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Dr. Gavin Dillingham interviewed by Houston Matters host, Craig Cohen, to discuss United Nations report on climate change.
HARC in the News
HARC has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ENERGY STAR® certification for superior energy performance.
Lisa Gonzalez, HARC's President and CEO, was invited to speak at The Woodlands Area Economic Development Partnership 's (EDP) Quarterly Partner Luncheon September 20, 2018.
HARC will partner with City of Houston to develop its Climate Action Plan. "In follow up to our work on the City of Houston's Sustainability Action Plan, this initiative will support environmental sustainability community-wide," states Dr. Gavin Dillingham, HARC's Program Director, Clean Energy Policy.
National environment experts address how the public and private sectors can help Houston prepare for next Hurricane Harvey at HARC's People & Nature Speaker Series.
For the fourth straight year the Galveston Bay has earned a C grade in its annual report card.
HARC's Program Director, Dr. Stephanie Glenn, discusses the need for improved flood maps to better understand changing land use.
Galveston Bay receives a grade of "C" in the 2018 Galveston Bay Report Card.
HARC's research scientist, Dr. Erin Kinney, pens article on the 2018 Galveston Bay Report Card.
The 2018 Galveston Bay Report Card prepared by the Galveston Bay Foundation and the Houston Advanced Research Center was featured as part of an online interview with Houston Matters host, Craig Cohen.
HARC President Lisa Gonzalez and Galveston Bay Foundation's Bob Stokes discuss the release of the 2018 Galveston Bay Report Card.
2018 Galveston Bay Report Card featured in online article by Houstonia magazine. Important resources and follow up actions are included to help improve the health of waterways.
The overall health of Galveston Bay earns a grade of "C" once again in the 2018 annual report card for the estuary.
Researchers Gavin Dillingham and Carlos Gamarra, leading the DOE's CHP Southcentral and Upperwest CHP TAPs, recently published an article in the American Public Gas Association (APGA) trade association publication "The Source." The article discusses how CHP can improve a facilities resilience and keep the lights on during and after a major power outage event.
HARC's Dr. Erin Kinney discusses the impact of impervious surfaces on the recent flood events including Hurricane Harvey in the recent PBS broadcast NOVA: Rise of the Superstorms. Dr. Kinney's work on land use change and wetland loss in the Houston-Galveston region highlights the importance of wetlands for flood mitigation and protecting water quality.
The May/June issue of Texas Architect features articles on how the state's changing energy landscape is affecting architecture. Rives Taylor, Regional Sustainability Leader within Gensler's Houston office and lead designer of the HARC facility, comments on the high performance features of the building in his article, Electric Eye.
The oil and gas industry is collaborating to work towards improving the environmental culture and commitment. The HARC-EFD and the RPSEA programs are working with industry to foster this culture.
HARC President Lisa Gonzalez discusses the Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium report.
Mustapha Beydoun speaks on the contributing environmental factors that can work against Houston's progression.
Houston Endowment gives Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) and Galveston Bay Foundation (GBF) a $455,000 grant to provide the Galveston Bay Report Card for another two years.
Through the Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium, HARC was one of the leading researchers to release a report on flood mitigation infrastructure, drainage, buyouts and development regulations in the Greater Houston area.
Each year, the Houston Business Journal's Landmark Awards recognize real estate projects that are making a significant impression on the Houston landscape and improve the look, feel and image of the city. HARC was honored to learn that its LEED-Platinum facility is a finalist in the "Headquarters Move" category.
Houston Matters talk with Dr. Gavin Dillingham, Program Director for Clean Energy Policy at the Houston Advanced Research Center; and Lara Cottingham, Deputy Assistant Director for the City of Houston's Administration and Regulatory Affairs Department to explore the ramification on NRG's decision.
"That juxtaposition of development patterns with wetland and habitat loss are two things that have led to where we are, given our recurring flooding issues," said Lisa Gonzalez, HARC's President and CEO.
HARC President Lisa Gonzalez speaks on the adaptability of Gulf Coast ecosystems following extreme weather events.
HARC's green headquarters, constructed by Brookstone LP and designed by Gensler, was presented the Award of Merit in the Engineering News Record Texas & Louisiana's 2017 Best Projects on October 18, 2017.
HARC's Dr. Erin Kinney discusses how seemingly small losses of wetlands can have a big impact in our naturally flood-prone region.
HARC's LEED Platinum headquarters was recently featured in Modern Steel Construction, the official publication of the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC). The article highlighted the Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment (WBLCA) undertaken by the project's civil engineering partner, Walter P Moore, and the resulting utilization of a steel-framed structure, one that led to a 20% reduction in embodied CO2 associated with the building's structural and enclosure systems.
HARC President Lisa Gonzalez and Galveston Bay Foundation's Bob Stokes appeared on KPRC 2's Houston Newsmakers to discuss the 2017 Galveston Bay Report Card and the likely impacts of Hurricane Harvey on Houston's biggest natural resource.
Decentralized Energy references HARC's focus on clean energy policy in recent article.
HARC President Lisa Gonzalez notes the importance of strengthening the region's green infrastructure.
HARC Coastal Ecologist Dr. Erin Kinney interview on NOS Dutch TV on Hurricane Harvey, its causes and impacts.
Why did Houston flood? Watch a video by NOVA PBS discussing challenges and strategies for Houston.
The New York Times discusses the history of Houston's development and flooding, citing Dr. Erin Kinney's research on wetland loss in the Houston-Galveston region. Read the original blog post and view our Watershed and Wetland Permit Planning Tool and Galveston Bay Report Card Wetland loss grade.
HARC's Geospatial Technologies researcher Bill Bass contributes maps to article discussing Houston flooding and the need for current data. For more information, explore HARC researchers Lisa Gonzalez and Erin Kinney's Texas General Land Office sponsored
HARC President Lisa Gonzalez speaks on rapid development as a contributing factor to flooding in many Houston neighborhoods affected by tropical storm Harvey.
The Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America (RPSEA) will team up with HARC and other US oil and gas industry partners to conduct and manage a real-world survey that will more accurately determine levels of methane emitting from marginal wells in the United States.
Houston Chronicle editorial board speaks on the Galveston Bay Report Card highlighting the need for coastal data.
HARC's Marina Badoian-Kriticos, Research Scientist, Energy and Natural Resource Policy, discusses the increasing emphasis of and need for resilience strategies in the built environment.
Houston Matters host, Craig Cohen, speaks with HARC President Lisa Gonzalez about what contributed to this year's overall grade of "C" in the Galveston Bay Foundation's annual report card.
Galveston Bay receives a "C" on an environmental report card.
Galveston Bay Report Card gives Galveston Bay a 'C'. Encroachment on wetlands seen as threat to health of its watershed.
Houston Chronicle editorial on the Galveston Bay Report Card and the need to support programs providing data for important coastal issues.
Study conducted by Texas A&M University and HARC highlighted at the Unconventional Resources Technology Conference (URTeC). This study outlines steps companies can take to address community anxieties over new energy development.
HARC's Jennifer Ronk, Program Director, Environmental Science and Energy Efficiency, discusses the impacts of warming climate on Texas' economy.
HARC's Gavin Dillingham, Program Director, Clean Energy Policy, discusses the need for a clean energy business plan for the state of Texas.
KUHF speaks with HARC's Jay Olaguer on Houston's commitment to clean air and ways to reduce ozone.
"What we expect to see over time is more frequent and more intense weather events. Festivals and people attending them will increasingly have to plan for storms that drop two to four inches of rain in an hour," said Lisa Gonzalez, HARC's President and CEO.
"This building is not only a testimony to the legacy of my parents, Cynthia and George Mitchell, but also to the HARC staff and the important research that is carried out every day," said Todd Mitchell, Chairman of the HARC Board of Directors.
"This building for us is a representation of our mission. We like to say we help people thrive and nature flourish. This building is an embodiment of that, the way it exists in the environment and the way we're hoping it will help us better connect to the community," said HARC's Lisa Gonzalez.
The effects of climate change and the future of flood mitigation in the region is debated by local officials, but HARC's Lisa Gonzalez says a paradigm shift in how we deal with these issues is needed.
Renowned Texas climate scientist, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe was the featured speaker at HARC's People & Nature Speaker Series on March 8, 2017.
The City of Houston recently announced an expansion in renewable energy. The city agreed to purchase an additional 20 megawatts of solar power. Today, we examine solar energy with Dr. Gavin Dillingham, program director for clean energy policy at the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), and Bill Swann, TXRX Labs.
Navigating the climate conversation isn't always easy, especially during these politically divisive days. Renowned Texas climate scientist, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe is coming to Houston on March 8th.
HARC Board members John Hall and Ramanan Krishnamoorti discuss renewable energy and natural gas in Texas.
HARC's Environmentally Friendly Drilling Program participates in the backbone of the shale R & D program that addresses air quality, water, seismicity, and land use.
"There's a whole new generation of analytical techniques that allow us to do much more than what we were able to do some time ago" said HARC's Jay Olaguer.
"It's an honor for the project to receive this award, which highlights the importance of WPPs in protecting regional water quality," said Stephanie Glenn.
HARC's Jay Olaguer "BEE-TEX study found very different results from those being touted by the TCEQ as the reason to de-list Galena Park."
"I think the last year gave us a pretty good insight into the next decade. There's going to be significantly more flooding, summers that last longer, more vector-borne diseases," said Gavin Dillingham.
HARC's Jennifer Ronk discusses the importance of developing both wind and solar for electrical energy production.
"I don't think the world is going to shut off all major power plants everywhere and run everything on solar. That's not where we are going long-term. I think there is a mix of solutions that are going to the optimal outcome," said HARC's Jennifer Ronk.
HARC's Rich Haut co-authors article on the "rising consensus that our nation's future economic competitiveness depends upon strengthening our students' skills in STEM."
The August 11th edition of Texas Monthly's Daily Post features 2016's Galveston Bay Report Card, discussing the bay's overall grade as well as water quality and habitats.
HARC President Lisa Gonzalez and Galveston Bay Foundation President Bob Stokes discuss the 2nd annual Galveston Bay Report Card.
HARC and Galveston Bay Foundation released the second annual report card issued on the health of Galveston Bay.
The 2016 Galveston Bay Report Card cites 19 indicators impacting the Bay, grouped into six critical issues.
Greg Hurst reports on the second annual Galveston Bay Report Card for KHOU audiences.
"You look at Galveston Bay and you compare it to any other large estuary around the country and we are doing pretty well," said HARC President Lisa Gonzalez.
While there have been slow but steady improvements in water quality, Galveston Bay continues to face monumental threats from pollution, habitat loss and climate change, according to a new report.
"The Galveston Bay Report Card was undertaken to identify the most immediate needs of this vital natural resource" Galveston Bay Foundation President Bob Stokes.
Houston Matters' Maggie Martin interviews HARC President Lisa Gonzalez on the 2016 Galveston Bay Report Card. The episode discusses several major findings from the report.
HARC President Lisa Gonzalez and Galveston Bay Foundation President Bob Stokes discuss the health of Galveston Bay and the purpose of the Galveston Bay Report Card.
A HARC analysis of federal wetland data for the Houston Chronicle shows how development is impacting wetlands and flood risk in the Houston region. Since 1996 over 54,000 acres of wetlands have been lost and since 2001, developed lands have increased by 25%.
HARC's Stephanie Glenn discusses water quality and water safety issues in rural areas.
HARC Vice President Lisa Gonzalez is featured on Houston Matters. The episode highlights her recent remarks at a Water, Water Everywhere Summer Salon Series panel hosted by the Center for Houston's Future. She offers insights on the state of Houston's water supply.
HARC supports Bruce Race and local innovators' discussion of new waste management strategies.
"If we let it go, we can end up with problems like we see in other parts of the city", said Lisa Gonzalez on cleanup plans for improving water quality in the watershed of San Jacinto River's west fork.
"We think people are going to be talking about it because it's going to be the greenest building in The Woodlands," said Jim Lester on HARC's future headquarters.
HARC researchers discuss changes to impervious coverage, loss of natural areas, and flooding. "You need to keep water in some of these systems and out of the bayou in the first place." HARC's Bill Bass
"The goal is economic development of clean energy," said HTC Managing Director Charles Wohl on paving the way for clean energy start-ups in The Woodlands.
Gavin Dillingham discusses the DOE's decision to help build power lines to carry wind generated power
"The transmission project is a great opportunity for clean energy development and the modernization of the grid. However, to make even greater progress, we must focus on the demand-side through energy efficiency." – HARC's Gavin Dillingham
"If we could change the system, do much more immediate analysis and modeling right away in areas prone to this stuff, it could change the whole game entirely" said HARC's Jay Olaguer.
According to HARC's Jay Olaguer, the study conducted using real time testing of toxic vapors revealed pipelines sporadically belching benzene vapors in communities along the Houston Ship Channel.
Jay Olaguer discusses the environmental impact of oil flowing through and being stored around the Houston area. "These are not obvious events. They're basically invisible vapors," says Olaguer.
"It turned out when we superimposed a graphics based on the existing pipeline database over our findings, oh, we see these huge spikes right on top of the pipeline system," said Jay Olaguer on the findings in three Houston communities.
"People have this idea that every time they turn on the faucet, water ought to come out of the tap, and they have an idea that that will happen the rest of their life," says Jim Lester, HARC's President and Chief Executive Officer.
Air quality monitors in and around Houston averaged 81 parts per billion of ozone in 2015 according to state data analyzed by HARC.
HARC's Alex Cuclis speaks on the smog problem in the Houston area. "We're not out of the woods yet, but at the same time, we are a lot better than we were 10 years ago," Cuclis said.
"Expect a city to be operated in an efficient manner that has a more sustainable side," said HARC's Gavin Dillingham on climate change as Houston continues to increase in population.
