of 2.03 compared to Caterpillar's 1.36. What this means is that, for each dollar in liabilities that Joy Global owes in the near future, it has $2.03 in assets that can likely be converted easily into cash in the near future.
The metrics of both companies indicate that they probably won't have any problems paying off what they owe in the short term, but what about what they owe in the long term? Well, looking at the long-term debt to equity ratios of both players, we see that Joy Global's metric of 0.42 is far better than the 1.46 sported by Caterpillar. Put simply, for every dollar in assets after subtracting liabilities that Joy Global has, it has only $0.42 in long-term debt. In juxtaposition, Caterpillar has $1.46 in long-term debt for each dollar in assets less liabilities. Generally speaking, this doesn't mean that Caterpillar will go bankrupt tomorrow. Rather, it suggests that if times become challenging for the industry, Joy Global will be better able to cope with its debt load than Caterpillar after keeping all else the same.
Foolish takeaway
Based on a purely fundamental perspective, it appears as though Joy Global is the better company to play out of the two. Not only is it healthy, it's also cheaper than Caterpillar, which is trading at 13.45 times earnings. The biggest downside to the company involves its exposure to China -- about 18% of sales is derived there. As such, any substantial decline in the Chinese economy would likely impair the company's earnings significantly. However, if you believe that China's slump is temporary, then Joy Global's prospects should appeal particularly solid to you.
Three companies riding the recovery
With the American markets reaching new highs, investors and pundits alike are skeptical about future growth. They shouldn't be. Many global regions are still stuck in neutral, and their resurgence could result in windfall profits for select companies. A recent Motley Fool report, "3 Strong Buys for a Global Economic Recovery," outlines three companies that could take off when the global economy gains steam. Click here to read the full report!
The article Joy Global vs. Caterpillar: Which Offers Better Value? originally appeared on Fool.com.Daniel Jones has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright © 1995 - 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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Katie Ledecky took on the most grueling challenge of her swimming career and won three times.
The Maryland swimmer pulled away in the women's 1,500-meter freestyle final at the Saturday at the national swimming championships in Indianapolis, winning in 15 minutes 47.15 seconds, posting the fourth fastest time in world history and shattering the one of the oldest long-course championship records in the American book.
Janet Evans set the previous mark in March 1988 when she finished in 15:52.10. Twenty-five years, two months, three days later, Ledecky cut that time by nearly 5 full seconds to win another U.S. national title and give herself a chance to become the first American woman to swim the four longest freestyle events at a world championship.
Ledecky competed in four races at the IUPUI Natatorium, winning national championships in the three longest events — the 400, 800 and 1,500 free — in astoundingly easy fashion.
She beat Chloe Sutton, one of her 2012 Olympic teammates, by 0.83 of a second in the 800 free Tuesday. Ledecky is the reigning Olympic gold medalist in that event.
She coated to another easy win, 21/2 seconds over Sutton in the 400 free Friday. Ledecky's time of 4:04.05 was a personal best and the third best in the world this year.
Then Saturday, she was under world-record pace for the first 600. Though she faded over the final 900, she still broke Evans' mark and produced the world's fastest time of the year just one day after Jazmin Carlin of Britain went 15:47.26. Ledecky was so far ahead when the race ended, she had time to look at the scoreboard, pump her fist and still watch the rest of the field trying to reach the wall. Chloe Sutton was second in 16:07.75, an astounding victory margin of 20.6 seconds.
The only minor blemish on an otherwise perfect week was Wednesday's second-place finish in the 200 free, finishing behind America's other teenage star, Missy Franklin, and ahead of another Olympic gold medalist, Shannon Vreeland.
Natalie Coughlin, the 30-year-old three-time Olympian, barely won the 50 free title over a rising star nearly half her age. Coughlin finished in 24.97 seconds. Sixteen-year-old Simone Manuel was second in 25.01 seconds, breaking the national age group record for the second time in one day — a record Franklin had held.
The winners of each event automatically qualify for the world championships next month.
Nathan Adrian started the week by winning the 100 free and ended it by taking the men's 50 free title in a race that featured five Olympians, including American record-holder Cullen Jones. Adrian won in 21.47 seconds, tying Garrett Weber-Gale's long-course championship record and posting the world's best time of the year. Anthony Ervin (21.70) and Josh Schneider (21.87) were second and third with times that also cracked the world's top 10.
The night's other feature attraction was Ryan Lochte, the world record-holder in the 200 individual medley. He was just 0.12 seconds off that pace after 150 meters but faded over the final 50 and settled for his third win of the week in 1:55.44. Conor Dwyer finished second in 1:57.74.
Caitlin Leverenz won the 200 IM in 2:10.13. Elizabeth Beisel was second in 2:12.11 and Melanie Margalis was third in 2:12.34.
And Connor Jaeger pulled off a sweep of the men's longest distance events by winning the 800 free in U.S. Open-record time of 7:47.27. Michael McBroom finished second in 7:14.13 — a time that would have been good enough to break the U.S. Open mark.
NASCAR race is rescheduled
Rain Saturday night forced NASCAR officials to postpone the Sprint Cup race at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta until Sunday. The 400-mile event was rescheduled for Sunday at noon.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. will start on the pole in a Chevy alongside Carl Edwards' Ford.
Obviously won the $300,000 Shoemaker Mile by 31/4 lengths at Betfair Hollywood Park.
Ridden by Joe Talamo, Obviously ran a mile on the turf course in 1:32.86. The win pushed the 6-year-old gelding's earnings to $848,361 and landed him a berth in the Breeders' Cup.
The Irish-bred Obviously paid $2.60, $2.20 and $2.10 for his eighth victory in 15 starts.
Za Approval returned $3.80 and $3, and Wilkinson pad $3.80 to show.
Pittsburgh Penguins Coach Dan Bylsma was selected by for USA Hockey as coach of the U.S. men's hockey team at the 2014 Winter Olympics. He hasn't coached at the international level, but team officials are hoping the free-flowing style he teaches translates well to the wider rinks that await in Sochi, Russia in February.
Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem played through much of the second half of Miami's season with a torn right meniscus, and he told the Associated Press that surgery will be required to repair the previously undisclosed injury.
Haslem averaged 3.9 points in 75 regular-season games this past season for the Heat. Haslem and Dwyane Wade are the only players who have been part of all three of Miami's NBA championship clubs.
Indianapolis Colts safety Joe Lefeged was arrested early Saturday in Washington, D.C., after officers found an unregistered semiautomatic handgun in the car he was riding in, police said.
Lefeged was a front-seat passenger in a Chevy Camaro that fled a traffic stop for speeding in northeast Washington just after midnight.
Lefeged and another passenger were caught when they tried to run from the car in different directions, police said. The driver got away.


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How to prevent dynamic DNS updates during "net ads join"
This document (7023944) is provided subject to the disclaimer at the end of this document.
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- SUSESUSE Linux Enterprise Server


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But it must be really bad working in Queens Borough Hall if somebody would rather take a job working in the state legislature.
The scuttlebutt in political circles is that Barry Grodenchik is about to do just that. In 2010, Grodenchik was appointed deputy borough president, but word is that Grodenchik is going to run for the Assembly seat being vacated by David Weprin, who will run for the congressional post vacated in turn by Anthony Weiner.
Grodenchik is no stranger to the Assembly. He represented Flushing in the state capital before he was surprisingly upset in 2004 by Jimmy Meng. Meng retired after one term in office, and was replaced by Ellen Young, a longtime staffer of Comptroller John Liu's while he was in the City Council. After only one term of her own, Young was defeated by Grace Meng - Jimmy's daughter - who has held the post ever since.
Now, we're not really sure how Grodenchik can go from representing the heart of Flushing to representing the far-flung neighborhoods of northeast Queens...we suppose it's possible he has moved in the last seven years. But does that even matter in New York City politics? It's not always important that you observe that little caveat that you actually live in the district you represent.
Take for instance Weprin himself, who, according to published reports, lives a few blocks outside the congressional district that he is now campaigning to represent. Is he going to move his family just a few blocks so he can say that he lives in the district? And why, when Republican candidate Bob Turner made his announcement to run, did he not bring that little fact up?
And according to other published reports, Congressman Joseph Crowley, who represents Jackson Heights and the surrounding neighborhoods, actually lives a few states away from his district.
News last week surfaced that Crowley, who also heads the Queens Democratic Party, keeps a residence in the Washington, D.C. area, where his wife and kids live and attend school. And...gasp...his car has D.C. plates! Wow, and we thought it was a magic soup that enabled Crowley to be at two places at once.
While we do agree that a newly elected politician should live in the district and have a presence there, once you are elected to an office that requires you to be in two different locations on a regular basis, how you choose to do what's best for your family is really up to you.
If Crowley feels that it makes him a better father and husband to keep his family close to him in Washington, then so be it. It's not like he is an absentee representative of his district - his title of head of the Queens Democratic Party alone requires him to be in the borough on a regular basis to handle party issues - let alone all of the other personal appearances he makes in the district.
Crowley says he still keeps a residence in Woodside, and whether he lives in Washington or Queens, he's wildly popular with the people he represents. Other politicians have done far worse than doing what they think is right for their family.


