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holiday greetings
I'm off for what's sure to be a very memorable vacation. Posting will be somewhat intermittent for the next two weeks. Have a wonderful Christmas and a very happy new year!!!
year in review
Goodness, how time flies. I believe I mentioned that I've been more-or-less living at the airport of late, a fact which has become all the more real today. It's somewhere around 70 degrees in Austin today, but apparently there's snow in Chicago, so no planes in Texas, and flight delayed for four hours, blah, blah, blah, blah. All I know is that when I showed up for my 2:20 flight at 1:14pm, they took my bags and put me in another line, where I was finally informed that it will be 10pm before I get anywhere near Nashville. I'm at Gate 11, in the comfy chairs with electrical outlets. Stop by and say hi. I'll be here all afternoon.
(This all happened after watching a gate agent scream at a mother traveling alone with her three preschoolers, one of whom absolutely deserved the non-abusive spanking she gave him. Apparently Southwest now hires the Parenting Police to run its customer service operation. I think everyone in the line will be writing a letter about that one. That poor woman deserves a voucher.)
Then my colleague R called to ask if he'd just seen me leaving the airport Maudie's. (Ahem, yes, of course I stopped at Maudie's. Five hours goes by a lot faster with some Maudie's enchilada goodness.), so we had lunch together before he left for Palo Alto on time with American. Apparently only Southwest is having trouble moving people about the parts of the country where it isn't snowing today.
Anyway, given that I've got nothing but time and three apples from the pantry, I figured now is as good a time as any to do a year in review post. Let's go month-by-month, 'kay?
January kicked off with a bang at the Wedding of the Century four-day extravaganza.
Then of course, there was the Mom of Twins' birthday sushi cake:Even the sushi cake, however, was topped by the wonder that is Miracle Wrap we found at the New Baptist Covenant:In February, I didn't eat the cookies at my last-ever GA Valentine's Day Cookie Sale,
then went to Lubbock for a much-needed dose of West Texas, which would've been awesome except for the black ice south of Sweetwater.
March began with an actual presidential campaign in Austin, and with a caucus during which we learned exactly which one of our neighbors is most likely to barricade himself inside his home with a weapons stockpile.
In mid-March, I met my longtime goal of reaching 30 countries before my 30th birthday with a visit to Steve the Lawyer in the world's newest country, the Republic of Kosovo. We also took a spin around Macedonia, and I had coffee in Albania and spent a couple of days riding buses across Montenegro. Seeing a Yugo in its natural habitat was completely worth the 22-hour blizzard-induced flight delay and reroute through Istanbul via Des Moines.
April meant a trip to Chicago to convene with 7,000 of my closest friends in political science. It also meant dinner with Melissa the Missonary, at which we had one of the single most disgusting things I've ever tasted: fried Twinkies. Ew.
May was rough, what with turning 30 and all, but it was made easier by the fact that a whole mess of other friends also turned 30, a fact which was "celebrated" by some of our other dear friends in June.
And by a quick trip to DC to catch up with friends, some of whom are newly committed to the spirit of Baylor:
June was long, hot, and slow. I taught summer school at an ungodly hour of the morning, then worked on my dissertation the rest of the day, all day, every day, including weekends. Luckily, camping with friends at Pedernales Falls was a great way to cool off.
In July, I got out of the heat and went to Peru, where I finally got to see Machu Picchu and learned what food poisoning feels like.
Nothing cures altitude sickness like paragliding over the Pacific coast:
August was even worse than June. My colleagues and I escaped to Boston at the end of the month to confer with our political scientist friends once again.
September was for football and music festivals, as per usual.
October meant a wedding in Vermont at which the bride walked down the aisle to "Sweet Child O Mine"
and Halloween, for which the polygamist Mormons definitely won the best costume prize in my book:
By November, I'd taken up residence at the airport, first to go to Chicago again, where they were apparently having trouble keeping their streets flat in their post-election ecstacy.
December involved flying all over creation for job interviews, then a musical extravaganza in the church Christmas pageant for which the Librarian and I dressed like a sixties girl group (and during which a very alert seven-year-old asked her mother if we were all drunk or what)
and the Librarian's magnificent birthday party, to which Steve Not the Lawyer brough a pinata and two Mexicans.
Oh, and I got a job. More on that later.
All in all, it was quite a year, and it's not over yet. In an unprecedented departure from tradition, la famille Texas in Africa is skipping out on Christmas altogether and heading to the beach. In the southern hemisphere. (I know. Up is down, green is red, and North Carolina voted Democratic. Strange things are afoot.) Bonus: for the first time in who knows how long, I'm using my passport to go somewhere that is 1) not a third-world hellhole and 2) not a site of ethnic cleansing in the last 15 years. I don't know that I know how to brush my teeth with tap water in a foreign country anymore.
I hope your 2008 was as much fun as mine was, that you met some life goals that were perhaps more significant than visiting Albania, and that you 2009 is even better.
finally, a Texan
thursday this & that
- Non-shoe-related ways to insult others all around the world.
- Ladies, it's hard to find gifts for the men in your life this time of year. But who of them wouldn't want to smell like a Whopper? Gift dilemma solved!
- Someone finally explains why Rick Warren's fear-mongering about Prop 8 is demonstrably false.
- Speaking of Rick Warren, he'll be delivering the prayer at the inauguration. It's smart politics on Obama's part, at least in one direction. (In terms of ticking off wealthy gay donors, not so much.) Being as I am Not a Fan of Pastor Warren, I'll reserve comment until after I hear the prayer.
- Like there's anything wrong with this.
the christmas schlock continues
I wonder how many starving children could be fed with the money spent on their electric bill.
"now the only thing missing is charo!!!"
We had at least this much fun with a pinata last night at the Librarian's super-festive birthday party.
call us weird, we don't care
My apologies for the complete and total lack of posting here today. We here chez Texas in Africa woke up when our phone rang at 9:30am to learn that the electricity was out. When I finally gave up and left to have lunch with Favorite Kid #1, there were men with a ginormous corkscrew looking thing outside. I don't know what they did, as I was preoccupied with getting the eyeshadow off of my nose (oops), but by the time I got home this evening, everything was back to normal.
Of the news that is news here in Austin, Jennifer Gale died overnight. Our city has something of a tradition of political participation by transgendered or cross-dressing homeless individuals (really). Gale was a fixture at almost every single meeting of the Austin City Council, the school board, and other community governing bodies. She was also a perpetual candidate for city offices, and came very close to winning a spot on the school board a few years ago. Although Gale made an easy target, the city is genuinely worse off without someone whose commitment to improving life for all of our citizens - especially for the poor and vulnerable - was so strong. The comments about her life in her funeral guestbook make it clear that this city valued her life.
nonsense drumming
One of my favorite pieces of bad Christmas music ever. You have to understand that I HATE this song with a passion.
Turns out there was one thing that could bring Iraqis of all religions and ethnicities together...
"Aisha Makombo, 15, has been raising her 11-year-old sister, Khadija, since their mother died of AIDS last year. An expressive girl with a soft, round face, Aisha, who is H.I.V. negative, has been struggling to get drug treatment for Khadija, who is now sick with AIDS.
"She took her little sister, so stunted she appears half her actual age, to Parirenyatwa Hospital, the nation's largest referral hospital, last year, but crucial test results needed to qualify Khadija for life-saving medications were inexplicably misplaced.
"On a later visit, Aisha was told the machine that performed the tests was broken. Now the hospital is virtually closed. Aisha said she was referred to private doctors who demanded payment in South African rand or American dollars, but the girls had no money.
"Aisha's eyes filled with tears as she explained that she had been able to obtain only cotrimoxazole, an antibiotic used to treat opportunistic infections, for her little sister." (NYT)
Zimbabwe's nightmare has grown even worse in recent weeks, in large part because water stopped running in Harare's huge slums, prompting a major outbreak of cholera. Water stopped running because the national government took over the system's operation from the city council, which opposes the ruling regime. Hyperinflation is now so bad that salaries do not cover teachers' commute costs to work, and many doctors and nurses no longer show up to work.
The NYT has a list of organizations that are on the ground trying to help children like Aisha and Khadija. In the meantime, they could use your prayers, especially as Aisha tries to find ways to earn enough money to care for her sister. The danger that she will end up in the commercial sex trade is high.
weekend this & that
- Here's a list of reasons to shop at thrift stores rather than getting involved in the holiday madness. I particularly like the point that thrift stores employ people who are otherwise unemployable.
- As linked to by the above blogger, we really shouldn't shop at the Gap. Unless we want clothes that are sometimes produced by enslaved and abused children in appalling conditions. Even though the Gap tries to fix problems when they discover them, the reality is that it's almost impossible to keep track of every supplier all the time. There's a reason those sales are so good.
- Glad to see that the Austin ISD is hiring such geniuses these days. (HT: David)
- God bless the Portuguese.
- What's your response to human trafficking?
ho ho ho
I'd like to thank my friend Ben for sending along this little gem of holiday cheer. That's Texas Tech quarterback/almost-Heisman trophy finalist Graham Harrell on the upper left.
The best part? It's for this year, which means it's clearly a joke. I wonder whether TTU sports PR got to clear the joke first?
in excelsis brassica oleracea botrytis cymosa
This is quite possibly the most amazing thing I've seen as far as Christmas carols go:
It gets better: there's a debate as to whether broccoli really sounds like that.
with mary we behold it
A little of what Baylor's Chamber Singers' Christmas Concert used to be like.
who knew?
Even Aggies come up with okay ideas every now and then.
All I want for Christmas...
...is a comprehensive peace deal in the Congo. There will be a deal eventually ('tis the season!), but they won't address the land tenure issues that have driven so much of this conflict. I also doubt that it will determine once and for all whether Kinyarwanda-speaking Congolese are citizens of the DRC or not. A deal that doesn't address those issues is doomed to fall apart.
with the poor and meek and lowly
This is one of my very, very favorite carols. It broke my heart that the interim conductor of Baylor's Chamber Singers abandoned tradition and didn't open their concert with it this year. I look forward to hearing their version each December.
no wonder we're all sick
It was almost 80 degrees and muggy when I got to work this morning.
It's currently around 35 and various frozen substances are falling from the sky.
Anyone have a weather report for Atlanta?
tuesday this & that
- Corruption? In Chicago politcs? Nooooo.......
- I'm okay with classifying the "naked man with a sword" as not guilty by reason of insanity.
- Here are some very cool signs from around the world.
- "Why all this anger about helping the poor?"
- The global economic downturn has far-reaching consequences for the Congolese, including the loss of up to 300,000 mining jobs.
- Speaking of the Congo, Nkunda's representatives are meeting with Congolese government officials in Nairobi. This is the first time the two sides have had talks. It is an important and necessary step if there's ever to be a lasting peace.
always start with this one
I'll be running some of my favorite holiday songs these next couple of weeks. This is the song I always play first.
job market = junior high
I haven't been blogging much of late.
Perhaps you've noticed.
Things have been a little busy around here.
To be more precise, I'm in the middle of a nine-week run of being at an airport at least once a week.
I'm not complaining. It's much better to have family to visit, conference papers to present, jobs for which to interview, and vacations to take than the alternatives. But I am tired.
Here's what I've learned about the academic job market thus far: it's remarkably similar to choosing a spouse. Using the dating methods of seventh graders.
You put yourself out there, often by letting your advisor know that you're interested in this or that job. Your advisor and other professors then introduce you around, letting those schools know that you like them, and you want them to like you, too.
And then you wait for the phone to ring. And wait. And wait. And begin to think that the phone will never ring, that nobody will ever want to give you a chance.
Then it does. Ring, I mean. Sometimes it's the school you wanted to call. Sometimes, it's not. Regardless, you have no idea what to say, but you pull it together, manage to sound cool, and reply, "Of course, I've always dreamed of living and working in northwest Iowa/metropolitan Las Vegas/outer Mongolia. Who doesn't?"
If they like you, it doesn't matter whether you like them or not: you're going for that interview. You rehearse everything you'll say with your friends and people who are wiser than you, come up with an answer to every possible question, have amusing anecdotes on hand for when conversation slows, and have your mutual friends call to talk you up. You also get every single piece of dirt, I mean, information on the school that can be found online and through your networks.
Then comes the real fun: the campus interview. In which both parties involved have one, maybe two days to decide whether they want to spend the next thirty years together.
It's like going from the first date to an engagement in one day.
Academic job interviews are not like interviews for other jobs. In a normal job interview, you spend an hour, maybe two talking to the people whose responsibility it is to hire new workers. In an academic job interview, you talk. About yourself. For eight or nine hours. To a mind-boggling array of people. You meet as many members of the department as possible, visit with the dean of the college and the department chair about tenure and promotion and benefits policies, take a campus tour, sometimes teach a class, meet with students, and always give a talk on your research, which is followed by what can be a brutal Q&A in which faculty members may try to impress one another with how smart they are by berating you. Everyone, from the dean to the undergrads, is constantly evaluating you, so you'd better not say anything stupid, and you'd better not lose your voice or catch a cold.
You also get treated to fancy dinners, ones that you suspect won't be forthcoming once you commit.
Then you get to wait again, to see if they'll make an offer. And if they do, you have two weeks tops to make a decision that determines where you'll likely spend most of your career. And you have to decide what to do.
Sometimes it's easy. If the school is It, the One, the Only One, you just know. But they may not see you as It, the One, the Only One, and what then? Then you wait, because if their first choice turns them down, you might still have a chance.
Sometimes it's not. If you get an offer from a place you're not sure about - or, worse, one you know you'd hate - then you have to decide which risk is worth it. Stay on the market for spring's Round II, or accept a job you don't want in hopes of moving on in a couple of years. The former is frightening in this economy. The latter is very unfair to a school that spent a thousand dollars trying to woo you in.
It's complicated.
Being as I'm among the minority of academics for whom ending up in New York City or at most of the major research universities is the nightmare scenario, my market experiences have been almost universally positive this year. It turns out to have been a jackpot year to be an Africa specialist, and having taught my own classes for two and half years gives me some credibility. I'm interviewing at places at which I would enjoy working. It's going to be okay.
But, wow, what a system.
weekend this & that
- Next time you don't think your vote matters, remember this race.
- This is ridiculous.
- DRC's government will talk to Nkunda. Finally.
- A colleague and I are discussing writing a paper on the Somali pirates and their view of themselves as providing a public service. Here's an interesting view from one of those pirates.
holiday gift time!
Well, I know we've all been waiting with baited breath for this: here are Joe the Plumber's holiday book gift recommendations.
congo watch
pesky constitution
Hillary Clinton will be the next Secretary of State. There's just one tiny problem.
the girl effect
One of the hardest things I've ever done was part of my duties as an intern in a U.S. embassy in central Africa. We had some scholarship money to distribute, and the ambassador decided it should go to girls. Hundreds and hundreds of applications came in; we had money for maybe 100 girls' tuition at the primary, secondary, and university levels. They had recommendation letters from teachers, pastors, and Peace Corps volunteers.
The letters from the Peace Corps volunteers were the hardest to read, because most of them came from far north of the country, a predominately Islamic area in which many nomadic ethnic groups still live. "If you don't give Fatima a scholarship," read the typical letter, "she'll be married off next year. Her family can't afford to support her anymore, her father doesn't believe that money should be spent educating girls, and they need the dowry."
Fatima was usually about twelve years old.
There was nothing we could do. We could help some of those little girls from the north, but not all of them. It was a big country, and we needed to build goodwill towards America all over the nation.
And every application we rejected was a twelve-year-old girl who would be forced into marriage. Usually to an older man. Without more than a sixth grade education.
We know that women in the developing world who are educated have healthier families, are less likely to contract HIV, and have children who have more of a chance at a better life. The Girl Effect works to help girls become those women, and helps them to build stronger communities from the inside.
That's something worth supporting.
I've mentioned my love of the Campus Watch, UT's hilarious police report, on this blog before. A friend sent along yesterday's report, which contains this gem:
DKR- TEXAS MEMORIAL STADIUM, 2200 Robert Dedman
Robbery: Several UT staff members, faculty, students, and Texas Ex's discovered a fraction of a percentage point had been taken and was transported across state lines. The percentage point was discovered north of the Red River at the campus of another Big 12 South University.
tuesday this & that
- Yes! I always teach my students that it takes the powers that be about a year to call a recession. Now I have a perfect example, because, in case you haven't noticed, we're in a recession. Officially.
- "BCS declares Motel 6 Top Hotel; names McCain Time's Man of the Year"
- Yesterday I received a handout about this miracle product: The Cross Toothbrush. Their website isn't up yet, so you'll just have to take my word that it's special. Very special. Glory!
- Only fourteen days until the Electoral College meets! I know you're all as excited as I am.
- And in the Lovely Cities that Shouldn't Exist department, Venice is flooded.
- Shockingly, Texas Republicans are still imploding on themselves.
(Photo: mine, the currently flooded Piazza San Marco, Venice, August 2000)
feliz navidad
You know it's Christmas when REK is on the radio first thing in the morning. Merry, merry, y'all.
world aids day
Today is World AIDS Day, a day set aside to remember those who have died of this horrific disease, and to take action to help those who suffer from HIV/AIDS and to prevent others from becoming infected.
To mark today, you could go buy a cup of coffee at Starbucks, which is donating 5 cents from every sale of its drinks today (but from only three of its products through January 2) to the Product (RED) campaign.
Or, instead of letting Starbucks pretend to be a good corporate citizen by donating .0125% of its profits from a $4 cup of coffee, you could skip the overpriced caffiene for once and give that $4 to Global Strategies for HIV/AIDS Prevention, which will use your donation to save four infants from contracting HIV from their mothers at birth.
The choice, it seems to me, is clear.


