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Robert Maxwell
Name at Birth: Jan Ludvick Hoch
Robert Maxwell was a British publishing baron of the 1980s and for a short time one of the world's most prominent media moguls. Born to poor Jewish parents in the Czech Republic, Maxwell fought in the British Army in World War II and then settled in Britain, changing his name and becoming head of Permagon Publishing. In the 1970s Maxwell began building a media empire by borrowing and spending lavishly, acquiring among other properties the Daily Mirror, the book publisher MacMillan, and (in 1991) the New York Daily News. His rivalry with Australian mogul Rupert Murdoch was much publicized. In 1991, facing financial difficulties, Maxwell drowned while yachting off the Canary Islands. (The exact circumstances of his demise were unclear; a Spanish judge ruled out foul play, but did not determine how the death occurred.) After his death investigators discovered that Maxwell had propped up his empire by diverting hundreds of millions of pounds from pension funds and other sources. It was a major financial fiasco, and Maxwell's empire was dissolved and sold off in the following years.
Maxwell is unrelated to the 1950's harp player Robert Maxwell, the photographer Robert Maxwell, or the country guitarist Robert Maxwell Case… Maxwell was a Member of Parliament for the Labour Party from 1964-70.
Copyright © 1998-2017 by Who2?, LLC. All rights reserved.


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Dr. Mark Brinker, Houston Orthopedic Surgeon RSS Feeds
RSS, or Really Simple Syndication is a way to view structured content in an RSS reader or on your desktop or even to add (with permission) to your own web site. The following RSS streams are available on this site depending on if the webmaster syndicates content.
ALL Syndicated Content including Podcasts
Individual selections for filtered RSS feeds are below:
For more information on RSS, try the RSS introduction at FeedBurner or the wikipedia entry on rss.
For RSS readers, consider My Yahoo, Bloglines or the Google RSS reader. You can also use an RSS to email tool like Feedblitz to receive updates by email.
Also note that you can add RSS content from other sites to THIS site using the RSSS module. This function requires administrator level access for security reasons. See the Tendenci help documentation for more information.
To add RSS to your site, consider Tendenci CMS with RSS built in.

subset: commoncrawl


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Two weeks ago, my colleague posted an infographic on , "Work & Coffee: The Unbreakable bond". It is true and I second that. Now, I'd like to draw an analogy between "coffeehouse culture" and "social media" within an organization.
From the late 15th century, coffee-shops were the common meeting places for artists, musicians, writers and the like to share ideas and build their community. Coffee is considered to have aided the age of enlightenment and revolution in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Earlier, coffeehouses were social places where people met and debated on various topics of interest within the social circles. Modern coffeehouses are not so much about "coffee" but mostly about the "culture" that it brings along with it. "Coffeehouse culture" is all about allowing ideas to flow in from different social groups to meet and mingle.
A social network within a company functions more like "coffeehouses" facilitating workforce to be more interactive. The employees can be more out-going with their ideas leading to innovations. As much as each coffee shop has its own social climate and culture, each organization has its own culture too. Organizations can support an opportunity for collaboration among colleagues using a social network.
Learning brings vitality to an organization. Businesses that value and promote learning in all its forms, can reap benefits of its workforce in an environment that is alive and engaging. A social network inside the organization keeps workforce productively engaged, while transacting information that is relevant to them.
Imagine, a crowded space with individual tables for each group which is very typical of a coffee shop. A social network is also that "crowded space" with all its employees in it. Groups within social networks are those "individual tables" that allow teams to collaborate individually and effectively in small numbers. Each social circle may have its share of information and noise on the coffee table, so much so Groups will have their own share of information within the network.
Having shared this analogy, social media for companies is increasingly changing the way organization communicate and the way businesses function. The demand of staying updated at all times has become part of modern digital era.
As coffee refuels your senses, so does the social network for your company. Sip in this new business culture !


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Our five-year-old son loves stuff. Talking with friends, having two older kids, and remembering my own childhood quirks, I know it's not uncommon for children to keep trash and trinkets. Forever.
This child, the five-year-old, knows where every broken plastic toy, shred of ribbon, deflated balloon, popsicle stick with a joke he can't read, and object stolen from his older brothers, is located. When I stealthily purge a few of his items, no matter how deeply buried they were beneath the latest additions, he busts me. And hell hath no fury like... you know what I mean.
"Mom! Did you throw away part of my collection?"
"Honey, I donated a few things you don't play with. There are children without toys who would enjoy that... stuff."
Recently, I thought to myself how well our youngest son has been maintaining his room. Other than a few dozen lego creations displayed on his dresser, things appeared to be in order
The five-year-old has a bathroom attached to his bedroom that is basically unused. He bathes in the master bathroom, brushes his teeth in his brothers' bathroom and doesn't require much lavatory drawer space regardless.
While putting laundry away, I was tipped-off that there might still be a problem when I opened his closet. Balloons from his father's birthday that he claimed to have released to China!
I entered his bathroom, pulled back the shower curtain and found this:
Then I opened a couple of drawers and discovered my little hoarder is still struggling...
And, yes, I recognize we all have a junk drawer, but come on.
I'm both sad, that he's going underground... and proud. I enjoy a worthy adversary. I'm also impressed by his use of semantics.
Anyone else have a young, or not-so-young, "collector" in the house?


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Developing and Researching PhET simulations for Teaching Quantum Mechanics Documents
Main Document
Developing and Researching PhET simulations for Teaching Quantum Mechanics
written by
Sam B. McKagan, Katherine Perkins, Michael Dubson, Chris Malley, Sam Reid, Ron LeMaster, and Carl E. Wieman
Quantum mechanics is difficult to learn because it is counter-intuitive, hard to visualize, mathematically challenging, and abstract. The Physics Education Technology (PhET) Project, known for its interactive computer simulations for teaching and learning physics, now includes 18 simulations on quantum mechanics designed to improve learning of this difficult subject. Our simulations include several key features to help students build mental models and intuitions about quantum mechanics: visual representations of abstract concepts and microscopic processes that cannot be directly observed, interactive environments that directly couple students' actions to animations, connections to everyday life, and efficient calculations so students can focus on the concepts rather than the math. Like all PhET simulations, these are developed using the results of education research and feedback from educators, and are tested in student interviews and classroom studies. This article provides an overview of the PhET quantum simulations and their development. We also describe research demonstrating their effectiveness and share some insights about student thinking that we have gained from our research on quantum simulations.
- Download QMsims.pdf - 671kb Adobe PDF Document
Published April 1, 2008
Last Modified July 18, 2010


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Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme is hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words. It's simple – just answer the three questions below. And check out her post this week to get inspired by what everyone else is reading!
The Three Ws are:
- What are you currently reading?
- What did you recently finish reading?
- What do you think you'll read next?
Currently Reading: Macbeth
He's the best cop they've got.
When a drug bust turns into a bloodbath it's up to Inspector Macbeth and his team to clean up the mess.
He's also an ex-drug addict with a troubled past.
He's rewarded for his success. Power. Money. Respect. They're all within reach.
But a man like him won't get to the top.
Plagued by hallucinations and paranoia, Macbeth starts to unravel. He's convinced he won't get what is rightfully his.
Unless he kills for it.
• • •
I'll admit I'm only about 5 pages into this one, and part of that is because the first several pages were and extensive description of a raindrop's trajectory as a method for describing the whole town layout … it was a lot. But I've wanted to give Jo Nesbø's work a shot for ages, and the Shakespeare-retelling premise has me intrigued, so I'm going to dive into it soon!
Recently Finished: The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker
A village with something to hide.
Seventeen-year-old Eleanor Parker wakes up cold and alone in the river that twists through her quiet village. She has no memory of how she got there. But she does know that another girl was drowned in the same river the summer before, held under the water by an unknown killer…
A community torn apart.
Eleanor is a normal, every day teenager. She argues with her mum, spends her days with her best friend, and is looking forward to a carefree summer of sunshine and music. Who would want to hurt her?
A shocking secret.
Determined to unlock the mystery of what really happened to her, Eleanor can't escape the feeling that something awful links her to the previous summer's murder. But will she find out the truth before it's too late?
A gripping and extraordinary coming of age novel that will make you question everything and keep you guessing until the very end.
• • •
The lovely Zuky brought this one to my attention with her fabulous NetGalley Picks of the Week post (if you're not following her, you need to immediately!), and I'm so glad she did. It was a super fun and quirky read with a fascinating premise. My review for this one should be up this weekend!
Reading Next: Beartown
People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.
Being responsible for the hopes of an entire town is a heavy burden, and the semi-final match is the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected.
Beartown explores the hopes that bring a small community together, the secrets that tear it apart, and the courage it takes for an individual to go against the grain. In this story of a small forest town, Fredrik Backman has found the entire world.
• • •
How many amazing reviews have I seen for this novel? Too many times to be able to continue justifying me not having read it. I love the concept behind the story and can't wait to feel all the emotions I just know this book is gonna wring out of me.
And that's a current snapshot of my books! Have you read any of these? What does your WWW look like?
Let's connect!
Goodreads • Instagram • Twitter • Bloglovin'


