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Everything You Think You Know About Autism Is Wrong
I have a new post up at PJ Lifestyle, and I would like it to get as much readership and distribution as possible, because it's about a very special young man and a very important topic:
Autism is a painfully mysterious syndrome. We don't know what causes it, although we do know that about 1 in 88 births will produce an autistic child. We know that it's the fastest growing developmental disability in America, although we don't know why. The commonly-used treatments have limited effectiveness, so increasing numbers of adult autism sufferers cannot care for themselves, requiring costly life-long maintenance.
Part of autism's mystery lies in the nature of the condition itself: in its most severe form, it leaves the autistic person entirely unable to communicate, either verbally or physically. It's not just that someone with autism cannot speak. As most who have lived with or seen autism know, a child with serious autism seems entirely disconnected. Autistic children do not make eye contact and they don't play. Instead, they flap their hands, roam around a room's periphery, engage in endless repetitive activities, and seem locked away in their own world.
Some experts contend (erroneously, as it turns out) that autistic children dislike physical contact, cannot emote, and lack the capacity for loving. This seeming emotional isolation led the misogynistic Bruno Bettelheim to conclude that mothers caused autism when they (allegedly) withheld affection from their child. This wrongheaded theory inspired generations of loving mothers to suffer enormous guilt.
Even though Bettelheim has mercifully fallen by the wayside, non-verbal autism still contains many questions. This mystery is about to undergo a significant challenge, though, due to Ido (pronounced "Ee-doh") Kedar, a 16-year old young man who has written about his journey from isolation to communication in Ido in Autismland: Climbing Out of Autism's Silent Prison.
Read the rest here.