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Complete Story
Oprah's OWN Ready to Make Cable Sell
By: Claire Atkinson, Broadcasting & Cable
On the heels of Oprah Winfrey's announcement Nov. 20 that she will end her syndicated talk show in 2011, distribution executives at OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network are losing no time in getting out and selling the forthcoming empowerment-oriented service to the cable systems operators. And Lady O is going to come with a price.
The new channel is attempting to use the media buzz around Oprah's announcement to generate excitement around the service, which will launch officially in January 2011, three years after the concept was first announced.
According to several executives in the cable distribution field, the channel is pitching itself at between 10 cents to 15 cents a subscriber. Other executives familiar with the discussions say the channel is being pitched for 40 to 50 cents per sub. Discovery Communications declined comment. That's relatively high for a new channel, say cable experts, but it's warranted given Oprah's draw. One highly placed cable industry executive observed, "Honestly, would you want to be the MSO that takes a hard stance on fees and keeps Oprah unavailable in your geography after it launched? That is an invitation for churn."
The industry average for per-household-subscriber fees paid to channel operators is between 20 cents and 25 cents, though that figure includes the costly sports service ESPN.
What About the Programming?
One distribution executive observed, however, that cable operators want more precision on what kind of programming will air on the network.
"'Reflecting her values'-what does that mean?" asked one executive. "Will the programming go beyond Oprah? Will people be willing to watch a documentary on schools in Africa that might be much longer than a segment on her show?"
OWN will replace Discovery Health, which was offered to operators as a free service since it began life as a digital service. While OWN will finally turn in some revenue for Discovery Communications and Oprah's Harpo Productions, the companies still need to honor covenants that mandate what kind of programming the new channel will carry. Executives familiar with plans say the service will have plenty of health-themed programming to cover that.
An announcement that will give more detail on programming plans is expected in the next few days. It appears that OWN will only be able to program non-scripted series given Winfrey's development deal with Time Warner's HBO.
Gary Lico, president and CEO of Cable Ready, a program development and distribution consultancy, said OWN falls into a slightly different category than other women's networks. "There is a need for this," said Lico. "People want life-affirming networks that aren't just religious."
Lime, a cable service that offered such things as yoga and spirituality programming, failed, however. But Lico added: "We're not talking about a niche when Oprah's name is on it."
Discovery and OWN issued a statement today, confirming the launch date of January 2011. In the statement Discovery CEO David Zaslav said: "We look forward to bringing her and her creative vision, programming and unique voice to approximately 80 million homes on OWN, as well as online through the award-winning Oprah.com."
The statement also asserted the service would have 80 million subscribers. Discovery Health is currently in 74 million homes. The additional six million homes are a projected number based on increases in cable take-up over the next 12 month period.
Spearheading the channel's distribution is Allan Singer, executive vice president of distribution and strategy, who's based in Los Angeles. Singer was previously senior vice president of content acquisition at Comcast Corp. and was also senior vice president of programming investments at the MSO. His appointment had some puzzled over why Discovery isn't in charge of distribution and using its large portfolio of services for leverage. Discovery has however drafted two top executives to help the service get off the ground, advertising chief, Kathy Kayse, who previously sold Discovery's digital assets and Science Channel general manager, Debbie Myers, who is acting general manager now at OWN.
Additional reporting by Alex Weprin
Source: http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/390061-Oprah_s_OWN_Ready_to_Make_Cable_Sell.php?rssid=20065