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Written as a letter to her children, Kelly Corrigan's Lift is a tender, intimate, and robust portrait of risk and love; a touchstone for anyone who wants to live more fully. In Lift, Corrigan weaves together three true and unforgettable stories of adults willing to experience emotional hazards in exchange for the gratifications of raising children.
Lift takes its name from hang gliding, a pursuit that requires flying directly into rough air, because turbulence saves a glider from sinking out. For Corrigan, this wisdom becomes a metaphor for all of life's most meaningful endeavors, particularly the great flight that is parenting.
Corrigan serves it up straight: how mundanely and fiercely her children have been loved, how close most lives occasionally come to disaster, and how often we fall short as mothers and fathers. Lift is for everyone who has been caught off guard by the pace and vulnerability of raising children, to remind us that our work is important and our time limited.
Like Anne Morrow Lindbergh's Gift from the Sea, Lift is a meditation on the complexities of a woman's life, and like Corrigan's memoir The Middle Place, Lift is boisterous and generous, a book readers and listeners cant wait to share.


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It's easy to think of filing and storage as little more than boxes. We believe they should work harder—so we think about those boxes in new ways.
We think around the box—with storage pieces that invite workers to gather, interact, and plug in.
We think on the box—with cushioned tops that turn places to store into places where colleagues can sit and collaborate.
And we think inside the box—with files that hold more, stack up, and open from either side, making the most of every square foot of your space.
With Meridian, you can store more, stack high, stay organized, and give people a place to gather, share, and connect.


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Breadcrumb navigation
NEC Introduces Unique, Adaptive Energy Warranty to Optimize Value for Energy Storage Customers
Company's technology uses actual usage data to adapt warranties based on system use profilesTokyo, Japan, June 13, 2019 and Westborough, Massachusetts, USA, June 12, 2019 - NEC Corporation announced today that NEC Energy Solutions (NEC ES) introduced a unique, Adaptive Energy Warranty which uses energy storage system usage data to adapt a system's energy capacity warranty to fit a customer's use profile. NEC's proprietary, advanced AEROS® software platform provides real time usage data to predict energy storage capacity degradation based on different use profiles. The result allows energy storage customers to maximize the value of their power with the knowledge and flexibility to use their system any way they want, without worrying about the warranty. The warranty will adapt depending on the use profile they choose.
The energy storage capacity of any battery decreases with time and use. Some of the more important factors that impact energy storage capacity include energy throughput, cell temperature, average state of charge (SOC), depth of discharge (DOD), resting time and charge/discharge rate. Customers need to understand how a system's energy storage capacity degrades or fades so that they can predict the life and performance of the system. However, due to changing market rules, customers often do not know exactly how they will use their system. NEC's Adaptive Energy Warranty and its advanced AEROS® software platform allows a customer to change their use profile to optimize the system while the warranty adapts accordingly.
"Our unique Adaptive Energy Warranty, empowered by our proprietary AEROS® software platform, is truly where electricity meets digital. We have over 10 years of data and more than 750MW of energy storage assets around the world that we have used to create mathematical models of energy capacity," said Steve Fludder, CEO of NEC Energy Solutions. "These models enable our customers to adjust how they operate their systems to optimize value without having to worry about being out of warranty."
About NEC Energy Solutions
NEC Energy Solutions designs, manufactures, and integrates smart energy storage solutions for the electric grid, behind the meter, and critical power applications. Its scalable distributed energy storage and control systems provide greater grid stability and flexibility to the benefit of both providers and users of electricity. In telecom, datacenter, and other industrial applications, its high performance lithium-ion battery systems provide better value than traditional lead-acid batteries in tough, critical power applications. Learn more at www.neces.com.
About NEC Corporation
NEC Corporation is a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies that benefit businesses and people around the world. The NEC Group globally provides "Solutions for Society" that promote the safety, security, efficiency and equality of society. Under the company's corporate message of "Orchestrating a brighter world," NEC aims to help solve a wide range of challenging issues and to create new social value for the changing world of tomorrow. For more information, visit NEC at https://www.nec.com.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nec/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/NECglobalOfficial
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nec.global/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NEC_corp
NEC is a registered trademark of NEC Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Other product or service marks mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners. © NEC Corporation.


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1 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup water
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chocolate almond butter
1/2 cup raspberry preserves
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup raspberries
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray and lightly dust with flour.
Bring dates and water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook 2 minutes, or until dates are softened.
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat almond butter, raspberry preserves and date mixture for 1 minute or until well combined. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually beat in flour mixture alternating with buttermilk until just combined. Stir together an additional tablespoon of flour and raspberries until well coated; stir raspberries into batter along with chocolate chips.
Smooth batter into pan; sprinkle with almonds and a few extra chocolate chips if desired. Bake 40-45 minutes or until well risen, fragrant, and golden brown around edges. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Makes 1 loaf


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New 2013 Chick-fil-a Calender Card – Over 30.00 in Coupons This Year!
I picked up my new Chick-fil-a calender today and I'm so excited! It has a card inside for me to download all the coupns to it so no more having to clip them.
The cost of the calender is $6.00 but the January coupn is for a FREE Chick-fil-a sandwich ($5.49 at my store) and that just about pays for the calender!
Here's a low down on the coupns:
January – FREE Chick-fil-a Chicken Sandwich
February – FREE Large Coke
March – FREE Multigrain Oatmeal or FREE Yogurt Parfait
April – FREE Large Sprite
May – FREE Spicy Chicken Biscuit or FREE Large Waffle Fries
June – FREE Small Hand-Spun Shake
July – FREE Large Diet Coke
August – FREE Chicken Salad Sandwich (can't wait for this one!)
September – FREE Simply Orange or FREE Dasani Bottled Water
October – FREE Cookie Sundae or FREE Brownie Sundae
November – FREE Large Coke Zero
December – FREE 3-ct. Chick-n-Strips
The card is located on the under side of the front cover. The card MUST BE ACTIVATED before you can use it. You can activate you card at www.chick-fila.com/2013 calender OR call 1-855-285-2321 if you don't have internet access.
The details:
Card valid for only one redemption per month. Offer valid only during specified month. Coupn not valid with any other offer.Card not for sale and limit one card per transaction. This is a promotional card and not a gift card. Closed Sundays. This card may not be accepted at some Chick-fil-a restaurants.
I didn't think to ask if substutions could be made on the free drink coupons (Dr. Pepper instead of Coke etc.) I'll have to call and ask. Anyone know??


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1169 Disruptive.
Today was a little disastrous. There was an update to the 3DS firmware a day or so ago. It installed fine, but the eshop was apparently down because of Nintendo trying to combine the 3DS and WiiU services. Part of this included linking, or creating a matching account on your 3DS that could work for both systems. I don't have a WiiU, but I might someday, so I went ahead and did it. There was no problem. Everything seemed fine.
This afternoon I passed by a Nintendo Zone location and stopped to see if there was anything I could download for my Animal Crossing town. Before I did that I checked the zone, even though it's always stupid, and then went to the eshop from there. Then, for reasons unknown, the 3DS downloaded 3 things. Not games, just placeholders for apps I had deleted. Strangely however once they loaded all my downloaded games disappeared. That's actually not uncommon, so I wasn't worried. I deleted the weird things then restarted my 3DS. No games. I took out the sd card and tried again. No games.
Now things were scary.
I was on my way home anyway so I just left my 3DS off. Once I arrived I looked around the support site to see if there was a fix listed anyplace. As is typical with user based support forums there was nothing useful there. Just a bunch of fans telling people with problems that everything was fine, or offering up useless advice. I had already begun to accept the reality of what was happening, but I called the support line just to be sure.
When I got through it sounded like a warzone in the background. A harried sounding lady took my information, was stumped by my problem, and transferred me to another lady. They were playing the overworld music from Occarina Of Time on the hold. The new lady was only slightly less confused by my problem. She was trying to figure out if I had transferred the system or bought it used someplace. After a full explanation of what happened her supervisor was called in. I never actually heard this person, but they said my account still existed and it was connected to my 3DS serial number, so I could redownload my games for no charge. Which is fine, except the save files associated with those games are kind of important. Before I hung up I asked if my data was at all salvageable. After a long pause the lady said "We're not sure." in a way that clearly indicated they were, in fact, sure, and my files were lost. She then told me to have a nice day in a way that expressed her knowledge that I would not.
So that was that. Mario Kart fully unlocked with the golden wheels (Which I hated doing), Fire Emblem with a perfect team waiting to unlock the last 4 secret character, Pokémon Y with my modest team of monsters, and My day of release Animal Crossing town, which I visited every day, had tons of gems, house upgrades, and items that can't be replaced, gone.
I copied the SD Card just in case, but it's pretty much pointless. I tried my old SD card and it can't read my game files either. The saves are no longer recognized as being from my account and are therefore locked off permanently, if not fully deleted. I tried to replace key files, but it doesn't work. Basically, by buying my games from the eshop I got dicked over by Nintendo's DRM. If I'd just bought a physical copy of these games, or kept one in the case of Mario Kart, this would all be a non issue. I only have myself to blame for wanting the convenience of not having to carry a box of games with me everyplace.
I was basically done with Fire Emblem, so that's fine. I would have liked to have been able to go back to my game, but I did see the best ending already. I wasn't very far in Pokémon, although I really liked my special Chimchar. I don't know if you can still get them anymore. I liked his speed power though… Mario Kart is a hassle to recover, but I like racing, so it's not so bad. I can do the regular stuff when I'm stuck places. Losing my Animal Crossing town though… that hurt. I couldn't bear to let any of my villagers move away and then they were just gone.
I haven't had such a heartbreaking data loss since I lost my entire pokemon collection back in the Ruby/Sapphire days. Pokémon from a couple of generations, ALL OF THEM. Each one specially named…
I recognize that this is kind of dumb, but don't get all high and mighty with me. Everyone goes through this with something at some time. You get invested in these silly things and it's traumatic to lose the work.
Anyway, the Ten wants me to watch bedtime TV with her, so I'm going to go do that… While I slowly rebuild my crumbled empire. T^T