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Flowering Plants
Kerry Woods
Kevin J. Caley
Emily Monosson
Encyclopedia of Earth
Flowering plants, or angiosperms are the largest grouping within the plant kingdom (Kingdom Plantae or Viridiplantae) in terms of the numbers of described species. Approximately 260,000 species of flowering plant have been named so far, constituting nearly 90% of all known species of plants. Even so, taxonomists describe many new species annually, and estimates of total angiosperm diversity reach as high as 400,000 species. There are about 450 families of flowering plants, displaying extremely diverse life histories and ecological adaptations. In addition to dominating plant biodiversity, angiosperms are the dominant photosynthetic organisms (primary producers) in most terrestrial ecosystems (an important exception to this rule are the boreal forests, which are often dominated by conifers). All important food plants are angiosperms.
Natural History
Angiosperms are also the youngest of the plant divisions, having arisen relatively late in the history of terrestrial plant life. The first land plants are about 450 million years old, but the earliest definitive angiosperm fossils are only about 130 million years old, placing their known origins within the Early Cretaceous period. However, indirect evidence leads some scientists to estimate that angiosperms may have originated as early as 250 million years ago, that is, at the end of the Permian period.
By about 100 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period, angiosperms experienced a rapid diversification in form. The factors driving this diversification have long been of interest to evolutionary biologists. Many scientists hypothesize that specialized mutualistic relationships with animal pollinators played an important role in the development of angiosperm diversity (and perhaps insect diversity as well).
Physiological Characteristics and Behavior
Angiosperms are anatomically distinguished from other plant groups by several developmental and anatomical features. They produce flowers, which are very short branches bearing a series of closely spaced leaves modified to facilitate pollination (sepals and petals) or to bear the organs involved in sexual reproduction (stamens and pistils). Developing seeds are completely enclosed in an ovary derived from a portion of the pistil (the word angiosperm is of Greek derivation, meaning covered seed). Ovary tissues mature to form a fruit that is generally involved in protecting the seed and facilitating its dispersal (only angiosperms bear true fruits). Seeds at some point in their development contain a distinctive tissue, the triploid endosperm, which serves as a nutritional reserve for the developing embryo.
Angiosperms That May Interest You
Angiosperms comprise such a large group, it is difficult to single out a mere few of the most intriguing, but here are some of the most important and diverse (and delicious!) flowering plant families.
The composite or daisy family (Asteraceae) has about 24,000 named species, and may be the largest plant family. The orchid family (Orchidaceae) rivals the daisy family in diversity, with about 17,000 species named. The grass family (Poaceae), with over 10,000 species, includes three of the four most productive human-food plants: rice (Oryza), wheat (Triticum) and maize (Zea). The fourth, the potato (Solanum tuberosum), is a member of the nightshade family (Solanaceae). The bean (or legume) family (Fabaceae, also known as Papilionaceae) includes about 19,000 species, many of which are important in human food because their symbiotic association with certain nitrogen-fixing bacteria leads to unusually high protein content.
Basinger, J., and D. L. Dilcher. 1984. Ancient bisexual flowers. Science. 224:511–513.
Beck, C. B., ed. 1976. Origin and Early Evolution of Angiosperms. New York: Columbia University Press.
Behnke, H.-D. 1969. Die Siebrohren-Plastiden bei Monocotlen. Naturwissenschaften 55:140–141.
Bell, C. D., Soltis, D. E., and P. S. Soltis. 2005. The age of the angiosperms: a molecular timescale without a clock. Evolution. 59(6).
Bharathan, G., and E. A. Zimmer. 1995. Early branching events in monocotyledons–partial 18S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis. In: Rudall. P. J., Cribb, P. J., Cutler, D. F., and C. J. Humphries, eds. Monocotyledons: systematics and evolution, London, UK: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; pp. 81–107.
Borsch, T., Hilu, K. W., Quandt, D., Wilde, V., Neinhuis, C., and W. Barthlott. 2003. Non-coding plastid trnT-trnF sequences reveal a highly supported phylogeny of basal angiosperms. Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 15:558–567.
Gottsberger, G. 1988. The reproductive biology of primitive angiosperms. Taxon. 37:630–643.
Graham, S. W., Reeves, P. A., Burns, A. C. E., and R. G. Olmstead. 2000. Microstructural changes in noncoding chloroplast DNA: interpretation, evolution, and utility of indels and inversions in basal angiosperm phylogenetic inference. International Journal of Plant Sciences 161(Supplement):S83–S96.
Graham, S. W., and R. G. Olmstead. 2000. Utility of 17 chloroplast genes for inferring the phylogeny of the basal angiosperms. American Journal of Botany. 87:1712–1730.
Heckman, D. S., Geiser, D. M., Eidell, B. R., Stauffer, R. L., Kardos, N. L., and S. B. Hedges. 2001. Molecular evidence for the early colonization of land by fungi and plants. Science. 293:1129–1133.
Heywood, V. 1993. Flowering plants of the world. London, UK: B.T. Batsford Ltd.
Hickey, L. J., and A. D. Wolfe. 1975. The bases of angiosperm phylogeny: vegetative morphology. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. 62:538–589.
Hillis, D. M. 1996. Inferring complex phylogenies. Nature. 383:130.
Nandi, O. I., Chase, M. W., and P. K. Endress. 1998. A combined cladistic analysis of angiosperms using rbcL and nonmolecular data sets. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. 85:137–212.
Nickerson, J., and G. Drouin. 2004. The sequence of the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II is a useful marker for inferring seed plant phylogeny. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 31:403–415.
Nickrent, D. L. and D. E. Soltis. 1995. A comparison of angiosperm phylogenies from nuclear 18S rDNA and rbcL sequences. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. 82:208–234.
Parkinson, C. L., Adams, K. L., and J. D. Palmer. 1999. Multigene analyses identify the three earliest lineages of extant flowering plants. Current Biology. 9:1485–1488.
Nickrent, D. L., Blarer, A., Qiu, Y.-L., Soltis, D. E., Soltis, P. S., and M. Zanis. 2002. Molecular data place Hydnoraceae with Aristolochiaceae. American Journal of Botany.
This article was adapted from the Encyclopedia of Earth.
Available under CC BY-SA-2.5
Kerry Woods (Lead Author);Kevin J. Caley, Emily Monosson (Topic Editor) "Angiosperm". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth January 12, 2009; Last revised Date June 19, 2012; Retrieved October 3, 2012. Encyclopedia of Earth.

