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Madonna: Boys Used to Call Me 'Hairy Monster'
Madonna is speaking out about her own experience being bullied in school, her views on the "cult of celebrity" and being constantly reminded of her age.
The pop star graces the December cover of Harper's Bazaar -- on newsstands November 29 -- and gives an interview in which she talks about her self-directed movie W.E. and other aspects of her life. The film, which hits theaters December 9, is the story of Wallis Simpson, an American divorcée for whom British monarch King Edward VIII famously abdicated the throne in 1936.
"The movie is all about the cult of celebrity," Madonna said. "We like to
put people on a pedestal, give them one character trait, and if they
step outside of that shrine-like area that we blocked out for them, then
we will punish them. Wallis Simpson became famous by default, by
capturing the heart of the king, but it's obviously a subject I'm
constantly on the inside of, and the outside of."
The music icon said her experience as a celebrity is not that different from the way she felt growing up. "For some reason, I feel like I never left high school, because I still feel that if you don't fit in, you're going to get your ass kicked. That hasn't really changed for me. I've always been acutely aware of differences and the way you are supposed to act if you want to be popular."
Madonna said while in high school, she recognized that girls had to behave a certain way to get boys. "I knew I couldn't fit into that. So I decided to do the opposite. I refused to wear makeup, to have a hairstyle. I refused to shave. I had hairy armpits." As a result, she said she felt "tortured" and boys would make fun of her and call her names. "'Hairy monster.' You know, things like that."
The 53-year-old singer said she doesn't understand why the media always has to focus on her age. "I find whenever someone writes anything about me, my age is right after my name. It's almost like they're saying, 'Here she is, but remember she's this age, so she's not that relevant anymore.' Or 'Let's punish her by reminding her and everyone else.' When you put someone's age down, you're limiting them." She says her main focus is to just have fun and ignore what is said. "To continue to be a provocateur, to do what we perceive as the realm of young people, to provoke, to be rebellious, to start a revolution."
Madonna, who is currently in a relationship with young French dancer Brahim Zaibat, spoke about what is important to her in a man. "Someone to share my inner life with -- that's extremely important. It's also important that my children admire and respect this partner that I would choose for myself."


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Date(s) - Friday, April 22, 2022
8:00 am - 1:00 pm
This is a recurring event. See event description for more details.
Beach Baptist Church
130 Connecticut Street
Fort Myers Beach, Florida 33931
Add to Google Calendar
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Enjoy a variety of vendors selling fresh produce, local seafood, baked goods, BBQ, select artisans selling handmade jewelry, crafts, arts, and unique gifts EVERY Wednesday and Friday from October through May. Call or visit website for additional information.
We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of this information. However,
you should always call ahead to confirm dates, times, location, and other

subset: commoncrawl


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Mothers Against Drunk Driving is a well-organized (over 600 chapters), well-funded (IRS Form 990 shows revenue for 2002 of $48,051,441) and dangerous group of well-intentioned zealots — the very same folks who gave us Prohibition decades ago.For many years now, MADD's agenda has been clear: apply political pressure to get ever-harsher drunk driving laws, law enforcement and punishment.
But what is the final goal? When will we have reached a state when MADD is satisfied that the drunk driving laws are sufficient?
The answer is simple: zero tolerance. No drinking and driving. And, eventually, no drinking. Exaggeration? Paranoia? Let's look at a little DUI history…..
The original drunk driving laws were simple and fair: Don't drive under the influence of alcohol (DUI). Then, years ago, law enforcement came up with crude devices to measure alcohol on the breath of drunk driving suspects. But what did, say, a .13% blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) mean?They turned to the American Medical Association which, in 1938, created a "Committee to Study Problems of Motor Vehicle Accidents"; at the same time, the National Safety Council set up a "Committee on Tests for Intoxication".
After some study, these two groups came up with their findings: a driver with .15% BAC or higher could be presumed to be "under the influence"; those under .15% could not. That's right, .15%. And that recommendation lasted for 22 years. But certain groups of "concerned mothers" were not happy with the low DUI arrest and conviction rates.
Under increasing political pressure, the committees "revisited" the question in 1960 and agreed to lower the presumed level of intoxication to .10%. Had the human body changed in 22 years? Had the AMA been negligent in their earlier studies? Or were politics and law trumping scientific truth?
Well, the arrest and conviction rates shot up, but there were still too many people escaping the DUI net. Then MADD was formed by Candy Lightner (later to quit the organization and become a spokesperson for the liquor industry). Soon after, legislation began appearing in many states that created a second crime: driving with a BAC of .10% or higher.
This new crime did not require the driver to be affected by alcohol: even if sober, he would be guilty if his blood-alcohol was .10%. In effect, it completely ignored the questions of intoxication, driving impairment and individual tolerance to alcohol. And, despite questions of double jeopardy, the individual could be charged and even convicted of both the traditional DUI and the new .10% crimes! This gave police and prosecutors a powerful new weapon, and drunk driving arrests/convictions jumped once again.
This was not good enough. Under increasing pressure from an ever more powerful MADD, in 1990 four states lowered the blood-alcohol level in DUI cases to .08%; others soon followed and, ten years later, federal politicians (with one eye on MADD) passed an appropriations bill in effect coercing all states into adopting the new .08% BAC standard. Since then, Mothers Against Drunk Driving has pressured state legislatures to drop the blood-alcohol level to .05%. In the meantime, they had been successful in getting nearly universal adoption of a .01% BAC standard (termed "ero tolerance") for drivers under 21.
So where are we headed with MADD in apparent control? A federal .05% DUI standard is on the horizon and, in fact, has already been adopted to some extent in a few states. "Zero tolerance" for adult drivers is clearly on MADD's agenda.
And then?
In 1999, MADD's National Board of Directors unanimously voted to change the organization's mission statement to include the prevention of underage drinking. Not underage drinking and driving — just drinking. Let me say that again: MADD has now formally shifted its focus away from "drunk driving" and towards the broader "problem" of drinking.
Can a new era of prohibition be far behind?
The post DUI, MADD and the "New Prohibition" appeared first on Law Offices of Taylor and Taylor - DUI Central.


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Charles Gonzalez on Government ReformDemocrat |
Proponent's argument to vote Yes:Rep. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (D, FL-20): We, as Members of Congress, have responsibility not just for the institution, but for the staff that work for this institution, and to preserve the facilities that help support this institution. We have endeavored to do that responsibly, and I believe we have accomplished that goal.
Opponent's argument to vote No:Rep. SCALISE (R, LA-1): It's a sad day when someone attempts to cut spending in a bill that grows government by the size of 7%, and it's not allowed to be debated on this House floor. Some of their Members actually used the term "nonsense" and "foolishness" when describing our amendments to cut spending; they call that a delaying tactic. Well, I think Americans all across this country want more of those types of delaying tactics to slow down this runaway train of massive Federal spending. Every dollar we spend from today all the way through the end of this year is borrowed money. We don't have that money. We need to control what we're spending.
To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require States to permit individuals to register to vote in an election for Federal office on the date of the election.
OFFICIAL CONGRESSIONAL SUMMARY: Amends federal criminal law to prohibit any person from knowingly deceiving any other person regarding:
SPONSOR'S INTRODUCTORY REMARKS: Sen. OBAMA: Voter participation is fundamental to our democracy, and we must do all we can to encourage those who can to vote. I also hope voters go to the polls with accurate information about what is on the ballot, where they are supposed to vote, and what our Nation's voting laws are.
It might surprise some of you to know, but even in this awesome age of technological advancement and easy access to information, there are folks who will stop at nothing to try to deceive people and keep them away from the polls. These deceptive practices all too often target and exploit vulnerable populations, like minorities, the disabled, or the poor.
Deceptive practices often rely on a few tried and true tricks. Voters are often warned that an unpaid parking ticket will lead to their arrest or that folks with family members who have been convicted of a crime are ineligible to vote. Of course, these warnings have no basis in fact, and they are made with one goal and one goal only: to keep Americans away from the polls.
The bill I am introducing today provides the clear statutory language and authority needed to get allegations of deceptive practices investigated. It establishes harsh penalties for those found to have perpetrated them. Deceptive practices and voter intimidation are real problems and demand real solutions like those offered in my bill.
LEGISLATIVE OUTCOME:Referred to Senate Committee on Rules and Administration; never came to a vote.
Introductory statement by Sponsor:
Sen. CLINTON: I rise today to introduce legislation that will create an undergraduate institution designed to cultivate a generation of young leaders dedicated to public service. The US Public Service Academy Act (The PSA Act) will form a national academy to serve as an extraordinary example of effective, national public education.
The tragic events of September 11 and the devastation of natural disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita underscore how much our Nation depends on strong public institutions and competent civilian leadership at all levels of society. Congress must take a step forward to ensure competent civilian leadership and improve our Nation's ability to respond to future emergencies and to confront daily challenges.
This legislation will create the US Public Service Academy to groom future public servants and build a corps of capable civilian leaders. Modeled after the military service academies, this academy will provide a four-year, federally-subsidized college education for more than 5,000 students a year in exchange for a five year commitment to public service.
The PSA Act will meet critical national needs as the baby-boomer generation approaches retirement. Already, studies show looming shortages in the Federal civil service, public education, law enforcement, the non-profit sector and other essential areas.
Unfortunately our young people are priced out of public service careers all too often. By providing a service-oriented education at no cost to the student, the PSA Act will tap into the strong desire to serve that already exists among college students while erasing the burden of enormous college debt.
The establishment of a United States Public Service Academy is an innovative way to strengthen and protect America by creating a corps of well-trained, highly-qualified civilian leaders. I am hopeful that my Senate colleagues from both sides of the aisle will join me today.
Makes it unlawful for anyone before or during a federal election to knowingly communicate false election-related information about that election, with the intent to prevent another person from exercising the right to vote. Increases from one year to five years' imprisonment the criminal penalty for intimidation of voters.
Introductory statement by Sponsor:
Sen. OBAMA: This bill seeks to address the all-too-common efforts to deceive voters in order to keep them away from the polls. It's hard to imagine that we even need a bill like this. But, unfortunately, there are people who will stop at nothing to try to deceive voters and keep them away from the polls. What's worse, these practices often target and exploit vulnerable populations, such as minorities, the disabled, or the poor. We saw countless examples in this past election.
Congressional Summary:Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act (STOCK Act): Amends the Securities Exchange Act and the Commodity Exchange Act to prohibit purchase or sale of either securities or commodities by a person in possession of material nonpublic information regarding pending or prospective legislative action.
Bill explanation (ProCon.org, "Insider Trading by Congress", Feb. 3, 2012):