subset: commoncrawl


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Diet Management For German Shepherd Puppy
Diet management for German Shepherd puppy is one of the trickiest dispositions. Whatever good and nutritious for you and your kid may not be enough for your dog, or at times may also be harmful for them.
Making food for your GSD at home can be a real fun and a big responsibility at the same time. Good nutrition is always more than important during his growth period. Diet management for your puppy doesn't only mean giving him the right kind of food with right percentage of fats, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins, but it also mean feeding him right quantity of food at the right time. The most common mistake noticed in many dog owners – especially in newbie is a tendency of overfeeding, which may be detrimental for your growing puppy. It is rather wise to invest time on planning a healthy feeding routine for your pup. Rather than feeding in bigger volumes, it is advisable to break your puppy's food into 5 to 6 feeds a day and gradually decreasing the feeding frequency and increasing the volume as he grows.
What Should Your puppy's Food Contain?
Keep a close eye on your puppy's health condition and growth rate. Remember a fast growing puppy gives you an indication of impending anatomic problems. Promoting optimal health starts with giving him the right kind of diet that is well balanced, at right quantity. A balanced diet may promote good growth in your German Shepherd puppy.
Let's think of it a bit different way. Instead of feeding your puppy those so-called 'puppy food that are available in the pet stores, let's plan your puppy food that will promote optimal growth and build strong immune system. Well balanced diet with all necessary nutritional factors can be prepared at home with right quantity of fat, protein, carbohydrate and minerals. Planning a diet with very high protein to promote excessive growth is not a wise decision. However, planning a low protein diet for your puppy is not wise either.
The base of your puppy's food can be chicken and vegetables, which are readily available and not much expensive as well. Fresh chicken, eggs, cheese, fruits and vegetables (not all types of veggies and fruits are permissible though) are a great source for carbohydrates, fats, minerals, proteins and vitamins that are required for your puppy's growth. Organ meats are simply as nutritional in your GSD's diet as the muscle meat itself.
What I prefer personally and it proved to be quite healthy…
Meat -
Organ meats are rich in B vitamins, vitamins A, D, E and K, and important minerals like phosphorus, copper and iodine. To complete 100% of the meat side in my dogs' diet, I prefer a combination of organs, muscle meats and bones. I mostly give chicken, where I prefer the combination as follows:
• 15% organ meat (mainly heart, liver…)
• 45% lean muscle meat
• 30% chicken neck bones (safest way to give natural source of calcium – no risk of splinters)
• 10% chicken head
Organs like heart, brain and eyes are concentrated source of taurine – an essential amino acid that forms the main constituents of all proteins. Hence this promotes good growth. However, muscle meat also has taurine, but just not enough as in the organ meat. By planning home made diet with components like fresh meat, necks, heart, liver and brains you already make sure that your puppy is getting enough of essential nutrients and growth promoting amino acids.
Please Note: Although organ meats are a nutrient dense food and good for your GSD puppy, but too much of it is not recommended. 10% to 15% of heart and liver with 80% of other types of meat each day is a good combination or 20% to 25% every alternative day may be nice as well.
Fruits and Vegetables -
Fruits and vegetables are rich source of antioxidants and reduce the risk of cancer in dogs, though not all can be included to his diet chart. Just like fruits and vegetables are good for us humans, they are also highly effective to promote a healthy life of your dogs. Fruits like orange, banana, apples, watermelons, guavas, mango, papaya, cucumber, cantaloupe, cranberries are mini powerhouses of antioxidants and are great for your dog's internal health.
Vegetables like carrots, broccoli, green beans, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, spinach, bottle gourd, ladies finger are a great addition to your dog's daily diet. Cooking and steaming these veggies will break down the cellulose walls, making them easily digestible for your GSD puppy. Apart from lycopene, tomatoes also contain concentrated vitamins A and C. Occasional inclusion of tomatoes in your puppy's food may be a good decision. However, if your dog may develop acidity, you should consider stopping tomatoes in his food. Read more...


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As he got to the end of the field, he readied himself as he turned to plow down the next row. The rotary hoe attached to his tractor sliced several lines into the dirt and lifted up the weeds beginning to grow in between the rows of soybeans. The hot wind blew in his face like a furnace. The farm-hand took 3 deep breaths and made a 180 degree turn. This time as the rotary hoe plowed up the dry earth behind him, the steady wind pushed a thick cloud of dust around him, surrounding him on every side. It was hard to breathe. He covered his mouth and nose and continued to forge through to the end of the row, trying not to breathe in too deeply. At the end of this row, he turned his wheels another 180 degrees and now was met again with a blast of hot wind. The dust was blowing behind him once again. He could breathe in deeply…until he got to the end of the next row.
My husband has had dozens of dusty experiences in his life. He grew up on a wheat farm in the midwest. Working for his dad all throughout high school, he remembers being "caked with dust" often as he worked out in the fields. Cleaning grain bins, gathering hay bales, harvesting wheat and soybeans…all were very dusty activities at times.
In 2002, he was stationed in the desert of Kuwait at Camp Doha with the army during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The dust was so fine it hung in the air like a thick blanket. He said he got used to it and it almost wasn't noticeable, but the air all around had a tan-colored tinge most all of the time.
Dust is everywhere. Outside. Inside. It seems to be an ever-present part of life. Some locations are dustier than others but all places need some dusting. I'm always amazed how quickly it accumulates. Dust is everywhere.
Dust was the material God used to form man originally.
Genesis 2:7 says, "Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."
Psalm 103:13-14 says, "As a Father has compassion on His children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we were formed, He remembers that we are dust."
Our Loving Creator knows that we are fragile, easily broken and weak at times.