text: "Why not list the stations heard?" There should be a "Wall of Shame." Roger WA1KAT ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert Bruninga" <bruninga at usna.edu> To: <amsat-bb at amsat.org> Cc: "'TAPR APRS Mailing List'" <aprssig at tapr.org> Sent: Friday, December 12, 2008 9:56 AM Subject: [amsat-bb] PCSAT Recovery status > PCSAT Recovery Status: > > Still no joy on recovery. > Still too many unattended stations overloading the bird while we > are trying to command it. > > I get command on the first ascending pass each day (PCSAT over > atlantic, out of view of most USA). But next passes are > impossible. Today, I plotted packet-attempts-by-PCSAT (noise > bursts by ear) and noticed an astonishing 3 times heavier load > over the USA compared to over the atlantic. Of these dozens of > packet attempts, only 2 decoded. > > But now that I can tell by ear the huge difference in attempted > packets by PCSAT when it is over the USA, I can see why we are > having problems. And the sun angle gets worse every day for a > chance at recovery. > > So don't hold your breath this operating period. Have fun on > ISS, its working great! And if you have an unattended beacon > via W3ADO-1, please turn it off. Thanks > > Bob, Wb4APR > > > > _______________________________________________ > Sent via AMSAT-BB at amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. > Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! > Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb >


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Maybe you have moved or changed jobs. Maybe you are picking a doctor for the first time or your long-standing doctor has recently retired. Whatever your situation, choosing a doctor can be a complicated decision.
With so many doctors out there, the decision may feel daunting, but experts say the best place to start is not by examining the doctors, but by examining yourself and your medical needs.
Choosing the Doctor that's Right for You
Primary care doctors can differ. Internists study and treat only adults, while family practitioners focus on both adults and children. Women may choose to see their obstetrician or gynecologist as their primary care doctor. It is important to evaluate which type of doctor you will feel most comfortable with and which type will meet your needs.
You may prefer a primary care doctor who will care for most of your medical problems and only refer more complicated ones to specialists, or one who will see you for basic care and refer you to others for specific problems. This depends on what type of doctor you want or need. If you prefer the latter, make sure you choose an office with an efficient system of handling referrals, or find a health plan that allows you to see any doctor you want without costing you more out of pocket money. Current evidence suggests that people do best when they have a medical home—a place that provides nearly all of their care and coordinates referrals.
Keep in mind that most primary care doctors can manage more common problems, such as diabetes and many have specialty training or interest in certain areas.
You might ask potential doctors how they approach different aspects of treatment. For example, how will they involve you in treatment decisions or will they be open to different types of treatment.
If you already have a health plan, your choice of doctors may be limited. If you have your choice of plans, you may want to choose a doctor first and choose the plan that includes that doctor. You may also want to consider other practical factors, as well, such as whether the doctor's office is in a convenient location or if their office hours fit into your schedule. In your research, you may think about a potential doctor's age, gender, training, or hospital affiliation.
Try not to choose a plan based on cost per month, but on what you need. If you try to save money per month, your budget plan may backfire down the road when you need it the most.
Word of Mouth
A good place to start collecting names of potential doctors is through recommendations from friends. But keep in mind that you need to find out why your cousin or neighbor recommends their doctor so highly. You may find a recommendation is based on a doctor that distributes educational materials when you may have an interest in complimentary and alternative treatments.
Once you have your priority list and the names of potential doctors, set up an interview appointment with each one. This is the time when you can ask specifically about their views and experience to find out if you can work together.
Conducting a Background Check
While most large insurance plans routinely check a doctor's board certification and licensure before including them, you can also usually get this information through each state's medical board. Some state medical boards also publish whether a doctor has had any disciplinary actions or malpractice claims. The National Practitioner Databank is a listing of all doctors who have had disciplinary actions levied against them. This is not open to the public, but the organization Public Citizen's Health Research Group offers resources.
You can also obtain information about many licensed doctors in the United States from the American Medical Association (AMA).
The Bottom Line
No one but you can decide what is the most important thing to look for in a doctor. If you know what you are looking for, you can find a doctor who will meet your needs. That is the best way to get a good match.
- Reviewer: Michael Woods, MD
- Review Date: 04/2015 -
- Update Date: 06/04/2014 -


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NEWARK, Calif., May 7, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- StemCells, Inc. (Nasdaq:STEM), a leading stem cell company developing and commercializing novel cell-based therapeutics and tools for use in stem cell-based research and drug discovery, announced today that it will release financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2013 after the market close on Thursday, May 9. In connection with this announcement, StemCells will host a conference call and webcast to discuss its results and an update on its business at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time (4:30 p.m. Eastern Time) the same day.
Interested parties are invited to listen to the call over the Internet by accessing the Investors section of the Company's website at www.stemcellsinc.com. Webcast participants should allot extra time before the webcast begins to register and, if necessary, download and install audio software.
An archived version of the webcast will also be available for replay on the Company's website beginning approximately two hours following the conclusion of the live call and continuing for a period of 30 days.
About StemCells, Inc.
StemCells, Inc. is engaged in the research, development, and commercialization of cell-based therapeutics and tools for use in stem cell-based research and drug discovery. The Company's lead therapeutic product candidate, HuCNS-SC® cells (purified human neural stem cells), is currently in development as a potential treatment for a broad range of central nervous system disorders. In a Phase I clinical trial in Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease (PMD), a fatal myelination disorder in children, the Company has shown preliminary evidence of progressive and durable donor-derived myelination in all four patients transplanted with HuCNS-SC cells. The Company is conducting a Phase I/II clinical trial in chronic spinal cord injury in Switzerland and recently reported positive interim data for the first patient cohort. The Company is also conducting a Phase I/II clinical trial in dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and is pursuing preclinical studies in Alzheimer's disease. StemCells also markets stem cell research products, including media and reagents, under the SC Proven® brand. Further information about StemCells is available at http://www.stemcellsinc.com.
Apart from statements of historical fact, the text of this press release constitutes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. securities laws, and is subject to the safe harbors created therein. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release. The Company does not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof. Such statements reflect management's current views and are based on certain assumptions that may or may not ultimately prove valid. The Company's actual results may vary materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements due to risks and uncertainties to which the Company is subject, including those described under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 and in its subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K.
CONTACT: Rodney Young
StemCells, Inc.
Chief Financial Officer
(510) 456-4128
Ian Stone
Russo Partners
(619) 308-6541


