text:
(Quite) a while ago I wrote about my attempts to make my own video baby monitor. I had also written about a few other approaches as well, but they were pretty involved and complex and tended to break after a few days.
Wanting to simplify the approach and make it easier to set up, I came up with a slightly more refined solution that works much better. I've been using it successfully for about a year and it works with multiple cameras and screens. Now I have a second bundle of terror it has proved very useful.
Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel I decided to use products already out there, but ones that aren't actually designed to monitor babies with and thus don't have the crazy high price tags. I use an IP webcam, that connects to a WiFi network, this can then be viewed on any laptop or android device you have. It should also work with the iPhone as well, but not being a fan of Apple's walled garden, I haven't yet investigated this in any great detail.
The most important part of all this is the camera and I've stuck with the same camera I used last time, the IP Night Vision webcam. These can be found all over eBay, or there are also variants available on places like ebuyer.com and dabs.com. It has a WiFi and an ethernet network connection, night vision up to a couple of meters, two-way audio (so you can both listen to and talk to your baby – though I don't suggest the latter, that is one big brother step too far) and it can be panned and tilted around so you can ensure the baby stays in view even if it moves. Most of these cameras are made by Chinese manufacturers, but some are of better quality than others. Foscam is a really good brand it seems, I have two and they have been running non-stop for the last year with no problems what so ever. The model I have used and would recommend is the Foscam FI8918W.
It is relatively simple to set up, you just need to connect it to your wireless network following the instructions included in the box. Once this is done you can then view the camera in many different ways. There is an internal web address that you can use to view it from any laptop connected to your wireless network using a web browser. You can also use the free media software VLC to view the video feed, the advantage being this approach also gives you sound and will work on pretty much all platforms supported by VLC (so Windows, Linux and Mac OS). I have written a number of scripts that can be run on Linux (Ubuntu) and Windows that launches the necessary video feeds and restarts the video every hour, since the audio can sometimes get out of sync with the video.
However, the best way to view the video feed I have found is via an Android app, called IP Cam Viewer. There is a free version which works perfectly for my needs, but if you want to say thanks to the developer, you can get the Pro version which is only a few pounds and gives you a few more features. I run this app on my Android tablet, an Android set top box and my Android phone. It allows me to view the the video feed of the two sleeping terrors on a TV in the kitchen using the Android set top box, anywhere in the house on my Android tablet or whilst out and about pretty much anywhere in the world (with a mobile data connection) on my Android phone. The app allows you to move the camera around if you need to and you can put widgets on your home screen that update as fast as once every second, so you don't even need to run the app to see what is happening.
There is some technical cleverness that needs to be carried out to allow you to view the web cam outside of your wireless network on your phone, but this is very simple to set up and can be done for free.
All in all, this set-up works really well. So much so that the BBC just interviewed me about it! It is certainly a much cheaper and more flexible approach than the dedicated solutions on the market currently and rather than only being able to view the video feed on one tiny screen, you can view it on pretty much any screen you wish pretty much anywhere you want.
If you want to do this yourself, do get in contact via the Contact page. I might put together some more detailed information into a PDF, maybe with a "Pro" version that contains simple step-by-step instructions for a small fee or something. It seems all the rage these days 😉
UPDATE: Gosh, so the story has got a bit of traction on BBC News and I've got quite a few comments and emails to read through. I'll read and respond to all your comments over the weekend and I am sure I can produce a PDF with instructions.
Glad other people are keen on this idea!


text:
Latest Diet & Weight Management News
HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, July 17 (HealthDay News) -- Although patients do indeed lose weight after bariatric surgery, health-care costs remain about the same as they were before the procedure, according to a new study.
Bariatric surgery reduces the size of the stomach, which results in significant weight loss. Most patients in the new study had undergone a procedure called Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.
Previous studies had shown that many obese people who have this procedure improve their health and reduce the cost of their care. In this group of patients, however, costs did not go down, the researchers said.
"These three-year findings suggest that the return on investment for bariatric surgery isn't seen," said lead researcher Matthew Maciejewski, from the Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care at the Durham VA Medical Center, in North Carolina.
"It is possible, however, that if we could follow these [patients] for another three to five years, cost reduction may be seen," he said.
Bariatric surgery improved these patients' health in the short term, but without further weight loss or other lifestyle modifications, their risk remains high, he added.
Maciejewski said these patients, like most patents who have weight-loss surgery, gain much of the weight back, which may be why costs remain the same as before surgery.
The report was published in the July issue of the journal Archives of Surgery.
For the study, Maciejewski's team looked at health-care spending in nearly 850 U.S. military veterans who had weight-loss surgery, comparing them to a similar number of veterans who didn't. The researchers analyzed expenditures for the three years before and after surgery.
The researchers found that in the years before surgery, hospital inpatient and outpatient costs for people who had bariatric surgery were about $600 lower than for those who didn't have the procedure. In the six months before surgery, however, the costs were $28,400 higher, including the operation.
Costs were almost $4,400 higher in the first six months after surgery, but then dropped to about the same level as before the procedure, the researchers found.
These findings, however, may only apply to this particular group of patients, who were mostly male, older and sicker than other patients who have weight-loss surgery, the researchers noted. In other groups, the procedure may reduce health-care spending.
Dr. Mitchell Roslin, chief of bariatric surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said patients should not be looking for a return on investment from any medical procedure.
"We do this medical procedure to make people improve medically -- get rid of their diabetes, their sleep apnea -- and feel better about themselves and let them have an improved quality of life," he said.
Roslin said the notion of cost reduction was something that "people created to try to get coverage for bariatric surgery. I don't believe, in a system like ours, there will ever be a return on investment for any medical procedure."
Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
2008 Hummer H3 Alpha Review -Long Term Report
The SUV For All Occasions
Long-term testing is in full swing for our 2008 Four Wheeler of the Year winner, and the results from the staff have been positive. Not only is the H3 a great trail machine, but it is proving to be a capable family hauler and commuter as well. While we haven't spent much time on the trail this report, we have been finding that the H3 has endearing qualities in everyday life.
The H3 is a great daily driver, with exceptional maneuverability that is aided by a turning radius as tight as a small car. Seat comfort has also been praised, as well as the ride, thanks to big cushy sidewalls of the 33-inch Bridgestone Duelers. Having lots of tire also helps on the mean streets of Los Angeles, where car-destroying potholes that are a regular part of the daily drive are shrugged off by the H3.
With plenty of room in the second row, passengers and car seats have space to spare. The cargo area also is big enough to swallow bulky items like diaper bags and strollers, or tow straps and tools. We only wish, as we have commented in the past, that the H3 had more storage cubbies to put our keys, wallet, iPhone, BlackBerry, and all the other things we regularly carry with us.
So far the satisfying 5.3L OHV V-8 has been delivering decent fuel economy in mostly stop and go driving, with a great note under full throttle and at idle. It doesn't overpower the H3, but feels very balanced in this application, although we'd love to see it backed by GM's new six-speed automatic transmission instead of the venerable four-speed.
While we have enjoyed having the H3 Alpha in our driveway, our testers have repeatedly noted a few qualms in the logbook, including a slightly clunky shifter and a large rearview mirror that hinders forward visibility. Despite the shape and high beltline, testers actually feel the H3 has better visibility than our long-term FJ Cruiser, commenting that it is easier to maneuver in tight places, helped by the rear-vision camera.
The Hummer H3 doesn't have a set maintenance schedule; rather, it relies on an oil-life reminder, and we haven't been notified that service is due yet. Our five-cylinder 2006 Hummer H3 long-termer required oil changes about every 10,000 miles, so we're expecting a trip to the dealer during the next report. One other thing we'll have checked at the dealership is a sticky ignition that likes to keep keys, often requiring a jiggle of the shifter for the mechanism to release them.
We plan on getting the H3 back on the trail before our next report and can't wait to explore some new trails with our families in tow.
Report: 2 of 4
Previous reports: Oct. '07
Base price: $38,645
Price as tested: $43,090
Four-wheel-drive system: Two-speed, full-time electronic, shift on the fly
Long-Term Numbers
Miles to date: 6,298
Miles since last report: 3,243
Average mpg (this report): 12.83
Test best tank (mpg): 17.27
Test worst tank (mpg): 10.48
Problem areas: Ignition switch
What's Hot, What's Not
Hot: V-8 power, excellent maneuverability, room for the family
Not: Clunky shifter, ignition switch that likes to hold on to keys
Logbook Quotes
* "Seats are very comfortable."
* "I have found the shifter to be a bit clunky."
* "Someone tell Hummer to move the reverse camera display screen from the mirror to the nav."
* "Turning radius is better than any vehicle I've driven, awesome maneuverability."
* "You have to give the shift lever a little extra nudge into park in order for the ignition to release the key."