subset: commoncrawl


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Ginkgo Biloba and Red Panax Ginseng Extract, 30 Bottles/10.2 fl. oz., From Prince of Peace
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Prince of Peace Ginkgo Biloba & Red Panax Ginseng Extract is a non-alcohol herbal supplement that is used as a memory formula. Known as one of the most valuable herbs, Ginkgo Biloba has been used as an essential supplement in China, Japan, and Korea for thousands of years. Prince of Peace brings you this highly refined Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract in a special formulation with the world famous Red Panax Ginseng Root Extract from China's Chang Pai Mountain. Using the most advanced processing techniques, this Prince of Peace brand product will deliver the highest quality nutritional supplement for optimal health.Ginkgo Biloba and Red Panax Ginseng Extract 30 Bottles/10.2 fl. oz. About Prince of Peace Prince of Peace Enterprises, Inc., founded in 1983, earned its reputation as a leading and diversified company, specializing in the marketing, importing and distribution of gourmet products, beverages, dietary supplements, natural OTC topical analgesics (like world famous Tiger Balm), herbal products and teas; as well as product formulation, packaging and private labeling.Ginkgo Biloba and Red Panax Ginseng Extract 30 Bottles/10.2 fl. oz.
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|?£á?Daily Value not established.
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I know quite a number of us are talented in making wallpapers, and simply enjoy making and sharing them with our fellow Scholars. In an effort to simply the "search" for Scholar-made wallpaper, as well as to showcase our wallpaper/desktop talents, I thought I'd make a sticky for the forum, where you may post your wallpapers to your hearts content.
Please, when you are posting wallpapers in this thread, try to follow a few basic rules:
Only your own work. Please don't post the work of other Scholars, or cool wallpapers you found on the web. If you have a site to suggest, please PM me and I will add it to a list inside this post.
Please post a thumbnail of the wallpaper, and not the full size image. This means instead of using the img tag on an image that's 1024x768, use it on a smaller, preview image (preferably no wider than 600 pixels). This will make the thread easier to load for our dial up members, and easier to view.
Please make sure that you offer a link to your wallpaper files, and check that those links are working periodically, fixing them if they aren't. I recommend that if you decide to put them together in a zipped package, use the .zip format, which is more common to the average computer than .rar.
Images should, as always, comply with the general SoSZ rules when posted. If the image is not work safe (violent, sexual, etc), do NOT post a preview; instead, link to it with an appropriate disclaimer.
Please note: You may still post your wallpapers in your own art threads. I simply encourage you to place them here as well!
If you have any questions, please just PM me. Also, for a sample post, please look below (where I've linked a wallpaper of my own.)
Tips for Making Wallpaper (Coming Soon!)
Places to Get Wallpaper (Coming Soon!)


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|On Saturday night, May 30, people in Los Angeles and those watching LA stations from around the world witnessed the looting of JapanLA. With our roots in Southern California, J1 Radio is deeply concerned about JapanLA and the other minority-owned businesses in Los Angeles as well as other parts of the United States that were looted and destroyed. REC Networks and J1 Radio encourages everyone to please help JapanLA in their recovery effort. There is a GoFundMe page set up. Please show whatever support you can. J1 LOVES JAPANLA, J1 LOVES SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, J1 LOVES J-CULTURE BUSINESSES, J1 LOVES YOU. Everyone, please stay safe during these rough times. =michi
Search the J1 Music Library
[ Chart: Current | Archives ]
Browse by Aritst
Catalog NumberSRCL-9936
Chart History
Last AirplayJ1: 2020-06-03 17:02:07
J1xtra: 2020-05-04 03:56:09
(Mountain Standard Time or Pacific Daylight Time.)
First aired on J1/Hardcore J
Heard on these shows/channelsPure JPOP
Michiasa Music


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Book Title: Oxford Reading Tree Biff, Chip and Kipper Stories Decode and Develop: Level 6: On the Stage
Author: Roderick Hunt
Format: Paperback | 24 pages
Publication Date: 08 Jan 2015
In On the Stage a show about the Wild West leads Biff, Wilf and Wilma to an adventure on a stagecoach.
Biff, Chip and Kipper Stories: Decode and Develop are an exciting set of stories from Roderick Hunt and Alex Brychta. Full of humour and drama with a delightful mixture of familiar settings and brand new magic key adventures to inspire young readers. Featuring all your favourite characters, children will enjoy exploring the detailed humorous illustrations and be captivated by the storylines.
These phonics-based stories are perfect for embedding and building on children's phonics knowledge. They contain high-interest vocabulary to support language development beyond Phase 5 of Letters and Sounds.
Each book contains inside cover notes to help adults read and explore the content with the child, supporting their decoding and language comprehension development.
Teaching notes on Oxford Owl support independent reading, guided reading, writing, and speaking, listening and drama activities.


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Kontakti i drejtpërdrejtë për produktet Lindab dhe sistemi në shtetin tuaj (gjuhët lokale).
Foto 1/6
"A coating facility like this one, measuring 16,000 m2, equipped with powder dispensers, large drying ovens and a 90 m pre-treatment and washing stage, puts huge demands on the indoor climate, from both a comfort and energy perspective," explains service technician Jörgen Gröndahl at Jitech. "Faced with a choice of powder/paint or pure powder coating we chose the latter. Since we found that the systems were qualitatively comparable, we chose powder since it requires less ventilation air flow and provides a higher degree of heat recovery from the furnaces." The plant gets its air supply from the 2 supply air units in the paint shop and 2 FTX units in the warehouse and assembly hall, giving a total air volume of about 40 m3/s.
Lokgatan 15
362 31 Tingsryd