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"The most important reason to consider a strangler application over a cut-over rewrite is reduced risk. A strangler can give value steadily and the frequent releases allow you to monitor its progress more carefully. Many people still don't consider a strangler since they think it will cost more - I'm not convinced about that. Since you can use shorter release cycles with a strangler you can avoid a lot of the unnecessary features that cut over rewrites often generate." -- Martin Fowler, Chief Scientist, ThoughtWorks, on The Strangler Pattern
When rewriting a system in a new technology, it's tempting to think that the task will be easier and quicker than the first time it was written. Because of this, sometimes business sponsors believe that a "waterfall" or "big bang all at once" approach will work out, but this is rarely the case for any project large enough and important enough to warrant rewriting. It's always important to practice iterative and incremental development to provide for feedback loops. But, it's even more important to do this in the case of a large application rewrite. This article will explain why this is true. There are a few bedrock development principles that project sponsors and team members should put into practice to ensure the success of large scale migrations. Having learned these lessons from experience, these are:
- Involve business sponsors and end-users directly (or a user-experience specialist) and the entire support and operations teams during the entire rewrite
- Involve permanent quality-assurance professionals from the beginning and during the entire rewrite
- Design, code, and test one complete feature rewritten from the existing system as quickly as possible
- Thereafter, design, code, test, and pilot user-valued, return-on-investment-generating (ROI) features in small increments
- Most importantly, continuously build team member skills, knowledge, and leadership abilities
Lessons Learned in Rewriting Large Legacy Systems
In February of 2006 I joined a small .NET consulting company. Shortly thereafter I was assigned to a brand new project for one of their clients to analyze, design, and develop a new version of an existing electronic commerce platform. The system was a highly successful, niche-market leading auction site with nearly 700,000 registered users at the time. In operation for more than seven years by then, the system was built on classic ASP, C++/COM, and SQL Server 2000. It consisted of about 330 ASP pages. Our client wanted to do two primary things. First, he wanted to add new, value-added features to the system to provide a much better user experience, one that would be similar to eBay. These features would be called "My Auctions". This new set of features would take the place of roughly 30 pages from the existing web site. Second, he wanted to migrate the other 300 pages, without introducing any functionality or usability improvements, to ASP.NET WebForms. Having already personally designed and developed the entire business object back-end COM objects, he wanted all of the new web site to reuse this investment by utilizing COM Interop.My Recommendation: Perform a Phased, Vertical Migration One Piece at a Time
My first assignment was to analyze the existing ASP and C++ code to and produce a migration strategy recommendation. This strategy document would lay out our company's professional opinion for migrating the system to the .NET platform and the C# language. My recommendation was for our client to perform a vertical migration, which is a migration that incorporates an entire functional slice of a subset of the system (My Auctions) which cuts across all architectural layers (top-to-bottom). In their book The Pragmatic Programmer, Dave Thomas and Andrew Hunt call this a "tracer bullet". This was, in fact, what Microsoft recommended in their best practices guidance documents that I researched about performing large scale system architecture migrations. I recommended that our client hire us to build a new core platform on ASP.NET with C# and get the new, value-added features to market as soon as possible on top of that core platform. Only after these value-added features were in production would we then move on to replacing the rest of the 300 pages with ASP.NET replacements.My Reasoning: Place Customer Satisfaction, ROI, and Risk Mitigation First
My reasoning was that by creating a new core platform and building the brand new, usability-focused, value-added My Auctions features on top of that, our client would generate a return-on-investment (ROI) much sooner by generating more sales volume with the user-friendly features and would simultaneously mitigate significant risk by testing the viability of the COM Interop strategy. By virtue of the features being value-added, there would be no risk whatsoever for him to deploy them to a parallel web server and get his users to begin pilot testing the system and providing valuable feedback early on in the game when he could still make significant changes prior to committing to replacing the entire system with the new technology.I've since learned from Dan North at QCon 2010 in S.F. that is called The Strangler Pattern according to Martin Fowler, hence the title of this post!
Client Decision: Let's Do It All At Once
Our client considered my recommendation very carefully, but wanted to take a different approach. Rather than deploy the new My Auctions features independently, side-by-side with the existing system, he wanted to have his in-house staff work on the other 300 pages while our company worked on the value-added features. With more than 330 pages to complete, I estimated that the project would not take less than a year, but would more likely take two years or more to complete. Our client and my manager thought things could be done much faster if we had three or four people working on the system. This was certainly the case early on when I worked side-by-side with another developer in our company. Within four months, he and I had completed the new C# application foundation and the value-added features to the point that they were ready for beta-testing.And that's when all the fun began!
Planning is Essential; Plans are Useless
As anyone who has worked in the software industry for a number of years knows, the best laid plans never go as you planned. Our client's lead C# developer left his company. Soon after that, my manager at my company was let go, but several months later he was hired by our client to take over the development management of the project. This made sense since he already had strong background on the project since its inception. Shortly after this, our client's HTML, graphics, and CSS developer quit when asked to change his focus to become an ASP.NET developer. They hired a lead C# developer and he got to working on a large slice of the application while I continued to work on another large slice. Five months later, they hired a second C# developer and he began working on several other slices of the application.Wanting to see the project through to success, I joined the client as a direct employee to continue being the lead architect for the project.
Naturally, There's a Big Trade Show In The Story
What would any development story be without a "Big Trade Show" lurking around the corner? As luck and fate would have it, in early 2008 there was a huge industry trade show, and it was critical that we would be able to demonstrate the new version of the system to the roughly 25,000 customers that would be passing through our booth. And, it would be very important that these customers be able to see their own real items, either ones they were selling or ones they were buying. The problem was, of course, that the system was not ready to replace the production system! Due to security requirements brought about by a changing legal environment, we had to repartition the back-end database for the new system from 2 SQL databases into 6 separate databases just before the trade show. It was deemed too risky to perform this radical "surgery" on the live, production system just two months before the trade show. The new system's schema was about 95% the same as the old system, but there were corrections to long-standing column name problems or foreign-key reference inconsistencies. This was a complicating factor, however, for migration.We tossed around various ideas, such as:
- Perform the "surgery" on the production database to upgrade it to the new system schema, then use views and synonyms to create a "pass-through" database that looked like the old schema, but mapped across to the new DBs and structures.
- Do the reverse: create several "pass-through" new databases with views and synonyms that actually resolved to the single existing production database's objects.
The War Room
After some proof-of-concept prototyping, we realized this would be a winning strategy. Over the next couple of weeks, the four of us on the development team gathered daily in our "war room", and worked together to create all the necessary SQL scripts and shell databases, synonyms, views, etc that would be the magic glue. We ensured that we could re-run the scripts at will and automated our quality-control checks and sanity checks to be certain that all mappings would have proper permissions and configurations. After enough practice runs, we felt confident that it was ready to go. We created a single zip file which contained 5 BAK files, and a T-SQL script. We handed them off to our lead database administrator and he ran the scripts. Everything worked just as planned!Cha-Ching!
At the trade show, everything went off flawlessly! Customers attended our booth and we, the development team, aided them directly in logging into the system and showcasing the new features we had worked so hard to develop. It was a very gratifying feeling to see how our improvised plan came together so well. Most importantly, we had succeeded in mitigating all risks to the money-generating production system, while also achieving the benefit of showcasing the new system to customers with real data. This was very exciting to them because they felt that the new features would greatly help them run their own businesses atop our platform.
Phased Transition From Legacy to New
We had now successfully demonstrated and validated the new, value-added features directly with customers in person. This was a great success. Yet, there was still much to do after the trade show. Features of lesser prominence, those in the 300 other pages set still needed to be developed and tested. This ended up taking a very long time, but we ultimately cycled back to my original recommendation by adopting an incremental replacement strategy.
It worked like this:
- We deployed the new system to a new web server, named v2.
- The existing, v1 site, remained at www.
- We provided a link from v1 to v2 in the header of the v1 site, including advertising the benefits of the new system, but also including disclaimers and calls for assistance in testing and validating the usability of the new system.
- This garnered a lot of early-adopters who helped find bugs and inconsistencies, all for free to us!
- We monitored the usage patterns of v2 versus v1, to help estimate the load capacity under real-world conditions.
- Michael Nygard's book "Release It!" proved prophetic here. In his book he says that "feature complete" is not the same as "production ready."
- We learned this because the COM code had to be completely replaced with pure C# code since it could not stand up under load using COM Interop.
- This result bore out my original advice to get the new features into production as soon as possible to monitor under real world conditions.
- We formally adopted Scrum and Agile practices by identifying business-driven priorities and working through them in sprints.
- We did this by closely monitoring the real-world usage of both the existing v1 system and the v2 system and focusing our effort first on the highest traffic pages, such as Viewing, Browsing, and Searching. Of course, Bidding and Payment, while producing less volume, were also mission-critical.
- This focus allowed us to prioritize properly. We did not place inordinate emphasis on automating the testing of all areas of the system.
- For example: we did not write Selenium test suites for things like Help Pages or Support Pages. Why? They are seldom used! And, they generate no revenue.
- Instead, we built comprehensive Selenium test suites for the Big Four: Viewing, Browsing & Searching, Bidding, and Payment.
A Pleasant Surprise!
With the site now operating both in legacy, classic mode at www, and in "beta" mode at v2, the team began to actively monitor the new system's health health and encourage more and more users to jump into using v2. And, because we had focused on developing the value-added My Auctions features in the very beginning of the project, those features sat ready and willing to get into production! Our newest member of the team, who joined about two years after those features were ready and "shelved", took it on his own initiative, to our delight, to start building a mobile version of the core My Auctions features using ASP.NET MVC and the business objects that supported the My Auctions features. He was reluctant to show this prototype to the "higher ups", but the rest of our team encouraged him to do so. Within a few months, his mobile application was released into production before the global "switchover", described below, to the new system. A job well done!
Switching Over Right on Time for a Cool Billion Dollars
Over the course of more than a year, the team monitored the usage of v1 and v2, and began to more aggressively push the late adopters and stragglers into the new system. Eventually a "switchover" was made, and the v2 system took over the place of www. At that point, there was now a link back to v1, which ran from a virtual machine. Several months after this, the VM was retired, and the v1 system, and all of its legacy COM, was no more.Just after the legacy system was retired for good, the company celebrated its 10th anniversary and 1 billion dollars in sales volume!
In retrospect, I spent nearly three years working on this project and learned a great deal! While I wish that the original plan of seeing the entire migration take place "all at once" could have been successful, I also am pleased that my original recommendation to take a phased, incremental, risk-mitigating, ROI-maximizing approach was very sound. Ultimately, that very approach became necessary due to the "expected" unexpected bumps along the road!Application to Domains Seeking Non-Financial Returns
I understand that not all projects involve financial reward goals. Before I began working on the project just described, I worked for four years at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While working there, we were not seeking to generate financial return-on-investment. However, we did seek returns in the form of utility and value to the users and stakeholders of our systems. To assess this properly, it was critical to either observe the real users working with the system or to sit down with them and experience their pain, frustration, and sometimes: delight! Our team did this regularly by conducting evaluations, performing proficiency testing, and through coordinated multi-agency and stakeholder exercises under simulated public health emergency "war games".Tying This All Back to Agile
While I've written more extensively on Agile in other posts on this blog, this post has not been about the "mechanics" of agile so much as it has been about the why. But, I want to look at just the first principle of the Agile Manifesto and make a brief comment:
Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer
through early and continuous delivery
of valuable software.
through early and continuous delivery
of valuable software.
One might look at this principle and ask how can this be done when facing the situation I originally faced that featured my own client asking not for a continuous delivery model, but a "big bang" model? That's a very good question, and it's not one that has any quick-fix answer. My best advice here is that you need to learn the language and goals of both your client and your client's ultimate customers. If your client values financial returns, then ask him or her exactly what it is that generates financial returns.
In my client's case, returns come in when more people purchase items through his system. The next question should be: what is the shortest path we can take to increase that rate? If the client answers that the shortest path is to rewrite the entire system and deploy a big-bang upgrade, then you're going to have to keep breaking that down into smaller and smaller value-added chunks. You might have to suggest straw-men in terms of business-value if your client will not prioritize by business value naturally. Ultimately, like in this story, reality may bear down on the situation and if you have done your best to incrementally develop the system in terms of business value, then you can deliver value, upholding your end of the deal to the utmost of your ability within your realm of control. Sometimes that's the best you can do, until you run your own show!