text:
- Solutions
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Trustworthy. Collaborative. Innovative.
Whatever the size of your business, whatever your industry, TSYS® has payment processing solutions to fit your specific needs. Need assistance processing credit cards? TSYS can help. Need equipment? TSYS has it. Need security solutions? Turn to TSYS. Whatever you're looking for in a payment processing partner, you'll find the answer in TSYS. Learn More
Accept Credit Cards
Mobile Credit Card Processing
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With TSYS, you not only get a trusted advisor for all your payment processing solutions, you'll discover innovative products with the technology and convenient features to operate and protect your business effectively and efficiently. Learn More
Data Insights & Other Services Mobile
Payment Gateway POS Solutions Security Suite
Fraud. Data breaches. Identity theft. When it comes to protecting your business and data from security threats, TSYS can help. With solutions and equipment that meet your needs, TSYS has your security solutions covered. Learn More
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Credit cards? Mobile processing? Debit or prepaid cards? TSYS can help you determine the best payment methods for your specific business. Learn More
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The right payment choice for a medical practice may not be the right payment solution for a bank or a restaurant. You want a payment processor that can not only anticipate the needs of your specific industry, but meet them successfully. You want TSYS. Learn More
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TSYS® has accumulated the depth of experience and knowledge necessary to offer and support the most innovative credit card processing solutions in the industry today. Learn More


text:
Any solid conventions/alternatives for a "speed dial" to recall recent/historical data? Some context: the primary task of this web app revolves around running a search using a combination of categories (X+Y+Z). I need a way for users to recall (and execute) the last 10 searches performed. This speed dial concept in Safari is interesting, but my items aren't graphical in nature. Perhaps I'm making this more complex than it needs to be!
The best example I have, which also relates to search is this combined autocomplete and recent searches list from the old Safari 5:
Image from DonDubois.info
That's especially neat because you don't have to really find any new place for it; it just extends your existing autocomplete functionality.
I have two suggestions, but since I'm not too clear on your UI, I don't know if they would be applicable.
If the users piece together the search by selecting components, which generates the final X+Y+Z search query, maybe provide a drop down menu with recent searches (just the text X+Y+Z version). This would also be useful if you wanted to store saved searches in the future.
If the search is a single text input, where they type a word, phrase, or query, you could use the up key to scroll through previous history, like in Unix-based systems. Or, use an auto-complete-style drop down with recent searches when the input has focus (like many search engines do now).


text:
Letter Q Coloring Worksheet Online is comprise the full range of mathematical skills Kindergarten and elementary School, from numbers to fractions, decimal places, language problems and more. every worksheets are gambar documents like the answers.
Here you may generate worksheets mathematics printable for a variant of topics: all basic operations, clock, money, measure, fractions, decimals, percentages, ratios, proportions, factorize, equations, terms, geometry, roots, quadratic and more. In addition, you can find pages where worksheets by grade kindergarten and levels (Grade 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7).


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PRESS RELEASE: Rhythm Roots is Mapex's quest to bring into the spotlight the next generation of great, individual drumming talent via the internet.
It's SO simple! Every month, Mapex will select and post the top five favourite videos that are submitted to Mapex. Simply email your video link to email@example.com and each month we will upload our favourites.
This is your chance to showcase your style and flair to the world, whatever and however you play, Mapex wants to see and hear the style diversity of the drumming public while at the same time giving the opportunity to all drummers to be heard by the world's music community.
Send Mapex your video link with a description of yourself, your influences and your interests and they will contact you if they plan to post your video. The footage can be a live performance with your band or short solo on the drum set. Mapex gets the ball rolling this month with Joe Clancy on his impressive Orion set up.
The world's greatest drummers all shine with individuality. Their personality breaks through the boundaries of the drum set. That's why today drummers from yesteryear are emulated and imitated but never replicated.
For more information, visit Mapex's official site
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text:
Tribe may push Masterson back after break
CLEVELAND -- After announcing that first-time All-Star Justin Masterson would likely make the first start of the second half, Indians manager Terry Francona revealed on Saturday that the club was reconsidering that notion.
With the All-Star Game on Tuesday and the Indians' first game after the break on Friday, Francona said, "We might back him up a day."
"We want him to be able to enjoy his experience there, be able to pitch, not have to worry about coming out of it three days later," Francona said. "We may redo that, but we should have it [figured out] tomorrow."
The Indians don't want any uncertainty regarding the rotation depending on whether Masterson -- who's 10-7 with a 3.72 ERA -- pitches during the Midsummer Classic at New York's Citi Field.
"We want it concrete regardless," Francona said.
The rotation already contains one question mark in the form of Zach McAllister, who made his first rehab start on Saturday as part of his recovery from a sprained right middle finger. McAllister, who hasn't pitched since June 2, compiled a 4-5 record and 3.43 ERA over 11 starts before landing on the disabled list.
McAllister is expected to make at least one more rehab start. The Indians haven't ruled out inserting him into the rotation at the start of the second half, though that seems unlikely.
"Things would have to go really well," Francona said. "And they might, but we'll see."