"The little amount of downtime we've had, for this being a pilot project and how well it's functioned, it's been first-class all the way through." said Rich Haut on the success on the completion of a unique gas-capture technology in the Bakken.
HARC's Board Member, John Hall, pens letter on Texas power companies capitalizing on clean energy resources to provide people more choice, convenience, and control.
HARC's EFD Program, with GCGE and Hess Corporation, operated ElectraTherm's Power+ Generator to reduce flaring while generating low-emission electricity in the Bakken.
HARC's EFD Systems Program played an integral part in managing ElectraTherm's Power+ Generator to reduce flaring while generating low-emission electricity at a Hess oil well in North Dakota.
HARC's Carolyn LaFleur, Research Associate, Energy Production, speaks on working toward bringing two new projects to the Bakken. "We're prepared to mobilize whenever they can work it out," LaFleur said. "It's a very nice synergy with the need to use flare gas, stranded gas, particularly in the Bakken where it's such an issue."
HARC is set to break ground on its 20,000 square foot headquarters in March of 2016. The new building aims to represent HARC's focus on environment and sustainability.
Officials of Iraq Ministry of Oil tours gas capture research project at a Hess Corporation well site conducted by HARC's EFD Program.
HARC partners with Houston-based Houston Technology Center North to promote the growth of entrepreneurial sustainable energy technology companies in The Woodlands area.
"Any endeavor in the Arctic faces a world of challenges oil companies don't encounter in most other places," said HARC's Rich Haut, moderator of the symposium.
HARC'S Rich Haut, Program Director, Energy Production, moderates panel on Arctic oil challenges at the 2015-2016 Energy Symposium Series.
HARC's Stephanie Glenn and Jim Lester pens article on the critical need of groundwater management in Montgomery County.
Jim Lester, President and Chief Executive Officer, speaks on Lake Conroe's bird sanctuary is in crisis because of erosion caused by waves and drought.
North Houston Tech Partnership Launched; Region Ripe for Clean Technology Innovation/Economic Growth
HARC's Jim Lester discusses the newly launched collaboration with HTC. "Our partnership with HTC North gives HARC a significant opportunity to advance real solutions to sustainability problems," said Jim Lester.
HARC partners with Houston Technology Center North (HTC North) to expand its operations in The Woodlands.
Each method—pipeline, rail, boat or truck—has its pros and cons. The Wall Street Journal looks to HARC for information on spills of oil and related liquids a year in Galveston Bay.
HARC's Erin Kinney and Galveston Bay Foundation's Bob Stokes discuss the report card, issues that put Galveston Bay at risk, and recommendations on how to preserve the Bay.
In its first Galveston Bay Report Card, HARC and the Galveston Bay Foundation gave the bay a "C" grade, indicating it is "adequate for now" but conditions will deteriorate without further action. "The overall grade of a C for Galveston Bay is not the end, but just the beginning," HARC Vice President Lisa Gonzalez said in a news release.
Researchers have handed out a report card on the health of Galveston bay, suggesting the water needs some improvement. The bay received a "C" rating. The Galveston bay foundation and the Houston Advanced Research Center says pollution is a big problem. Other areas evaluated included wildlife habitats and health risks to humans.
The oil-spill settlement will be utilized to restore underwater seagrass and to acquire acres of Clear Creek to serve as a buffer to help reduce the amount of pollution entering Galveston Bay. According the recent report card issued by Galveston Bay Foundation and HARC, action is needed to prevent more assault on the bay.
HARC's Jim Lester and Erin Kinney discuss the release of the Galveston Bay Report Card. "It's not dire, it's not a lost cause, but if we want to keep this going in the right direction we need to take action," said Erin Kinney.
Galveston Bay is facing a shortage of oysters and surplus of pollution. The assessment was prepared with data analyzed by HARC researchers.
HARC's Lisa Gonzalez and Galveston Bay Foundation's Bob Stokes discuss a new report card that gives the health of Galveston Bay a 'C' and highlights issues that need to be monitored.
Jim Lester, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Lisa Gonzalez, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, speak on the loss of wetlands by developers in the greater Houston area.
Jim Lester, President and Chief Executive Officer, discusses climate change in the Houston area.
Jennifer Ronk, Program Director, Environmental Science and Energy Efficiency, speaks on what Houstonians need to expect with more extreme heat days in incoming years.
Jim Lester talks about the importance of tapping Lake Conroe as a water source. "The system was built to protect human health, but we've come to a point where it's about viewscapes and lawns."
HARC's Gavin Dillingham pens letter to the editor on energy efficiency.
Stephanie Glenn discusses the upcoming Double Bayou Watershed Partnership meeting on Tuesday, April 21, 2015 from 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. at the Double Bayou Community Building.
Houston Advanced Research Center was instrumental in launching Education for Tomorrow Alliance 25 years ago.
Lisa Gonzalez discusses the analysis of escalating acidity of Texas bays and the waning pH trend in Galveston Bay.
We need to be ahead of the curve and operate as efficiently as possible," said Gavin Dillingham, on the importance of Houston's energy efficiency action plan.
HARC's mobile air quality lab is part of a month long study to gather real-time data on air pollution in Manchester, which is one of Houston's oldest neighborhoods. "This is literally a CAT scan" of the air, Olaguer said. "It will lead to more transparency."
Jim Lester, President and Chief Executive Officer of HARC, discusses Houston looking to save water before seeking money to build a bigger distribution system.
Jay Olaguer talks about the utilization of new air quality monitoring technologies to evaluate human exposure to air pollution in several neighborhoods.
HARC's Jim Lester weighs in on expansion and affordability of groundwater supply in Houston.
"It will be extremely energy efficient, very modern and very space-efficient," said Jim Lester, on the new home for HARC.
Social Security, Solar Energy, and Ulysses (Yes, Really): Houston Matters for Thursday, January 8, 2015
HARC's Gavin Dillingham, Clean Energy Policy, speaks on the state of energy efficiency and renewable energy policy for the state of Texas and City of Houston.
HARC's Senior Research Scientist, Jay Olaguer, Program Director, Air Quality Science, weighs in on measuring methods used to chase pollution plumes.
Jay Olaguer discusses ways to measure pollution plumes in North Texas. Given the measurement challenges, "traditional methods are really inadequate for the task at hand," he said.
HARC's Research Scientist, Gavin Dillingham, Clean Energy Policy, discusses how Class B and C business properties can reap the benefits of being LEED-certified.
"Without knowing the reasons, it's too early to conclude what the drop in clams says about the bay's well-being", said Jim Lester, president of HARC.
HARC's Jay Olaguer, program director of air quality science, said that the state's stationary monitors are at a disadvantage because they can't move around. "You'd have to be very lucky with a single stationary monitor to catch a plume," Olaguer said.
The Galveston Bay Foundation and Houston Advanced Research Center have launched the first phase of the Galveston Bay Report Card, and are seeking your input about bay health.
Rich Haut, Program Director, Energy Production, discusses the new EFD's Virtual Hydraulic Fracturing website.
"The use of this state-of-the-art gaming software and graphics application is intended to familiarize users with the best practices associated with hydraulic fracturing, as well as increase the public's understanding of these operations," Rich Haut said.
Gavin Dillingham, Research Scientist, Clean Energy Policy, discusses the importance of Houstonians playing an integral part in dealing with climate change.
"Given all that, where would you plant the trees, and how would it help?" said Alex Cuclis on planting trees to combat Houston air pollution.
HARC's Research Scientist, Jennifer Ronk, Program Director, Environmental Science and Energy Efficiency, discusses the benefits of roof-top solar panels for homeowners.
Alex Cuclis, Research Scientist, Air Quality and Emissions, discusses whether fence-line monitors were the right approach to solve the impact of pollution being released by refineries.
"When people dig into the matter a lot deeper than they have, they will find that oil and gas activities do have a significant impact on ozone attainment," said Jay Olaguer on the impact of natural gas extraction in the Barnett Shale.
Three years ago this week, crews capped and sealed two pits of paper mill sludge that had long poisoned the San Jacinto River..."The cap has gone a long way to reduce short-term risk," states Jennifer Ronk.
HARC's Program Director of Energy Production, Rich Haut, discusses how the influence of video gaming technology allows users to interact and creates ways to drill in an environmentally friendly way.
HARC's President and Chief Executive Officer, Jim Lester, discusses the consequences of the Antarctic melt on the Gulf Coast.
"We're in a part of the state that is out of the drought, but that is a temporary condition," says Jim Lester on water conservation in the area.
"It's like death by a thousand cuts, especially when you combine the oil spills with all of the other stressors to the bay," says Lisa Gonzalez on impact of the oil spill into Galveston Bay on March 22, 2014.
Jim Lester presented at Montgomery County Water Supply Symposium on Saturday, April 5, 2014 at The Woodlands Township.
The heavy oil spilled into Galveston Bay causes concern for the nation's great natural nurseries. HARC's analysis reveals that oil spills are typically small, averaging about 100 gallons per incident. The latest spill is the largest in the Ship Channel since a facility leaked 70,000 gallons of bunker fuel in 2000.
A barge that spilled 168,000 gallons (635,000 liters) of oil Saturday into Galveston Bay is threatening a refuge that's crucial habitat for thousands of birds, experts say. National Georgraphic looks to HARC's Galveston Bay Oil Spill Environmental Overview Mapping Application for critical information on the spill.
HARC's Stephanie Glenn and the Double Bayou Watershed Protection Plan team review stakeholder ideas on potential voluntary solutions to water quality concerns in Double Bayou.
The Galveston Bay Foundation and HARC are partnering to provide residents the new Galveston Bay Report Card that will feature critical information on the health of Galveston Bay.
HARC Researcher, David Hitchcock, serves as a member of Bike The Woodlands Coalition pushing for bicycle lanes and shoulders to make the area more rider-friendly.
Cost, complexities cited as residents rage over dioxin's harm to rivers.
HARC's Vice President, Lisa Gonzalez, presents The State of Galveston Bay at the Deer Park Community Advisory Council final meeting of the year.
HARC's President Jim Lester discusses rising seas and what that means to Houston and the Gulf Coast.
Jim Lester discusses the importance of funds created by Proposition 6 should be prioritized for conservation and more innovative water strategies.
North Texas ties with Houston as the highest average in Ozone pollution. HARC's Jay Olaguer provides his theoretical view on ways to meet federal ozone standards.
Prop 6 coalition splits on path forward: Environmentalists urge conservation be given priority over building reservoirs
HARC's Jim Lester weighs in on critical view of Tx water plan.
After the successful passage of Proposition 6, Jim Lester confers over which projects should be at the front of the line for funding.
HARC Research Scientists, Rich Haut and Birnur Guven, discuss the importance of capturing and reusing natural gas and ways to reduce the amount of air pollution associated with the equipment.
HARC and TSSWCB host meeting to discuss ways to protect Double Bayou watershed.
Few business people have done as much to change the world as George Mitchell.
George P. Mitchell is recognized as the Houstonian of the century for his vision of The Woodlands, philanthropy, oil and gas contributions, and global legacy.
Scott Tong was the last person to interview George Mitchell back in December of last year.
HARC senior research scientist Jennifer Ronk discusses solar energy in Texas.
"If you're not measuring, you're just guessing," says Alex Cuclis, a chemical engineer who worked at a refinery for 15 years and now studies air pollution at the independent Houston Advanced Research Center.
The Houston area produces about a quarter of the nation's gasoline, and about a third of the plastics that are in our cars, cupboards and just about everywhere else. So it is no surprise that this heavily industrial area has a problem with air pollution. But in the past decade, Houston's air has improved dramatically.
Despite the many advantages of storing water underground, water utilities typically don't understand that the technology is tested and ready to use, according to HARC President Jim Lester. "It just makes so much more sense" than surface reservoirs, he says.
Storing water in manmade reservoirs underground – a technology increasingly being explored in drought-conscious Texas – can avoid eminent domain issues and dam-safety concerns that complicate surface-reservoir plans, HARC president Jim Lester says.
Through another HARC and City of Houston partnership, a new sustainable transportation alternative is made available for Houston residents. HARC's role was to secure funding and manage the implementation of the new bike sharing program.
The Houston Advanced Research Center continues to tackle important environmental issues outlined by its founder, George Mitchell, more than 30 years ago. HARC is looking to develop technologies that reduce the impact of oil and gas exploration, reduce emissions from diesel engines, and improve air quality in the Houston and Dallas regions.
Rising sea levels are likely to cover the coastal highway on the unprotected west end of Galveston sooner than previously predicted.
Harris County Commissioners Court approved $1 million dollars in federal funding to CT scan the community's air. "This gives us opportunities to address environmental justice in a way we never have before," says Jay Olaguer, director of air quality research at the Houston Advanced Research Center.
Integral to the cadre of scientists and engineers concerned about undercounts is Alex Cuclis, an air pollution researcher with the Houston Advanced Research Center. He's also determined to broaden the use of advanced instruments to measure rather than estimate emissions.
Texas A&M's partner in the EFD program, the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), is working to get an international cooperative agreement in place to promote all forms of low-impact drilling technology throughout South America.
David Hitchcock, member of The Woodlands GREEN and director of sustainable transportation programs at the Houston Advanced Research Center, was equally pleased. "We often have more to recycle than would fit in the smaller containers, as do several of our neighbors. Hitchcock added that the lids on the new carts will keep the contents from getting wet or from attracting wildlife.
The big oil companies told me we shouldn't delay action against manmade climate change. At least that's what I read on their websites.
Developed decades ago, hydraulic fracturing involves the process of breaking up heavy oil- and gas-bearing shale formations by pumping millions of gallons of chemically tainted water through vertical and lateral wells at intense pressure. Only in recent years has the practice become cost effective for industry, as advances in technology have been matched by rising energy prices.
The arrival of Hurricane Alex heralds another glaring reminder of Texas' susceptibility to widespread and prolonged power outages. Gone are the days when we safely assumed the lights would magically turn back on within a few hours after every storm.