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Mathematics 7
Curriculum Mathematics Grade 7 PDF Grade-Set: k-9
- Download Curriculum▼
- Télécharger le programme d'études▼
Core Competencies
Filter Curriculum:
Big Ideas
Grandes idées
Decimals, fractions, and percents are used to represent and describe parts and wholes of numbers
- Number: Number represents and describes quantity.
- Sample questions to support inquiry with students:
- In how many ways can you represent the number ___?
- What is the relationship between decimals, fractions, and percents?
- How can you prove equivalence?
- How are parts and wholes best represented in particular contexts?
Computational fluency
and flexibility with numbers extend to operations with integers and decimals.
- Computational Fluency: Computational fluency develops from a strong sense of number.
- Sample questions to support inquiry with students:
- When we are working with integers, what is the relationship between addition and subtraction?
- When we are working with integers, what is the relationship between multiplication and division?
- When we are working with integers, what is the relationship between addition and multiplication?
- When we are working with integers, what is the relationship between subtraction and division?
Linear relations
can be represented in many connected ways to identify regularities and make generalizations.
Linear relations
- Patterning: We use patterns to represent identified regularities and to make generalizations.
- Sample questions to support inquiry with students:
- What is a linear relationship?
- In how many ways can linear relationships be represented?
- How do linear relationships differ?
- What factors can change a linear relationship?
The constant ratio between the circumference and diameter of circles can be used to describe, measure, and compare spatial relationships
spatial relationships
- Geometry and Measurement: We can describe, measure, and compare spatial relationships.
- Sample questions to support inquiry with students:
- What is unique about the properties of circles?
- What is the relationship between diameter and circumference?
- What are the similarities and differences between the area and circumference of circles?
from circle graphs can be used to illustrate proportion and to compare and interpret.
- Data and Probability: Analyzing data and chance enables us to compare and interpret.
- Sample questions to support inquiry with students:
- How is a circle graph similar to and different from other types of visual representations of data?
- When would you choose to use a circle graph to represent data?
- How are circle graphs related to ratios, percents, decimals, and whole numbers?
- How would circle graphs be informative or misleading?
Learning Standards
Show All Elaborations
Curricular Competencies
Students are expected to be able to do the following:
Reasoning and analyzing
Use logic and patterns
to solve puzzles and play games
logic and patterns
- including coding
Use reasoning and logic
to explore, analyze, and apply mathematical ideas
reasoning and logic
- making connections, using inductive and deductive reasoning, predicting, generalizing, drawing conclusions through experiences
Estimate reasonably
Estimate reasonably
- estimating using referents, approximation, and rounding strategies (e.g., the distance to the stop sign is approximately 1 km, the width of my finger is about 1 cm)
Demonstrate and apply
mental math strategies
- extending whole-number strategies to integers
- working toward developing fluent and flexible thinking about number
Use tools or technology to explore and create patterns and relationships, and test conjectures
mathematics in contextualized experiences
- acting it out, using concrete materials (e.g., manipulatives), drawing pictures or diagrams, building, programming
Understanding and solving
Apply multiple strategies
to solve problems in both abstract and contextualized situations
multiple strategies
- includes familiar, personal, and from other cultures
Develop, demonstrate, and apply mathematical understanding through play, inquiry, and problem solving
Visualize to explore mathematical concepts
Engage in problem-solving experiences that are connected
to place, story, cultural practices, and perspectives relevant to local First Peoples communities, the local community, and other cultures
- in daily activities, local and traditional practices, the environment, popular media and news events, cross-curricular integration
- Patterns are important in First Peoples technology, architecture, and art.
- Have students pose and solve problems or ask questions connected to place, stories, and cultural practices.
Communicating and representing
Use mathematical vocabulary and language to contribute to mathematical discussions
Explain and justify
mathematical ideas and decisions
Explain and justify
- using mathematical arguments
mathematical thinking in many ways
- concretely, pictorially, symbolically, and by using spoken or written language to express, describe, explain, justify, and apply mathematical ideas; may use technology such as screencasting apps, digital photos
Represent mathematical ideas in concrete, pictorial, and symbolic forms
Connecting and reflecting
on mathematical thinking
- sharing the mathematical thinking of self and others, including evaluating strategies and solutions, extending, and posing new problems and questions
Connect mathematical concepts to each other and to other areas and personal interests
other areas and personal interests
- to develop a sense of how mathematics helps us understand ourselves and the world around us (e.g., cross-discipline, daily activities, local and traditional practices, the environment, popular media and news events, and social justice)
Use mathematical arguments to support personal choices
personal choices
- including anticipating consequences
Incorporate First Peoples
worldviews and perspectives to make connections
Incorporate First Peoples
- Invite local First Peoples Elders and knowledge keepers to share their knowledge
to mathematical concepts
make connections
- Bishop's cultural practices: counting, measuring, locating, designing, playing, explaining (csus.edu/indiv/o/oreyd/ACP.htm_files/abishop.htm)
- aboriginaleducation.ca
- Teaching Mathematics in a First Nations Context, FNESC fnesc.ca/k-7/
Students are expected to know the following:
multiplication and division facts to 100
(extending computational fluency)
facts to 100
- When multiplying 214 by 5, we can multiply by 10, then divide by 2 to get 1070.
operations with integers
(addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and order of operations)
operations with integers
- addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and order of operations
- concretely, pictorially, symbolically
- order of operations includes the use of brackets, excludes exponents
- using two-sided counters
- 9–(–4) = 13 because –4 is 13 away from +9
- extending whole-number strategies to decimals
operations with decimals
(addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and order of operations)
operations with decimals
- includes the use of brackets, but excludes exponents
between decimals, fractions, ratios, and percents
- conversions, equivalency, and terminating versus repeating decimals, place value, and benchmarks
- comparing and ordering decimals and fractions using the number line
- ½ = 0.5 = 50% = 50:100
- shoreline cleanup
discrete linear relations
, using expressions, tables, and graphs
discrete linear relations
- four quadrants, limited to integral coordinates
- 3n + 2; values increase by 3 starting from y-intercept of 2
- deriving relation from the graph or table of values
- Small Number stories: Small Number and the Old Canoe, Small Number Counts to 100 (mathcatcher.irmacs.sfu.ca/stories)
two-step equations
with whole-number coefficients, constants, and solutions
two-step equations
- solving and verifying 3x + 4 = 16
- modelling the preservation of equality (e.g., using balance, pictorial representation, algebra tiles)
- spirit canoe trip pre-planning and calculations
- Small Number stories: Small Number and the Big Tree (mathcatcher.irmacs.sfu.ca/stories)
and area of circles
- constructing circles given radius, diameter, area, or circumference
- finding relationships between radius, diameter, circumference, and area to develop C = π x d formula
- applying A = π x r x r formula to find the area given radius or diameter
- drummaking, dreamcatcher making, stories of SpiderWoman (Dene, Cree, Hopi, Tsimshian), basket making, quill box making (Note: Local protocols should be considered when choosing an activity.)
of rectangular prisms and cylinders
- volume = area of base x height
- bentwood boxes, wiigwaasabak and mide-wiigwaas (birch bark scrolls)
- Exploring Math through Haida Legends: Culturally Responsive Mathematics
Cartesian coordinates
and graphing
Cartesian coordinates
- origin, four quadrants, integral coordinates, connections to linear relations, transformations
- overlaying coordinate plane on medicine wheel, beading on dreamcatcher, overlaying coordinate plane on traditional maps
combinations of transformations
- four quadrants, integral coordinates
- translation(s), rotation(s), and/or reflection(s) on a single 2D shape; combination of successive transformations of 2D shapes; tessellations
- First Peoples art, jewelry making, birchbark biting
circle graphs
circle graphs
- constructing, labelling, and interpreting circle graphs
- translating percentages displayed in a circle graph into quantities and vice versa
- visual representations of tidepools or traditional meals on plates
experimental probability
with two independent events
experimental probability
- experimental probability, multiple trials (e.g., toss two coins, roll two dice, spin a spinner twice, or a combination thereof)
- dice games (web.uvic.ca/~tpelton/fn-math/fn-dicegames.html)
financial literacy
— financial percentage
financial literacy
- financial percentage calculations
- sales tax, tips, discount, sale price
Note: Some of the learning standards in the PHE curriculum address topics that some students and their parents or guardians may feel more comfortable addressing at home. Refer to ministry policy regarding opting for alternative delivery.


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In the case of Simply Unforgettable, the hypertext link might be to this:
But before you click, if you've got the Balogh book handy, go find it. Don't worry, we'll wait.
Okay, flip to page 144. Lucius Marshall and Frances Allard have met, been stranded in a snowstorm, shared laughter and passion in a surprisingly isolated inn, separated and not quite been able to forget each other. Frances teaches music and French at Miss Martin's School for Girls in Bath, so when Lucius travels to Bath to visit with his grandfather, the Earl of Edgecombe, he is determined not to look for Frances.
Meanwhile, Frances has no idea Lucius is in Bath. She accepts an invitation to sing at a musical soirée, and this is the piece of music she selects. She's accompanied by a single pianoforte (not the historically-correct instruments you hear in the recording above); when she starts singing "I Know My Redeemer Liveth," even the non-musical guests in the card room quiet and listen. Lucius is transported by this anonymous voice.
When I got to this scene, I had to find my own copy of the Handel Messiah, a 1987 recording with Kathleen Battle. Battle's voice is so exquisite, it conveyed precisely that sense of extraordinary beauty where one was expecting only a nice soprano. Lucius doesn't fall in love with Frances on the strength of her voice alone; he had taken that tumble in a snowdrift months earlier. But he learns something unexpected about her, and that both enrages him and entrances him. The rage comes from the fact she never told him. (When he confronts her about this omission, she points out that she could hardly have stated, "I have a singing voice that might impress you," or woken him with an aria.) Lucius spends a lot of time angry at Frances, a fact that in other books might have annoyed me a lot, but here seemed consistent with his age and temperament.
I thought a lot about age while I was reading Simply Unforgettable. Lucius's 17-year-old sister, Amy, is a solid presence in this book. At one point I thought: she's only six years younger than Frances but they're worlds apart in their maturity. Amy's not a frivolous girl, just understandably anxious to be grown up and out in the world. But she seems very young compared to Frances, who had a difficult time after her father died when she was 18 and seems to have grown up a lot in the intervening five years.
Those six years -- from 17 to 23 -- are supposedly significant years for women in early 19th century. If the mythology of Regency romance novels is to be believed, a female is a girl at 17, ready for her come out at 18, still marriageable at 19-20, and on the shelf older than that. Twenty-three today strikes many of us as young, but back then it was "old." Of course that's nonsense -- in both directions. There are a lot of factors that go into a woman's sense of herself and her age, such that some 20-somethings are mature and responsible today, while women at the same age 200 years ago would still have been girlish, possibly even silly.
Balogh likes older heroines, and why not? Even back then, not everyone thought a woman over 25 to be "on the shelf" and "an antidote." I gather these themes will be explored in subsequent Simply books. One thing is clear from Simply Unforgettable -- talent needs time and maturity to grow. Had Lucius heard Frances sing Handel when she was eighteen, he might not have had the same reaction he had in Bath. Regardless of what ton might have thought about their respective ages, they wouldn't -- either of them -- have been ready for their romance.
P.S. Late in the book, Frances sings the Messiah excerpt and "Let the Bright Seraphim" from the opera Samson. Here's Renée Fleming singing the latter:


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Leoriosan wrote:Pretty much all the attempts to make Kyle look cool and heroic came off as forced. It doesn't help that he literally feels tacked onto the story as a love interest for Jessica, moreso in the Sega CD version. I suppose we're supposed to think he's cool and funny, but I've always found him to be really obnoxious and out-of-place with the rest of the party. He doesn't have any adult figures he looks up to like the rest of the group.
Eh, he respects Mel in TSS, and it's mutual -- Mel placed him in charge of the Nanza barrier because he trusted Kyle. (Why Mel, governor of Meribia, would have an interest in access to the rest of the continent is unclear.) That was one of several personality and backstory changes I disliked in the remake. It kind of fit with their personalities -- Kyle's a jumped-up bandit, Mel's a jumped-up pirate. I'd be surprised if TSS Mel didn't already have an eye on Kyle as a potential match for Jessica, given that he doesn't want "wimpy accountant types" for her.