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This is 40-year-old Tracy Chandler, who parades about as the Doncaster Rovers' mascot. Or as thousands of Yorkshire youngsters are now saying, "Donny...what...?"
Donny Dog shows up at matches for the Championship side, and volunteers at charity events around the area. For years, Chandler has donned the Donny diguise and been the most senior female mascot in the UK. But when she took a couple of plush-less photos for a men's magazine (for charity, of course), she was told her services were no longer required.
Said the club chairman, "Donny Dog is very popular with youngsters and we didn't like the association with Sport and children seeing that paper."
Well this one has a happy ending, though not for the aforementioned youngsters who may grow up with very conflicted feelings about older women, pets, and Anthrocon. Today Doncaster decided to give Chandler her job back, with the admonition to keep the suit on in public. Rove proudly, Donny Dog.
Club bosses blow whistle on saucy soccer mascot [The Sun]
Donny Dog is back! The saucy football mascot gets her job back after raunchy photo shoot that 'disgraced club' [Daily Mail]


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Check out my day 51 video blog entry for Saturday, April 18. In this video, I talk about the preparations for our wedding on Sunday. Randy Taylor is officiating our wedding. You can learn about Randy's wedding service at: http://www.randytaylorweddings.com
Day 51
Front Staged: Living With Cancer
In early September 2014, I started having sharp pains on my left side. They kept growing in intensity. I went to my doctor and she sent me to have a CT scan. It turned out I had a pleural effusion of the left lung, which is fluid built up between the chest cavity lining (pleural tissue) and the lung. I was sent to see a pulmonologist and he scheduled a procedure where they put a catheter in my back and pulled out 2 litters of fluid. My pulmonologist explained that it was very unusual to have that much fluid built up and that was just a symptom of something major happening in my body.
They then started running a lot of tests to try and determine what caused the fluid. I was tested for lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, lyme's disease, HIV, pneumonia, COPD…everything came back negative. The only thing they couldn't rule out was cancer.
The pain on my left side continued to get worse and I developed a chronic dry cough, I started to get short of breath easily and I lost a lot of weight, dropping from 205 lbs to 145 lbs in less than a year.
Later scans showed hardening of the lower pleural tissue of my left lung. My pulmonologist at Duke scheduled me with a surgeon that specialized in a surgical procedure to try and remove this hardened tissue. During that surgery, they didn't remove the tissue, but instead took samples for biopsies. They sent the tissue to the Duke Lab and they determined it was cancer. Duke then sent my biopsy tissue to the Mayo Clinic and they both confirmed the same diagnosis.
I have been diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of sarcomatoid mesothelioma cancer. There is no treatment or cure for this form of cancer. Follow my daily blog posts about battling this cancer and the journey of how to live life to the fullest with what time we have.


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The problem is, I loathe the idea of buying some big, fancy house.
A simple life is a happy life. That reminds me of our cabin in Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park last summer...
I just could never feel at home in a typical house for two doctors. I hate McMansions, and regular mansions and suburbs and expensive, matching furniture. I hate two cars and fancy foyers and the idea of shopping for "flatware". I hate commutes and no sidewalks and pefectly manicured lawns.
But the apartment we found is so simple, practical and comfortable, that I almost get excited by the thought of cleaning and decorating it. It is a two bedroom apartment just off the hospital property for about $550 (3,000 danish kroner)/month (subsidized physican housing). We walk to work, the store, the libary, etc. We run 100 meters to a forest filled with trails. It is perfect for a family of four (stepdaughter is moving here in just over a month!). Plus it is in a neighborhood with tons of families with young kids.
Here is the teeter-totter (called a vippe (or flipper) in Danish). I would make fun of the Danish word, but then when I consider the English word, well...
And the kitchen I cleaned for this photo (if you look closely, the sink is still dirty):
And a sunny second-floor porch:
There is even graffiti that says "Ace of Base" in our building's basement. Ony in Denmark (and perhaps Sweden).
Running Song of The Day: Skinny Love by Bon Iver


