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My first app that I used with ANT+ Sensors was an older version of this app. Initially, I liked the App. It had a lot of features that made it fun to use such as customizable ride screen. You are able to choose what you wanted to see and what quadrant you wanted to see it in. It was also one of the few apps that you could use a power meter as long as it was ANT+ compatible. I do not have one, but other cyclists do use them. As I continued to use it I found that it was extremely buggy and that it reported incorrect results to the companion website. On top of that, the data it collected was just plain incorrect. If you was using the ANT+ Sensors then you was out of luck as there was no wheel calibration. That's when I decided to move on and try something else. I left the App pn my iPhone and recently I noticed that there was a new update. So, what the hey, let's give it a try to see how it goes.
iMapMyRide is a combination of bike computer and ride history database. You can view past rides, look at the routes taken and all the ride details for it. After each ride, the data automatically transferred to their main website for further analysis. You can also share your ride via social networks such as Facebook or Twitter. The bike computer part as all the basic information you need while cycling, speed, cadence, heart rate, power, time, distance, and pace. Some of the functions are dependent on which sensors you have available on your bike. All communications with the ANT+ Sensors goes through an ANT+ Receiver dongle that plugs into the bottom of the iPhone. See my review on the Wahoo Fitness sensors which is found here. That will explain all about the technology used for gathering various data on your ride.
Lets run through the screens for the software. When you load up the App, the fist screen to up is the Home screen.You have six icons and two buttons. To start a work out click on the Top Left button labeled Record a Work out. If you manually recorded a workout, then you can enter it manually with the top right button called Log a Workout. In that screen just fill in the blanks and save it. You will have a record of the work out but no map associated with it. The other screens are Profile, Routes, Training, Friends, Live, FAQ and Settings. They icons are all easy to understand, but the first thing you need to do is create an account then visit Settings.
Setting up an Account
Settings deals with the various software settings that are available, social Postings and your equipment. For the software defaults you can set the Distance units (miles or kilometers), Voice Feedback, Record Countdown and Split Distance. Voice Feedback is an audible cue that you can set to repeat after a certain amount of time such as every 5 minutes or you can have it announce the information based on a distance interval such as every 5 miles. It will read to you any of the following (depending if you turn them on or off), Total Distance, Total Time, Average pace, Current Pace, Average Speed and Current Speed.
Record Countdown is just a simple countdown timer that you can set, when the timer reaches zero, the phone vibrates.
Split Distance is a tool to drop a pin on the map to display time, distance and speed. You select the distance that you want it to do this for you.
I have mine set up for the distance in Miles and everything else is off.
The last part of the Setup is the Equipment. If you have ANT+ compatible equipment you would set them up in the Sensor Settings section. If you don't have any of these sensors then you can skip this section as well as the Bike Tire Size as they will not pertain to you. For those that do have some or all the equipment do to the Sensor Settings. iMapMyRide can recognize up to six different type of sensors. They are:
- Heart Rate
- Bike Speed and Cadence
- Bike Speed
- Bike Cadence
- Bike Power
- Stride Sensor
You may notice that Bike Speed and Cadence repeat twice. That is because it might be a combo unit with Speed and Cadence or each unit for Speed and another for Cadence. Choose the proper sensors that you have and press the Connect button. The software will check to see what is out there and connect. Once connected you are ready to start using it. Normally you need to do this only once, but if you are having trouble you may have to disconnect and reconnect again. I usually don't have any problems here.
The Rest of the Screens
Routes is the section that has all of your routes recorded after each ride and the default name for them is a Date and Time stamp. I suggest to rename the route to something more meaning full and easy to understand. I will later show you how to add the route to your current ride for you to follow. It's not hard at all.
Training is simply the last ten rides you did and the associated data with it. Good for review.
Friends is something I don't use, but it looks like it is part of a peer group where you can see others rides and they can see yours. It could be useful to motivate you and others and keep a healthy lifestyle.
Live is where you allow others to track you in real-time and not the intervals as mentioned in the Settings section. I don't use this feature as the interval posting is good enough for me. I can see using this feature at an event of some type where your support people can meet you for when of trouble or be there at the finish line snapping pictures.
FAQ is an on-line help reference. Look here for help that you might have with the software.
Recording a Workout
Below is the Start and the Camera button. The camera button allows you to take pictures while out riding without leaving the application. I don't use it as I got my phone mounted to the bike, but I suppose it's good to have when you come to a stop and you are chatting with your friends. Using the camera this way allows it to mark the location of the picture on the map with a pin drop. Later on there website the pictures show up in the Tagged locations in the route details.
The Map section is also where you can load up a route on the screen for you to see along with your position in real-time. It is simple to do, click on the plus sign at the top right of the screen and it will pull up a list of routes that you have saved. If you have the routes named in an easy to understand fashion, then it's easier to pick the correct route to load. If not, then you may have to do it by trial and error.
Final Notes
This App has so much potential with all the bells and whistles and the improvements they have made, but they have not yet demonstrated that the core functions work properly. The App needs has to able to record the basic core data; speed, distance, time, average speed. That is the core that every cyclists want to see after a long ride. Not only it needs to record it, but consistently and protect the data collected. Tossing out Max and Min Speed and Cadence because I choose the wrong event and not being able to reverse the mistake is a sin. I rode 16 miles to a club ride one morning and it took 1 hr and 17 minutes. The App said that my average speed was 20 mph! I wish. A little calculation shows that it should have been around 12.6 mph which is a more correct assessment of my speed. I didn't go faster than 17.5 mph let alone reach 20 mph.
What I like
This App a ton of features but what I l really like is the customizable Stats screen. You can choose what information display and in what quadrant is real cool. The loading of the route you plan to take is also very cool. This is great for club leaders to plan out a route for the club ride and load it up for easy reference. Just flip over to Map view and see where you are on the route and where to turn next. The Social postings is good too. Interval posting to Facebook is neat or just posting the entire ride at the end is great. These are my favorite parts of the App.
What I Do Not Like
There are just a few items that I do not like, but to me they are key parts of the App. Consistently recording and reporting of core data is essential. They have made some big strides in this last version, but there are still some bugs in it. I my humble opinion they should freeze any more enhancements and just fix the bugs and make it rock solid before adding anymore enhancements. Another part of the App I don't like is asking the type of workout it was at the end rather up front seems out-of-place. Choose the wrong event then your SOL in changing it. Since this is a multi-sport recorder, why not have a default sport and skip that screen? I also wished it supported exporting the ride other site such as dailymile or Garmin Connect but I can see that they are direct competition to their own site for tracking and socializing with other like-minded riders.
Would I recommend iMapMyRide to my friends? That is the big question to me. Right now, I would have to say maybe. Try it with the GPS only recording and see how it turns out and keep an eye on the data it records and reports. If all is well, then continue to use it. Other than that, I would say try some other Apps.
During one of my rides using another App, I came across the same problem of super high avg mph being recorded. I couldn't believe what I was seeing, but as I was thinking about it, while riding, I realized what happened. In both cases, I was turning off the screen to save battery life. While it does save on battery life, it also pauses the App but the GPS is still recording distance. So, when I turn on the screen, the App wakes up and sees the new distance and recalculates the avg mph. The mystery of the outrages mph is now solved and iMapMyRide is not alone in this problem.