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It's another bright Sunday here in Mauritius. Still hot as the depths of hell, and there's nothing more you wanna do that plop down in front of an open terrace door/window, and with a blowing fan to your side, an ice-cold mocktail in your hand (preference lately = virgin mojito *grin*) and a good read...
...which today means *yippee!* Six Sentence Sunday snippets!
Okay, I am back in the yard of the Camberry Victorian mansion (and before you start to wonder how much stuff can actually happen on an estate's yard, let me just tell you a whole chapter takes place here! There, we have that out of the way *grin*).
So, Jamie is pining for Margo... whom he thinks bats for the other team, thanks to Emma's long-winded explanation. Ice Queen Margo is also feeling something for the hunky Jamie - she who never feels anything but cold professionalism and swift competence.
But is she finally coming undone? And what of the misunderstanding between them? Will it ever be resolved... before it's too late, for both of them?
Hope you're all having a lovely weekend!
From Mauritius with love,

subset: commoncrawl


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22 February 2012
But Who Will Read The Record? Does Not Learning Cursive Mean Our Descendants Will Be Less Able to Read Handwritten Documents?
Meridian Magazine published a provocative piece titled "But Who Will Read the Records?" by Carol Kostakos Petranek (one of the Directors of the Washington DC Family History Center) which discusses a possibly frightening movement underway to eliminate cursive handwriting from public schools (see Cursive Handwriting Getting Erased) and the impact this might have on genealogists.
My experience has been that an emphasis on cursive writing went by the wayside about 10 years ago – by the time my son was a 3rd grader, they spent much less time on cursive and even print writing than for my slightly older daughter. As a result of that, he doesn't have terribly legible hand-writing, though his typed documents look just fine?!?!?!
I don't know my thoughts on whether his lack of schooling in cursive would make it more challenging to read handwritten documents? As it is – between spelling variations, vagaries in handwriting, etc, I struggle to read handwritten texts, regardless of when or where written.
Do you think that a generation taught typing instead of cursive writing (with a reduced emphasis on even print writing for that matter) will be more challenged in the future to read hand-written documents or not?
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I'm reading: But Who Will Read The Record? Does Not Learning Cursive Mean Our Descendants Will Be Less Able to Read Handwritten Documents?
Posted by Diane L Richard at Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Labels: genealogy research, Hand-writing
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text:
Halo Lyrics
Living in the land of make believe, girl your kiss makes it hard to breathe again. Watching my back since the start of this. Balling my fist ,losing innocence again. Always were the one to ease the pain, filling my heart with the Novocain. I said, "Where did you go tonight? And where have you been sleeping?" I said, we can't give up the fight because you were one for the money. My little halo, I just wanted you to know-- when you left me is when I needed you the most. I swear this is the last time.
I think I've crossed the last line. You know it hits home when you start to sweat.
Live and let live, never did regret. Baby, call me when you're ready. Call me when you're ready. Substitute touch for the emptiness, never cared much for the scent of sex.
Baby, call me when you're ready. Call me when you're ready. I want to feel that endless summer. I want to give you time to shine. When everybody's got the same intentions, can I change your mind?