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I do enjoy watching MSNBC when time permits. �The Ed Show� seldom makes a coherent point, but it is caustically entertaining.
To the editor:
I do enjoy watching MSNBC when time permits. �The Ed Show� seldom makes a coherent point, but it is caustically entertaining.
Watching Al Sharpton is like the ASPCA commercials without music. If an event smacks of race, he piles on but then vanishes if it proves fraudulent (Duke lacrosse and Tawana Brawley). He champions the rich paying their fair share yet owes $1 million in back taxes and was invited to meet with President Barack Obama on Dec. 4 to discuss middle-class taxes (must have been evasion techniques). You really can�t make this stuff up.
And then there is Melissa Harris Perry. In my opinion she is the breath of fresh air at MSNBC. Her commentary is researched, accurate and to the point. While I seldom agree with her analysis or opinions, I do admire her lack of duplicity and hypocrisy.
On Jan. 10, Perry defended the lack of diversity in Obama�s second-term Cabinet saying one�s skin color and gender �doesn�t mean that they are representative of that specific group.� She cited Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as an example.
She further said not to �assume that any given physical body carries with it a set of political ideas.� Congresswoman Bachman was cited as an example.
�Thomas and Bachman,� she said, �are not representative of their race and gender since they do not represent the majority of their respective groups.�
In other words, the content of one�s politics trumps gender and ethnicity. A person is only representative if he or she agrees with certain political ideas. I opined as much in a recent article (add Sen. Tim Scott to the list of examples) and apparently twisted some tails. Were the right to say this they would be accurately called racists but when the left says it they are so-called enlightened progressives. If her assertion is correct then the ethnic and gender makeup of our elected officials really makes no difference.
So why all the angst? Curious.
I view her commentary as an anti-diversity diversity statement and an example of liberal intolerance, but at least she had the moxie to say it.
Joel McBroom


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Three farmers test Kinze's Autonomous Harvest System in the field
In the middle of harvest, Monmouth, Ill., farmer Rick Elliott got a call from one of his neighbors. "He was driving by and asked me, 'Is there anyone in that grain cart tractor?" Elliott says.
There was no cause for alarm—the tractor was following the combine through the field, unloading on the go, without anyone in the cab. Elliott's farm was one of three in Illinois testing the Kinze Autonomous Harvest System.
"After unveiling our project in July of 2011, we are excited to demonstrate it in the field," says Susie Veatch, vice president and chief marketing officer of Kinze Manufacturing, Inc.
The Kinze Autonomy Project started in the lab in 2009 and was tested on the Kinzenbaw farm until this year. The harvest fleet includes a combine, tractor and grain cart outfitted with GPS sensors and rugged computers. The system is controlled by the combine operator's tablet computer, eliminating the need for an operator in the tractor cab.
"The goals for this system are efficiency, productivity and safety," says Rhett Schildroth, Kinze product manager. "Farmers are experiencing a shortage in skilled operators for the seasonal work at harvest and planting. We also know that it's key for the system to run as safe at the end of the day as it did at the beginning."
"Our system takes control of the tractor's engine, transmission, steering and brakes," Schildroth explains.
Components on the tractor are: GPS receiver; inertial measurement sensors for hills; wheel encoders; LIDAR (light detection and ranging) sensors; radar sensors for far-reaching sensing; and a camera to see what the systems sees.
Components on the combine are: an emergency stop button; GPS receiver; communication module that networks the machines; and a tablet computer, which is the user interface.
The Kinze Autonomous Harvest System is controlled by a touch-screen tablet, as demonstrated by Rhett Schildroth, product manager.
How it works. The system performs in four modes: follow, unload, park and idle. In the follow mode, the tractornand grain cart follow the combine's path through the field using GPS guidance. The system reads where the combine has operated and designates those areas as safe for travel. If obstacles are known or encountered in use, the operator marks them to be avoided.
When the combine is ready to be unloaded, the tractor and grain cart pull alongside it and sensors provide real-time reaction to any adjustments made by the combine in regard to speed and direction.
"The system is continuously scanning for obstacles in the field so that when it's time to meet the combine, it calculates a path factoring in any obstacles. If it can't map around an obstacle, it stops," Schildroth says. "Right now, it doesn't run as fast as a human operator would—7 mph when following the combine; 9 mph for field travel."
To park the tractor and cart, the combine operator hits the park button and the machinery returns to a designated area at the edge of the field.
In idle, the system comes to a stop wherever it is until further instruction.
"The technology is hidden from the farmer. He has the tablet and that's all—four buttons and an aerial view of the field," Schildroth says. "Keeping it simple means our farmers learn how
to use the system in an hour, and within a day it's part of their routine."
Field tests. Kinze worked with district sales managers to find three farmers in western Illinois to test the automonous system.
"We wanted flat ground for this initial testing, and this area had good crops despite the tough growing conditions this year," she says. "There were three farmers within 8 miles that were willing to be part of our project."
Elliott Brothers Farms (brothers Rick and Dan and other family members), Kent Armstrong and Joe Krupps were chosen to participate. All are Kinze customers through Painter Farm Equipment.
"Ten years ago we were skeptical about GPS, automated steering, planter clutches and other technologies," says Todd Painter of Painter Farm Equipment. "But those have been highly accepted by our customers. We have 80% or more of our customers using GPS technologies on their farm. Technology is here to stay, and this autonomous system is the next thing to come."
Krupps, who farms near Galesburg, Ill., says he is not quick to adopt technology and doesn't currently use auto-guidance or steering systems. But he says the autonomous system was easy to bring onto his farm.
"I'm not exactly a technology leader," he says. "The whole system surprised me—how well it worked, how they made it user-friendly. It follows instructions better than some employees, including myself."
Armstrong started using automated steering systems on his farm just three years ago and says he's impressed with the accuracy of the system.
"I haven't run any corn on the ground this harvest unless it was my own fault," he says. "The tablet gives you a countdown for how long it'll take for the cart to get to the combine, and the cart stays right with my auger."
The Elliott Brothers farm has multiple machines with GPS auto-guidance and RTK steering systems, but Rick Elliott reports the system fit easily into their operation. "The system is designed the way a farmer would have done it," he says. "It's simple to give the system the command you want in the field—four buttons, that's it."
On and off. The tractor can be switched from autonomous to manual mode. When the tractor is in idle mode, the farmer lowers the bottom step, which uses sensors to automatically disengage the autonomous system. The operator has control until he exits the tractor and lifts the step to
re-engage the system.
In autonomous mode, before the tractor leaves its designated parking area, the lights flash and the tractor beeps and revs its engine to send an alert that it's about to move.
The company has demonstrated the technology on John Deere tractors but says the system is compatible with any make of tractor or combine. Once it is commercially available, Kinze plans to offer kits for specific models.
For now, the system is designed for a variety of harvesting conditions. For example, when cutting soybeans at an angle, the system follows the combine path and reacts in real time. Amid waterways, it understands tilt, and if the wheels start spinning in wet conditions, the tractor shuts off.
Field testing yielded some changes as well. "The biggest improvements this year are that we added the tablet as the user interface, and with adjustments to the software, we improved the time it takes for the tractor's path to be determined," Schildroth says.
Although there isn't yet a date for commercial availability, Kinze is working on autonomous technology for planting applications. The system is designed only for in-field, off-road use.
"Farmers want increased productivity and rapid return on investment, and we'll continue to innovate around the autonomous solution," Schildroth says. "Next year, we'll have more testing."
To watch a video of the Kinze Autonomous Harvest System in action, visit