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=== Microformat Shiv === | === Microformat Shiv === |
Revision as of 11:19, 23 July 2013
<entry-title>Microformats Parsers</entry-title>
- shortlink
- http://ufs.cc/w/ufprs
This page lists libraries that consume, transform or convert microformats. This is only a partial list. If you know of other such tools for microformats, please add them and list what specific microformats they support. There is a separate page for validators.
Alphabetical listing by programming language:
microformats2 parsers
These are modern and maintained microformats2 parsers and are suitable for use in modern web applications.
Microformat Node
Microformat Shiv
- Microformat Shiv The microformat shiv provides a simple to use, light-weight, cross-browser microformat API. It even works with modern mobile browsers and is backward compatible with Internet Explore 6. Based on the microformat API for Mozilla's extensions. This is the same code base as the popular Operater plug-in.
- PHP generic microformats2 parser
- G5/microformats2 Ruby microformats2 parser
- github open source: https://github.com/G5/microformats2
past parsers
These are past parsers of classic microformats but which have largely not been maintained.
They may be useful as starting points for developing additional microformats2 parsers.
UfXtract is an open source .Net microformats parser. It can parse microformats from URLs or HTML strings. The extracted data can be used directly in .Net or converted into JSON, JSON-P or XML. Currently Supports 16 microformats and can easily be extended with new definitions.
- Any23 (Anything to Triples) parses microformats into RDF triples
- org.microformats.hCard by Reinier Zwitserloot
More Javascript
- Data::Microformat is a CPAN module to parse and create hCard, adr, and geo.
- By Brendan O'Connor / Six Apart
Perhaps we can capture and update this info on a page like perl-html-microformats-parser. HTML::Microformats is a CPAN module that has support for:
- input:
- output:
- RDF: RDF/XML, Turtle, N-Triples, RDF/JSON, etc.
- domain specific: vCard (3.0, 4.0 and XML), iCalendar, Atom, KML.
- By Toby Inkster.
Versions and releases notes:
- 2011-02-05 0.102
- 2010-12-22 0.101
- 2010-12-16 0.100
- 2010-10-18 0.00_13
- 2010-06-25 0.00_12
- 2010-06-23 0.00_11
- 2010-05-13 0.00_10
- 2010-05-12 0.00_09
- 2010-04-29 0.00_08
- 2010-04-28 0.00_07
- 2010-04-16 0.00_06
- 2010-04-16 0.00_05
- 2010-03-20 0.00_04
- 2010-03-09 0.00_03
- 2010-02-28 0.00_02
- 2010-02-24 0.00_01
- 2010-02-20 0.00_00
- see also the "Changes" file included in the CPAN distribution.
XML::Atom::Microformats provides the same functionality for Atom. It finds microformats in Atom entry content elements.
- Swignition is a parser for both "upper case Semantic Web" (RDF, RDFa) and "lower case semantic web" (microformats) technologies. It includes modules for exporting parsed data in a variety of formats, including RDF, vCard, iCalendar, Atom and KML.
- By Toby Inkster
- Active development has moved to HTML::Microformats (see above).
- Text::Microformat is a microformats parser hosted on Google Code that supports:
More PHP
XMFP (eXtensible MicroFormats Parser for PHP 5) by Emiliano Martínez Luque is a set of PHP 5 classes providing a simple API for extracting Microformated Content either from a URI or a String representing HTML/XML. It can return the results as a PHP associative array, a JSON definition or an XML representation of the data. It supports most of the currently accepted microformats and can be easily extended to add new ones, it also has full support of the include pattern and provides basic validation of microformated data.
hKit Microformats Toolkit for PHP5
hKit Microformats Toolkit for PHP5 as announced by Drew McLellan. See also hKit on this wiki.
PHP Microformats parser
Microformats parser is a PHP package for extracting the microformats data embedded into HTML. The gathered data is stored as an xArray of objects - one for each microformat type container found. Announcement. The parser supports most of the hCard (missing SOUND), hCalendar, hReview (missing item info; spec really needs some clarification) and rel elements, according to their respective specification on microformats Wiki.
A Simple set of XSLT and PHP tools for Transforming Microformats Source available from github Live webservice available at microform.at.
hCard Validator
Source code of the hCard Validator contains XSLT and PHP code for hCard and include microformats.
ARC2 is a semantic web toolkit which includes support for hCard, adr, geo, XFN, hCalendar, hAtom, hResume, hReview, xFolk, rel-license and rel-tag. It's tri-licensed under the GPL 2 and 3, and the W3C Software licence.
- AUMP is a parser written by David Janes. It supports hCard, hCalendar, hAtom, hReview and hListing.
- Uses Python's xml.dom.minidom after cleaning input through HTML Tidy.
- Microtron is a general-purpose microformat parser/transformer.
It can operate on the definition file included in Optimus, making it a close replacement for certain tasks, and can easily be extended with new formats without modifying the source. The primary advantages are speed (> 100x faster that Optimus for some operations), simplicity (single file) and small code size (currently < 150 lines).
python-hcalendar is a basic hCalendar parser.
More Ruby
- Prism
- by Mark Wunsch
- Library and command line tool for parsing POSH/Microformats
- Uses the Nokogiri HTML, XML, SAX, and Reader parser
mofo ruby microformats parser
- mofo, mofo Google Group, GitHub repository
- by Chris Wanstrath
- Uses the Hpricot HTML/XML parser
Microformat Parser for Ruby
- Optimus is open source XSLT that parses microformats, converts them into JSON or XML, and validates them too.
- X2V is open source XSLT for extracting microformats.
- by Brian Suda
editing this page
For now, this page copies (rather than moves) information from the existing Implementations page.


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Don't Be Left in the Dark -- Generac Holdings Is Underpriced
This article is part of our real-money portfolios series.
Were you among the millions who lost power thanks to Superstorm Sandy ? Maybe you were among millions who lost power from the derecho storm that moved from the Midwest to the mid-Atlantic last summer. Or maybe you've been prey to a local power outage caused by a tree getting blown over in a summer thunderstorm?
Regardless, you are almost certainly among the many who have, at one time or another, experienced a loss of electrical power lasting anywhere from a few hours to many days. And, you may even realize that this has been increasing in frequency over the past several years. Below is a graph showing the number of outages affecting 50,000 or more customers in the United States since 2000.
Source: Electric Disturbance Event annual reports, Office of Electricity Delivery & Energy Reliability, DOE.
One thing that will certainly improve that situation is for us to rebuild the electrical power infrastructure in this country. But that will likely take years (and lots of arguments). In the meantime, many will buy backup generators. And the leading company in that space is Generac Holdings .
What it does
Generac's been around for over 50 years, but it's only been a public company since early 2010 . It manufacturers backup power generators for homes, RVs, and commercial and industrial customers. Its portable generators are used to bring power and light to places that need it temporarily (e.g., nighttime road construction). And it can connect its permanent generators to a natural gas line and use that as fuel, automatically switching on when you lose power. Currently, it owns about 70% market share for home standby generators, according to Generac's market research.
Not only is keeping your home powered important to you, but keeping the power on is a necessity for businesses. For example, restaurants, grocers, and convenience stores all need to store food at controlled temperatures and can lose thousands of dollars if their power is off for too long. Hospitals need to keep critical equipment running. This is an underserved market that Generac is going after.
The opportunity
Even if we were just talking about an aging electric grid, the opportunity for the company is quite large. Add in the fact that we're experiencing more severe weather and how that affects electrical power reliability, and the opportunity expands just a bit.
Further, with the housing recovery finally gaining traction -- and thus homeowners more willing to invest in their homes -- and with cheap and plentiful natural gas to hook into the generators, the timing for investing in this company looks pretty good. Finally, the company just acquired Ottomotores , which gives it a foothold in Latin America as it moves internationally.
Dark clouds
Of course, investing is never 100% sunshine. Other means of generating one's own power (think rooftop or even portable solar panels), especially at small businesses like the ones Generac is going after, could short-circuit some of the company's plans. Then there's the tendency for memories to fade. Jerry Revich of Goldman Sachs downgraded Generac to sell recently, writing, "Generator sales typically peak within nine months of a big storm like Sandy." That can certainly be true, but that's a short-term outlook. The number of large outages per year is on a decade-long upward swing, as shown above, and that should drive the company's business forward for several years, at least.
Out-of-synch expectations
It certainly has over the past few years. Generac has grown revenue at an average rate of 26% per year for the past three years, with earnings growing even faster at better than 29% per year on average. Yet analysts are expecting less than half that growth for the next few years. And the current price shows that the market is expecting only 9% growth in free cash flow over the next few years (discounted at 15%). Given the opportunity, and what I view as a trend in its favor, those expectations seem low. Therefore, I'll be buying shares of Generac for my Messed-Up Expectations portfolio.
Come and discuss these and other investments on my Messed-Up Expectations discussion board.
With the U.S. relying on the rest of the world for such a large percentage of our goods, many investors are ready for the end of the "made in China" era. Well, it may be here. Read all about the biggest industry disrupters since the personal computer in "3 Stocks to Own for the New Industrial Revolution." Just click here to learn more.
This article is part of our real-money portfolios series, where we give some of our most promising stock analysts cold, hard cash to manage on the Fool's behalf. We'd like you to track our performance and benefit from these real-money, real-time free stock picks. See all of our analysts (and their portfolios).
The article Don't Be Left in the Dark -- Generac Holdings Is Underpriced originally appeared on Fool.com.
Jim Mueller has no position in any stocks mentioned. He's an analyst for the Motley Fool Stock Advisor newsletter service. 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.
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Linear system partners mechanical expertise with engineering competencies
Wittenstein's RP+ linear system offers modular, standardized rack, pinion system capable of transferring higher maximum feeding forces.
The compact RP+ drive solution is inspired by market demand for a modular, standardized rack and pinion system capable of transferring higher maximum feeding forces; Wittenstein has partnered alpha mechanical expertise with superior engineering competencies to produce a reliable and high performing linear system for custom design.
The combination of gearbox, pinion and rack represents intelligent integration of specifically developed drive components. The rack assembly of the RP+ is the alpha high performance rack, characterized by high precision and optimal power transmission. Utilizing this rack results in a quiet-running solution which is weight- and noise-optimized. The gearbox and pinion components of the RP+ system are unique to the design, significantly increasing allowable torques. The high forces produced by the meshing of rack and pinion teeth are controlled more effectively, improving system rigidity and positioning accuracy.
The RP+ linear system is suited for high performing automation applications such as those found in the metal forming/cutting industries.
Wittenstein can help design a system with cymex, a servo sizing software for mechanical optimization. The result of cymex optimization is controllable drive technology in the form of an optimal gearhead, pinion and rack combination matched to your particular motor.
– Edited by Gust Gianos, Control Engineering, www.controleng.com
Do you have experience and expertise with the topics mentioned in this content? You should consider contributing to our CFE Media editorial team and getting the recognition you and your company deserve. Click here to start this process.