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SOURCE: aurionPro Solutions
February 25, 2013 23:30 ET
MUMBAI, INDIA--(Marketwire - Feb 25, 2013) - Aurionpro is proud to announce that Federal Bank has chosen its Financial Supply Chain Management system, fscmPro, after an exhaustive software selection process. Federal Bank is a leading private sector bank in India that is investing in technology solutions to provide leading edge services to its customers. fscmPro, a functional module of Aurionpro's iCashPro internet banking suite, will enable Federal Bank to offer online financing programs to their corporate customers' business partners.
Commenting on the product selection, Mr. Sunny KP, Federal Bank's Deputy General Manager, IT, commented, "We are very pleased to be associated with Aurionpro. Based on our evaluation of competitive solutions, we are anticipating that the fscmPro platform will enhance Federal Bank's services offered to our corporate customers." Mr. Antu Joseph, Deputy General Manager, National Head, SME Business, added, "Our team has plans to significantly scale up channel financing and we are confident that Aurionpro's system will fulfill our objectives in this area."
Ms. Kashmira Bhayani, President of Aurionpro's Banking and Financial Technologies business in South Asia, commented, "We are thrilled that our fscmPro solution has been selected by Federal Bank and we are looking forward to a close partnership that will help their team achieve their business goals."
About Aurionpro
Aurionpro Solutions (NSE: AURIONPRO) (BSE: 532668) is a publicly-traded technology company that helps Fortune 1000 companies to be more efficient through domain-driven software and consulting offerings. Employing more than 1250 individuals across North America, Asia, and Europe, the company has been recognized by Deloitte, Forbes, and the 2011 FinTech 100 as one of the world's fastest growing technology companies. For more information, visit www.aurionpro.com.
About Federal Bank
Federal Bank is a leading private sector bank in India that offers a network of more than 1,000 branches and 1,100 ATMs across the country. Based in Kerala, the bank also has a representative office in Abu Dhabi that serves as a nerve center for NRI customers in the UAE. Federal Bank employs more than 10,000 employees and is one of the strongest and most stable banks in India, adopting best practices and cutting-edge technologies to provide industry-leading products and service levels to its customers. For more information, visit http://www.federalbank.co.in.
For more information, please contact: Kashmira Bhayani
President, Banking & Financial Technologies, South Asia
Tel: +91 22 6770 7631
Email: Email Contact
For more information, please contact: Kashmira Bhayani
President, Banking & Financial Technologies, South Asia
Tel: +91 22 6770 7631
Email: Email Contact
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The partial shutdown of the federal government resulting from Congress' budget impasse has put some 800,000 employees on the couch, closed national parks and put a hold on services ranging from processing FOIA requests to administering flu shots.
And it also has thrown government's online presence backward in time. If it seems hard to remember when agencies had only static websites, or no websites at all, now's your chance for a trip through history.
The most noticeable absence is that of NASA, which to date has developed a more engaging, educational and entertaining Web presence than perhaps any other agency. NASA has furloughed 98 percent of its workforce, just about everyone other than those working at Mission Control for the International Space Station, so along with its research work, the agency's website has gone dark. Try to go to nasa.gov and all you get is a message on USA.gov apologizing for the site's unavailability.
Anyone who wants to play one of NASA's online games or see satellite views of Earth and the stars are out of luck too. If you want to check in on the progress of the Mars Rover, you can wait to see if Walter Cronkite has anything on it at 6.
The Library of Congress's main website also turns up the same message that NASA's does, although its legislative tracker THOMAS is up. Not that it has much to report. Also closed is the Federal Trade Commission's site.
Most government websites, however, aren't stuck in the pre-Internet days. They're more in the early-Internet days, with websites that appear in the browser but are largely static. The Federal Election Commission's site, for example, is up but will go without updates during the shutdown (all but six of its 346 employees are furloughed). Likewise the Federal Communications Commission and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, both of whose offices, while minimally staffed, are closed. A notice on the Energy Department website notes that DOE's websites are accessible, "but may not be updated until Congress authorizes funds for Fiscal Year 2014." That includes sites such as ARPA-E, the department's cutting-edge research arm.
Others, such as that of the mostly operational Veterans Affairs Department, may have only occasional updates.
The National Park Service's website is up, even if the parks themselves are closed, so there's no need to advertise park events or take campground reservations. And while you can get to the Smithsonian's National Zoo website, its live animal cameras, including the popular panda cam, aren't available.
Even sites that are providing services have cut them to a minimum. The Treasury Department and IRS sites are up, but their services have been reduced to a low level. The State Department says it will keep passport agencies operational as long as possible, but it said there could be some lapses.
The lack of online services, of course, is a symptom of agencies cutting back on services overall. FOIA requests, for instance, will be accepted but not processed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention won't be running its seasonal flu vaccination program (though its Vaccines for Children program, which gets mandatory funding, will continue), and the agency will be very limited in its ability to track the spread of diseases, according to its shutdown plan.
CNN has an agency-by-agency list of the cutbacks and furloughs.
How long Congress will keep government unfunded is anybody's guess, as of this writing. The last shutdown lasted 21 days across 1995 and '96. Meanwhile, agencies will scuffle along with whatever manpower they have, and people will do without online interactions and services they've come to take for granted.
If you want to know what online government was like in the early days, you could try the Wayback Machine, or you could just take a look at what's currently available.
About the Author
Kevin McCaney is a former editor of Defense Systems and GCN.
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Somehow, I'll bet we will all survive. Could it be that the government got it right when it labelled so many of its functions as non-essential?
This is politics at its worst. Those server will run 24/7/365 with very little intervention. I stumbled on a static PDF link to an education website while helping my daughter with her homework. I got the message that the site was down and thought, why? There's no difference between yesterday and today regarding the data, the server, the connectivity. You can't convince me that there was someone managing that website of the data behind it. It's a bunch of real BS. BTW, I'm a sys admin of a small county govt. We managed to balance our budget and do more with less. Why dan't the feds? Idiots.
I agree. The servers are still up and running. Shutting down a web cam feed makes no sense. Turning off functionality on a web page saves no money. Great political move though. Wonder who's behind it?
Agreed. Most web sites can run virtually unattended for long periods of time. This is nothing more than shutdown "theater" in many cases.
Doesn't make any sense to shut down websites - can the Fed be any more dramatic?
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Our best selling loose leaf teas come in a range of varieties and flavors. From bold, rich Assam to bright, smooth Sencha, and from classic breakfast blends to unique and rare varieties, these best sellers are loved by novice tea drinkers and connoisseurs alike.
Travel Mug and Tea Gift Set
A perfect gift for the tea lover in your life! With an easy-to-use sipping top and tea infuser basket, this stainless steel travel mug is great for tea on-the-go! The 14-oz. tumbler is bundled with two of our favorite teas - a 125g packet of TB14: Scottish Breakfast Blend , and a 100g packet of NF41: Naturally Flavored Mango Black Tea.
Iced Tea Pitcher and Peach Black Tea Set
A perfect pairing for summertime refreshment - our attractively styled AP91: One-Gallon Iced Tea Pitcher and a 100g packet of our delicious NF73: Naturally Flavored Peach Tea with Fruit Pieces Enjoy special time with friends and family over a thirst-quenching glass of iced tea!
Season's Pick Assam GFOP Organic
This Assam selection produces a dark cup with a full flavor profile. Notes of cocoa and a delicate caramel hint complement a sweet and toasty aroma for an enjoyable cup.
Tippy Orthodox GFOP Assam
A whole-leaf Assam with golden tips (young leaf buds). Characteristic maltiness and complex flavor. This is our most popular Assam.
Organic English Breakfast Blend
A hearty blend of rich CTC Assam and BOP Ceylon teas, yielding a cup with robust flavor and a brisk finish. This is an organic version of a classic, bracing breakfast blend.
Leadenhall Street Breakfast Blend
A tribute to the famous London tea auctions, our Leadenhall Street Breakfast Blend is a blend of two classic British teas: a brisk Ceylon and a thick, malty Assam. The result is a flavorful mixture which lends itself to the addition of milk.
Mincing Lane Breakfast Blend
For this blend, we paired a hearty Assam with a smooth and flavorful Yunnan, for a cup that is highly enjoyable. The invigorating liquor has a full mouth feel, subtle spicy notes, and a lingering aftertaste. While milk is recommended, it is enjoyable plain.
Bond Street English Breakfast Blend
A hearty blend of Ceylon and Assam teas, this tea is rich and flavorful, even with extra milk.
C.T.C. Irish Breakfast Blend
The Crush-Tear-Curl manufacturing method produces quick-brewing teas with full flavor. We highly recommend this blend of Assam teas for those who like a very hearty cup. Exquisite with milk.
Scottish Breakfast Blend
Blended from select teas of India, Sri Lanka, and China to appeal to those who favor an eye-opening experience in the morning, this broken-leaf tea yields a cup with a round, full flavor, malty notes, and brisk character. A perfect choice to start the day.
Java Blend
A rich breakfast blend especially suited for those who enjoy a powerful cup in the morning. This also is a great choice for iced tea. Java teas are never expensive, so you get the best produced for a few cents a cup.
Ceylon English Breakfast Select
A full-bodied and flavorful Ceylon blend. An excellent morning tea, especially suited for the addition of milk and sugar.
River Shannon Breakfast Blend
A blend of Tippy GFBOP Assam teas for strength, plus a distinctive, bright Ceylon tea for briskness. This Orthodox Process Irish Breakfast style tea is very flavorful.
Finest Russian Caravan
A more refined version of our Original Blend Russian Caravan (TB60), this blend of choice teas from India, China and Formosa yields a smooth, satisfying cup with a bright character. Toasty notes and a light sweetness lead to a crisp finish. A great afternoon tea.
Richmond Park Blend
A mellow, whole-leaf blend of Keemun, Ceylon, and Darjeeling. An exceptional tea that is smooth enough for drinking plain, and sturdy enough to take milk or lemon.
Uva Special BOP
A refreshing character distinguishes this classic selection from Uva region in southeastern Sri Lanka. The cup has a lively aroma with hints of mint. Wintergreen notes accentuate the bright flavor of the dark-amber liquor.
No.1 Tippy Orthodox GFOP Darjeeling
An exceptional golden tip Darjeeling blend. We first introduced this tea in 1990 and it continues to be our most popular Darjeeling.
Extra Bergamot English Earl Grey
Specially blended for those who prefer a richly scented Earl Grey. Our most popular Earl Grey. Rated "best overall" by the Wall Street Journal's Catalog Critic.
Sencha Special Grade Yamato
A superior grade of Sencha, with a brighter flavor and smoother finish than basic Sencha. Highly recommended.
Golden Kenya GFBOP
This is our Golden Kenya tea, sold in either bold broken-leaf or whole-leaf, depending upon availability. The cup has full flavor and aroma, with medium body. May be enjoyed plain, but it is strong enough to accommodate a touch of milk. A brisk character with a subtle hint of rose makes this selection especially interesting.
Colombian Tippy Black Tea Organic
The juxtaposition of dark leaves and golden tips gives this black tea from Colombia a beautiful appearance. The dark copper amber liquor is fragrant with toasty cocoa hints. The rich cocoa quality carries on in the flavor of the full-bodied cup, finishing with a raisin sweetness.
Season's Pick Colombian Leafy Black Tea Organic
The very bold, twisted leaves of this black tea offering from Colombia yield a dark amber copper liquor with an inviting toasty aroma. The rich, full-bodied cup is very smooth with a cocoa mouth feel. A hint of caramelized sugar and whisper of spice linger in the finish.
Colombian Wiry Green Tea Organic
The dark olive leaves of this green tea offering from Colombia are long and wiry, yielding a golden jade liquor with an herbaceous aroma. The cup has a smooth, buttery mouth feel with a hint of honey and suggestion of cocoa. With its crisp, clean finish, this tea is a great choice for those looking for a green tea without a vegetal quality.
Mist Forest Naturally Flavored Colombian Green Tea
This naturally flavored green tea selection from Colombia produces a golden yellow liquor with the luscious fragrance of tropical fruit. Pieces of pear guava, a natural hybrid of pear and guava, and soursop, a fruit with a citrus flavor, complement the green tea base in a harmonious balance of flavors.
Cacao Kisses Naturally Flavored Colombian Black Tea
Cacao husks and nibs, from small chocolate producers in the Tumaco region of Colombia, are blended with bold, dark brown leaves to create this unique, naturally flavored selection from Colombia. Sweet notes from the black tea base provide the perfect accent for the rich cocoa flavor.
China Keemun First Grade
With its rich flavor profile and smooth mouth feel, this standard grade Keemun represents a great value for a China black tea. Hints of wine and a suggestion of smoke round out the earthy, full-bodied cup.
Lapsang Souchong Imperial
The best China Lapsang Souchong we have found. To our knowledge we are the only importer of this grade of China Lapsang Souchong. Superior in flavor. Very smoky, yet quite mellow.
Jinggu Spring Buds
From Jinggu County in Yunnan province, these exquisite downy white tea buds yield a pale straw-colored infusion, notable for a nutty/toasty aroma with hints of honey. A sweet hay nuance complements the savory cup, which finishes with a gentle spice hint.