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A Decision-Maker's Guide to Science Advising
David Z. Beckler
In all countries, there are significant rewards to the government policy-making processes in reaching outside government for the best available scientific and technical advice. The increasing complexity of science and technology-related policy issues is such that, in many situations, there is no sound alternative to seeking outside advice. Scientists and engineers outside government, if mobilized and properly utilized, can bring a range of competence and experience to governmental decision-making that constitutes an enormous source of strength.
This essay is concerned with the interaction between part-time science and technology advisers and government decision-makers. It suggests a set of principles to guide this interaction that reflects the experience of the United States with the science and technology advisory process from the vantage points of both the decision-maker and the science and technology adviser. This experience may be applicable to other governments, although its relevance may vary in different political, organizational and decision-making contexts.
Outside science and technology advisers should be aware of the decision-making environment in which they are advising, insofar as it affects the nature and receptiveness of science and technology advice. In this context, it is instructive to view the performance of the President's Science Advisory Committee prior to President Nixon's decision to terminate the White House science and technology advisory mechanism in 1972.
Although the decision reflected strains between the White House staff and the academic community engendered by the Viet Nam conflict, there were underlying factors that affected the committee's effectiveness during its entire lifetime, with periods of strengths and weaknesses. (See Beckler, D., "The Precarious Life of Science in the White House," Daedalus, Summer 1974.) They included:
David Z. Beckler, "A Decision Maker's Guide to Science Advising." in William T. Golden, ed., Worldwide Science and Technology Advice to the Highest Levels of Government (NY: Pergamon, 1991), 28–41.
The President's perception of science and technology as an instrument of national policy contributing to the solution of critical national problems;
The effectiveness of channels of communication between the President and the science and technology mechanism, which tend to close unless positive pressure is exerted to keep them open:
The potential threat posed by the science and technology mechanisms to other sources of advice and decision-making in the Executive Office of the President, such as the National Security Council, the Office of Management and Budget, and the heads of departments and agencies;
The credibility and confidentiality of the science and technology mechanism in terms of its members and institutional loyalties, as perceived by the President and his staff;
The relationships of the Presidential science adviser and his professional staff to key personnel in other White House units and in the federal departments and agencies;
The level of the White House "generalists'" distrust for specialists on the President's staff, and fears of being pressured from within by narrow expertise and advocacy; and
Budgeting as it is affected by political demands for short-term decisions that tend to drive out long-term thinking and planning, and by the extent of budgetary authority over program and policy decisions.
Situated between officialdom and outside interests, the performance of science and technology advisory groups is especially sensitive to the tides of political change, as was seen in the politicization of the Science Advisory Committee to the Environmental Protection Agency in the early 1980s. There are hazards to the inside science and technology adviser, as well, when linked to an outside advisory group that has fallen out of political favor.
Despite the steady growth of outside science and technology advisers, there have been no general ground rules for their utilization by the government. Although the ways in which science and technology advisers are selected and used affect their performance, there has been no systematic effort to distill from past experience the conditions influencing success or failure. Rules can be invigorating as well as stultifying. It is the object of this essay to chart a path for strengthening the science and technology advisory process, recognizing that—without cautionary road signs—public pressures and political controls might deny the decision-maker a valuable resource. There is already a perceptible trend in this direction in the United States. To stem or reverse this trend, the science and technology adviser and the policy-maker alike must understand each others' perceptions and preoccupations.
The following principles for science and technology advising have been drafted with the foregoing cautions in mind. The principles are expressed in simplistic
terms. They are indicative, rather than definitive, since it is not possible within the confines of this essay to make them sufficiently comprehensive and nuanced. It is hoped that they provide a systematic way of viewing the science and technology advisory process from a management standpoint, particularly in identifying questions the decision-maker should have in mind in calling on outside science and technology advisers.
Government decision-makers should recognize the circumstances when they should consider calling on outside science and technology advisers. Advice can range from narrow technical questions to broad policy issues, for example, in the following circumstances:
Where the problems raise science and technology questions that exceed the range and depth of expertise of the in-house staff (math and science education);
Where the importance of the issue suggests the desirability of an independent assessment (failure of the space shuttle);
Where the problem to be addressed cuts across lines of jurisdiction within or among departments and agencies (priorities of R&D);
Where it is desired to have an authoritative, longer-range view and early warning of future science and technology developments (climate change);
Where independent science and technology analyses can strengthen public confidence (nuclear reactor safety); and
Where the character of the issue calls for science and technology competence that can be provided only by those working at the cutting edge of their fields (superconductivity).
With the growth of in-house staff capabilities, decision-makers may mistakenly feel self-sufficient in their abilities to handle science and technology questions. Even in the cases in which the need for outside advice is clear, time constraints, political sensitivities, and concerns over confidentiality and loss of control over the final decision may press the decision-maker to avoid the use of outside science and technology advisers. Countervailing pressures may be imposed by staff members who do not want their views challenged by outside advisers.
Guideline: Decision-makers should recognize the circumstances where they should call on outside science and technology advisers and devise procedures for their proper selection and use as an integral part of their managerial function.
For most science and technology questions, there is a range of expert views, with their distribution represented by a bell curve. When the curve is steep, it is easy to distinguish between mainstream and outlier views (cold fusion). When the curve is relatively flat, the difficulty in resolving differences in science and technology views is correspondingly greater (advising on the effects of potential carcinogens based on animal tests). While the decision-maker reaches for certainty, he will often face scientific uncertainty, and will need to take into consideration the distribution of scientific views and the risk factors involved.
Rejecting the views of the outlier at the extremes of the bell curve is not without concern, as they may subsequently prove to be correct (should cold fusion be found to have scientific validity). Depending on the nature and im- portance of the scientific question, the outlier paradox can be partially addressed by designing the advisory process to give fair hearing to the outlier. Conversely, the views of the outlier should be put to the test of theory and data.
Guideline: The decision-maker should recognize the inherent nature of science and technology uncertainty and design science and technology advisory and decision-making processes to assure that differences in S&T views are given appropriate weight in decision-making and in the composition and procedures of S&T advisory groups.
The quality of science and technology advice depends upon the competence of the S&T advisers and the completeness and reliability of the data, information and analysis used. This requires careful attention to the selection of advisers and the provision of qualified professional staff support. Even with the best effort, there may be information, data and viewpoints that are not adequately reflected in advisory reports. On important questions, it may be desirable to have such reports critically reviewed by external reviewers who did not participate in the original study, a procedure regularly employed by the National Research Council. This precaution also recognizes that outstanding experts, not available as original advisers, may be willing to review the final draft report.
Guideline: Procedures for quality assurance should be built into the S&T advisory process: in the selection of advisers, the provision of high-quality S&T information, data and analysis and, where appropriate, the use of external reviewers of the final draft report.
Non-S&T values are inevitably embedded (consciously or unconsciously) in judgments of "fact," particularly where there is S&T uncertainty. The resolution of that uncertainty may be biased by individual perceptions and values concerning the underlying issue in question (e.g., environment, health, national security, arms control). Within science, the outlook of an expert in one field can affect an assessment of other fields.
Although it may not be possible to separate value judgments from findings of scientific fact, distortions in decision-making can be reduced by differentiating the various categories of science and technology advice and by using panels of advisers. On narrow questions of S&T fact-finding, panel membership that is balanced from an S&T standpoint should suffice. For public policy issues and regulatory decision-making, scientific backgrounds need to be balanced with other expertise and institutional backgrounds (academia, industry, government, public interest, political inclinations, etc.). The use of open meetings and public hearings can further promote balanced findings on broad issues.
The definition of the questions to be examined should minimize value-laden formulations. Should the decision-maker phrase the question put to the advisers in order to achieve a particular outcome or convene an advisory group with biased orientation, the results may be perceived in this light and discounted along with the decision-maker and the advisers.
Decision-makers should refrain from asking S&T advisers to address the ultimate answer to a question that transcends S&T considerations (e.g., the probability of detecting underground nuclear tests versus the degree of probability required to protect national security).
Guideline: In the selection and use of science and technology advisers, care should be taken to separate S&T fact from value judgment in formulating the question to be addressed. The composition of membership should be matched to the nature of the issue and the breadth of judgment required. In addressing policy issues, S&T advisory panels should be carefully balanced in S&T fields, sectoral involvement, and political inclinations.
Science and technology advisers should not presume that the decision-maker will faithfully follow their conclusions and recommendations. Although the ultimate decision should be based on the latest available S&T information and expertise, it will often depend on other factors (whether an SST should be built
if it is shown to be economically and environmentally unsound, or whether SDI should be pursued in the face of critical assessments of S&T feasibility). Despite what they may perceive to be lack of S&T rationality, S&T advisers must accept that other considerations (political, economic, international, etc.) may impose limits on the acceptance of their advice.
On the other hand, it has been argued that S&T advisers can legitimately go beyond the confines of S&T considerations. For example, some believe that members of the General Advisory Committee to the Atomic Energy Commission had the right—if not the duty—to recommend against the development of the hydrogen bomb, since they were in the best position to understand its destructive power. This is a dangerous proposition. Although science and technology are essential considerations, they are not necessarily controlling.
Science and technology advisers are no more expert than others in dealing with nonscientific aspects and values. At times, such as in environmental issues, the general public may place too much credence in scientific authority when weighing their public policy positions. On the other hand, as indicated above, scientists and engineers should be included in broader groups of advisers when advising on policy questions because of their special S&T insight. By the same token, S&T advisers should be informed of non-S&T considerations that might influence their judgment concerning relevant S&T facts and assumptions.
Guideline: Science and technology advisers should be aware of the limits of S&T advice in government decision-making. They should not be called upon to make recommendations calling for judgments that transcend S&T considerations, and should be joined with advisers competent in other areas of public policy when addressing S&T-related public policy issues.
The coupling between science and technology advisers and decision-makers is critical to their performance. It was a central consideration in the decision by President Bush to establish a Presidentially appointed science and technology advisory committee, the President's Council of Science and Technology Advisers. This positive step by the President signifies his personal desire for outside S&T advice. For an S&T advisory committee to be effective, there must be an indication by the decision-maker that its advice is needed and that a close and continuing relationship will be maintained, including face-to-face meetings.
The validity of this principle was demonstrated by the changing fortunes of the President's Science Advisory Committee between the time of its establishment in 1957 (after its creation in a different organizational setting by President
Truman in 1951) and its termination in 1972. The peaks of its performance were reached during the Eisenhower and Kennedy Administrations, when the first three Presidential Science Advisers enjoyed strongest access to the President. There was a decline in effectiveness during the Johnson and Nixon years when the Presidential linkage of the Science Advisers and the Science Advisory Committee was weak.
Some observers have argued that the President's Science Advisory Committee was weakened because it offered unwanted advice, that the decision-maker does not welcome unsolicited advice where, for example, the problem to be addressed is beyond the political horizon or may not be in line with political objectives or realities. This difficulty is illustrated by Congressional testimony of former members of the President's Science Advisory Committee contrary to the President's position on the development of an anti-ballistic missile system, and by the advisory report in opposition to the President's stand on the development of the SST.
S&T advisory committees that have well-defined mandates seem more effective than committees with diffuse mandates. The mandates should permit flexibility in reformulating the question asked and in examining issues on the committee's initiative, rather than being confined to passive responses to requests for advice, provided it is with the concurrence of the decision-maker. Such flexibility can be valuable in performing an early warning or alerting function, as well as in suggesting alternative approaches to problem-solving.
Some tension between S&T advisers and decision-makers should be expected and accepted as the price to be paid for obtaining objective and sound advice. Despite possible drawbacks, the decision-maker is better served by a science and technology advisory committee that has the possibility of taking initiatives, particularly in addressing long-range problems (such as the first comprehensive report on environmental pollution prepared on the initiative of the President's Science Advisory Committee in the mid-1960s).
The coupling between S&T advisers and the decision-maker can be facilitated by selecting advisers who understand the operations and methods of government, as well as the particular agency served. Depending on the circumstances and nature of the advisory committee, the coupling would be strengthened by having a chairman who is also the full-time S&T adviser to the decision-maker, as in the case of the new President's Council of Science and Technology Advisers. The role of the in-house professional support staff is critical in providing a transducer between the advisers and the decision-maker, in helping to formulate the S&T issues in a decision-making context, and in communicating and following up on the S&T advice received.