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In Erotic Exchanges, Nina Kushner reveals the complex world of elite prostitution in eighteenth-century Paris by focusing on the professional mistresses who dominated it. In this demimonde, these dames entretenues exchanged sex, company, and sometimes even love for being "kept." Most of these women entered the profession unwillingly, either because they were desperate and could find no other means of support or because they were sold by family members to brothels or to particular men. A small but significant percentage of kept women, however, came from a theater subculture that actively supported elite prostitution. Kushner shows that in its business conventions, its moral codes, and even its sexual practices, the demimonde was an integral part of contemporary Parisian culture.Kushner's primary sources include thousands of folio pages of dossiers and other documents generated by the Paris police as they tracked the lives and careers of professional mistresses, reporting in meticulous, often lascivious, detail what these women and their clients did. Rather than reduce the history of sex work to the history of its regulation, Kushner interprets these materials in a way that unlocks these women's own experiences. Kushner analyzes prostitution as a form of work, examines the contracts that governed relationships among patrons, mistresses, and madams, and explores the roles played by money, gifts, and, on occasion, love in making and breaking the bonds between women and men. This vivid and engaging book explores elite prostitution not only as a form of labor and as a kind of business but also as a chapter in the history of emotions, marriage, and the family.
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Read on for UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Henderson 2 prelim results...
It took four UFC fights, but hometown hero
Jussier Formiga finally showed off the form that had him listed among
the best flyweights in the world on Sunday, as he submitted Scott Jorgensen in
less than a round in UFC Fight Night action from Ginasio Nelio Dias in Natal, Brazil.
"Scott was the favorite," said Formiga, who was 1-2 in his first two Octagon bouts. "Everyone I fight is the favorite. This win proves that I'm able to beat tough opponents. I'm here to prove I'm one of the top fighters in my division."
Jorgensen (14-9) set a furious pace at the
start, looking to implement his striking game as Formiga tried to find
an opening for the takedown. Formiga (16-3) didn't shy away from
standing with Jorgensen though, and after pushing his foe to the canvas
midway through the round after a clash of heads, he had his chance to
get his ground game going. From there it didn't take long, as Formiga
took Jorgensen's back and locked in the rear-naked choke that forced
"Young Guns" to tap out. The official time was 3:07.
"He jumped in and when I threw he headbutted me," said Jorgensen. "It was enough to wobble me. I woke up on the ground defending a rear-naked choke."
SANTOS vs. MARKES
Despite giving up a large advantage in weight to his opponent, middleweight Thiago Santos scored the upset in a big way, knocking out Natal's Ronny Markes in the first round.
Markes, who weighed in at 190 pounds to Santos' 183 on Saturday, was drilled with a left kick to the body early in the opening round, and after a delayed reaction, he fell to the canvas. Rio's Santos pounced immediately, with a series of unanswered hammerfists bringing in referee Mario Yamasaki to halt the bout at :53 of the first round.
With the win, Santos improves to 9-2; Markes falls to 14-3.
ROBERTSON vs. PERPETUO
Kenny Robertson silenced the Brazilian crowd in his welterweight bout against Thiago Perpetuo, impressively submitting the Santo Andre native in the first round.
An early head kick by Robertson landed, but also landed him on the mat, as he fell with Perpetuo in the top position. Robertson escaped, got his own takedown and moved into the full mount though. He then proceeded to fire off a series of strikes on his bloodied foe, and as Perpetuo turned, the East Peoria, Illinois native took his back and locked in a rear naked choke that produced a tap at 1:45 of the round.
With the win, Robertson moves to 13-3; Perpetuo, who was making his welterweight debut, falls to 9-4-1.
STRINGER vs. BARROSO
Light heavyweights Hans Stringer and Francimar Barroso battled it out for 15 grueling minutes, with UFC newcomer Stringer taking a close split decision win.
Scores were 29-28 twice and 28-29 for Stringer, now 22-5-3; Barroso falls to 16-4.
Stringer hit the deck early on after Barroso tripped him there, but after a restart from referee Mario Yamasaki, a right hand from the Netherlands native returned the favor, and Stringer took advantage as he worked effectively from the top position. After piling up some points, Stringer stood up with two minutes left and then scored another takedown. Barroso got up quickly this time, only to get locked up against the fence, where the newcomer landed more punches at close range.
Barroso fired off three hard kicks to begin the second round, forcing Stringer to seek refuge in the clinch. The kicks continued once the two broke, and as Stringer looked for a takedown, Barroso reversed position and wound up on top. Midway through the round, Stringer got to his feet, with the two remaining locked up. When they broke, Barroso emerged with a mouse under his left eye and both looked fatigued. Barroso did land with a flush uppercut to close the round strong.
The pace slowed in the final round, with each fighter firing off strikes sporadically between clinches. And while Barroso may have thought that a takedown in the final minute clinched it for him, the judges didn't agree, awarding Stringer the verdict.
PEPEY vs. LAHAT
In the featherweight opener, Godofredo Pepey got the Brazilian fans on their feet and kept them there, snapping a two fight losing streak with a highlight-reel knockout of previously unbeaten newcomer Noad Lahat.
The bombs were flying early from both fighters, with Lahat more on target than the wilder Pepey. Two minutes in though, a right hand by Pepey scored a flash knockdown, and moments later, a flying left knee from the Brazilian landed flush on Lahat's chin, knocking him out instantly. The official time was 2:39.
"I've been working on this knee strike for a long time, but I wasn't able to get it right in my past few fights because I was too nervous," said Pepey. "I wasn't in a good place, mentally. Now I'm back. The lion is awake."
With the win, Pepey improves to 11-3; Lahat falls to 9-1.
Jamahal Hill Talks UFC 300 Main Event
Hall Of Fame