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Elizabeth Blackwell (1700-1758)
A curious herbal: containing five hundred cuts, of the most useful
plants, which are used in the practice of physick, engraved on folio copper
plates, after drawings, taken from the life, by Elizabeth Blackwell. To
which is added a short description of ye plants; and their common uses
in physick
London: Printed for C. Nourse, 1782
v. 2, pl. 417: Caper (Capparis)
to Herbals


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I recently learned that 'U' can be substituted for a 'V' in some latin words to make them more understandable to a modern reader.
So if i changed: "malum diluere" into "malum dilVere" Would it still have the same translation? (to dissolve evil)
I know this sounds like a very stupid question but to be fair, im a very stupid guy.


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Puig's talent overcomes his occasional gaffes
He's back. Yasiel Puig, that is. You've missed him, haven't you? Sure, you have. We all have. He has made baseball better since he played his first big league game last June.
Anyway, welcome back, kid. OK, Puig hasn't actually gone anyplace. He has been in the Dodgers' starting lineup for 23 of 29 games this season. Problem is, for awhile there, it was easy to get distracted by other issues.
He's back. Yasiel Puig, that is. You've missed him, haven't you? Sure, you have. We all have. He has made baseball better since he played his first big league game last June.
Anyway, welcome back, kid. OK, Puig hasn't actually gone anyplace. He has been in the Dodgers' starting lineup for 23 of 29 games this season. Problem is, for awhile there, it was easy to get distracted by other issues.
One day, Puig shows up late for work and gets himself benched. He apologizes and promises to try harder … and then does it again. Or there's a flurry of coverage about an assortment of issues, including his apparently terrifying escape from Cuba.
These are legitimate issues. Let's be clear about that. But they distract us from the fact that this guy is an incredible baseball player, a fascinating baseball player. When Puig is good, he's scary good.
And Puig has been scary good pretty regularly since he arrived. The Dodgers are 78-41 with him in the starting lineup the past two seasons. His career batting average is .317.
Does Puig miss the cutoff man occasionally? Yes, he does. We'll call that part of his game a work in progress.
Does he need to slow things down at times? Oh, you betcha. Not every base has to be stolen. Not every wall has to be crashed into.
On the other hand, that stuff is part of Puig's charm. Not long after he arrived, Vin Scully nicknamed him "The Wild Horse."
It was fascinating listening to Vin attempt to put Puig's game into context. At times, Scully clearly was fascinated by what he was seeing. At other times, amid the bat-tossing and crazy stolen-base attempts, there seemed to be a different kind of fascination -- the fascination of watching, say, a train wreck.
Would Puig be one of the most gifted, productive and fascinating players for the next decade? Or would he be a comet that exploded on the scene for a few moments and then disappeared?
At various times, either path seemed entirely possible.
This week, we've been reminded that, distractions aside, this guy has the ability to make the most difficult game on earth look easy.
Puig's performance in the Dodgers' doubleheader sweep of the Twins on Thursday was a reminder that this 23-year-old -- this kid who has been in just 129 big league games, who has had just 479 at-bats, which is not even a full season -- is an amazing baseball player.
In 12 plate appearances on Thursday, Puig collected six hits and walked twice. There were even signals that "The Wild Horse" is evolving in some important ways.
One of those instances came in the top of the sixth inning of Game 2, when Puig fell behind Twins reliever Anthony Swarzak, 0-2, then coaxed a walk out of a seven-pitch at-bat.
No one is going to mistake Puig for Mike Napoli. The Dodgers star's 3.49 pitches per plate appearance is among the lowest in the National League (171st), and even lower than his 3.58 last season.
But Puig's walks are up and his strikeouts are down. He's swinging at fewer pitches outside the strike zone and, in fact, swinging at fewer pitches overall.
Again, though, let's not get sidetracked by the larger story. If Puig stays healthy, he's going to end up being one of baseball's resplendent talents.
Puig got off to a mediocre (by his standards) offensive start, and two weeks ago, his batting average got down to .235. It's up to .309 entering the weekend.
In Puig's past nine games, he's batted .410. His story is a long way from being written, and when you see him running too hard and playing too fast, when you see him playing every game like it might be his last, it's important to remember that this is still the beginning paragraphs.
In 11 months, Puig has already made a huge impact on one of baseball's great franchises. The Dodgers might just be the best team in baseball, and over the next few months, we'll all get to see plenty of Puig.
One thing we know for sure -- maybe the only thing we know for sure: we'll be watching.
Richard Justice is a columnist for MLB.com. Read his blog, Justice4U.


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Madison Meet & Eat Debuts Next Month
Thursday, June 28, 2012 - 11:11am
The City of Madison is excited to introduce Madison Meet and Eat, a unique neighborhood event that brings a collective of local Madison's food cart vendors to a neighborhood, and encourages friends and neighbors to enjoy a fun night out. This event will take place over four consecutive weeks on Thursday evenings from 5:00p.m. - 7:30p.m. beginning on July 12th and continuing on July 19th, July 26th, and August 2nd. The location for the 2012 Madison Meet & Eat events will be the parking lot adjacent to the Meadowood Shopping Center at 5800 Raymond Road.
Madison Meet & Eat is a new initiative by Madison Mayor Paul Soglin to bring together community members and local food vendors in order to address "food deserts." A food desert is defined as an area where healthy, affordable food is difficult to obtain. Madison Meet & Eat will address this issue by introducing attendees to new and local food options in a fun, neighborhood atmosphere.
"There are many wonderful food carts that mainly serve the downtown and campus population during the day," said Madison Mayor Paul Soglin. "Madison Meet & Eat is a great opportunity to take the vendors to the people so families and neighbors are able to get together and try different cuisine. I plan to be there, and hope many Madisonians are as well."
The plan is for Madison Meet & Eat to become an annual, summer event that rotates to different locations in Madison. This will allow other neighborhoods to experience healthy, local, affordable food and help foster a greater sense of community. Attendees are encouraged to bring family members, friends, and neighbors to this great event. The Meadowood Neighborhood Center will remain open during the Madison Meet & Eat.
The food vendors at the Meadowood events will be:
-Caracas Empanadas
-Teriyaki Samurai
-Electric Earth
-Ernie's Kettle Korn
-Natural Juice
-Wei's Food to Go
-Hibachi Hut
-Tea Garden
Bring a friend and head down to the Madison Meet & Eat to try some tasty, affordable, local food!
Parking is limited so participants are encouraged to walk, bike or bus to the event.
Meadowood Shopping Center
5702 Raymond Road
Madison, WI 53711
- Katie Crawley, Mayor's Office608-266-4611
- Anne Whisner, Madison Parks608-267-4919