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On Tuesday, as India celebrated the festival of lights, Diwali, another light was rekindled after almost 25 years. Burmese democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, who studied in India in the 1960s, returned on a much-anticipated, week-long visit to deliver a lecture on the birthday of one of her political idols: India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
In many ways, the visit was a kind of reconciliation between the celebrated Nobel Laureate and the country that helped to shape her into the icon she is today. India vocally supported Suu Kyi's pro-democracy movement in Burma in the 1990s, but later engaged with Burma's military rulers, a move that some thought undermined the country's opposition groups. On Wednesday, however, the past was buried and both Suu Kyi and New Delhi seemed keen to rebuild the relationship. "…Our good wishes are with you as indeed with your struggle for democracy," prime minister Manmohan Singh told Suu Kyi on Wednesday when they met. "We admire you for the indomitable courage you have shown."
(PHOTOS: Aung San Suu Kyi's World: Portraits of Burmese Dissidents and Activists)
The last time Suu Kyi was in India was in 1987, when she traveled to Shimla to visit her husband Michael Aris, who was studying there. Suu Kyi's father, Aung San, a Burmese independence hero, was Nehru's close friend, and her mother, Khin Kyi, was Burma's ambassador to India from 1960 to 1967. Suu Kyi attended the Convent of Jesus and Mary School and later graduated in politics from Lady Shriram College. During that time, she lived with her mother on 24 Akbar Road, in Delhi, the address that now belongs to the Congress party office. When Burma's military junta robbed Suu Kyi of her election victory in 1990, her struggle found resonance in the world's largest democracy, which at the time sheltered many of Burma's political dissidents.
(PHOTOS: Aung San Suu Kyi Travels Abroad for the First Time in 24 Years)
For Suu Kyi, the India visit may also be a welcome diversion from growing international criticism of her lack of action on behalf of the Rohingya, a minority group facing ongoing violence in Burma's Rakhine state. In Burma, the Rohingya, whom the United Nations has called the world's most persecuted group, have for decades been denied citizenship and most basic rights. Experts speculate that Suu Kyi has avoided speaking out on the matter so as not to alienate Burmese citizens, whose vote she'll need to win the 2015 general elections. Many Burmese distrust the Muslim Rohingya, unfairly casting them as outsiders, infiltrators, or even terrorists. "Politically, Aung San Suu Kyi has absolutely nothing to gain from opening her mouth on [the Rohingyas]," Burmese commentator Maung Zarni recently told the Daily Beast. "She's a politician, and her eyes are fixed on the prize, which is the 2015 majority Buddhist vote."
(PHOTOS: Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi Makes Her Parliamentary Debut)
In India, many have drawn parallels between Suu Kyi's silence on the Rohingyas and India's abandonment of her cause in the 1990s. "As she prepares to give her Nehru Memorial Lecture today, perhaps Suu Kyi will have reason to reflect on the arc of her own history and public perceptions of her have evolved in just the space of a few months," Venky Vembuwrote on firstpost.com on Wednesday. "Perhaps it will induce a greater empathetic understanding of India's diplomacy vis-à-vis Myanmar, which was framed in a specific geopolitical context to advance its strategic interest, without abandoning the moral support for the cause of democracy in Myanmar."
PHOTOS: In Burma, Another Round of Ethnic Unrest Threatens Fragile Reforms