Guideline: The decision-maker should have a close and continuing interaction with the science and technology advisers. This relationship should be defined in specific mandates given to advisory committees. Although the advisers should be tasked by the decision-maker for particular advice, advisory bodies should have sufficient flexibility to pro-
pose a reformulation of the question and to initiate studies of emerging problems, with the consent of the decision-maker. S&T support staff of high professional quality and policy sensitivity is all-important.
There is a privileged relationship between the S&T adviser and the decision-maker. The S&T adviser must respect the confidentiality and trust that should characterize his or her relationship with the decision-maker.
In accepting the invitation to serve, the adviser must also accept certain legitimate limitations, such as respecting the confidentiality of the information provided and not disclosing the substance of the advice rendered without the approval of the requestor as long as the adviser is serving in an advisory capacity. The adviser has the option of severing the advisory connection, and thereafter, taking a public position on the matter involved. The adviser cannot in good faith simultaneously serve the decision-maker and "go public" without prior consent.
There are ways in which the American public interest is partially protected from star-chamber advice. The Freedom of Information Act affords public access to unclassified documentation used in or resulting from advisory committee deliberations. The Federal Advisory Committee Act requires that meetings of advisory committees be publicly advertised in advance in the Federal Register, with open sessions except for discussions involving national security considerations. Although a gray area, there is some precedent for having informal exchanges in addition to formal public sessions in order to encourage the full and frank exchange of views. A valuable function of the advisers is to serve as a sounding board for the decision-maker.
Unless the privileged relationship between the decision-maker and the science and technology adviser is observed, the use of outside advisers may atrophy. Decision-makers will hesitate to ask for outside S&T advice if they fear that they may confront adversary positions by their advisers on the basis of information provided in confidence.
There are dangers in establishing confidence and trust by appointments to advisory committees based on political inclinations, personal relationships, or patronage pressures. Such appointments may spell smooth relationships between the advisers and decision-makers, but the advice may suffer for lack of credibility and S&T reliability to the detriment of both sides. On the other hand, a personal relationship between the decision-maker and a qualified adviser can be invaluable in assuring access and building mutual confidence.
Guideline: Establishing a relationship of confidence and trust between the science and technology adviser and the decision-maker requires per-
sonal interaction and understanding of their mutual obligations. The S&T adviser has the obligation to respect the confidentiality of the privileged relationship and to avoid taking a public position on the issue while serving as adviser. Resignation is an option if these conditions cannot be met in good conscience. The decision-maker should make clear at the outset the conditions attaching to the advisory relationship and, on this basis, assure the full disclosure of information on the issues involved. A relationship of confidence and trust built on political inclinations, personal friendship, or political patronage is unlikely to yield results having public confidence and S&T credibility.
Although the problem of conflicts-of-interest involving part-time science and technology advisers may be handled differently in other countries, the principles underlying the policies of the US Government may be applicable.
The first major effort to legislate ethical conduct of US Government employees came with the adoption of the Bribery, Graft and Conflicts of Interest Act in 1962. The covered employees are prohibited from "participating personally and substantially" on behalf of the government in any "particular matter" in which the employee has a "financial interest." The Act sought to distinguish between a full-time federal employee and a consultant who serves intermittently or for a short period of time (with or without compensation for a period not to exceed 130 days a year). In making this distinction, the Congress was mindful of the contributions of temporary advisers and sought to assure that the government could continue to make use of outside advisers.
Although science and technology advisers were not exempted from the criminal provisions, they were accorded the opportunity to have the provisions waived by the agency head under certain conditions where the personal interest was not so substantial as to be deemed likely to affect the integrity of the services rendered. For example, in order to enlist the most qualified advisers, it is likely that the adviser would be professionally active in the S&T field or industrial sector that is broadly the subject of the requested advice. A general waiver might be given in these circumstances. The waiver instrument would not exempt the individual from the obligation of recusal (refusal to participate) in those instances where a specific conflict might arise.
Prospective advisory committee members are subject to some level of financial disclosure. The Administrative Conference of the US has identified three
levels of financial information that the adviser should be required to furnished (and update): 1) the identity of the individual's principal employment; 2) a list of positions held and contractual relationships relevant to the purposes of the advisory committee; and 3) the identity, but not the face value, of any other sources of income or any interests exceeding $1,000 in value relevant to the purposes of the advisory committee (ordinarily held confidential).
Guideline: Both the science and technology adviser and the decision-maker must be alert to possible conflicts between the public and private interests involved in rendering S&T advice. Written guidelines should be provided to the potential S&T adviser in advance, including the waiver policy and rules for financial disclosure (with a briefing at the first meeting of the advisory committee). While the responsibility for avoiding conflicts-of-interest lies with the S&T adviser, the decision-maker should instruct the secretariat to be alert to and call to the attention of the S&T adviser any particular matter calling for recusal.
There should be provision for rotation of S&T advisers serving in individual capacities or as members of advisory groups. Such organizational self-renewal is a difficult process for decision-makers, since it disturbs the status quo. Yet a central rationale for calling on outside advisers would be undermined in the absence of a procedure for rotating and replacing advisers and terminating advisory committees that have outlived their usefulness.
Long-serving advisers on a standing group may become wedded to a singular view, rejecting arguments that do not conform to the established position. They may become "professional" S&T advisers and captives of the decision-maker. They may not be abreast of recent advances in their fields. The character of the issue may no longer match their expertise and experience. Counterproductive interpersonal relationships may develop. Furthermore, maintaining a distribution of age among members of an advisory committee is essential to promote vitality and encourage innovative thinking and courageous positions.
The Federal Advisory Committee Act, mentioned earlier, attempts to deal with the problem of outmoded advisory committees by requiring automatic termination of a committee after a given time unless there is written justification for its continuation. Although this requirement is often observed in a perfunctory way, its message needs to be taken seriously.
Guideline: The decision-maker should provide for the renewal and rotation of science and technology advisers by the use of term appointments, continuity balancing of expertise and age, and the termination of advisory groups no longer needed or justifiable.
The decision-maker needs the advice of science and technology advisers selected for their expertise, maturity of judgment, and breadth of view and experience, including understanding of government. As S&T complexity increases, however, the collective advice of individual advisers may not be sufficient per se. It will be increasingly necessary to underpin S&T advisory committees by supporting in-depth analysis. This need is particularly highlighted by issues characterized by interactions within S&T and between S&T and economics and other areas, which have become increasingly dominant aspects of policy advice.
There has been a trend in the direction of increased use of policy research and analysis. This is reflected in the growth of federal contracts with nongovernmental, analytical "think tanks" and government-supported "software" finns to assist policy and program development. The Department of Defense pioneered in the establishment of organizations to provide systems research and analysis for decision-making, such as the Rand and MITRE Corporations and the Institute for Defense Analysis.
On a much smaller scale, there could be similar value in providing analytical support to S&T advisory bodies. The Office of Technology Assessment of the US Congress couples policy analysis by professional staff and consultants with specially constituted S&T advisory panels that weigh the soundness of the in-house analyses and proposed policy options.
The principal outside science and technology advisory mechanism, chartered by the Congress to give S&T advice to the government, is the National Research Council, the operating arm of the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering and the Institute of Medicine (amounting to some $100 million annually). The NRC relies primarily on unpaid members of the S&T communities who serve on advisory committees as a public service. The quality of the experts involved is exceptionally high and uniform. Membership on NRC committees is a mark of prestige and standing in one's peer group. Although the analytical work of the committees is characteristically done by the members themselves, there is increasing use of analytical staff support.
Within the government, policy analysis capabilities are inversely proportional to the level of decision-making. Most of the analytical effort supports middle and lower levels of organization. The number of outside advisers tends to decrease at higher levels of management and policy development, where there are fewer decision-makers and analytical capabilities. Thus, S&T advice to the departments and agencies of government tends to be sub-optimized in relation to particular missions. This underscores the importance of strengthening S&T policy analysis capabilities at higher and broader policy levels,
including the use of "horizontal" S&T advisory structures to review and coordinate the views and fragmented advice of specialized advisory panels and sub-panels.
At the pinnacle of government, as well as at the level of heads of departments and agencies, there is need for advice that does not conform to jurisdictional lines, and a capability to interrelate S&T considerations with other areas of policy advice: economic, regulatory, legal, international, national security, and political. At this level, integrative experiences and skills become increasingly important and should be complemented by a capability for integrated analyses. The methodologies and data for such analyses are not well developed. The S&T policy-makers, in particular, need to be in the vanguard of those seeking to improve the integration of S&T policy with other considerations. It is unlikely that such leadership will come from the other policy areas.
Guideline: In utilizing science and technology advisory mechanisms, decision-makers should assure that there are sufficient resources for supporting policy research and analysis to underpin the S&T advisory process, particularly at higher levels of government, and that there is a strong coupling between the S&T advisers and the analytical support mechanisms.
The principal sources of science and technology advice available to government decision-makers are in-house advisers, outside advisers, consultants and contractors, and not-for-profit S&T organizations. The latter sources are seldom utilized by the decision-maker, yet they constitute a very large potential for S&T advice. They comprise the professional societies, academic and other not-for-profit organizations, and public interest groups in areas ranging from S&T, environment, economics, law, arms control, and national security. Some of these organizations now offer S&T-related advice. Others could be encouraged to do so. Yet it is rare that an unsolicited report from such an organization is placed on the agenda of a decision-maker. They are often regarded with suspicion (as biased and nonauthoritative), lacking inside information and a deci-sion-making perspective.
The gulf between inside needs and the outside-of-government potential for S&T advice is difficult, yet important to bridge. Decision-makers should cast their nets wide for S&T advice. This could be facilitated by having staff responsible for liaison with independent sources of advice, for alerting them to the needs of the decision-makers, and for identifying useful outside reports.
Guideline: Decision-makers should be aware of the potential of not-for-profit, nongovernmental organizations for providing solicited and unso-
licited science and technology advice. Staff members should be encouraged to establish linkages with such organizations and to invite their views on S&T-related issues. Significant outside-of-government reports should be placed on the decision-maker's agenda for consideration and possible action.
Outside science and technology advice can be a powerful political as well as technical tool for policy-makers. As with all political tools, the S&T advisory process can be misused intentionally or unintentionally to the detriment of the public interest. The warning of President Eisenhower is still very much in the wind: beware of the "military-industrial complex." At that time, these words were misinterpreted to imply a warning against the dangers of government domination by scientific and technological elitism—by S&T advisers with special interests, knowledge, and access to the decision-making process. There was perceived lack of public accountability due to the special advantages adhering to those versed in S&T complexities beyond general public understand- ing. This danger has not materialized. It remains a latent possibility, however, that can be magnified by the public to the detriment of scientific and technological advance, whether it be in the form of anti-nuclear, anti-biotechnology or, more generally, anti-technology attitudes.
Thus there must be room in the S&T advisory process for public participation and challenge, without allowing unreasoned opposition to stifle scientific progress and technological innovation. The S&T advisory process must be—and must be seen to be-credible. This requires transparency and the opportunity for public participation as a normal part of the S&T advisory process.
Guideline: To the extent feasible, decision-makers should foster open meetings of science and technology advisers and should consider public hearings on significant advisory committee reports. Reports by S&T advisers should be widely disseminated.
The importance of science and technology advice to decision-making requires that the S&T advisory process be purposefully and carefully managed, taking into consideration the special attributes of S&T advisers and the advisory process.
Proper follow-up of advisory committee reports is often neglected in the absence of an institutionalized follow-up process. A model procedure is the operation of the Defense Science Board in the Office of the Secretary of De- fense, where the secretary has directed that there be written response to its conclusions and recommendations. Feedback to the advisory committee can be salutary in terms of its future performance. Significant reports may deserve monitoring and periodic revisiting, even after the advisory group has been terminated, so the decision-maker can know of the actions taken, the reasons for inaction, and whether there are questions requiring further examination.
Guideline: Heads of government departments and agencies should establish formal policies and procedures for the use of science and technology advisory committees and advisers, taking into consideration the foregoing principles and guidelines. This should include procedures for follow-up of committee repoas. The formulation and application of such guidelines requires coordination and monitoring at the highest level of government. The policies and procedures could be incorporated into a reference manual for decision-makers.