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2. Vampire
Credit "Twilight" -- the teen books featuring sparkling vampires that inspired the blockbuster movie series starring Rob Pattinson and Kristen Stewart -- with spawning a renewed interest in dressing up as creatures of the night. This year more than 3.2 million adults will pop in fangs and a cape -- and run up to strangers hissing "I want to suck your blood." Above is a photo of Jonathan Frid as the vampire Barnabas Collins from the ABC television series "Dark Shadows," which ran from 1966 to 1971. More: Most popular Halloween costumes
Copyright © 2018, Hartford Courant


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192 Mott St (cor. of Kenmare St.)
(212) 219-2353
appetizers $7-12, individual pizzas $8-16, entrees under $20;
cash only; small, regional Italian wine list: $20-90 per bottle
12 wines by the glass $6-8.
Salvatore Olivella at LAssos brick oven where he makes his thin-crusted Neapolitan pizzas
Homemade pizza with a Neapolitan flare
By Frank Angelino
It took five days to cure the rustic pizza oven at the newly-opened LAsso in Little Italy. On each of those days, executive chef Salvatore Olivella, patiently rubbed the interior stone of the pizza oven with olive oil until it darkened to a burnt umber color. Only then, was the large, curved stone oven ready.
The oven was made for my misura, my size, Olivella says. Its large round shape is able to accommodate two doors; one to slide the uncooked pizzas in, and the other, to extract them when they reach the crispy perfection Olivella seeks.
LAsso, is owned by Robert Benevenga, who helped design the contemporary space with large windows, exposed brick walls, and a striking green, geometric wood tile ceiling.
The chef learned to make pizza at his familys pizzeria Finestrella di Mare Chiare in Naples, which is at the natal epicenter of thin-crusted stone oven pizzas.
I made my first pizza when I was eleven, he said indicating that he was considered mature enough in a place where pizza making is taken very seriously. He made his initial mark in the New York pizza world last year at Union Squares Pie by the Pound, where elongated pizzas with a variety of innovative toppings were sold by whatever width the customer preferred.
At LAsso, Olivella is making traditional Neapolitan pizza with over eighteen imaginative toppings. The menu has a number of cooked dishes, styled in the chefs brand of modern Cucina di Campagnia, from the region of Naples. Dishes include a half-dozen well-crafted pastas, antipasti, panini, huge bowls of fresh and imaginative salads, and entrees like veal pizzaiola (fittingly in the style of the pizza maker), stuffed calamari with bread and asparagus. Some of the dishes are baked in the pizza oven.
Olivella has the heritage and training that results in excellent pizza. The flour is imported from Naples. Along with Naples, Olivella says that, New York has the best water for pizza dough. He makes the dough every day, In warm weather, it takes about 30 minutes to rise; when its cold it takes one to two hours.
We use only oak and cherry wood for the oven, Olivella notes. The oven temperature reaches, Up to 850 degrees. The pizza is prepared in front of the oven at the window overlooking the street. While that may seem like a perfect stage for an ebullient pizza maker like Olivella, he doesnt go in for theatrics like pizza tossing in the air. In fact, his movements are measured and economical. He takes out a five ounce oval of the risen dough, quickly pats it out to enlarge it and then spins it back and forth between his fists until it reaches the desired twelve inch size (Olivella also makes an 18 and a 29 long pizza, which he says is in the Roman style).
For the classic pizza, Margherita (mozzarella, tomato sauce and basil), Olivella places a few pieces of high-quality mozzarella on the pizza, carefully adds a half dozen or so dollops of good tomato sauce in the spaces between the mozzarella, and finishes the pie with a few leaves of fresh basil in the center and a spurt of fruity olive oil all around. (Fresh, imported buffalo mozzarella is substituted for regular mozzarella in the Bufalina D. O. C. pizza).
The pie is slid into the oven with a deft jolt of the hand, and after a few minutes exposure to the intense heat is extracted from the other oven door. Because of the method of preparation, the pizza has a hand crafted look. The rim is slightly puffy and irregular, the crust is nicely charred and entirely edible, each bite yields the melded flavors of the individual ingredients; all together a superior pie.
LAsso most popular pie, Olivella says is the pizza San Daniele, which is topped with flavorful prosciutto San Daniele, mozzarella and arugula. The pizza Rosso, with tomato sauce, basil, oregano, capers and olive oil is an especially good treat because Olivella makes an excellent tomato sauce.
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Seventh ITU Symposium on ICTs, the Environment and Climate Change
29 May 2012
ITU is organizing the Seventh ITU Symposium on ICTs, the Environment and Climate Change on 29-31 May 2012 in Montreal, Canada.
The event will be co-organized with the government of Canada and will be hosted by Prompt. This is the seventh symposium on climate change following successful events held between 2008 and 2011 in Kyoto, London, Quito, Seoul, Cairo and Accra.
The main purpose of the event is to move the agenda forward on using ICTs to monitor climate change, mitigate and adapt to its effects and, in this light, identify future requirements for ITU's related work – including standardization of ICT equipment and networks as well as development activities. (see Resolution 182 (Guadalajara, 2010), Resolution 66 (Hyderabad, 2010) and Resolution 73 (Johannesburg, 2008)).
The symposium in Montreal will focus on the issue of ICTs, the environment and climate change in the world and the needs for the use of ICTs to promote environmental sustainability. Topics to be discussed will include mitigation and adaptation to climate change, e-waste management, disaster preparedness and emergency communications, cost-effective ICT technologies, methodologies for the environmental impact assessment of ICTs, challenges and opportunities in the transition to a green and resource efficient economy, among others.
The symposium will identify possible goals, commitments and modalities of ICT sector commitments to be developed in the process leading to the 2012 ITU World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-12) and United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD 2012 or Rio+20), strengthening at the same time the collaboration between the ICT and environmental communities.
The symposium will bring together leading specialists in the field, from top policy-makers to engineers, designers, planners, government officials, regulators, standards experts and others.


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All Dolled Up
When we were expecting, Greg and I wanted to be surprised with the gender of our child. As far as we were both concerned, it really didn't matter whether we had a boy or a girl. Elly's birthmother knew the baby's gender and when she chose us, wanted us to know as well. While we had always imagined that moment of finding out to take place in a hospital room with a doctor exclaiming, "It's a girl!", we were nonetheless quite surprised when we opened a card with a pink rattle on the front that inside held an ultrasound picture of our soon-to-be daughter. From that point forward, we were literally tickled pink.
Having a daughter is such a joy. Don't get me wrong. We would of course, love a son just as much. Nevertheless, there is a particular delight in doing all the "girly" things that one can do with a daughter. I think you know me well enough by now to imagine this scenario... Flash-forward a dozen years or so, where can you better imagine me? Choosing a prom dress in Nordstrom's with my daughter or spiraling a football to my teen son? I know. I know. Gender stereotypes are so last millennium. I can appreciate that girls can play football and like sports, too. Of course I will support Elly 100% if she wants to do those things. Sports is also what heterosexual uncles and lesbian aunties are for which brings us precisely to the "nature versus nurture" argument.
Nature versus nurture can't help but be in the forefront of your mind when you are around children and observing their actions. Hoards of kids, falling into specific niches with almost programmatic accuracy, is fascinating stuff. At three, right now, it's hard to imagine that Elly will grow to become a tomboy. While she does have excellent coordination (better than me), I can envision her more as a gymnast than the captain of the lacrosse team. But one never knows. As modern day parents, we made it a point from the time Elly was born to buy her toys that one would consider "boy" toys along with the "girl" toys. To an extent, we continue to do so.
Besides her dolls (that outnumber "Nineteen and Counting") and pocketbooks (that rival Project Runway's latest Accessory Wall), she has a dump truck, a tool set and some Matchbox cars. Nurture? Check. Enter nature. Inevitably, the "boy" toys become vehicles for "girl" play. The dump truck is typically used to tote a doll around or to go shopping. Now there, my friends is a girl after my own heart! I'm certain that in her mind, she's thinking,"A car can only hold so much. But a dump truck? Now that can haul a serious bounty!"
Elly's girliness isn't just limited to pretend. It encompasses all of her actions. When I'm getting ready in the morning, she pulls up her step-stool and stands by the vanity. There she intently watches my every move as I go through my routine. (Cue image of Joan Crawford with ice water and cucumber. Well, I don't really do that but that image has been emblazoned in my mind ever since the first time I watched "Mommy Dearest.")
As I lather the shaving cream on my face with my shave brush, Elly asks,"Daddy, when I'm a big girl, will I shave?"
"No, sweetie, only boys shave," I respond, judiciously deciding to save the "some gals need to wax" discussion for a later day.
She continues to watch me, patiently waiting for what comes next. I take out my moisturizer (you know, the one with SPF 7000), and she asks, "Can I put on my 'moistulizer', too?"
"Sure, sweetie," I reply and I pass her the travel size bottle of L'Occitane Gentle Lotion that I saved just for this reason. She carefully squeezes some out and proudly applies it to her cheeks as though she's putting on Crème de la Mer. It's truly adorable.
"Can I put 'deroderant' on, too?"
"No, Elly. You can pretend; just not for real. Deodorant is just for grown-ups."
For nearly every lotion in the house, I have a story. One time, ages ago, when she was still in diapers, Elly got to the Desitin which was in with the changing supplies. That day, her doll Cindy got slathered in it from head to toe, along with the floor, the dresser and Elly's arms and legs. By the time she had finished, her bedroom looked like a crime scene where the police chalk out the area where the victim laid. For those who are unfamiliar with Desitin, let me tell you something. It's not the easiest thing to remove. It's entire raison d'être is for it to stick to the skin. You can imagine that cleanup took a while.
And who could forget the time that she decided to Vaseline her heels? As I heard her hit the floor, I thought, everybody has to learn that lathering one's heels makes for slippery walking. Today was Elly's turn. Which leads me to my favorite story...
Lately, one of Elly's favorite pretend games is to take a shower. One afternoon, as I was preparing dinner, Elly says, "Daddy, I'm gonna take a shower."
"All right, Elly, but remember, it's just pretend. That means you don't turn on the water."
"I know, Daddy. I won't" she says, heading for the bathroom, stripping off clothing and leaving a trail of garments in her wake.
While chopping the vegetables on the cutting board, I kept an ear open to be sure I remained aware of what was happening in there. I heard Elly talking to Janice, her bath doll, "OK, Janice, now we're gonna wash your face. Close your eyes." I smiled and continued to chop. The next thing I knew, I was absorbed in my task. Suddenly, this beautiful and sweet fragrance surrounded me. It was very floral and getting more prominent, while all the while remaining somewhat delicate in nature. Momentarily, I thought, "This is the fragrance that people describe when the Holy Mother of Lourdes is apparent." Chop. Chop. Chop. Nah, she couldn't be coming to visit me. Chop. Chop. Good Lord, wouldn't that be just my luck if she did?! Look at me! I look like a mess, I think dusting off my apron. Then in an instant, I'm brought back to my cutting board. BAM! I know that smell! It's Elly's conditioner. Simultaneously, I hear. "Wow. It's so slippery!" I make a mad dash to the bathroom where Elly has lathered a half-liter of leave-in conditioner into her hair. Her hair is slicked to her scalp like a fifties greaser.
"Daddy, I did my conditioner!"
"Yes, Elly. I can see that." I smile, run the bath, and thank the Holy Mother of Lourdes that it wasn't my Kiehl's in her hair.
Elly being a girly-girl does not end with products. After all the potions and lotions have been aptly applied, getting dressed takes on its own lifeform. She is no less feminine in this arena. For example, I can count on one hand the number of times that she has worn pants in the past four or five months. Her shoes must be attractive. (Daddy's partly to blame for that one.) This has become problematic as the weather has started to get colder. It has pained me to get Elly to understand that the time for strappy sandals is behind us until next year. She looks at close-toed shoes with such dismay and disappointment. I can see she the wheels spinning in her mind, desperately trying to verbalize, "These aren't anywhere near as cute as the metallic patent leather thong sandals that I just wore last month." Or, "Daddy, Mary Jane called. She wants her ugly shoes back." So, a shopping trip became necessary to find some more attractive yet seasonally appropriate footwear for our little diva, along with the consolation of allowing sandal wear in the house.
Not to mention, what outfit would be complete without accessories? Elly doesn't just love jewelry. She adores it. She almost never leaves the house without it. (OK, Daddy may have to take a little blame there, too. But,it's not just my fault.) One of her female role models, my mom, loves her baubles, too. Rumor has it that Harry Winston is going to borrow some of her stuff for next year's Oscars. So, we can't be all that surprised that Miss Elly has taken to bling. There are bracelets, necklaces, rings, anklets - some bangles, some braided leather, some giant beeds. Each has its occasion. There are even old rosary beads that she'll don from time to time. This look I refer to as the Madonna "Like a Prayer" revival tour. Each night, she lays out her bijoux on her dresser, readying them for the morning's selection process.
Finally, I would be completely remiss to not mention the forty some odd pocketbooks that Elly has. These, too are carefully selected and taken out with us on shopping journeys, walks around the neighborhood, the gym, you name it. And, my little girlfriend carries them with an attitude! She wears them just like an adult woman would. Depending on the style of bag, they are either slung over her shoulder, clutched, worn across her body or dangling on the inside of her elbow. When I think of the number of people that she has made smile simply by watching her parade down the street, it makes me smile, too.
One morning, after all the primping was complete, I said,
"Come on, Elly, it's time to go to school," quickly scanning her to make sure that one of her bangles isn't some er, um, let's say errant "male accessory of sorts." (I could just imagine that phone call from school. Then again, I'd rather not.)
In her full regalia, we start our walk to school.
"Daddy, will you paint my toenails after school?"
"Sure, Elly. I'll give you a pedicure."
"OK. You paint yours too?"
"No, not today. I think I'll leave mine plain. You know what, Elly, you need to pick out a Halloween costume. What do you want to be?"
"I want to be a princess!"
"That's perfect. I think you'd be a great princess."
"And you and Papa should be princesses, too!"
"We'll talk about it," I say thinking to myself how genius of an idea it is. Brilliant, except for one thing, I'm not stepping down as queen quite yet.


