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Polity & Governance
- Commerce Ministry's visa plan runs into MHA wall
- 100-cr. fine proposed for wrong India map
- LS clears decks for MPC
- India eyes bad debt cleanup as wary state-run banks balk
- Market coverage for export incentives extended to all countries
Art & Culture
- Mogao caves reveal pivotal India-China Buddhist link
Science & Technology
- Nasscom partners with Facebook to build a 'product design initiative'
Polity & Governance
Commerce Ministry's visa plan runs into MHA wall
The Union Commerce Ministry has proposed an ambitious scheme to waive the visa requirement for business visitors and tourists from 18 countries, which are considered critical to economic and trade strategy.
- The 18 countries belong to BRICS and the Asia Pacific group that is part of the proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
Significance of this proposal:
- The visa procedure for foreign business visitors will contribute towards making India an attractive destination for investors from RCEP countries, keeping in mind the 'Make in India' policy.
- It will also boost India's services trade and help earn foreign exchange. Visa waiver for business visitors and tourists is very important, given the stakeholders' feedback regarding the time-consuming onerous visa application processes which deter business travellers and tourists.
- The Home Ministry has raised objections to this omnibus exemption. It has raised strong objections to granting such benefits to citizens of China and Pakistan due to security concerns.
Present scenario:
- Currently, India has a visa-free entry regime for Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives.
- The e-Tourist Visa Scheme (for tourism, healthcare, business and family visits) is available to citizens of around 113 countries, including some 40 countries for whom India has already granted visa on arrival facility.
About RCEP:
The RCEP agreement (FTA) is proposed between the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) (Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) and the six states with which ASEAN has existing FTAs (Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand).
- RCEP negotiations were formally launched in November 2012 at the ASEAN Summit in Cambodia.
- The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is among the proposed three mega FTAs in the world so far. The other two are:
- The TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership, led by the US) and
- The TTIP (Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership between the US and the EU).
- RCEP is viewed as an alternative to the TPP trade agreement, which includes the United States but excludes China.
Rs.100-cr. fine proposed for wrong India map
The government has proposed a law where wrong depiction of the map of India could land the violators in jail with a maximum term of seven years and fine up to Rs. 100 crore.
- The new draft bill is named 'The Geospatial Information Regulation Bill, 2016'.
Key features of the draft bill:
- The new draft bill basically aims to regularize critical information on Maps services that affect "the security, sovereignty and integrity" of the country.
- The draft Bill will ensure that online platforms like Google will have to apply for a licence to run Google Maps or Google Earth in India.
- According to the draft, it will be mandatory to take permission from a government authority before acquiring, disseminating, publishing or distributing any geospatial information of India.
- Also, no person shall depict, disseminate, publish or distribute any wrong or false topographic information of India including international boundaries through internet platforms or online services or in any electronic or physical form.
LS clears decks for MPC
The Lok Sabha recently approved the Finance Bill 2016 which included an amendment to the RBI Act clipping the central bank governor's powers to set monetary policy.
- The amendment made to the RBI Act through the Finance Bill removed the governor's powers to singularly set monetary policy vesting them in a six-member Monetary Policy Committee.
- After the Finance Bill is approved by the Rajya Sabha, the process of setting up of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will be set in motion.
About the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC):
Last year, the government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had agreed to adopt a monetary policy framework, which will make taming inflation the primary priority of the central bank's policy decisions.
- The MPC will set interest rates to keep retail inflation within targets. Inflation targets will be set once every five years.
MPC's composition:
The committee will have six members. Of the six members, the government will nominate three. The RBI Governor will chair the committee.
- The governor, however, will not enjoy a veto power to overrule the other panel members, but will have a casting vote in case of a tie. No government official will be nominated to the MPC.
- Members of the MPC will be appointed for a period of four years and shall not be eligible for reappointment
- The other three members would be from the RBI with the governor being the ex-officio chairperson. Deputy governor of RBI in charge of the monetary policy will be a member, as also an executive director of the central bank. Decisions will be taken by majority vote with each member having a vote.
- The government nominees to the MPC will be selected by a Search-cum-Selection Committee under Cabinet Secretary with RBI Governor and Economic Affairs Secretary and three experts in the field of economics or banking or finance or monetary policy as its members.
Presently how policy rates are decided?
- At present, the RBI's Monetary Policy Department (MPD) assists the governor in formulating the monetary policy.
- Views of all key stakeholders in the economy, advice of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) contribute to the process for arriving at the key decision on policy repo rate — the rate at which the central bank lends to banks. The governor, however, has overriding powers to decide on interest rates.
India eyes bad debt cleanup as wary state-run banks balk
India is considering setting up an independent panel to help state-owned banks negotiate settlements with big businesses on bad loans.
- The proposal envisages setting up a panel comprising leading bankers and government and central bank officials, to review some larger outstanding loans and try to arrive at a settlement. There is also a suggestion to include judges in the panel. The decision-making will be much better under an independent panel.
- The proposal would give the panel power to define the "haircut" a bank should face on a loan gone sour.
Reason for set up of an independent panel:
- Bad debt has hampered banks' ability to lend, threatening to throttle a nascent economic recovery.
- RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has also set a deadline of March 2017 for banks to clean up their books.
- India's $121 billion troubled debt pile, over $100 billion of which is on the books of state-owned banks, has come under close scrutiny from prosecutors, media and politicians. Some have blamed banks for going too easy on corporate tycoons, and do not want taxpayers propping up the struggling banking sector.
[Ref: Hindu]
Market coverage for export incentives extended to all countries
To make easier doing business in India, the government has announced revocation of the earlier requirement of landing certificates to be submitted by exporters under the Merchandise Export from India Scheme (MEIS).
- The government has also decided to extend the market coverage to all countries.
- Aimed to incentivise merchandise exports, MEIS was introduced in the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2015-20, approved in April last year.
- The current trade policy has merged all the earlier export promotion projects under two plans –
- MEIS and
- Served from India scheme (SFIS) – for services exporters.
- As a measure to boost special economic zones, units within them have also been permitted to avail the benefit of the two merged schemes.
What is landing certificate?
- Landing certificate is the proof of landing of the consignment in the designated market.
[Ref: ToI]
Art & Culture
Mogao caves reveal pivotal India-China Buddhist link
Studies have revealed that Dunhuang in China was a major point of intersection along the ancient Silk Road.
- Studies also show that Silk Road had played a foundational role in bringing about the Indian-China confluence of the past.
- From this oasis town, the Silk Road, which had started from the not-so-distant Xian, and after having passed through the Gansu corridor, stood at a prominent junction.
Dunhuang houses the famous Mogao caves.
About Mogao caves:
The 'Caves of the Thousand Buddhas' (Qianfodong), also known as Mogao, are a magnificent treasure trove of Buddhist art.
- They are located in the desert, about 15 miles south-east of the town of Dunhuang in north western China.
- Mogao cave-temples of Dunhuang are a World Heritage Site.
- The early caves show greater Indian and Western influence, while during the Tang dynasty (618-906 C.E.) the influence of the Chinese painting styles of the imperial court is apparent.
- In the early caves, jataka tales (previous lives of the Historical Buddha) were commonly depicted. During the Tang dynasty, Pure Land Buddhism became very popular.
- In terms of art, it was the Graeco-Buddhist Gandhara School, known for depicting Buddha in human form, that finally reached China, heavily influencing the emergence of what became known as Serendian art, embodying a powerful Chinese artistic tradition as well.
- The Mogao Caves are the best known of the Chinese Buddhist grottoes and, along with Longmen Grottoes and Yungang Grottoes, are one of the three famous ancient Buddhist sculptural sites of China.
Science & Technology
Nasscom partners with Facebook to build a 'product design initiative'
NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Services Companies) has inked a partnership agreement with social networking site Facebook to build a 'product design initiative' in the country.
- This nation-wide initiative by NASSCOM is aimed at offering focused programmes to build awareness around product design, training on design tools, design lab, awards, design sprints and mentorship.
- This will be a flagship programme of the NASSCOM Product Council.
- This will aim at supporting over 500 product start-ups on product design. It will also focus on training over 5,000 product designers in the next two years.
[Ref: Hindu]


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Apply for a place Now!
Create is delighted to be the beneficiary of 20 VIP places in the RideLondon-Surrey 100, which is taking place on Sunday 29 July. The experience of cycling on empty roads past central London's iconic sights and following the 2012 Olympic route through gorgeous countryside, coupled with being treated to breakfast in the velodrome, a technical jersey and a fast-track to the starting position, is a winning package for any cyclist!
In return for these FREE places, we are asking each rider to pledge to raise a minimum of £750 for Create. Last year our 13 riders raised an amazing £18,794 and, with 20 places this year, we're hoping to smash a £25k target.
The RideLondon website has comprehensive details about the route, and the essential training plans!
A rider from long-term Create funder British Land, who completed the challenge for us last year, reflected:
"It is such a great experience to breathe in the fresh air and see that many cyclists on car-free roads. It's nice not to have to worry about competing with vehicles. I think a couple of the hills were harder than I thought they'd be, especially Leith Hill which was certainly the most challenging stretch. That and cycling down towards Buckingham Palace were definite highlights. It really made me feel like I'd done it. I got to know Create through British Land, who introduced me to the charity's inspiring work when I was considering taking on the challenge. It is a very important cause and I am glad the money I fundraised is supporting such wonderful projects."
We will provide you with lots of fundraising tips and support; plenty of social media encouragement, recognition and profile; a lovely, cotton Create T-shirt; and celebrate your achievements through our Facebook event page and website. We also provide a picnic at the end of the race to allow you to celebrate your achievements with us.
To secure your place or for more information, get in touch by emailing firstname.lastname@example.com (and as they are VIP tickets they won't hang around for long)!
We would love to have you on #TeamCreate during our 15th anniversary year.