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Over the past two years, the seesaw that is the construction industry economy was kept level by a thriving non-residential sector. Industry analysis performed in 2006 predicted that in 2007 a red-hot non-residential sector with double-digit gains would again balance the overall construction economy, allowing time for a much-needed correction in the inventory of the overbuilt single-family housing market. Hopes for an impending turnaround in single-family housing, however, were dashed as news of the crisis in the sub-prime mortgage broke mid-year. As a result, last year's predictions of moderate overall increases in the construction industry economy proved woefully incorrect. "Every time we think we've hit bottom, another shoe drops," says Kermit Baker, chief economist, The American Institute of Architects (AIA), Washington, D.C. "It's increasingly possible the housing recession could bloom into a full economic downturn."
Despite recent Federal Reserve Board action to cut interest rates and a federal program to freeze sub-prime mortgage rates, most industry forecasters have integrated the consequences of tighter lending standards and increased foreclosures, delinquencies, and bankruptcies into their revised 2007 forecasts. In fact, some economists predict the bad apple that is the sub-prime mortgage crisis will continue to spoil the rest of the barrel well into 2008. However, some projections for next year reveal a lesser degree of doom and gloom, forecasting a softer landing for the general economy, a minimal slowdown in non-residential markets, and, finally, a recovery period for the residential sector after it bottoms out in 2008.
The corrections
Before any economists could complete their forecasts for 2008, projections for 2007 had to be amended to reflect current concerns, such as the Federal Reserve Board's dilemma between inflation and recession, fraud in the sub-prime mortgage market, a weakening dollar, unprecedented prices per barrel for oil, job loss, and a decline in consumer confidence. As a result, projections for 2007 took a nosedive, with single-family housing having the fastest descent.
In a correction to its 2007 forecast, McGraw-Hill Construction, New York, changed a modest 4.8% decline in the dollar volume of single-family housing starts to a whopping 25.1% decline. Almost entirely a result of this decline in single-family housing, the total dollar volume of overall construction starts was corrected from a 0.6% decrease to an 8.2% decrease. For 2008, the firm is expecting a further 3.1% decline in single-family housing starts, which, combined with a 1.6% decline in non-residential, gives 2008 the second dollar decline — at 2% — in the market since 1991 (click here to see Table 1) .
"The stable construction cycle has hit a speed bump," says Robert Murray, vice president, Economic Affairs, McGraw-Hill Construction. "We are seeing a turndown in activity, not just in construction starts but in spending as well."
Still, there's a chance for a soft-landing scenario for the economy in 2008, according to Murray. Although the single-family housing market is in a collapse, other markets are showing growth. "The Cinderella at the ball is single-family housing," he says. "As a result of the credit crunch — the biggest threat to the construction industry going into 2008 — there will be a dampening of the commercial sector, but you'll keep your viable projects. In non-residential building, we seem to have learned the lessons from the past."
Jim Haughey, chief economist, Reed Construction Data, Norcross, Ga., admits the sub-prime mortgage crisis delivered a jolt to construction and real estate, but his firm is claiming that the ramifications, which have been limited to the residential economy, are mostly over. "Economic support for construction is good but not great," Haughey says. "Moving forward, there will be lingering effects in real estate and residential construction, but not much for commercial or institutional. The only segment that's shrinking is the new residential sector."
Haughey's firm corrected its 2007 prediction of a 1.8% decrease in residential spending (not including the remodeling sector) to a huge 20.4% drop in residential construction spending. However, because of its faith in the health of the non-residential sector, the company was able to minimize the correction to its prediction of a 5.9% increase in U.S. total construction spending in 2007 to a modest 1.2% decrease (click here to see Table 2). Reed Construction Data's forecast is predicting a 7.3% increase in U.S. total construction spending for 2008, with new housing construction back in the black with a 2.1% increase.
A 6% decrease in single-family construction put-in-place was recently changed to a 28% drop by FMI Corp., Raleigh, N.C. This led to a change in its 2007 total construction forecast from a 2.2% increase to a 4.8% decrease. For 2008, the company is predicting a mere 1.0% decline in single-family housing, a 5.2% increase in total non-residential, and a 1.9% increase in total construction (click here to see Table 3). "We are probably on the optimistic side of the forecasting business, but we don't see current events impacting the economy, which should continue to be strong," says Heather Jones, construction economist, FMI Corp. "If we are wrong on that, we are wrong on everything else."
According to Skokie, Ill.-based Portland Cement Association's (PCA) prognosis, FMI's forecast is well off the mark. Ed Sullivan, staff vice president and chief economist, PCA, warns that the sub-prime mortgage crisis has bled through to the real sectors of the economy and will have a long period of adjustment. "The threat to the economy is not a housing issue," he says. "It's a credit issue — an issue of how we financed housing and consumer spending."
Speaking at the PCA Economic Forecast in October, Sullivan corrected PCA's 2007 construction forecast from an initial 1.8% decrease to a 3.9% decline and is projecting a further 3.7% change downward for 2008 (click here to see Table 4). "We had expected the non-residential market to keep the momentum, but that's no longer the case," Sullivan says.
Although the fundamentals of the U.S. economy in general currently are sound — relatively low rates for inflation, interest, and unemployment — Sullivan's PCA forecast advises construction firms to take a more conservative approach toward near-term strategic planning. "There's no question that we are starting from a very good position," Sullivan says. "But I wonder, if you look back at all the good news, is this analysis backward-looking? Does it account for the hurdles that lie ahead for the economy?"
Bottoms up
The biggest hurdle to the construction industry economy may be the continuing downturn in the housing market. "In two short years we went from record highs to an industry upheaval," AIA's Baker says. "Home building is in the midst of a significant downturn, and it's going to get worse before it gets better."
Of primary concern is the glut of single-family houses currently on the market. Housing production has slowed significantly, but only recently (Fig. 1). The decline in single-family housing starts first appeared in 2006, with an 18% drop, from its peak of 1.6 million units started in 2005 (Fig. 2). "Builders waited too long to respond to the inventory of unsold homes," Baker says. "They were unused to pulling back in good economic times."
Pulled forward in 2004-05 by record-low mortgage rates and unprecedented price appreciation, demand was at an all-time high. As prices softened, investors and second-home buyers exited the market, and inventories of vacant for-sale homes grew. In addition, borrowers defaulting on sub-prime mortgages have only added to the inventory. The teaser rates for many adjustable-rate mortgages — totaling as much as $425 billion — are scheduled to expire soon, meaning that initial interest rates of 6% or less will be reset at 12% or higher. This has already led to 400,000 delinquencies and defaults in 2006 and, barring any further federal government action, may lead to an estimated 1.2 million delinquencies and defaults in 2007.
Real estate assessments estimate there is a surplus of more than 4 million new and existing homes for sale. "Inventory continues to be a problem," says Bernie Markstein, vice president, Forecasting & Analysis, National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB), Washington, D.C. "Until we see demand stabilize, we can't expect to see a turnaround".
Reed Construction Data's Haughey is optimistic that growth in home demand will come from a still-expanding economy but doesn't shy away from mentioning how surplus inventory in the South and West will be corrected. "Whole new subdivisions are waiting to be torn down," he says. "There are houses sitting empty."
However, teardowns aren't an easy solution on a local level. Most municipalities resort to teardowns only to prevent vandalism and additional declines in real estate values. The added number of vacant houses in areas hardest hit by the single-family housing slump could force municipalities, already strapped from a decline in revenue because of a decrease in building permits, further into debt to cover the expense of demolition.
Reporter Jeff Coryell has been covering the negative effect of the sub-prime mortgage crisis on the Cleveland area. "There has been a strong tendency among those denying the scope and impact of the mortgage foreclosure crisis, and the attendant credit crunch and slump in the housing market, to speak of the problem only in terms of harm to individual homeowner-borrowers," he says. "This crisis is hurting whole neighborhoods and the municipalities that contain them as well."
Through a conversation with Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Treasurer Jim Rokakis, Coryell reports that Cleveland currently has a demolition budget of $6 million. To fully correct the housing crisis, it would need a $100 million budget over the next two years.
Other forecasts are skeptical about the market's ability to curb the number of houses on the market. "About half the inventory on the market has to be cut," Sullivan says. "Based on current sales, you need to cut 2 million homes out of inventory."
Sullivan predicts that the sales pace is not going to improve enough over the next year to draw down inventories, especially when adding in the number of houses forced onto the market by foreclosures. "You will not get a recovery in single-family starts next year," he says. "And if job growth slows, it could take longer."
With high inventory numbers comes a downward pressure on prices. Sullivan's PCA is predicting a 6% drop in prices this year and another 6% in 2008. Yet, with the downward trend in prices and reasonable mortgage rates, it's still difficult for some borrowers to find the money they need to buy. "Lending standards have tightened considerably," Sullivan says. "Even in the context of better affordability, these standards will act as a restraint on selling inventory."
NAHB's Markstein agrees. "Mortgage rates are not the problem," he says. "Tightening lending standards are the problem. They're a drag on the housing market. Some banks and lenders are requiring 30% down. That's essentially saying, 'Don't talk to us."
The markets that attracted the most speculators will likely be the slowest to recover (click here to see Table 5). States like Florida and California may not see recovery until 2010. "The boom in prices was far more concentrated than people thought," says Mark Vitner, director and senior economist, Wachovia Bank, Charlotte, N.C. Wachovia is predicting three or four more quarters of residential decline before the market begins to moderate. "This time, what's brought down housing is that prices have run ahead of people's ability to buy houses."
Ironically, the good news for the single-family housing market is that it may finally hit rock bottom in 2008. "It's darkest before the dawn," says Markstein. "We're looking at a little more trouble ahead, but by Q3 of next year, we're expecting a mild rebound."
Despite a weakening in the share of the project cost homeowners will get back on remodeling, that sector will continue to help the housing market recover. Aging homes — most around 30 years old — and high homeowner equity levels are being translated into home remodeling spending. "Remodeling doesn't get ahead of itself like home building — some parts are doing reasonably well," says Baker, who estimates only a slight decline in spending on home improvement projects, from $298 billion in 2006 to $291 billion in 2007.
In the last few years, remodeling has been constrained to the high-end projects, but in the next year will be spread across the price spectrum. In particular, mid-range projects — defined in terms of quality of products used — will overtake upscale projects in share of cost recovered in 2007 for major kitchen and bath remodels, roof and window replacement, and deck additions.
Jurisdictions limiting development in prime locations is also a large driver of the remodeling sector. "There's more of a demand for remodeling and rehab in large markets, such as Boston," says Suzanne Mulvee, senior real estate economist, Property and Portfolio Research, Boston. "These are markets that are overpriced and have space constraints, so the price of rehab is worth it."
Taking a surprising turn for the worse, multi-family housing is on the decline. Projections for decreases range from 6% to 8.1%. Fighting its own overbuilt inventory, multi-housing is taking a beating in many construction forecasts. Condo conversions will be hit harder than apartments. "We haven't made as much of an adjustment there," Markstein says. "There's no question we've got too much."
A slowing housing market isn't good for multi-family housing, says Mulvee. "It doesn't translate," she says. "If the economy slips, then there are no jobs and no renters."
Vitner disagrees, maintaining that the apartment business is benefiting from the housing slump. Tightening lending standards and rising foreclosures are boosting demand for rental apartments. In addition, Vitner says that apartment rents are in the midst of a solid uptrend, totaling $16.7 per square foot in the first quarter of 2007 and moving up from there.
According to Mulvee, some of the money that was going into real estate may make a hasty retreat back to the stock market. "It's more expensive for developers to go through on financing," she says. "The cost of debt has increased quite dramatically."
Spill over
Although the decline in new residential construction accounts for the decline in the overall construction total for starts and spending, the consensus for the non-residential sector is that the days of double-digit growth are over. However, most economists concur this is a temporary slowdown, even if they don't agree on which sectors will remain viable. "Think of it more as a pause — a plateau building peak," Haughey says.
Tighter credit conditions are not just constrained to mortgage markets, says Sullivan. Developers may be required to bring more equity to the table because of the spill over from the mortgage credit problems in the residential sector and the decline in demand for building space in areas suffering from the collapse of the housing market. For example, retail sales are solid except for neighborhood developments built out in anticipation of residential growth.
For 2008, the key to non-residential building is moderation, in both growth rates and structure size. Although many big box stores are going forward with construction, their prospects are mixed, says Murray. Wal-Mart, for example, recently announced plans to scale back expansion. "There's a move to smaller venues," says Murray, estimating that store construction will increase 11% in 2007 with a 7% drop in 2008. In addition, retail is pairing up with entertainment venues in "lifestyle centers," which usually also contain a grocery component.
Institutional square footage has gone down although spending goes up, says Haughey. Prisons are also getting more numerous but smaller, and older schools are being replaced. As a result, the education trend goes against the usual population predictors. Starts are higher in wealthy areas with declining enrollment than in poorer states with a rapidly growing enrollment. Funds for public institutions will come from double-digit gains from early 2004 into 2006 in state and local tax receipts, investment earnings, donations, bond issues, and fee income. However, these sources, dependent on a strong economy, may ebb over the next year.
According to Murray, warehouses are the one non-residential sector that's getting bigger. There's greater demand for warehouses from global trade. In addition, larger regional facilities are being built by major retailers, and there's a need for updated facilities to handle improved inventory management practices.
The decline in residential growth has also played an important part in the loss of interest in public projects associated with residential areas, particularly water and sewers, as well as private projects that derived demand from the housing market.
Amid questions about the solvency of the highway trust fund and the federal highway bill, Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), the U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently reported that the funding shortfall will reach $1 trillion by 2015. Although some states are trying to make up for this with tolls and private funding, others have experienced legislative disapproval. For example, Texas recently passed legislature to impose a moratorium on private equity for two years.
Although the collapse of the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis in August called attention to the run-down state of the nation's infrastructure, many industry experts say the limelight was short lived. "It was an issue that was brought to the forefront, and it quickly dissipated," Sullivan says. "I have absolutely no extra spending on bridges integrated into the report."
Although PCA is predicting a 2.1% increase in the value of construction put-in-place for public construction, Sullivan has reservations. "You could get the re-emergence of fiscal pressure in 2009," he says. "Slowdown in job creation means a state revenue slowdown and state fiscal crisis."
The biggest differences in forecasts for the 2008 construction economy lie in how industry experts treat the sub-prime mortgage crisis. Some believe the damage to be largely over and confined to the single-family housing market. Others argue that the tighter lending standards brought on by the mortgage crisis will spill over into the non-residential sector. "I have it touching everything," Sullivan says.
However, even with this major difference of opinion, most projections are predicting a bottoming-out of the residential sector, with a possible recovery by 2009 or 2010. For the non-residential markets, there is slow growth ahead, especially for sectors intrinsically linked to the residential market, such as retail and public projects, especially water and sewer, yet market fundamentals for the non-residential sector remain strong.
The 2008 forecasts allocate the chance of recession between 30% and 45%, yet they all depend upon the economy avoiding a recession, which is the one factor that could cause major corrections to this year's forecasts. Consumer confidence, the price of oil, interest rates, the value of the dollar, and employment and wage rates will all play a part as 2008 unfolds. "There's certainly a lot of uncertainty going around," Murray says.
Sidebar: A Green Future
By 2010, green buildings are expected to comprise 5% to 10% of U.S. non-residential buildings. Currently, new federal energy legislation with green building provisions is making its way through Congress. The provisions would require new federal buildings to decrease consumption of fossil fuels in stages, with the goal of achieving "carbon neutrality" by 2030. The version of the bill currently in the House would also require private utilities to provide at least 15% of their electricity from renewable sources, such as wind and solar, by 2020.
"We are in the midst of one of the biggest societal shifts since World War II," says Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO, and founding chairman, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Washington, D.C. "Then, everyone came together at that one moment. I think we're there today, realizing the energy crisis and the health crisis are all environmentally linked. The green movement addresses this."
In 2006, it's estimated that 2% of the non-residential buildings in the United States were certified under USGBC's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) credentials. According to the USGBC, there are LEED-certified buildings in at least 25 states and 100 cities in the nation. Currently, USGBC has 11,185 corporate members and 40,471 LEED-accredited professionals. "LEED taught people a language," Fedrizzi says. "People want this basic knowledge about the boxes we live, work, and play in."
This could mean a double behavior change for the construction industry. With "green" catching on around the country, the pressure is on to change what it builds as well as how it builds. The building sector is the single largest contributor to carbon dioxide emissions. To make matters worse, the construction industry is No. 1 for landfills. "We know what buildings use: energy, water, waste, CO2," Fedrizzi says. "But we also know the effect of green buildings, which is 40% less CO2. If you can buy a $1.39 box of animal crackers that can tell you the amount of fat and calories, why can't you do that with a $90-million building?"
Driving green building are the manufacturers that collaborate on technology to associate activity with energy consumption and cost, says Fedrizzi. "There is a collective consciousness equating green with safety and controls."
This allows owners and developers to look at buildings in a holistic sense. "A $4-per-square-foot investment in building green could net a $58-per-square-foot benefit over 20 years," Fedrizzi says. "This is immediate and measurable."
This also gives the private sector the incentives it needs, instead of mandates that direct energy efficiency.


