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One of the perennial aims of historical research is to find out what actually happened at some point in the past – or, in Leopold von Ranke's famous phrase, 'Wie es eigentlich gewesen.'
This is, of course, an incredibly difficult undertaking: even if we know many facts about a particular moment in the past, and even if the contemporary artefacts are still available, it still requires a huge effort of the intellect and the imagination to recreate what it actually felt like to be there.
Historic houses like Quebec House exemplify this problem: they can be beautiful, seductive and inspiring places, but was that what they were actually like, back then? In most cases we are dealing with multi-layered places, made up of elements from a number of different periods.
Re-enactments by costumed interpreters can seem more like theatre than historical reality. However, if done sensitively and using the available research, they can bring visitors into direct contact with aspects of the past.
At Quebec House Jane and Geoff King from living history group The Mannered Mob were recently asked to demonstrate elements of mid-eighteenth-century life. The custodian of Quebec House, John Rawlinson, has kindly sent me these images.
Geoff King, in the guise of an eighteenth-century surgeon, talked about the wounds sustained by General James Wolfe at Quebec. There was very little that any doctor could have done for Wolfe on the battlefield, as he had been shot in the arm, the shoulder and the chest.
Jane King showed visitors something about the genteel accomplishments of the time, such as music and making silhouette portraits. GDK Historic Consultancy supplied hand-made hats, dresses, coats and boots. More events like this are planned at Quebec House for the near future.
In response to the earlier posts about James Wolfe, Julie Wakefield of the austenonly blog generously sent me this picture of the house in Trim Street, Bath, where Wolfe lived before he left for America.
It looks a picture of genteel tranquility, but, as Julie found when she recently stayed at another house in the street, the nights are disturbed by stag and hen parties and by the raucous gulls feeding on discarded fast food.
And that makes one wonder what life in eighteenth-century Bath was like: full of elegant people taking the waters and dancing in the Assembly Rooms, or also with some of the tawdry and transient elements that seem to be common to resort places? As von Ranke might have said: Wie war es eigentlich gewesen?


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Development of an user interface using water. The system analyses user's movement in the water and reacts with current variations. Completed in two weeks during the 'Experience Prototyping - Hardware Sketching' course, part of the Interaction Design MA.
2 weeks, October 2006
Nick Alexander
We build a water tank, a pump using a cheap power tool, and a Phidget servo with the computer. It is sketchy but it works!
We build this from scratch in just a few days, with limited supplies. Constraints are good for pushing you to the limits!
The two pumps were so noisy so we decided to concealed them far from the project. Flexible tubing runs under two doors, and we can still hear them!
We present different interaction ideas we have with the water interface.
Video mov, 640 x 480px , 25.87 MB
It works, although the pumps are very slow to engage and create significant water flow.
Video mov, 640 x 480px , 59.58 MB