subset: commoncrawl


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Cambridge Pre-Packaged Patio Pub & Bistro Table Kits
Choose from two styles — Olde English Wall (shown top right) and MaytRx Wall (shown bottom right ). Both come with a 48" x 48" polished granite top in either Black Uba Tuba or Venetian Gold with a 2" diameter hole pre-drilled for an umbrella (not included). Seats up to eight people.
Olde English Wall
Complete with one pallet of Olde English Wallstones to build a 20" x 20" single pedestal for a 42" high table.
MaytRx Wall
Complete with one pallet of MaytRx Column Wallstones to build a 22" x 22" single pedestal for a 42" high table.
Ready to install… absolutely NO cutting necessary!


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Dean & Fulkerson is a business law firm located in Troy, Michigan. It was formed in 1988 through the merger of two established law firms to serve the business, professional and personal needs of its clients.Learn More
Dean & Fulkerson is a unique law firm in that a majority of our attorneys have many years of both legal experience and, as firm shareholders, business ownership experience. This combination of legal and business expertise is invaluable to our clients who not only receive expert legal advice but business counseling as well. At Dean & Fulkerson, you will always have an experienced partner working on your matter, from start to finish. Your legal services needs will not be assigned to inexperienced, unsupervised associates, who generally have a higher learning curve and require supervision and training. This means that your matter is handled quickly, efficiently and economically.
Dean & Fulkerson's billing rates are very competitive compared to other firms in the Detroit metropolitan area. Our depth of experience also enhances the value of our services because we can quickly identify and resolve legal problems. We also work with our clients to ensure that the legal effort expended is justified by the anticipated value to the client.
We have experience representing local, privately-held companies as well as large, U.S.-based multinational companies. We also represent the U.S. subsidiaries of European and Asian-based companies headquartered in Spain, Germany, Austria, Japan, and Taiwan. We also have significant expertise in cross-border issues involving transportation companies doing business in the U.S. and Canada.
Our firm has a stellar reputation within the community, the courts, and with its clients. A number of our attorneys have been recognized by peer rating organizations such as Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell and Leading Lawyers. Our firm has also been recognized by Best Law Firms.
Our Practice
Dean & Fulkerson is a full-service law firm providing personalized services and solutions to businesses, municipalities, schools and individuals.
News & Events
COVID-19 Thoughts On The Coming Reboot – Not A Shoo-In? – Questions Not Frequently Asked Now, But Which Should Be
April 30, 2020
All employers, and their stalwart HR staffs, will be confronted with the uncertain task of quickly and efficiently bringing back on-line previously fine-tuned systems for the production of goods and services which have been forced over the past weeks into much-reduced activity. When the reboot is initiated, things will move quickly. It will come with its own package of issues, some of which may be as challenging as those faced in the weeks preceding it, if not more so. This is why it is advisable to look ahead and anticipate those things which are likely to become the stuff of FAQs for the reboot.Full Read
April 13, 2020
The entire state of Michigan, and over 90% of the US population, are under travel and activity restrictions which make it difficult to carry on ordinary business activities, or even conduct business, unless the business activity is deemed necessary for the critical infrastructure of the country, to preserve life health […]Full Read
Coronavirus and the Force Majeure Clause
February 28, 2020
The stock market began to feel the impact of the coronavirus (named COVID-19 by the World Health Organization) in earnest this week. No matter what line of business you are in, it is near impossible to go through a day and not hear about the coronavirus. Panic is mounting, the markets […]Full Read
Dean & Fulkerson Shareholder Karen Libertiny Ludden named to Crain's Detroit Business 2019 Notable Women in Law
October 29, 2019
Dean & Fulkerson is pleased to announce that Karen Libertiny Ludden as been selected for inclusion in the Crain's Detroit Business 2019 Notable Women in Law List. Karen Libertiny Ludden's profile for Notable Women in Law can be viewed here. Karen Libertiny Ludden is a shareholder and the Chair of […]Full Read
September 24, 2019
On September 24, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, published final regulations increasing the minimum salary that must be paid to an employee for the employee to be exempt from the minimum wage and overtime pay requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Effective January […]Full Read
Super Lawyers 2019
September 13, 2019
Dean & Fulkerson is pleased to announce that 2 of its shareholders have been selected for the 2019 Michigan Super Lawyers® list. Each year, no more than 5 percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by Super Lawyers® to receive this honor. Janet E. Lanyon: Employee Benefits James K. O'Brien: […]Full Read
Best Lawyers in America
August 22, 2019
Dean & Fulkerson is proud to announce the inclusion of three of the firm'sshareholders in the 2020 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. James M. Dworman: Commercial Litigation Janet E. Lanyon: Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Labor & Employment James K. O'Brien: Litigation – Environmental, Environmental Law For […]Full Read
Electronic Logging Devices and Hours of Service Supporting Documents
August 19, 2019
Frequently Asked Questions The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions regarding the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) rule. In this report, you will learn about key requirements, exemptions, supporting documents and much more. Click here for […]Full Read
The Interruption of Business Interruption Claims in the Covid Pandemic
September 17, 2020
In the first two months of this year, the Covid virus rolled in like silently gathering storm clouds, subtle and menacing, but with no obvious effect on businesses. In March, however, its effect was sudden and severe; an unleashed hurricane that has relentlessly battered the service industry in particular. Shuttered […]Full Read


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Mark Ruffalo Teases Evolved Hulk in 'Avengers: Age of Ultron'
Just because there are a handful of new characters introduced in next summer's Avengers: Age of Ultron, it doesn't mean that the movie won't have time to develop its existing cast. In fact, one of the newcomers might have a hand in that development, according to Mark Ruffalo.
"I love the new kids on the block," Ruffalo told Collider. "I love Wanda [the Scarlet Witch] and Pietro, Quicksilver, they're cool. They're really cool and good characters." (He also added that Paul Bettany's Vision is "so dope.")
Heat Vision breakdown
Read more What's Revealed in the First 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' Trailer?
The feeling of affection toward Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch might not extend to his character, however. The Witch is "able to bring out … the worst in us," Ruffalo said. "There are people in our lives who can do that, and somehow when you're an actor you tend to gravitate toward those people, but she's that bad — it's like Sid and Nancy. She's everyone's Nancy."
The actor said that Bruce Banner is "trying to become more part of a group" in the new movie, following the events of the first Avengers. "I feel like he has the idea that maybe he is a part of something," Ruffalo explained. "He's trying to really be part of something and feels more comfortable I think with the fantasy that he can actually be part of something. But I still think it's a struggle for him and I never think that he quite has it under control. I think in this version he's sort of as close to having a normal life as he possibly could, which might include some romance, but is that ever possible for Banner? That's really the question."
Avengers: Age of Ultron hits theaters May1, 2015.
Read more Trailer Report: 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' Beats 'Fifty Shades' for Best First Week of 2014
- Graeme McMillan
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by Lars Brandle, Billboard
by the Associated Press


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Students across Hall County are learning how to code this week and, as a result, have made a little extra cash.
"Chestatee, all week long, is going with their math teacher to code for an hour," said Darrell Skogman, a math and programming teacher at the high school. "They're just going to the lab, and code.org has a website set up (with tutorials)."
People communicate with computers via coding; learning how to code helps in multiple activities, including building websites and creating smartphone apps.
This week is Computer Science Education Week, and as part of that, students in participating schools worldwide are spending one hour each learning about coding via online tutorials at www.code.org.
By registering Chestatee High School for this Hour of Code, the school was automatically entered for a $10,000 drawing. One school in each state received the award. Out of around 100 schools in Georgia eligible for the prize, Chestatee won.
Skogman plans to purchase seven laptops, three Android tablets, and a 3-D printer with the money.
"We had about 160 kids go through it (Monday) and had about that many go through it (Tuesday)," he said. "I left a little link and had them all fill out a survey at the end. The response has been overwhelmingly positive. A lot of kids are responding that they didn't even know what coding was about, and they wanted to go home and try it some more."
Outside of Chestatee, other participating schools are C.W. Davis Middle School, North Hall Middle School and Chestatee Academy of Inquiry and Talent Development.
Career and business teacher Geoff Chaffin at Davis Middle is learning along with his students. While he teaches students how to plan for their future careers, he thinks coding is an important skill to learn at a young age.
This week has inspired Chaffin to learn to code for himself.
"It's easier than I thought it was going to be," he said. "When you think about computer science, you think of it being something that you've got to be a rocket scientist (to know). The procedures that you (put) into place with the code, they're common sense. It's not some crazy, encrypted computer language that only certain people in the world can understand."