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August 24, 2007
May 18, 2007
Chicken Fried Bacon
chicken fried bacon (with a side of cream gravy) | Originally uploaded by yi.
I had to take a day trip to Bryan, Texas and decided to stop by nearby Snook to feast on the famed Chicken Fried Bacon (CFB) at Sodolak's Original Country Inn. They are also famous for their steaks that you order by the pound and most are larger than your face.
Check out this video from Texas Country Reporter:
The CFB was surprisingly light and flaky; not greasy at all. It was served with a side of cream gravy for dipping which made the whole dish taste like breakfast. Delicious!
Sodolak's Original Country Inn
9711 FM 60 Rd E
Snook, TX 77879
(979) 272-6002
Closed on Sundays
April 13, 2007
Weird Meat dot com
weirdmeat.com is a fabulous blog about a world traveler's encounters with meats (and non-meats).
So far I've survived all of my "weird meat" experiences. In fact, I've rarely gotten a stomach ache after these experiments. I've eaten dog, cat, rat, cockroach, camel penis, bee larve, scorpions, spiders, night hawk, and pre-born duck embryo without feeling ill. Can't say the same for Taco Bell or McDonalds.


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It was an unexpected and very lucky day for me at the Semi Finals of the Cartier Polo. The weather was rubbish but the heavy rain stayed away until we were in the car on the way home. And the wonderful Avenue 32 were one of the sponsors. To my delight they had invited some of the best dressed people there which made my life easier than it would have been otherwise. And to top it all off the lovely Roberta invited us to join them which was such a sweet gesture. Thank you Roberta.
The rest of the images I shot for Vogue can be seen here.


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VIDEO: Bishops named for new Diocese of West Yorkshire and the Dales
The Revd Dr Toby Howarth, currently Secretary for Inter Religious Affairs to the Archbishop of Canterburyand National Inter Religious Affairs Adviser for the Church of England will be the Bishop of Bradford.
The Revd Dr Jonathan Gibbs, currently Rector of Heswall in the Diocese of Chester, will be the first ever Bishop of Huddersfield. This is a new bishopric covering the local authority areas of Calderdale and Kirklees and is one of five areas in the diocese, which each have their own bishop.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdDiocesan Bishop Nick Baines said: "I am delighted with these appointments which complete our team of bishops.
"They bring wide experience, great expertise and substantial gifts to our leadership and ministry as we build the new diocese.
"Both will bring important outside perspectives to this complex task and help bring bishops closer to the ground in parishes and local communities.
"Toby Howarth brings expertise in teaching, pastoral care, leadership and interfaith relations at parish, national and international level.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad"This is an important appointment for the Church of England and for Bradford where he will serve as Area Bishop.
"Jonathan Gibbs brings to this new office wide experience at parish, diocesan, national and international level. He has been a committed parish priest and has served in a variety of contexts.
"His appointment is hugely welcome as he establishes the new episcopal area of Huddersfield."
Toby Howarth and Jonathan Gibbs will both be consecrated as bishops in a service at York Minster on Friday October 17 at 11am, conducted by the Archbishop of York.


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Governor George E. Pataki, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg were joined by representatives from Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), Downtown Alliance, Association for a Better New York, Partnership for New York City and other Lower Manhattan business leaders today to mark the commencement of construction on the first phase of the MTA's Fulton Street Transit Center (FSTC).
"The Fulton Transit Center complex, coupled with the new World Trade Center Transportation Hub, will connect virtually every mode of transit in Lower Manhattan – from ferry service at the World Financial Center's North Cove to the west, to eleven MTA subway lines that serve Lower Manhattan as far east as William Street," Governor Pataki said. "This project fulfills the promise we made to the business community after 9/11 – to make getting around downtown easier and more seamless. In addition to dramatically improving travel into and out of the nation's third largest central business district, this project will make the complex accessible to the disabled and will ensure Lower Manhattan's rightful spot as the financial capital of the world. We are particularly grateful to President Bush and to Congress for having provided the necessary resources to make this project a reality."
"The new Fulton Street Transit Center will vastly improve Lower Manhattan's connections to the rest of the City and to the entire region, and will be pivotal in realizing our Administration's vision of transforming Lower Manhattan into a vibrant, 24-hour neighborhood," said Mayor Bloomberg. "When this federally funded project is completed some three years from now, it will make access to the streets and the station platforms, and transfers from line to line, vastly simpler and more convenient for hundreds of thousands of people every day. With leadership from the Governor, and with the cooperation of our partners in Washington and in the private sector, this project and every element of our vision is becoming a reality. By continuing to work together, we are ensuring that the best days for Lower Manhattan and all of New York are still to come."
MTA Chairman Peter S. Kalikow said, "Today marks a critical milestone in our efforts to improve mobility in Lower Manhattan. The start of construction on the Dey Street Concourse marks the beginning of one of the most comprehensive intermodal transportation projects in the history of New York City."
The Dey Street concourse is the first of several elements to commence construction as part of the overall Fulton Street Transit Center. Other elements include the renovation of the Fulton Street 2/3, 4/5 subway stations; the creation of new ADA street entries to the FSTC complex; the construction of a new Transit Center entry building and the incorporation of the restored historic Corbin Building into the Center, a feature that will create a dramatic and dignified entrance to the subways on John Street.
The 2/3 and southern portions of the 4/5 station rehab are expected to be completed in 2006, and the Dey Street concourse will be open to the public in 2007. When fully completed in 2008, the Fulton Street Transit Center will provide improved light, air and an easy way finding for the over 275,000 daily riders who use the Fulton Street 2/3, 4/5, A/C and J/M/Z station complex every day. As it exists today, the complex is the busiest in Lower Manhattan, and the number of daily riders is expected to swell as the World Trade Center site takes shape.
As currently configured, the complex is a jumble of subway lines built by competing transit companies in the early 20th century, resulting in a tangle of subsurface corridors, stairways, ramps and narrow passageways that are difficult and confusing to navigate, even for the most seasoned travelers. Adding to the confusion are passengers transferring among the lines who are distributed unevenly on platforms, creating boarding and service delays, particularly on the busy Lexington Avenue 4/5 lines.
Above ground, the many narrow, congested and poorly identified subway entrances, either opening to the street or inside buildings, will be corrected. The completed project will also provide relief to the congested sidewalks and streets that now afford the only links from subways to the World Trade Center site and World Financial Center.
Federal Transit Administrator Jennifer L. Dorn said, "We have worked side-by-side with City and State officials to better connect the different subway lines that serve this important area and make it easier for the thousands of commuters who rely on Fulton Street to get into and out of the station. Better connecting passengers to New York's subway system is key to our efforts to rebuild Lower Manhattan."
Alliance for Downtown New York Acting President William Bernstein said, "The new Fulton Street Transit Center will greatly enhance Downtown's transportation infrastructure, accommodating over 275,000 daily passengers. Downtown workers, residents and visitors will all benefit from the transformation of the current maze of intersecting lines into a station that will be easy to navigate and will connect to the new WTC Transportation Hub."
Association for a Better New York Chairman William C. Rudin said, "The Fulton Transit Center plays a critical role in the ongoing redevelopment of Lower Manhattan, by helping to make a smoother and more efficient commute for hundreds of thousands of residents, workers and visitors. Transportation infrastructure is of the highest priority in order to keep Downtown's competitive advantage."
Brookfield Properties President & CEO Ric Clark said, "The connectivity and accessibility of Downtown's critical transportation lines is a very important step in the rebuilding of Lower Manhattan. The Fulton Transit Center will be invaluable in allowing the business community to tap into one of Downtown's inherent advantages, extensive subway services."
Construction of the Fulton Street Transit Center will be overseen by the MTA Capital Construction Company. Renderings, additional information and schedules are available at www.mta.info and www.LowerManhattan.info.