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Eating in Langkawi, 2-4 January 2009
>> Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Gah. I've decided to separate the Langkawi post into 2 sections. Reading a looooooong post is far too painful for the eyes. Here's what we ate while we're in Langkawi :) Enjoy!
Note: BIG THANK YOU to Shirley Khor, a fellow blogger & now friend, who intro-ed us to all the food that we had in Langkawi!
Day 1, 2 January 2009 (Friday)
Venue: Restaurant Wan Thai
Occasion: Dinner with the gang
Overall comment: The food at Wan Thai is quite good, but we felt that the serving was rather small...much to the disappointment of us, big-eaters :P The prices of food was quite reasonable (though on a higher-end). The ambiance of the restaurant's pretty good, though our 2nd day's dinner place was MUCH better ;)
Wan Thai Restaurant
80-82,Langkawi Mall
07000 Kuah
Kedah Darul Aman
Tel: (604)9661214
Fax: (604)9671214
Website: http://wanthairestoran.com/
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Opening Hours:11.00 am to 3.30pm & 6.00pm to 10.30 pm
Presentation: * * * *
Price: * * *
Environment: * * *
Taste: * * * *
Service: * * *
Day 2, 3 January 2009 (Saturday)
Venue: Sun Cafe, Pantai Tengah, Pantai Cenang, Langkawi
Occasion: Dinner with the gang
Overall comment: The ambiance was just perfect ;) Food at this cafe is actually pretty nice...I'm quite satisfied with their variety of food, & the taste as well, but I guess I will not opt for the Fettuccine Carbonara. It's too thick & "flat" for my liking. As for the price of food, it's slightly on the higher end, but it's worth having a meal there :) The portion of food is moderately large - good enough for a typical Asian... ok, it's just nice for me :)
Sun Cafe
Shop N.8, Sunmall
Jalan Teluk Baru
07000 Pantai Tengah
Kedah Darul Aman
Tel: (604)955 8300
Fax: (604)955 9200
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Presentation: * * * *
Price: * * *
Environment: * * * *
Taste: * * *
Service: * * * *
Day 3, 4 January 2009 (Sunday)
Venue: Syook Sidewalk Cafe, Langkawi Fair Shopping Mall
Occasion: Lunch with the gang & Shirley
Overall comment: The food at Syook is pretty good. The serving is relatively large & the prices are actually very reasonable. The ambiance is a 'lil lacking though...it's open air (though covered), so it can get somewhat hot during the daytime. This place is opened for breakfast up til dinner :D
p/s: I'll put up the prices once I get hold of the receipt, which is back in my house
Syook Sidewalk Cafe
GFM4 & 5, Langkawi Fair Shopping Mall
Jalan Persiaran Putra
07000 Langkawi
Presentation: * * * *
Price: * * * *
Environment: * * *
Taste: * * * 1/2
Service: * * * 1/2


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Daniel73 wrote:Rockerduck wrote:Somebody who uses words like "the Ducks are raped" (Dragonlords), "the characters have diseases" (Ferioli) and "Gottfredson is an example of drooling idiocy" is not a person with whom I'm willing to go into discussion.
Since when? I've seen worser. And furthermore, Pasoleati explains his opinion in much detail. I think his contributions are very interesting, even though he offends the good taste of true comics lovers, by criticizing Bernado's "scenes that look like viewed through fisheye lens".
Pasoleati doesn't give any explanation, he gives no real arguments. he only says: "this-and-this looks ugly and the people who drew it are idiots".
Wow, what great debate-techniques... :rolleyes: I won't feed the troll.


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The Cheviot Pace running shoe by More Mile is an all-terrain shoe suited to the neutral runner. Ideal for speed sessions, fartlek running and trail running the Cheviot Pace will get you going places. The shoe boasts a strong and durable structure with flexibility and breathability. Designed to move with your foot runners can experience unrestricted running for hitting the trails and conquering any obstacles that come across your path. Providing maximum grip there isn't a trail you can't master. Available in a variety of colours for both men and women, the Cheviot Pace offers a reliable, comfortable and current shoe for the dedicated athlete.
The Upper of the Cheviot Pace shoe is made from a flex mesh that allows it to move with you for unrestricted running. It also provides breathability to the runner and a moisture wicking lining further enhances this. A Protective toe guard makes it suitable for the toughest of trails by providing plenty of room for toe movement and a shield against the likes of rocks. An inner lining makes the shoe more comfortable to wear and the tongue of the shoe provides extra cushioning and protection. The Cheviot Pace running shoe is heat bonded for a seamless upper that creates a more streamlined finish.
The outsole of the Cheviot Pace has deep lugs that are positioned and textured to provide maximum grip. Ideal on a range of running surfaces the shoes lugs provide traction on even the most challenging trails. The rugged outsole of the Cheviot Pace is low profile and ultra-light.
The midsole of the Cheviot Pace has an adaptive EVA foot bed that that is injected with More Tec. This provides the runner with maximum cushioning for a smooth and comfortable ride. Bounce back properties ensure energised runs from start to finish that will keep you coming back for more.
Other features of the Cheviot Pace include a heel tag and reflective materials. The heel tag makes it easier to put the shoe on and reflective materials on the tongue ensure better visibility at night.


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Interested candidates should send resume and salary requirements to firstname.lastname@example.com
Position Title: Field Specialist Engineer
Organization: Product Support
Job Description:
The Field Specialist Engineer is a senior member of a product support team responsible for the provision of support across the entire product line; reporting report directly to the Worldwide Director of Support.
This position is one of the key Onshore escalation points for the Offshore Product Support Team. Field Specialists will handle all severity one (production down) cases, and for other cases work collaboratively with the EPC (offshore) Team to resolve Customer situations and to provide additional advice where required. The Field Specialist will also oversee the Tier 3 (Sustaining Engineering) escalations of defects. Another key responsibility for the Field Specialist is the transition of knowledge to the EPC (offshore) team.
The Field Specialist must have excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, in English.
The Field Specialist will be expected to travel both to Customer sites (to provide hands on support) and to India. It should be recognized that the job is not expected to be an on-the-road role, but the Field Specialist must appreciate that travel and nights away will be required.
Major Responsibilities:
Ownership of cases (legacy or through escalation) allocated to the specialist through resolution and closure.
Creation and deployment of environments to replicate, workaround and fix the problem reported
Communication during the lifecycle of the case with the customer who opened the case and Support Centre, through to its closure and customer sign-off.
Undertake internal and external quality reviews on a regular basis to identify risks and potential problems, with a focus on pre-production implementations (covering pre-production testing, system optimization, scalability and performance, health checks etc.) in the field and the EPC Support Centre.
Assist in the enabling and mentoring of EPC (and new Onshore) team members on our product and 3rd party technology.
Work proactively with internal and external organizations to ensure case resolution
Communicate with Sustaining Engineering and Field resources on case status and resolutions to defects and/or critical issues
Allocated additional internal projects to deliver against objectives
Manage escalations and provide reports according to defined policies
Lead technical support discussions and interact with field teams to collaborate on project situations
Contribute to the Knowledge Base
Visit customer sites if required
Requirements Overview
Related degree and a minimum of 8-years related experience and some exposure to a support environment.
A working knowledge of all technical aspects of implementing our products, and therefore requiring expertise in J2EE with a good knowledge of integration techniques.
Ability to understand and work within large scale, complex design work.
Quick study with the ability to become conversant in the deployment of all products, with an emphasis on real-world expertise
A high degree of technical leadership skill to coordinate efforts in different organizations and resources towards the timely resolution of cases, in what can be high pressure situations.
A deomonstrated experience in exercising judgment and creativity within general defined practices and policies in selecting methods and provide direction to the product support team.
Strong technical adaptation and knowledge base to answer specific technical development or deployment questions based on a complete understanding of our architecture. This includes the ability to quickly develop and awareness of future releases to thereby guide design and development strategy to take advantage of these future releases.
There are Field Specialist teams in the USA, EMEA (UK and Germany) and New Zealand, who collectively cover the entire product set. Key responsibilities are as defined following.