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Paul Wackers has an exhibition of all new paintings up at New Image Art Gallery in LA from February 16th to March 30th. He sheds some light on his inspiration, creative process, new work and his experience of being an artist in NY in this interview with Kristin Bauer.
"Early Romantics" Paul Wackers at New Image Art Gallery
Feb. 16- Mar. 30, 2013
7920 Santa Monica Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90046
I will be showing about 12 new paintings all made since the beginning of 2013, so pretty quickly. One is the largest painting I've ever made which was really fun to do. The rest are a mix of objects in the landscape and very paired down still lifes or almost abstract compositions. I think this show is a really good follow up from my show at Alice gallery in Brussels last year. So continuing to build a bit off an internal narrative for the work and some parameters from my subjects to exist within and seeing where it goes from there.
Yeah, I think that is all in the work, but the work is rarely from direct observation. It's more like a kind of assumption of what something is and that leads to being open to the possibilities within anything. I know that's pretty cheesy, but when you spend 7 days a week in your studio the regular stuff around you and your walks there get really interesting. Funny bits of trash or strange trees and blandness become stages for things to happen. Being able to expand on the boring bit to see how it might be something unique is a hard thing, but a worthwhile search I think. But maybe ask me tomorrow and I won't see anything in it. It's all in the moment.
I like to play with those ideas in some of the paintings. Its strange that what I might see as just background noise that is easy to ignore because it has no focus, other people see chaotic stuff. I love how every person reads them so differently. That's why I usually like to let people tell me what they see before I say what I think is going on, since it is that play and disconnect that I love. If I give away my intention too soon then the person looking usually just ends at that, but when it stays ambiguous I think it remains interesting and the discussion can begin after that. But that being said, sometimes I will try to make images that I think can't possibly work, and then they start to click and I have a whole new thing to explore. So I guess finding some disharmony has been very beneficial to my process.
I rarely have a complete picture in my mind for the finished paintings, I mostly have a feeling of how I want it to move or a compositional problem I want to try to solve. But they often change drastically once I start working on them and just move from one issue to the next until I feel satisfied with the shape of it.
I think with this show I kind of tried to keep my influences internal, I did not budget my time on it so well so the paintings really had to inform each other. I tried to tease out the subjects from the forms in other paintings and then see how they worked or failed in different situations. I did not actively reference much outside of my studio, just my rocks and plants and ceramics that I have around me as a source. But with the few paintings that are in the landscape I think it was an attempt to remember summer, since my studio had no working heat this winter. I think those were a success since I got through some really cold days.
Yeah I was in SF for 9 years I think, it was a great time and I go back as often as I can. Every thing there was so relaxed so it was a great place to just try to figure out what i wanted to do with out thinking of a bigger picture like the future. Unfortunately, I think that city is in another tricky transition with another wave of tech money. We will have to wait and see how that works out, but I don't think it's going to survive how I knew it. But that's life I guess. So now, yeah I'm in New York where it's hectic all the time- people and stuff everywhere, it was a crazy transition but it's been really good. Being able to see and meet so many different artists and other kinds of people has been great. It feels like a city that just makes you work harder, partly because if you don't you might not make it, but also because that's kind of the fun of it. Just seeing where things go and waiting to see what sticks. It's a funny place and hard to describe what its done for my work.
Yes, I have a solo show coming up in May in Toronto at Narwhal Art Projects that should be really fun. I'm looking forward to visiting Canada. The clothing line No.6 from NYC used one of my paintings as a print on silk, which they made a few pieces from in their Spring 2013 line, so I look forward to seeing people wearing one of my paintings. There are a few other unformed projects in the works so we will see, I'm sure I will keep busy.


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Animal Services
About Animal Services
Citrus Heights Animal Services is committed to providing affordable, compassionate animal services to the citizens of Citrus Heights.
Our Goal
- Deliver visible support and community education
- Empower responsible pet owners
- Foster community involvement
- Promote healthy human-animal relationships in our community
On May 1, 2012, Animal Services Division was founded to better serve our citizens and their pets. On weekdays, the city has an Animal Services Officer (ASO) available during normal business hours. (See below for after-hours services.)
Emergency and Holiday Service
In an emergency, dial 911
Nights, weekends and national holidays Animal Services provides emergency dispatch services for animal-related calls. Call us at 916-725-7387, press 1 to be transferred to the Citrus Heights Police Department dispatch center.
Daily Operating Hours
Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
After Hours and Weekends Emergency Services
Calls are triaged by Dispatch and Animal Services Officers are called out as appropriate.
Our officers enforce animal related state laws and municipal codes and ordinances including public safety issues like animal bites, leash laws, animal endangerment and welfare, and barking complaints.
Animal licenses are required in the City of Citrus Heights and can be purchased online or by mail. For more information please visit our licensing page.
Lost & Found Animals
To report lost or found animals, please fill out a LOST or FOUND Pet Form. For more information visit our Lost & Found page.
Stray Dog Pickup
Stray animals are scanned for microchips, checked for licenses and, when possible, returned to owners all without ever going to a shelter. Animals without owner information/who require sheltering are taken to:
11232 B Avenue
Auburn, CA 95603
Placer County Animal Services
Dead Animals
Animals weighing less than 15 pounds may be placed in City garbage cans for disposal. Owned animals over 15 pounds should be taken to a veterinary clinic, pet cemetery, or may be buried on the owners property in compliance with regulations. Animal Services Officers will remove dead domesticated animals from public roadways. Dead wildlife removal is handled by the City's General Services Department and can be reported online or by calling 916.727.4770
If you are disposing of dead wildlife yourself, do it properly: wear rubber gloves, wrap the animal in a plastic bag and tie it off before disposing of the wrapped animal in an outside garbage bin.
In a diverse area such as our City, residents and wildlife often need to coexist. We offer very limited wildlife services. Go here for more information.
To report dead birds which may carry West Nile Virus file an online report with the California Department of Public Health.
Make an appointment online to Adopt a City Kitty through River City Cat Rescue.
We also encourage you to adopt your pet from a local shelter or local rescue group
We Proudly Shelter with:
Placer County Shelter
11232 B Ave.
Auburn, CA 95603
Animal Services
Physical Address
6315 Fountain Square Drive
Citrus Heights, CA 95621
Phone: 916-725-7387Fax: 916-727-4973Emergency Phone: 911