text:
Now, in general, this is an easy problem for Haskell to solve, and Haskell provides more than one way to approach the solution. For example, if we have some x in some domain D, one way to look at an arbitrary x until we find the one, true x we are looking for is the following code snippet:
> [ x | x <- D, ... further constraints ]
More variables? Interrelated ones? No problem:
> [ (x, y, z) | x <- D, y <- D, z <- D, x < y, ... further constraints ]
Okay, let's take it to the next level. What if the interrelation is such that one variable consumes from the domain, so that value is now unavailable to other variables. Pithily: the variables' values are mutually exclusive.
Well, one way to go about that is to embed a guard for each variable into the list compression:
> [ (x, y, z) | x <- D, y <- D, y /= x, z <- D, z `notElem` [x,y], ...
The drawback here is that this kind of guarded coding becomes tedious and prone to errors. On top of that we see that the guard follows the select, causing unnecessary backtracking through the search space,[1] especially given that we know the guarded values a priori.
Well, then, we can automate guarded selection with a state (transformer) monad:[2]
> ...
> f = do x <- choose
> y <- choose
> z <- choose
> ...
> runStateT f [0..9]
Okay, excellent! All of this works and works well … for a fixed and predetermined variable set.
The Problem
Things start to get tricky for me, programmatically, however, when one set of constrained values spill over onto another set of constrained values, such as the results of one generation in a cellular automata set or genetic (algorithm) pool affect the next set:
> evalStateT (gen row1guards) domain >>= \ans1 ->
> evalStateT (gen (row2guards ans1)) domain >>= \ans2 ->
> evalStateT (gen (row3guards ans1 ans2)) domain >>= \ans3 ->
> ... etc
The state transformer isn't enough, so it needs to be some RWS monad, perhaps pushing the interim results into the Reader monad and the accumulated ones into Writer while the State monad handles the flow of the computation?
It seems to me that the work becomes more about monad management and less about the computation itself.[3]
Then there's the even more general computation. What if we do not know, a priori, how many values we are generating in our problem solving? The problem space I'm looking at is something like:
For a variable number of variables, map selection and guards for each variable.
How do I write that as a list compression expression, or as a monadic one? The problem with Haskell variables is that they aren't (variables), and so something so easily accomplished in a Prolog program:
kakuro([], Vars, Functor) :-
Fn =.. [Functor, Vars],
kakuro([H|T], Acc, Functor) :-
kakuro(T, [H|Acc], Functor).
called with:
?- kakuro([A, B, C, D], [], sum_equals_10).
?- kakuro([X, Y, Z], [], sum_equals_10).
... or with a list of any other length isn't so easily written out in Haskell when I go to attack the problem. After all, what is the type of a list of unbound variables? Haskell doesn't (so easily) allow this, and I was stuck: I didn't know how to proceed using monadic programming or list compression.
A solution
Fortunately for me, I've been studying constraint-based programming, and that research has let me to some papers on attributed variables[4] which faciliate that programming style.
Attributed variables are variables ranging over a domain that can have attributes attached to them that restrict (or constrict) the range of values. It's a very simple step to go from a set of unbound attributed variables to a (simple or façile) constraint solver by adding (constraining) attributes to the variables.
More formally, I declare (denotationally) an attributed variable as:
> data Attribute a = Attribute [Constraint a] (Domain a)
where Constraint and Domain are declared as:
> newtype Constraint a = Constraint { resolve :: a -> Bool }
> type Domain a = [a]
Or, to put words to it, an Attributed Variable is an object that has a set of (constraining) functions over an assigned domain.[5]
The above denotational declaration of attributed variables works, but I find, operationally, grounding an attributed variable once it's reduced to a single value to be useful:
> data Attribute a = Attribute [Constraint a] (Domain a)
> | Ground a
So, that's my declaration.[8] How is this implemented in practice?
The approach I take is that an attributed variable is created in a free state over its domain:
> makeAttrib :: Domain a -> Attribute a
> makeAttrib list = Attribute [] list
And then, as constraints are added to the attributed variable, the system 'tries to solve' the attributed variable over the set of the constraints:
> constrain (Attribute constraints dataset) constraint
> = solve (Attribute (Constraint constraint:constraints) dataset)
> constrain (Ground x) _ = Ground x
And if the solution results in a singleton list, then the attributed variable becomes Ground:
> solve attr@(Attribute _ []) = attr
> solve attr@(Attribute constraints list@(h:t))
> = let result = solve' constraints list
> in if length result == 1
> then Ground (head result)
> else Attribute constraints result
Of course, the 'solution' to a Ground attributed variable is itself:
> solve (Ground x) = Ground x
The above code is simply a dispatch along the binary type. The worker-bee,
solve' is simply (again) an implementation of the dual of
> solve' :: [Constraint a] -> [a] -> [a]
> solve' _ [] = []
> solve' constraints (h:t) =
> if (solveConstraints constraints h)
> then (h:solve' constraints t)
> else solve' constraints t
> solveConstraints :: [Constraint a] -> a -> Bool
> solveConstraints [] _ = True
> solveConstraints (f:rest) x = resolve f x && solveConstraints rest x
So something from Control.Applicative to reduce that to a one-liner? I leave that as an exercise to the reader.
And there you have it, that is a working implementation of attributed variables. I have test functions for groundedness, solvability and the current state of the domain of an active attributed variable, but those are simple helper functions, easily implemented, and provided in the attached source code.
So, now, what do we have?
Now we have variables over which we may specify a domain ('loosely' typing a variable) and then constrain. How can we use such a system?
One way is that we can write constraint logic programs in Haskell. The illustration from Prolog (above) has a nearly direct transliteration into Haskell (with the additional benefit of strong typing):
> kakuro :: [Int] -> Int -> [[Int]]
> kakuro list total = nub $ summer (sort $ map trib list) [] total
> trib :: Int -> Attribute Int
> trib x | x == 0 = makeAttrib [1..9]
> | otherwise = Ground x
> summer :: [Attribute Int] -> [Int] -> Int -> [[Int]]
> summer [] list total = do
> guard $ sum list == total
> return $ sort list
> summer (h:t) list total = do
> a <- domain $ constrain h (flip notElem list)
> summer t (a:list) total
And with the above code, we can now do the following:
*Kakuro> kakuro [0,0,0] 10
*Kakuro> kakuro [0,0,0,0] 10
Note that I use
sort above, but attributed variables are not (denotationally) ordered types. Operationally, that is: in logical programming, it makes sense to eliminate early, so if we have Ground values, we wish to consume those first. So, to that end, I declare the following instances:
> instance (Eq a) => Eq (Attribute a) where
> Ground x == Ground y = x == y
> _ == _ = False
> instance (Ord a) => Ord (Attribute a) where
> Ground x <= Ground y = x <= y
> Ground _ <= _ = True
> _ <= _ = False
And with those instance declarations,
sort automagically works. Neat!
Interlude: Haskell is "Neat"
I don't know about you, but I'm guessing that many of you are taking the gift that Haskell is for granted. Or I suppose I should say 'the way of thinking that using Haskell provides.' Over and over again in industry (yes: stone knives and bearskins) I hear 'that can't be done.' And I find myself puzzled. What's the showstopper here?
For example, this past week at work, we needed to convert a data mapping document in Excel (stop snickering, please) into an equivalently flat XML schema representation with a accompanying XML sample file. So fields of the form:
/Field/Name="BusinessAddress" /Field/Value="plaintext" /Field/Name="BusinessAddress" /Field/Value="encrypted"
And there were enumerated values as well:
/Field/Name="PropertyOccupancyTypeOwnerOccupied" /Field/Value="plaintext" /Field/Name="PropertyOccupancyTypeRentedToTenant" /Field/Value="plaintext" /Field/Name="PropertyOccupancyTypeVacant" /Field/Value="plaintext"
There were over 1,000 of these element names. I mentioned I would write a parser to generate the XSD and XML and was told by the development team point-blank that that was impossible and the only way to go about this transcription was manually, line-by-line, by hand.
So I wrote the script. I suppose I could have used Perl, but as I'm on a Windows box, the shell isn't very inviting for Perl-like piping, so I used Haskell, stripping the metainformation and pushing the parsed names into a map (or, to be precise, a Data.Map) where enumerated (mutally exclusive instance) types went into a list named by their type name and other values were singletons. Then for the XSD I simply iterated over the elements of the map (recursively), and for the sample XML file, I just chose an element (in this case, the first element) of each type.
The net result was that all the elements analysis team compiled into an Excel spreadsheet by hand over a six week period I was able to deliver in two days as a full XSD schema and a comprehensive XML sample file.
Two members from the development team assisted me on this task, one of them was the lead developer. He was intrigued and asked me: "What does this script do?" after being impressed that he could generate a schema definition file and a sample file in seconds. So I explained Haskell as a 'data-flow' language and I traced the flow of the input file through the monad and function composition showing the translation of the internal representation into XSD and then, in a different context, into XML. I'm not sure he got my explanation, but he did walk away impressed with what Haskell can do.
Yes, these are simple things: parsing, mapping, iterating. But for most of the software engineering community in industry, it is easier and faster to go through, line-by-line, by hand, than to write a piece of code to automate that process ("Can that even be done?" "No, it's impossible, just do it manually").
I have encountered this over and over again in industry. Teams are willing to expend more than two hundred person hours to a reoccuring task and are willing to accept the associated fatigue errors to schedule systems by hand. Then they are shocked that I build a functional or logic-based system that autogenerates a pristine result in sub-second time.
Where does this leave us?
What I see as status quo is that industry is resigned to slog through repetitive tasks manually, because it's too hard in Language X to consider tackling the problem: more time would be spent writing, compiling and fixing a program to do the task than to do the task by hand.
On the academic side, I see researchers isolated from industry, feeling their advances have no practical use as there appears to be no interest from industry. I attended a talk on dependent types where the thesis was that this typing makes coding more declarative, more powerful and less error prone. I approached the lecturer and asked how I could implement such a system and was asked what application dependent types had for industry.
Hm. Let me think on that for a while.
Why would industry be interested in coding more declaratively, more powerfully, and with less errors? I was flabbergasted that the researcher saw no benefit for industry in his presentation.
We have a powerful tool in Haskell. We can do more, cleaner, safer, and do it faster than the mainstream alternatives industry picks over and over again by default.
I've found, however, that talking about typing, or monads, or pure functional programming only causes the eyes to glaze.
What lights a fire in management's eyes? When you rescue an overdue project, delivering before the deadline, and you educate other workers to be as productive ... perhaps not writing Haskell themselves (I've been asked: "Is it like Pascal?" ... and that's after a code walkthrough), but using the tools you've used to deliver these 'tremendous' results, and earning their trust that when you say, 'just let me write a Haskell script to do that: I'll take a day to write it, and we'll start getting results right away,' that that is actually what happens. I've found that 'we should use Haskell because of [all the wonderful arguments put forward]' does not convince anybody. Delivering 'incredible' and 'impossible' results, significantly faster than anticipated (two days instead of two months for the XML project)? That moves mountains.
Where I work, Haskell is installed on two lead developer's systems other than my own, and I'm given permission to code in Haskell, on a 'we only allow Language X' project.
Other Uses
So attributed variables can be used to help one solve kakuro puzzles, or to write a sudoku solver. Fine.
And I've been inching my way toward attributed variables, so it can be applied to symbolic logic puzzles as well, replacing my Whatever type with attributed variables over the enumerated domain.
So the domain is not restricted to Number, but these are not very interesting or pragmatic examples in and of themselves. Not very gripping.
So how about this example?
*Stocks> makeAttribute [Buy, Sell, Hold]
with Constraints being input feeds filtered through weighted moving averages and other indicators. Now this is a system of keen interest for me and 'currently under active and intense research.'
Will such a system work or not work? I'm not at liberty to say,[9] but here is an area that appears to fit well in the language space of constraint programming.
As problem spaces attacked by software projects — workflow analysis, data mining, planning and scheduling, budgeting, forecasting, (war)gaming, modelling and simulation — many seem good candidates to use constraint-based reasoning. Attributed variables give Haskell programmers another way to express these problem domains.
[1] Y'all don't mind if I speak logically, and in the logic-programming paradigm, do you?
[2] See my article in The Monad.Reader, issue 11, "MonadPlus: What a Super Monad!" for an implementation of
choose, et al.
[3] No, I'm not speaking disparagingly of the monadic programming style. I rather like that style, and use it in my domain language of predicate logic that I layer on top of 'regular' Haskell programming. The beauty of monads, for me, is that they are invisible (in coding them) and powerful (in their effect). When the code becomes more about monads and less of what they are there to do is when I see this as an opportunity to examine things in a different light.
[4] http://www.swi-prolog.org/pldoc/doc_for?object=section(2,'6.1',swi('/doc/Manual/attvar.html'))
[5] My representation of Domain is straightforward and workable for most cases, but it hides more than a few compromises (or 'sell-outs') beneath the surface. For example, it makes the (gross) assumption that the range of the domain is enumerable. If Domain is in ℜ that no longer holds (at all), so then Domain shouldn't have a list representation but a pair (or bookending) bounds. But then what if Domain extends beyond ℜ and goes into the surreal numbers?[6] Then we have infintesimals such as '*' (pron: 'star') where:
* > 0, * < 0, * + * = 0
* || 0 (that is: 'star' is incomparable to 0)
So how does one bounds-check on incomparables?
But these concerns are, in the main, not ones to lose one's head over. For the most part, simple linear programming solves a vast majority of the World's problems,[7] and those interesting cases are exactly that: interesting cases.
[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surreal_number
[7] The preface of How to Solve It: Modern Heuristics by Zbigniew Michalewicz and David B. Fogel makes this assertion, from hard-won experience in the field. Seconded.
[8] This is one approach to attributed variables, that is: constraints or attributes are applied to the variable over the domain until it is reduced to a single value, at which point the constraints and even the domain become superfluous and simply go away. An advantage to this approach is that a test for groundedness becomes trivial. A disadvantage is that once grounded one loses the path or information that got one there except through the data flow through the algorithm (the stack trace, as it were). Another disadvantage is that an attributed variable, once grounded, automatically rejects constraints. This may lead to unexpected program behavior, because AV grounded to 5 with a new constraint of
x > 23 should fail, but my implementation forwards the 5 value in a success state.
[9] An audit trail of at least a year of data is necessary before any claims can be made.