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News Articles
Politico: Senators try for line-item veto again
Feb 16 2011
Chris Frates
In the face of mounting federal deficits, a bipartisan group of senators is taking another shot at giving the president line-item veto authority.
Co-sponsored by Sens. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.), the Reduce Unnecessary Spending Act would allow any president to single out earmarks and other nonentitlement spending for elimination or reductions. The bill would force Congress to take a vote on objectionable items any president sends back to Congress.
"This legislation would provide the president and Congress with an important tool to cut wasteful spending and ensure that taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely and effectively," Carper said in a statement. "This budget scalpel will empower the president to make targeted cuts to trim the fat from spending bills and require Congress to hold an up-or-down vote on the president's proposed cuts, providing additional transparency and accountability to the appropriations process."
In 1996, the Line Item Veto Act was signed into law but was overturned two years later by the Supreme Court because it violated the Constitution.
The Carper-McCain proposal attempts to avoid a similar fate by using the president's current authority to propose cuts to a spending bill within 45 days of signing it into law — an authority that is little used because Congress rarely votes on the proposed cuts. The new legislation would change that by requiring an up-or-down vote if the cuts meet certain conditions:
• The president must send Congress the proposed cuts within 45 days of signing a spending bill.
• The cuts would apply only to discretionary and nonentitlement spending.
• The president would propose changes only to the bill's spending levels, not the bill itself.
"Our line-item veto proposal," McCain said in a statement, "will enable some much needed fiscal restraint and help to end the abuse of the American taxpayer dollar in pork-laden legislation."


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How to Get Started!
By now you've seen that our firm is something special and because you love your family, you know your family and wealth deserve the kind of protection, guidance and love we provide for a lifetime. It's important that you know how we work because we do things a bit differently at Quraishi Law & Wealth than at other law firms. That's why our clients love us so much.
We begin with an Initial Planning Session, during which we guide you to get your assets and resources organized so you can finally relax around what you have and what you need.
We'll discuss your current financial and tax strategies and how to best grow and protect your wealth during your lifetime. Then, we look at how to make things as easy as possible for your loved ones after you are gone. Because no one wants to leave a mess for the ones they love.
During your Initial Planning Session, we will identify the best ways for you to ensure your legacy of love and financial security for your family.
The Quraishi Law & Wealth Proven Process
Schedule Your Initial Planning Session
Call our office at (870) 275-4304 to schedule your personal Initial Planning Session or click here to schedule online. Our Client Services Director will schedule the most convenient appointment time available for you with one of our expertly trained Estate & Wealth Planning Lawyers.
When you schedule your Initial Planning Session, we block up to 1.5 hours on our calendar so we can focus entirely on you and your goals during this time. We will send you a package of information to complete before our time together, which will help you begin the process of getting your legal and financial life in order.
I will expect to meet with you and with anyone else you will be planning with such as your spouse, life partner, or business partner, so please make sure all parties will be available during the meeting time.
During our meeting together, we will explore your situation and discuss your goals and concerns on several important topics. This meeting is a client-centered process focused on developing a roadmap to help you build, protect and transition your wealth by looking at all areas of your financial and legal life including retirement, tax, legacy and estate, and business planning.
Our Initial Planning Session is normally $250 and if we decide to work together, that fee is applied to your planning fee. However, in most cases we are able to waive this fee if you agree to complete a short online questionnaire ("Personal Wealth Inventory & Assessment") in advance of our meeting, making your Session completely FREE!
We focus most of our energy providing service to our existing clients and limit the number of new clients we see each week. We only take referrals from trusted Professional Planning Partners. As a result, we do require you to complete your Personal Wealth Inventory & Assessment. If you are unable to do so we will need to reschedule your Session for a later date and time.
PLEASE NOTE: While clients are free to utilize our legal services only, we find that those who take advantage of our integrated planning services achieve the best results.
What to Do Prior to Your Initial Planning Session
About 3 days after scheduling your appointment, you will receive a Mailer with important information that you will want to review prior to your personal Initial Planning Session. You will also receive an email with an online questionnaire for your Personal Wealth Inventory & Assessment. We must have your Personal Wealth Inventory & Assessment completed 3 days prior to your Session or we will need to reschedule your Session. Feel free to call the office at any time if you need assistance completing your worksheet or have any questions at all.
If you have existing estate planning documents, please make sure that we have your existing documents in our office at least a week before your meeting so that we can review them prior to meeting with you.
What to Expect the Day of Your Initial Planning Session
On the day of your meeting, please expect to spend up to 1.5 hours with your attorney. The initial meeting with your attorney has two purposes:
1- To guide you to become more financially organized and clear than you ever have been before, so you can finally relax around what you have and what you need; and
2- Give you clarity on how to best protect and grow your wealth today, and how to make things as easy as possible for your loved ones after you are gone.
Assuming there is a good fit between you and our firm, your attorney will help you to choose the planning level and fee that is right for your family (we have several different planning levels to accommodate your needs – our fees are all-inclusive, so there are no surprises) and you and your attorney will then design a plan that will give you the peace of mind of knowing your family and wealth will be protected.
In most law firms, the relationship ends there.
But we see the creation of a plan and/or signing of documents as the beginning of our relationship with your family.
With a carefully prepared and comprehensive financial, tax & estate plan in place, you can move forward into the future with the confidence and peace of mind that come with knowing that you have taken measures to ensure that your wealth is totally protected… protected from the IRS and government, creditors and predators, rising long-term care expenses, hidden investment fees…both now and in the future, and that your loved ones are not subjected to unnecessary stress due to legal complications after you pass away.
In this way, estate & wealth planning is one of the most compassionate things that you can do for your family. It not only provides them with the benefits of your generosity, but also serves to prevent strife and conflict over inheritances by establishing clear and unequivocal directions concerning the distribution of your assets.
FAQ: How Much Does a Will or Trust Cost?
If you're thinking about asking "How much does a will or trust cost?" or even about the cost of a financial plan or proactive tax plan, READ THIS FIRST…


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After spending a week at Disneyland and California Adventure, one of my favorite memories is the World of Color show. There are so many fun things in both parks, but this was pretty spectacular. And, for my family, it was a nice end to a great day. We had dinner in Carthay Circle, which was fantastic, and walked for a bit before the show started. Then, we enjoyed a reserved viewing area that came with our dinner package. I was truly impressed with the magic of Disney, the lights, the music and how they managed to figure out that they could project images on the spraying fountains. If you like the water fountains at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, you will enjoy the World of Color.
All of these photos were taken with a Nikon CoolPix AW100 and captured as stills from the HD video. I'm still pretty impressed with myself for getting it all to work out right for the photos and, when photographing a nighttime show, I found this to be an easier way to get to enjoy the event with my family rather than fiddling with a bigger DSLR to get the longer exposure shots. And, I haven't had the best luck with long exposure shots so this was much less frustrating for me. Let me know what you think of the results. And, if you have any tips on night shots or fireworks-type shows, please comment with your suggestions. Thanks.
My full video from the show is almost thirty minutes and can be found HERE on my Youtube page.


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A seasoned professional in the consumer electronics world, Jesper Glad is the Director of Innovation at Jabra where he utilizes his exceptional skillset to help keep the audio accessory brand fresh. Jabra – makers of the Solemate portable speaker and REVO wireless headphones, among many others – continues to push boundaries with Glad at the innovation helm where he helps with everything from research & development to marketing. With its strong team, the Jabra brand is looking forward to a fruitful future filled with plenty of solutions to better serve its customers.
7 Questions with Jesper Glad
1. How does your team generate new ideas?
First, we'll look at the new product line and the incremental aspect of how we might improve the items. From there, we'll push towards our more radical ideas, depending. The process is very related to the trend spotting community in that we're always looking to trends to figure out what's going to be the next innovation that's going to pick up.
2. Do you have specific rituals for re-setting your team to be creative?
It's really about trying to get beyond what we are normally thinking about and move past what our current DNA is concerned with. Getting an idea of what's going on in the grand scheme. For example, we've been going through the ideation process behind what's popular in the electronics market with females. We're always trying to provoke our normal way of thinking to really bring out the best.
3. How do you identify trends? What resources does your team use to spot trends and consumer insights?
We have a highly cross-functional team including people from nearly all parts of our organization. Our team is always scanning newsletters, blogs and trend reports to gain a better perspective of what opportunities exist in the market. They'll take that information and communicate it across the organization to make sure that everyone stays in the know. If we identify something that could work, we'll start the ideation process to see how we can incorporate it.
4. What is the biggest challenge you face when innovating?
Jabra is a brand that delivers both business solutions and consumer solutions. As such, the mindset that's related to both of those can be quite different. The various requirements of each separate sector is really the most challenging factor. It requires that we always keep a constant watch on our approach to transfer certain aspects over from one area to another.
5. Has there ever been an instance where another industry has influenced an innovation at your company?
We are more or less always looking at what's going on with any number of industries. It's extremely important to keep up to date with a variety of different industries for various reasons. For instance, a lot of the products that we're creating are used by companies together with their communication systems and we therefore need to be highly aware of what is currently happening with solutions within that industry.
6. What makes an innovative culture? How do you create a culture of innovation?
It's about the unwritten rules and the models that are engrained into the very company itself. Making sure there's room for being creative and ready to embrace when people are doing good things. We're quite hungry for new ideas and constantly looking to keep innovating on a consistent basis.
7. Looking to the future, how is Jabra going to be a leader in innovation?
I think we're going on the right track. We definitely still have some great opportunities and resources that have yet to be utilized, so we're going to see how those are relevant. Combine those aspects with our great team and you can bet that we'll continue innovating for a while yet.
References: jabra and trendreports