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The quarterback-needy Buffalo Bills have found another arm.
NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported Saturday that the Bills agreed to a two-year deal with Kevin Kolb, according to a source with knowledge of the negotiations. Kolb had been in Buffalo for a few days, Rapoport reported.
Kolb agreed to a two-year contract worth up to a maximum of $12 million to $13 million, a source involved in the deal told Rapoport. Those financials suggest the Bills view Kolb -- and nobody else -- as the starter heading into offseason activities. With Kolb amassing roughly $36 million over his first six seasons in the league, the man -- if nothing else -- knows how to play the system.
ESPN's Adam Schefter first reported the news on Kolb, who was released earlier this month by the Arizona Cardinals.
Rapoport reported Friday that the Bills had reached out to Kolb and his agent, Jeff Nalley, to investigate where the six-year veteran was physically and mentally after two disappointing, injury-prone seasons in Arizona.
Kolb reportedly was on the radar of the New York Jets and Oakland Raiders. Rex Ryan's search for an adequate passer rages on, while the Raiders are mired in trade talks with the Seattle Seahawks for the rights to Matt Flynn.
Kolb makes sense for the Bills. He won't cost them draft picks, and his price tag won't venture anywhere near the five-year, $60 million-plus deal he signed with the Cardinals in 2011. Kolb's stock has plummeted over the past two seasons, and he's no sure bet to win a starting job.
Still, Kolb's ratio of eight touchdowns to three interceptions last season was something of a feat when you factor in the Cardinals' disastrous offensive line. He led the Cardinals to four straight wins and a 4-2 mark before suffering a sprained sternoclavicular joint, detached ribs and a shoulder injury in Week 7 against -- drumroll, please -- the Bills. He never played again. Maybe the Bills can protect him better than Arizona did, and maybe Kolb will shed his bad habit of holding onto the ball too long.
Kolb will compete with Tarvaris Jackson, Aaron Corp and very likely a developmental passer from next month's draft for the chance to replace Ryan Fitzpatrick in coach Doug Marrone's offense. Predicting Kolb's career arc always has been unpredictable, and his future with the Bills is anyone's guess.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.


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Want to save money and help the planet at the same time? Then take a look at some of the gadgets and appliances in your house.
Want to save money and help the planet at the same time? Then take a look at some of the gadgets and appliances in your house.
By turning off, adjusting or swapping out some of the devices in your house, you might save hundreds of dollars a year while reducing your carbon footprint.
I�ve been thinking a lot about conservation and energy-efficiency lately. I�ve got a 60-year-old house with some fairly old appliances and equipment. One of our toilets probably is as old as the house. The water heater is more than 25 years old. At about 8 years old, our clothes washer is new by comparison, but it�s a top-loading model that guzzles water and electricity.
Unfortunately, I can�t afford to replace everything, so I�ve been trying to figure out what changes might provide the most bang for the buck. Energy experts I spoke to offered good suggestions that save lots of money, often without big upfront costs.
In fact, you can save a good deal of money without spending a cent by adjusting the settings on some of your gadgets and other electronics equipment. Televisions, for example, are often set to look extra-bright so they stand out in showrooms. By turning down the brightness, you can save money.
The same is true with computers. Desktop computers in particular often use 60 watts or more. That might not sound like a lot, but it can add up if the computer is left on and in active mode 24 hours a day. By allowing your computer to go to sleep when it�s not being used, its power consumption can drop to 2 watts or less.
Game consoles, like computers, are often left on, sometimes inadvertently. Consumer Reports estimates that console owners can save more than $100 a year by just turning the devices off when they are not in use.
In some cases, though, you�ll need to buy new equipment to see savings in power and money. The best place to start, experts say, is with your light bulbs. Although power-sipping compact fluorescent bulbs have been on the market for decades, and LEDs have become more popular recently, about 70 percent of U.S. light sockets still have power-hogging incandescent bulbs in them, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. That�s a huge target for savings because lighting accounts for about 12 percent of the average consumer�s electrical bill and the newer bulbs use less than 30 percent of the energy consumed by incandescents.
You now can find CFLs for as little as a dollar a bulb and LEDs for less than $10 a bulb. Just by replacing your five most-frequently used bulbs, you can save about $75 a year, according to the EPA.
Another prime candidate for energy and money savings is your refrigerator. Compared with older models, newer ones use as little as half the electricity, said Noah Horowitz, a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council. Depending on the size and age of your fridge, you could save well over $1,000 within five years by swapping it out for a newer model, according to EPA estimates.
The U.S. government�s Energy Star program has an online calculator that can help you estimate how much you could save. Users plug in the style and approximate size and age of their fridge, and the service estimates how much less a new model would cost to operate.
If you don�t have the money to buy a new fridge, you still might save money. About a quarter of American homes have a second refrigerator, according to the EPA.
Because those appliances are typically located in uninsulated garages or basements, they have to work that much harder to stay cool in hot summers and can cost hundreds of dollars a year to run. By plugging in that second fridge only when it�s absolutely needed � say, right before your Thanksgiving feast or other big occasions � you can save $250 a year, the EPA says.
One other big appliance to consider replacing is your washing machine. Older models, particularly top-loading ones that are 7 or more years old, use two to three times as much energy and water as newer, front-loading ones, Horowitz said. Consumer Reports estimates that today�s high-efficiency washers can cost $1,400 less to run over 10 years than the least-efficient models.
Since our fridge is only
3 years old, and I�ve already swapped out most of our light bulbs, that�s what I�m likely to target next. Looks like it�s time to go shopping.
Troy Wolverton is a technology columnist for the San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News.