subset: commoncrawl


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- Fix a small constant $0 < \epsilon < 1/2$. Let $f : \{\mathsf{True}, \mathsf{False}\}^n \to \{\mathsf{True}, \mathsf{False}\}$ be a nonconstant monotone function. Let $p_0$ (respectively, $p_c$, $p_1$) be the unique value of $p \in (0,1)$ such that $\mathop{\bf Pr}_{\pi_{p}}[f({\boldsymbol{x}}) = \mathsf{True}] = \epsilon$ (respectively, $1/2$, $1-\epsilon$). (This is a valid definition by Exercise 23.) The threshold interval for $f$ is defined to be $[p_0, p_1]$, and $\delta = p_1 – p_0$ is the threshold width. Now let $(f_n)_{n \in {\mathbb N}}$ be a sequence of nonconstant monotone boolean functions (usually "naturally related", with $f_n$'s input length an increasing function of $n$). Define the sequences $p_0(n)$, $p_c(n)$, $p_1(n)$, $\delta(n)$. We say that the family $(f_n)$ has a sharp threshold if $\delta(n)/(4p_c(n)(1-p_c(n)) \to 0$ as $n \to \infty$; otherwise, we say it has a coarse threshold. Show that if $(f_n)$ has a coarse threshold then there exists $C < \infty$, an infinite sequence $n_1 < n_2 < n_3 < \cdots$, and a sequence $(p(n_i))_{i \in {\mathbb N}}$ such that:
- $\epsilon < \mathop{\bf Pr}_{\pi_{p(n_i)}}[f_{n_i}({\boldsymbol{x}}) = \mathsf{True}] < 1-\epsilon$ for all $i$;
- $\mathbf{I}[f_{n_i}^{(p(n_i))}] \leq C$ for all $i$.
(Hint: Margulis–Russo and the Mean Value Theorem.)
- Let $f : \{-1,1\}^n \to \{-1,1\}$ be a nonconstant monotone function and let $F : [0,1] \to [0,1]$ be the (strictly increasing) function defined by $F(p) = \mathop{\bf Pr}_{\pi_p}[f({\boldsymbol{x}}) = -1]$. Let $p_c$ be the critical probability such that $F(p_c) = 1/2$. Assume that $p_c \leq 1/2$. (This is without loss of generality since we can replace $f$ by $f^\dagger$. We often think of $p_c \ll 1/2$.) The goal of this exercise is to show a weak kind of threshold result: roughly speaking, $F(p) = o(1)$ when $p = o(p_c)$ and $F(p) = 1-o(1)$ when $p = \omega(p_c)$.
- Using the Margulis–Russo Formula and the Poincaré inequality show that for all $0 < p < 1$, \[ F'(p) \geq \frac{F(p)(1-F(p))}{p(1-p)}. \]
- Show that for all $p \leq p_c$ we have $F'(p) \geq \frac{F(p)}{2p}$ and hence $\frac{d}{dp} \ln F(p) \geq \frac{1}{2p}$.
- Deduce that for any $0 \leq p_0 \leq p_c$ we have $F(p_0) \leq \tfrac{1}{2} \sqrt{p_0/p_c}$; i.e., $F(p_0) \leq \epsilon$ if $p_0 \leq (2\epsilon)^2 p_c$.
- Show that the factor $(2\epsilon)^2$ can be improved to $\Theta(\tau) \epsilon^{1+\tau}$ for any small constant $\tau > 0$. (Hint: the quadratic dependence on $\epsilon$ arose because we used $1-F(p) \geq 1/2$ for $p \leq p_c$; but from part (c) we have the improved bound $1-F(p) \geq 1-\tau$ once $p \leq (2\tau)^2 p_c$.)
- In the other direction, show that so long as $p_1 = \frac{1}{(2\epsilon)^2} p_c \leq 1/2$ then we have $F(p_1) \geq 1-\epsilon$. (Hint: work with $\ln(1-F(p))$.) In case $p_1 \leq 1/2$ does not hold, show that we at least have $F(1/2) \geq 1 – \sqrt{p_c/2}$.
- The bounds in part (e) are not very interesting when $p_c$ is close to $1/2$. Show that we also have $F(1-\delta) \geq 1 – \sqrt{\delta/2}$ (even when $p_c = 1/2$).
- Consider the sequence of functions $f_n : \{\mathsf{True}, \mathsf{False}\}^n \to \{\mathsf{True}, \mathsf{False}\}$ defined for all odd $n \geq 3$ as follows: $f_n(x_1, \dots, x_n) = \mathrm{Maj}_3(x_1, x_2, \mathrm{Maj}_{n-2}(x_3, \dots, x_n))$.
- Show that $f_n$ is monotone and has critical probability $p_c = 1/2$.
- Sketch a plot of $\mathop{\bf Pr}_{\pi_p}[f_n({\boldsymbol{x}}) = \mathsf{True}]$ versus $p$ (assuming $n$ very large).
- Show that $\mathbf{I}[f_n] = \Theta(\sqrt{n})$.
- Show that the sequence $f_n$ has a coarse threshold as defined in Exercise 24 (assuming $\epsilon < 1/4$).
- Consider the following probability distributions on strings ${\boldsymbol{x}} \in {\mathbb F}_2^n$:
- First choose $\boldsymbol{k} \sim \{0, 1, 2, \dots, n\}$ uniformly. Then choose ${\boldsymbol{x}}$ uniformly from the set of all strings of Hamming weight $\boldsymbol{k}$.
- First choose a uniformly random "path $\boldsymbol{\pi}$ from $(0, 0, \dots, 0)$ up to $(1, 1, \dots, 1)$"; i.e., let $\boldsymbol{\pi}$ be a uniformly random permutation from $S_n$ and let $\boldsymbol{\pi}^{\leq i} \in {\mathbb F}_2^n$ denote the string whose $j$th coordinate is $1$ if and only if $\pi(j) \leq i$. Then choose $\boldsymbol{k} \sim \{0, 1, 2, \dots, n\}$ uniformly and let ${\boldsymbol{x}}$ be the "$\boldsymbol{k}$th string on the path", namely $\boldsymbol{\pi}^{\leq \boldsymbol{k}}$.
- First choose $\boldsymbol{p} \sim [0,1]$. Then choose ${\boldsymbol{x}} \sim \pi_{\boldsymbol{p}}^{\otimes n}$.
Show that these are in fact the same distribution. (Hint: imagine choosing $n+1$ indistinguishable points uniformly from $[0,1]$ and then randomly assigning them the labels "$p$", $1$, $2$, …, $n$.)
- We denote by $\nu^n$ the distribution on ${\mathbb F}_2^{[n]}$ from part (a); more generally, we use the notation $\nu^N$ for the distribution on ${\mathbb F}_2^N$ where $N$ is an abstract set of cardinality $n$. Given a nonempty $J \subseteq [n]$, show that if ${\boldsymbol{x}} \sim \nu^n$ and ${\boldsymbol{x}}_J \in {\mathbb F}_2^J$ denotes the restriction of ${\boldsymbol{x}}$ to coordinates $J$, then ${\boldsymbol{x}}_J$ has the distribution $\nu^J$.
- Let $f : {\mathbb F}_2^n \to {\mathbb R}$ and fix $i \in [n]$. The $i$th Shapley value of $f$ is defined to be \[ \mathbf{Shap}_i[f] = \mathop{\bf E}_{{\boldsymbol{x}} \sim \nu^n}[f({\boldsymbol{x}}^{(i \mapsto 1)}) - f({\boldsymbol{x}}^{(i \mapsto 0)})]. \] Show that $\sum_{i=1}^n \mathbf{Shap}_i[f] = f(1, 1, \dots, 1) – f(0, 0, \dots, 0)$.
- Suppose $f : {\mathbb F}_2^n \to \{0,1\}$ is monotone. Show that $\mathbf{Shap}_i[f] = 4\int_0^1 \mathbf{Inf}_i[f^{(p)}]\,dp$.
- Consider the following probability distributions on strings ${\boldsymbol{x}} \in {\mathbb F}_2^n$:
- Explain how to generalize the definitions and results in Sections 1, 2 to the case of the complex inner product space $L^2(\Omega^n, \pi^{\otimes n})$. In particular, verify the following formulas from Proposition 16: \begin{align*} \mathop{\bf E}[f] &= \widehat{f}(0)\\ \mathop{\bf E}[|f|^2] &= \mathop{\bf E}[\langle f, f \rangle] = \sum_{\alpha \in {\mathbb N}_{< m}^n} \langle \widehat{f}(\alpha), \widehat{f}(\alpha) \rangle = \sum_{\alpha \in {\mathbb N}_{< m}^n} |\widehat{f}(\alpha)|^2 \\ \mathop{\bf Var}[f] &= \langle f – \mathop{\bf E}[f], f – \mathop{\bf E}[f] \rangle = \sum_{\alpha \neq 0} |\widehat{f}(\alpha)|^2 \\ \langle f, g \rangle &= \sum_{\alpha \in {\mathbb N}_{<m}^n} \langle \widehat{f}(\alpha), \widehat{g}(\alpha) \rangle = \sum_{\alpha \in {\mathbb N}_{<m}^n} \widehat{f}(\alpha)\overline{\widehat{g}(\alpha)} \\ \mathop{\bf Cov}[f,g] &= \langle f – \mathop{\bf E}[f], g – \mathop{\bf E}[g] \rangle = \sum_{\alpha \neq 0} \widehat{f}(\alpha)\overline{\widehat{g}(\alpha)}. \end{align*}
- As in Exercise 2.51, explain how to generalize the definitions and results in Sections 1, 2 to the case of functions $f : \Omega^n \to V$, where $V$ is a real inner product space with inner product $\langle \cdot, \cdot \rangle_V$. Here the Fourier coefficients $\widehat{f}(\alpha)$ will be elements of $V$, and $\langle f, g \rangle$ is defined to be $\mathop{\bf E}_{{\boldsymbol{x}} \sim \pi^{\otimes n}}[\langle f({\boldsymbol{x}}), g({\boldsymbol{x}}) \rangle_V]$. In particular, verify the formulas from Proposition 16, including the Placherel Theorem $\langle f, g \rangle = \sum_\alpha \langle \widehat{f}(\alpha), \widehat{g}(\alpha) \rangle_V$.
- For $\Sigma$ a finite set we write $\triangle_\Sigma$ for the set of all probability distributions over $\Sigma$ (cf. Exercise 7.22). Writing $|\Sigma| = m$, we also identify $\triangle_\Sigma$ with the standard convex simplex in ${\mathbb R}^{m}$, namely $\{\mu \in {\mathbb R}^{m} : \mu_1 + \cdots + \mu_m = 1, \mu_i \geq 0\ \forall i\}$ (where we assume some fixed ordering of $\Sigma$). Finally, we identify the $m$ elements of $\Sigma$ with the constant distributions in $\triangle_\Sigma$; equivalently, the vertices of the form $(0, \dots, 0, 1, 0, \dots, 0)$. Given a function $f : \Omega^n \to \Sigma$, often the most useful way to treat it analytically is to interpret it as a function $f : \Omega^n \to \triangle_\Sigma \subset {\mathbb R}^m$ and then use the setting described in part (a), with $V = {\mathbb R}^m$. Using this idea, show that if $f : \Omega^n \to \Sigma$ and $\pi$ is a distribution on $\Omega$, then \[ \mathbf{Stab}_\rho[f] = \mathop{\bf Pr}_{{\boldsymbol{x}} \sim \pi^{\otimes n}, \boldsymbol{y} \sim N_\rho({\boldsymbol{x}})}[f({\boldsymbol{x}}) = f(\boldsymbol{y})]. \] (Here in $\mathbf{Stab}_\rho[f]$ we are interpreting $f$'s range as $\triangle_\Sigma \subset {\mathbb R}^m$ whereas in the expression $f({\boldsymbol{x}}) = f(\boldsymbol{y})$ we are treating $f$'s range as the abstract set $\Sigma$.)
- We say a function $f \in L^2(\Omega^n, \pi^{\otimes n})$ is a linear threshold function if it is expressible as $f(x) = \mathrm{sgn}(\ell(x))$, where $\ell : \Omega^n \to {\mathbb R}$ has degree at most $1$ (in the sense of Definition 32).
- Given $\omega^{(+1)}, \omega^{(-1)} \in \Omega^n$ and $x \in \{-1,1\}^n$, we introduce the notation $\omega^{(x)}$ for the string $(\omega_1^{(x_1)}, \dots, \omega_n^{(x_n)}) \in \Omega^n$. Show that if $\boldsymbol{\omega}^{(+1)}, \boldsymbol{\omega}^{(-1)} \sim \pi^{\otimes n}$ are drawn independently and $({\boldsymbol{x}}, \boldsymbol{y}) \sim \{-1,1\}^n \times \{-1,1\}^n$ is a $\rho$-correlated pair of binary strings, then $(\boldsymbol{\omega}^{({\boldsymbol{x}})}, \boldsymbol{\omega}^{(\boldsymbol{y})})$ is a $\rho$-correlated pair under $\pi^{\otimes n}$.
- Let $f \in L^2(\Omega^n, \pi^{\otimes n})$ be a linear threshold function. Given a pair $\omega^{(+1)}, \omega^{(-1)} \in \Omega^n$, define $g_{\omega^{(+1)}, \omega^{(-1)}} : \{-1,1\}^n \to \{-1,1\}$ by $g_{\omega^{(+1)}, \omega^{(-1)}}(x) = f(\omega^{(x)})$. Show that $g_{\omega^{(+1)}, \omega^{(-1)}}$ is a linear threshold function in the "usual" sense.
- Prove that Peres's Theorem (from Chapter 5.5) applies to linear threshold functions in $L^2(\Omega^n, \pi^{\otimes n})$, with the same bounds.
- Let $G$ be a finite abelian group. We know by the Fundamental Theorem of Finitely Generated Abelian Groups that $G \cong {\mathbb Z}_{m_1} \times \cdots {\mathbb Z}_{m_n}$ where each $m_j$ is a prime power.
- Given $\alpha \in G$, define $\chi_\alpha : G \to {\mathbb C}$ by \[ \chi_\alpha(x) = \prod_{j = 1}^n \exp(2 \pi i x_j / m_j). \] Show $\chi_\alpha$ is a character of $G$ and that the $\chi_\alpha$'s are distinct functions for distinct $\alpha$'s. Deduce that the set of all $\chi_\alpha$'s forms a Fourier basis for $L^2(G)$.
- Show that this set of characters forms a group under multiplication and that this group is isomorphic to $G$. (I.e., generalize Fact 57.) This is called the dual group of $G$ and it is written $\widehat{G}$. We also identify the characters in $\widehat{G}$ with their indices $\alpha$.
- Verify that the convolution operation on $L^2(G)$ is associative, commutative, and satisfies $\widehat{f * g}(\alpha) = \widehat{f}(\alpha)\widehat{g}(\alpha)$ for all $\alpha \in \widehat{G}$. (See Exercise 30 for the definition of $\widehat{G}$.)
- Let $f \in L^2(\Omega^n, \pi^{\otimes n})$ be any transitive-symmetric function and let $\mathcal{T}$ be a randomized decision tree computing $f$. Show that there exists a randomized decision tree $\mathcal{T}'$ computing $f$ with $\Delta^{(\pi)}(\mathcal{T}') = \Delta^{(\pi)}(\mathcal{T})$ and such that $\delta_i^{(\pi)}(\mathcal{T}')$ is the same for all $i \in [n]$. (Hint: randomize over the automorphism group $\mathrm{Aut}(f)$.)
- Given a randomized decision tree $\mathcal{T}$, let $\delta^{(\pi)}(\mathcal{T}) = \max_{i \in n}\{\delta_i^{(\pi)}(\mathcal{T})\}$. Given $f \in L^2(\{-1,1\}^n, \pi^{\otimes n})$, define $\delta^{(\pi)}(f)$ to be the minimum value of $\delta_i^{(\pi)}(\mathcal{T})$ over all $\mathcal{T}$ which compute $f$; this is called the revealment of $f$. Show that if $f$ is transitive-symmetric then $\delta^{(\pi)}(f) = \frac{1}{n}\Delta^{(\pi)}(f)$.
- Show that ${\mathrm{DT}}(\mathrm{Maj}_3^{\otimes d}) = 3^d$, $\mathrm{RDT}(\mathrm{Maj}_3^{\otimes d}) \leq (8/3)^d$, and $\Delta(\mathrm{Maj}_3^{\otimes d}) \leq (5/2)^d$.
- Show that $\mathrm{RDT}(\mathrm{Maj}_3^{\otimes 2}) < (8/3)^2$. How small can you make your upper bound?
- Show that for every deterministic decision tree $T$ computing the logical OR function on $n$ bits, \begin{multline*} \qquad \qquad \Delta^{(p)}(T) = p \cdot 1 + (1-p)p \cdot 2 + (1-p)^2p \cdot 3 + \cdots \\ \cdots + (1-p)^{n-2}p \cdot (n-1) + (1-p)^{n-1} \cdot n = \frac{1 – (1-p)^n}{p}. \end{multline*} Deduce $\Delta^{(p)}(\mathrm{OR}_n) = \frac{1 – (1-p)^n}{p}$.
- Show that $\Delta^{(p_c)}(\mathrm{OR}_n) \sim n/(2 \ln 2)$ as $n \to \infty$, where $p_c$ denotes the critical probability for $\mathrm{OR}_n$.
- Let $\mathrm{NAND} : \{\mathsf{True}, \mathsf{False}\}^2 \to \{\mathsf{True}, \mathsf{False}\}$ be the function which outputs $\mathsf{True}$ unless both its inputs are $\mathsf{True}$.
- Show that for $d$ even, $\mathrm{NAND}^{\otimes d} = \mathrm{Tribes}_{2,2}^{\otimes d/2}$. (Thus the recursive NAND function is sometimes known as the AND-OR tree.)
- Show that ${\mathrm{DT}}(\mathrm{NAND}^{\otimes d}) = 2^d$.
- Show that $\mathrm{RDT}(\mathrm{NAND}) = 2$.
- For $b \in \{\mathsf{True}, \mathsf{False}\}$ and $\mathcal{T}$ a randomized decision tree computing a function $f$, let $\mathrm{RDT}_b(\mathcal{T})$ denote the maximum cost of $\mathcal{T}$ among inputs $x$ with $f(x) = b$. Show that there is a randomized decision tree $\mathcal{T}$ computing $\mathrm{NAND}$ with $\mathrm{RDT}_\mathsf{False}(\mathcal{T}) = 3/2$.
- Show that $\mathrm{RDT}(\mathrm{NAND}^{\otimes 2}) \leq 3$.
- Show that there is a family of randomized decision trees $(\mathcal{T}_d)_{d \in {\mathbb N}^+}$, with $\mathcal{T}_d$ computing $\mathrm{NAND}^{\otimes d}$, satisfying the inequalities \begin{align*} \mathrm{RDT}_{\mathsf{False}}(\mathcal{T}_{d}) &\leq 2\mathrm{RDT}_{\mathsf{True}}(\mathcal{T}_{d-1})\\ \mathrm{RDT}_{\mathsf{True}}(\mathcal{T}_{d}) &\leq \mathrm{RDT}_{\mathsf{False}}(\mathcal{T}_{d-1}) + (1/2)\mathrm{RDT}_{\mathsf{True}}(\mathcal{T}_{d-1}). \end{align*}
- Deduce $\mathrm{RDT}(\mathrm{NAND}^{\otimes d}) \leq (\frac{1+\sqrt{33}}{4})^d \approx n^{.754}$, where $n = 2^d$.
- Let $\mathcal{C} = \{\text{monotone } f : \{-1,1\}^n \to \{-1,1\}\mid {\mathrm{DT}}(f) \leq k\}$. Show that $\mathcal{C}$ is learnable from random examples with error $\epsilon$ in time $n^{O(\sqrt{k}/\epsilon)}$. (Hint: OS Inequality and Corollary 3.32.)
- Verify that the decision tree process described in Definition 68 indeed generates strings distributed according to $\pi^{\otimes n}$. (Hint: induction on the structure of the tree.)
- Let $T$ be a deterministic decision tree of size $s$. Show that $\Delta(T) \leq \log s$. (Hint: Let $\boldsymbol{P}$ be a random root-to-leaf path chosen as in the decision tree process. How can you bound the entropy of the random variable $\boldsymbol{P}$?)
- Let $f \in L^2(\Omega^n, \pi^{\otimes n})$ be a nonconstant function with range $\{-1,1\}$.
- Show that $\mathbf{MaxInf}[f] \geq \mathop{\bf Var}[f]/\Delta^{(\pi)}(f)$ (cf. the KKL Theorem from Chapter 4.2).
- In case $\Omega = \{-1,1\}$ show that $\mathbf{MaxInf}[f] \geq \mathop{\bf Var}[f] / \deg(f)^3$. (You should use the result of Midrijānis mentioned in Chapter 3.6.)
- Show that $\mathbf{Inf}[f] \geq \mathop{\bf Var}[f] / \delta^{(\pi)}(f)$, where $\delta^{(\pi)}(f)$ is the revealment of $f$, defined in Exercise 33(b).
- Let $f \in L^2(\Omega^n, \pi^{\otimes n})$ have range $\{-1,1\}$.
- Let $\mathcal{T}$ be a randomized decision computing $f$ and let $i \in [n]$. Show that $\mathbf{Inf}_i[f] \leq \delta^{(\pi)}_i(f)$. (Hint: the decision tree process.)
- Suppose $f$ is transitive-symmetric. Show that $\Delta^{(\pi)}(f) \geq \sqrt{\mathop{\bf Var}[f] / n}$. (Hint: Exercise 32(b).) This result can be sharp up to an $O(\sqrt{\log n})$ factor even for an $f : \{-1,1\}^n \to \{-1,1\}$ with $\mathop{\bf Var}[f] = 1$; see [BSW05].
- In this exercise you will give an alternate proof of the OSSS Inequality which is sharp when $\mathop{\bf Var}[f] = 1$ and is weaker by only a factor of $2$ when $\mathop{\bf Var}[f]$ is small. Let $f \in L^2(\Omega^n, \pi^{\otimes n})$ have range $\{-1,1\}$. Given a randomized decision tree $\mathcal{T}$ we write $\mathrm{err}(\mathcal{T}) = \mathop{\bf Pr}_{{\boldsymbol{x}} \sim \pi^{\otimes n}}[\mathcal{T}({\boldsymbol{x}}) \neq f({\boldsymbol{x}})]$.
- Let $T$ be a depth-$k$ deterministic decision tree (not necessarily computing $f$) whose root queries coordinate $i$. Let $\mathcal{T}$ be the distribution over deterministic trees of depth at most $k-1$ given by following a random outgoing edge from $T$'s root (according to $\pi$). Show that $\mathrm{err}(\mathcal{T}) \leq \mathrm{err}(T) + \tfrac{1}{2}\mathbf{Inf}_i[f]$.
- Let $\mathcal{T}$ be a randomized decision tree of depth $0$. Show that $\mathrm{err}(\mathcal{T}) \geq \min\{\mathop{\bf Pr}[f({\boldsymbol{x}}) = 1], \mathop{\bf Pr}[f({\boldsymbol{x}}) = -1]\}$.
- Prove by induction on depth that if $\mathcal{T}$ is any randomized decision tree then $\tfrac{1}{2} \sum_{i=1}^n \delta_i^{(\pi)}(T) \cdot \mathbf{Inf}_i[f] \geq \min\{\mathop{\bf Pr}[f({\boldsymbol{x}}) = 1], \mathop{\bf Pr}[f({\boldsymbol{x}}) = -1]\} – \mathrm{err}(\mathcal{T})$. Verify that this yields the OSSS Inequality when $\mathop{\bf Var}[f] = 1$ and in general yields the OSSS Inequality up to a factor of $2$.
- Show that the OSSS Inequality fails for functions $f : \{-1,1\}^n \to {\mathbb R}$. (Hint: the simplest counterexample uses a decision tree with the below shape.)
Can you make the ratio of the left-hand side to the right-hand side equal to $\frac{130 + 20\sqrt{3}}{157}$? Larger?