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On this day in 1915, British and French forces launch an ill-fated naval attack on Turkish forces in the Dardanelles, the narrow, strategically vital strait in northwestern Turkey separating Europe from Asia.
As the only waterway between the Black Sea in the east and the Mediterranean Sea in the west, the Dardanelles was a much-contested area from the beginning of the First World War. The stakes for both sides were high: British control over the strait would mean a direct line to the Russian navy in the Black Sea, enabling the supply of munitions to Russian forces in the east and facilitating cooperation between the two allies. The Allies were also competing with the Central Powers for support in the Balkans, and the British hoped that a victory against Turkey would persuade one or all of the neutral states of Greece, Bulgaria and Romania to join the war on the Allied side. Finally, as British Foreign Secretary Edward Grey put it, the approach of such a powerful Allied fleet towards the heart of the Ottoman Empire might provoke a coup d'etat in Constantinople—leading Turkey to abandon the Central Powers and return to its earlier neutrality.
Support from the rest of the British war command came none too soon for Winston Churchill, the British first lord of the Admiralty, who had long been a proponent of an aggressive naval assault against Turkey at the Dardanelles. Though others—especially the French military command, led by their chief, Joseph Joffre—argued that the navy should not strike until ground troops could be spared from the Western Front, Churchill pushed to begin immediately. The attack, planned throughout the winter of 1915, opened on March 18, 1915, when six English and four French battleships headed towards the strait.
The Turks were not unaware, however, that an Allied naval attack on the strait was a strong possibility, and with German help, had greatly improved their defenses in the region. Though the Allies had bombarded and destroyed the Turkish forts near the entrance to the Dardanelles in the days leading up to the attack, the water was heavily mined, forcing the Allied navy to sweep the area before its fleet could set forth. The minesweepers did not manage to clear the area completely, however: three of the 10 Allied battleships—the British Irresistible and Ocean and the French Bouvet—were sunk, and two more were badly damaged.
With half the fleet out of commission, the remaining ships were pulled back. Though Churchill argued for the attack to be renewed the next day, claiming—erroneously, as it turned out—that the Turks were running low on munitions, the Allied war command opted to delay the naval attack at the Dardanelles and combine it with a ground invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula, which bordered the northern side of the strait.
The Allied landing on Gallipoli, which took place on April 25, 1919, met with a fierce Turkish defense inspired by Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal (the future president of Turkey, later known as Ataturk) and directed skillfully by the German commander Otto Liman von Sanders. For the remainder of the year, Allied forces, including large contingents from Australia and New Zealand, were effectively held at the beaches where they had landed, hampered by cautious and ineffective leadership from their British commander, Sir Ian Hamilton. Hamilton was replaced near the end of 1915 by Charles Monro; Monro recommended that the Allies abandon the operation, and the armies were fully evacuated by the end of January 1916. The failure of the campaign at the Dardanelles and at Gallipoli in 1915 resulted in heavy casualties—205,000 for the British empire and 47,000 for the French (there were also 250,000 Turkish casualties)—and was a serious blow to the reputation of the Allied war command, including that of Churchill, who resigned his position with the Admiralty after being demoted and headed to the Western Front to command a battalion.
Taken from: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/allies-open-attack-on-dardanelles [18.03.2013]


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This article is more than 1 year old
Elders tell cluster tool Apache Spark it's time to quit chillin' in the crib
Hadoop Swiss Army knife software graduates from Incubator to full-blown project
The Apache Foundation has promoted a fast data-processing tool out of the Apache Incubator in a further sign of the maturity of the Hadoop family.
Apache Spark is a fast processing layer for computing data stored within the open-source Hadoop file system or other shared file systems such as NFS. It supports Scala, Java, and Python. In some tests it has demonstrated a speedup of 100 times over Hadoop when dealing with in-memory sets, and 10 times for hard-disk-held data.
On Sunday, Spark was unanimously voted to graduate from the Incubator, and some of those voting included Hadoop luminaries such as the technology's creator Doug Cutting.
Now that Spark has been promoted, a project management committee will be established for the software, and Databricks co-founder and former AMP Lab PHD student Matei Zaharia will be appointed to the role of 'Vice President, Apache Spark".
Like Hadoop, Spark has become the foundation for other data-processing engines as well, such as Shark for SQL-on-Hadoop queries, MLib for machine learning, Spark Streaming for dealing with streaming data, and GraphX for graph processing.
Some of the technology's users include Baidu, Databricks, IBM's Almaden research group, TrendMicro, Yahoo! and Alibaba.
The graduation of Apache Spark caps off a vertiginous rise for the data-processing system, which was created at the University of California at Berkeley's AMPLab in 2009 and was published as open source in 2010.
Since then, the system has gained a vigorous developer community, and more than 120 developers from 25 companies contribute source code. There seems to be enough activity around the software for businesses to smell money – as last week Hadoop hothouse Cloudera announced commercial support for the tool. ®


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Pat Robertson Quotes on Alzheimer's Rebuked by Christian Leaders
Evangelical Christian leaders are condemning the recent quotes by Christian Broadcasting Network chairman Pat Robertson who told viewers Tuesday that divorcing a spouse with Alzheimer's disease is justifiable.
"I'm just flabbergasted," Joel Hunter, pastor of the 15,000-member Northland Church in Orlando, Fla., told ABC News. "I just don't know how anyone who is reading Scripture or is even familiar with the traditional wedding vows can come out with a statement like that."
Hunter continued, "Obviously, we can all rationalize the legitimacy for our own comfort that would somehow make it OK to divorce our spouse if circumstances become very different or inconvenient. ... That's almost universal, but there's just no way you can get out of what Jesus says about marriage."
Robertson said on Tuesday's "700 Club" program, "I hate Alzheimer's. It is one of the most awful things because, here is a loved one, this is the woman or man that you have loved for 20, 30, 40 years, and suddenly, that person is gone. They're gone. They are gone."
The former televangelist added that Alzheimer's "is a kind of death."
"It's not death, and so we can't start describing things as death that are really not death, and we have to stop trying to mischaracterize what Scripture says for our own convenience," Hunter countered.
ABC News also spoke with Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE).
According to Anderson, marriage is a lifelong and faithful commitment between a man and a woman that calls for the couple to endure good times and bad.
Anderson referred to the book of Corinthians when he spoke with ABC News, saying, "The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. You can't quit your own body with Alzheimer's, so you shouldn't quit your husband's or wife's body either."
Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, reacted to Robertson's comments on Twitter, writing, "This is what happens when you abandon Scripture and do theology and morality by your gizzard. Let's call it what it is."
John Piper, of Desiring God Ministries, also commented on Twitter, writing, "Pat Robertson's view of how Christ loves the church and gives himself for her. Leave her for another."
Robertson, without citing any Scriptural support, said that a man with a wife suffering from Alzheimer's "should divorce and start all over."
Co-host Terry Meeuwsen appeared alarmed by Robertson's comments. She interjected, noting that couples vow to remain together "for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer."
Robertson responded that if people respect those vows they will also keep in mind the part that says "until death do us part," which is when he added that Alzheimer's "is a kind of death."
The controversial "700 Club" host also said he would not put a "guilt trip" on someone who divorced for such a reason.
However, before deserting your spouse with a debilitating disease, make sure they have "custodial care" and someone to look after them, Robertson said.
Robertson's comments were in response to the following question submitted by a "700 Club" viewer:
I have a friend whose wife suffers from Alzheimer's. She doesn't even recognize him anymore, and, as you can imagine, the marriage has been rough. My friend has gotten bitter at God for allowing his wife to be in that condition, and now he's started seeing another woman. He says that he should be allowed to see other people, because his wife as he knows her is gone… I'm not quite sure what to tell him. Please help.
After expressing his viewpoint, the former televangelist offered this disclaimer to the viewer who submitted the question, "Get some ethicist besides me to give you the answer."
Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually even the ability to carry out the simplest tasks, according to the National Institute on Aging.


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More Jamaican controversy. Apparently Jamaican track athletes tested positive for a stimulant, however information is murky. (AP) This is the problem with athletes from the Island: murky procedures that keep the world doubting the athletes.
"We are following the matter. We are not saying anything today," IAAF secretary general Pierre Weiss said at the federation's congress on Wednesday.
The IAAF would have liked to have dealt with the issue well ahead of their biennial championships and has been sharply critical of the way the Jamaicans have addressed the situation and the lack of urgency with which it has been transmitting information.
"It is an amazing situation we are facing," said IAAF council member Helmut Digel.
Jamaica's Anti-Doping Commission said Monday it will appeal a ruling that had cleared five Jamaicans after a disciplinary panel appointed by the island's sports minister found there wasn't enough evidence to prove substance abuse.
The runners had previously been identified as Yohan Blake, Sheri-Ann Brooks, Allodin Fothergill, Lansford Spence and Marvin Anderson.
They reportedly tested positive for the stimulant methylhexanamine. The disciplinary panel cleared Brooks last week and she is on the provisional list to compete in the 100 meters on Sunday.
The IAAF had hoped to receive information from the Jamaican federation right after Monday's ruling, and has a review panel ready to assess the case on short notice. As long as no information is forthcoming, it cannot tackle the issue.