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Here's a timeline of the first running of epic races that are still living, along with some of the coolest photos our archives had to offer. Even though HOT ROD was founded in 1948, the company's archives have photos from the birth of the automobile, so we're constantly surprised at what we can dig up. Store these little bits of trivia in your gray matter, and whip them out to impress, amuse, or settle bets. In several cases, the events in the photos are from different years than the founding of the event.
Daytona Beach holds its first organized land-speed event and begins what has since evolved into Daytona Speed Week. Before dry lakes racing took of, the Florida sand was the place to go for all-out speed. on March 29, 1927, the Sunbeam 1,000hp streamliner (shown) used twin 22.4L Sunbeam aircraft engines to be the first car to break the 200-mph barrier.
This shot of the '13 Indy 500 shows Billy Knipper in the Henderson driving past Bill Endicott's No. 33 Case and Billy Liesaw's No. 17 Anel. Note the fully brick racetrack, an Indy Motor Speedway trademark.
Indianapolis 500: We know that's a photo from Pikes Peak, but it's also the only photo we could find of Ralph Mulford, who took the checkered flag at the inaugural Indy 500, yet didn't win. Mulford took three extra laps after the checkered flag, and by then, due to a series of slapstick happenstances, Ray Harroun had been declared winner.
Pikes Peak hill Climb: The Romano Demon Special was piloted by 22-year-old Rea Wentz to claim the first championship at Pikes Peak.
24 hours of Le Mans: This is not 1923—it's 1965, when things got interesting. Ford GT40s, Shelby Daytona Coupes, and Chevrolet-powered Bizarrini cars challenged Porsche and Ferrari in their backyard. A Daytona Coupe won the GT class in 1964, and GT40s would claim overall victories from 1966–1969, making them the only American cars to do so.
While not the first land-speed racing on the salt, the SCTA held the first Bonneville Nationals for hot rods in 1949. We couldn't help but pick this bit of shameless self-promotion from 1957, as the HOT ROD Special Plymouth called Suddenly sits next on the salt.
Endurance Racing (6-hour) at Sebring: Chevrolet entered two modified and two production Corvettes in the '57 event. The two modified Corvettes, including the experimental SS, didn't finish, while production Corvettes took the 1 and 2 spots in the GT 5000 class.
Daytona 500: In another strange race finish, Johnny Beauchamp was declared the winner of the first Daytona 500, but Lee Petty protested. Petty was credited with the win on the following Wednesday after race officials reviewed newsreel footage and fan photography. That's Petty's winning '59 olds, complete with taillights and license plate.
NHRA Winternationals at Pomona: Jack Chrisman took home the trophy at the inaugural Winternationals with the Howards Cams twin Chevy small-block dragster.That's Jack on the left, with Wally Parks on the right presenting the trophy.
NORRA Mexican 1,000 Rally, which would later be known as the Baja 1,000. Ak Miller and Ray Brock drove the HOT ROD Special '68 Ford Ranchero to class victory at the first Mexican 1,000. We didn't have as much luck when we built a tribute car and headed for Alaska in 2011.


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University System of Georgia
- Coverage Dates: Ongoing
The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia was created in 1931 as a part of a reorganization of Georgia's state government. With this act, public higher education in Georgia was unified for the first time under a single governing and management authority. The governor appoints members of the Board to a seven-year term and regents may be reappointed to subsequent terms by a sitting governor. Regents donate their time and expertise to serve the state through their governance of the University System of Georgia - the position is a voluntary one without financial remuneration. Today the Board of Regents is composed of 19 members, five of whom are appointed from the state-at-large and one from each of the state's 14 congressional districts. The Board elects a chancellor who serves as its chief executive officer and the chief administrative officer of the University System. The Board oversees 31 colleges and universities and has oversight of the Georgia Archives and the Georgia Public Library System.
- Database Provider: University System of Georgia
Express Link (bookmark): http://www.galileo.usg.edu/express?link=gusg


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Meet at the Information Desk for an interactive tour focusing on women in American art, from the women on the canvas to those creating the art. Also discover the entrepreneurial spirit and fierce tenacity of the women promoting the artists, and the pioneering spirit of those who brought the arts to Fort Worth. No reservations required.
Meet at the Information Desk for a tour of the highlights of the permanent collection of paintings and sculpture led by one of our friendly, knowledgeable docents. No reservations are required.
Meet at the special exhibition entrance for a guided tour of Wild Spaces, Open Seasons: Hunting and Fishing in American Art. This is the first major exhibition to explore the multifaceted meanings of such outdoor subjects in both painting and sculpture from the early nineteenth century to World War II. This exhibition encompasses a wide variety of portraits, landscapes, still lifes, and genre scenes, including iconic works by Thomas Cole, Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer, and Augustus Saint-Gaudens, as well as key pictures by specialists in the category such as Charles Deas, Alfred Jacob Miller, William T. Ranney, and Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait. No reservations required.


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cmyk wrote:
My internets. Take them all.
poxic wrote:PhoenixRising wrote:EDIT: I just have to ask, what language is that message in your sig in?
..really? XD I thought it was some "geek language," Elvish or Klingon or something like that. Now I feel like a noob.
htom wrote:cmyk wrote:Caswallon wrote:cmyk wrote:Spoiler:
Damnit, now I can't stop laughing!
Edit: Sorry for the double post
I'd be shocked if the mods even bother with this thread anymore.
They may be letting us go, planning to use this thread as a test environment for future moderators. Those who pass that qualifying test, get to take the test again with the MADNESS turned on to see if they can be driven insane by the users. Those who are driven insane are given modprivs. Those who stay sane are permabanned. And the lucky few who go insane even before the MADNESS is activated receive adminprivs and a TARDIS.
FTFY, given the nature of our current mods.
cmyk wrote:lmjb1964 wrote:cmyk wrote:
And this is why you're the..wait, what was your title again? Something about graphics. Anyway, nice job!
I think it's [something something] Staff of [something].
Hell, who can remember?
I can.
lmjb1964 wrote:Though I don't know why my post looks so funny. Why's my sig and avatar spacing all wonky? What did I do?
Mis-nested quote and spoiler tags within your post. I suspect it's a BBCode glitch since you're like the third person this has happened to. Anyway, from within your post:
Code: Select all
[ spoiler ]
[ quote="cmyk" ]
[ /spoiler ] <---- should be [ /quote ]
[ /quote ] <---- should be [ /spoiler ]


text:
Toll Free Helpline Number : 1912
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As many of you may be aware that Government of Bihar has restructured the erstwhileBihar State Electricity Board into five functionally independent state-owned companiesviz. BSPHCL, SBPDCL, SBPDCL, BSPTCL & BSPGCL with effect from 1st November, 2012under the provision of Bihar State Electricity Reforms Transfer Scheme 2012 andElectricity Act 2003.South Bihar Power Distribution Company Ltd(SBPDCL) has beengiven the status of a Distribution Licensee as per Section 14 of the ElectricityAct 2003 and engaged primarily in the business of distribution of Electricity andis serving more than 18 lacs consumers in 17 districts of South Bihar.
Presently, we are providing uninterrupted power supply in PESU, Area, Patna i.eCapital of Bihar and also providing 18-20 Hrs assured powersupply in the entire17 district HQ of South Bihar. We are also giving you the assurance for replacementof defective transformer in the Urban areas in 24 hrs & in rural areas in 72 hrs.Our main objectives are:-
To modernize and strengthen the distribution network
To extend the distribution network to all the villages / tolas.
To provide meter to all the unmetered consumers
To redresses the consumer grievances in the shortest possible time.
Also we have made several new options for payment of energy bills:-
Any Time Payments (ATP) machines for PESU Area
Through Canara bank ATM& Mobile Van for PESU Area
Through Madhya Gramin Bank
Through SahajVashudhaKendra
Online collection through Canara Bank Debit Card (For Canara Bank Customers) &alsothrough Net Banking ofCanara bank (Bill Desk for 43 Banks and SBI for its own Customers).
We have established a Call Centre for our valued consumers where all types of Complaintsmay be lodged having Toll Free No. 1800-345-198.
We are committed to provide Safe, reliable, Uninterrupted and quality power supplyto all of the valued consumers at affordable tariff.
Save Energy for better & reliable power supply for each of us.