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With Nokia announcing its first touchscreen phone today, all major manufacturers will now have such phones on the market or in the works, in hopes they will appeal to consumers the same way Apple's iPhone does.
By next year, 7 percent of all phones sold will have touchscreens, according to a recent report from Strategy Analytics. Another firm, ABI Research, said that while touchscreens have been available for awhile, the release of the first iPhone 16 months ago "refocused the public's attention on them as never before."
It's not only phones where touchscreens are finding a home. They're already in popular GPS devices, and starting to show up in computers and digital photo frames as well. Microsoft says multi-touch computing will be part of the next version of the Windows operating system, due to be released by 2010. (Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC Universal.)
But phones are the first ubiquitous devices where touchscreens are now available no matter which brand you prefer.
BlackBerry fans can look forward to Research In Motion's new BlackBerry Storm touchscreen phone, due out before the end of this year. T-Mobile's new G1 touchscreen phone, available Oct. 22, runs Android, Google's open-source software system, and is a competitor to both Apple and RIM. The G1 also comes with a slide-out keyboard and a trackball, things the iPhone does not have.
Whether the new entrants' touchscreens will match Apple's quality is hard to say.
"The iPhone screen is very intuitive," said Tom Thornton, senior research scientist for Perceptive Sciences Corp., which does usability testing on devices like the iPhone. "It provides a real intimacy between the user and the device that just hasn't been there before."
Apple uses its Multi-Touch technology in the iPhone and iPod touch, as well as in the trackpad of its MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops.
With the iPhone, users can tap, flick and pinch the screen to get where they want to go. Apple says the Multi-Touch display "layers a protective shield over a capacitive panel that senses" touch using electrical fields from the fingertips.
Built-in keyboards a good option
Touchscreen phones that also come with built-in physical keyboards give the user more options when he or she is all thumbs — as in texting, says Thornton.
"I've noticed people who are used to using their thumbs have more difficulty with the iPhone," he said. "If you're used to using your index finger, you can still type pretty well with the iPhone.
"But using two hands with the thumbs is difficult because of the way the keyboard is laid out. I've watched young people struggle with the keyboard. That doesn't mean they can't eventually learn to use it."
Thornton said Apple has done a "fairly good job" of providing additional sources of feedback with the iPhone on-screen keyboard "to let you know that you're using it correctly. When you hit a key, you hear a sound and the letter becomes larger on the screen so you can verify that it's the letter you want. That's a nice thing, but it still doesn't replace the actual feel of pressing a button."
While it is the iPhone that has brought touchscreens to prominence, Samsung and Motorola's touchscreen phones "have been the most successful" worldwide, with 33 percent and 30 percent market shares, respectively, according to ABI Research. Sony Ericsson has the third-largest market share with 24 percent.
Samsung and Motorola are in the lead "because of their scale and significant presence in the Asian markets," said Kevin Burden, mobile devices research director for ABI, in a recent report.
Despite the iPhone's influence, Apple is among other handset vendors that are "essentially niche players" in the cell phone touchscreen arena, ABI Research says.
"We expect Nokia and Apple to ramp up shipments next year and start to drive down the price of touchscreen handsets," said Tom Kang of Strategy Analytics in its recent report.
Touchscreen computers relatively new
Both HP and Dell are among the companies offering touchscreen computers, HP with its TouchSmart models and Dell with its Latitude XT laptop.
The new TouchSmart IQ804 PC has a 25.5-inch widescreen display, and touch can be used to check weather, play music or even watch TV on the high-definition monitor. It starts at $1,900.
"This is the first major generation of desktop systems that truly integrates touch that's very intuitive, very powerful," said Stephen DeWitt, senior vice president of HP's Personal Systems Group.
He sees touch computing as a way of offering "simplicity" to the user, a way to easily access digital content, such as photos and music, as well as "the zillion pieces of information on the Net."
Thornton of Perceptive Sciences isn't so sure that touchscreen computing is right for everyone.
"As appealing as it is from a 'wow' factor point of view, I don't think it's going to be very practical," he said. Think about it: As you're typing, you're using your mouse and your keyboard, and you're making very small motions. Your arms are in a very natural position. You're using your wrists primarily. That's low-energy and very efficient.
"When you talk about reaching both your arms up to the screen to move things around, that's not something you want to be doing hundreds of times a day.
"So I see the larger touchscreens being more for entertainment, and not so much for day-to-day word processing or surfing the Web types of things."
Larger touchscreens are exactly what Microsoft is experimenting with, using its tabletop Surface Technology, which is being used in retail and entertainment businesses.
"Microsoft is trying to experiment with touch to get Windows down into smaller devices," said Rob Helm, director of research for Directions on Microsoft, an independent research group.
"They had a tablet PC a couple years ago, and frankly, it wasn't tremendously successful. Maybe Surface Technology will give them another run at it."
Dealing with fingerprints
One of the less important issues — but still an issue — with touchscreens are fingerprints.
"It really is a big problem with touch," said Dean Finnegan, founder and CEO of Pandigital, which makes digital photo frames, including touchscreen models. "That's why we located the touch sensor on the edge of the frame's screen, so that fingerprints don't show up in the viewing area at all."
Finnegan said Pandigital worked with the same touch sensor manufacturer as Apple and HP "to develop this very sensitive sensor that allowed us to be able to use touch through multiple mediums," including glass and paper.
"I didn't want the touch element to be in the screen area, the viewing area, because of the fingerprint problem," he said.
Apple's Teresa Brewer says fingerprints are not an issue with the iPhone's screen.
The Multi-Touch display surface "is covered by optical quality glass for a superior level of scratch resistance and optical clarity," she said in an e-mail interview. "If it gets dirty, just wipe it off."
© 2013 msnbc.com Reprints


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King Series Gaming Chair - Black OH/KF06/N
- One chair to rule them all - The KING-Series is a newly designed seat with 4D sliding and adjustable armrests
- which are padded for extra comfort.
Stock Code: GC-049-DX
Manufacturer: DXRacer
+44 (0)1782 44 44 55
King Series Gaming Chair - Black OH/KF06/NOne chair to rule them all - The KING-Series is a newly designed seat with 4D sliding and adjustable armrests, which are padded for extra comfort. The KING-Series is DXRacer's widest model of chair, and offers a sleek ergonomic design for maximum comfort. This chair is designed to stay comfortable for long sessions, including those that are 8 hours or longer. This chair is fit for a King!
All the accessories have passed 72 strict quality tests and we provide two years warranty on them. Our new base has been designed by teams of foreign professionals to last indefinitely. The KING-Series offers one base and one type of texture. The base is made of aluminum and the texture is PU material. This model has a maximum load of 181 kg (400lbs).
Features- Quality and Security: All the accessories have passed 72 strict quality tests.
- Imported Hydraulic unit: The hydraulic unit is imported from Germany and passes stringent SGS and exceeds International standards.
- Adjustable system: The height and angle of the chair can be adjusted to any degree.
- Full-size frame: The DXRACER chair has a full size frame inside. We adhere to strict quality controls to bring you the ultimate in comfort.
- Footrest-shaped base: Our new base has been designed by a team of specialized professionals to last indefinitely.
- Functions: Raise and Lower, Specially designed handle - Toggle gently and lift quickly
- Resilient armrest surface: DXRACER imports superb quality polyurethane. High quality surface enables you to rest your arms - Soft, pleasant to touch and comfortable
- Large angle adjuster: A typical feature of the chair, All steel framework - 170 degree limitless angle adjuster
- Multi-directional ergonomic design: 10 years of ergonomics research, Optimum structure curve and perfect ratio - Supports your spine and offers superb comfort
- Universal casters: Covered in advanced racing quality PU, Combined with heavy ABS - Firm, durable, safe and quiet
- Newly designed base: A world first footrest shaped base, Stamped with a racing tire pattern: Help to rest your feet and sit comfortably
- Rocking function, set the seat at any desired position "Rocking" is possible in any position.
Specification- Manufacturers article number:OH/KF06/N
- Colour: Black
- Article no.:7495
- Guarantee: 2 years
- Pillow & cushion: Included
- Armrests: 4D Adjustable
- Base: Aluminium
- Gas lifts: Black steel
- Material: Synthetic Leather
- Weight limit: 180kg
More links for "King Series Gaming Chair - Black OH/KF06/N"
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sa.global Morocco Presents on Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things and Business Intelligence at the Microsoft Digital Intelligence Conference
sa.global, the winner of the 2017 Microsoft Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Worldwide Partner of the Year Award, was one of the main sponsors of the Microsoft Digital Intelligence Conference, held on December 13, 2017 in Morocco. Mourad Jbiha, General Manager sa.global MEA presented how IoT (Internet of Things) devices and Artificial Intelligence can be brought together in Microsoft Dynamics Business Intelligence to drive decisions that enable companies to digitally transform their business.
The Digital Intelligence Conference was organized by Microsoft for its customers to illustrate and inform them on the latest trends, tools and products based on Microsoft's cloud platform that help drive Digital Transformation in leading organizations across the world. Mourad Jbiha and Hicham Hizebry, Director and Head of Digital Transformation at sa.global Morocco held sessions on Business Intelligence & Analysis in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. Mourad also presented a live demonstration on how Internet of Things (IoT) devices work together with Microsoft technology and solutions such as Dynamics CRM Field Services.
Mourad Jbiha, General Manager
SAGlobal Morocco
Hicham Hizebry, Director and Head of Digital Transformation
sa.global Morocco
The Digital Intelligence Conference was organized by Microsoft to help customers explore new opportunities to make their business more productive using Microsoft Cloud and Business Intelligence solutions and to help customers:
- Learn how to make DevOps easy, fast and cost-effective with Open Source resources and tools on Azure
- Equip their organizations for the future of analytics by exploring advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a new class of Business Intelligence (BI)
- Understand how to get support for Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) on Linux and Java, the PHP Web Application Platforms with OSS on Azure
The conference was a big success in providing a platform for customers to enhance their knowledge on the latest technology solutions, network and meet with domain experts such as sa.global.