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Radiologic Technology
This is an associate degree program that teaches students how to perform medical imaging procedures.
Medical imaging is a branch of health care delivery that utilizes x-rays and other energy forms to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions.
Through a blend of classroom education at the university and clinical education at a hospital, students learn radiographic equipment operation, patient positioning and procedures, radiation safety and methods of patient care.
The Associate of Applied Science degree in Radiologic Technology requires 71 semester hours of coursework for the degree to be granted. It prepares graduates to take the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists Certification Exam in order to become registered radiologic technologists.


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How to Shop a Kroger Mega EventThe links in the post below may be affiliate links. Read the full disclosure.
What is a Mega Event?
A mega event is a promotion that Kroger does several times a year. Unlike typical 10 for $10 sales, you MUST purchase the quantity of items specified in that particular promo in order to receive the mega sale discount. For example, "Buy 10 participating items, Get $5 off instantly". You must purchase in increments of 10 in order to receive the additional $0.50 off per item. You can mix and match these items and receive the discount as long as you purchase in multiples of 10 in the same transaction.
Here's what the ad will look like. When you see this, start to get really excited because you're about to save a LOT of money! 🙂 The ad will outline the price BEFORE mega sale discount, and also after. I always just pay attention to the bottom number.
Here is an example of a mega event sale tag. Notice there is a "sale price" of $1.49, and then a 2nd price of $0.99 if you purchase 10 participating items.
The mega discount will come off immediately at checkout when the item is scanned. Typically you will see a participating item marked on the receipt with a < + symbol.
Not all participating mega sale items will be advertised in the sale ad. There are almost always tons more items that will just be identified by in-store signage, so be on the lookout for those mega sale tags!
Tips on Keeping Track of Items While Shopping
Since it's very important to keep track of how many mega items you are purchasing so that you don't miss out on the extra discount, you'll need a system. There are many ways to keep track of your mega items, but I'll give you a few tips. What the picture above shows is my current method. As soon as I walk in the store, I take a few of my reusable shopping bags, open them up and place them inside my cart. I then place all my mega sale items in the bags as I shop.
Once your bag contains 10 items, you close it up! No more hiding in the last aisle at Kroger counting 50 items!
If I don't plan on getting too crazy, I will reserve one bag for non-mega sale items. Or you can throw non-megas in the bottom of your cart. (great idea Carrie!)
Or, if you're really diligent about keeping track of items that enter your cart, you can do the old fashioned tally system on your shopping list. Do what works for you…just make sure you keep track! You do NOT want to get through checkout just to realize you counted wrong. If this DOES happen, you have a couple of options.
Scenario #1: You're counting mega sale items as you put them on the belt at checkout and only count 48 items. If you know what other 2 items you want to grab, just have the cashier ring up 2 extra of that item and go get them off the shelf AFTER you checkout.
Scenario #2: You don't catch the mistake until after you checkout, maybe even after you get home. Just go pick up any extra mega sale items that you need and take them along with your receipt to the customer service desk and they will make it right.
Reward Limits
Sometimes there are limits to how many mega items you can purchase in the same transaction, sometimes not. If no limit is advertised in the ad or on the sale tags, you may want to ask before you start shopping. If the limit is 5 rewards, that means you can purchase 50 items (if it's a buy 10, save $5 sale). If you want to purchase more than that, you'll need to separate your transactions (if permitted) or just come back another day.
I hope this helps answer some of your questions on how a mega sale works at Kroger. Feel free to leave a comment if there's something I didn't think of or if you have additional questions!
Oh, and one more thing…
Here's what your face is going to look like as you marvel at your receipt when you get into your car! 🙂
2014 UPDATE: Check out my new video that walks you through the process!