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During the holidays local schools, businesses, churches, and families donate various items to bring joy to these families during the holidays. Information regarding the Christmas program will be available in the fall.
Help a child in our county have a better future. We need money, clothing, household items and other gifts. Check here to see the various ways you can contribute.
Find out how many children we have been helping. If you need more information about what we do, click here to request reports from our office.
Strengthening Foundations for the Future
The Columbia County Foundation for Children provides an array of services to help local children build a foundation for their roles in life. Services include financial support, food, clothing, educational support and recreational activities. Ongoing projects of the foundation are the Helping Hands Thrift Store, a Christmas gift program for children, annual need-based college scholarships and financial assistance for summer school and camps.
New Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) Scholarship Program
The Columbia County Foundation for Children Scholarship program now has a New CTAE Scholarship. We have also updated all scholarship program applications. Click here for Scholarship Applications
Donations are Welcomed and Needed
We welcome direct donations. Please send checks to Columbia County Foundation for Children, 7009 Evans Town Center Blvd., Evans, Georgia 30809. We will send you a receipt for tax purposes. Please indicate that you are making a donation in your check memo field. Donations are 100 percent tax-deductible and gladly accepted. CCFFC is designated by the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt, charitable corporation under Section 501(c)(3).


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"After the Fact" is a podcast from The Pew Charitable Trusts that brings you data and analysis on the issues that matter to you—from our environment and the sciences, to larger economic trends and public health. Experts from Pew and other special guests discuss the numbers and trends shaping some of society's biggest challenges, then go behind the facts with nonpartisan analysis and stories.
In each episode, host Dan LeDuc discusses pressing policy issues with featured experts and relevant voices to the conversation. If you like what you hear, we hope you will subscribe to "After the Fact" and share it with others.
A new season from 'After the Fact,' Pew's podcast
"...whether you listen from a 'what's in it for me' or a 'how does this shape the world' viewpoint, it will stimulate thought and build understanding."—The Guardian, podcast fan pick


text: I have to say, I think that we are in some kind of final examination as to whether human beings now, with this capability to acquire information and to communicate, whether we're really qualified to take on the responsibility we're designed to be entrusted with. And this is not a matter of an examination of the types of governments, nothing to do with politics, nothing to do with economic systems. It has to do with the individual. Does the individual have the courage to really go along with the truth?


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Obama Continues to Violate His Own 'Stimulus' Law by Not Releasing Quarterly Reports
Have you heard much about President Obama's $787,000,000,000 economic "stimulus" (now estimated to cost $831,000,000,000) lately? In its last report, published in 2011, the president's own Council of Economic Advisors released an estimate showing that, for every $317,000 in "stimulus" spending that had by then gone out the door, only one job had been created or saved. Even in Washington, that's not considered good bang for the buck.Moreover, that was the fifth consecutive "stimulus" report that showed this number getting progressively worse.
Alas, that was the last report we've seen. Never mind that Section 1513 of the "stimulus" legislation, which Obama spearheaded and signed into law, requires the executive branch to submit a new report every three months. It reads:
"In consultation with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the Secretary of the Treasury, the Chairperson of the Council of Economic Advisers shall submit quarterly reports to the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and House of Representatives that detail the impact of programs funded through covered funds on employment, estimated economic growth, and other key economic indicators."
(The head of the Council of Economic Advisors, currently Alan Krueger, is appointed by the president, confirmed by the Senate, and works in the Executive Office of the President. He is the president's chief economic adviser.)
Indeed, the old reports that the administration released begin, "As part of the unprecedented accountability and transparency provisions included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 [the 'stimulus'], the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) was charged with providing to Congress quarterly reports on the effects of the Recovery Act on overall economic activity, and on employment in particular."
Section 1513 further specifies, "The first report…shall be submitted not later than 45 days after the end of the first full quarter following the date of enactment of this Act….The last report required to be submitted…shall apply to the quarter in which the [Recovery Accountability and Transparency] Board terminates under section 1530." Section 1530 declares, "The Board shall terminate on September 30, 2013."
In other words, the Obama administration is required by law to submit quarterly reports on the "stimulus" through the third quarter of 2013. By now, it was supposed to have released fourteen such reports. It has released only eight. The last one covered the period ending in June 2011. That's right — 2011.
With only 58.6 percent of Americans currently employed — down 2.4 percent from the time of Obama'sfirst inauguration — it's not surprising that the Obama administration doesn't really want to fulfill it legal responsibilities and release subsequent reports on its failed "stimulus." However, it hardly seems fair — to use one of Obama's favorite words — that the rich and (extremely) powerful think that they can choose whether or not to abide by the laws they spearhead and sign, while the rest of us are forced to obey them.
Perhaps it's time for the rich and powerful to do their fair share and obey the laws that they enforce against others. And perhaps this is something that the House of Representatives might want to look into.


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Making Our Homes Our Sanctuaries: Kids' Art~
As I have been sharing ways to make our homes our sanctuaries, I have talked numerous times about my belief that our homes should be meaningful. One of the most personal and meaningful additions to any home is the art that is chosen to adorn its walls.
Fostering creativity in my children is incredibly important to me.
And honoring their creativity is just as important. So when I am choosing art for my home, I always make it a point to find a way to display my children's artwork.
In my previous home, I made a formal gallery wall featuring a few of my favorite pieces.
Currently, I'm displaying some of the kids' favorite pieces of their work on the bulletin board in the kitchen.
Making a place to display your family's artistic endeavors within the walls of your home is a wonderful way to cultivate creativity, to show your family you are proud of them, and to help in the creation of your home-sanctuary.
I'd love to know how you incorporate your family's art into your decor. Feel free to share in the comments.