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We are so excited to announce the tour for Falling Forever by the lovely Victoria Monroe!
Get your copy today!
Ashe and Emerson crashed into one another like two falling stars destined to collide . . .
Sexy as hell, Ashe Bennett doesn't tie himself to anything or anyone.
Emerson Parker is beautiful, strong, and determined to keep Ashe away from her heart.
When determination is strong, but flesh is weak, Emerson may be the one chain Ashe refuses to break.
. . . but will their fire explode and burn out? Or will they become one star burning brighter together than they ever did apart?
"It's really hard not to get completely sucked into the story right from the beginning."
Victoria Monroe is giving away a signed paperback copy of Falling Forever to one lucky winner!! Sign up today! (US shipping only)
Victoria Monroe was born and raised in Pennsylvania. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor of arts degree in English literature. She and her husband relocated a few times within the state. She favors the Pittsburgh region, where she had her son and daughter. After a ten-year career in corporate retail, she resigned, allowing her the ability to raise her children and write. Victoria loves spending time with her family. She loves music, reading and being outdoors – from the mountains to the beach and everything in between. Watching the sunrise and sunset are some of her favorite things to do. She always looks for a reason to laugh.
Visit Victoria Monroe on social media:
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Fill out the Autopsy Report Request form and you will receive them via email. If you have further questions call 719-836-4340.
Show All Answers
The deceased will be transported to the Park County Coroner facility in Fairplay, CO.
A pending death certificate will be signed as soon as possible after an autopsy or exam is complete. A final Death Certificate will be issued once all required tests are completed.
The Park County Clerk and Recorder will sell you Certified copies of the Death Certificate. The current cost is $20 for the first and $13 for each additional Copy. Your Funeral Home may assist with this.
The approval of the Coroner's Office is required for tissue / organ donation. The wishes of the deceased for organ / tissue donation will be evaluated on an individual case basis. If donation is approved, the Park County Coroner's Office will be glad to assist in the coordination of the donation procedures. In rare cases donation of organs / tissue needed for a complete investigation will not be approved.
Select a funeral home or whole body donation service as soon as possible. Ask them to call the Park County Coroner's Office. If the deceased is to be removed out of state, ask the mortuary from that state to coordinate with a local mortuary for the necessary services.


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"If 'Anything to Declare?' has one redeeming quality, it's laughter," says director Steve Tague. "The play is all about sex, but sex in a world of old-fashioned innocence where young women remain chaste until their wedding night and husbands would do anything—including a visit to a working girl—to prove how much they love their wives." "Anything to Declare?" presented by UD's Resident Ensemble Players, is running now at The Thompson Theatre. Billed as a question—wacky farce or camel drama?—the hilarious play tells the tale of Robert, who, after marrying into the du Pont family, returns from his honeymoon in desperation. "In a French farce, of course, the innocence is wrapped in a wacky story of misplaced pants, mistaken identities, and a whirlwind of zany characters running in and out of lots of doors," Tague says. "Anything to Declare?" has it all. Unable to fulfill his husbandly duties, Robert must deal with two grandchild-demanding in-laws, a jilted fiancé, a camel dealer, and one very popular and artistic courtesan. This contemporary translation of Maurice Hennequin and Pierre Veber's classic play is guaranteed to keep you in stitches. Did we mention it happens in Paris in 1912? See it through Dec. 9. 831-2204, rep.udel.edu
The Grand Opera House in Wilmington features several great concerts this month—including one by the great Smokey Robinson. Known as the King of Motown, Robinson is both a great writer and a great voice, having written and performed some of popular music's all-time biggest hits, including "Tears of a Clown" and "My Girl." Hear the tunes—and learn a little about his life—on Nov. 20. 652-5577, thegrandwilmington.org
Remembering 9-11
Composer Wilson G. Somers has several hopes for "Requiem for 9/11"—to remember victims of the terrorism, to honor men and women who have served in the military, to "restore the vision of the relationship between our heavenly father and this country," and to raise funds for The Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, Pa. "It's more than just music," Somers says. "It's really consciousness building." Compelled by the attacks—especially by the experience of one of his chorus students at Tatnall School—Somers began writing the traditional mass 10 years ago. All parts of it have been performed as he has written, though the piece won't have been heard in its entirety until it premieres at The Grand Opera House in Wilmington on Nov. 25. "The modern era really ended in 2001," Somers says. "Now, in this post-modern era, we're tryting to figure out what's real, what's authentic. I deal with it every day as an educator. How do I give students hope?" Somers is known locally for his "Mass for the Homeless," which premiered in 1997. Compelled by the suicide of a troubled friend, "Mass," also 10 years in the making, sold out long before anyone but Somers had heard it and raised $40,000 for local homelessness organizations. With interest growing among corporate sponsors, Somers is hoping production costs of "Requiem" will be covered so that all proceeds from ticket sales can be donated to The Friends of Flight 93. One other hope: That we're all reminded of how fortunate we are to live in the United States. requiemfor911.org
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
One of the things we love most about the holidays is visiting the Brandywine River Museum in Chadds Ford, Pa. First, there's the model railroad. As many as five of 150 locomotives and 300 freight cars run simultaneously on more than 2,000 feet of track, winding past a village, stone quarry, oil refinery, mountains and waterfall as Santa and his sleigh fly overhead. This year's display highlights the train experience in Japan after WWII, with model trains by Sakai, Stronlite, Ajin and IMP. Second, there's the critter ornaments, handmade by local volunteers for sale to support the museum and programs. The decorations will adorn seven trees on the first and third floors, and charming critter scenes will surround the base of the trees and fill display cases. One towering tree, also decorated with critter ornaments, will rise three stories through the central lobby. For sale in the gift shop witll be "Teasel & Twigs, 'Tis a Critter Christmas Tale" a new children's picture book about the critter ornaments. This year's celebration also features "Pop-Up! Illustration in 3-D," a display of books that range from late 19th-century examples to sophisticated constructions designed by contemporary paper engineers working with noted artist-illustrators like Edward Gorey, Maurice Sendak and Tomie dePaola. To show the complexity of the process, the exhibition includes pre-production mock-ups by Chuck Fischer, Edward Gorey and Robert Sabuda. Also on view is "Donald Pywell: Golden Impressions of Andrew Wyeth," which features exquisitely crafted jewelry by Pywell and inspired by Wyeth's paintings. Pywell collaborated with Wyeth on the design for each piece. Everything is on display Nov. 23-Jan. 6. As part of A Brandywine Christmas, choral groups from local schools will provide musical entertainment in the second floor lobby throughout December. A complete list of the groups, with the dates and times of their performances, can be found on the museum's website. (610) 388-2700, brandywinemusuem.org
When Christmas Bells are Ringing…
When the seventh annual Chocolate Festival happens at the Rollins Center of Dover Downs Hotel & Casino on Nov. 24, not only will you be able to sample chocolate creations and other foods, you'll also be able to see the Delaware Hospice Festival of Trees and see The Capital Ringers perform holiday tunes on handbells. Instrumentals and choral performances will be featured, in addition to dance presentations by Delaware Ballet Company. A highlight: The Dover Symphony Orchestra will perform Ringing in the Holiday Season on Nov. 25. Along with seasonal music, the winner of Youth Concerto Competition, Chelsea Lee, will play one movement of a violin concerto. It's a special weekend.
A Holiday Classic
Here's a show we love: The Possum Point Players production of Irving Berlin's "White Christmas: The Musical," based on the 1954 Paramount film starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen. This score features 17 Irving Berlin standards, including "Happy Holiday," "The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing," "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep" and, of course, "White Christmas." Hear them during PPP's show Nov. 30-Dec. 1 and Dec. 7-8. The story is this: Veterans Bob Wallace (Kenney Workman of Milford) and Phil Davis (Don Megee of Georgetown) have a successful song-and-dance act after World War II. With romance in mind, the two follow a duo of beautiful singing sisters, Betty and Judy Haynes (Lorraine Steinhoff of Dover and Deni Robinson of Lewes) to their Christmas show at a Vermont lodge, which happens to be owned by Bob and Phil's former army commander, Major General Thomas F. Waverly (Michael Williams of Georgetown), so they decide to put on a show. But you don't need to go to Vermont. Just head to Georgetown. 856-4560, possumpointplayers.org
A Unique Insight
You know Arden—that wacky place where all the artists live. See how they work during the fourth annual Ardens Artists Studio Tour. It begins with a reception Dec. 7, as part of Wilmington's Art on the Town, then contines through the weekend. Since its founding in 1900 by sculptor Frank Stephens and architect William Price, Arden has been a haven for visual artists, crafts people, musicians and actors. The three Ardens—Arden, Ardentown and Ardencroft—are Single Tax and Arts & Crafts communities. The Single Tax is an economic theory proposed by Henry George, an economist and philosopher who believed that a land value tax was the most fair and equitable tax. The Ardens also were founded on the ideals of William Morris, as an Arts and Crafts community, a reaction against the industrial revolution that valued handcrafted goods and individualistic design. The Arden Craft Shop Museum still supports this idea. It hosts Afternoon with the Artist one Sunday every month, when a local artist displays his or her work. The studio tour is different. It's your opportunity to meet and see the artists where they work. Twenty artists are part of this year's tour, which continues through the weekend, and a group show will be mounted at the Buzz Ware Village Center on Friday night. Lots of work will be for sale. "There is a resurgence of the visual arts in Arden as we artists become more aware of each other," says longtime Arden artist David Burslem. "The history of Arden as an artist colony is perhaps the reason that our residents and artists alike have been drawn here to live and work. It's as if the town itself and all of its creative activities have bred a mystical place in which to nurture creativity. Just as our own art that we produce could probably be made anywhere, it's the acceptance and interest of what we do by the community at large and the contacts that we have with our own community of artists which really allows us to more freely be creative in our own private utopia." Burslem cites local artists Aurelius Renzetti, Bunni Hurlong, and Ash and Mary Burslem as influences. "When I moved to Arden 19 years ago from Center City Philadelphia I wondered if I would fit in," says Linda Celestian. Her new surroundings influenced a return to nature-themed work. She also found herself regularly dropping in on friends in their studios, which never happened in the city. "I love working in the village and being surrounded by so many artists and talented people. I walk into my studio and immediately get lost and totally absorbed in designing and making my jewelry." says Joy Davis. For a full list of participating artists, scroll to the bottom of this week's posting. ardenartists.com
Simply Beautiful
Now at the Delaware Art Museum, "So Beautifully Illustrated" shows the work of Katharine Richardson Wireman, who studied with Howard Pyle before embarking on a 50-year career as an illustrator. Her illustrations, which often featured domestic scenes, ranged from advertisements and fashion features to children's books to covers of magazines such as The Country Gentleman. "So Beautifully Illustrated" continues the series of exhibitions focused on the Golden Age of Illustration and the students of Howard Pyle. See it through Jan. 6. 571-9590, delart.org
The Moment is Now
"The Aesthetic Moment: The Art of Still Life" at Delaware Art Museum features 11 regional painters with different styles, but a common love for the genre. The still life arrangements are uniquely perceived and rendered by the artists, then perceived uniquely again by the viewer. The guest curator is Paul DuSold of Philadelphia, who has shown his work widely across the United States over the last 30 years, concentrating on still life. His unerring eye reveals a range of still life subjects, themes and styles that will astound you. See it though Jan. 6. 571-9590, delart.org
Young at Art
Don't miss "Young Country," a traveling show of art that speaks of place. Organized by DCCA, it hit UArts in Philadelphia and Salisbury University in Maryland before its exhibition in Delaware. "Young Country" examines how artists living in fringe art centers are re-defining ideas of fine art, class, and "country" in America. The exhibition features artists who use rural images and subjects such as horseracing, honkytonks, and homesteading to address how the visual culture of a region shapes perception and identity. The show features work by artists from Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Houston, Seattle, New York, Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky, and other areas. The show grows as it travels. Also showing at DCCA through Dec. 9 is "Natural Forces," large-scale sculpture and installations of burnt wood, spiraling metallic pieces, and cardboard constructions by Alison Stigora that explores the relationship between the destructive and creative forces of nature. 656-6466, thedcca.org
The Art of Business
Little-known fact: The library at Hagley holds the records of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Hence "100 Years of Picturing the Nation's Business: Photographs from the Collection of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America," which celebrates the chamber's centennial. The exhibition shows famous—and not-so-famous—photos, some capturing significant moments such as reaction to the stock market crash, aftermath of the Dust Bowl and news of the Titanic sinking, some showing iconic companies such as Ford Motor Co. and American Airlines in their earliest days. While you're there, see "The American Eagle: Symbol of Freedom and Enterprise to the du Pont Family." The bird was an important symbol, one that Mrs. Louise du Pont Crowninshield collected and displayed in her ancestral home, Eleutherian Mills. The exhibition is on view through Jan. 1. 658-2400, hagley.org 658-2400, hagley.org
It's All About Us
In 1962, the interstate highway system was just getting traction, the Delaware Memorial Bridge had only one span, and the Cape May-Lewes Ferry had not yet set sail. Fifty years later, the state is a much different place, and through it all, Delaware Today has been there to document the changes. See how in "Delaware Yesterday, Delaware Today: 1962-2012" at the Delaware History Center in Wilmington beginning August 18. The exhibit shows how the magazine has evolved from a small black-and-white publication with regular features like the quaint Flo Knows Fashion into the glossy, full-color publication you read today for the latest on great restaurants, the arts, emerging lifestyle trends, home design, interesting personalities and more. Objects from the collection of the Delaware Historical Society round out the story. "Delaware Yesterday, Delaware Today: 1962-2012" is informative, entertaining and nostalgic, and we humbly submit that you'll find it as interesting as we here at DT do. 655-716, hsd.org
The participants of the annual Ardens Artists Studio Tour:
Alan Burslem, ceramics
David Burslem, sculptural paintings
Kim Brainard Celis, watercolor paintings
Linda Celestian, paintings and fiber sculptures
Joy Davis, art-to-wear jewelry
Joe del Tufo, photography
Pamela Dennis, fiber arts
Tom Dulin, oil paintings
Phil Fisher, sculpture and art collection
Dolores Pye Josey, ceramics and paintings
Dick Lebeis, SilverWear jewelry
Rhys McClure, paintings and drawings
Russ McKinney, copper embossings
Ashley Messatzzia, photography
Eleanore Morrow, paintings and silk scarves
Mary Mosaic, jewelry and clothing
Erica Orr, ink and watercolor
Jeanne Orr, paintings
Marge Roberts, paintings
Jen Saemann, acrylic and watercolor paintings
Dotty Verne, paintings