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Tel Aviv on the Seine Flushes Out the Slithery Creatures — Part 1
It's the 14th edition of Paris Plages, a charming operation that transforms the banks of the Seine, from the Quai du Louvre all the way to rue de Crimée, into a summer playground. From mid-July to mid-August the quais are dressed up as sandy "beaches" with deck chairs, picnic tables, fun & games, rental bikes for kids, restaurants, cafés, ice cream stands, a lending library, and—for want of a dip in the river—a stretch of cool-off mist. It's all done in nice French taste with a pretty blue & white striped and bright yellow color scheme, t-shirted monitors, and an international crowd.
One day each summer a guest country is invited to bring an exotic accent to the Paris Plages river beach. Tomorrow, August 13th, it's Tel Aviv sur la Seine and, don't you know, the slithery creatures are climbing up the riverbanks, determined to strangle the very thought of Tel Aviv and the Israel that goes with it. From pseudo-intellectual analyses of the stalemate in the peace process, attributed exclusively to Israel, to ill-concealed threats to smash up the whole thing if the City Hall doesn't cancel it, the "debate" spins around a few simplistic notions. Should Tel Aviv be coddled because it's not really Israel, it's more of a Levantine Paris on the Mediterranean, populated by peace-making leftist gay-friendly secular progressives who detest Netanyahu like we do, or should Tel Aviv be kicked off the river bank until it can be kicked out of the world, no less guilty than the last baby-burning Occupier on a West Bank hilltop whose army massacred all of Gaza one year ago.
The pathetic postman Olivier Besancenot, whose moribund anti-capitalist party [NPA] was revived last year by acting as straw man for Islamic protests against the Protective Border Operation, is ready to lead another rampage tomorrow. The Euro-Palestine site is in a state of volcanic anti-Zionist eruption. An anti-Tel Aviv petition boasts of 23,000 signatures. Riot police have been mobilized and no one knows how they will handle an ambulatory population of Zionists, non-Zionists, anti-Zionists, tourists, and caliphators moving along a narrow band between the river and the quais. To make things merrier, Euro-Palestine reports that the préfecture has authorized a mixed salad of Palestinian tifosi to hold a Gaza Beach demonstration on a stretch of the riverbank that runs from Châtelet, where the commuter trains roll in from the banlieue, and the Notre Dame bridge, where the Tel Aviv beach begins.
Resisting pressure from members of her governing coalition and beyond, the Socialist mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, currently vacationing in her native Spain, stands by Tel Aviv…after a fashion. The idea of inviting Tel Aviv germinated, she says, during her visit to Israel last May. I was there when our mayor, smartly dressed in black set off with a raspberry red jacket, addressed the opening ceremony of the 5th Global Forum for Combatting Antisemitism, organized in Jerusalem by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Speaking alternatively in French and English the mayor expressed her affection for Israel, its startups, its warmth, and vibrant energy. She was no less enthusiastic about French Jews, without whom France would not be France.
Indeed, that is the aim and purpose of domestic and foreign caliphators working to conquer, beyond a little stretch of riverbank, whole neighborhoods, the entire city, and turn the country into something that would not be France. The wedge of that operation is sic the Jews!
Nothing to do with antisemitism, perish the thought. Personally, I don't ferret out antisemites, and I like to call people what they call themselves. So let's see how and why they won't let us enjoy a falafel on the river bank tomorrow. The general idea is that there's something indecent about hosting Tel Aviv so soon after "an 18 month-old Palestinian baby was burned alive by Jewish extremists." Not to mention last year's massacres in Gaza.
Danielle Simonnet (Parti de Gauche), a member of the mayor's coalition, denounces the "cynicism" of honoring "a festive Tel-Aviv… one year after the massacres in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli State and army while the government intensifies its policy of colonization …" Furthermore, she laments, there was nothing planned with "Israeli humanists," no debate on the condition of the Palestinians! "Tel-Aviv is not Copacabana," she blurted out in a radio interview. "Tel-Aviv is the capital of Israel!"
The mayor's defense is curiously close to Simmonet's attack. Tel-Aviv shouldn't be confused with the State of Israel. The Paris Plages invitation is in no way a show of support for Benyamin Netanyahu's conservative government. Tel Aviv is appreciated for its night life, it welcomes sexual minorities, it's so progressive that all the intolerant people in Israel detest it! What's more, the mayor congratulates Tel Aviv for the most impressive demonstrations of solidarity with the "Palestinian child burned alive by fanatics."
Bruno Julliard, who worked his way up rather quickly from student rabble rouser to a major role on Mayor Hidalgo's team, is more succinct: "There should be no confusion between the brutal policies of the Israeli government and the city of Tel-Aviv, whose residents and elected officials take a progressive stand on the Israel-Palestine conflict."
A few rare voices were heard from political figures on the right. Congratulating the mayor on her refusal to give in to pressure, Eric Ciotti [Les Républicains] is outraged by the controversy fueled by the far left "with anti-Semitic undercurrents." Claude Goasguen, unfailing friend of Israel, goes one giant step further, asking how Tel-Aviv, which is something more than a beach, can be distinguished from the State of Israel. "I don't think the residents of Tel-Aviv refused to defend their country when it was victim of Hamas rockets."
Law enforcement, apparently, is far more concerned about the possibilities of uncontrollable violence like they had to deal with last summer, than with the geopolitical niceties of Tel Aviv as opposed to Israel, the colonies, and all that. An unidentified riot policeman admits that they are all thinking about the "antisemitic climate" that raged in Sarcelles in July of last year. While the police are stalking potential troublemakers on social media and with phone taps, elected officials, political cartoonists, militants, and commentators are stoking the flames. Or gently stirring them.
In a Libération op-ed, Alexandra Schwarzbrod cautions: As important as it is to denounce the Occupation and clamor for dismantlement of the colonies that deprive Palestinians of a future, it is just as important to refrain from stigmatizing everything Israeli. The reaction to the "premeditated destruction of a Palestinian family burned alive by what some in Israel call 'Jewish jihadists'" is understandable. One might question the wisdom of the Mayor of Paris of inviting Tel Aviv a year after a war "between the Israeli army and the Palestinians of Hamas left Gaza in ruins." But, she concludes, contact should be maintained with secular, open-minded Israelis "revolted by the occupation and the climate of intolerance that ravages their country."
Socialist deputy Alexis Bachelay brought the debate to incandescence. Tel Aviv on the Seine, he tweeted, is tantamount to Pretoria on the Seine in the days of apartheid South Africa. Heating up from tweet to tweet, Bachelay opined that the South African apartheid regime was probably gentler than Israel's Far Right government with its "separate development" in the form of the separation fence and the colonies. In a last attempt to clarify his statements, Bachelay explained that he was referring to last year's Gaza conflict; a level of force never used by the "militarization of apartheid."
The poor guy went too far. Fellow Socialist Jérôme Guedj awarded him a gold medal for the most idiotic tweet. I too congratulate him for displaying the crude inner pyrotechnics that are feeding this controversy and driving the anti-Zionists crazy. One thinks Tel Aviv is the capital of Israel, Bachelay knows the Israeli government is worse than apartheid South Africa, another pinches his nose over Netanyahu's "brutal politics" and most of them hug Tel Aviv as if it were an annex to the Quartier Latin.
What will tomorrow bring? A standoff, a clash, or maybe a thunderstorm. A real one, the kind nature produces.
Next year they could invite Iran. There's nothing controversial about Tehran's unsullied beaches and they can work out the details when President Rohani will be the guest of President Hollande this November.


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Lincoln's Logic on Slavery Applied to Abortion
On January 12, 2009 Samantha Heiges, age 23, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for drowning her newborn in Burnsville, Minnesota. If she had arranged for a doctor to kill the child a few weeks earlier she would be a free woman.
What are the differences between this child before and after birth that would justify its protection just after birth but not just before? There are none. This is why Abraham Lincoln's reasoning about slavery is relevant in ways he could not foresee. He wrote:
You say A. is white, and B. is black. It is color, then; the lighter, having the right to enslave the darker? Take care. By this rule, you are to be slave to the first man you meet, with a fairer skin than your own.
You do not mean color exactly? You mean the whites are intellectually the superiors of the blacks, and, therefore have the right to enslave them? Take care again. By this rule, you are to be slave to the first man you meet, with an intellect superior to your own.
But, say you, it is a question of interest; and, if you can make it your interest; you have the right to enslave another. Very well. And if he can make it his interest, he has the right to enslave you. ("Fragments: On Slavery")
There are no morally relevant differences between white and black or between child-in-the-womb and child-outside-the-womb that would give a right to either to enslave or kill the other.
(via Justin Taylor)


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1. COMPILE YOUR BUCKET LIST NOW– NOT WHEN YOU ARE SERIOUSLY CONTEMPLATING YOUR OWN MORTALITY. This is the best way there is to discern and get clarity on where your priorities really are and to what hidden parts of you have been denied all of these years. Then, start doing those things now. Guess what? You are now living the dream.
- REDEFINE "WEALTH" ACCORDING TO PRIORITIES FOUND IN # 1. For me, wealth is discretionary time and freedom. It's the likelihood and ability to do the things I want to now, not "when I retire in 40 years." The truth is our friend, and the truth is that there are no guarantees. Do you really want your life to begin decades from now?
- REMOVE THE CLUTTER. It affects your attitude and potential. If I hang on to every purchase I've ever made, " because I might need it someday" or " I might lose everything", it creates an attitude of scarcity and fear. I'm the worst about this. Every object has sentimental value, but I live in a small house, and if I don't get rid of the things I haven't used in a year, my precious living- space becomes an episode of Hoarders. There is another reason: Even though I tell myself I'm a disorganized artist, the clutter affects my mental clarity, discipline, and peace. I don't want to have to double the size of my house every 10 years simply to store my " things." Think of all of the people living in huge warehouse- type houses, who are under water on their mortgages.
- LIVE A LIFE THAT ALLOWS FOR MORE OPPORTUNITY AND CHANGE. What if the opportunity of a lifetime presents itself today? Could you pick up and go follow it tomorrow?
- AS A COROLLARY TO NUMBERS 1-4, LIVE A LIFE THAT IS FREE. Debt- free, cage- free, worry- free, clutter free. It's freakishly weird, but almost every adult in my extended family growing up was a banker. They all said the same thing: "If you don't have the cash to buy it, don't buy it." Obviously, I am not suggesting going off the grid. For anyone not Amish, that could present an obstacle or two. But, it's a matter of degree, isn't it? One or two credit cards may be necessary, but 6-10, may be quicksand.
- LOOSEN THE GRIP. I have my first dime, and my second and my third. I want to be ready for emergencies, so I tend to not spend, even if it might be critical for my long term well being. This stems from the delusion that if I am cautious nothing bad will happen. But, while I'm trying to control everything, I'm not discovering, learning, or living. It helps me to remember that my material possessions aren't really mine. They come from the Source of Infinite Wealth to be funneled through me to go where they need to go, and eventually replenished. If God doesn't call the equipped, but equips the called, I will have what I need when I need it, as I continue on my journey of discovery. My job is to stay limber, stay ready and await further instructions:)