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Find out what inspires our designers and explore open design roles
Our goal is simple
Being a designer at Atlassian means crafting meaningful experiences that are used by millions of people every day. Through elegant design, we let people focus on their work; not their tools.
We believe that experience-led companies provide the best products to people. We put customers and their stories first: we listen, learn, build, and evaluate. Our design and product teams are experience-led in everything we do.
We are designers first and foremost, but as a team we're a merry band of artists and writers, tinkerers and thinkers, makers and doers—and we love what we do.
"You don't need to know everything, but you do need the hunger to want to grow."


text: Andrew Bird (born July 11, 1973) is an American musician, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He was born in Chicago and currently spends his time between Chicago and a farm near the town of Elizabeth in northwest Illinois. He has mastered several instruments and is musically proficient on others. They include the violin, guitar, mandolin… Read More


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Homestand highlights: August 20-26
Folds of Honor Night, Beers of The K, Salute to the Negro Leagues, KU Day & Classic Car Show Highlight Homestand; Makeup Game vs. Rays Set for August 26
KANSAS CITY, MO - After a short road trip to Detroit, the Royals return home for a seven-game homestand against the Chicago White Sox (August 20-22), Washington Nationals (August 23-25) and Tampa Bay Rays (August 26). The game against the Rays is an afternoon makeup game from May 2, when the game was postponed due to inclement weather.
The Royals will host many great events, including a special Folds of Honor Night to support the families of American's fallen and disabled soldiers on Thursday, August 22. An event-filled weekend begins with Beers of the K, Buck Night and the last Summer Fireworks of the season on Friday, August 23. The Royals and Nationals will wear special Negro Leagues uniforms for the annual Salute to the Negro Leagues on Saturday, August 24, which also features a Kansas City Monarchs vintage t-shirt giveaway. The weekend will conclude with the annual Classic Car Show and KU Day on Sunday, August 25. Fans can also enjoy special events including GordoNation and All You Can Eat Seats during the homestand.
Tuesday, August 20 - Chicago White Sox vs. Royals, 7:10 p.m.
Wednesday, August 21 - Chicago White Sox vs. Royals, 7:10 p.m.
- GordoNation - Fans can enjoy being a part of GordoNation, a new seating section in left field that will be reserved for die-hard fans every Wednesday home game in August and September. Tickets cost $30 and come with a GordoNation t-shirt. For details, visit www.royals.com/gordonation.
- INK Student Night - Rivals Outfield Box or Hy-Vee Infield tickets are available for all Wednesday home games for high school and college students with valid ID at the Kauffman Stadium Box Office for just $7. Seating is subject to availability. All Student Nights include a $7 hot dog and beverage special at the Boulevard Grill in the Outfield Experience.
- INK Local Music Showcase - Catch a free pregame concert on us. Every Wednesday INK Student Night will also feature live local music prior to the game in the Outfield Experience. Clairaudients will entertain fans prior to the game against the White Sox. For details, visit www.royals.com/studentnight.
Thursday, August 22 - Chicago White Sox vs. Royals, 7:10 p.m.
· Folds of Honor Night - Join the Royals for Folds of Honor Night to support the families of American's fallen and disabled soldiers. Ticket packages are available for $15 at www.royals.com/foldsofhonor and include a Hy-Vee Infield ticket and Folds of Honor/Royals t-shirt. In addition, a portion of each ticket package purchase will be donated back to the Folds of Honor Foundation. Country music artist Craig Morgan will sign the National Anthem during pregame ceremonies, and fans will be treated to a special patriotic fireworks show after the game.
· All You Can Eat Seats - Fans can purchase All You Can Eat Seats located in the Loge Level (Sec. 318 - 325), which include unlimited ballpark fare. All the hot dogs, nachos, peanuts, pretzels and Pepsi products you can handle for $40 per seat! Individual and group discount tickets available. For details, visit www.royals.com/allyoucaneat.
Friday, August 23 - Washington Nationals vs. Royals, 7:10 p.m.
· Beers of the K - The Royals will host a special pregame beer experience at Rivals Sports Bar beginning at 5:30 p.m. Entry is free with a game ticket and fans can purchase unique varieties of beer to sample. The first 500 fans will receive a Royals tasting glass and prizes will be raffled off during the event. For more information, visit www.royals.com/beersofthek.
· Buck Night - Hot dogs, small Pepsi products and peanuts are just $1 each all night long. www.royals.com/fanvalue.
· Summer Fireworks - Fans will enjoy the final fireworks show of the season, presented by Hy-Vee and Pepsi, after the game.
Saturday, August 24 - Washington Nationals vs. Royals, 6:10 p.m.
· Salute to the Negro Leagues - The Royals and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum pay tribute to Kansas City's rich baseball tradition with this annual salute. On the field, both teams don Negro League uniforms provided by Sprint. The Royals and Nationals will be wearing uniforms inspired by the 1942 Kansas City Monarchs and Washington Homestead Grays, in what will be a rematch of the 1942 Negro Leagues World Series. Some of the game-worn and autographed uniforms from both teams will be auctioned off to benefit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Fans can go to www.royals.com/negroleagues or mlb.mlb.com/auction to bid on these items. Additionally, some of the game-worn Monarchs hats will be available for auction at the Royals Authentics store at The K during the Washington Nationals series.
· Monarchs Vintage T-Shirt - In celebration of Salute to the Negro Leagues, the first 10,000 fans receive a Monarchs vintage t-shirt courtesy of Papa John's (photo attached).
· 610 Saturdays - The Royals have teamed up with Entercom and 610 Sports Radio for special pregame festivities outside Rivals Sports Bar that include 610 Sports Radio personalities, special guests, food and drink specials and much more. Fans can enjoy the 610 Saturday Appetizer Special - Ballpark Nachos for just $6.10 - in Rivals Sports Bar from the time the gates open until the first pitch. Listen to 610 Sports Radio and receive a coupon code to purchase a ticket for only $6.10 in the Hy-Vee Infield. www.royals.com/610saturday.
Sunday, August 25 - Washington Nationals vs. Royals, 1:10 p.m.
- KU Day - Supporters of the University of Kansas can join fellow Jayhawks for an afternoon of big league action presented by FOX Sports Kansas City and Rally House. To join fellow Jayhawks, fans can visit www.royals.com/ku for details or to purchase discounted tickets. The first 750 Jayhawk fans who bring their KU Day discounted ticket to the KU table located inside Hy-Vee Gate B will receive a limited edition crimson, blue and white KC Royals Kansas cap (photo attached). Gate B opens at noon. To reserve a group of 20 or more tickets, call (816) 504-4174.
· Cruise to the K Classic Car Show - The Royals host the fourth annual Cruise to The K Classic Car Show and Exhibit. Participating car enthusiasts will have the opportunity to see their cars on the warning track during pregame ceremonies. Cars will also be on display in Lot A throughout the day. Cruise to the K participants may purchase a special ticket package that includes entrance into the contest, two tickets to the game, a parking pass, commemorative t-shirt and dash plaque for just $28 (advance purchases). To register, please visit www.royals.com/carshow. To reserve a group of 10 or more tickets, which includes scoreboard recognition and block seating, call (816) 504-4167 or email [email protected].
· Family FunDay Sunday 4-Pack that include four Hy-Vee Infield tickets, $10 in loaded value per ticket to use for concessions and merchandise, and four All-Day Play Passes - over $150 in value - for just $80! www.royals.com/sunday.
· Fun Run presented by Sprint - All fans can run the bases after the game (conditions permitting).
Monday, August 26 - Tampa Bay Rays vs. Royals, 1:10 p.m.
Fans may purchase tickets online at royals.com, by calling 1-800-6ROYALS, at area Hy-Vee stores or at the Kauffman Stadium Box Office.
For more information, members of the media may contact the Royals Publicity Department at (816) 921-8000.


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Welcome to the Online Fee Lookup for Texas Medicaid, Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Family Planning Program,
(DSHS) Expanded Primary Health Care Program and the Children with
Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) Services Program.
The Online Fee Lookup provides fee information for Texas Medicaid, including Texas Health Steps (THSteps), the DSHS
Family Planning Program, DSHS Expanded Primary Health Care Program and the CSHCN Services Program.
Users can also search for fee information for specified procedure codes. The fee information is accurate for the current date
or for a specified prior date of service. Providers who have an account on TMHP.com can log into their accounts to search for
the fees that apply specifically to them. All other users can search for fees by provider type and specialty.
To use a general fee schedule, Medicaid providers can click Static Fee Schedules.
The fee displayed is the allowable rate for this service.
Since September 1, 2011, the Online Fee Lookup (OFL) and static fee schedules include a column titled "Adjusted Fee."
The Adjusted Fee column displays the fee with all of the percentage reductions applied.
The individual provider payment may differ based on provider type, client type program, place of service, or other factors.
For additional information about rates, rules, and procedures, providers can refer to the Texas Medicaid Provider Procedures Manual,
Texas Medicaid Bulletins, Texas Medicaid website articles, the CSHCN Services Program Provider Manual,
CSHCN Services Program website articles, the rate reduction web page at
https://www.tmhp.com/resources/rate-and-code-updates/rate-changes, and other communications from TMHP or state agencies.