subset: commoncrawl


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Welcome to the Action Lab!!!The Action Lab is a learning system that uses interactive multimedia, project-based learning and group collaboration to create a unique learning environment.Students will be participating in two week modules that help to guide the students learning. Students will be working with hands on materials to help enhance their understanding of the topic.The ultimate goal of my class is to have students experiment in different technical and health careers. To look at the different career experiences, click on the + sign on the leftFor a list of the different modules click on the link on the left side of this window.Phone#- 602-467-6537email- firstname.lastname@example.com can be scheduled inthe morning if needed.
Class Schedule
Class Name
HR/1st 9:16 - 10:08 7/8th Grade Career Action Lab 2nd 9:16 - 10:08 7/8th Grade Career Action Lab 3rd 10:12 - 11:04 7/8th Grade Coding/Programming Flash Time 11:08 - 11:38 4th 11:42 - 12:34 7/8th Grade Career Action Lab Lunch 12:38 - 1:08 5th 1:12 - 2:04 7/8th Grade Coding/Programming 6th 2:06 - 3:007/8th Grade Career Action Lab
Mission Statement
Our mission is to prepare all students to be active, productive and successful problem solvers in our ever changing world.


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So the NCR is the region that happens to be brimming with events. It comes as no surprise though since NCR is one of the most happening places to be found in the country. The events that are to be found in NCR are not only related to entertainment but also happen to have a wide variety of other events that not only include entertaining events, but also events that give you an opportunity to learn something new. So let's have a look at some of the events that are happening in the NCR region.
Premchand ki Kathayein The first event on the list is a play based on the work of Munshi Premchand. He happens to be one of the few names in Indian literature that commands a respect held by few in the literary world. With Premchand Ki Kathayein, you will witness an ensemble of two epic stories that are by Munshi Premchand. Kafan is the story of Gheesu and Madho. Their life is filled with miseries yet they refuse to leave their luxuries and other habits that are detrimental to their life. The other story, Poos Ki Raat is an empathy evoking tale that tells us of a farmer who guards the land he could have sowed seeds on. The stories are perspective-lending and entertaining at the same time.
The Drifting Canvas Multimedia Exhibition Are you excited for one of a kind art exposition that will change how you have seen or experienced art? Then, The Drifting Canvas is the place to be. This is where you get classic works of art from 11 legendary 19th and 20th century artists. Their work of art is brought alive with the assistance of modern day technology. This is your ticket to being transported to a different land, and get immersed in the work of geniuses like Van Gogh, Monet, Edgar Degas and many more. The event will have a spectacle of light and sound. This will be your journey that will be aided using modern day technology and will be awe-inspiring.
The Hidden Hour – Real Life Escape Games The Hidden Hour is your ticket to an enthralling and entertaining destination that is in Gurugram. You get to play a life-like escape game where teams are locked in a room for up to 60 minutes under circumstances that are mysterious. The objective is simple. All that the player has to do is accomplish the mission by uncovering hidden objects, answering riddles and solving puzzles. All this has to be accomplished by connecting links that are none too obvious. This is the perfect destination to visit with friends and family and enjoy an experience unlike any other.


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There has been a firm of Solicitors in one form or another at 29 Bridgegate, Irvine for over 30 years. The firm took its present name of Austin Kelly & Co, in 1992 and the current partners are Eddie Rock and John McCaffrey. We offer a wide range of services including conveyancing, executries, powers of attorney, accident claims, court and family law, criminal law and childrens' hearings. We can provide services under the Legal Aid Scheme.
To contact us for more information or pricing please select the contact option on the left.
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Title: The Last Thing You Said
Author: Sara Biren
Genre & Age Group: Contemporary, romance, young adult
Goodreads Synopsis:
Last summer, Lucy's and Ben's lives changed in an instant. One moment, they were shyly flirting on a lake raft, finally about to admit their feelings to each other after years of yearning. In the next, Trixie—Lucy's best friend and Ben's sister—was gone, her heart giving out during a routine swim. And just like that, the idyllic world they knew turned upside down, and the would-be couple drifted apart, swallowed up by their grief. Now it's a year later in their small lake town, and as the anniversary of Trixie's death looms, Lucy and Ben's undeniable connection pulls them back together. They can't change what happened the day they lost Trixie, but the summer might finally bring them closer to healing—and to each other.
Source: Thanks so much to ABRAMS Kids/Amulet Books for providing me with an e-ARC of this book via Netgalley!
How I Found Out About It: Netgalley
Coming across The Last Thing You Said on Netgalley, I was immediately attracted to that wondrous cover. Just LOOK at it! Yum!😍 When I pressed on the book and read the synopsis, I knew I had to read it. I really enjoy coming-of-age romances, so it was no surprise to me that I really enjoyed this story.
This book follows the dual perspectives of teens Lucy and Ben. The summer before, as the two were on a raft about to ask each other out, Ben's sister and Lucy's best friend Trixie's heart stopped and killed her while swimming, which scarred them. This grief of someone so dear to them made them both drift away from each other, as well as wallow around in pity. But then the year anniversary of Trixie's death rolls around, and the two realize that their grief can bring them back together again.
Books with dual POVs tend to be hit or miss for me, but for this one, I think I can safely say that the two characters had unique voices which set them apart, and I was easily able to tell who was speaking by flipping to any random page. If I don't like a multiple POV book, it is because all the perspectives confuse me, and I can honestly say that I wasn't confused at all while flipping between the two.
I found that both Lucy and Ben were able to develop immensely throughout the story. At first, they were wretchedly grieving over Trixie and blaming themselves for unexplainable reasons, but once they bonded again, it was quite easy to tell that they were slowly- but surely- reaching the upward turn of their sorrow. Also, this relates to Lucy especially, but they were both very strong and resilient characters, able to bounce back rather quickly after having trouble. Also, can I just mention how adorable little Emily was? Like AWWW!💞
I really liked the morals that this book entailed, which showed that life is what you make it, so you must make the best of what you have and the people you love. Nobody was expecting Trixie's heart to fail while she was swimming- she was a trained, experienced swimmer with nothing to lose- but she ended up losing it all that one day. This just goes to show that you shouldn't take anything for granted- every so often you should stop and think about what makes you thankful, because like Trixie, you could find it all taken away from you in the blink of an eye.
All in all, The Last Thing You Said was a great story. I have to admit that it does blend into the crowd with a lot of other YA books, but I know I will still remember it for its great characters and lessons. Anyway, this book is a great pick for those who are into coming-of-age romance stories which pull two lovers together because of grief, because the last thing I'm going to say is when April 4th comes, READ IT! *throws you the book*
*I received a digital ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*