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Marlon Sandro finds himself in familiar territory this week.
The Brazilian on Thursday competes in a Bellator featherweight tournament for the third time. The first two times were successful – just not successful enough. In Season 6, as well as in the 2011 "Summer Series," Sandro reached the finals only to come up short.
In 2011, current champ Pat Curran stopped him with a second-round knockout. And this past May, current top contender Daniel Straus took a unanimous decision from him.
But heading into the Season 8 tournament, Sandro doesn't have revenge on his mind – even knowing that if he can get that coveted win in the finals this time, he'll get a shot at either Curran or Straus.
Sandro (23-4 MMA, 6-2 BFC) vs. meets Akop Stepanyan (12-4 MMA, 0-1 BFC) in the tournament's opening round at Bellator 88, which takes place at The Arena at Gwinnet Center in Duluth, Ga. The event is Bellator MMA's first trip to Georgia.
"Now I feel I have a different outlook," Sandro recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "I am no longer worried in avenging losses. I just want to do my work. I will be making no promises. I'll merely show my work."
He'll try to show his work Thursday as a heavy 4-to-1 favorite against Stepanyan, a Russian who started his career 0-3 before going on a 12-fight run. He signed with Bellator, but was bounced from the Season 7 featherweight tourney in the opening round with a first-round armbar loss to Wagnney Fabiano.
Sandro said he's focused on the task at hand against Stepanyan. But that doesn't mean his eye isn't on the ultimate prize of winning a title. He just knows he has to take one step at a time.
"They beat me," he said. "They had their moment in the light. I'll have my moments, too. I'll seize my opportunities. I'll be looking to become champion. I'll worry about what I do instead of worrying about others. My moment will come."
At the acclaimed Nova Uniao academy in Brazil, Sandro is surrounded by greatness, including UFC champions Jose Aldo and Renan Barao, plus Bellator bantamweight champ Eduardo Dantas. He'd like nothing more than to become the next titleholder on that list.
But it's the training mentality that permeates throughout Nova Uniao that he said acts as a motivator for everyone in the gym.
"No one is treated like a champion," Sandro said. "I think one of the academy's strong points is how everyone works equally hard. Here, no one skimps on training and no one acts above their peers."
Though Sandro said he will avoid looking down the road at avenging losses to Curran or Straus, there is one thing he's hopeful for in the future that he would love to be able to dream about. And that's Bellator putting on a show in Brazil so he can fight in front of his home country again.
The promotion has said it has plans to do a show in Brazil, but there has been no announcement or official timetable. Sandro is banking on the promotion's new home on Spike TV will help it get a surge in popularity that could lead to a show, finally, outside of North America.
"Now with Spike, we can only go up," he said. "Plus we are waiting for Bellator to book its first card in Brazil. I hope they do that. Sometimes it's a bit disappointing not to have the same recognition in one's own country, as opposed to what we see in the U.S. or Canada. Like (Bellator lightweight) Ricardo Tirloni, I've also been proposing a Bellator card in Brazil. The crowd would be strongly behind us."
For the latest on Bellator 88, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.


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Newtown Creek Awaits Superfund Cleanup
3.02.13 1:21pm
Among Most Polluted in US, NYC Area Awaits Cleanup
Just across the East River from midtown Manhattan's shimmering skyscrapers sits one of the country's most polluted neighborhoods.
Straddling Brooklyn and Queens, Newtown Creek was fouled by generations of industrial waste - making it a federal Superfund site.
Nearby is an underground oil leak bigger than the spill from the Exxon Valdez tanker in Alaska.
These days, the creek also gets the overflow from the city's sewage system when it rains.
After a century of neglect, the first steps are being taken toward a cleanup of the creek, with scientists testing the water. It could take a dozen years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars.


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Republican Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann has soft-pedaled her opposition to the minimum wage law considerably since 2005, when she was quoted as saying, at a Minnesota State Senate hearing, "Literally, if we took away the minimum wage — if conceivably it was gone — we could potentially virtually wipe out unemployment completely because we would be able to offer jobs at whatever level." Appearing on CBS' "Face the Nation" on June 26, Bachmann would say only that eliminating the minimum wage is "something that obviously Congress would have to look at" as a solution to high unemployment.
Campaign trail positioning aside, would repealing the minimum wage really make a dent in the U.S. jobless rate, which was 9.1 percent in May? While economists don't all agree, the bulk of research points to only small potential job gains — if any — from a suspension of the minimum wage. In a 2000 survey of 308 academic economists, just under half agreed fully that the minimum wage increases unemployment among "young and unskilled workers." The rest agreed with that statement with provisos or not at all.
Bloomberg Businessweek: The minimum wage, 1938-2011 (click on graph)
In a 2009 blog post, Bachmann, a Minnesota congresswoman, cited research by David Neumark, a University of California at Irvine economist, on the job-killing effects of the minimum wage for teens and young adults. In a June 27 interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, Neumark stood by those findings. He added, however, that "the link between the federal minimum wage and employment for the lion's share of workers is irrelevant … It's not even in the top 10 list of how to recover from the Great Recession." (The Bachmann campaign did not respond to an e-mail request for comment.)
For people earning well above the minimum wage, the law matters little. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, of 72.9 million hourly wage earners in 2010, only 6 percent worked at or below the minimum wage. (Some hourly workers, such as casual babysitters, workers on small farms, and fishermen, are not covered by the minimum wage.)
Bloomberg Businessweek: Bachmann says eliminating minimum wage may spur growth
Even for workers at the bottom, the minimum wage's effect is not obvious. In a study of fast-food workers in New Jersey and neighboring Pennsylvania, Alan Krueger of Princeton University and David Card of the University of California at Berkeley found no statistically significant effects on employment when New Jersey raised its state minimum wage in 1992 and Pennsylvania did not. Says Krueger, who served in the Obama Administration as Assistant Treasury Secretary for economic policy in 2009-10, "I would be skeptical that eliminating the minimum wage would have a noticeable effect on employment."
Bachmann does have some economists on her side. "Michele Bachmann's position is not radical," says Chris Edwards, director of tax policy at the libertarian Cato Institute. Edwards says high unemployment of teenagers in both booms and recessions is evidence that the minimum wage is above the value of their labor. Yet the main cause of unemployment today is a lack of demand, not overpriced labor, says Sylvia Allegretto, a UC Berkeley economist. Even if the minimum wage does keep some low-skilled workers out of the market, eliminating the wage floor doesn't look like an important way to spur job growth.
Bloomberg Businessweek: Weird side effects of state and local budget cuts
The bottom line: Dropping the minimum wage could reduce unemployment among teenagers and other low-skilled laborers — a small part of the workforce.
Copyright © 2012 Bloomberg L.P.All rights reserved.


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pituitary gland
pituitary gland, small oval endocrine gland that lies at the base of the brain. It is sometimes called the master gland of the body because all the other endocrine glands depend on its secretions for stimulation (see endocrine system).
Sections in this article:
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Anatomy and Physiology


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Please Click Here for Coronavirus-Related Resources
leading cause of death in the United States, and the only top-10 deadly disease not to have a treatment or cure.
will cost the United States $277 billion, the most costly disease in America.
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Welcome to the Trekinfo.com.
News and information about trekking in Nepal
Comments and advisories about safety and travel problems after the 1 February political changes. Please use this only for information relating to trekking, it is NOT a forum for political discussion.
29th May 2018, 05:33 PM
8th April 2020, 10:28 AM
If you're looking for someone to trek with, post a note here.
Note to Nepal Trekking Guides - the people who post messages here are looking for OTHER TREKKERS to travel with, NOT guides!
You can also put an entry in the calendar to show your arrival date in Nepal.
5th April 2019, 11:18 PM
18th May 2018, 03:09 PM
Suggestions, experiences and advice about dealing with maoists on treks. Let us know the going rate for "donations"
collision and the number of...
29th January 2018, 12:04 AM
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Guides looking for clients should post their advertising here. If you are a past client recommending a guide, please post that information in the Endorsements section.
Dhaulagiri Circuit Trekking...
10th August 2018, 03:47 PM
Stories of experiences - good and bad - while trekking. The funnier they are the more we like them.
14th December 2015, 05:36 PM
Trekking companies and other advertisers can display their information here. Casino, porn and poker game posts will be deleted
13th March 2018, 09:36 PM
Tell us about your favourite or worst guide or trekking company here.
15th May 2018, 12:38 PM
A new forum - Rafting in Nepal
21st February 2014, 09:44 PM
Best Down Jackets for Trekking
12th October 2017, 05:56 PM
There are currently 182 users online. 0 members and 182 guests
Most users ever online was 3,695, 19th February 2016 at 10:29 AM.
Welcome to our newest member, AssignmentWriting32