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American Plastic Solutions is here to help you improve your business. Every project starts with a conversation. Phone, fax or email. We don¨t care. Let¨s talk about what¨s challenging you.
Since 1945, we have been engineering and building custom plastic products to help our customers. Let us help you improve quality, increase production, and grow sales. It's only a win for us when it's a win for you.
We want to learn about your business and build custom product solutions for your particular challenges.
We¨ve been at this for a long time, and have engineered and fabricated a huge array of very different products. So what can we make for you?
Another plating plant accident.
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Tale of blood and paper.
U of M Public Health researchers needed a safe and reliable container to collect, store and safely transport human tissue samples...
Really big gears.
A large metal finishing company needed humungous custom polypropylene to turn their large plating barrel tanks.
Let us spray.
A major automotive steel processing plant asked us to collaborate on a cooling station to improve the manufacturing process.
You want it when?
Customer needed help to design and build two prototype RFID tables for the U.S. Military in 2 weeks. We love a challenge, but this...
Soup to nuts!
National retail customer wanted a one-stop solution for their new product launch display. The display was mounted on rotating casters...
Irish eyes.
A global eyewear manufacturer wanted an automated cleaning process line for their glass lens manufacturing plant in Ireland.
One family, many parts.
Needs an easy way to display new products without losing existing in-store floor space or making current displays obsolete...
Gettin' handy.
Tablet computers are slippery and hard to hold. They are also expensive to replace when dropped and broken. ...
Up in smoke
An e-liquid company wanted a countertop display with a bold 4-color graphic to highlight and spur sales growth for their products...
Dry acid dissolution tank.
Customer wanted to eliminate expensive and hazardous transportation and storage of volatile liquid chemical compounds...
Super plating process line.
Global auto parts manufacturer needs to increase production of nickel plating speed...
Less waste, less cost.
A large automotive dunnage manufacturer asked us to make large plastic inserts from a single sheet of HDPE...
Lonely Planet countertop
Lonely Planet wanted to develop a countertop travel guide display, custom-sized for nine of their popular titles.
Lil' Dipper
A metal finishing company needed help plating small, highly polished, rounded component parts for an aerospace application.
Clearly it's art.
A professor of Art came to us and asked if we could build a clear acrylic 6' x 8' x 8' which was watertight for his upcoming art exhibition...
Bed, bath, and bottoms Up.
An international glass company wanted to display their line of whiskey glasses on a single display at a national retailer¨s....
Custom medical enclosure
A low volume medical device manufacturer wanted the outside of their product to look as cool as the technology on the inside of the box...
Freestone pickle display
Freestone Pickle needed custom displays in cold storage aisles of grocery and convenience stores. Needed pickles to be seen.
Air Scrubber
A local pollution control equipment manufacturer needed a Scrubber Tower. We built one from polypropylene sheet.
Graphic piece display
We partnered with a graphics co., using new technology to print full color graphics directly onto acrylic sheets.
Teeny tiny plating tank
A tiny plating tank with proprietary internal details for continuous placement and movement of product...
Planet Blue magnetic sign
The Planet Blue team needed a way to get U of M students, faculty and staff to recycle A LOT of garbage ... properly.
Veterinary echocardiogram exam table.
Vet needed a clear echocardiogram examination table to hold large dogs safely.
Big wheel keep on turning
We built a chain-driven polypropylene barrel (4'x18") to tumble plate and clean auto parts parts 24/7 for parts supplier.
Segmented wear ring
Machine builder needed an oversize wear ring machined to tight tolerances for use in extremely hostile environment.
The wave tank
Children¨s museum wanted a new exhibit to show kids how waves form, propagate and dissipate in large bodies of water.
Water reservior
A pollution control machinery builder needed a water reservoir built entirely from Type I P.V.C.
Wear ring
UHMW wear rings have provided our customer with thousands of hours of maintenance-free machine operation.
Large luminaries
This challenge boiled down to scheduling and budgeting a one-of-a-kind display solution with a carved in stone deadline.
U of M Football Memorabilia
We built 12 display cases from 3030 Green Edge acrylic sheet to replace the glass displays that were breaking.
Pickle promotion problem
Putting pickles in point-of-purchase proximity to payment promotes premium performance.


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LASAN enthusiastically embarked on this journey and brought together interested individuals to form both an Expert Council and an interdepartmental Biodiversity Team. The collective knowledge and data resources from these esteemed individuals were tapped to measure the Singapore Index and to provide the recommendations presented throughout the report. In order to measure the Singapore Index for the City of Los Angeles and develop recommendations for a customized Los Angeles Index and biodiversity practices, LASAN's Internal Biodiversity Team received input from City staff and local experts via three main partnerships:
At the Biodiversity Workshop, we were thrilled to have the following speakers and have included links to their presentations. Kimball Garrett - Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Avian diversity in the City of Los Angeles - Patterns and Data Sources Mark Hostetler - University of Florida Biodiversity Conservation - Building for Birds Conserving Biodiversity and Bird Habitat When Land is Developed Travis Longcore - University of Southern California Designing for Birds in the City Mas Dojiri - LA Sanitation 2018 City of Los Angeles Biodiversity Report Try the "Building for Birds" online tool developed by Mark Hostetler
This workshop continued the discussion on developing a Los Angeles Biodiversity Index and the vision for biodiversity in the City. Here is a link to the presentations. Mas Dojiri - LA Sanitation September 2018 Expert Council Workshop Katie Mika - City of Los Angeles Mayor's Office of Sustainability Conserving and Enhancing L.A.'s Biodiversity Conni Pallini-Tipton - Department of City Planning Wildlife Study for the City of L.A. Brad Shaffer and Joscha Beninde - UCLA Urban Landscape Genomics of L.A. Isaac Brown - LA Sanitation & Environment Biodiversity Project Approach Roundtable
Mas Dojiri - LA Sanitation General Update on LASAN Biodiversity Activities Isaac Brown - LA Sanitation & Environment Overview of LA Index and Ecotopes Miguel Ordeñana/Lila Higgins, Community Science Manager/Community Science Senior Manager, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Community Science: Making Nature and Science More Accessible for Angelenos Belinda Faustinos, Executive Director, Nature for All Access for All: From Federal Public Lands to Community Gardens Dr. Ursula Heise, Professor and Marcia H. Howard Chair in Literary Studies at the Department of English and the Institute of Environment and Sustainability at UCLA UCLA Lab for Environmental Narrative Strategies (LENS): Urban Biodiversity: Cultures, Stories, Taxonomies


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Hello, I was wondering what kinds of books (story, coloring, puzzle, etc) you consider to be the best for your kids. When you read together, what kinds of books do you enjoy most?
I am looking to write, illustrate and self-publish books. I would really appreciate some input regarding your kid's preferences and your own, whatever you can point out.
I am thinking of doing mostly story books and coloring books, what do you guys think?
Question for homeschooling parents
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Apple's Big iPhone Weekend Isn't That Impressive
Apple got a lot of credit for its weekend sales, after moving nine million of its new iPhones in three days. How impressed should you really be? Heard on the Street's Rolfe Winkler joins MoneyBeat.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... been been been ... we we we ... and ... Apple got a lot of credit for two weekend sales after moving nine million ... the shiny new even gold in some cases I Phones in three days ... out of press should you really think ... heard on the Street's Rolfe Winkler is here shed some light on the matter off or you can it not as impressed as the number suggests I'm ... that was my question how impressed revive the nine millionnine thousand alot under nine million over nine million Rodrigues after the IPO P weekend for I phone five S and ... five c compared to for instance five million a year ago when I phone five the team sells a great sometimes great Mason trajectory for I phone ... the problem is it's not ... an apples to apples comparison ... I here's a couple reasons first of all ... is the first time that included more than one model ... move in the opening weekend when he said over five million last year there are free just the sales of the new I phone five if ... I were talking in use in talking about new sales of the five S in the fight scene ... right ... now I secondly including China as a launch country for the first time ... last year China didn't get the I phone five until three months after he leaves to launch what it did it that it sold two million rooms If you pull that forward that adds significantly to this year's opening weekend where China was included ... thirty he also got DoCoMo in NTT DoCoMo to Japan's largest wireless carrier got the I phone for the first time as us the good thing increasing distribution but again it's not what we're after here ... effectively ... I think investors should be looking for is is the same store sales ... type number because one understand ... the true trajectory ... on my phone sales when we get back to the break the numbers down but the way that you consider sauce that I've Selina and there's another issue here that was raised by Sunil Anwani was this morning ... Peter mystical read Jefferies ... noted that he he argues that big in fact a whole bunch of ... the five C sales that were included in this nine million over four actually sell in ... as opposed to sell through of what that means that mean that basically means when you when when you ... are a lot of hardware makers this is standard move on when they ... sell a device with a big push the device in inventory at a retailer ... that counts is a sale ... even though the retailer that access to so as to not fell right right so all that he estimated that up to two point five million ... of ... of good nine million number was actually flying sees that ... winter stores ... but actually were actually sold through them through the channel in other words ... what you know he does that overstayed ... really did it did to me and the custard amid demand ... isn't ideally number of or stay really what was there might ... be due to perhaps get a better sense than emailing you look at the peak operating systems to break down the percentage of cool has won market share ... that's an issue here is because first off you look at nine million versus five million ... and that suggests eighty percent graph right for your view ... now entering ... the Andria operates it was far from certain that didn't grow eighty percent year over year according to Strategy Analytics in terms of ... terms of units but if you back out all of the of the impact of all that I just mention ... then the actual sales with the I phone was probably close to twenty percent ... and depending on the sole selling issue a ... pardon ... to gauge but that is but it was sad that that's fine ... break in getting more into distribution from don't know this is all good news is this building the Apple ecosystem is just a matter of ... how fast that trajectory girl because they've only got one more ... distribution ... boost coming in that's from China Mobile the world's large scared that's gonna be great ... aam absolutely for Apple ... the question is after that it's getting harder to keep growing ... up phone sales ... you know it did then started to grow market share with you don't have that