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invite ua friends via email and enjoy playing with them .
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text:
In one British County, teachers apparently have some pretty unhelpful responses to bullying. Some allegedly told victims to try "acting less gay."
According to the London Evening Standard, a report by the Essex County Council has found "anecdotal evidence of students being told to act less gay or to wear their hair differently as teachers felt they were making themselves a target for bullies." The report also said that teachers didn't know how to handle bullying, which is obvious: "Teachers received very little training at college around bullying and most would welcome additional support and guidance."
Clearly they need guidance, if they think victim-blaming is the way to handle the problem. Dealing with bullying is complicated, and some techniques don't work as well as one would think they should. Teachers definitely need training to handle the complex issues that bullying brings up — but not responding with homophobia should be pretty simple.
Being Bullied? Just Act Less Gay, Advise Teachers [London Evening Standard]
Image via wavebreakmedia ltd/Shutterstock.com


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AstraZeneca shares gain
on talk of sweetened Pfizer bid
Send a link to a friend
[May 08, 2014]
By Sudip Kar-Gupta and
Ben Hirschler
LONDON (Reuters)
— AstraZeneca shares gained 2 percent on Thursday
on speculation that U.S. drugmaker Pfizer was about to
return with a higher bid worth more than 53 pounds
($89.9) a share, traders said.
A bid at that level would value Britain's
second-biggest pharmaceuticals group at around $113 billion.
Pfizer's pursuit of AstraZeneca in potentially the biggest ever
foreign takeover of a British firm has provoked a political
storm, with Prime Minister David Cameron demanding Pfizer give
stronger guarantees it will keep jobs and investment in the
Pfizer's previous approach, which was promptly rejected by the
AstraZeneca board, initially valued the group at $106 billion -
but the value of that cash-and-stock offer has since slipped
because of a fall in Pfizer shares following weak quarterly
A stock market report in the Daily Mail newspaper said many
investors believed Pfizer was working with its advisers on a
"knockout offer" of more than 53 pounds per share that would be
made by the weekend.
"The deal is not there, but it's not off the table either,"
Dafydd Davies, senior trader at London-based Prime Wealth Group,
Pfizer Chief Executive Ian Read is heading to London next week
to lay out his case for a merger in front of two parliamentary
committees on May 13 and 14.
A Pfizer spokesman had no comment on the company's bid plans.
Investors are betting that a deal will get done, despite the
political noise. "One way or another, I think the deal will go
ahead," said Beaufort Securities sales trader Basil Petrides.
Analysts at Barclays, who believe Pfizer could make the deal pay
at any price up to 56 pounds a share, said in a note to clients
last Friday that AstraZeneca shares could fall 21 percent if the
U.S. company walked away.
AstraZeneca laid out a defense strategy on Tuesday by flagging
up the potential of a range of promising experimental medicines
that it said would boost sales by three quarters over the next
Chief Executive Pascal Soriot and his management team are now
following up with a series of meetings with leading shareholders
to get their feedback. The British group has not ruled out a
deal altogether and people familiar with the matter said it was
willing to talk if there was a compelling offer.
Soriot, who is credited with reviving the company's drug
pipeline, has won the support of a number of investors,
including leading shareholder Investor <INVEb.ST>, which owns
4.1 percent and has had a stake in legacy firm Astra since 1924.
Investor's Marcus Wallenberg also sits on the drugmaker's board.
Several other large shareholders, however, have told Reuters
they would favor engagement with Pfizer to secure a higher
(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Ben Hirschler; Editing by
Erica Billingham)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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|The CEA Nixes 1080p Video Through Analog Component Cables
|Thursday, 11 October 2007
screams of disgust from early adopting consumers and audio-video
installers over horrible connectivity problems via the copy-protected
HDMI digital cables, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the
lobby group for the audio-video industry, recently refused to allow a
standard that would allow 1080p video to flow through a standard analog
component video cable. Analog component cables do not have the HDCP
digital copy protection that Hollywood studios demand to protect their
highest resolution video output. HDMI digital cables in their current
1.3b version theoretically carry both 1080p video and the highest
resolution multi-channel surround sound, bitstream formats such as
Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master HD. However, they are plagued with horrible
connectivity issues due mostly to the HDCP copy protection that the
studios have forced into the specification.
HD DVD and Blu-ray players will output the lower resolution 1080i video
via analog component video cables, which have become the choice among
frustrated consumers and custom installers who see HDMI systems
struggle with predictably making a "handshake" between copy protected
players (Blu-ray and HD DVD) and 1080p native HDTVs. These consumers
are willing to sacrifice the last level of performance between 1080i
and 1080p video for a player that consistently sends video to their
Electronics manufacturers are equally frustrated with HDMI and its HDCP connectivity. Non-copy-protected components such as DVRs and HDMI DVD players connect via the one-cable solution of HDMI perfectly. Copy protected players, including nearly every current HD DVD and Blu-ray are more hit and miss, especially depending on what HDTV you use with your HD disc player. While second generation HD disc players and the newest HDTVs are definitely better about making an HDCP "handshake", manufacturers complain about a lack of access to specifications that would make a simple connection actually work every time.
In the end, Hollywood studios clearly have the ear of the CEA, thus the consumer is forced to deal with the less-than-perfect world of HDMI, thanks to the HDCP connectivity, or downgrade their video to 1080i and use component cables, a solution that works every time. The CEA should be publicly putting tremendous pressure to get the HDMI specification and copy protection to a level where one-cable-connectivity passes the best in HD video and high-resolution audio. With mainstream consumers lining up to buy flat HDTVs by the millions per month, wouldn't it be nice to sell them a new player than can actually feed their 1080p HDTVs actual 1080p video, because as of today, both digital cable and satellite can not provide consumers with 1080p.
- CEPro.com, CE.org


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thats some ol bul l****
It's not a big deal, along with Davis and Landry, Otah will be limited at camp
Last edited by C Mart; 07-25-2012 at 06:37 PM.
thats some ol bul l****
not surprising.
so now what?
Would like to hear the details but doubt we will get them. Oh well if hes available mid way through camp along with Landry ill be happy.
Not the news I was hoping for.
Looks like we are trying to get any available cripple. Do they expect NFL to allow wheelchairs on the field?
I don't get this team sometimes. Obviously they know Hunter is not the answer by trading for Otah.
If we would've just cut Hunter a while back and not traded for Otah we could've used the same money on Winston.
If Hunter has to play and he plays poorly this will be the biggest blunder this FO has made. And will most likely cause this offense to struggle like last year. One bad apple on the oline is a killer, even if its loaded with probowlers.
Is it at all possible we added Otah for depth and competition, and hopefully as a starter, rather than the second coming of jonathon ogden? If healthy he should absolutely beat out hunter, but its not like we gave up a 2nd round pick or took on a huge salary....we took a chance that an oft injured, underperformer turned things around, thats all.
I think it was a great move as it was virtually riskless, and i truly hope otah can get his act together and be our RT.....but hunter should be much improved in an offense that uses TE help and when the defense doesn't know our plays in advance.
Hunter had a bad season last year. In fact the whole OL did. BRICK allowed more sacks then HUNTER. NICK took time to round into shape after his injury and ditto Moore. Slauson played in a shoulder harness and clearly was not himself. Yet you dwell only on one player. If that player shows little in camp he will not be on the team as a starter! GUARANTEED !!!! And by that time OTAH will be cleared to play! The sky is not falling!
Wondering if it's possible that the Jets just took a flyer on this kid, with a plan to get him healthy and stronger in our program.
Could it be possible that they never interned him to start right away and were looking at him as a long term solution for the future if they could get him right ?
At what point do the Jets either have to decide to keep or cut him if they don't want to pay his full salary? Is it at the 53 man roster limit or before that for Vets? I don't remember the cutoffs. I imagine he's got to get healthy within the next couple of weeks or the Jets have to make a decision....anybody know what the rules are?
The Jets -- who traded for the oft-injured lineman on Monday -- placed Otah on the PUP list after he failed a team physical on Wednesday, according to multiple reports.
He can't practice with the team until he passes a physical. If Otah is still on the PUP list by the season opener, he must remain there for six weeks.
Otah has missed 34 of his last 38 games with left knee troubles, and he was shut down during Carolina Panthers OTAs after experiencing more discomfort. A recent visit to noted orthopedist James Andrews revealed no structural damage in the knee.
Acquiring Otah was a low-risk transaction, but the Jets have been quickly reminded of the fragile entity they've inherited.
I am sorry for always being so negative, but really, WTF are they doing with these "prexisting condition" players? I do not like the direction we are going in at all because it is down. We have a new, more boring and vanilla OC, questionable (at best) RB, WR, TE, OT, and even QB where we are sure to have a controversy in the media, if not on the field as well. We have (had) no pass rush, older LB's, a decent or 2 CB's along with the one 1 HOF CB (who will be playing distracted because 39 million dollars over 3 years is not enough for him to live comfortably on), and zero talent at S.
Our kicker stinks and the punter is, well, I dunno who it is.
Oh and we have little to no depth after the regular starting teams.
I wish I felt the same enthusiasm for the upcoming season that (most of) everyone else does, but with this team/organization? I am sorry, I just don't get it. This looks, on paper to me, to be the 4th place team in the AFCE, 3rd place at best with a 6-10 or 7-9 record.