text: The Nordic Partnership Initiative on Up-Scaled Mitigation Action (NPI) has been established in December 2011 to support climate change mitigation efforts in developing countries. The NPI is funded by Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and implemented in co-operation with Peru and Vietnam. The implementing partner in Peru is the Ministry of Environment of Peru (MINAM).


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The state of Alaska is represented by reindeer sausage. California, by Baja-style fish tacos. Oregon, by marionberry pie.
Flavored Nation, the ambitious food event that features an iconic dish from each state, is currently making its way around the country. The idea is that each of the 50 states will be represented by one iconic dish cooked by a chef from that state.
Flavored Nation is the brainchild of Richard Gore, who used to run the live-event division of the Food Network, and, among others, David Rosengarten, the former long-time Food Network host and two-time James Beard Award-winning food writer.
*Photos might not represent exact dish listed. Food descriptions, when available, are from Flavored Nation.
The dishes from each state are:


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But this is where it ends
This is where it ends
Call the police and call the press
But please, dear God, don't tell my friends
– This is Where It Ends, Barenaked Ladies
I've had that song stuck in my head all weekend. The summer is ending, of course, not the blog. The blog, hopefully, will actually pick up now that I'm back on a regular schedule and will have plenty of hours of staring at a computer screen at the library.
The whole song actually does feel appropriate, though, after last weekend. I knew it would be rough to spend my last few days on the West Coast- and my birthday- alone in a city that likes to violently scrape the thoughts from my mind the way you'd scrape burned egg from a frying pan. What I wasn't accounting for was when Life nailed me to a wall and hurled Herself (Life, of course, doesn't have a gender, but I always call Her "She") at me until I gave up. One day I'll tell those stories, but not today.
Still, in the end, I think it was worth it.
As I was walking east on Georgia, following the overpass, heading back to my hotel one last time to pick up my luggage and get ready to go to the airport, I looked to my left. The setting sun lit up one particular building. Just under the roof it read Everything Is Going To Be Alright. Do you ever feel as if Life actually tries to converse with you?
Over my summer spend adventuring the West Coast, I've found comfort in two novels, one by Elizabeth Gibson, Eat Pray Love (which I swear I read before I knew it was going to be a movie!), a tale of the world traveling adventures of a recent divorcée in her 30s and one by Alice Steinbach, Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman, the Europe traveling adventures of a long divorced woman in her 50s. I love how they're so different from myself age-wise and lifestyle-wise, but as solo travelers, the lessons we learn about ourselves and the internal challenges we face are the same. And the mornings where I woke up sobbing in my pillow, wondering why the hell I was doing this to myself when I could be back in my hometown living a NORMAL AND SIMPLE life, it helped to know that I'm far from the only female solo traveler who's felt that way.
You meet a lot of people when you travel alone for months at a time. But most of all, you meet yourself.
All the Blogging I Missed!
I think I've read most of the major discussions, but my time was so limited that I couldn't participate much. I loved reading all the feminism posts- I've taken part in (and started) a few WoW-gender trends in the past, but this was by far the largest and most elaborate discussion on the topic I've seen so far. Since I'm the ultimate people watcher, I especially enjoyed hearing about everyone's personal experiences.