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Those of you who never stop by for curry takeaway on the way home from work will be relieved to learn that Bob Houghton, famously bad original one-year-and-fired coach of the Colorado Rapids (and charter member of the soccer Good Old Boys network in the US) is advising his players in India, where he's the national team coach, to STOP PURSUING CAREERS IN MLS because it's just not good for their development.
He says they should look to Sweden, incubator of football stardom, instead.
Gosh, Bob, that puts us in a real bind over here. How in the world will we ever replace all those marvelous, sublimely skilled, creative Indian players in MLS, like…..um….well, do we even HAVE any Indian players?
Enjoy Stockholm, guys. Pack heavy clothing. We'll try to slog on as best we can without you.
Via the ever worthwhile IVES GALARCEP comes notice that FIFA, in their infinite wisdom, has completed the requisite shuffling of paperwork from office to office in Zurich until at last, having run out of institutional inertia, has cleared Jermaine Jones to play for the USA.
Of course what with his broken leg and the fact that qualifying is over, the immediate impact on the US National side will be negligible, but, like Jeff Cunningham or Jay Heaps, he now joins the list of what a scout once told me are referred to as "out theres", guys who are, well, out there someplace if you want them.
Speaking of injured guys who are "out there" for Bob Bradley, Maurice Edu is pretty hot under the collar after reportedly being subjected to RACIALLY TINGED ABUSE from fans after a recent match.
Making the case even stranger is the fact that a) he didn't play in the game and b) the people hurling the abuse were his own teams' fans.
Other than that, the whole thing makes perfect sense.
Of course, nobody ever said that Rangers fans were all that bright, but you'd think if they were going to get boozed up and act like buttwipes they'd at least direct their garbage at the OTHER teams' guys.
Old Man River – excuse me, I mean Kasey Keller, says he's having such a ripping good time playing in Seattle that HE THINKS HE'LL MAYBE STICK AROUND AFTER 2010, when he will turn, if I recall, 78.
Unfortunately, Bradley Friedel, who was always the better keeper and is still one of the best in the world, is having an equally good time in the Premiership, making both Blackburn and Keller look like pikers.
(Oh, be quiet. This is an opinion piece, not Wikipedia. Not that there's THAT much difference between the two.)
Friedel used to say that he intended to play a last year or two in MLS, but has reportedly changed his mind recently based on the fact that he's playing as well as ever and making a huge pile of money for Villa while continuing to look like one of the best keepers in the world.
So this probably isn't a sign that every US soccer fans' fondest wish, seeing Keller and Freidel in opposite goals when an MLS referee blows the whistle, is any likelier than it was previously, but it lets us keep dreaming a little longer.
Speaking of the Sounders, I've seen some interesting discussions lately about why Seattle has been signally successful while the previous couple of expansion teams continue to struggle (although, incredibly, TFC is in a good position to finally claim a long overdue playoff spot).
Unfortunately, THIS ARTICLE which comes via duNord, is so far off the mark that you'd think a Torontonianite wrote it.
Oh wait.
The writer says that the Sounder's "methodology" was to "make use of the expansion draft" (instead of, I guess, skipping it to go play golf) and then "select a veritable superstar first overall" in the Superdraft (I'll admit that I like Zakuani just fine, but using the word "Superstar" to describe him is a tad bit over the top) "sign a marquee playmaker in the DP slot" (ie: take a huge risk on a veritable cripple) and, my favorite: "unearth a previously unknown young striker"
Gosh, why didn't anyone else ever think of this stuff?
And of course listening to Drew Carey, a nice guy and a great fan but relatively clueless nonetheless, describe how it was all a product of their collective genius and soccer savvy is less than informative either.
What can be said is that, for a number of reasons – including, it must be noted, good fortune in avoiding injuries this season – MLS is in the awkward position of not only being the first supposedly serious football league to stage a major championship on plastic grass but also is presented with at least the possibility that one of the teams involved will be playing at home on a surface that puts the opponent at a distinct disadvantage.
Everybody is happy to see the success in Seattle, but here's a bet that, secretly, Don Garber is praying they go out of the playoffs quickly enough to avoid him having to answer a bunch of embarrassing questions at his annual MLS Cup Q & A with the media.


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A defensive strategy in which three defensive players will play a deep zone across the field in order to deny the opposing team a deep throw. A Cover 3 can be played as a man or a zone: in a Cover 3 man the other players will each guard a player underneath and rely on the deep players to take away a deep route, and in a Cover 3 zone the other players will be responsible for an area near the line of scrimmage.
A Cover 3 is used primarily against teams that are particularly good at completing deep passes. By having a third player deep, it takes away the lanes in which most deep routes would be effective. The downside to a Cover 3 is that it leaves less defenders to guard against the underneath routes, allowing an offense to take short routes and gain yardage slowly. Typically, the Cover 3 is used against explosive passing attacks, or when a team is up near the end of a game and wants to guard against a big play.


text: Home > Business Japanese firms say China protests affect business plans Reuters Posted at Sep 21 2012 11:57 AM | Updated as of Sep 21 2012 07:57 PM Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Some Japan firms consider withdrawing from China TOKYO - About 41 percent of Japanese firms see an escalating territorial row with China affecting their business plans, with some considering pulling out of the country and shifting operations elsewhere, a Reuters poll showed on Friday. The Reuters poll comes as relations between Asia's two biggest economies have hit their lowest point in decades over a dispute centred on an uninhabited group of islands in the East China Sea -- known as the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. Customs officials in the port city of Tenshin near Beijing have told Japanese companies their imports will be inspected more frequently, the Asahi newspaper reported, in a worrying sign that Japan's shipments to China could slow. Automaker Honda Motor Co said it was already making contingency plans. "We are trying to forecast things in advance and preparing as much as possible to avoid any impact on our business," Takanobu Ito, Honda's chief executive, told a news conference. Street protests in China have forced some Japanese firms to suspend operations in that country, and the share prices of Japanese firms with exposure to China have tumbled. But the Reuters poll of 400 large and medium-sized firms, of which roughly 260 responded between Aug. 31 and Sept. 14, was taken before the worst of the protests, which damaged factories, restaurants and retail stores. "We're worried that Chinese workers could start boycotting production lines at Japanese firms in China or start making unreasonable demands for wage increases," said one transportation equipment maker. Firms in sectors such as wholesale, transport equipment and electric machinery were among those expecting the most fallout from worsening relations with China and other parts of Asia. Some of the firms which see friction with China affecting business plans have suffered not only from rowdy protests involving damage and consumer strikes, but other problems as well. "We were stranded at customs there even as we followed proper procedures for exporting parts," said one machinery firm. A transport machinery company complained that it was excluded from bidding in China. "We need to consider closing our base in China and withdrawing our personnel," said one metal products company. Others voiced caution about investing in China, while considering putting off plans to make inroads into Chinese markets or seeking alternate sites. "We have had many diplomatic clashes in the past, and in the end this always comes back to hurt Japanese companies who are in China," said Naoto Saito, a senior economist at Daiwa Institute of Research. "This is likely to happen again, so companies will seriously start to question whether they want to go to China or tap other markets." Japanese companies could bypass China for Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia or Thailand, Naito said. China, the world's second-largest economy, and Japan, the third-largest, have total two-way trade of around $345 billion, but some experts believe anti-Japan sentiment could prompt firms to rethink investments in China in the longer term. "The impact on our business so far has been small, but Japanese and non-Japanese employees at our offices in Shanghai and Hong Kong have bee subjected to harassment," said one services sector firm. In the Reuters poll, 56 percent of firms urged the next Japanese government to put the utmost priority on steps to prop up the economy and stabilise currency rates. Only 2 percent cited smoother diplomatic relations with Asia as a priority for the next government, which is to be formed after general elections that must be held by around August 2013. With the dollar hovering around 78 yen, not far from a record low of 75.31 yen hit last October when Japanese authorities intervened heavily to stem their currency's gains, about one-third or respondents sought yen-selling intervention to help safeguard the export-reliant economy. On the government's contentious plan to double the sales tax to 10 percent by 2015, 45 percent said it should be implemented as planned while 40 percent said the state of the economy at the time should be considered before making a final decision. Only 10 percent called for putting off the sales tax rise, in stark contrast with the many lawmakers who are wary of a voter backlash over the tax increase. Share Facebook Share on Twitter LinkedIn Business,Top Stories,china,japan,reuters poll Read More: china japan reuters poll