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Once Sony makes its February 20 announcement, Microsoft is last to present a console. What could be waiting for us?
Microsoft dont have to do anything till march and showcase the next xbox atGDC 2013 which is going to smash and crush the faces of its competition.
I think it's pretty foolish to think that there are only two players in the market, and that one must always respond to the other.
i have a question,
"what dose MS have this year, any games coming up???"
if nothing, i have no doubt, there gana announce there next console within this year.
Microsoft will be fine with whatever happens at this point. If you remember, they started a countdown to E3 on Major Nelson's blog only a few days into 2013. That got alot of people talking and likewise this will continue long after Sony makes their announcement. Obviously anyone can guess that new consoles will be further detailed at E3 2013. Microsoft has no exclusives aside from Halo and a handful of Xbox Live arcade titles so in my mind they def releasing the next xbox this year. As for PlayStation and that Feb 20th date, anything less then an actual PS4 reveal would singlehandedly be one of the worst moves Sony could ever make in the entire studio's history.
Sony is foolish to announce the PS4 so early because we likely wont hear about it again till E3 and if MS announces the 720 the any PS4 new will be overshadowed


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March 4, 2012 - 10:33pm
ITJB Week 13: Bialys (3/3/12 - 3/10/12)
I have to admit, I didn't know a bagel from a bialy until I got this book. But when I did I saw immense possiblities -- a bagel with the schmear baked in? How awesome is that?
This week lets us flex our bialy prowess (or, as in my case lately, pretend to flex it -- one snag after another has kept me from baking for what seems like eternity!) and allows access to something that I can't find anywhere in this town, at least -- a filled, delicious bialy.
If I actually do end up baking these this time, and I actually manage to take a picture of one before it is devoured, I will actually post a picture. And I will absolutely look forward to everyone else's photos!


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Where friends come to meet, lollygaggers come to grab a seat and good folk come to eat. That's the new motto for Mountain High Pizza since moving their restaurant to 18806 Highway 491 in Lewis.
The Dawson Lake corner is seeing more activity once again as the deserted Roundup Junction building sprang to life on November 28 as Mountain High Pizza and Cafe.
Tisha Strawn is the owner and one of many cooks operating Mountain High. Her signature sign out front, made by fellow cook Anthonee Petrose and his father, can be seen above the main entrance. The signs of the previous restaurant, Roundup and Country Kitchen still remain, as does the bright yellow paint and red trim.
"We will be repainting," Strawn said. "Right now we haven't had the time but the building will not stay yellow."
Inclement winter weather would offer no point in adding fresh paint. Plus, Strawn wants to keep that same Roundup feel because she's aware that Lewis/Arriola residents have been accustomed to such an atmosphere. She plans on keeping the two additional signs with alterations made to both.
Strawn is a laid-back kind of gal and that country folk, grandma's kitchen kind of atmosphere is exactly what she is striving for. Her new local customer base is definitely giving her just that.
"We received a good welcoming," she said. "They're coming in to relax, they have good suggestions and they joke with all the wait staff."
For the first four days, Strawn was wall-to-wall busy. Locals were pouring in and a new customer base, including travelers, were filling up the once empty parking lot. The bustle was a surprisingly wonderful change.
Strawn is a youngster when it comes to owning a restaurant. Even though her uncle owns and operates Mancos Pizza, there is not a family tradition of business owners. The same pizza recipe that her uncle acquired was passed to her establishment, so she jumped in and learned how to swim. The help she received from friends and family helped tremendously.
Like her head cook, Beth Shelly, who is licensed to teach cooking through a Vocational Home Economics certification, has more than 40 years of experience in the food industry. She constantly offers Strawn suggestions and ideas on menu items and cooking.
After a year at 1013 E. Main in Cortez, Strawn re-evaluated what she wanted from her restaurant and why she was in the business to begin with.
"I like working with the public and by owning a restaurant, it allows me to do that," she explained. "I wanted more opportunity and a different atmosphere."
So she moved the operation to Lewis.
Other than the yellow outer layer, the inside looks and feels just like the old Roundup. The tables are the same oak wood tables, chairs and booths from the previous restaurant. The sections are the same, the kitchen appears the same. It's a completely different look from Mountain High in Cortez.
This is Mountain High Pizza in Lewis.
"I wanted to keep the Roundup alive (in a respect)," Strawn said. "This area has been known as the Dawson Lake corner for so long. I want to maintain that for people. And now, I can cater to larger parties, we hired new employees, we have a full service menu. It's just different out here,"
And by full service, she means the whole nine yards. Gone is the salad bar so well known but in its place is breakfast, lunch and dinner. Mountain High now has hamburgers, Navajo tacos, sirloin steaks, fish and chips, omelets, smothered burritos and more. They also offer desserts full of homemade goodness.
Her menu is overflowing with new items and the response from her customers has been encouraging. Compliments are being extended to the hamburgers, Navajo tacos and her family's own green chili pork stew.
"My mother and father make that stew," Strawn said proudly. "It's probably the most popular thing here."
In fact her parents, Vicki and Norm Carter, are a big help around the new place. Norm helped with some of the building repairs and Vicki helps cook. Also helping Strawn out is her daughter, Delialah Strawn.
"I sleep here," Delialah said when contemplating her schedule for the day.
"She helps with serving and a lot of the management stuff too," Strawn said about her daughter.
Adding almost 1,000 square feet to her previous location of 2,000 square feet, and the chairs have been full of customers with wide smiles, with more big-brimmed cowboy hats walking through the door.
It sounds like a country restaurant and looks like a country restaurant. Exactly what Strawn intended.
What remains of Mountain High Pizza is the same, with a small facelift. Those custom pizzas and sandwiches are on board, and they still offer pizza by the slice. She may start delivering pizza as well.
Mountain High Pizza and Cafe's winter hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. They are closed Mondays. For more information on food and dining, call 882-3203 or visit their Facebook page.


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Q. Just before we receive the Eucharist at Mass, we say, "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed." I thought if we went to Confession and received absolution we were worthy to receive Communion. Saying these words suggests that we are not worthy. Please explain.
-- A.F., Warrentown, Mo.
A. Here's a reply from Msgr. M. Francis Mannion:
In a certain sense, you are correct. If one has been to confession and is in a state of grace, then one is worthy to receive Communion. By the same token, to approach the Eucharist in a state of serious sin is to receive unworthily.
However, there is a sense in which we are never completely worthy to receive Communion -- or any of the sacraments. This side of heaven, we will never be perfect and never fully conformed to Christ. There is always some distance between us and the holiness which the sacraments symbolize.
The reminder before Communion that we are not worthy to receive Christ prevents us from approaching the sacrament with arrogance or with a sense that we are doing God a favor. We do well to bring to our worship a perpetual sense of unworthiness.
Copyright © 1996-2018 Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.