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by Fiona
I have built up my run on treadmill now four or five mornings a week for five miles each morning. I suffered flu a couple of weeks ago and I am just wondering how should I go about getting back into the run. Should I just start off with my five miles again or should I start off slower. I was only off about three weeks with sickness, but I'd hate starting over again, I was so happy when I built up my run to five and six miles.Thanks
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This application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application No. 61/086,132 filed Aug. 4, 2008 for III-NITRIDE PHOTOCATHODES DEPOSITED ON MICROCHANNEL PLATES.
The U.S. Department of Energy provided funding under contract #DE-FG02-06ER84506. The Government has certain rights in this invention.
This invention is in the technical field of image intensifiers and, more particularly, those that use microchannel plates (MCPs) as electron multipliers.
Microchannel plates (MCPs) are commonly used as electron intensifiers in UV, visible and infrared imaging detectors. A typical configuration of this type of photodetector comprises a photocathode to absorb incoming electromagnetic radiation in a range of wavelengths through photoemission processes to generate photoelectrons, and an MCP to amplify the generated photoelectrons with the resulting electrons received by either an optical or electronic image generation, or readout, arrangement. In recent years there have been significant improvements in the performance of these photodetectors by enhancements to the quantum efficiency (QE) of the detection process through improved photocathodes, advances in MCP performance characteristics, and developments of high performance image readout techniques.
Currently, the more common material for MCP fabrication is lead-silicate glass. The typical technology for modern production of lead glass MCPs is based on the use of optical fibers and involves multiple processes of dragging together and agglomerating fibers having an acid-soluble core, resulting in the production of a primary joined multiple fibers block. This block is then cut plural times at a desired angle across the direction of extent of the fibers, called a bias angle, to thereby be separated into joined multiple fibers plates that are then ground and polished across the ends of the fibers in the plates. Next, the cores are dissolved away before activating the MCP by a thermal reduction of lead-oxide in the surface area of channels under a hydrogen flow.
There are two common arrangements used for combining photocathodes with MCPs in sealed phototubes to form photodetectors. In a first arrangement (10), shown schematically in FIG. 1, a photocathode (13), which is a thin film of a photon responsive low electron-affinity material, is deposited on a suitable optical window (12) that is separated by a small vacuum gap (14) from the MCP (15), on top of a readout instrument (16), in a vacuum sealed phototube (17). A thin-film optical filter (11) is sometimes used on window (12) to either absorb or reflect, or both, a portion of the spectrum of the electromagnetic radiation impinging on that window. In this arrangement, further illustrated in the inset of FIG. 1, light enters by passing through filter (11) and window (12) to reach photocathode film (13) where photons with energy above a threshold, which depends on the photocathode material, are absorbed by generating photoelectrons. This first arrangement is typically referred to as a "semitransparent" or transmission mode photocathode.
The electrons generated in photocathode (13) by the impinging photons need to reach the surface thereof to be ejected into vacuum gap (14) from where they are guided into the microchannels of MCP (15) by an electric field applied between the photocathode and the MCP during operation. The electrons strike the facing MCP surfaces and are thereafter multiplied in number inside the microchannels by multiple collisions with channel walls (18) through secondary electron emission. In doing so, these electrons are accelerated by an electric field applied across the MCP channels until they exit the microchannels on the opposite side, and they thereafter typically either strike a phosphor screen (not illustrated) or are collected areally over a receiving surface in a readout arrangement (16) providing corresponding signals to readout circuitry therein to form an intensified image. A typical silica-glass MCP can provide a gain of up to about 103, and often two or more of these MCPs are stacked back-to-back in a phototube to obtain higher conversion gains and improved sensitivity.
In a second common photodetector arrangement (20), shown schematically in FIG. 2, the photodetector also may have an optical filter (21) deposited on a window (22) of a vacuum sealed phototube (27) and separated from the remainder of the structure by a vacuum gap (23). However, instead of being deposited on the back of window (23), a photocathode film (24) is directly deposited both on the surface and up to a certain depth on the microchannel walls (28) of a MCP (25), as shown in the inset of FIG. 2. In this arrangement, impinging photons having passed through window (22) and filter (21), if present, strike the facing surfaces of photocathode film (24) and, through photoemission, photoelectrons are generated and ejected from the same surface. This second arrangement is typically referred to as an "opaque" or reflection mode photocathode.
In this arrangement, the electrons that are ejected from the facing surfaces of photocathode film (24) on the outer surface or inside the microchannels of MCP (25) are guided down those microchannels by an electric field applied to the channels of MCP (25) during operation, with little chance of "crosstalk" between the channels because of photocathode electrons emitted in the vicinity of one microchannel traveling to another microchannel. A separate electrode (not shown) may be positioned outside MCP (25) to further help guide the photoelectrons into the microchannels. As in the first arrangement, electrons multiplied in number by secondary emission exiting the channels of MCP (25) typically either strike a phosphor screen (not illustrated) or are collected by a readout arrangement (26).
This second phototube arrangement has a number of advantages. First, the photocathodes in general show much higher detection quantum efficiency in the opaque mode (FIG. 2) as compared to those in the semitransparent mode (FIG. 1). This is mainly due to the semitransparent operation result of the photoelectrons being mostly generated in the back of the photocathode film (13) from where they need to reach the surface thereof facing MCP (15) before recombining with holes or being trapped by defects in that film. In many photocathodes, this requires films therefor that are thinner than the absorption length in the wavelength range of interest leading to photons not being absorbed thereby resulting in a lower quantum efficiency as compared to operation in the opaque mode. Furthermore, in the case of epitaxially grown semiconductor photocathode films (e.g., GaAs or GaN), the thicker films possible for opaque operation can result in higher crystal and optical qualities at the surface thereby resulting in further improvements in quantum efficiency.
Second, one of the important attributes of MCPs compared to other imaging technologies, such as charged coupled devices (CCDs), is the superior imaging resolution which is basically limited by the microchannel separation (˜10 μm). However, such imaging resolutions would not be possible for operation in the semitransparent mode since an electron ejected from a point on the surface of photocathode film (13), which is separated by vacuum gap (14) from MCP (15), could be transferred to a neighboring microchannel, as illustrated in the inset of FIG. 1. This effect will be more pronounced in the presence of any large electric or magnetic fields that could further modify the path of the photoelectrons. However, this effect can be virtually eliminated with the direct deposition of photocathode film (24) on MCP (25), since the emitted photoelectrons are generated near or inside of the microchannels with little chance of crosstalk between nearby channels, as illustrated in the inset of FIG. 2.
Finally, direct deposition of photocathode films on MCPs can lead to a more robust and lower cost production of phototubes by removing the need for expensive windows that are both transparent to the desired electromagnetic spectrum and compatible with high-quality deposition of photocathode materials. In this arrangement of FIG. 2, one may also use thin-film optical filters (21) deposited on the transparent window (22) to absorb the unwanted portion of electromagnetic spectrum (e.g., infrared and visible light in the case of UV imagers) to reduce the heating of photocathode film (24). In this structure, the heat generated by the absorption of light on the thermally conductive window (e.g., sapphire) can be removed via a good contact with cooled phototube housing (27).
In spite of the above important advantages, direct depositions of photocathodes on MCPs have been mainly limited to metallic layers, including alkali halides such as CsI, KBr, and MgF2, that can be deposited at lower temperatures. Compared to semiconductor photocathodes, such as GaAs or GaN, metallic photocathodes are generally more robust and have the advantage of air transportability. However, the main disadvantage of metallic photocathodes is that the quantum efficiency is relatively very low because of their high reflectivity and shallow electron escape depth.
Because of the negative electron affinity (NEA) that can be established for materials to be used in providing semiconductor photocathodes, such as those based on GaN thin films, those photocathodes used with MCPs can show relatively large quantum efficiencies, and with the added advantage of providing a sharp cutoff in photon absorption below their bandgap energies. GaN-based film photodetectors can the cutoff wavelength thereof moved into the deep ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum by adding aluminum to the film composition (i.e., AlxGal1-xN, with 0≦×≦1) or can have the cutoff wavelength occur in the visible and infrared portions by adding indium to the film composition (i.e., InxGa1-xN, with 0≦×≦1.) The only drawback to the deposition of these semiconductor photocathodes directly on glass MCPs has been the required film deposition, or growth, temperatures that are well above the damage threshold of the materials used standard MCPs. Both low temperature growth and growth on glass surfaces have not been suitable conditions in which to obtain quality p-type conductivity GaN-based films thereon. As a result, these semiconductor photocathodes have been mostly grown on sapphire windows and then joined with glass MCPs to be used in conjunction with one another in sealed phototubes to be used in the semitransparent mode (FIG. 1) with the issues and problems described above. Thus, there is a need for a process that deposits GaN-based photocathode films directly on glass MCPs.
The present invention provides a method for providing a photocathode layer structure on a substrate of a substrate material differing from that the layers in the photocathode layer structure comprising heating the substrate to a temperature less than the thermal damage temperature of the substrate material, and depositing on the substrate a semiconductor material selected from magnesium doped GaN, AlGaN and InGaN, to thereby form thereon a growth layer with a growth surface, while increasing the energy of reactants at the growth surface from a source of energy external to the substrate without increasing the growth temperature of the substrate past the thermal damage temperature of the substrate material. This method allows for providing a photodetector having a microchannel plate having a periodic table column III nitride material photocathode on surfaces thereof having a microchannel plate having an end surface interrupted by a plurality of microchannels opening therein, a semiconductor material photocathode layer supported by the end surface and by sides of each of the plurality of microchannels with the semiconductor material being selected from magnesium doped GaN, AlGaN and InGaN, and a negative electron affinity material layer provided on the semiconductor material photocathode layer having a lower electron affinity than does the semiconductor material photocathode layer.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a portion of a vacuum-sealed phototube known in the prior art;
FIG. 2 shows a schematic of a portion of a vacuum-sealed phototube embodying the present invention; and
FIG. 3 shows photoemission quantum efficiency (QE) for embodiments of the present invention and of the prior art.
Disclosed herein is a process depositing periodic table column III nitrides (e.g., p-type GaN) on temperature limited substrates such as sapphire, silica glass, and porous glass and alumina using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) in which the substrate surface reactants have energies enhanced from external energy sources to form deposited photocathodes on microchannel plates. Advantageously, RF plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is used for deposition of these photocathodes. Such photocathodes on sapphire, glass and alumina substrates exhibit relatively large detection quantum efficiencies (QE).
These photocathodes lead to substantial improvements in detection sensitivity, image resolution and service lifetime of imaging phototubes using them. Such processes can also be used for direct deposition of GaN-based photocathode films on other kinds of MCPs, including those based on aluminum-oxide for radiation-hard robust operation at elevated temperatures, and for low-cost large format detectors and imagers.
As an example only, a process of energy-enhanced, low-temperature deposition (e.g., RF plasma-assisted MBE) of semiconductor-based (e.g., p-type GaN) photocathode structures directly on microchannel plates (e.g., glass MCPs) is disclosed with the following steps: a) chemical and vacuum thermal cleaning of the MCP, b) heating the MCP in a vacuum chamber to a temperature less than a substrate material nature changing temperature, or thermal damage temperature, which, for glass, is typically at 300° C. to 350° C. or somewhat more depending on the type of glass, c) (advantageously, but not essentially) depositing, at a growth temperature of about 250° C., a thin layer of Al2O3 protective layer by atomic layer deposition, thereby forming a growth layer at a growth surface, to a final growth layer thickness of typically about 50 nm, and d) depositing, at a growth temperature of about 230° C., a p-type conductivity (Mg-doped) GaN semiconductor material layer (or p-type conductivity AlGaN or InGaN semiconductor material layer again achieved by Mg doping) by RF plasma-assisted MBE, thereby forming a growth layer on the end surface and inside the microchannels of the heated MCP at a growth surface, to a final growth layer thickness of typically about 0.5 μm to 1.0 μm. The Mg flux can be adjusted to produce useful p-type conductivity doping in the range of ˜5E17 to ˜2E19 holes/cm3. This process produced direct deposition of photocathodes on MCPs so that the higher QE of opaque mode operation can be utilized. Depending on the type of glass, growth temperature can be raised from ˜230° C., more preferably from a growth standpoint, to ˜300° C., and still more preferably ˜350° C.
Direct deposition of photocathodes on MCPs assembled in phototubes results in them having both higher imaging and higher temporal resolution as a result of photoemission events having the resulting emitted electrons occur in a MCP microchannel, or entering the nearest MCP microchannel from the MCP outer surface. This especially is the result of the deposited p-type conductivity GaN material for the photocathode being further treated to form a negative electron affinity (NEA) photocathode. The additional treatment is a) the activation of the GaN-based photocathode deposited on the MCP to achieve negative electron affinity through depositing a thin Cs film on the outer surface thereof in a ultra high vacuum, and b) thereafter the sealing of the photocathode deposited on the MCP and a readout circuit in a vacuum enclosure with a transparent window perhaps covered by an optional filter layer provided on the window.