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Product FAQs
Ingredient Hints & Tips
Breads & Cakes
- After breads and cakes have finished cooking, allow them to cool for 5 minutes before removing them from the cake pan.
- Do not add water to the slow cooker unless it specifically says to in the recipe.
- Do not over-beat breads and cakes. Follow all recommended mixing times.
- For ideal results, use a 3-5 quart slow cooker and fill stoneware with your recipe's ingredients at ½ to ¾ full. Do not over-beat breads and cakes. Follow all recommended mixing times. Do not add water to the slow cooker unless it specifically states to in the recipe. After breads and cakes have finished cooking, allow them to sit for 5 minutes before removing from the pan.
- Add dairy during the last 15-30 minutes of slow cooking. Do not simmer or boil, stir in until heated through.
- Condensed soups may be substituted for milk and can cook for extended times.
- Milk, cream, and sour cream break down during extended cooking, which usually brings the temperature of the food up to the simmer point.
- Fish is delicate and should be stirred in gently during the last 15-30 minutes of cooking time, unless the recipe indicates otherwise. Cook on high until just cooked through and serve immediately.
- Shellfish - for ideal results, cook on high heat setting and add shellfish during the last 15-30 minutes of cook time. When cooking a large quantity, extend cook time. Note: Shellfish can overcook easily.
Frozen Foods
- Frozen or partially frozen foods require a longer cook time in a slow cooker than the recipe indicates for a stovetop or oven. Using an instant read thermometer is recommended to ensure meat is cooked through and tender.
- Frozen meats can be cooked in a slow cooker, however, it is best to use the following guidelines: Add at least 1 cup of warm liquid to the stoneware before placing meat in the stoneware. Do not preheat the slow cooker. Cook recipes containing frozen meats for an additional 4 to 6 hours on low, or an additional 2 hours on high.
Herbs & Spices
- For ground and/or dried herbs and spices, add half the amount of dried herbs and spices at the beginning of the cooking cycle, then taste and adjust seasonings toward the end of the cooking cycle.
- Use chili powders and garlic powder sparingly as these can sometimes intensify over longer cook times.
- Always taste your dish at the end of cook cycle and correct seasonings, including salt and pepper.
- Tomatoes, vinegar, wine or citrus juice aids in the tenderization process. For long cook times, taste and add additional citrus during the last 15-30 minutes, if desired.
- Fresh herbs are best when added to the finished dish, not during the cooking cycle. If added at the beginning of the cooking cycle, many fresh herbs' flavor will dissipate over long cook times. For dishes with shorter cook times, hearty, fresh herbs, such as rosemary and thyme will hold up well.
- Liquid (Stock, Water, and Wine) - In most instances, is not necessary to use more than ½ - 1 cup of liquid since juices in meats and vegetables are retained more in slow cooking than in conventional cooking.
- Excess liquid can be reduced and concentrated for great flavor. You can reduce excess liquid by slow cooking on the stovetop, removing meat and vegetables from stoneware or stirring in cornstarch, tapioca or tapioca powder and setting the slow cooker to high approximately 15 minutes until juices are thickened.
- There are appropriate meat weights for specific size slow cookers (Example: 6 quart = 6 pounds meat). Cut meat to cook at same rate as vegetables. For frozen meats, add liquid, use pre-cubed meat and add additional time to ensure meat is defrosted, fully cooked and tender.
- You can cook frozen meat in a Crock-Pot® Slow Cooker, but suggested cook time may need to be increased. To ensure meat is cooked through, use a meat thermometer. Meat should be well above 165°F to be tender.
- Specialty dishes, such as stuffed chops, stuffed steak rolls, stuffed cabbage leaves, stuffed peppers, or baked apples can be arranged in a single layer so they cook easily and can be served attractively.
- Roasts can be cooked without water when set on low. However, we recommend a small amount because the gravy is especially tasty. The more fat or "marbling" the meat has, the less liquid you need. Liquid is needed to properly soften and cook vegetables.
- Trim fats and wipe meats well to remove residue. If meats contain fats, brown in a separate skillet or broiler and drain well before adding to cooker. Season with salt and pepper. Place meat in stoneware on top of vegetables.
- Some people prefer the convenience of not pre-browning meat before adding to the slow cooker. Pre-browning meat does create another layer of prep work. If you prefer to pre-brown meat, borwn or sear meats in a skillet, prior to adding to slow cooker. This will create greater depth of flavor to any dish as well as melt out fat that can be poured off before slow cooking.
Pasta, Rice & Beans
- Fully cooked, rinsed canned beans may be used as a substitute for dried beans, but should be added at the end of the cooking cycle to maintain integrity of the bean. Note: Beans must be softened completely before combining with sugar and/or acidic foods. Sugar and acid have a hardening effect on beans and will prevent softening.
- Dried beans should be boiled before adding to a recipe, especially red kidney beans. Cover the beans with 3 times their volume of unsalted water and bring to a boil. Boil 10 minutes, reduce heat, cover and allow to simmer 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender. Soaking in water, if desired, should be completed before boiling. Discard water after soaking or boiling.
- Pasta should be fully cooked and added during the last 30 minutes of cook time. If you are converting a recipe that calls for uncooked pasta, cook pasta on the stovetop before adding to the slow cooker.
- Use risotto or long-grain for best results. If rice doesn't cook completely after suggested time, try adding an extra 1 - 1 2/3 cup of liquid per cup of rice.
- Pitted olives should be added at the end of the cooking cycle.
- Place root vegetables near the sides or the bottom of the stoneware because they often cook slower than meat. Cut vegetables accordingly to cook at the same rate as the meat. For example, smaller cuts of vegetables for lean meat versus larger vegetables for marbled meat.


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Event Archive - Mike Van Eyes, Boogie Woogie Piano
Mon. December 23rd 2013 @ Vancouver FanClub (No Minors)
6:00pm - 9:00pm doors at 6:00pm
No Cover
Event CategoriesMusic: Jazz / Blues
Mike Van Eyes is Vancouver's premiere boogie woogie rock 'n' roll piano player. @VanCityFanClub He's contributed his magic keys to an extraordinary amount of great artists from his current roles in the city's legendary R&B troupe, The Epics – and the all-star band of rockers, The Trespassers, with members of DOA and the Scramblers, to his past stints with the Herald Nix band (where he toured with The Clash and even sat in with Howlin' Wolf's band), Colin James, The Yodell's, The Undertakin' Daddies and Peewee Clayton. http://www.VancouverFanClub.ca Come down for some beer and treat your ears to Mike Van Eyes Boogie Woogie Piano stylings!
Always No Cover
Always No Cover


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Science—and, therefore, science education—is central to the lives of all Americans. It is at the heart of the United States' ability to continue to innovate, lead and create the jobs of the future. Through a collaborative, state-led process, new K–12 science standards are being developed. They are intended to be rich in content and arranged in a coherent manner across disciplines and grades, to improve practice and to provide all students an internationally benchmarked science education. These Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are based on A Framework for K–12 Science Education issued by the National Research Council in 2011, which defines the major practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas that all students should know by the time they finish high school to be scientifically literate citizens and effective members of the U.S. workforce. The first public draft of the NGSS was released on May 11, 2012, and is open for review until June 1, 2012. All adult education stakeholders are strongly encouraged to take the opportunity to provide comments during the open period. To learn more, we encourage you to visit and explore the full range of information available on the NGSS website.
Steve A. Brown, an education program specialist in agriculture, food and natural resources with OVAE and the National FFA Organization's top advisor, has been named one of the most influential leaders in American agriculture by CropLife magazine. In a story published May 2, 2012, CropLife cited Brown's work as head of FFA (also known as Future Farmers of America) and the role he has played in the advancement of agricultural education, saying he is an individual "with the leadership to responsibly and creatively influence the future."
During his 30 years in agricultural education Brown served as the Missouri state FFA executive secretary, a district supervisor in agricultural education for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and an FFA advisor at the Macon Area Career and Technical Center in Missouri, where he taught agriculture. Originally from Orrick, Mo., Brown received a doctorate in agricultural education, and undergraduate and master's degrees from the University of Missouri at Columbia.
The National FFA Organization provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to 540,379 student members in grades seven through 12 who belong to one of 7,489 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S.
"Meaningful accountability and rewards based upon clear metrics" is the third core principal in Investing in America's Future: A Blueprint for Transforming Career and Technical Education. The Blueprint proposes three specific reforms to ensure that the highest-quality programs are available to all students regardless of background or circumstance.
The first reform is competition to distribute Perkins funding within states. Such competition provides flexibility and autonomy in identifying and funding CTE programs that are rigorous and responsive to local and state labor market needs, particularly those associated with in-demand occupations in high-growth industry sectors.
The second reform calls for common participation and performance indicators so that programs can be evaluated and assessed in a standard and clear way. In addition to using common definitions for participation and performance indicators, states must include CTE data in their own longitudinal data systems.
The third reform is the introduction of performance-based funding. Once program data systems have been updated to reflect the new definitions for the indicators, states would use performance-based funding to reward local consortia that demonstrate success in improving student outcomes and closing equity gaps.
The result of these three specific reforms will be a stronger CTE system in which Perkins funding is distributed more strategically to meet the education and skill needs of students and the labor market, performance and participation data can be effectively analyzed to support better education decisions, and local consortia have financial incentives to create educational programming that produces better and more equitable student outcomes.
From our initial issue in May, 2010, we at OVAE Connection have appreciated the feedback offered by our readers. We encourage you to continue to suggest ways we might improve. Thank you in advance!


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Always Look Your Best Effortlessly!
A few simple steps to get the look you always wanted
- NO more worry of Smudge or Smear makeup
- NO more waste time with daily makeup routine
- ALWAYS look your best even with limited vision or mobility
Permanent makeup is the process of implanting pigments into the skin. This affordable service can reserve and enhance your beauty quickly, effectively and last for years to come.
Below is our 4 simple steps to make those dream come true.
Step 1: Consult to determine shapes/colors that coordinate best for your complexion.
Step2: Use temporary makeups to achieve optimal satisfaction.
Step 3:Apply actual Micro-pigmentation, about 2 to 3 hrs.
Step 4: Immediate result, darker during first weeks. Note that the final color is softer and more natural.
To ensure total satisfaction, we always provide a free touch-up (if needed) within 60 days of the initial procedure.
"... my brows and eyeliner always looking perfect! No more do I have to worry that they will get smudged or rub off when I'm playing golf, working out or swimming! It is wonderful to wake up in the morning looking pretty! Tracy is very professional and a true artist! She put me at ease throughout the entire process. She called a few days later to check if I had any questions. I highly recommend her!"
-Marcia Hunter RN, BSN-
We are now service PERMANENT MAKEUP in Bucks, Montgomery county and the surrounded areas in PA.Click HERE for specific locations.
Please CALL to set-up a FREE Consultation at:
267-864-7999 (Mon-Fri: 9am-6pm)
Email at: [email protected]


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The new iPhone 6S is more advanced than ever and deserves the best protection. Our designers developed a precise, unique and innovative skin that protects your phone in a way that suits your own character and individual taste for enhanced personal expression. With our precise workmanship, unbeatable fit and all-around 360-degree coverage (including the edges), we aim to provide the very highest levels of quality. Our iPhone 6S Two Tone Skin looks like a real paint; because it's made from the world's finest materials. Don't be surprised when your friends start to wonder if you have a custom iPhone 6S.
So, are you ready to stand out from the crowd? Well, it's never been easier. We have a wide variety of colours and textures to choose from. All you have to do is choose your favourite one.
What's included?
4x piece design FULL BODY Red CARBON skin + Black Matt highlights;
2x spare parts for all edges (in case something goes wrong)
Area around the back logo will be cut but not removed - you can decide if you want use it or not (In the pictures above we show you how design looks like with and without logo removed.)
A few more reasons to choose EasySkinz:
- 100% brand new, manufactured for you;
- All skins are produced by us. We're not resellers;
- Made of the world's top EU/USA materials with real textures (not printed);
- Fashionable design, easy to put on and to take off with no sticky marks;
- Ultra High Precision Tangential Cutting technology;
- Ultimate Air Release technology for Bubble-Free application;
- Superior scratch protection;
- Made and designed by EasySkinz in Great Britain;
Payment & Security
Payment methods
Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.