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WASHINGTON — In the past several decades, the number of private and recreational pilots across the country has plummeted, as has the number of small aircraft being manufactured — trends that some say have been accelerated by increasingly strict federal regulations.
If the decline continues, it will spell trouble for entrepreneurs such as Austin Heffernan, who runs an aircraft maintenance and repair company in Hagerstown, Md. He was one of several small-business owners asked to testify last week during a congressional hearing on the state of the general aviation industry.
"We see many more pilots leaving general aviation than we see new pilots getting started," Heffernan told the House Small Business Committee, later adding that those pilots "are the main market for many of the on-airport small businesses that make up the general aviation industry."
In addition to maintenance firms such as Heffernan's, which employs 14 people, the industry includes thousands of flight training schools, parts manufacturers and air cargo companies, the vast majority of which are small firms, according to data collected by the Small Business Administration. Those businesses depend on pilots to buy their products and services — and that has become a serious problem.
Since 1980, the number of pilots in the country has nosedived from about 827,000 in 1980 to 617,000, according to the Frederick, Md.-based Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. During about the same period, data from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association in Washington show that production of single-engine planes plunged from 14,000 per year to fewer than 700.
Some have attributed the declines to rising fuel prices, waning interest and heightened flying restrictions following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Others say the recent economic downturn has left fewer people with discretionary income, further accelerating the decline in the past few years.
But at the hearing last week, Heffernan and other employers pinned the blame largely on federal regulators, who they say have built a complex maze of red tape and bureaucratic hurdles that deter pilots from obtaining and renewing their licenses, which hurts small businesses like theirs and the broader aviation industry.
"One of the biggest problems facing us is the pilot population, and putting more requirements in front of people that stop them from flying is a real problem," John Uczekaj, chief executive of Aspen Avionics, a small aviation electronics firm in Albuquerque, said during the hearing. Among the most onerous hurdles for pilots, he said, is the Federal Aviation Administration's medical certification requirements.
Under the current rules, private and recreational pilots under age 40 must pass a comprehensive medical exam every five years. Once they hit 40, the renewals are good for only two years.
The requirement is "a definite detractor to business," Heffernan told the committee. He and several lawmakers noted that the closest individuals come to a medical exam when obtaining a driver's license is usually a vision test. Meanwhile, most boat operators do not need any medical certifications.
Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y., a pilot himself, called the rules an arbitrary intrusion into the lives of private pilots. Collins recently sponsored legislation that would allow many non-commercial pilots to use their driver's licenses in lieu of medical exams, as long as they fly small planes, carry fewer than six passengers and stay below certain speed and altitude limits. A similar proposal was submitted directly to the FAA two years ago by aviation groups, but the agency has not issued a response.
While FAA officials did not reply to requests for comment, the agency's administrator, Michael Huerta, last month apologized in a letter to AOPA for failing to take action yet on the proposal. He did not, however, set a date to address the matter, and he emphasized the importance of ensuring "that such an unprecedented change will not result in any adverse impact that could lead to degradation in safety."
Kenneth Button, a professor and director of the Center for Transportation, Policy, Operations and Logistics at George Mason University, issued a similar safety warning during his testimony last week. He argued that an accident in the air generally leaves pilots in a more precarious position than those on the road.
"One involves two-dimensional safety, one involves three-dimensional safety," Button said. "Have a heart attack in an airplane, and you're coming down. Have a heart attack in a Winnebago, and you drive to the side of the road."
Committee Chairman Sam Graves, R-Mo., pushed back, arguing that he "could make the same generality the other way around — you have a heart attack in a Winnebago, you're going to cross the line and kill somebody." Graves later urged the FAA to do "a much better job of working with stakeholders so it can better meet the needs of those it regulates and boost the industry, rather than drag it down."
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The Gear Of Gears
Drawing from Pendulum-era armaments, a modern COG arsenal, and weapons of Locust origins, the Gears of War franchise knows how to keep combat fresh and exciting. Gears of War 3 will be no exception. Browse through the gallery below to check out some of the new gear you'll be employing in GoW 3, including the Pendulum Wars Lancer, Sawed-off Shotgun, One-Shot Rifle, Incendiary Grenade, Multi-Turret, Digger Launcher, and the all-new Silverback exoskeleton.
(remember to click images in the gallery for full size versions)


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Saint Peter is a warm and welcoming community located in the scenic Minnesota River Valley.
The City of Saint Peter was incorporated in 1873 and is located approximately 60 miles south of Minneapolis/Saint Paul in the beautiful Minnesota River Valley (10 miles north of Mankato). Our city has a population of over 11,400 and was originally intended to be the capitol of the State of Minnesota. As the legislators were preparing to vote on the location of the capital, Joe Rolette stole the bill that would have named Saint Peter as capital and he hid with it until after the legislature voted for Saint Paul.
Even though Saint Peter was not named the capital, visitors can see how our founding fathers planned for that designation by platting extra wide streets in town. In addition, the capitol building would have been located in Minnesota Square Park which is adjacent to Highway 169 on the south end of our City.
3 Civic Center Plaza, Suite 100
Mankato, MN 56001


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When I was 10 years old, I took my first trip to Disney World. The futuristic rides in Tomorrow Land were my favorites. In particular, I loved "The Carousel of Progress," which, at the time, was an attraction designed by General Electric to showcase its new technologies at the 1964 New York World's Fair.
The song, "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow," played as the curtains opened. I was sure that when I was in my 30s (at the most, no doubt), my house would look like "The Future" house, which was the last act in the show. In awe, I thought I would have a house that would automate most of the cooking and a robot that would do the cleaning. I do.
My great grandfather was born in 1899 — about the time the Disney attraction's first act begins. The characters declare "they have all they could ever need," with their Victrola Talking Machine and horseless carriages. I remember discussions with my great grandfather about men taken to the moon on rocket ships. "No, not possible," he would reply.
My great grandfather would be in awe of the conveniences and new technologies I have in my home today, from my Internet-controlled thermostat that I can use to heat up my home from an airport in Europe to the wireless Internet-accessible alarm and monitoring system that will send email messages to my phone when an alarm event occurs. These technologies are becoming more affordable and accessible every day. There are many open source plans for making every one of these control devices, and some have free or open source apps to run them from a smartphone. This is where I come in.
The Convenience vs. Security Trade-Off
My job is to try to "break" these convenient technologies to determine if they have security issues — and in some, that translates into safety issues. As a security vulnerability researcher, my job is to do what is called "penetration testing" to see if malicious hackers can break into things and take control of a car via its connection to the Internet, for example.
Likewise, I analyze if a particular coffee maker or refrigerator could become part of a botnet — that is, part of a controlled electronic computer army set to attack a critical infrastructure target like banking or the electrical grid. In my line of work, I have seen all of those things occur in just the past nine months.
One of things you learn well in the computer security field is that there is a trade-off between convenience and security. You can build a fortress that is very difficult for a malicious person to enter, but it will be pretty inconvenient for you to enter and exit on a daily basis, too. Of course, there is a medium ground, but akin to the Golden Mean, it is a give-and-take between security and accessibility from both ends of the spectrum.
Last year, for example, colleagues of mine in the security industry were able to access many products hooked up to the Internet of Things: cars, refrigerators, coffeemakers, smartphones. They even hacked a technology-laden toilet, creating surprising malfunctions. However, as long as we have people in the security industry testing these devices for security and safety issues, and sharing their findings in an effort to shed light on problems and stimulate patches and fixes, I am feeling cautious — but OK — about our Internet of Things future.
I am incorporating these devices into my home. When my kids need to use computers every night for homework assignments, I monitor what they are doing, but I will not prohibit them from using computers. This is true despite the bad security vulnerabilities I come across in my work. Likewise, I am not going to ditch my computer-controlled car for one from the 1980s with — at the most — a fuel injection computer and no more.
Dreams Come With Risks
However, I am cognizant of the risks and, in turn, have become vigilant in reading product reviews and keeping track in the news and recent legislation about manufacturers that have not designed their particular devices, services or products with security as a priority. As the devices we carry around with us may pose risks to our security and privacy, being a consumer who is aware of these trade-offs means that before I download an app on my phone, for example, I read what I am granting permission for it to access. This way, I mitigate my risks and vulnerabilities.
If I think that the trade-off for my privacy and security is too great and outweighs the convenience of using a particular app, I do not install it. For example, I think that some apps do not really need access to all of the contacts stored on my phone or to my GPS location. As a consumer, I can and do make those choices every day. I favor companies that emphasize their security design features — not just how awesome it is to use their product.
The Disney ride closes with the phrase, "When it becomes a reality, it's a dream for you and me." Agreed — reality is like a dream, and modern conveniences allow me to spend more time with my family while I have appliances doing the housework. I am aware of security and privacy risks with the Internet of Things enhanced connectivity, but I know that as long as there are people in the security research field who are finding and disclosing vulnerabilities, I can make informed choices and create an impetus for manufacturers to include security in their products and move away from the antiquated concept, "If it works, it's done and ready for market."
If my great grandfather were around today, perhaps seeing my house for the first time would be as if the curtains opened at an attraction at Disney World. My house does look like "The Future" house — my 10-year-old self would be amazed that it really happened like that — and for those of you who have seen the attraction, I still burn the turkey. No technology is perfect when designed and operated by imperfect humans, but we do our best.
"No, it's not possible," my great grandfather might say, but I would now respond, "It is, and there are many people working to make it convenient AND safe."
There will be data breaches and failures along the way, but as long as we live in a society where we can learn from and share security and privacy protection design failures, we are progressing toward a "Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow."