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5.0 Mustang & Super FordsFeatured Vehicles
1993 Ford Mustang LX Coupe - Big Brother
Inspired by his brother's Terminator, Jonathan Haymore swapped in a 5.4L modular
If you are a Mustang purist—known in our world as a Melvin—you may want to skip this story. It begins when an untouched Fox coupe takes a turn to the race track and ends at the intersection of Modular-Swap Drive and Hot-Street-Car Lane.
This circuitous path began when Jonathan Haymore experienced his brother's Terminator. Around this time he had just sold his beloved '93 Cobra and was on the hunt for a new project.
"I ended up selling the Cobra and picking up an all-original Reef Blue coupe from a guy in Chicago. Once I got the car, I immediately started tearing into it to install some go-fast parts," Jonathan said. "My original goal was to build an X275 car out of the coupe, so off I went. I installed a cage, minitubs, and all the other goodies to support 1,000-plus horsepower. I ended up making around 1,200 horsepower with a 363 and a T-6–framed 88mm turbo. The car was fast; it ran consistent 5.20s at 140 mph."
Surely many of you reading this would be happy to own a 1,000hp drag car. However, in the world of X275 racing, keeping up with the front-runners means keeping up with their spending. Jonathan decided it would just cost too much to keep his car competitive, so he adjusted his focus to returning the Fox to the street. Making that move called for something a bit tamer than the turbocharged 363ci small-block, and it didn't take Jonathan long to form a new plan for doing just that.
"My brother Jeremy had an '03 Cobra with a blower on it. I loved the performance and driveability that combo offered," Jonathan confessed. "Of course, never wanting to do anything typical, I decided to buy a GT500 motor out of a wrecked car. I was able to find a motor with 800 miles on it…"
Now putting a GT500 5.4 in a Fox has been done, but it is far from a commonplace swap. Jonathan had a headstart thanks to the flexible AJE K-member that once embraced the 363. A simple motor-mount swap would allow the 5.4 to bolt right in. He took it upon himself to modify a set of JBA Headers long-tubes to mate the big modular to the rest of the exhaust system. After about 30 hours of fabrication and welding, he had the exhaust solution he was after. Then he went about replacing the factory coil-on-plug ignition with a distributor driven off the cam drive. Combined with a crank trigger fitted to an Innovators West 15-percent-overdriven damper, the 5.4 was ready to take orders from a Big Stuff 3 standalone fuel injection system.
"…The car ran like a top. Tuning resulted in 540 horsepower through the TH400 with the stock unported blower that was making about 16 pounds (of boost). First pass out, this car ran a 6.23 at 115 (in the eighth-mile). I was tickled to death with it," he enthused. "The car drove perfect. I ended up driving the car to and from Mustang Week—4.5 hours each way."
Despite the fun combination, Jonathan is like most of us—he wanted more power. His next move was swapping out the stock Roots supercharger for a 3.3L Lysholm twin-screw blower. Simply swapping the blower delivered a massive increase. The GT500-powered Fox was now clocking modded-GT500 power—with 705 rear-wheel horsepower—at a much lighter fighting weight. Jonathan knew he was pushing his luck with the stock engine. Still, he wanted even more.
"I have always been a turbo guy, and when I bought the motor, my original plan was to turbocharge it. Off came the blower and I started my turbo build. I flipped the factory manifolds and built a turbo setup based around a Precision 7675-billet-wheel, dual-ball-bearing turbo. The lid is 6061 aluminum and is strictly a lid. I wanted to use the factory air-to-water (intercooler), which allowed me to use way less piping."
Even though Jonathan's coupe is street-friendly, he still likes to make some laps at the dragstrip. With the boost cranked up to 24 psi, he engaged some rice burners at an import-versus-domestic race. Shortly after a hard launch, the car nosed over and ugly, ugly sounds emanated from the engine. The block was trashed; he could only preserve the top end.
So, why not turn lemons into lemonade and build an even stronger engine for more boost? With the help of Justin Talbert at JT Motorsports, that's just what he did. However, any new combo needs dialing in, and it helps to have an expert tuner behind the keyboard.
Photo GalleryView Photo Gallery
"Kurgan Motorsports also got the call to tune the car. We fought some gremlins during the tuning session, which Bob was able to help diagnose. We were not able to fix them on the spot, but we were able to make a lower-boost pull and the car made 775," Jonathan explained. "My plans are to put in a set of custom cams spec'd by Bob Kurgan and put a slightly larger turbo in place of the 7675. Inevitably I would like to see four-digit horsepower and have a street car that has great driveability."
That sounds like a goal we can all support, Jonathan. Can you say King of the Street?
|Tech Specs
|1993 LX Coupe
|Engine and Drivetrain
|Stock GT500 5.4L iron
|FRPP Cobra Jet
|Manley H-beam
|JE w/ 11cc dish
|Stock GT500
|Cylinder Heads:
|Stock Ford GT aluminum
|Intake Manifold:
|Stock GT500 intercooled lower w/ custom upper by Jonathan Haymore
|Fuel System:
|Custom w/ three Aeromotive Stealth 340 fuel pumps, -10 Fragola feed line, -8 Fragola return line, Aeromotive fuel rails, and an Aeromotive fuel-pressure regulator
|Stock GT500 cast manifolds w/ 3.5-in downpipe, custom Y-to-H-pipe, Badlanz electric cutouts, and Magnaflow mufflers
|TH400 built by Kurgan w/ Ultimate Converter Concepts torque converter, and a Dynotech driveshaft
|8.8-in w/ spool, 3.31 gears, and Moser 33-spline axles
|Engine Management:
|Big Stuff 3
|MSD Digital 7 w/ Boost-Retard Curve, MSD HVC coil, and MSD 8.5mm wires
|Auto Meter and AEM in Florida 5.0 cluster
|Suspension and Chassis
|Front Suspension
|Anthony Jones Engineering tubular
|Anthony Jones Engineering tubular
|QA1 coilover
|Aerospace Components
|Saleen 18x6-in (street) and Weld V-Series 17x4.5-in (strip)
|Dunlop (street) and M&H (strip)
|Rear Suspension
|Competition Engineering coilover
|Control Arms:
|Team Z upper and Spohn Performance adjustable lower
|Aerospace Components
|Saleen 18x13-in (street) and Weld V-Series 15x10-in (track)
|Mickey Thompson drag radials (street) and Mickey Thompson slicks (strip)
Horse Sense
If Jonathan's coupe looks familiar, that's because it previously appeared on these pages as part of a two-car feature with his father Jerry's Fox coupe ("Like Son, Like Father," June '10, pg. 66). Back then it sported a turbo 363ci combo.