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In The Merchant of Venice, the path to marriage is hazardous. To win Portia, Bassanio must pass a test prescribed by her father's will, choosing correctly among three caskets or chests. If he fails, he may never marry at all.
Bassanio and Portia also face a magnificent villain, the moneylender Shylock. In creating Shylock, Shakespeare seems to have shared in a widespread prejudice against Jews. Shylock would have been regarded as a villain because he was a Jew. Yet he gives such powerful expression to his alienation due to the hatred around him that, in many productions, he emerges as the hero.
Portia is most remembered for her disguise as a lawyer, Balthazar, especially the speech in which she urges Shylock to show mercy that "droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven."
The authoritative edition of The Merchant of Venice from The Folger Shakespeare Library, the trusted and widely used Shakespeare series for students and general readers, includes:
-Freshly edited text based on the best early printed version of the play
-Newly revised explanatory notes conveniently placed on pages facing the text of the play
-Scene-by-scene plot summaries
-A key to the play's famous lines and phrases
-An introduction to reading Shakespeare's language
-An essay by a leading Shakespeare scholar providing a modern perspective on the play
-Fresh images from the Folger Shakespeare Library's vast holdings of rare books
-An up-to-date annotated guide to further reading
Essay by Alexander Leggatt
The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, is home to the world's largest collection of Shakespeare's printed works, and a magnet for Shakespeare scholars from around the globe. In addition to exhibitions open to the public throughout the year, the Folger offers a full calendar of performances and programs. For more information, visit Folger.edu.
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This report in the statistical series centres on the types of families and individuals needing, receiving and providing employment or education support. Topics include barriers to labour force or education participation; payment of education expenses; characteristics of young persons in education; education and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities; unemployment and effect on living standards. This report is part of a series of publications for the International Year of the Family, based on findings from the 1992 Survey of Families in Australia and the 1993 Survey of Families in Australia and the 1993 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers. Document Selection These documents will be presented in a new window. |


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Procession of the Precious Cross
August 1
Because of the many diseases that occur in the month of August, the custom prevailed of old in Constantinople to carry the precious Wood of the Cross in procession throughout the city for its sanctification and its deliverance from illnesses. It was brought forth from the imperial treasury on the last day of July and placed upon the Holy Table of the Great Church of the Holy Wisdom; and beginning today, until the Dormition of the Theotokos, it was carried in procession throughout the city and was set forth for veneration before the people.
Apolytikion of Proodos of the Holy Cross
First Tone
Lord, save Your people and bless Your inheritance, granting our rulers to prevail over adversaries, and protecting Your commonwealth by Your Cross.
Kontakion of Proodos of the Holy Cross
Fourth Tone
Lifted up on the Cross by Your free will, Christ God, grant mercies to the new commonwealth that bears Your name. Gladden our faithful rulers by Your power, giving them victories over their adversaries. May Your alliance be for them a weapon for peace, an invincible standard.
Blessed Feast Day
Share the feast of Procession of the Precious Cross with an icon greeting ecard.