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A new technique in which single strands of synthetic DNA are used to firmly fasten biological cells to non-biological surfaces has been developed by researchers with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of California at Berkeley. This technique holds promise for a wide variety of applications, including biosensors, drug-screening technologies, the growing of artificial tissues and the design of neural networks.
"Just as DNA chips revolutionized genome analysis, we hope to make cell chips (self-assembled arrays of cells on a thumbnail-sized chip) using our DNA-based cell adhesion strategy," said Ravi Chandra, a researcher affiliated with Berkeley Lab's Physical Biosciences Division and UC Berkeley's Chemistry Department. "Cell chips could be used as biosensors for detecting the presence of pathogens, or for drug screening, just to name of a few of the many possibilities."
Chandra is the lead author of a paper that appears in the latest issue of the international chemistry journal Angewandte Chemie. The other authors are Erik Douglas, Richard Mathies, Carolyn Bertozzi and Matthew Francis. The paper is entitled: Programmable Cell Adhesion Encoded by DNA Hybridization.
Many of the vast assortment of biological cells are naturally sticky, a property that enables individual cells to adhere to other cells and non-cellular components, which in turn enables them to assemble into different types of tissue, or carry out functions critical to an organism's health and well-being. Cell adhesion is now being used to incorporate biological cells into simple devices, but is expected to be important for the future production of complex nanotechnology devices.
To date, researchers have been attaching cells to surfaces using the array of cell adhesion proteins that Nature has provided, especially the proteins known as integrins. A surface will be laid out in a desired pattern with chemical handles called "ligands" to which the integrin-coated cells will bind. However, integrins are cell adhesion generalists, just about all of the different types of cells will stick to the same ligands. This makes integrin-coated cells ill-suited for applications that require precise patterns of multiple cell types.
The authors behind the Angewandte Chemie paper have solved the problem with the creation of a highly selective cell adhesion system that uses single-strands of synthetic DNA to fasten the cells to a surface. This enables different types of cells to be selectively targeted and attached to specific locations on a surface based on the nucleotide sequences of the single-stranded DNA.
"We can pattern a surface with single-stranded DNA containing a specific nucleotide sequence, then coat cells with single-stranded DNA that contains a complementary sequence," said Chandra, who is a member of both the Francis and Bertozzi research groups. Francis holds a joint appointment with Berkeley Lab's Materials Sciences Division and the UC Berkeley Chemistry Department, and is an expert in linking organic molecules to nanoparticles to create hybrid structures. Bertozzi, who also holds a joint appointment with Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley, is a leading authority on cell surface interactions. She is also a member of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
"Since the cells will adhere to the surface at locations where the complementary nucleotide sequences match, we can program cell adhesion events with a virtually unlimited number of possible coding options," said Chandra. "The DNA effectively serves as a molecular barcode on the surface of living cells."
Whereas the mounting of single-stranded DNA on the surface of a chip and using it as a probe to identify genetic matches is a well-established technology, this is the first time that single-stranded DNA has been attached to the surface of a biological cell. Chandra and his co-authors accomplished this feat through the adaptation of a technique, developed earlier by Bertozzi and her research group, called the "Staudinger ligation." Bertozzi's Staudinger ligation utilizes the sugar complexes called "oligosaccharides" that reside on the surface of every cell, and a reaction between two types of molecules, a nitrogen-containing azide, and a phosphorus-containing phosphine, as a means of attaching probes and reagents to cell surfaces, or to link different molecules inside of the cells.
"The Staudinger ligation has been shown to be both cell friendly and precise, so we exploited the reaction to very specifically link a DNA molecule to the surface of a living cell," said Chandra. "DNA is not normally found on the surfaces of cells, so the ability to deliver the DNA strands, keep them there, and use them for a productive purpose is a significant advance."
Chandra, working under the direction of Francis and Bertozzi, used the Staudinger ligation to create a phosphine-DNA conjugate that makes it possible for the DNA to adhere to a cell's surface. The phosphine-DNA conjugate provides an outer layer of adhesion that is independent of the cell's natural stickiness. As a bonus, the researchers are even able to bind their phosphine-DNA conjugates to cells that are not naturally sticky, providing the first known method for attaching non-adherent cell types to other surfaces. This could prove to be a real advantage.
"For example, it should be possible to array multiple types of non-adherent cells on a chip to create a mini-immune system for evaluating potential therapies," said Chandra.
To test the ability of their phosphine-DNA conjugates to bind to cells, Chandra and his colleagues conducted a series of experiments with human embryonic kidney cells. From their results, they estimated that following treatment, each individual cell was coated with approximately 270,000 DNA molecules. Similar results were obtained using a line of human T-cells, called Jurkat cells, which are naturally non-adherent. Without the reactive phosphines, there was no detectable attachment of DNA to cell surfaces above background levels.
Once it was established that cell surfaces could be coated with single-stranded DNA, Chandra worked with Douglas to demonstrate that this adhesion system could be used to attach cells to a non-biological surface. Douglas is a student under Mathies, director of UCB's Center for Analytical Biotechnology. Chandra and Douglas used a commercial chemical handle, the sulfur-based thiolate ion, to anchor single-stranded DNA onto gold pads, which were incorporated into microfluidic chips through standard photolithography. After the DNA-coated Jurkat cells were rinsed over the chips, fluorescence microscopy revealed that only those cells coated with single-stranded DNA complementary to the anchored DNA adhered to the gold pads. Cells that were otherwise identical but bearing mismatched DNA sequences were washed away.
"The adhesion of cells is very quick and far stronger than will be needed for most applications," said Chandra. "We just let them incubate for 35 minutes, rinse, and we're ready to go. We've kept our cells alive on the chip for up to 25 hours and the same proportion of cells survive using our method as cells cultured under identical conditions."
The next step, Chandra said, is to develop procedures for making complex arrays of cells quickly. The researchers also need to demonstrate that devices based on this cell-adhesion system will be useful for high-throughput screening applications.
This research was supported in large part by funding from the Nanoscale Science, Energy, and Technology (NSET) Program of the U.S. Department of Energy.
Berkeley Lab is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory located in Berkeley, California. It conducts unclassified scientific research and is managed by the University of California. Visit our Website at www.lbl.gov.
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Materials provided by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
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Catherine Oberfield (nominated by Todd Larson)
Catherine resides in Berwyn and is a farmer by trade. She runs a food scrap pickup service, Berwyn Compost. In addition, while she was a student at the University of Maryland, she assisted with the community garden located at the intersection of Fordham Rd and Rhode Island Ave, adjacent to the trolley trail in the Calvert Hills neighborhood of College Park.
Renee Domogauer (nominated by Caroline Wick)
Renee is a long-time resident of the Calvert Hills neighborhood in College Park. For many years she has organized neighbors to plant and maintain flowers & perennials in the planters along the trolley trail in Calvert Hills. This year, she also helped coordinate planting perennials in the planters along the Old Town section of the trolley trail.
Renee has also worked persistently to reduce litter on the streets of Calvert Hills and Old Town. During the pandemic, she organized neighbors to be responsible for picking up litter along individual streets in the Calvert Hills neighborhood and collaborated with UMD students to pick up litter in the Old Town neighborhood. She also successfully advocated for more trash and recycling receptacles along the trolley trail.
Most recently, Renee organized a refurbishing of the Little Free Library near the College Park daycare.
Meg Oates (nominated by Caroline Wick)
Meg was the driving force behind starting the Calvert Hills Green Team during the pandemic. Meg organized a trash pick-up in Calvert Park, a boat tour of the Anacostia River, and many other activities. Meg recently stepped down as co-chair, but her work laid the foundation for the Green Team's current work. Recently, the Green Team removed English Ivy from trees in Calvert Park and did a trash clean-up around Calvert Hills and Old Town.
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Urs Weber and Anahí Espíndola (nominated by Caroline Wick)
Urs and Anahí are residents of the Calvert Hills neighborhood in College Park. They are receiving a Green Award because they maintain a large vegetable, herb, and wild plant garden, and happily share their understanding and enthusiasm with neighbors and passersby. After moving into the house, Urs and Anahí changed their front lawn into a garden that produces vegetables year-round. Their home is adjacent to the trolley trail and they receive many inquiries about their gardening experiences. They have inspired many to begin growing plants and food, and planting natives. Recently, Urs convened a virtual meeting for College Park residents to discuss gardening and share the neighborhood's experiences.
Rick Borchelt (nominated by Caroline Wick)
Rick is a resident of the Calvert Hills neighborhood in College Park. He is receiving a Green Award based on his efforts to keep his neighbors informed about and connected to the natural world. Most recently, Rick contributed to the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). Following the GBBC, Rick sent an email to the neighborhood listserv summarizing the results and providing insight about which types of birds were seen. Rick maintains a pollinator-friendly garden and he provides information about his garden to interested neighbors. In the Spring of 2020, Rick shared mint cuttings with interested neighbors. Rick also sends regular email updates to the neighborhood listserv educating neighbors about local wildlife and plants. Calvert Hills residents appreciate all that he does.
Friends of Guilford Run (nominated by Alexa Bely)
The student-led group Friends of Guilford Run is being awarded a Green Award for their environmental stewardship of Guilford Run, a stream running near the southern edge of the City. Guilford Run is a part of the Anacostia River watershed and ultimately flows into the Chesapeake Bay. Friends of Guilford Run is led by University of Maryland undergraduate students affiliated with Hope Lutheran Church.
Started a few years ago by Dan LeKites and Laura Tiffany, the group is currently led by Sandra Roper and Jordan Kreh. Friends of Guilford Run have led regular cleanups of the Run, which receives a considerable input of trash from surrounding roads and development, and have also done native plantings along the banks of the stream. Through their leadership and outreach, the group has helped engage numerous people of diverse affiliations in these activities. The efforts of this group improve the beauty and environmental health of the stream, and positively impact local and downstream communities and wildlife.
Janis Oppelt (nominated by Alan Hew)
Janis Oppelt is the ideal Green Resident we all strive to be. She diligently recycles, composts, utilizes a rain barrel, and plants native plants and plantings that promote pollinators and wildlife. Janis has participated in many community events such as cleanups, community gardening, storm drain marking, and College Park Day. Janis served the City for many years as Chair of the Committee for a Better Environment where she led many workshops and showings of environmental films for our community. Janis also currently serves on the local Sierra Club chapter promoting environmental issues.
Kathy Bryant - nominated for her efforts in raising environmental awareness and working to protect a wetland, located just south of the Old Town Playground and northwest of the College Park metro station, is known as the Sentinel Swamp Sanctuary and sometimes referred to as the "primordial swamp" or "frog pond".
Scott Wilson – for picking up litter throughout northern College Park.
Russell Robinette – for picking up litter throughout Berwyn on a daily basis
Mr. Van & Mrs. Sangi Tluanga – for greening their home and yard and collecting litter in their neighborhood
Proteus Bikes – for its work in educating the community about biking and leading group bike rides to get more people riding bikes.
Stuart Adams – for his efforts in mobilizing opposition to a proposed development on Route 1 that would have removed a last green space.
Committee for a Better Environment Chair, Todd Larsen, presents Green Award to Laurie Lemieux of Proteus Bicycle.
Committee for a Better Environment Chairs, Todd Larsen and Janis Oppelt, present Green Award to Russell Robinette.
The award for the Environmental Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) went to La Prima Catering, a certified "green" caterer located on Berwyn Road. La Prima offers compostable plates and utensils and uses 100% renewable energy to power its kitchens.
The award for Environmentally Friendly Landscaping went to Frank and Faye Hawkins who have made their North College Park yard not only beautiful but a natural sanctuary for birds, bees and other wildlife.
The award for Environmental Achievement went to Stasia and Myron Hutchison for reducing their energy consumption, installing rain barrels and solar panels, and avoiding pesticides to combat ticks.
The award for Conservation of Natural Resources went to Girl Scout Troop #1734 and its leader Donna Weene for their monthly trash cleanups along Rhode Island Ave in North College Park. Congratulations and thank you all for being so green!
No Green Awards this year, because the group decided to have a contest for a logo design.
Congratulations to the Kathy Everett and Gina Tomko, the winners of the City of College Park's Committee for a Better Environment Litter Logo Contest!
The Committee for a Better Environment set out to find a logo design that raised awareness of litter, proper waste disposal, and recycling in our city.
A design contest was then held during the month of April. Designers of all ages and abilities were asked to incorporate graphic elements, characters, colors, and/or a text slogan to evoke a liter-awareness message.
The winning submission and final design by Gina Tomko and Kathy Everett from the Non-student/Resident Category – they won $250.
Girl Scout Troup 1734 College Park Methodist Church won second place $100 and were in the Elementary/High School student Category
Michelle Delabrer won third place $50 from the University Student Category.
Thank you to all who submitted their designs!
No Green Award given, but the following were nominated:
La Prima La Prima Catering, 5105 Berwyn Rd, College Park, MD 20740 (nominated by Phil Aronson) dedicated to improving our environmental impact. Currently, we offer green services for all catered events, including compostable plates and utensils and farm-to-table menus with organic, locally grown food. Environmental goals include:
Mr. Van & Mrs Sangi Tluanga, 9300 Davidson Street, College Park, MD 20740 (nominated by Zari Malsawma)
Rain barrel, vegetable garden in the backyard, compost pile. Sangi also collects recyclable trash for recycling as she walks the Buck Lodge trail & park.
Mr. Paul & Mrs. Rose Haldemann, 9118 St. Andrews Place, College Park, MD 20740 (nominated by Zari Malsawma)
Just went solar a couple of months ago - solar panels installed on two sides of rooftop. Rose is dedicated to keeping her block clean by picking up trash on the road in front of her house, and keeping the picnic area in the CPW Neighborhood Park across from her house clean.
Stasia and Myron Hutchison of Cherry Hill (nominated by Mary Cook)
Examples of how they protect the environment include: installation of solar panels; use of solar panels to charge battery to run TV displaying their daughter, Caitlyn's environmental video; use of lemon and eucalyptus spray to combat ticks; turning down the thermostat in the winter and up in the summer; use of rain barrels
Clay Gump: Conservation of Natural Resources
Dr. Victor Yakovenko: Environmental 3-Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Christiane Williams: Environmentally Friendly Landscaping and Beautification
Robert Boone: Other Environmental Achievements
Environmentally Friendly Landscaping and Beautification: Rick Borchelt, botanist and horticulturist, for his garden, which is registered as a National Wildlife Habitat and as a Certified Butterfly Garden; for his use of native and heirloom plants in landscaping; and for his minimal use of herbicides and pesticides.
Conservation of Natural Resources: Vicky Hageman for her work as a Citizens to Conserve and Restore Indian Creek (CCRIC) activist to protect Indian Creek, including coordinating clean-ups, reporting dumping violations, and instigating a storm drain awareness program.
Award for Other Environmental Achievements: Eric Maring for his work as an environmental educator of children through music.
"Environmental 3-R's: Reduce - Reuse - Recycle": Spellman House for its installation of 50 solar panels, a cool roof, and an energy-efficient furnace; for use of recycled materials in its fencing and outdoor furniture; and for other environmental efforts, including use of nontoxic paints, installation of a pervious crushed stone walkway, and extensive landscaping.
Jason's Deli received an honorable mention.
Russell Robinette – Litter cleanup
Joanne Calabrese – Conservation of Natural Resources
Recognition but no award to Department of Public Works (3 Rs);
Boy Scout Troop 740: Environmentally Friendly Landscaping and Beautification
David Ruppert: Conservation of Natural Resources and native tree propagation
Davey Rogner, UM student: Other. Founded the University Group on clean energy. Promoted environmental sustainability through music.
National Archives : The 3 R's Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Major efforts to decrease energy and water consumption. Invested 10 million dollars in improvements such as low wattage bulbs, and motion sensing lights.
College Park Wesleyan Church: Environmentally Friendly Landscaping and Beautification
Chuck and Liz Dorcey: Conservation
Teresa Wertz: Other – Environmental Achievement. Litter reduction in Hollywood
Jackie Kelly received special recognition
Jackie Kelly: 3 Rs. Leadership in reducing reusing, recycling.
Rev. Richard Graham of Hope Lutheran Church: Landscaping and Beautification. Environmentally friendly landscaping
Loren LaVoy, Green Clean, LLC: Conservation of Natural Resources
Lourene Miovski and Tom Bannister: Other Environmental Achievements
Honorable mentions went to Jan van Zutphen and John Krouse
Berwyn Café: Environmental Reuse and Recycling - compost, recycling
Boy Scout Troop 740: Environmentally Friendly Landscaping and Beautification – planted 87 trees with Anacostia Watershed and trash cleanups.
University of Maryland Solar Decathalon Team: Conservation of Natural Resources
University of Maryland Garden Club: Other Environmental Achievements - Created first of its kind organic urban garden, and kitchen composting on campus.
Honorable mention went to MOM's
Moms Organic Market (MOMs) – founding members of clean energy partnership. Recycles all goods, educates on sustainability. Sponsored road clean-ups.
Bill Kelly – Bicycle coalition and individual encouraging biking as an activity and an alternative means of transportation.
Special recognition goes to the Education Subcommittee from University of Maryland for their Elementary School Program, and the UMUC Inn and Conference Center for its LEED Building
Sean & Angela Doyle
Dr. & Anne Riley
Gregory Jones, Principal Holy Redeemer School
Scott Mitchell
Daniel Tleobald
Mary Ahalt – garden
Mr. & Mrs. Harold Stevens – Garden planting under Pepco lines
Mr. Cleveland Eugene Taylor – Garden
Alpha Xi Delta Sorority
Mr & Mrs. Walter Melo
Donald Spicer and Lynn Morrison
Joan von Endt
Mary Ellen Gould