In addition to enabling a band-pass response, the optional filter on the phototube window can be used reduces photocathode heating by absorbing unwanted (e.g., infrared) portions of the electromagnetic radiation incident on that window. Thus, with this deposition process, phototubes can be fabricated tuned to specific ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum by direct deposition of a photocathode on an MCP using a) selected adjustments to the composition of the photocathode material and/or structure (e.g., adding In or Al to GaN) to select within limits the portions of the spectrum represented in the electromagnetic radiation to which the photocathode responds, in combination with b) the selected spectrum passbands for any optical filters deposited on the phototube window that transmit impinging electromagnetic radiation.
This process of direct deposition of photocathodes on an MCP provides an improvement over the prior art because it allows fabrication in an integrated photocathode/MCP manufacturing operation with lower production costs, reduced complexity of construction, and removal of the requirement for providing epitaxial layers on compatible transparent windows, which in turn allows a wider selection of window materials, and of optical coatings that can be applied to either side of the window.
The invention also encompasses the phototube structure shown in FIG. 2 comprising a microchannel plate on which is deposited a photocathode, e.g., GaN or AlGaN or InGaN, as well as a complete phototube utilizing such structure. Optional layer (29) on microchannel wall (28) is a protective or nucleation layer for starting the semiconductor layer, or both, typically of Al2O3 or Si3N4 or AlN or others or combinations thereof, formed on the MCP by either physical deposition or vapor phase deposition. Depending on the MCP material type this layer can serve to 1) reduce the potential of contamination from the MCP (28) entering into photocathode layer (24) by covering it over as barrier, 2) increase the thermal stability of the MCP surface (28) at higher temperatures, 3) improve the chemical stability of the MCP in harsh environments, and 4) provide a more suitable surface for nucleating the start of the deposition of the photocathode layer (24). Layer (30) is a thin film of a low electron affinity material deposited on the photocathode layer (24) to induce negative electron affinity at the surface of the photocathode.
Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) was used to produce working examples. In MBE, various atomic fluxes are generated by heating high-purity elemental materials (e.g., Ga or Al) in special ovens (called effusion cells) in an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) chamber with base pressure of less than 5×10−11 Torr. The atomic fluxes converge on a heated substrate to form thin films of high-quality materials. For plasma-assisted III-Nitride MBE, an RF nitrogen plasma source was used to produce atomic nitrogen. RF plasma MBE was used to grow p-type GaN on sapphire at ˜650° C., and on quartz substrates and glass MCPs at temperatures of ˜250° C., which can be tolerated by standard glass MCPs. For one of the samples, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) system was used to deposit a thin layer of Al2O3 before growing the p-type GaN film. In situ monitoring techniques, such as optical reflectometry, pyrometry and electron diffraction, were used to monitor and control MBE growth at various stages.
The MBE system was a Perkin Elmer, Waltham, Mass., model PE-425-B, modified for III-nitride growth. (This is an older MBE system that is no longer commercially available, but is typical of the many that are available.) The effusion sources were models SVTA-SF-20-450 (for Mg), SVTA-HL-40-450 (for Ga), and SVTA-CL-20-450 (for Al), and the inductively-coupled RF nitrogen plasma source was a model SVT RF-4.50, and the ALD system was a model ALD-P-100B, all available from SVT Associates, Inc., Eden Prairie, Minn. The major MBE system modification was to add cryo-pumps to handle a higher nitrogen gas load and pressure and change the substrate heater to pyrolytic-boron nitride (PBN) for operating temperatures above 1000° C., but this was not needed for these examples for which all the equipment can be considered fairly conventional with equivalents available from other vendors as well.
Example no. 1: As an example of energy-enhanced growth techniques to deposit photocathodes directly on MCPs, low temperature growth of a GaN-based NEA photocathode film on silica glass was performed using RF plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE).
A commercially available polished quartz substrate (model: CGQ-0600-02) was obtained from ChemGlass, Inc. of Vineland, N.J., with a 1-inch (25 mm) diameter and ⅛ inch (3 mm) thickness. The substrate was cleaned first in acetone and then isopropanol baths, each for 5 minutes, then rinsed in DI water and blow dried using nitrogen gas. The substrate was then mounted on molybdenum sample holder and transferred to a UHV chamber and outgassed for 1 hour at ˜400° C. The substrate was them transferred to a vacuum-connected UHV MBE chamber and heated to ˜400° C. using the sample manipulator heater. Next, a nominally 0.1 μm thick Mg-doped GaN was grown on the substrate at a temperature of ˜380° C. while the substrate was rotated azimuthally at ˜10 RPM. The Mg and Ga fluxes were supplied using the effusion cells and the active nitrogen was supplied by the RF nitrogen plasma source. Based on previously done calibration runs for MBE growth of high quality p-type GaN on c-plane sapphire substrates, the nominal active nitrogen flux was set to produce ˜0.6 μm of GaN per hour, the Ga flux was adjusted for slightly Ga rich conditions, and the Mg flux was adjusted for high p-type doping of ˜5E18 holes/cm3. A very weak and diffused RHEED pattern indicated a mixture of amorphous and polycrystalline thin film deposited on the quartz substrate under these conditions. After growth, the p-type conductivity of the grown Mg-doped GaN layer was verified by hot-probe measurements and electrical measurements indicated ˜6 ohm-cm resistivity.
Example no. 2: This example was fabricated the same way as example 1 above except that, after chemical cleaning and before loading into the MBE system, ˜50 nm of Al2O3 was deposited on the surface at ˜250° C. using the ALD system. The ALD process to form each monolayer of Al2O3 included pulsed flooding of the ALD chamber with the aluminum precursor, tri-methyl-aluminum (TMA) from a metalorganic source bubbler for 1 sec, removing the residual precursor with nitrogen gas flushing and vacuum pumping, for 70 sec, pulsed flooding with H2O vapor for 1 sec, and removing the residual water and any gas-phase reactants by a second nitrogen gas flushing and vacuum pumping for 130 sec. As in the case of example 1, a nominally 0.1 μm Mg-doped GaN layer was grown on this sample in the MBE chamber. Again, a very weak and diffused RHEED pattern indicated a mixture of amorphous and polycrystalline thin film deposited on the Al2O3 covered quartz substrate under these conditions. After the growth, the p-type conductivity of the grown Mg-doped GaN layer was verified by hot-probe measurements and electrical measurements indicated ˜3 ohm-cm resistivity.
Example no. 3: A lead-glass MCP (model: Detection Quality Long Life™, catalog # MCP 13/12/10/0 D 40:1 HD) was obtained from PHOTONIS USA, Inc., Sturbridge, Mass., with a ˜18 mm outside diameter, ˜13 mm quality diameter, ˜0.43 mm thickness, 10 μm nominal pore size, 12 μm nominal pore center-to-center spacing, ˜0 degree bias angle, and an open area ratio of ˜55%. The manufacturer was asked not to deposit electrode metal layers on either side of the MCP but to activate it using their typical hydrogen thermal reduction. The MCP was only cleaned by immersing in isopropanol followed by nitrogen gas drying and vacuum thermal cleaning at ˜250° C. for ˜2 hours to avoid possible chemical or thermal damage to the MCP. In the MBE system, ˜0.5 μm of Mg-doped GaN was grown on the MCP surface at a temperature of ˜230° C. Based on calibration runs for MBE growth of high quality p-type GaN on c-plane sapphire substrates, the nominal active nitrogen flux was set to produce ˜0.6 μm of GaN per hour, the Ga flux was adjusted for slightly Ga-rich conditions, and Mg flux was adjusted for high p-type doping of ˜5E18 holes/cm3. During MBE growth, the MCP was positioned on the MBE growth manipulator, using a molybdenum sample holder at an angle of ˜40 degrees with respected to the MBE sources, and was rotated azimuthally at a rate of ˜10 RPM in order to coat both the MCP surface and up to ˜20 μm inside of the microchannels with Mg-doped GaN. In this case also a very weak diffraction pattern on RHEED screen during and after growth indicated a mixture of amorphous and polycrystalline thin film deposited on the MCP.
All three samples were then transferred in air to the Space Science Group at the University of California at Berkeley (UCB) for photocathode activation and photoemission characterization. The UCB group performed minimal cleaning using immersion in a 1:1 solution of methanol and isopropanol and drying in a 90° C. oven to follow the procedures that would be compatible for processing of photocathodes grown on glass MCPs. Next the samples were transferred to a UHV chamber and baked to ˜350° C., with a slow ramp up and ramp down process typically taking ˜10 hours. To produce a negative electron affinity (NEA) cathode, the UCB group used the typical Cs-activation process which uses very slow (<0.1 ML/min) deposition of Cs on the p-GaN surface at ˜140° C. while measuring the photoemission signal by exposing the surface to UV light and collecting the photoelectrons by a Faraday cup. This process is continued until no further increase in the photoemission signal is observed which corresponds to optimized Cs layer thickness of about 1 ML. Next the photoemission QE was measured after calibrating the instrument using a previously characterized p-type GaN photocathode. This reference sample was an Mg-doped, ˜0.1 μm thick GaN film grown on 30 nm of AlN on c-plane sapphire at the typically higher substrate temperature of ˜550° C., which is not suitable for growth on glass MCPs.
The photoemission spectrum of the photocathode samples was also measured by the UCB group after Cs-activation, described above, in vacuum using a mercury lamp and monochrometer as the UV light source and a Faraday cup to collect the photoelectrons.
FIG. 3 shows the photoemission spectrum measured for p-type GaN (p-GaN) photocathodes grown on a various substrates. Example 2, the p-GaN on quartz with a thin Al2O3 coating (closed squares) was measured in the opaque mode. In this case, electrons were collected from the same side of the plate that was exposed to the incident light. Example 3, the p-GaN on an MCP, as illustrated in the inset of FIG. 2, (closed circles) was also measured in the opaque mode. The opaque mode results (not shown) for example 1, a quartz substrate without an Al2O3 coating, were very close to that of example 2. For comparison, FIG. 3 also shows these measurements in both opaque and semitransparent modes for the reference p-GaN photocathode on sapphire (closed triangles and open triangles, respectively).
FIG. 3 shows photoemission quantum efficiency (QE) in opaque mode (closed symbols) for p-type GaN grown by RF plasma-assisted MBE on c-plane sapphire at ˜650° C. (triangles), quartz at ˜250° C. (squares), and on a glass MCP at ˜250° C. (circles). The open triangles in this figure correspond to QE measurements for the p-type GaN photocathode on c-plane sapphire measured in the semitransparent mode. As seen in FIG. 3, the sample grown on sapphire shows much higher QE as a function of wavelength, λ, in the opaque mode (e.g., QE>80% at λ ˜120 nm) compared to both samples grown on quartz and on MCP. However, as mentioned above, for integration in phototubes, photocathodes grown on a sapphire window must be used in the semitransparent mode (FIG. 1) which shows considerably lower QE (open triangles). These lower QE values are similar (for λ<250 nm) or substantially lower than the QE for operation in the opaque mode of the photocathode grown on quartz (closed squares) which indicates that similarly useful photocathode films can be directly deposited on MCPs (FIG. 2). Finally, FIG. 3 shows that deposition of p-GaN layers on MCPs with only mild cleaning, as described above, can still show detectable photoemission (closed circles), though with much lower QE than the case of growth on Al2O3-covered quartz (closed squares).
One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that routine experimentation will enable growth of a thin (˜50 nm) layer of Al2O3 formed by ALD over all the surfaces of a glass MCP. This will allow more aggressive cleaning of the MCP before deposition of GaN-based photocathode layers using low-temperature RF plasma-assisted MBE. The results for growth on Al2O3-covered quartz show that the proposed device should perform better than the current state-of-the-art UV phototubes containing the typical arrangement of a glass MCPs with a separate GaN-based photocathodes operated in the semitransparent mode.
Example no. 4: A bare alumina ceramic MCP, without an electron multiplication coating, with a 25 mm diameter and 0.1 mm thickness, was obtained from Synkera Technologies, Inc., Longmont, Colo. This MCP is fabricated from anodic aluminum oxide with heat treatment to produce gamma and alpha-alumina phases to improve chemical and thermal stability. This particular substrate had 25 μm pores with an open area ratio of about 25%. Surface preparation consisted of cleaning in an acetone bath for ˜5 min, followed by an isopropanol bath for ˜5 min, rinsing in DI water, immersion in (1:1) HCl:H2O solution for ˜1 min, and a second DI water rinse. The substrate was then dried and baked in an oven at ˜200° C. in air before being transferred to the UHV preparation chamber and heated to ˜400° C. for ˜2 hours and then transferred to the MBE growth chamber and heated to ˜750° C. for ˜10 min.
The p-GaN photocathode layer growth steps were: 1) exposure of the surface to active nitrogen flux at ˜750° C. for 10 min using the RF nitrogen source at 400 W and a N2 flow rate of 3 SCCM, 2) deposition of a 30 nm thick AlN layer at ˜750° C. under slightly Al-rich condition with RF nitrogen plasma source adjusted for ˜0.6 μm/hr, as explained above , and 3) deposition of a 0.5 μm thick Mg-doped GaN layer, under conditions similar to the working examples above. The substrate was heated to ˜750° C. and rotated at ˜10 RPM with the surface at an angle of ˜40 degrees with respect to the MBE sources during the growth to also produce, in this case, p-GaN coverage both on the surface and to some small depth inside of the alumina channels. A weak ringed RHEED pattern indicated mostly polycrystalline growth of p-GaN on the alumina MCP surface.
As with the other examples, this sample was shipped in air to UCB where it was Cs activated and its QE measured. The photoemission results were comparable to Example 1, being slightly lower at λ<200 nm (peak QE=20% vs. 30% at λ=120 nm). With reference to the inset in FIG. 2, alumina MCPs with a bias angle and open area ratios closer to the 55%, obtained with glass MCPs, should produce improved results. Alumina MCPs are of great interest for low-cost and large-format light detectors and imagers.
For the glass MCP sample, substrate temperatures were chosen on a very conservative basis to make sure that it survived the deposition. However, at least some glass material MCPs can be baked in vacuum at 380° C. While it cannot be predicted with certainty the temperature limit when using MBE, having demonstrated a working example at the lower temperatures, it should be possible to raise the substrate deposition temperatures to something approaching the vacuum bake temperatures, e.g., 300° C., more preferably from a growth standpoint, 350° C., before thermal damage occurs to the glass material in the MCP, i.e. before the MCP glass material structure or nature is changed due to overheating. Heating to temperatures close to, but below, the material thermal damage temperature should also prove useful for alumina MCPs coated for use as an electron multiplier.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.