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Draught: Pro-lifers killed assisted suicide proposal
For the zealots, pro-life means more than just being anti-choice on abortion. The urge to control the life of everyone around them from the womb to the grave helps explain why Connecticut House Bill 6645, which would have legalized doctor-assisted suicide, died in the legislature's Public Health Committee, without even coming to a vote.
Most pro-lifers are Republicans; however, their mantra that all life is sacred is just a bit hypocritical, in that the Right is also in love with the death penalty.
Democratic hypocrisy runs in reverse: Liberals who'll defend third-trimester abortions are often equally zealous about preserving the lives of sociopaths sentenced to lethal injections. And conservatives and progressives alike object to wars only when they're started by the president of the opposing party.
However, on the issue of assisted suicide, it's hard to find backers on either side of the political divide. Supporters are typically libertarians, and Oregon and Washington are the only states where it's legal. In November, even liberal Massachusetts rejected an assisted-suicide bill.
Mainstream America's attitude is exemplified by a letter Dr. Jeanne Hosinski wrote to The Advocate (March 25) accusing proponents of a "lack of compassion." This is just plain wrong. Both sides in this debate have their hearts in the right place; they simply disagree.
Equally wrong is Dr. Hosinski's assertion that, with the repeal of Connecticut's death penalty, assisted-suicide supporters are now trying "to inflict it on the sick and elderly."
Nothing in the proposed legislation "inflicts" anything on anybody. The measure drafted by state Sen. Ed Meyer (D-Guilford) required two physicians to certify, in writing and under oath, that the patient making the request is likely to die within six months and is mentally competent to make the decision.
Three "life issues" create controversy in American public policy: abortion, capital punishment and assisted suicide. The first two are problematic because they involve ending the life of someone (or something, depending on your point of view) who hasn't given consent. Assisted suicide, on the other hand, is a decision that affects only the life of the person freely making that choice.
In a free country, it's hard to justify the state's interest in protecting its citizens from themselves. You'd think that conservatives, who constantly pretend they want government out of our lives, would also want to deny the state the authority to dictate personal decisions concerning the duration of one's life.
Dr. Hosinski wrote, "I never had a patient approach me to help them (sic) die." However, if no one wanted an earlier, less painful death, then there would be no demand for such legislation. Are end-of-life organizations such as Compassion & Choices operating out of malice? Was Dr. Gary Blick, who treats HIV patients, demonstrating an officious lack of compassion, when he expressed empathy for the terminally ill who "do not want to go through the suffering they have to go through"?
No one doubts the sincerity of disabled rights activists, such as Cathy Ludlum, who opposed HB 6645. Ms. Ludlum asked that lawmakers focus more on "giving people a good life than giving people a good death," but the two are not mutually exclusive.
Along with many Catholic organizations, the right-wing Family Institute of Connecticut gloated on its website about the legislative committee's decision to kill the bill. Director Peter Wolfgang urged lawmakers to support advanced pain management techniques instead, but how does one preclude the other?
Anyone who's seen someone suffer with bone cancer knows pain management is often woefully insufficient. My favorite aunt, dying of lung cancer, stored up drugs in case the pain became too much to bear. She never used them, but the experience of dying patients in places where assisted suicide is legal is that they're often comforted by the knowledge that they have the power to end their own suffering, even if they never avail themselves of that option. Why should anyone be denied this solace?
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy cited the "societal and religious taboos" that make this issue controversial, but no one knows god's will on this subject -- it's never even mentioned in the Bible -- and America isn't a theocracy yet anyway. Besides, this proposal wouldn't have compelled anyone to violate his or her personal or religious beliefs. (Many of the bill's supporters at the public hearing on the measure were clergymen, as well as doctors and nurses.) Opponents often call assisted suicide "playing god," but isn't making people suffer against their will more like playing god than permitting them to end their torment on their own terms? God would seem to have cast his vote when he inflicted the terminal illness.
Evidently, the Family Institute feels godlike enough to advocate depriving dying patients of the freedom to exercise what could be the last real choice they'll ever get to make. However, it's un-American to deny the pursuit of happiness by taking away our liberty to control our own lives. Should this issue come up again, I hope our representatives take a more compassionate view of what it means to be pro-life.
Greenwich native Mark Drought (firstname.lastname@example.com) is a senior editor at a Stamford IT firm, and has been an aviation journalist for McGraw-Hill Inc. and an adjunct English professor at the University of Connecticut-Stamford.


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ConocoPhillips is one of the six supermajor oil companies, with operations in 30 countries and $155 billion in assets. It is the sixth largest company in the U.S. and is the third largest U.S. oil company after ExxonMobil and Chevron. ConocoPhillips is the largest producer of natural gas in North America and is third to BP and Chevron in U.S. oil production. Conoco's history stems back to 1875 as a Utah kerosene company, becoming ConocoPhillips after a merger in 2002. The company also owns Tosco and Burlington Resources, and the Union 76 brand.
With the exception of a dramatic loss in 2008 due to a poorly timed merger, ConocoPhillips is consistently one of the most profitable companies in the world. Their net income from 2005-2009 was $28.78 billion, and another $9.3 billion has been made in the first three quarters of 2010.
Political Spending
From 2008-2012 ConocoPhillips has spent over $69 million on federal lobbying and another $2 million in political contributions since the 2008 election cycle. This money has successfully weakened bills that are counter to the company's ambitions—tar sands expansion, hydraulic fracturing for natural gas, offshore oil drilling, pipeline expansion in Alaska, and chemical manufacturing. In 2010 alone, the company spent over $16 million on a massive lobbying effort, trumping other oil and gas company lobbying expenditures.
Pollution, Emissons, and Opposition to Climate Legislation
The Political Economy Research Institute ranks ConocoPhillips number 11 on their list of the 100 worst U.S. polluters, higher than any other energy company. According to the company's records, 64.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (or CO2 equivalent of more potent greenhouse gases, such as methane) were released in 2008. In 2010, ConocoPhillips was fined $175,000 by the Environmental Protection Agency for violating the Clean Air Act through the release of carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and other chemicals on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation.
ConocoPhillips facilities release over 8.8 million tons of carbon dioxide each year, over 5 million of which come from the Sweeny plant in Old Ocean, Texas (data from CARMA).
ConocoPhillips worked directly within the U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP) to influence the outcome of House and Senate bills. ConocoPhillips and BP dropped their membership from USCAP in February. At that point, progress on passing a climate bill in the Senate was clearly obstructed.
In cooperation with Shell and BP, ConocoPhillips attemped to add language to Senate climate legislation that would have ensured the EPA could not play a role in hydraulic fracturing for natural gas. Hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") has been tied to water contamination, leading to health problems and even flammable tap water through the undisclosed chemicals used in fracking, material released underground in the process, and the gas itself.
Insuffient Oil Spill Response Plan in Gulf of Mexico
As was revealed with all major U.S. oil companies, ConocoPhillip's spill response plan in the Gulf of Mexico is almost identical to BP's. ConocoPhillip's report includes the references to walrus protection and contact information for a scientist who has been dead for four years. Like BP, ConocoPhillips has ties to judges and other officials who have authority in responding to the Deepwater Horizon disaster and regulating offshore drilling.
Tar sands
In Alberta, Canada, ConocoPhillips is one of the major investors and operators in the Alberta tar sands, the largest industrial project on earth. Whether obtained through strip-mining or Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) methods, the extraction of tar sands in the Athabasca involves clearcutting ancient boreal forest and heavily contaminating waterways, leading to high levels of rare and deadly cancer, autoimmune disease and other illnesses in aboriginal communities downstream. ConocoPhillips plans to quadruple its tar sands production by 2015. Due to this strong interest, the Canadian branches of ConocoPhillips have worked against a low-carbon fuel standard in the U.S.
In Peru, ConocoPhillips is partnering with the London-based Perenco company to construct an oil pipeline (through the use of dynamite) that will supplement drilling exploration in the western Amazon. According to an Amazon Watch report, ConocoPhillips owns exploration rights in five land parcels that total 10.5 million acres in the ecologically sensitive Peruvian Amazon. Indigenous people who live in voluntary isolation are known to inhabit the region, but their presence is denied by the Peruvian government and Perenco. ConocoPhillips has taken advantage of this denial to move exploration forward.


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Here's the Way to Make Car Insurance Fair
First, the bad news.
Traditional car insurance is unfair. Here's how it works. (This will be as painless as possible -- promise.)
Basically, when you shop for car insurance the traditional way, you have to answer a ton of questions. You know the drill. Page after page of questions about your marital status, location, gender, history, etc. There's a purpose to all those questions: once you've given them all your information, insurance companies put all your answers into an algorithm. Then they use the algorithm to put you into a category called a "risk pool." And whatever price is assigned to that risk pool? That's the price you're getting. Your price is based completely on your category.
Need an example? Take a look.
With traditional car insurers, your rate is a demographics game. [1]
Yep. It's largely a demographics game. The number one factor here is your driving record. Fair enough. But then there's also credit score, age, and marital status -- all things that don't necessarily say anything about your driving ability. (Do all single, 30-year-old males in Franklin County drive the same? Nope.) Notice anything missing? Root Car Insurance did.
Here's where things get good.
Here's Root's pricing algorithm. In some ways, these graphs look similar. But take a look at the number one factor in Root's pricing model. That's the game-changer.
"In some ways, these graphs look similar. But take a look at the number one factor in Root's pricing model. That's the game-changer. [1]
The single largest factor in Root's pricing structure is your driving.
When you take a test drive with the Root app, it captures data about how you drive. From that data, Root calculates your individual driving score. And that driving score is the single largest component in the price Root quotes you.
Did you get that? Your driving is the single largest factor in your Root quote. That's a big deal.
Now, do they also consider other factors? Sure. They use several standard factors which are mathematically predictive of risk or fraud. At this point, it would be irresponsible for Root to ignore them (although they're committed to eliminating as many factors as they can as technology progresses and artificial intelligence gets smarter). But, by pricing primarily based on your driving, Root is inviting you to prove the number guys wrong, to show them with your driving score that you're better than your category.
And Root didn't stop there.
Here's what saves you the most $$$.
You probably already know that Root doesn't insure bad drivers -- but you might not know just how much money that's saving you. Why? Most of the car crashes are caused by a small minority of bad drivers. You know -- the people who cut you off in traffic, swerve into and out of lanes, and tailgate you all the way to work. These are the drivers who cause most of the losses to an insurance company.
Don't believe it?
The bottom 30 percent of drivers cause half of all accidents. [2] That's why Root only insures good drivers.
The bottom 30 percent of drivers cause half of all accidents. Or, put another way, the bottom tier of bad drivers cause about four to five times more accidents than the top tier of good drivers.
Those are incredible numbers. And, if you're a good driver, you're probably wondering how much these statistics are costing you. The answer? A lot. Some of Root's members have shared that their previous insurance rate was about twice as much as what they're paying with Root. And that's largely because they were paying for accidents caused by bad drivers.
While the old system works just fine for traditional insurance companies, Root didn't think it was either fair or acceptable in the 21st century. So they're changing it up.
Root doesn't insure the 30 percent of high risk drivers. At all. And that decreases the accidents they have to pay for by 50 percent.
That saves them a lot of money. And so they pass those savings right along to good drivers. That's why, if you're a decent driver insured with Root, you're probably paying a lot less for your car insurance.
There you have it. The secrets to an insurance revolution. Do with them what you will. (Although, nudge-nudge, wink-wink -- download the Root app, take a test drive, and get in on the savings yourselves.)
1. Based on market research and Root proprietary data.
2.Snapshot Final Report. Progressive Insurance. 2012.
Disclaimer for savings: Based on national reviews reported by actual customers.
Disclaimer for coverage: Coverage is available in the event of a covered loss. Exclusions may apply.
Form 1. Not available in all states.
ROOT is a registered servicemark of Root Insurance Company, Columbus, OH.
Sponsored content.
Fair Car Insurance sponsored by Root
This story is part of our special report titled Fair Car Insurance sponsored by Root. Want to read more? Here's the full list.