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By Jo Mathis
Legal News
The employment picture for new law school graduates isn't pretty. According to the Association for Legal Career Professionals (NALP), just 68 percent of 2010 law school graduates nine months after graduation reported employment in jobs that require bar passage. And less than 51 percent were hired by private law firms.
As a result, many are considering hanging out that proverbial shingle.
But it's not for everybody, says Stuart M . Collis, a solo practioner in Ypsilanti. Collis focuses his practice on collections, contracts, criminal and traffic law, and family law.
Collis talked to The Legal News about his own decision to start a practice, and what he would say to anyone considering a similar path.
Q: Let's begin with the reason behind your own decision to go solo in 1996 following graduation from Cooley Law School in Lansing. Why did you start off on your own?
A: I always knew that I wanted to eventually become a sole practitioner. However, when I passed the bar in 1996, I had little luck in finding a position in a law firm. I figured that by starting on my own, at least I would get a little experience and I could continue the job hunt in the interim. After a few months of being on my own and experiencing the thrill of sole practice, I decided that a law firm was not for me and I continued on my own.
Q: What do you know now that you wish you'd known in 1996?
A: I wish that someone had taught me all the things that are related to the business of the law rather than the actual practicing of the law. I have had to learn how the post office works, how to manage costs for the short and long term, how to develop and manage a clientele, and now I am learning how to manage a support staff.
Q: Some law students now who look at the dismal employment rate for young lawyers may think that having a solo practice is a safety net. What do you think?
A: There is no such thing as a safety net. When you start out on your own, you have a number of expenses that will be incurred quickly: malpractice insurance, rent if you are getting office space or sharing office space, advertising expenses, and potentially networking expenses. That being said, a young, creative new attorney can find ways to minimize these expenses.
Q: Who would be the ideal candidate for going solo?
A: The ideal candidate is someone who is hungry, self-starting, a go getter. That person has to be willing to go out and find answers and occasionally make mistakes. One cannot simply hang a shingle and expect clients to come in. An attorney has to develop a business sense and a network of people to make his or her practice work.
Q: What type of person should probably not even consider a solo practice?
A: Sole practice requires a lot of effort and energy. The hours that need to be devoted to a practice are quite laborious. Anyone who wants a steady paycheck or does not want to devote much of their free time to a practice should consider another way to make money.
Q: What are the most obvious up and down sides to owning your own business?
A: Freedom is the hallmark of the sole practice. I make my own hours, determine when and how often I take vacations and I never have to worry about being fired, laid-off or inter-office politics because I am my own boss! I can take an afternoon off to go play golf if I do not feel like working. Unfortunately, with freedom comes a price. If I am not in the office working on a file, talking to a client, in a courtroom or doing billing and accounting, I am not making any money. So, if I were to take a vacation, that means I have to have all my work done weeks in advance and there will be a rather large pile for me when I get back. On top of that, while I am on vacation, there is no money coming into the office and I cannot assist clients who have an emergency.
Q: How important is the location of your office?
A: I have always felt that location is a bit overrated. That is not to say that it is unimportant. If someone cannot find you, then they will go to the next attorney down the street. More important is that an attorney does not move their office too often because clients do not want to keep searching for their attorney. Therefore, once someone sets up, it is preferable to stay close to where one started their practice.
Q: You have been a sole practitioner for over 15 years. If you had to do it over again, would you?
A: Absolutely! I love the constant challenges and the busy lifestyle that I lead. I love the fact that I am the master of my own destiny.
Published: Thu, Feb 23, 2012


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There are some old sticky announcements in the espresso forum about kingseven reaching the UK finals in 2006 etc. Given the fact that he is the WC my opinion is that these topics are a bit outdated.
Is it an idea to clean up the sticky and announcements in several forums?


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Alternative Economic and Monetary Systems - Summer School on "THE Economy of the Future": 27 July-14 August 2016 in Vienna, Austria
"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." This Albert Einstein quote is the motto of the university course Alternative Economic and Monetary Systems. The economy of the future . (AEMS Vienna 2016). The course is designed not only for students, but for anyone who is concerned about the long-term development of our society.
The programme brings together scientific expertise from economics, natural and social sciences, and humanities with experience gained from the latest field tests. The alternatives range from reorganising economic and resource cycles through to individual ethical approaches.
AEMS Vienna 2016 is organised by the OeAD Housing Office and the Association for the Promotion of the Economy for the Common Good in cooperation with the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna . The project won the 2015 Environmental Award of the City of Vienna and was nominated for the 2015 TRIGOS Award in the category "Best partnership".
Further information on the course design, how to participate and on the scholarship program can be found here: http://www.summer-university.net


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Real Time Clearing is an electronic payment product that allows you to clear inter-bank, time-critical payments in real time.
Our Account Verification Service (AVS) validates the details of your selected payees to ensure that the correct parties receive the funds you release.
MyBills allows you to deliver accounts to your customers and collect the funds relating to those accounts via a single, seamless, electronic transaction.
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From allegedly throwing a bong out her window to requesting that her lady parts be murdered, Amanda Bynes' public persona has taken more than a few hits this past year. But is it damaged beyond repair?
Plenty of celebrities have undergone their share of cringe-worthy scandals and come out on top professionally. Take for example, Chris Brown, who's racked up plenty of awards and hit singles since brutally assaulting in Rihanna in 2009 (although his personal reputation might never recover).
So is Bynes so far gone that she can't bounce back? Let's look at some of Hollywood's most notorious scandal-makers over the past seven years and see how they've fared:
Kim Kardashian: If Kanye West is synonymous with vanity, then Kim Kardashian is synonymous with scandal. But what do you expect of a celebrity who was introduced to the world in a sex tape? Kim's big follow-up to the tape: posing nude for Playboy.
After a wild start, Kardashian spent the next two years laying low. Then in 2010, Karadashian turned down the tabloid track again when she posed nude in W, was sued for defamation and was named one of the five worst people or organizations by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
Photos: See Kim Kardashian's nude photo shoots
But Kardashian didn't stop there. In 2011, she endured her infamous 72-day marriage to Kris Humphries, leading to reports that both the wedding and the sex tape were nothing more than publicity ploys. The following year, she was flour-bombed by PETA, sued (again) and called an "idiot" by Jon Hamm. In 2013, Kardashian finally seemed to have settled down with beau West, but when the couple announced they were expecting, no one could forget that technically Kardashian was still married to Humphries. Her decision to shun traditional maternity wear didn't help her, either.
Justin Bieber: The Biebs was as innocent as his angelic voice suggested for the first few years of his career. It wasn't until 2010 that we got the first hint at the terror Bieber would become when he was investigated for assault (during a game of laser tag, no less). Then in 2011, Bieber starred in a real-life episode of Maury when he was hit with a paternity suit. Thank God the kid wasn't his because Biebs also told Rolling Stone that he believes abortion is "like killing a baby."
Besides minor drama over giving away his pet hamster, all was quiet on the Bieber front until 2013 when the singer made up for lost time — and then some. In addition to a slew of vehicular incidents, Bieber also attacked the paparazzi, left his monkey in Germany (seriously, never give this dude a pet), spit on his neighbor and said he hoped Anne Frank would have been a Belieber. No wonder he had his "worst birthday" ever.
Britney Spears: It feels like just yesterday Britney Spears was attacking paparazzi with umbrellas and shaving her head, but 2007 is a long ways past. While Spears is rocking her long locks once more, unfortunately she continues to live with the consequences of her 2008 breakdown. After locking herself in a bathroom with son Jayden, Spears was hospitalized and ultimately placed in a psych ward. Ex-husband Kevin Federline was given sole custody of their two sons and Spears' father was granted conservatorship.
Check out other stars who've shaved their heads
Spears still has very little legal control over her life, but she seems to have moved on and recovered without a hitch. Other than putting out a few restraining orders, Spears' life is pretty humdrum these days. Except, of course, her anticipated Vegas residency this fall.
(Note: Brown's assault of Rihanna in 2009 can't be quantified, but for the purpose of this graph we had to. In reality, it would be off the charts.)
Chris Brown: It's hard to believe that until 2009, Brown was completely well-behaved. Then, for whatever reason, he viciously beat Rihanna before the Grammy's. Brown struck a plea deal and received no jail time for the assault. However, he was sentenced with five years' probation and a restraining order against RiRi.
Brown managed to keep his temper under control until 2011, when he threw a tantrum at Good Morning America, breaking a window and storming off shirtless. With the restraining order lifted that same year, Brown and Rihanna began to reconcile on Twitter. But after accidentally broadcasting a private message to his ex, inciting a variety of reactions from his followers, Brown unleashed his fury once more. "I don't say sh-- to anybody and everyone feels its cool to attack me ... that sh-- happened three years ago!" Brown wrote.
Brown continued to tarnish his image in 2012 when he got a possible tattoo of Rihanna's bruised face on his neck, brawled with her other ex Drake, dressed as a terrorist for Halloween, tested positive for drugs and told a comedian he was going "to sh-- right on [her] retina." And that's only the short list for 2012.
Maybe he learned his lesson — or maybe the worst is yet to come — but so far 2013 has been a relatively good year for Brown. With only one brawl under his belt (for now) and just two possible probation violations (for an alleged hit-and-run and reportedly faking community service), Brown's temper seems to have taken a brief time-out from the public eye.
Lindsay Lohan: In 2007, LiLo took three separate trips to rehab, got two DUIs, her first SCRAM bracelet and began her tumultuous relationship with Samantha Ronson.
Things went (comparatively) smooth for the next few years — besides her father selling tapes of Lohan's voicemails and her very ugly, public breakup with Ronson, of course. But it wasn't until 2010 that Lohan truly proved her scandalous ways were far from over. That year, Lohan was accused of battery, failed multiple drug tests, gave the court system the ultimate "f--- you" and was replaced in the film which was supposedly her big comeback.
After spending 2011 stealing and blowing off community service, Lohan reasserted herself as Hollywood's hottest bad girl in 2012 by posing nude for Playboy, punching a psychic and crashing her car into a big rig and lying about it. Ultimately, Lohan was sentenced to 90 days in rehab for violating her probation, which she is currently serving.
Amanda Bynes: The Hairspray star is very proud of her new image, but this isn't the first time Bynes has tried to change her look. In 2010, she posed in lingerie on the cover of Maxim and announced her retirement from acting (though she un-retired only a few months later).
Bynes then flew under the radar until 2012, when she retired from acting for the second time at the ripe old age of 26 to focus on her rap and design career. This is when the (former) actress also had her first major run-ins with the law, including a DUI for side-swiping a police car and two separate hit-and-runs. Bynes didn't shy away from more unique forms of public disturbance, either. She repeatedly locked herself in public places (toilets, dressing rooms, etc.) and behaved so erratically at the gym once that she was kicked out of spin class.
Check out Amanda Bynes and other child stars gone bad
Unfortunately, 2012 was only the beginning of Bynes' downward spiral. Her summer got off to a rough start when she was arrested for throwing a bong out of her window, though she continues to insist she was framed. In a total Spears move, Bynes also shaved her head and began wearing wigs (and very ratty ones, too). To make matters worse, Bynes revealed she suffers from an eating disorder, but refuses help and threatens to sue anyone claiming she has a mental illness (hint to Bynes: an eating disorder is a mental illness). Her Twitter account, on which she posts topless photos, calls other celebrities ugly and muses about future cosmetic surgeries, has now developed a cult following, validating Bynes' troubling behavior and making it unlikely she'll reevaluate her life any time soon.
So who's really the most scandalous of them all? Can Bynes' reputation be saved? Compare all their below charts and decide for yourself.