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"It's a big world out there."
A salient observation in its own right, and the title of a Tuesday morning session at IMCA's national conference in National Harbor, Md., but it's even more so when trying to comprehend alternative investments and their role in the client portfolio.
Presented by Chris Cesare of Rocaton Investment Advisors, the session was broken into three parts to help advisors in the audience digest what is too often an overwhelming task: evaluating appropriate alternative managers and products. The three parts were a review of alternative investment strategies (including management and structure of the investment vehicle), a discussion of why advisors should even bother with alternative investments and, lastly, the role of proper due diligence in the selection of a product.
Cesare began by defining the alternative investment universe, which he said contains 7,000 hedge funds, 1,800 private equity funds and 500 real estate and infrastructure funds.
"How should you think about the alternative investment universe?" he asked. ""It's similar to how a scientist considers the galaxy. There's been a lot of press lately about zones of life that might support something like ourselves. It's the same with the appropriate zone for alternative investments within the portfolio."
But, he warned, there is a large range of potential outcomes; the potential for great returns, and also the potential for great embarrassment with clients when a "down draft" occurs, which is why the evaluation of the alternative product's manager is so critical.
Cesare then offered up 10 pitfalls that could result in an unpleasant outcome when employing alternative investments:
1) The famous "2 and 20" fee structure will always apply, even if returns are mediocre, something that's exacerbated in the alternative space.
2) The management team leaves for another shop after due diligence has been performed
3) The wrong strategy is employed at the wrong time
4) The right strategy is employed at the right time, but the manager has the wrong implementation
5) Risk (mis)management
6) A mismatch occurs between the product's assets and liabilities
7) The manager is distracted by expensive planes and swanky boats
8) Fraud
9) Side pockets, SPVs and SLVs that further reduce liquidity
10) The manager experiences style drift from the product's original thesis
"Did I mention '2 and 20,'" Cesare said to emphasis the importance, and potential danger, of the fee structure.
Moving on the second point of his presentation, Cesare asked: "Why bother?"
The role of alternatives is to provide for the potential for "return enhancement," he said. It should also provide for the potential for risk reduction. Lastly, it should provide for exposure to a larger "opportunity set."
"The essence of alternatives is that they have to bring something to the table that the client doesn't already have," Cesare added. "Alternative investments are not an end in themselves; they are not a silver bullet or panacea for all that's wrong with a portfolio, but they have an important role to play."
The last point of the presentation, the importance of due diligence, began with Cesare's list of the components of his firm's typical due diligence process.
- Sourcing: Third-party research on the product
- Qualitative due diligence: The investment philosophy and process, as well as the management team's quality and structure
- Quantitative analysis: A hard look at the numbers
- Market opportunity assessment: What's ahead for the product
- Post-investment monitoring
"The role of due diligence is to increase the probability of achieving the stated objectives and decrease the probability of unpleasant outcomes," he concluded. "We don't seek to hit home runs, but at the same time we don't want to be swept over the course of a weekend series."
Check out Alternatives & Annuities: The Right Mix for Advisors?


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|Do you know where your variables are?
Re: Neat Debugger tricksby leriksen (Curate)
|on Nov 16, 2005 at 23:54 UTC ( #509244=note: print w/replies, xml )
|Need Help??
One I use is to use Data::Dumper to display complex data structures whilst in the dbgr
I think used in conjunction with the first point (opening a file handle in the dbgr) this could a neat way to capture an object or structure to a file at a point in time
...reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled. - R P Feynmann
In Section Meditations


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WASHINGTON - Police in the U.S. capital say they are investigating an incident in which the host of a leading television interview program displayed what he described as a high-capacity ammunition magazine.
Police spokesman Tisha Gant said Wednesday the department is investigating whether NBC reporter David Gregory may have violated city firearms laws that ban the possession of high-capacity magazines. She declined to comment further on the probe.
While interviewing Wayne LaPierre, chief executive of the National Rifle Association, a gun advocacy group, on his "Meet the Press" program, Gregory held an object, apparently as a prop to make a point, and said it was a magazine that could hold 30 rounds.
"Here is a magazine for ammunition that carries 30 bullets. Now, isn't it possible if we got rid of these, if we replaced them and said, 'Well, you can only have a magazine that carries five bullets or ten bullets,' isn't it just possible that we could reduce the carnage in a situation like Newtown?" Gregory asked, referring to the recent mass shooting at an elementary school in Connecticut.
LaPierre replied: "I don't believe that's going to make one difference."
High-capacity ammunition magazines are banned in the capital district, regardless of whether they are attached to a firearm. "Meet the Press" is generally taped in Washington.
An email seeking comment from NBC was not immediately returned.


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Sylvans Holiday Styles
Christmas Collars, Martingales & Leashes
Get ready for the Holidays with these festive Sylvans holiday selections! Your dog will be the hit of the neighborhood with one of these colorful winter Holiday styles. Choose from Santa's "Ho, Ho, Ho!", Snowman, Christmas Tree or another of our Holiday selections.
Machine washable, these collars and leashes can be laundered and packed away with your ornaments and holiday decorations, gifting you with years and years of enjoyment and memories.
Snowy Night Dog Collar
Flying Santa Dog Collar
Flying Santa Leash
Snowy Night Holiday Leash
More choices on next page!


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A Boom, A Battler, and A Brother
Listen to Audio (right click to save)
Have you ever noticed how a baby learns to walk? Yeah, it's the "step, boom" method. Someone comes along and says, "I think it's about time", sets them up on their legs - you know, kind of spaghetti legs - and they take one step, boom. And, of course, they get up again, and the next time it's step, step, boom. And then step, step, step, boom, etc. You know.
Now, we have family movies of our oldest son learning to walk years ago. It was pretty much by that method. And when he went down, you could see him grabbing something and battling to get his muscles going all in one direction so he could get up. And then you saw his big sister reaching over to give him a hand. Actually, that's what it takes whenever you go step, boom.
© (c) Ronald P. Hutchcraft
Distributed by Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.
Learn how to begin a personal, love-relationship with the God who made you.


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Western Carolina makes plans to celebrate 125th year
CULLOWHEE – When the clock strikes midnight and Dec. 31 gives way to Jan. 1, the tolling of the bell will mark the beginning of Western Carolina University's 125th year, and university faculty, staff and students are planning a yearlong celebration to mark the milestone.
The festivities will get underway Jan. 23 in the Grandroom of A.K. Hinds University Center on the WCU campus. Scheduled from 12:25 to 2:25 p.m., the kickoff event will include a fashion show of apparel adorned with WCU's 125th logo and refreshments, prizes, games, giveaways, displays and birthday cake.
Birthday cupcakes also will be available that day for students, faculty and staff at the university's instructional site at Biltmore Park Town Square. That night, the men's basketball team will take on Davidson in a Southern Conference game at Ramsey Regional Activity Center, with special activities and promotions planned as part of the evening.
"The year ahead will be a significant and exciting point in our university's history," said Kellie Monteith, assistant vice chancellor for health and wellness in the division of student affairs. Monteith and Melissa Wargo, chief of staff, are co-chairs of a steering committee charged with organizing festivities on campus — and throughout the western region of North Carolina that WCU serves.
"We not only will be remembering Western Carolina's legacy and history, but also will be celebrating how far we have progressed as an institution over the past 125 years," Monteith said. "And we will be looking forward to the future of this university as we continue our mission of providing quality education to our students and being a partner in the economic and community development of our region."
The official 125th anniversary bash will be held in August, the month in which the school that became WCU was founded in 1889. The event is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 26, with a picnic on the University Center lawn, old-fashioned games, music and photo opportunities in historical garb representative of the late 19th century.
The final celebration event is tentatively set for Dec. 5 in the Ramsey Center, with music from the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band (which will have just returned from its appearance in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade), refreshments, remarks from the chancellor and special recognition for those who will graduate during the December 2014 commencement, the last graduating class of WCU's 125th year.
Other events will be designed around traditional highlights of WCU's annual calendar, such as spring commencement ceremonies, Mountain Heritage Day, Spring Literary Festival, Homecoming, alumni receptions across the state and the Southeast, and a variety of events in communities across Western North Carolina.
To learn more, visit http://celebrate125.wcu.edu.


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| 9.7°C Belfast
A brave young boy who lost his leg to cancer has learned to run on a blade - and set his sights on competing in the 2020 Paralympics.
Ben O'Brien, 11, from Sheffield, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer, three and a half years ago and had to undergo gruelling bouts of chemotherapy.
But after a year he contracted an infection in the bone of his left leg which was "basically killing him" and faced an agonising decision over whether to have it amputated.
After thinking about it for 10 days, the courageous schoolboy told doctors he had decided to have the operation.
The sports-mad youngster was determined not to let the setback stop him enjoying games with his friends, and he learned to run on a blade - and even got some running tips from British Paralympic champion Jonnie Peacock.
Speaking at the Little Star Awards Party, an event laid on by Cancer Research UK to salute the courage shown by children fighting cancer , he said: "The day has been amazing.
"I've been learning to run on a blade. I started practising about a year ago. I'm a big fan of Jonnie Peacock and I met him and he gave me some tips. He told me it is best to start on your false leg so you can spring off faster."
His mother, Dawn, 35, said Ben was "very brave" in deciding to have his leg amputated - a choice he made by himself.
She said: "He (the doctor) gave Ben his options and said the choice had to come from Ben. So Ben went away for 10 days, didn't tell anybody what his decision was, went back to the hospital 10 days later and said 'I want it amputated'. It was very brave."
Mrs O'Brien, who also has a 13-year-old daughter, Rebecca, added: " We have never stopped Ben doing anything. He pushes his own boundaries. He spent three years in treatment, so three years of lost life and he is making up for it."
Ben was among 20 children from across the UK who attended the space-themed party hosted by Cancer Research UK in partnership with clothes shop TK Maxx at Kensington Roof Gardens in west London.
The annual party is thrown to pay tribute to the courage of all children coping with cancer, and a string of celebrity guests including pop star Elyar Fox and Strictly Come Dancing stars Kristina Rihanoff and Robin Windsor attended to show their support.
Among the other "little stars" was Vanessa Moss, five, from Marylebone in west London, who was sick for two years before doctors finally diagnosed her with the extremely rare cancer neuroblastoma.
After 18 months effectively living in a hospital cubicle and undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy, she recently received the good news that she has gone into remission.
Rihanoff, 36, said: "I'm so happy to have come here with Robin to support this. Seeing all these kids smiling and loving life is what it is all about. It is really inspirational."
Windsor, 34, said: "It is so amazing to see how special these kids are. They might be ill but they still have this zest for life and they live each day as if it's their last and it is so amazing to watch.
"It puts a huge perspective on life. There are thousands of kids around the country who are suffering from cancer and they need more funding to get more research and get these kids better, quicker."
Pop star Fox, 18, said : "I have had a lot of family friends who have gone through cancer. I'm happy to be part of anything that is so positive like the Little Star Awards.
"This is a cause close to my heart. My grandfather passed away when I was really young from cancer."