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Afghan war vets, researchers seek answers on head injuries
By JESSE BOGAN | St. Louis Post-Dispatch | Published: January 27, 2014
ST. LOUIS — For hours on route clearance missions in southern Afghanistan, Sgt. Michael Ritchey crammed his short body into a Husky, a single-seat vehicle that loosely resembles an armored road-grader.
His job was to use ground penetrating radar to detect pressure-plate bombs hidden under endless stretches of rough gravel and dirt roadways.
And he did it well. In two tours, Ritchey sniffed out 27 improvised explosive devices, or IEDs — most recently sparing fellow members of Missouri's 1138th Engineer Company the kinds of explosions that account for most of the war's injuries.
Still, he couldn't stop them all. Four IEDs went off near him, three of which tore his vehicle apart. Ritchey's wife and sister used to laugh at him after his first deployment because he'd become so forgetful and confused.
"Then they realized I wasn't playing," said Ritchey, 26, who is now home again in Columbia, Mo.
Ritchey suspects he suffers from mild traumatic brain injury — by far the most common injury suffered by troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.
But like many, Ritchey is impatient with an inability to accurately diagnose his condition.
So are researchers — including teams at St. Louis University and Washington University — who are chasing discoveries that some day might offer a way to easily diagnose mild TBI, which is similar to concussion. An estimated 20 percent of more than 2 million people who deployed since 2001 were exposed to the injury.
Those who sustained a concussive blast had headaches and struggled with awareness. A few blacked out. Many recovered from the injury with rest. Others didn't and were kept in the fight despite being near multiple blasts in short time periods. Officials and advocates say countless troops haven't been diagnosed.
New policies are in place to screen for TBI in the battlefield, but it's still a finicky area. Concussions don't show up on traditional CT or MRI scans the way a broken leg or cancer will.
Instead, doctors rely on analyzing symptoms and cognitive testing.
Ritchey said those techniques were used at a veterans hospital screening to clear him of a diagnosis of mild TBI.
During the four-hour exam, he was told 25 words and asked to recite as many as he could from memory; he remembered about six. He was shown a picture, then asked to draw it by memory, then asked to draw it again. He did fine. A senior architecture studies student at Mizzou, he teaches 3-D design on the side.
"It's not realistic," he said of the testing. "They sit me in a quiet room with one person and that's all I have to focus on. You let my 2-year-old in that room and I don't know what's going on."
In real life, he relies on lists to get by. Multi-tasking isn't an option.
He's been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but he said weekly counseling sessions aren't helping his memory loss. He's asking the VA to do another TBI evaluation.
"I have been to the store three times in the same day and never got what I went for," he said. "How do you explain that?"
When the war in Afghanistan broke out in 2001, the military was concerned about getting troops home alive. And it did a much better job compared to previous wars because of advances in armor, air evacuation and treatment for trauma. With that, more people are living from blasts that otherwise would have killed them. A common side effect is TBI.
There are four kinds of TBI — mild, moderate, severe and penetrating. Since 2000, nearly 300,000 active-duty military personnel have been diagnosed with TBI. Most of the cases were mild.
But it wasn't until 2008 that TBI diagnoses jumped significantly. About that time, the Department of Defense started doing post-deployment screenings for it. Then in 2010, there was a theater-wide policy change on reporting concussions in the battlefield. The policy used to be voluntary. Raise your hand if you have a headache.
Now, there are mandatory evaluations for all service members who are exposed to within 50 meters of a blast — from an IED, mortar or RPG. Depending on the results, they can be pulled out of duty for rest. Three concussions in a 12-month period are supposed to result in a comprehensive evaluation.
Katherine Helmick, deputy director of the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center in Silver Spring, Md., which was created by the government after the first Gulf War, stressed the importance of detection. Without it, soldiers perform worse on the battlefield. Then, as veterans, life can be different for them and their families.
"The natural trajectory is that you get better," Helmick said of mild TBI. "It becomes more complex if you don't get this detected early."
Though there is a focus on the wars, 80 percent of military TBI diagnoses occurred in non-deployment settings, for instance in training.
Scores of service members were never screened prior to the new policies and may be living with TBI.
"I am sure the numbers are underreported," Helmick said.
Better cooperation
Trying to catch up on diagnoses poses enormous challenge, said Jason Hansman, program manager for health programs at the nonprofit Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Half of the veteran population relies on civilian hospitals that haven't seen the volume and variety of blast-induced TBI as the Veterans Affairs medical system. And the VA does better in some areas than others.
"If you are lucky enough to be near a polytrauma center, you are good to go," Hansman said. "If you are not, your standard of care is not as high."
Chrisanne Gordon, a physician in Ohio, said only 10 percent of healthcare providers in the country are familiar and actively treat mild TBI. Many who display symptoms don't seek treatment anywhere.
"Thirteen years into the wars, we ought to know a little more," said Gordon.
Gordon helped create the Resurrecting Lives Foundation, a group that advocates for better cooperation between the Veterans Administration, Department of Defense, and civilian health care systems so there will be better solutions for hundreds of thousands of veterans who suffer brain trauma, many without diagnosis.
Gordon is particularly adamant about the issue. A former TBI screener for the VA, she was questioned over her high diagnosis numbers. Also, she personally recovered from TBI after falling into a wall one Christmas while putting up decorations. She said it took more than a year to feel steady again. Her memory was never the same.
Yet her brain scan at the time of injury came back normal.
"That's why I am so passionate about this," she said, adding: "The brain totally affects ability to function in our fast-paced society."
Imaging technology
The U.S. government has spent millions of dollars trying to develop objective testing methods to diagnose mild TBI.
As part of a $5.3 million grant, researchers at St. Louis University are working on a study of brain scans and cognitive testing in dozens of veterans with blast-induced mild TBI and civilians with mild TBI, as well as healthy controls for comparison.
So far researchers have found that the civilians tended to recover a few weeks after suffering a concussion. Veterans described more persistent symptoms, such as memory loss, ability to concentrate and regulate emotions.
Researchers believe the symptoms may be backed up on screen with so-called diffusion tensor imaging, a function on a standard MRI machine that hones in on neural pathways in brain white matter. Researchers say the imaging could pick up on minuscule disruptions in nerve track fibers that might indicate mild-TBI in veterans, even several years after suffering a blast.
"The diffusor tensor imaging has the potential to help us understand why injured members of the military are reporting these issues," neuropsychologist P. Tyler Roskos wrote in a recent statement about a small preliminary study of the material. "It also may help service members feel justified that the 'invisible injuries' they experience are real."
Researchers cautioned that final results could be inconclusive or different than what they have presently. Complicating matters, many of the 75 veterans who participated in the study have PTSD and depression. Some wrestle with substance abuse. Those factors and others could contribute to their symptoms.
Though researchers say they are a long way off, they hope that more sensitive brain scans can show how blasts affect veterans long term. Veterans have a tougher puzzle to put together compared to civilians because vets often sustain multiple head injuries as well as the psychological trauma of warfare itself.
Washington University School of Medicine has caught attention with its TBI research, including the use of diffusion tensor imaging technology.
David Brody, an associate professor of neurology there, said researchers just closed enrollment on a study of 178 military personnel.
"The goal was to use advanced MRI scans to differentially assess both blast and non-blast related concussive military TBI," Brody wrote in an email.
He said another Washington University study also recently closed involving the brain scans of injured service members at Camp Leatherneck, a Marine base in Afghanistan's volatile Helmand Province, and in nearby Kandahar.
'Brightest and darkest thing'
Kandahar is the area where Sgt. Michael Ritchey and others in his company of Missouri Guardsmen worked. Many of them were exposed to blasts while clearing the roadways of bombs. Some of them will remember the anniversaries of the explosions similar to their birthdays.
Colleagues who shared the experience now share a text on the anniversary: Drive safe to work today.
Experts say surviving a close explosion is different than being hit hard in football or hockey. Bomb blasts usually don't discriminate to one side of the helmet. Pressure and sound waves can cause tiny rips and tears throughout the 3-pound brain by compression and expansion. There's often secondary exposure to chemicals, flying debris and smacking against something.
"It's like the loudest and quietest and brightest and darkest thing," explained Sgt. Michael O'Callaghan, of St. Louis, one of Ritchey's comrades in the 1138th Engineer Company. "You see the initial blast. Your ears start ringing. Then, with all the debris that goes up in the air, it's just pitch dark — you can't see the hand in front of your face. Then, all of sudden, your hearing comes back, and you start hearing all the debris raining down."
After initial shock wore off, he and the others in the damaged vehicle laughed.
"We were laughing after the second one, too," said O'Callaghan, 40. "Then after the third one, the big one, I was like (shoot) I don't think I am going to see my kids again."
All three blasts happened within two weeks in 2012. O'Callaghan flunked the mandatory field tests for TBI and was yanked from the field for a time. He was officially diagnosed with mild TBI months later, on the way home. Now he's treated for a form of anxiety and TBI at the polytrauma center at Jefferson Barracks in South St. Louis County. Still, he said, his left ear won't stop ringing and mild headaches haven't receded.
His wife has noticed a change in mood swings and sleep patterns.
"I have no patience anymore," he said. "I'd really love to be able to sleep more than anything else."
O'Callaghan, a medic, received a Purple Heart medal for his injuries. Out of the 1138th, he was hit the most during the last tour and was seen as the unlucky Irishman.
Though O'Callaghan has been diagnosed with TBI and Ritchey hasn't, they are both moving forward in the Missouri Army National Guard. A unit from Festus is deploying to Afghanistan soon to help tear down bases. Neither of them is going on this trip, but they re-enlisted for another six years in the Guard. Ritchey says he likes being a citizen soldier, so does O'Callaghan.
In fact, O'Callaghan re-enlisted when he was still in Afghanistan. He was recovering from the blasts at the time. He said the opportunity was hard to beat with a $10,000 tax-free signing bonus.