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We are all going to change this fall with EVOLUTION
Image/Skybound Entertainment unites writers James Asmus, Joseph Keatinge, Christopher Sebela, and Joshua Williamson with artists Joe Infurnari and Jordan Boyd to create a new global phenomenon in EVOLUTION. The new series is set to launch with an oversized debut issue this November.
"Society now moves at an exponentially rapid pace. Our technology processes information faster than our biology is capable of handling," said Keatinge. "Evolutionexplores what happens when this goes awry when humanity is left behind by its progress, venturing into unexpected, horrifying directions."
Asmus added: "If reading this book is anything like writing it, it'll be a disturbing, thought-provoking, and cathartic ride through some very real anxieties about shifting society, what lurks inside us, and realizing just how few guard rails there are keeping us safe. But with enough twists, body horror, and murder that keep it fun!"
Human evolution has taken millions of years to get to the stage it's reached in EVOLUTION. But next week, we become something new. Around the world, humanity is undergoing rapid and unpredictable changes, and only three individuals seem to notice that their world is being reborn. But what can they do about it?
"Horror is a slippery and weird genre," said Sebela. "Not everything scares everyone else the same way. But I know what I want out of mine: long tendrils of dread, a fog of doom, deep conspiracies, monsters—especially the human variety—and loss.Evolution's horror focuses on that sense of loss, one that can be as deadly as a psycho in a mask. Loss of control over our world, our lives and even our bodies, it's everything we're always facing but in a much bloodier package."
EVOLUTION #1 (Diamond Code SEP170638) will be available in stores on Wednesday, November 15th. The final order cutoff from retailers is Monday, October 23rd.


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Congress Members to Daniel Snyder: Change Your Team's Name
Ten members of Congress sent a letter May 13 to Daniel Snyder, owner of the NFL's Washington, D.C., franchise, urging him to change the club's name. Similar letters were sent to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, FedEx President and Chief Executive Officer Frederick Smith (FedEx is a sponsor of Snyder's franchise, and the team plays at FedExField), and the owners of the NFL's other 31 clubs.
The 10 Congress members include the co-chairs of the Congressional Native American Caucus Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma) and Betty McCollum (D-Minnesota), Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Arizona), Gwen Moore (D-Wisconsin), Michael M. Honda (D-California), Donna M. Christensen (D-Virginia), Zoe Lofgren (D-California), Barbara Lee (D-California), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), and Eni F.H. Faleomavaega (D-American Samoa).
In their letter to Snyder, the ten representatives stated, "Native Americans throughout the country consider the R-word a racial, derogatory slur akin to the N-word among African Americans or the W-word among Latinos. Such offensive epithets would no doubt draw widespread disapproval among the NFL's fan base. Yet the national coverage of Washington's NFL football team profits from a term that is equally disparaging to Native Americans."
The letter also states:
"The current Chairman and Chief of the Penobscot Nation, Chief Kirk Francis, recently stated in a joint statement that the [R-word] is 'not just a racial slur or a derogatory term,' but a painful 'reminder of one of the most gruesome acts of . . . ethnic cleansing ever committed against the Penobscot people.' The hunting and killing of Penobscot Indians like animals, as declared by Chief Francis, was 'a most despicable and disgraceful act of genocide'...
"In this day and age, it is imperative that you uphold your moral responsibility to disavow the usage of racial slurs. The usage of the [R-word] is especially harmful to Native American youth, tending to lower their sense of dignity and self-esteem. It also diminishes feelings of community worth among the Native American tribes and dampens the aspirations of their people.
"We look forward to working with you to find a solution to this important matter."
This congressional call to rename Snyder's franchise follows the Non-Disparagement of Native American Persons or Peoples in Trademark Registration Act of 2013 (H.R. 1278), which was introduced on March 20 by Congressman Faleomavaega and cosponsored by 13 members of Congress. This legislation seeks to cancel the federal registrations of trademarks using the word redskin reference to Native Americans. It was referred to committee the day it was introduced. Snyder's team is also awaiting a ruling by the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board regarding its redskin trademark.
According to Faleomavaega's office, the Trademark Act of 1946 requires that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) not register any trademark that "[c]onsists of or comprises . . . matter which may disparage . . . persons, living or dead…or bring them into contempt, or disrepute." 15 U.S.C. §1502(a). Accordingly, the PTO has rejected four registration applications that Snyder's franchise has submitted for trademarks which proposed to use the R-word – three times in 1996 and once in 2002. The applications were denied on grounds that the R-word is disparaging and a racial slur relative to Native Americans.
In a recent statement, the Native American Rights Fund elaborated on the PTO's duty to the Native American community pursuant to the Trademark Act:
"Native nations and citizens have a treaty, trust and special relationship with the United States, and rely on the federal government more than any other segment of society to make certain that its actions do no harm. Because of the duty of care owed to Indian tribes and people by the Department of Commerce, it is incumbent upon them to strictly enforce the provisions of 15 U.S.C. § 1052(a), in order to safeguard Indian tribes and citizens from racially or culturally disparaging federal trademarks. They are required by law to assess the issues in light of its federal Indian trust relationship and associated fiduciary duties to protect Indians and Indian culture from degrading federal trademark registrations. That trust relationship encompasses an affirmative duty on behalf of the Department of Commerce and the [Patent and Trademark Office] to protect tribal culture and safeguard Native Americans from racism in sports conducted under color of federal law."
In a May 9 article in USA Today, Snyder declared, "We'll never change the name. It's that simple. NEVER – you can use caps." As the ten Congress members note in their letter to Snyder, this position is inconsistent with the NFL's Commitment to Diversity, which states in part (read the full text here): "Diversity is critically important to the NFL. It is a cultural and organizational imperative about dignity, respect, inclusion and opportunity.... Diversity is the right thing to do both for moral and ethical reasons as well as for the long-term business success of the League."
Meanwhile, H.R. 1278 has received widespread support from both Native American and non-Native American organizations across the nation. The National Congress of American Indians—"the oldest, largest and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization serving tribal governments and communities"—recently stated: "This legislation will accomplish what Native American people, nations, and organizations have tried to do in the courts for almost twenty years – end the racist epithet that has served as the [name] of Washington's pro football franchise for far too long."
The Tulsa Indian Coalition Against Racism states that the R-word is "hurtful and injurious to our youth, as well as the entire Native American population."
The Native American Finance Officers Association states: "The term has never been acceptable in the Native community and causes harm to the collective self-esteem and status of American Indians in the larger society. . . What should be viewed as a national embarrassment has somehow turned into a celebrated namesake for a national sport."
The American Indian Movement West states: "Our organization supports the goal of ridding the sports world of the disparaging name of the Washington pro football franchise. There is no question that this is a racist term that causes harm and injury, whether or not it is intended to do so, and must not be tolerated in decent society."
The United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc. states: "Overcoming the social challenges resulting from industry branding and media exposure has taken generations for other groups. Native communities are on a similar journey. In our work to protect and promote our sovereignty rights at all levels, existing stereotypes, bigotry, and racist views about our people often get in the way of progress. This legislation will assist Tribes in promoting an understanding of American Indian culture, positive images of Indian Country, the effects of historic trauma, and the modern-day successes and challenges Tribes face as we seek to improve the standard of living within our communities."
In addition to the above organizations, there are at least 50 other tribes and organizations that have either disavowed the use of the term redskin or pledged their support for this bill. Track its progress here.
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An important study investigating safety and effectiveness of a treatment for ragweed allergy saw symptoms and medication use reduced by an average of 43 percent.
The treatment, known as SAIL (Sublingual Allergy Immunotherapy Liquid) involves liquid ragweed extracts being taken under the tongue daily, with the aim of desensitizing people to the weed, or at least significantly reducing their symptoms.
The 2014 study involved 429 ragweed-allergic participants in 26 sites across North America. Some received the treatment, while others received a placebo. In answer to questionnaires, those receiving the SAIL treatment had 43 percent lower scores on symptom and medication use compared to those in the placebo group.
The treatment falls under the umbrella of sublingual immunotherapy, or SLIT. However, the most successful SLIT products to date have been in tablet form. This study marks the first time a liquid SLIT treatment has reached the level of a phase 3 trial – the final phase before seeking FDA approval.
Sublingual immunotherapy, like conventional immunotherapy or allergy shots, aims to desensitize people to allergens by introducing tiny, then increasing amounts of the allergen to the body on a regular basis. Instead of injections, SLIT uses medicine placed under the tongue daily.
"Sublingual immunotherapy is an alternate form of treatment that is often administered to pollen allergic patients in Europe," notes Dr. Peter Creticos, lead author of the study. "However, the few previously performed U.S. studies of liquid allergenic extracts were either early safety and preliminary dose-ranging studies or were unsuccessful. This study provides the first conclusive evidence that this form of treatment can be safely tolerated at effective doses."
Side effects included local reactions as well as mild to moderate swelling and itching of the mouth and throat, hives and diarrhea. Encouragingly, there were no cases of anaphylaxis in the study.
Related Reading
Ragweed Allergy: Symptoms, Treatment and Avoidance