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I'm considering buying a digital piano/keyboard for my wife for Christmas. A little background first - we visited friends who had a Clavinova with guide lamps (sorry don't know which model). I just about couldn't get my wife away from this instrument. A non musician being able to sit down and figure this out enough to play with accompaniment was truly surprising to me and captivating for her. We're not young pups, still working full time, but looking for outlets to de-stress from the day-to-day grind. So here's my dilemma, I don't want to spend 3-4 grand on a Clavinova only to find she loses interest after a short while and we wind up having to sell it. I studied classical percussion in college but am now a software developer/business analyst. I still play a little and have a vDrum set for recreational use. ...all this to say, I understand the terminology, MIDI, USB, software, music, etc... I live in a remote part of the country and have to rely upon the internet for information. I've been researching options over the past several weeks and have the following observations:
1) Yamaha appears to be the premier option for keyboards (piano and keyboards) with built in educational features (such as guide lamps and performance assistance).
2) There are a ton of different models and price points with very subtle differences and a somewhat confusing model numbering scheme to the uninformed.
3) There doesn't seem to be a market offering for adult learners who will likely never take piano lessons but want something to play with/learn on that isn't geared for a child.
4) Guide Lamp technology seems to be relegated to the very low end (child) offerings or the very high end (Clavinova Ensambles).
As an alternative to the Clavinova CVP I've been looking (on-line) at the DGX models as a possible lower cost alternative. I just can't seem to convince myself that the Y.E.S. and the Performance Assist technology is a suitable substitute for Guide Lamp technology with accompaniment in the CVP line.
Am I missing something here? Are there other options?
Any thoughts or help would be appreciated.


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Here we go again. For various reasons, journalists have rarely done even an adequate job covering the decline and fall of the African-American family. The share of black babies born out of wedlock in the last four decades has soared to around 70 percent from 25 percent.
Tellingly, the original story was broken not by a reporter but by a young researcher at the U.S. Labor Department, who had grown up in a single-parent Irish Catholic household full of Democrats. In the liberal backlash to Daniel Patrick Moynihan's 1965 report, journalists avoided discussing the topic of black family dissolution, fearing that they were "blaming the victim" or blaming blacks for centuries of racism and oppression. After black sociologist William Julius Wilson in 1978 made the subject respectable again, a few top journalists explored the topic, but they tended to rely on materialist explanations, such as the role of AFDC or welfare and the decline of good-paying, low-skill industrial jobs.
To be sure, it's difficult for journalists to cover long-term, quantitative- and sociological-driven stories. Yet the story about black family decline has been going on for a long time, entering its fifth decade. Surely some journalist has identified the main problems.
Well, no, Which explains the stunned reaction to a report by the Pew Foundation about a sharp decline in black mobility. As The Washington Post reported in an A1 story:
Ronald B. Mincy, a Columbia University sociologist who has focused on the growing economic peril confronted by black men and who served as an adviser on the Pew project, said skeptical researchers repeatedly reviewed the findings before concluding they were statistically accurate.
"There is a lot of downward mobility among African Americans," Mincy said. "We don't have an explanation."
Pew hopes to develop some answers in future reports in its series on economic mobility. Reports scheduled to be released early next year will probe, among other things, the role of wealth and education in income mobility.
Mincy and others speculated that the increase in the number of single-parent black households, continued educational gaps between blacks and whites and even racial isolation that remains common for many middle-income African Americans could be factors.
Journalists are given no more than speculation and resignation? Michael Fletcher of the Post should have looked elsewhere for his explanations of the trend.
Although the story no doubt has many parts, it's clear that two key parts are the decline and fall of the two-parent black family and decline in religious attendance. Heck, haven't we reporters checked out the debate in black America between Bill Cosby and Eric Michael Dyson? Or have we not read what social conservatives such as Maggie Gallagher and David Blankenhorn or black moderates such as Juan Williams had to say about these topics?
Pat Fagan, a scholar at the Heritage Foundation, has emphasized the importance of religion and family structure well:
During the 1980s and 1990s, when religious practice decreased overall, the association between regular religious attendance and marital stability became even more apparent. Those who had ceased religious practice divorced 2.5 times more frequently than those who continued to attend religious services. Paul Amato, a leading authority on the sociology of divorce from Pennsylvania State University, concluded that a possible increase in religious practice among some already existing marriages might have offset the negative effects of the overall decrease in religious practice among many other Americans.
... Parents' religious practice also counts. The greater the parents' religious involvement, the more likely they will have higher educational expectations of their children and will communicate with their children regarding schooling. Their children will be more likely to pursue advanced courses, spend more time on homework, establish friendships with academically oriented peers, avoid cutting classes, and successfully complete their degrees.
It's unlikely that the decline in religious attendance among African Americans and divorce (or marriages that never formed in the first place) entirely explain the jump in downward black mobility. But it's surely more than what our fellow journalists have been telling us.
The Washington Post, by the way, was not the only major newspaper in serious denial about some of the moral and religious issues tied to this painful and tragic reality in American life. Check out the Los Angeles Times story on the same topic. Keep in mind that this information is at the very bottom of the report, literally the next to last paragraph. The key voice here is John Morton, director of this economic mobility study, who says that "changing family structures" are also a factor that must be considered.
"There is a higher prevalence of single-parent families at a time that it is increasingly important to have two salaries to maintain a standard of living," Morton said.
And this is a new trend? Or is this now into its second or third generation? What would Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan have said about that?


text:
Typical situation in UI design: you do design of some UI and, say, came up with some bright new idea like "ribbon" or "kinetic scroll past end".
What would be the strategy about such thing? Register patent, don't like it, but anyway would like to ask: how long it takes to do all this stuff and how much it will cost in average?
If to forget about patents, will the idea have something like "prior art" status or some such if someone will try to patent this in future?
All this about project / product published by solo developer.


text:
Second day of Fudcon is now over. It was a really productive day for me, having get many media from Clint, some more swags from Ben and two Fedora vertical banners from Ben and Larry! I hope everything will fit my luggage so I can bring all this in Canada with me!
The conferences in the morning were really nice, especially the introduction on Inkscape made by Mairin Duffy. She was right, after the conference, I at least understand enough about Inkscape to be able to do some basic mockup in it!
In the afternoon, Fudcon got a new feature : lightning talks! It was really nice to see people talk about something they love in 5 minutes.
After that, it was the hackfest time. I take the opportunity to go outside to work on my projects, so I can take at least a little bit of sun before returning to Quebec!
In the evening, the hack room was full with many things going on : talk, hacking, board games, poker, etc. It was a really good time, but maybe I should have got to bed earlier 😉
Now looking forward to the full hackfest day tomorrow!