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I am PHP programmer with basic-intermediate knowledge on databases. I am working on a project where I need to verify a given phone number's presence in India's Do not call database. Following is the structure of the table,
Phone Number | Flag 1 | Flag 2 | Flag 3 | Flag 4 | Flag 5 | Flag 6 | Flag 7
here each Flag represents a category.
I would be provided a phone number and a category, or maybe phone number and multiple categories.
What would be the best way to optimize the table structure? Which will be best to use? Mysql or Oracle?
Should the table structure be normalized? How should the query be designed?
Response time is a key factor for the solution. The database has about 150 Million records.


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What are Lagrange points?
There are five other locations around a planet's orbit where the gravitational forces and the orbital motion of the spacecraft, Sun and planet interact to create a stable location from which to make observations. These points are known as Lagrangian or 'L' points, after the 18th century Italian astronomer and mathematician Joseph-Louis Lagrange (born Giuseppe Luigi Lagrancia).
Descriptions of individual Lagrange points
The closer an object is to the Sun, the faster it will move. So, any spacecraft going around the Sun in an orbit smaller than Earth's will soon overtake our planet. However, there is a loophole: if the spacecraft is placed directly between the Sun and Earth, Earth's gravity pulls it in the opposite direction and cancels some of the Sun's pull. With a weaker pull towards the Sun, the spacecraft needs less speed to maintain its orbit, so it can slow down. If the distance is just right – about a hundredth of the distance to the Sun – the spacecraft will travel slowly enough to keep its position between the Sun and the Earth. This is L1, and is a good position from which to monitor the Sun since the constant stream of particles from the Sun, the solar wind, reaches L1 about an hour before reaching Earth. SOHO, the ESA/NASA solar watchdog is positioned there.
An effect similar to that which causes L1, also occurs on the 'night' side of Earth beyond Earth's orbit. A spacecraft placed there is more distant from the Sun and therefore should orbit it more slowly than Earth; but the extra pull of our planet adds to that of the Sun's, and allows the spacecraft to move faster, keeping pace with Earth. L2 is located 1.5 million kilometres directly 'behind' the Earth as viewed from the Sun.
L2 is a great place from which to observe the larger Universe. A spacecraft here does not have to orbit Earth and so is spared from sweeping in and out of our planet's shadow, heating up and cooling down, and distorting its view. ESA has a number of missions that are currently, or will be, making use of this region: Herschel, Planck, Gaia and the James Webb Space Telescope.
L3 lies behind the Sun, opposite Earth, just beyond our planet's orbit. Objects in L3 cannot be seen from Earth. It offers the potential to observe the far side of the Sun.
A spacecraft at L1, L2, or L3 is 'meta-stable', like a ball sitting on top of a hill. A little push or bump and it starts moving away, so a spacecraft must use frequent rocket firings to stay in so-called 'halo orbits' around the Lagrangian point.
L4 and L5
As seen from the Sun, the L4 and L5 points lie at 60 degrees ahead of and behind Earth, close to its orbit. Unlike the other Lagrange points, L4 and L5 are resistant to gravitational perturbations. Because of this stability, objects such as dust and asteroids tend to accumulate in these regions.
At L4 or L5, a spacecraft is truly stable, like a ball in a large bowl. When gently pulled out of place, it orbits the Lagrange point without drifting away.


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The problem of insufficient retirement savings is an oft-highlighted problem, but the safety of Americans' meager retirement assets gets far less attention.
So says Ron Surz (left), pension consultant and gadfly on target-date and hedge fund issues who has written numerous technical articles on portfolio management.
In an interview with ThinkAdvisor, Surz warns that masses of retirement portfolios are due to blow up, just like they did in 2008, because of the inappropriate risk levels of target-date funds, which today claim a far higher proportion of retirement assets than they did back then.
"It's not a matter of if — it's a matter of when, says Surz of San Clemente, Calif.-based Target-Date Solutions. "We will have another market correction and those folks at or near retirement will be toast,"
While both diversification and fund costs have improved somewhat since the 2008 financial crisis, the key factor that is unchanged since that time is the riskiness of these funds.
"The equity allocation is exactly what it was in 2008," Surz says, noting that target-date assets have skyrocketed since that time.
The fund category, which combines stocks and bonds but which reallocates in order to become more conservative as the investor approaches retirement, has surged in growth since the Pension Protection Act (PPA) of 2006 made TDFs (the most popular) one of three default investments.
From zero assets prior to the PPA, target-date funds today amount to more than $1 trillion, or about one fourth of all 401(k) assets, and are on track to reach $4 trillion, or half of all 401(k) assets, by 2020.
And yet, as the financial media mark the fifth anniversary of the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, which sent the stock market into a tailspin, Surz wants Americans to recollect that target-date funds, despite their image as safe investments, performed abysmally at that time.
Investors — some already retired and others close to retirement — in 2010 target-date funds (i.e., funds invested for investors targeting that year as their retirement date), lost 25% of their funds' value on average in 2008.
The Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Labor held hearings at which fund company executives assured officials that all was well.
"As soon as they made back 25%, the fund companies were saying no harm no foul. This will never happen again. It's a pretty naïve view," Surz says.
That is because fund company incentives are not aligned with retirees' goals, which is to not risk losing their retirement wealth when they need it.
"The fund companies get paid whether performance is good or bad, and they get paid more for running higher risk products. They get paid for more for running a stock portfolio than a bond portfolio," Surz says.
And indeed, Surz points out that the three fund companies that collectively manage 85% of target-date fund assets — T. Rowe Price, Vanguard and Fidelity — have average equity allocations of 60%, 55% and 55% respectively, a level of risk Surz says is inappropriate.
(While unchanged on average since 2008, he notes that 2010 funds specifically averaged equity allocations of 45% when they lost 25% in 2008.)
Beyond these averages, Surz finds it curious that some companies have widely different allocations that seem to reflect corporate objectives more than investor objectives.
For example, PIMCO, a bond shop, has just a 20% average equity allocation at the target date, whereas AllianceBernstein, an equity shop, has a 70% equity allocation.
"In their presentations, they'll tell you that PIMCO's demographic is people who have saved enough and don't need to take risk and AllianceBernstein's is people who haven't saved enough and need to take more medicine [i.e., equities]," Surz says.
"But look at their prospectuses: You will not see these objectives; they're just an excuse to package product any way they want to."
He adds that each has its Ph.D. presenters who will "prove to you that 70% of the target-date portfolio should be in equities [for AllianceBernstein while] Pimco will prove to you that 80% should be in bonds."
The reality, he says, is they allocate their funds the way they do for two reasons: "They want to get paid most they can and they want to win the horse race" — meaning they understand that equities usually outperform, so (PIMCO notwithstanding) they're going to load up on stocks so they have good performance numbers most of the time.
Surz, who has developed his own Smart Funds available to RIAs through Hand Benefit & Trust of Houston, says advisors must play the key fiduciary role.
The plan sponsors who are obligated as fiduciaries for workers "are just plain lazy," Surz remarks. "These guys are running companies, not pension funds."
Five-year losses for his Smart Funds were just 10% in the five most brutal months of 2008, compared with 37% for T. Rowe Price, 30% for Vanguard and 35% for Fidelity.
Surz has spoken to ERISA attorneys who are already planning class-action lawsuits against mutual funds (rather than shallower-pocketed plan sponsors) when the next crisis hits.
Check out Beware of Target-Date Funds by Ron DeLegge on ThinkAdvisor.


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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Officials say one person is unaccounted for and two are dead in the crash of an Asiana Airline flight.
The flight from Seoul, South Korea, that crashed while landing at San Francisco International Airport Saturday.
Airport spokesman Doug Yakel said 181 people were taken to local hospitals. There were a total of 307 people on board the plane -- 291 passengers and 16 crew members.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Flight 214 crashed while landing before noon PDT. Passengers could be seen jumping down the emergency slides.
Pieces of the tail were strewn about the runway.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team of investigators to San Francisco to probe the crash.


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Critical Care Comics
Making kids smile... If only for 28 pages.
June 15, 2019 By Danny Ballard
Critical Care Comics is dedicated to bringing joy to kids in hospitals by delivering comics to help them escape the discomfort and stress of hospital life… If only for only 28 pages.
More About Us
9811 W Charleston Blvd STE 2-767
Las Vegas, NV 89117
(702) 900-3987


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NEW YORK — Yoenis Cespedes of the A's will swing for the Citi Field fences in the Home Run Derby next Monday night, rounding out the eight-player field.
Major League Baseball announced Tuesday evening that Cespedes has been selected by American League captain Robinson Cano of the New York Yankees.
MLB revealed the other participants Monday, saying Cano's final pick had not yet been finalized.
Cespedes will become the fourth player not chosen for the All-Star game to compete in the event. The others were Rafael Palmeiro (2004), Hee-Seop Choi (2005) and Ryan Howard (2007), who was defending his crown from the previous year.
The other members of the AL squad are Baltimore slugger Chris Davis and Detroit's Prince Fielder.
National League captain David Wright of the hometown New York Mets tabbed Washington's Bryce Harper along with Colorado teammates Carlos Gonzalez and Michael Cuddyer.A'sMLBOakland A's & MLBOakland AthleticsYoenis Cespedes
Find out more at www.sfexaminer.com/join/


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NEA Aspiring Educators
There are many advantages of being a part of the NEA Student Program. Benefits include:
Member Discounts and Services: As an NEA member, you'll receive great deals on professional and consumer products and services including:
- low-interest credit cards
- car rentals
- mortgage plan with low down payment options
- early-start investment plan for retirement
- life insurance
- accidental death and dismemberment insurance
- magazine subscriptions
- and more
$20 Dues Rebate After Graduation
During your first year of teaching and regular NEA membership, you'll be eligible to receive a rebate of $20 for each year you were a student member. Download the rebate form ( PDF, 92 KB, 1 pg.).
Student members are eligible for NEA's Jack Kinnaman Scholarship or leadership training that helps members can gain skills in communication, time management, group management, organizing, and publishing.
Professional Workshops and Conferences
We hold national leadership and professional development meetings. Topics include everything from stress management and interviewing skills, to classroom management and pedagogy.
NEA Today for Future Educators and your state newsletter are available.
Community Outreach
Student members can work alongside peers and working professionals to make positive differences in communities across the country. Special grants are available for student chapters that want to start an outreach program.
Legal Services
NEA provides $1 million in professional liability coverage and offers other legal services such as will writing, consulting, etc. This coverage, provided by our Educators Employment Liability Program, protects you every time you step into a classroom!
Technical Support and Assistance
If you've got a great idea for a membership drive or local workshop but need some help to pull it off, NEA can help. Student Program members are part of a network that includes local association leaders, UniServ staff, state affiliate officers, and staff at NEA headquarters.
Legislation and Lobbying
NEA supports America's public schools on national and state levels. As a member, you can be a part of this process and support pro-public education legislation.
Save 18% on Sprint PCS Service
You'll save 18% on your monthly fee when you sign up for select Sprint PCS Plans. Existing customers, please call 1-866-853-4931. Be sure to have an employee or member ID or recent pay stub handy. Please reference root node number 0011866077.