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Artisan Cheese in Red Rock Country
The baby goats are stealing the show.
We're at Torrey's Mesa Farm Market on a crisp mid-April morning and supposed to be learning about small-batch artisan goat cheese production with farm proprietor and legendary cheese maker Randy Ramsley.
Known affectionately as "the little purple store on Highway 24," Mesa Farm is a 50-acre slice of bucolic wonder nestled in Utah's red rock country at milepost number 102, heading east from Capitol Reef National Park. Led by Matt Caputo, Certified Cheese Professional (that'd be the equivalent of a cheese sommelier), our motley group of about twenty Utah chefs and artisan food lovers visited the farm to learn more about Ramsley's unique farmstead and his variety of goat milk alpine-style cheeses.
But they're having trouble getting us to leave the goat barn.
We're absolutely smitten. Watching dozens of Nubian, Alpine and LaMancha baby goats adorably head-butting, jumping in circles and generally wooing the socks off of anyone who will give them the slightest bit of attention. It's pretty dang cute.
Even after two decades working the farm, Ramsley agrees the kids can be delightfully distracting. "Watching goats just makes people happy," he told me with a grin. "They're really wonderful and adaptable animals."
Mesa Farm Market and Environs Slideshow
The Kids Are Alright (and Distracting)
Even after two decades working the farm, Randy Ramsley (pictured) agrees that the kids can be delightfully distracting. Photo: Larry Price
Cheese in Waiting
Much like wine is inextricably linked to the terroir of a specific place, Mesa Farms' cheeses echo the hardscrabble landscape of the Fremont River valley. Photo: Larry Price
Cheesy Suspense
Mesa Farm Market cheese-in-progress suspended in the cheese cloth. Photo: Larry Price
Farmstead Cheese
Inside "the little purple store on Highway 24," where Randy Ramsey (right) sells distinctly Utah cheese. Photo: Larry Price
Among the Greens
Randy Ramsey and his trusty companion Zeke, goat herding extraordinaire. Photo: Larry Price
But there's not much time spent goat-gazing for Ramsley. To say that spring is a busy time at Mesa Farm pushes the boundaries of understatement to the extreme. Even with two interns (he'll have up to seven during peak summer production) who recently joined him to help with birthing and milking the goats, tending the inevitable handful of orphan kids who need round-the-clock care, assisting with cheese making and taking care of vegetable and fruit production for the farm's seasonal roadside market and counter service restaurant, Ramsley's days are full to the brim with activity.
Until the kids are weaned, the thirty-five does are milked once a day, producing 12–15 gallons of goat milk in total. Unlike larger commercial operations that milk goats year-round, Ramsley elects for a more natural growth and milk production cycle for his animals. "We prefer to share our milk with the kids," says Ramsley. "In a couple of weeks they'll be completely weaned and we'll be milking twice a day through the fall," when most of the does become pregnant and the farm stops milking over the winter while the females gestate. (Note to visitors: the Mesa farmstead market is open seasonally, from the end of March through the end of October).
Wandering Goats, Rabbit Brush and You
Ramsley spends his days directing the herd through different pasture on the farm with his trusty companion, Zeke, a nimble canine of superior herding ability and a gregarious nature captured on social media feeds via visitors from all over the globe. Along with supplementing the goats' diet with only non-soy, GMO-free feed, it's a labor-intensive process. But one that Ramsley is passionate about protecting: "Corporate goats stand in a lot and eat the same thing every day. There's no complexity in the milk."
And that flavor complexity is the distinction resulting in the unique and intangible qualities of Ramsley's hand-crafted farmstead cheese.
Much like wine is inextricably linked to the terroir of a specific place, Mesa Farms' cheeses echo the hardscrabble landscape of the Fremont River valley. Says
Accompanied by the fresh bread Ramsley bakes daily in an outdoor brick oven, we try samples from the Mesa Farm Market's seasonally changing offerings of yogurt, fresh
And then, the pièce de résistance.
Ramsley cuts into a wheel of aged Mesa Tomme, its light-grey rind cracking slightly with the pressure of the knife, yielding a pale smooth texture in the French semi-hard alpine-style cheese. There aren't enough knives to go around, so we start breaking off chunks of
"It's inspiring," says Matt Caputo. "This is the way cheese tasted 100 years ago."
Mesa in the City
A second-generation artisan foods purveyor, Caputo's Markets are known throughout the intermountain west and beyond for obsessive quality control, responsible sourcing and most importantly in Matt Caputo's opinion, for nurturing local food artisans (including a lot of craft chocolate). He says of the Mesa Farm's Tomme, "We tasted something really special in this cheese," and in cooperation with Ramsley, he has been transferring wheels of young cheese to the Caputo's cheese caves in Salt Lake City to be further finessed and matured by full-time
Cheese nerds (guilty, as charged) regularly stalk the Caputo's social media streams to see when the "Barely Legal" Raw Goat Tome will be released. It usually sells out before noon.
Matt Caputo continues preaching to our happily cheese-headed choir, "It's important that artisans like Randy exist, and our goal is to preserve these old world traditions," in cheese making, charcuterie and other food arts. While Mesa Farm products comprise a unique niche among the hundreds of cheeses available at any one time through Caputo's, Horne oversees a bevy of local and imported cheeses getting special treatment in the cheese caves. She's constantly monitoring, testing, flipping, washing, soaking, wrapping and rewrapping cheeses from all over the world.
But they've got a special affinity for hand-crafted Utah-made cheeses, with some products made specifically in partnership with local chefs and restaurants.
"We're incredibly lucky to have Caputo's just down the street from us," Pallet Bistro co-owner Esther Imotan says regarding the market's flagship store location less than a block away from the elegant and cozy west-side bistro. And of having access to cheeses made by Mesa Farm, Beehive Cheese and other local artisans, Imotan says with a grin, "Maybe it's the fact that it's local, we think the Utah cheeses bring a bit more love in the mouth."
But their sourcing is serious business.
Pallet Bistro chef-owner Buzz Wiley puts together one of the most gorgeous cheese and charcuterie boards in a city filled with appreciation for that particular plating arrangement, generously arrayed with seasonal fruit preserves, warm olives, grilled bread and an assortment of house-made pickles. And Caputo's house-aged cheddar — a knock-your-socks-off Beehive Promontory cheddar wrapped in butter with the last six months in cave spent aged in duck-fat soaked bandages — even showed up on the Pallet's cocktail menu. Multiple best-of-Utah award-winning bartender Bijan Ghiai served me a clever rum-based spin on an old fashioned he calls "Ham & Cheese," stirred up with two kinds of esteemed Hamilton Rum and garnished with the aforementioned insane duck-fat-wrapped aged cheddar. Salty, sweet, slightly bitter perfection, all in one superlative sipper.
Whether enjoying farmstead cheese alongside Randy Ramsley himself at Mesa Farm or served on a stunning cheese board at a chic bistro, there's a lot of love to go around when Utah cheese is involved.
More inspiration
Visit Mesa Farm Market
Mesa Farm Market Area + Salt Lake City
Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef National Park is an evocative world of spectacular colored cliffs, hidden arches, massive domes, and deep canyons. It's a place that includes the finest elements of Bryce and Zion Canyons in a less crowded park that can offer a more relaxing experience than either of those more-famous Utah attractions.
Located just eight miles from the west entrance of Capitol Reef National Park, Torrey is an idyllic little tree-lined town surrounded by rose-colored cliffs and green meadows. More importantly, Torrey is an eclectic and comfortable base camp to adventure. See dining and accommodations here.
Discover Mesa Farm Market
Mesa Farm Market
Mile marker 102, Highway 24
Caineville, UT
(435) 456-9146
OPEN SEASONALLY: mid-March to October 31st.
Caputo's Market and Deli
Cheese cave, classes and tastings
Multiple Locations
Pallet Bistro
237 S. 400 West
Salt Lake City
(801) 935-4431
Additional Reading
Six Utah Artisan Cheeses to Try Now


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M&S digital lab brings nimble startup approach
Marks & Spencer has created its own in-house "digital lab" division to keep apace of developments that will make sure its business remains relevant to the connected consumer.
Having an in-house division that stands slightly apart from its IT or marketing teams will help M&S keep up with tech developments in a more nimble way.
Understandably, in larger retail businesses it can be difficult to behave like an agile startup and respond to technological advancements as quickly as liked when the day to day running of the business is all consuming.
The 10-strong Lab division will be run by Kyle McGinn who previously headed up the tech side of things at independent online review platform Reevoo.com and who has also been involved with startup communities such as Seedcamp and Eden Ventures.
M&S has been ramping up its use of digital technologies for a relatively long time. Using iPads to boost shop floor selling, interactive digital screens in revamped health and beauty departments and in-store kiosks are all already part of the stores business.
Its digital lab will mean the retailer can bring concept trials to life more quickly, experiment more easily and speed up the roll out and implementation of developments.
Asda's parent company Walmart did a similar thing a few years back, acquiring Kosmix, a Californian startup in the social space to create Walmart Labs, an entrepreneurial division that could solely focus on new tech advancements that could be adopted by the retailer.
Now most digital initiatives introduced by Walmart and Asda now start off as an idea germinated in Walmart Labs.
CEO Marc Bolland is realistic in the way he talks about investing in digital. Speaking at a conference last year he talked about the need to adopt new technologies and integrate them with the business, but not be naive in thinking these new technologies will be part of the business for the long-term.
Having the latest technologies is not the beginning of a digital strategy, it's just the beginning.
This is an important and smart view to have. Aiming for a constant cycle of evolution in technology adoption rather than a stop start process of throwing all your weight behind one idea, only for it to be defunct within a year, leaving you high and dry.
Forward thinking retailers are integrating tablets and touchscreen technology in their stores and strengthening multichannel operations. But truly forward looking retail marketers are looking beyond the current iteration to what comes next, and then what comes after that.