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e world, entrepreneurs and small businesses are being celebrated.
Second, technology has leveled the playing field. Today, any small business can act small but look big. We have access to some incredible tools that previously were only the domain of the big boys.
This is especially true when it comes to marketing; it used to be so much more challenging and expensive. For example, back in the day you might have put an ad in the newspaper and maybe people would see it, but maybe not. Or you might have bought some television time, hoping that folks would see it and not change stations or would take some desired action.
That's a lot of maybes and hoping.
Today things are so much easier, better, and less expensive. Let me suggest five key e-marketing tools that you really should be using right now if you want to fully take advantage of this golden age of small business:
1. Your great website: You will notice I didn't say "your website." I said, "your great website." There's a difference, a big difference. The days when you could simply throw up a bland, boring – or worse, ugly – site are long gone.
Question: What is the first thing someone will do when they initially hear about you or your business and are thinking about working w
ith you? That's right, they will look you up on the Internet. What will they find when they look you up? That's the question.
Do you remember the old vocabulary building commercial, "People will judge you by the words you use"? Not only was that true then (and now) but what is even truer is that they will judge you based on your website.
Have a great one and you are in the game; don't, and you are not.
2. Content: "Content Marketing" is all the rage for a reason – it works. By sharing content that puts your best foot forward, is interesting and engaging, links back to your site, and brands your business, you offer people a valuable way to engage with your brand.
Your content can be shared in a variety of different platforms, including:
- Social media posts
- E-newsletters
- A blog
- Articles on your site or others
- Videos and podcasts
3. Mobile marketing: Check out this amazing stat: Half of all searches are now done on mobile devices. And, not only that, almost half of those searches have a local intent. That means that people are out there in your neighborhood right now, looking to buy what you have to sell, and many of them are searching for where to do so.
It is not a good idea to have a mobile marketing strategy. It is imperative that you have one.
Click here to read more articles from small business expert Steve Strauss
4. Social media: You know the drill by now: Social media is the next great marketing frontier! It's almost a cliché. But that doesn't mean it's not true.
Social media has become the giant marketing tool that it is because 1) it is where the eyeballs are, 2) it doesn't cost money per se (although of course, time is a form of money), and 3) it's a place where you can build your brand and customer base directly, without any filters between you and your audience.
5. Pay-per-click (PPC): PPC may be my personal favorite. Why? Because you can market your business so efficiently and affordably using those little Google or Bing or Facebook ads. If someone sees your ad and likes it, they will click on it and come to your site. Only then do you pay for that ad. If they don't click on it, you pay nothing. As such, PPC allows you to create, and only pay for, qualified leads. Amazing. Different. Better.
So yes, it is definitely an amazing time to be in business, and it's an even better time if you take advantage of some of the great e-tools available today.
About Steve Strauss
Steven D. Strauss is one of the world's leading experts on small business and is a lawyer, writer, and speaker. The senior small business columnist for USA Today, his Ask an Expert column is one of the most highly-syndicated business columns in the country. He is the best-selling author of 17 books, including his latest,The Small Business Bible, now out in a completely updated third edition. You can listen to his weekly podcast, Small Business Success, visit his new website TheSelfEmployed, and follow him on Twitter. © Steven D. Strauss.
You can read more articles from Steve Strauss by clicking here
Bank of America, N.A. engages with Steve Strauss to provide informational materials for your discussion or review purposes only. Steve Strauss is a registered trademark, used pursuant to license. The third parties within articles are used under license from Steve Strauss. Consult your financial, legal and accounting advisors, as neither Bank of America, its affiliates, nor their employees provide legal, accounting and tax advice.
Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC.
©2016 Bank of America Corporation