text:
Among the new features in this edition are: two new chapters, one on religion and politics and one on the economies of the Middle East; as well as a greatly expanded discussion of the 2003 invasion of Iraq.Schwedler, Jillian is the author of 'Understanding the Contemporary Middle East, 3rd Edition', published 2008 under ISBN 9781588265654 and ISBN 158826565X.[read more]
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text:
"One Sony" is the new mantra for getting the firm out of financial difficulty, says House
Andrew House, head of Sony's global games division, has said the PlayStation brand can help Sony financially recover, and boost the firm after reporting an annual record annual loss of £3.6 billion in May.
Sce headlines
SCE believes PS Move "could and should" do better at UK retail
SCE UK boss Fergal Gara believes despite having a "solid foothold" with Move, the motion controller should have sold more units in UK.
Quantic Dream "staying exclusive to PlayStation" for foreseeable future, says Cage
Quantic Dream boss David Cage has said the French developer is "staying exclusive" with Sony for the present and foreseeable future.
PS boss climbs Sony ladder as restructure shuffles divisions
PlayStation boss Kazuo Hirai has been promoted to executive deputy president of Sony, and may take over as chief executive when current incumbent Howard Stringer retires.
Report: Hirai in hot-seat for Sony Corp president role
We have literally touched this man. That photo didn't take itself, you know.
Sony aims to help "lead the way" with 3D gaming
Sony's Simon Benson has said that 3D is going to be "gaming's biggest revolution" of the modern age, and PS3 will be there to help usher it in.
Sony: Lots of SCE and third-parties working on 3D games
Sony showed off a bit of 3D tech at GDC last week, and Ian Bickerstaff, senior engineer with SCE's UK-based 3D team, told Gamasutra that the company's very optimistic about the tech, but it's also remaining "cautious".
SCE to become PlayStation-only [Update]
Update: SCEE's just sent VG247 a statement on the matter, saying the move is for SCEI only, and won't affect any regional HQ like SCEE or SCEA."This is a rather complicated manoeuvre involving the legal entity SCEI in Japan," a rep told us. "It has no effect on any regional HQ – ie. SCEA, SCEE […]
SCE claims 2 million PSN accounts in Japan
Sony's claimed it now has 2 million PSN accounts registered in Japan, reports Dengeki.The benchmark was reached yesterday.SCE said that 700,000 accounts access PSN in Japan, downloading 35 million pieces of content.Thanks, Kotaku.
Hirai - "The main premise of PS3 is video games"
PlayStation boss Kaz Hirai has yet again stressed the importance of gaming to PS3, saying it's the primary goal for the machine. Like, dur."The thing that I did when I took over last year was to boast the appeal of games themselves," he told NBOnline."The main premise of the PS3 is video games. That's the […]
Hirai - We're not "recession-proof"
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal at TGS, PlayStation boss Kaz Hirai has issued a note of caution to recent quotes saying the games trade will easily ride the wave of global recession, but has said it will be more resilient than standard manufacturing industries."I wouldn't go so far as to say we're recession-proof, but […]
Games can survive economic panic by "generating excitement," says Hirai
PlayStation boss Kaz Hirai has said the games industry can surf the current wave of global financial panic by keeping people excited."As long as we can generate excitement, then we will be less affected than other industries," he told the Financial Times.The exec yet again confirmed that there won't be a PS3 price drop this […]
The eight most powerful game studios in the world, as decided by Gamepro
It may have "OMG!" scrawled inexplicably on its sidebar, but Gamepro can put together a pretty solid list. Today, the site rattled off its top eight most powerful videogame studios, and we mostly agree. In no particular order, Gamepro gave the nod to: Epic Games Bungie Rockstar North Maxis Software EA Tiburon Sony Computer Entertainment […]
Hirai: Sony's internal studios more important than any third-party exclusive
Final Fantasy XIII? Grand Theft Auto? Who needs 'em? According to global PlayStation boss Kaz Hirai, the answer is a resounding, "Not Sony."When queried about the issue by MCV, Hirai replied, "On the exclusivity front – whether it's downloadable or not – one of the unrivalled strengths we have, and we've proven this time and […]
Hirai hedges bets on autumn beta launch for Home
Speaking to GI at E3 last week, Sony boss Kaz Hirai was careful to include caveats in the company's current plan to make the Home beta available this autumn."I've said this on many occasions, and right now we're aiming for a Fall open beta programme, but no beta should be opened before its time," he […]
Hirai says PS3 sales will exceed PS2's 140 million
Speaking to the FT at E3, Sony boss Kaz Hirai has said that his target is for PlayStation 3 sales to exceed PlayStation 2 figures, now sitting at 140 million after nine years."It's not fun for me replicating the PS2 numbers. I've seen that movie already," he said."I want to try to see if we […]
Actual fact: Eight Days and Getaway cancellation was a "global decision"
Nice to have some solidity among the scuttlebutt. Following confirmation this morning that Michael Denny has been promoted to SVP, Worldwide Studios Europe, SCEE has confirmed that the decision to can London Studios games Eight Days and The Getaway came from the higher-ups."It was a global decision," said a rep when asked if Denny personally […]
Sony: Michael Denny and Scott Rohde appointed as WWS region heads for Europe and America
Following rumour that European Sony studios boss Michael Denny was to be promoted into a more senior development management role at SCEE earlier this month, the firm confirmed this morning that the exec is to be promoted to SVP, Worldwide Studios Europe."I'm looking forward to this new challenge, and in particular, the opportunity to further […]
Hirai: We will be in leadership position at the end of cycle
Kaz Hirai's told the BBC that he's confident that PS3 will be the eventual winner of the current generation of hardware."I am very confident that after the 10-year lifecycle we will have the install base that we are looking for and that is obviously to be in the leadership position," he said.The SCE president added: […]
SCEE PlayStation Day: Kaz Hirai interview
Kaz is a nice chap. He only flew in to the UK this morning for the SCEE PlayStation Day in London, but he was still the consummate, media-trained super-exec we know and love when we tracked him down on the O2 showfloor. Hit the link for the SCE president's thoughts on Europe, "changes" to E3, […]
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Sce latest
"One Sony" is the new mantra for getting the firm out of financial difficulty, says House
SCE believes PS Move "could and should" do better at UK retail
Quantic Dream "staying exclusive to PlayStation" for foreseeable future, says Cage
PS boss climbs Sony ladder as restructure shuffles divisions
Games can survive economic panic by "generating excitement," says Hirai
The eight most powerful game studios in the world, as decided by Gamepro
Hirai: Sony's internal studios more important than any third-party exclusive
Actual fact: Eight Days and Getaway cancellation was a "global decision"
Sony: Michael Denny and Scott Rohde appointed as WWS region heads for Europe and America
Hirai: We will be in leadership position at the end of cycle


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If you've ever wanted to hurl spears to bring down a woolly mammoth, then these two kits from Thunderbird Atlatl are the way to go. The Nanticoke and Kanakadea kits are both high quality and simple to build, so with a little time and effort you can make a very nice-looking atlatl suitable for serious dart flinging.
The kits include everything you'll need except for wood glue, plus a brief history of the atlatl and instructions for casting darts. The kits can be purchased with three or seven darts, or none at all for those adventurous enough to make and experiment with different dart lengths and sizes. Additional darts of various styles are available from Thunderbird.


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When I first saw Paulo Zampolli, he was positively leaping out of a shiny black Rolls that matched his equally shiny black hair. My producer Jill and I had come to Manhattan to interview Paulo about his new real estate agency, located in SoHo.
Paulo is always surrounded by beautiful things: cars, models, and real estate. He made much of his fortune running a modeling agency, with offices around the world, until a friend, Donald Trump, suggested he go into real estate.
"Yes, it was my friend Donald," sighs Paulo.
"What did he say?" I asked.
"Paulo, you're too good for modeling, get into real estate."
But Paulo did one better; he combined the two, offering current and former runway models the chance to become his brokers.
"Well, models are very driven, and modeling is a very difficult job. And as well they are gorgeous ladies, they meet the most rich and powerful people in the world and some of them, they keep these connections."
Paulo introduced me to one of his top agents, Sports Illustrated swimsuit veteran Angie Everhart.
"I'm doing this because it's something different in my life and I'm not always going to be a pretty face; it's something to rely on in the future."
Angie says she's still doing the modeling and acting thing, but real estate is, well, real. She spent 45 hours in classes and took the test for her license. But will being a "model broker" really make a difference?
I asked one of her clients, Raymond Dowd, whom she was walking through a 14 million dollar building just down the street from Paulo's SoHo offices.
"Absolutely! When we look at real estate we look at the package that it comes in. We're talking about retail combined with high end luxury living, so if you have a Roberto Cavalli or a Gucci on the ground floor, the apartments above are going to have a certain cache. Involving supermodels in the process really ensures that there's a commitment to the highest quality of clientele and of living."
Ok. I have to agree, real estate is emotional, more emotional even than those old GE refrigerator commercials (sorry, parent company, gotta do it), and perhaps the beauty of the broker does bleed over onto the property. But in the end, the model doesn't come with the deed, and once you sign the deal, the front door might as well be the catwalk, 'cause she's outta there.
I asked Paulo if this would fly anywhere but New York, like, I say, St. Louis.
"I'm sorry. I don't know St. Louis real estate market," says Paulo.
Of course he doesn't.
Realty Check Reader Responds: John G. Johnson
This is very good strategy. There are those that will condemn this idea, simply because they are only equating beauty with stupidity, which is a fallacy and a stereotype. Having beautiful women sell Real-Estate is a good thing; for one, it breaks down sales-resistance and motivates the prospect to "put up or shut up."
The second reason this is a good strategy is that our cultural code for beauty is "status". And just as Ivan Pavlov demonstrated in his stimulus response experiment decades ago, that anything can be linked/associated with anything, attaching a beautiful, well-dressed and INTELLIGENT model to a Real Estate product adds status to the product itself. In short, the models' status rubs off on the product. and as common sense tells us, who wants to buy low-status products when they are given the opportunity to buy hi-status perceptive products?
This is persuasion and influence at work…and everyone, whether they verbalize it, or not, wants to influence and seduce AND also want TO BE influenced and seduced. Hey, why do we go to see the movies?
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