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Medan, Indonesia
I am self-employed as a graphic designer, specializing in the fields of logo design, corporate identity design, branding, web design, print design (ie. letterhead, business cards, posters, CD covers, book covers, etc.).
To me, designing is more than a work, that's a pleasures, - a journey that making life's become more pleased.


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Join the conversation! 29 Comments
People love the Co-op when they understand what it is.
What are our plans to educate the nation on the Co-op model?
Without this, I worry that our marketing is pointless
We give affinity partner discount to Army, Royal Navy, Gmb, USDAW to name a few why do we not give Co-op member's any discount ?
Also when we send letter's to our member's why can't we include leaflet's about our other services like Co-op Legal services, Credit Union etc
Each year our members vote to donate £700k to the co-op party. As a member, I would like to know what has been done with this money? How is the co-op party helping us to achieve our goals?
Would there be a way to link in with projects that promote healthy living, which would benefit our local communities. Say if we could promote fruit and veg donated by the allotments local to give to the young frail and in need. It's so expensive to eat well, cheaper to eat the wrong things and obesity is a huge problem. I would like to see us doing more to promote/prevent this. Is there a still link between the group and the farms, do we still have materials there to educate the kids that we visit in the schools. If we have contributed with our 1% to a local kitchen garden project could we have a stall in the store where we could showcase it.
Do we have to have class one veg as well, nothing wrong with wonky carrots or parsnips or crooked apples.
Hi Steve
Great to see this discussion and the comments it has raised so far.
I am reiterating the comment made by Simon
Can we use the 'Coop marque' on OB products that we sell that are supplied by other coops, just like we use the Fairtrade symbol? And encourage our suppliers to use it if they are coops – eg Ocean Spray.
Some of us were disappointed when we ditched the .coop domain name, which we had fought long and hard for the Group to use. Has the move to .co.uk paid off sufficiently to warrant us distancing ourselves from the movement in this way ?
Good point Barbara.
Moving away from the .coop domain was a symbolic moment and a distancing act.
Thanks for adding valuable substance to the point about making other co-operatives more visible.
How many of our suppliers are Co-ops, and would you consider moving to new suppliers that are coops for example Arla for our fresh milk?
What can we do to educate the public about co-ops and the difference from a PLC?
I don't think the fact that colleagues refer to us as "The Company" helps. This is particularly true of new colleagues at Angel Square. I know they are using it in the way to mean us as a group, but I always use the term "organisation" never company. I hear colleagues at all levels referring to "The Company" and this only perpetuates the feeling from within and also amongst the general public, that we are becoming too corporate and losing sight of the co-operative ethos.
Are we still going to have a movement with Ops cutting stores hours over and over again? There is a distinct lack of staff in many of our stores due to cuts in hours, yet we see a huge new "improvement" team in place that seem to cutting hours with one hand and preventing central tasks from being done due to "lack of hours" – where are all these cut hours going to? into the pockets of this new team? Because there does not seem to be a clarity on the saving they are claiming and its use in commercial or development or refits. Our store staff are key local staff that help drive a lot of our campaigns and we are seemingly staving them of resource to do so with a vampiric effect.
Millions of low paid and unemployed families are blighted by loan sharks and pay day loan companies each year. Credit Unions are the ethical and sensible way for these families to manage their finances but many people are unaware of what they are and how they can join. Could/would the Co-op assist the Credit Unions by promoting them to our members and more widely e.g. through day time TV advertising when pay day loan companies target the vulnerable?
One of the biggest problems facing people is a proliferation of poor quality unaffordable housing, something that business and government are unwilling to address. The Rochdale Pioneers provided unadulterated food because that was a big and ignored issue at the time; so in that spirit why don't we build some houses?
On the co-op directory there are many housing co-operatives so that proves that it can be done and if done right it could make a real difference to people across the nation.
When are we going to announce our gender pay gap? How are the Co-op moving towards equal pay.
Could the Noma plan have benefited the area and community further, if housing cooperatives rather than ready to purchase apartments been built.
Hi coop colleagues will this question be put to Steve. Thanks
At the next AGM will you ask members whether we should support / donate money to political parties *at all*, rather than how much we should support them?
If not, why not?
Why don't we support the movement and the idea of Co-operatives as an valuable form of organisation in more visible, more modern ways?
When we do charity volunteering why aren't we helping people form Co-operatives or, as an organisation supporting education about Co-operatives more strongly and more accessibly?
You could argue that's not our job but we don't work very publicly with the Co-op college considering they are only blocks down the street from 1 AS
Why don't we advertise "sourced from a Co-op" on products we sell ? It's the Argentinian Malbec debate all over again I suppose – we're still rubbish at talking up the good we do.
Comments are closed.


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'Doctor Who' Announces Jodie Whittaker Will Play the Thirteenth Doctor
When Peter Capaldi announced that he was leaving Doctor Who back in January, a familiar rush of speculation and excitement spread as fans once again tried to predict who the next Doctor would possibly be.
Months later, the BBC recently promised that they were about to reveal who's playing the new Doctor once they regenerate into their thirteenth form. That big reveal finally came out Sunday, just after the Wimbledon men's final, with a video naming actress Jodie Whittaker as the official 13th Doctor:
You're likely familiar with Whittaker if you've seen Attack the Block or Broadchurch (which stars another Doctor, David Tennant), or if you're a fan of Black Mirror, as she starred in the first season episode "The Entire History of You." Between Black Mirror and Attack the Block alone, that's already more than enough sci-fi experience to travel across the universe in a TARDIS with whomever the Doctor's new companion will be.
Whittaker's major role in Broadchurch actually should've been a big hint (she plays the character of Beth), because after current Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat steps down at the end of this year, a new showrunner named Chris Chibnail will be stepping into the job. Chibnail just so happens to be the creator of Broadchurch, and he's also written several episodes of Torchwood to bring things back full circle.
Even though Whittaker's casting was just announced in the middle of summer, we won't see the new Doctor in action until her annual Christmas Special, titled "The Doctors," which will see Peter Capaldi bowing out of the role in a final adventure with the First Doctor. The First Doctor will be played by David Bradley (Walder Frey in Game of Thrones, Argus Filch in Harry Potter) as he reprises the role after An Adventure in Space and Time, since the original actor William Hartnell passed away in the 1970s.
A BRAND NEW promo pic has been released for this year's #DoctorWho 2017 Christmas Special... pic.twitter.com/LIjvssIIlf— Doctor Who Page (@DWPageOFFICIAL) July 15, 2017
Between a new, Moffat-less creative team and Whittaker as the 13th Doctor, the show is heading for some exciting new changes starting this winter, as the revived show moves into its eleventh season. And for anyone who just can't imagine the Doctor being a woman, luckily you don't need to, because she's right there.
Doctor Who returns for the annual Christmas Special in December 2017.


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Alma and Arthur Taliaferro
Looking for people who may have known my grandparents I know my grandmother came over on Ellis Island and lived in Chicago She eventually married Arthur or sometimes call A.B. They had three children and lived in California and Texas. He was born in 1905 and passed away in 1990 in Longview Texas.
Thank you for any help


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Party like it's 1989! Hugh Jackman started 2014 by going back in time to the 1980s and returning with a new — or, in this case, old — hairstyle. On Tuesday, Jan. 7, the Les Miserables actor shared a picture of himself rocking a mullet on the set of his new movie.
"Day 1 on Chappie! Vincent is born, rocking the mullet," the hunky Australian, 45, captioned the Instagram photo, which shows his brown locks cropped short in the front and on the sides, with tufts of curls peeking out from the back. "Working with [director] Neill Blomkamp in SA. This film is rad."
Details about the movie are scarce, but Blomkamp, who directed Matt Damon in Elysium, has said it will be a blend of sci-fi and comedy, based on his short film Tetra Vaal. He co-wrote the script with wife Terri Tatchell.
In addition to Jackman — no stranger to changing his hair for movie roles — the movie stars Dev Patel and Sigourney Weaver. It's set to be released in 2015.
For access to all our exclusive celebrity videos and interviews – Subscribe on YouTube!


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Tips for Being a Better Patient
Download our medication tracker.
You can improve your chances of recovery after a stroke by being a good patient. That means staying vigilant and organized with any prescription medications. Here are a few tips:
Ask your doctor or pharmacist to make a "medication map." This will organize your medications into a daily schedule, help ensure you take them at the best times, check for any drug interactions and separate any medicines that shouldn't be taken together.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist if they offer "brown-bag sessions," where you bring all your current medications in a bag. Your doctor or pharmacist can review them for dosage, strength, appropriateness, interactions and expiration dates.
Use caution and common sense with your medications. Never order medication over the Internet without a prescription, and don't automatically trust information you get from the Internet. Never take prescription drugs on the advice of friends or neighbors.
Use a dosing calendar so you can check off each dose as you take it. When refilling a prescription, verify that the drug in the bottle is the same as the drug in your original supply. If it's different, ask your pharmacist to explain the difference. (Generic drugs from different manufacturers often vary in size, shape, color, etc.) If you take medicines prescribed by more than one doctor, check the generic names for duplicate drugs with different brand names. This could cause serious overdoses. It also helps to fill all of your prescriptions at the same pharmacy.
Always ask that the prescription include both the name of the drug and the disorder. Keep follow-up appointments, and always double-check your order before you leave the pharmacy.