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The Most Tech Savvy Candidate Running for Statewide Office This Year is a Republican
BY Sarah Lai Stirland | Friday, October 24 2014
A record low percentage of Californians voted in the mid-term primaries this year. Pete Peterson, a Republican civic engagement expert running to be the next secretary of state, thinks that better technology and design could go a long way toward changing that dismal statistic.
"I know what good printing looks like. I know what bad design looks like," declared the 47-year-old executive director of Pepperdine University's Davenport Institute at a September Secretary of State candidate forum in Sacramento.
That declaration might seem pretty picayune, but it's his enthusiasm and attention to the often mundane mechanics of elections and civic engagement that seems to be gaining Peterson, a first-time political candidate, traction against Democratic establishment figure Alex Padilla, a 41-year-old Democratic state senator from Los Angeles, and a MIT-trained mechanical engineer.
Peterson has garnered endorsements from most of California's leading newspapers. Noting that a prime task of the Secretary of State's office is to be an effective "custodian of campaign finance and lobbying records," and that the office "faces technical challenges that require engaged, committed and creative leadership," the Los Angeles Times this May pointed to Peterson as the right professional for the job. Meanwhile, The San Jose Mercury News endorsed Peterson on the basis that he's got the right mix of experience as a civic engagement and technology expert, and that California's experience under current Secretary of State and former state legislator Debra Bowen demonstrates that having someone connected in Sacramento isn't necessarily helpful.
For its part, the San Francisco Chronicle endorsed Peterson because of his commitment to expand California's pool of voters, and because he's said "the research is explicit" that fraud isn't a problem at the voting booth. A self-described "limited government Republican," Peterson has even received an endorsement from a local progressive weekly. In early October, San Diego CityBeat urged its readers to vote for Peterson on the basis that "he's dedicated his career to increasing public participation in civic affairs," and that they're not for Padilla because of his 2008 vote to keep redistricting powers in the hands of the state legislature rather than in the hands of an independent citizens commission.
"We'd love to endorse Padilla, if only to put a Latino in high statewide office—and because Republicans scare the crap out of us. But we can't overlook Padilla's completely wrongheaded opposition to the initiative (2008's Prop. 11) that took the power to draw political district boundaries away from politicians. With that position, he was making a stand for the good ol' boys," read the editorial.
To be sure, many eligible voters in California simply don't exercise their privileges because they're turned off by political partisanship, they don't believe their vote counts, or they're uninspired by their choices. But many studies, including one conducted by the National Conference on Citizenship and Peterson's Davenport Institute, find that many Californians don't vote because they were too busy or had a scheduling conflict, or because they experienced registration problems. It's these Californians that secretaries of state hope to encourage by making the engagement process easier, more transparent, and more convenient.
On the logistical front, Peterson proposes offering better translations of voting materials, offering more early voting opportunities and setting up "voting centers," a solution that other states such as Colorado have had success with. He's also advocated higher levels of collaboration with civic organizations such as church groups and community organizations, getting the state DMV to improve its process for registering voters, and improving the processes for absentee ballots and provisional voting. Like Padilla – he recognizes that significant progress can't be made without the presence of a statewide voter registration database that can be updated in real-time. California is one of the last states to implement such a database. The new system, called VoteCal, isn't scheduled to become fully operational until the middle of the next presidential election cycle in 2016.
But Peterson also talks up the importance of design and technology.
"I think if there's anything you can say about the civic engagement work I've been doing around the state, it is that it is aware of, and using technology to its utmost – this whole field of government 2.0 is something that I've been involved in for many years," he said at the September forum organized by the Public Policy Institute of California.
For his part, Peterson wants to create a "dashboard" that would appear on the front of the secretary of state's Web site that would use the Pew Charitable Trusts' criteria for measuring election performance to track the office's progress at improving on those criteria. California currently ranks 49th in the country on the performance index. The study cited the state's high use of provisional balloting, and the problems associated with that process, as one of the main factors for its low ranking.
Both Peterson and Padilla have also piled on to Bowen for the office' abysmal performance at registering new businesses. An investigation into the process last year unearthed the fact that the Secretary of State's office processes business registration documents with a filing system of three-by-five index cards, and that there was a six-week backlog in processing those registration applications.
But Peterson goes further and notes that it's hard for businesses to even figure out how to register. Pointing to Nevada's Secretary of State Web site during the September candidate forum, Peterson noted its clean design and easy navigation tools. For example, the Nevada site features a "Start A Business" button, but it's not obvious from the California secretary of state's site where one should go to begin the process of registering a new business. He also proposes using registration data to issue an annual "Coming and Going Report" that tracks why businesses are starting in the state, and also why they're leaving.
Among other things, Peterson also wants to overhaul the whole user experience interface for voters from the way ballots are designed to Web sites through a "Design for Democracy Summit," which would involve California's graphic designers and user experience experts. He'd also create a committee of civic technologists who would advise the office on how best to engage the public with the appropriate tools.
Once he gets into office, he said a top priority would also create a catalogue of what data is available from the office in an open format and publish it online.
Peterson shares many similar views as Padilla when it comes to the big issues that need addressing at the Secretary of State's office: the need to work with county registrars to figure out the best way to upgrade counties' voting machines; the need to repair what appears to be a broken relationship between the secretary of state's office and many of the state's registrars who have complained of a command-and-control relationship rather than one based on two-way conversations, and who are still bitter that Bowen decertified the voting machines that they spent millions of dollars on; the need for a general improvement in the database technologies that enable better voter registration processes, campaign finance disclosures and business registration filing management.
The difference between the two candidates is that Peterson has spent the past decade figuring out what kinds of civic engagement works under vastly differing circumstances.
One of Peterson's first projects for the non-partisan civic engagement group Common Sense California in 2007 was to design a system to gather feedback from Californians on healthcare reform for then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The group brought in another non-profit called America Speaks and held a "21st Century Townhall" meeting that involved almost 3,500 Californians providing their ideas on the issue. The event used satellite television, webcasts, television broadcasts and voting keypads to facilitate the discussion.
More recently this September, Peterson participated in a conference call along with Alissa Black of the Omidyar Network organized by the non-profit Community Matters. Peterson and Black were there to advise city and town leaders on how they could most effectively use different kinds of digital tools to elicit various types of feedback from their residents.
Citing an academic theorist on public engagement, Peterson explained the different levels of engagement – from simply informing the public about a policy, to using tools such as MindMixer to actually elicit useful feedback with which to formulate public policy. Then he reminded his audience how they need to actively promote the use of the tools, or risk having them gather dust online. He mentioned that he advises a budget visualization company called OpenGov.com, and suggested that members of the audience might want to check it out. Peterson has even written (wittily) about community engagement and collaboration on techPresident.
For those who've listened to the user-experience designers for some of the world's largest technology platforms talk about the importance of design in engagement, Peterson's design and technology pitch makes a lot of sense.
There are two big caveats to bear in mind when evaluating both candidates' promises to improve the office of the secretary of state's performance.
The first is that neither of the candidates will be in a position to make big changes to two of the big technology projects that are already scheduled to go live in 2016 because they are already well underway. (Both candidates have addressed that by saying that they will keep a close eye on the contractors building the projects.) These projects, the rollout of California's new business registration database, and the statewide voter registration database, are key to enabling the changes that the candidates are promising. Meanwhile, Peterson agrees with MapLight's President and Co-founder Dan Newman that the secretary of state's office would benefit from simply making its lobbyist registration data available and letting outside entities such as MapLight build software to manage the data.
The second is that the real problem facing the secretary of state's office isn't a lack of technology savviness at all. Peterson is fond of pointing out that VoteCal is being implemented by CGI – the same systems integrators that brought us the disastrous Healthcare.gov insurance exchange portal. As Clay Johnson and Harper Reed noted last year in a New York Times Op-Ed, the biggest culprit behind failed large governmental technology projects is the governmental procurement process, which in practice only large companies such as CGI can navigate.
Oftentimes, only large companies such as CGI have the financial wherewithal to fulfill the onerous financial conditions and requirements in procurement contracts. This means that there's often no competitive bidding for technology projects. Such was the situation when the California Secretary of State issued a request for proposals from technology vendors to build the statewide voter registration database, according to a 2013 California State Auditor report. Such conditions are often imposed in the contracts in order to ensure that vendors are capable of reimbursing the state if they fail to complete the work as specified.
In an interview, Peterson said that he recognized that the VoteCal contract had already been awarded, but that he would make sure to review the contract thoroughly to make sure that it had been properly awarded and that he'd be keeping a close eye on CGI to ensure that it will fulfill its promises. He'd also try to ensure that his office stays in close touch with county registrars to make sure that everything is going according to schedule.
"At that level, the technology elements, I just want to make sure that I'm on top of those contracts every single day, and making sure that I'm bringing transparency to those contracts"
Padilla's press secretary did not respond to a request for an interview.
The procurement conundrum is a tough puzzle that may require a long-term collective effort to solve. But with his many ideas and many connections in the world of civic engagement and technology, Peterson is keen to be part of the effort to find an answer.
Peterson's campaign has been out-raised by Padilla's by almost eight to one. The question is whether he'll ever get a chance.
Photos courtesy of the campaigns.