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At Closet and Storage Concepts, North America's premier custom closet and storage system outfitter, we're always on the hunt for the coolest and most creative in storage concepts. From the pantries in large restaurants to the way film societies organize their archives, we love seeing impressive storage systems in action. Perhaps the most beloved and frequently impressive organization systems in the world belong to some of our greatest libraries, such as the endlessly awe-inspiring Library of Congress. In honor of this great storage system tradition, we've put together a list of some of our favorite libraries from around the world, each one demonstrating the heights of organization we strive for at Closet and Storage Concepts. Read on for a global tour in magnificent storage concepts!
Shiba Ryotaro Memorial Museum
Named after the great Japanese post-war author, the Shiba Ryotaro is a marvel in melding design with organizational needs. The building, designed by Tadao Ando, is meant to mirror the inner working of an author's mind, hence the incredible walls and walls of books. There's something incredibly immersive about the book storage system at the library, a feat reflected in the sheer number of books housed in a small space. This is perhaps what's most impressive about the storage concept at the Shiba Ryotaro Memorial Museum: storage has been effectively married to concept, making for a truly unique experience.
Mafra National Palace Library
The National Palace Library is a treasure held within the city of Mafra, Portugal. Portugal is home to a number of well-known libraries, but the Mafra National Palace Library is the most interesting to everyone at Closet and Storage Concepts due to its particularly ingenious storage system. When built, not only did the architect responsible make sure to create a book shelving system that accommodated a major collection, he also made sure to leave room behind the books for a colony of bats. The bats were used to keep the library vermin and insect free, and would be released every night from their space behind the books. Our closet systems don't typically house flying animals, but we still have to applaud this remarkable system.
The George Peabody Library
Housed in the world-renown Peabody Institute of Music at John Hopkins University, the George Peabody Library is one of the finest in America. Containing over 300,000 volumes, the Peabody Library is a perfect example of marrying form and function in the world of storage systems. Featuring six tiers of cast iron columns, decorative railings, and gold-leaf embellishments, the Peabody Library demonstrates that there is certainly a way to make organization beautiful, which is something we always strive for at Closet and Storage Concepts.
Liyuan Library
Designed by famed Chinese Architect Li Xiaodong Atelier, the Liyuan Library is truly a sight to behold. Located in the small village of Huairou on the outskirts of Beijing, the Liyuan Library was meant to be an example of how to make a storage system blend in seamlessly with its environment. In the same way that Closet and Storage Concepts makes sure to design and implement closet systems that work holistically within its environment, the Liyuan Library is composed of panels of twigs in order to reflect the natural surroundings of the village. Beautiful in its simplicity and elegance, the Liyuan Library is a case study in working your surroundings into the design of a storage system.
At Closet and Storage Concepts, we keep in mind all of the great storage and design ideas reflected in this list in order to craft personalized closets and organization systems for our customers. We may not build bat caves behind your bookshelves, but we'll make sure to create effective and visually stunning closet and storage systems for all your needs.


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The BacMam system has been used to create K+ and Na+ ion channel reagents which can be transduced into mammalian cells with ease. This portability allows for faster assay development in pharmacologically relevant cell types.
The BacMam System
Ion channels are critically important to a number of cellular functions and processes. One challenge for studying ion channels as drug targets has been in generating robust cellular models. To address this challenge, we have developed a set of ion channel reagents using the BacMam System. BacMam technology is based on the use of an insect cell virus (baculovirus) to efficiently deliver and express genes in mammalian cells (Figure 1).
|Figure 1. This schematic depicts the mechanism of BacMam-mediated gene delivery into a mammalian cell. BacMam particles are pinocytosed and genes are expressed under a specific mammalian promoter. This process begins within 4–6 hours of transduction and is completed after an overnight period in U-2 OS and other cell types.
Transduction Workflow and Compatible Cells
Cell types successfully transduced with BacMam K+ and Na+ Channel kits include U-2 OS, HEK 293, tSA-201, CHO, HUVEC, and HeLa. We do not recommend using cells of hematopoetic origin, because they consistently show very poor BacMam transduction. BacMam K+ and Na+ Channel kits include a virus stock solution (BacMam reagent, Component A) and an enhancer reagent (BacMam enhancer, Component B) for increased expression. The enhancer is reconstituted in DMSO (Component C) prior to use, and added to cells as indicated in the experimental protocol (Figure 2).
Convenient Assay Formats
As a ready-to-use viral stock, BacMam ion channel reagents offer the ability to run assays immediately (i.e. dose response curves or patch clamp experiments) or freeze and store cells after transduction to use at a later date (Figures 4 and 5).
For BacMam K+ channel reagents, we offer the FluxOR™ Potassium Ion Channel Assay Kit to measure ion flux in voltage- and ligand-gated potassium channels with a highly sensitive fluorescent dye.
For BacMam K+ channel reagents, we offer the FluxOR™ Potassium Ion Channel Assay Kit to measure ion flux in voltage- and ligand-gated potassium channels with a highly sensitive fluorescent dye.
Figure 3. Dose responses with fresh or frozen U-2 OS cells for two K+ targets in the FluxOR™ Potassium Channel assay. Transduced U-2 OS cells expressing Kv1.3 (panel A) or Kv7.2/Kv7.3 (panel B) were split and plated directly for assay or frozen in liquid nitrogen for one week, thawed, and assayed.
Figure 4. Automated Patch Clamp (APC) measurement of a U-2 OS cell expressing BacMam hERG (Kv11.1) and BacMam Nav1.5 ion channels. U-2 OS cells were co-transduced with 5% vol/vol of each construct as described in the methods. Bottom left panel shows the two step voltage protocol applied to the cells in an Ionworks HT™ instrument. The cells were held at –100 mV and a tail current protocol was applied (blue trace) to measure the outward hERG mediated tail current shown in the left panel. A second step (red trace) was made to 0 mV to capture the peak inward current carried by NaV1.5, shown on an expanded timescale in the right hand panel.
Flexible Expression of Multiple Subunit channels
BacMam technology also allows for flexible expression of multiple subunit targets, such as the functional voltage gated potassium channel formed by co-expression of Kv7.2 (KCNQ2) and Kv7.3 (KCNQ3) subunits folded into a tetramer (Figure 5). Multiple constructs or single species targets can be titrated into the cells for stoichiometry, and optimal expression and signal window in your particular assay.
Figure 5. FluxOR™ potassium ion channel assay signatures of Kv7.2 and Kv 7.3, expressed alone (left panel) or together (right panel). Cells were transduced with 5% vol/vol of each construct alone or together as described in the methods, and subjected to the FluxOR™ assay. A control virus (null BacMam) was used to show the background level of activity in the assay (lowest trace). The stimulus was injected 1:5 vol/vol to yield a final added potassium concentration of 10 mM, and a final added thallium concentration of 2 mM.
Cannot Find a Reagent You Are Looking For?
Our custom services team can work with you to utilize BacMam technology in your project of interest. To learn how our experts can get you relevant results faster, email us at email@example.com
For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.