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20% OFF all One Season dresses & Kaftans. Use code OSLASTEASON at checkout. FREE shipping for orders over R900. Happy shopping!
A new brand for us from Paris. Three siblings started the company in 2011, they want to make feminine and refined confections to enhance each woman, and each character.
Care:Gentle machine wash


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Two weeks ago a dream of mine finally became real! Through my advocacy work with Bring Me Hope, which landed me being the first advocacy coordinator - I started before the summer, I wanted to create a new advocacy site for the kids who come to the summer camps and are available for adoption. All of these kids are older (3yrs plus), most have special needs (from mild like repaired cleft lip and palate to more severe needs like cerebral palsy/ spina bifida, mental delays and medical needs) and on top of all that most are boys. Each of these three factors inhibits their chances at finding a family, but putting them together makes it so much harder.
To advocate means to plead on behalf of someone else or to stand up for their needs. Without an advocate who has spent time with the children, gotten to know them and love them as happens at camp, these children would be just another bunch of the thousands waiting. But they are NOT. We have met these kids, they are very real. They have real lives, personalities, tastes, emotions, and real pain. They have all experience real rejection at some point in their lives and some do on a daily basis. We believe that all children deserve to grow up in family so therefore we advocate to find them families.
The aim of Defend is simple - upholding the cause of the fatherless. Please go check out the site at www.defendfoundation.org . I am so pleased with the result! There is still work to be done, and lots more kids to be added but it is a good start!
Please share the site. You really never know who's lives and hearts will be touched for adoption!
NOTE: I am in Ireland, so for my Irish followers unfortunately special needs adoption is currently not possible for us. There will hopefully be a new program established in the very near future! So these children's best chances are in America.
Launching Defend!
Saturday, 9 November 2013
Labels: advocating
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Store Bathroom At Lowes.com
Darling New, the bathroom sequence for individualists, presents an innovation: Darling New c-bonded. Combined with blue, it will house an adventurous underwater aptitude, whereas if combined with black, it can create a dramatic and romantic attraction. Contemporary toilet suites are inclined to feature clear traces and simple shapes, with fussy element and ornate designs relegated to the past. Discover ways to make fast work out of cleansing your bathroom, and get tips about the very best options to use on fixtures, faucets and partitions.
Designers put together their favorite finds from throughout our web site to create showcase able to be inspired. With correct sealing, terra-cotta tiles can be utilized for showers and floors alike. Sharing the lavatory within the morning will be difficult with only one sink. Flooring to ceiling tiles in a toilet have gained popularity in recent years because they are simple to clean and preserve, not like paint, which needs to be refreshed because the years roll on. By way of flooring, tiles aren't the one possibility today.
Thankfully, trendy plumbing fixtures are designed to make the job of loo cleaning as straightforward as potential. The Bath Co. is certainly the place to go when you're looking for timeless luxurious, as every basin and toilet is air tested to verify there are not any leaks or defects. Choose any of the lavatory suites from the Mode Loos collections, and you'll find they're precisely engineered to feature the very latest in on-pattern, contemporary design.
Nevertheless, watch out for going overboard in an eclectic model rest room as an excessive amount of variety can create a chaos. Spruce up your bathroom interior with our range of essentials – think cosy towels and dressing gowns, snuggly tub mats and crowd pleasing bathe curtains. Get impressed by our best selling objects for toilet renovation and ornament. They are usually flexible, with the power to shift as fashions change, and cleverly use equipment to allow the designer to consistently change their look.
Additionally children tend be be relaxed with pastel tones and lighter colours round them, so choose your bathroom color correctly. Choosing a bathroom vanity with sink is also a big decision and you have to keep in mind all of the furnishings you already have in your bathroom. The broad classes are modern, basic, eclectic, Scandinavian, rustic and nation and with homify yow will discover numerous examples in each category, that will help you get a greater idea of the types that you really like and the way you would possibly implement them into your own bathroom.


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Another great find while catching up with the last threads of things I stored on my Instapaper account over the summer, I discovered a film on The Fox is Black site. Simply entitled Tone, it's focus lies not with the art of painting itself but rather the medium used to create works of art: paint. The film was created by NY based filmmaker Trent Jaklitsch, who filmed Alyssa Monks while at work.
I was completely mesmerised by the colors bleeding and swirling into one another as they are blended. I love cleaning my brushes, watching the paint swirl around the water, like a squid that has just extruded a puff of ink. The water beginning to cloud with color like a storm rolling in.
The paint hues tangible, the bristles of her brush sweeping through the paint and stirring it into peaks and ridges as if she is creating mountains of color. There comes a point where it doesn't appear as paint any more, it materializes almost as if it has come out of the cosmos, a star burst of color. Or, like bodily fluids, blood pulsing through the veins. It is an intoxicating film to view.


text: Hello my name is Karen Rufien. It is my distinct pleasure to work with the 6th grade teams at Evergreen Middle School in the role of Special Education Teacher. I have been a teacher at EMS since 2000. I thoroughly enjoy working with your child. Please email me directly at firstname.lastname@example.com


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January 2015
A WELL-KNOWN brand among construction materials in the region, Pozzolan Construction Industries has recently established its office and manufacturing facility in the UAE. The company specialises in the production of plastic spacers for concrete covers and also supporting parts for reinforcement.
Established in 1991 by Shahen Aghamal, Pozzolan Construction Industries has been serving the GCC market for more than eight years and having been involved in numerous projects through different distributors, the company felt the need to opening a manufacturing facility in the UAE in order to serve its clients better. In the UAE, the company operates as Pozzolan International.
Pozzolan's product range comprises more than 250 types of spacers and accessories, among which Stool, Eifel, Arc, and post-tension double rebar chair spacers are uniquely designed by the company.
Other products include chair, and wheel spacers, anchor and nailing centralisers, formwork accessories, underground conduit cable spacers and also water-stop tapes.
All the products have been assessed and deemed to comply with the requirements of CE, according to DIN 1045 relating to construction materials. The certificate is valid for manufacturing plastic spacers for reinforced concrete covers. As a holder of ISO 10002:2004 and ISO 9001:2008 certification from TQCS International (Group), the company guarantees the quality of its products.
Pozzolan's products have been sold to industry owners and the engineers in the UAE, Afghanistan, Andorra, Armenia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka and Venezuela.
Many of its customers are international leading construction companies such as Orascom Construction Industries, Tecnimont, Samsung Engineering, Arc Line and Borouge. Among its latest projects is the Abu Dhabi airport expansion, where its double rebar chair spacer has been used.
Commenting on the application of Pozzolan products, Aghamal said: "The correct positioning of rebar in locations specified on the execution plans in reinforced concrete structures is of extreme importance in order to maintain the good quality and strength of reinforced concrete.
"In many developed countries, especially in Europe, it has been known for a number of years that the thickness of the concrete cover guarantees the durability of the reinforced concrete structure, and is considered to be a major factor in preventing corrosion of the rebar.
"Hence, since 1909 in Europe, with the collaboration of various manufacturers, the University of Essen, Specialised Institute of Precast Concrete units of Germany and Steel Reinforcement Institute have worked towards authorising the use of plastic spacers of various shapes, according to DIN 1045 standard specification".
Over the past two decades, Pozzolan has expanded its capabilities through extensive research, improving the quality of its products, promoting export to the Middle East, Far East, European and South American countries.
It has now established a name as one of the most respectable manufacturers in the field of spacers and concrete accessory parts.
Pozzolan's reputation in the market is based on the trust of the clients and engineers and the company aims to continue to focus on ensuring customer satisfaction by offering better services and further innovations in the future.


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Throughout the rest of ETC, the weaving and surface-design studios were bustling with multiple artists at work on their exciting projects. Around every corner, the process and creation of art could be seen. ETC was certainly the perfect place to be today, to get inspired, learn, or create some awesome stuff! Can't wait to see what the weekend brings, here in the studio!
ETC will have a booth at Convergence, next week! Be sure to come by and see us if you are there!


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14th May 2014 Member Protection Declaration
As part of our on-going commitment to ensuring the safety and well being of children and young adults involved within our sport, SVNSW has adopted an interim Member Protection Declaration that aligns with the new NSW Working with Children legislation.
#1 Letter to Club Presidents and Secretaries
#2 SVNSW Member Protection Declaration
Working with Childrens Check
To assist our Clubs and Associations prior to the start of the Phase in Schedule the Office of the Childrens Guardian has developed an extensive list of FAQ (Frequently asked questions)
Topic Index
- Before I apply (Click here)
- After I apply (Click here)
- Employer Information (Click here)
As of 15th June 2013, the NSW Office of the Children's Guardian has released a new Working With Children Check. This new online Working With Children Check covers more people, is more comprehensive and provides better protection for children.
The sport sector phase-in for this new WWCC system will begin from 1st April 2015 to be completed by 31st March 2016.
SVNSW will be working closely with each Affiliate during 2014 on a phase-in program to ensure compliance with the new WWCC before 31st March 2016.
Key Points to consider in the meantime for SVNSW Affiliates:
- A WWCC is required immediately for all those in a new paid role that is child-related as defined in the Act. Please note the difference between Paid and Volunteer roles (particularly that receiving reimbursment for expenses is not deemed a paid role under the Act). Please follow the link below to the NSW Office of the Children's Guardian's website and start the WWCC process as soon as possible.
- All volunteers and current paid workers in child-related roles should obtain their check during the phase-in period in 2015.
- Some people in the sport sector may still be exempt from a check even when the sport sector phase-in period begins in 2015.
For all information on volunteers and who needs the check, please visit the NSW Office of the Children's Guardian's website for the new Working With Children Check.