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2020 Events
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Thursday, August 1 - Saturday, August 31
Family Animal Encounters
Time: 2pm daily
Cost: Included with Park admisson.
We are lucky to have incredible Animal Educators to help us spread the word on the important roles they play in the Park. Join one of our Park naturalists for an informal program where your family will love meeting some of our wilder teammates! Kids of all ages are sure to take home some fun facts and special memories. Program held daily at 2pm on the Outcroppings Deck. Don't forget your camera!


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Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines to visit the paradise island of Bermuda for the America's Cup in Summer 2017
Press release • Mar 29, 2017 11:03 BST
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is offering guests a 'once-in-a-lifetime' chance to visit the paradise island of Bermuda in June 2017, to take in the excitement and exhilaration of the 35th America's Cup. Fred. Olsen's 26-night 'Bermuda & the America's Cup' cruise, on board 880-guest ship Boudicca, will enjoy an extended four-day stay in Bermuda – remaining overnight in St. George, and spending two nights in the capital, Hamilton.
Fred. Olsen's 'Bermuda & the America's Cup' cruise is offering guests a selection of optional, chargeable shore tours to bring them closer to the action of the America's Cup, which combines the skills of the world's best sailors and the world's fastest boats, as they sail across the water at speeds close to 50mph! Guests can opt to visit the America's Cup Village at the Royal Naval Dockyard; obtain Grandstand Tickets – located in the America's Cup Village; or soak up the atmosphere on a Spectator Boat Experience, exclusive to Fred. Olsen guests.
To enhance guests' onboard experience, this special cruise will also feature fascinating talks by sailing-related guest speakers Paul Covell, the renowned round-the-world sailor, and knowledgeable ocean yachtsman, Peter Roach.
Justin Stanton, Sales and Marketing Director for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said:
"Having won the coveted 'Best for Itineraries' accolade in Cruise Critic's 'UK Editors' Picks Awards' for the past two years, we pride ourselves on offering holidays that capture the imagination of our guests.
"The America's Cup is a competition for one of the oldest trophies in international sport, and this year's event promises to be full of thrills and excitement. Our themed cruise includes a four-day stay in Bermuda, and gives our guests the chance to combine this incredible sporting experience with a relaxing, rewarding holiday – the best of both worlds!"
Details of Fred. Olsen's America's Cup cruise are as follows:
Boudicca's 26-night D1713 'Bermuda & the America's Cup' cruise, ex Liverpool on 9th June 2017. Prices start from £2,999 for an Interior Room (with limited availability), and include accommodation, all meals and entertainment on board, plus port taxes. The length and nature of this sailing create a decidedly 'grown-up' experience, so Fred. Olsen has reserved this cruise as an 'adult-only' holiday, only available to book by those aged 18 or over, to ensure that like-minded guests will be on board.
Ports of call: Liverpool – Leixoes, Portugal – Funchal, Madeira – Ponta Delgada, Azores – Horta, Azores – St. George, Bermuda (overnight stay) – Hamilton, Bermuda (two-night stay) – Lajes das Flores, Azores – Praia da Vitoria, Azores – Liverpool
For more information: See http://www.fredolsencruises.com/places-we-visit/cruise-holiday/bermuda-and-the-azores-d1713?referrer=7&isback=1
To make this America's Cup adventure even more appealing, guests can choose to include it in Fred. Olsen's fantastic new 2018/19 Cruise Launch Offer – book this sailing, plus a 2018/19 cruise and any other, and get the lowest-priced holiday completely free!
For further information on Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, visit the website at www.fredolsencruises.com Book online, call Reservations on 0800 0355 242 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm; Saturday, 9am to 5pm; Sunday, 10am to 4pm), or visit an ABTA travel agent.
Fred. Olsen Cruise Line operates in the UK with four intimately sized ships for a more personal cruising experience.