text:
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Max. Loading Weight Limit: 35 lbs
Dimensions(w/o keyboard tray): 5.9″ ~ 19.7″(height) x 27″(width) x 23.2″(depth)
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FlexiSpot's desktop workstation provides an easy way to transition between sitting and standing throughout the workday. Our spacious desks offer a deep work surface, a wide keyboard and instant tablet integration. These quality workstations offer smooth up/down motion, twelve height adjustment settings and ergonomic monitor mount compatibility.
- Smooth adjustment with 12 height settings
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- Smart desktop with built-in tablet intergration
- Quality assured by cycling test of 6,000 height adjustments
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- Compatible with ergonomic monitor mounts
- Available in three size options and two colors (black or white)


text:
|go ahead... be a heretic
Re: From Perl to Javaby Mutant (Priest)
|on Jul 25, 2008 at 08:32 UTC ( #700056=note: print w/replies, xml )
|Need Help??
Can't say I have a lot of experience with Java, but I'm hoping to take the headlong plunge shortly, as most of the interesting work at my job is in Java these days (seems to be a bit of a trend...)
A couple of things though - as most others have already said, Java is a fairly easy language to learn. Static typing can be annoying, and you sometimes miss a few of the more powerful idioms of Perl, but that passes quickly. I also sometimes have to remind myself that where I'd normally reach for a data structure in Perl, that Java Way is to use an object hierarchy. (I think it's important to learn the "native" way of coding in a language - I've seen plenty of bad Perl code written by C programmers).
Aside from the language, the learning curve is more about all the tools around Java. You don't *have* to use an IDE, but the vast majority of Java devs do. You might also have to deal with things like Maven, Hudson, Spring, Hibernate, Tomcat and whatever the Flavour of the Month is. On top of that, you might have to get your head around SOA, ESBs, Service Orchestration and Choreography, Beans, POJOs et al. (After a while you might realise Java people like to give important sounding names to things that are relatively simple concepts, albeit with a lot of complexity in the details).
Anyway, have fun :)
In Section Seekers of Perl Wisdom


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Washington, Booker Taliaferro
Booker Taliaferro Washington, 1856–1915, American educator, b. Franklin co., Va. Washington was born into slavery; his mother was a mulatto slave on a plantation, his father a white man whom he never knew. After the Civil War, he worked in salt furnaces and coal mines in Malden, W.Va., and attended school part time, until, at 16, he was able to enter the Hampton Institute (Va.). A friend of the principal paid his tuition, and he worked as a janitor to earn his room and board. After three years (1872–75) at Hampton he taught at a school for African-American children in Malden, then studied at Wayland Seminary, Washington, D.C. Appointed (1879) an instructor at Hampton Institute (now Hampton Univ.), he was given charge of the training of 75 Native Americans, under the guidance of Gen. S. C. Armstrong. He later developed the night school.
In 1881 he was chosen to organize (and construct) an academic, agricultural, and industrial school for African Americans at Tuskegee, Ala. Under his direction, Tuskegee Institute (see Tuskegee Univ.) became one of the leading African-American educational institutions in America. Its programs emphasized industrial training as a means to attaining self-respect and economic independence for black people, and Washington continued to advocate self-help and self-sufficiency as the most effective means of improving life for African Americans.
A skilled orator, Washington gave many lectures in the interests of his work, both in the United States and in Europe, and he was counted among the ablest public speakers of his time. In 1895 at Atlanta, Ga., Washington made a highly controversial speech on the place of the African American in American life. In it he maintained that it was foolish for blacks to agitate for social equality before they had attained economic equality. His speech pleased many whites and gained financial support for his school, but his position was denounced by many African-American leaders, among them W. E. B. Du Bois.
Though many African Americans saw him as a compromiser and a reactionary, in the early years of the 20th cent. Washington was widely viewed as the main spokesman for black America. He was the organizer (1900) of the National Negro Business League, a group committed to black economic independence. He also became a trusted adviser to President Theodore Roosevelt on matters related to the African-American community, and received honorary degrees from Dartmouth and Harvard. By the time of his death, however, Washington's influence had waned considerably. Among his many published works are his autobiographies, Up From Slavery (1901, repr. 1963) and My Larger Education (1911, repr. 2008) as well as such studies as The Future of the American Negro (1899), Tuskegee and Its People (1905, repr. 1969), Life of Frederick Douglass (1907, repr. 1968), and The Story of the Negro (1909, repr. 1969).
See L. R. Harlan et al., ed. The Booker T. Washington Papers (14 vol., 1972–89); biographies by E. J. Scott and L. B. Stowe (1916, repr. 1972), B. Mathews (1948, repr. 1969), S. R. Spencer, Jr. (1955), A. Bontemps (1972), L. R. Harlan (2 vol., 1972–83), R. J. Norrell (2009), and R. W. Smock (2009); studies by H. Hawkins, ed. (1962), E. L. Thornborough, ed. (1969), L. R. Harlan (1988), and S. Mansfield (1999).