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The hypothalamus is the central regulator of systemic energy homeostasis, and its dysfunction can result in extreme body weight alterations. Insights into the complex cellular physiology of this region are critical to the understanding of obesity pathogenesis; however, human hypothalamic cells are largely inaccessible for direct study. Here, we developed a protocol for efficient generation of hypothalamic neurons from human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) obtained from patients with monogenetic forms of obesity. Combined early activation of sonic hedgehog signaling followed by timed NOTCH inhibition in human ESCs/iPSCs resulted in efficient conversion into hypothalamic NKX2.1+ precursors. Application of a NOTCH inhibitor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) further directed the cells into arcuate nucleus hypothalamic-like neurons that express hypothalamic neuron markers proopiomelanocortin (POMC), neuropeptide Y (NPY), agouti-related peptide (AGRP), somatostatin, and dopamine. These hypothalamic-like neurons accounted for over 90% of differentiated cells and exhibited transcriptional profiles defined by a hypothalamic-specific gene expression signature that lacked pituitary markers. Importantly, these cells displayed hypothalamic neuron characteristics, including production and secretion of neuropeptides and increased p-AKT and p-STAT3 in response to insulin and leptin. Our results suggest that these hypothalamic-like neurons have potential for further investigation of the neurophysiology of body weight regulation and evaluation of therapeutic targets for obesity.
Liheng Wang, Kana Meece, Damian J. Williams, Kinyui Alice Lo, Matthew Zimmer, Garrett Heinrich, Jayne Martin Carli, Charles A. Leduc, Lei Sun, Lori M. Zeltser, Matthew Freeby, Robin Goland, Stephen H. Tsang, Sharon L. Wardlaw, Dieter Egli, Rudolph L. Leibel