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SOLVANG GETS IT: Many a city throws a mondo to-do a few times a year; the party in question might have to do with local history or local food or local culture or a local crop or, quite often, all of the above. But in the middle of all of the walking tours and wine tastings and highbrow talks and shopping events there should be at least one major nod to something that either the city does best or is known for. Otherwise, opportunities are missed and chances are not taken and everyone is a little at a loss, residents and visitors alike.
THIS... however, has not be Solvang's path. No matter what the big festival is, you can bet that the Windmilliest City in All the Land -- feel free to TM that, Solvang, if you like -- is incorporating an afternoon or evening that completely focuses on what it is known for. Is your first answer wine? You'd be correcto, friend; the Windmilliest City in All the Land does occupy a nice little nook of Santa Ynez Wine Country. (Travel brochures might even say it is "nestled.") But Solvang also gives ample love to something it is equally known for, and that is dessert.
SWEETS, CAKES, PASTRIES: Yep, ice cream cones and aebleskivers are as common a sight around the quaint burg as signs touting wooden shoes for sale, but desserts come in all stripes in Solvang. So during Taste of Solvang -- that's happening over the middle weekend of March -- sweets get their own starring role, at the Sweets & Swing night. The swing is jazzy tunes and the sweets? It's the much beloved Dessert Reception of years gone by. Meaning you'll try a bunch of tasties all in one fell swoop. Well, we have to rock our strengths, right? And Solvang so does. Nab your $25 ticket to Sweets & Swing before they dosey-do right out the door (translation=sell out). How often are full nights devoted to what we enjoy at the end of a meal?


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Foxconn, one of Apple's leading electronics manufacturer has a hiring freeze, but it's not because of reduced orders from the iPhone.
Bruce Liu, a spokesman for Foxconn, told Bloomberg News that the decision was made because o Chinese New Year and wasn't based on iPhone 5 production -- all of which contradicts an earlier Financial Times article that said the slowdown was precisely because of reduced orders from Apple. Apple declined to comment on the stories.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
The Taipei company placed a hiring freeze in most of its factories in China and is the largest since 2009, according to the Financial Times. The average worker's time is less than 13 months, which seems to indicate a heavy turnover in only a few months. But the reality of the situation is that the hiring freeze is until March and the end of the Chinese New Year celebration. This makes sense for any Chinese company simply because they won't have an accurate head count until after the holiday, which is officially two weeks.


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(Re)Reading Lawvere theories versus classical universal algebra, I was reminded of a question I have had for quite some time:
What is the best way to present Lawvere theories?
By present, I mean give a (mathematical) description of the theory, by means of syntax. The Lawvere theory will be the denotation of that syntax.
I believe I understand the technical advantages that they provide over classical universal algebra (basically in terms of proving theorems over the models). My 'problem' is that I am trying to mechanize (parts of) mathematics. And to do that, one needs examples, which means constructing particular theories; more precisely, that means writing something down, in finite terms which denotes a theory.
Lawvere theories seems to largely abstract this away, unlike classical universal algebra, which gives quite explicit tools for writing things down explicitly. With Lawvere theories, I am reduced to figuring out how to present
a small category with finite products such that every object is isomorphic to a finite product of copies of a distinguished object x. I have read quite a bit of CT, and I have yet to find a book which gives me tools as convenient as those of universal algebra for that purpose.