text:
| 23 October 2000
For Immediate Release
NEAR Shoemaker Closes in For Unprecedented View of an Asteriod
On Oct. 26, after more than eight months in orbit around asteroid Eros, the NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft will swoop to within three miles (5.3 kilometers) of the asteroid, taking images and collecting data from a distance closer than any spacecraft has ever come to an asteroid.
"Our proximity to Eros will be equivalent to the cruising altitude of a commuter airplane on Earth," says Dr. Robert W. Farquhar, NEAR mission director at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) Laurel, Md., which manages the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) mission for NASA. "When you consider that the asteroid is tumbling end to end in its orbit, getting this close is a little tricky, but we're very well-prepared." The low-altitude flyover will begin with a maneuver on Oct. 25 that will drop the spacecraft from a circular, 31-mile (50-kilometer) orbit. The NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft will be closest to the asteroid at about 3 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) on Oct. 26 as it approaches Eros at approximately three miles (5.3 kilometers) above its surface and traveling at about 14 miles per hour (6 meters per second).
The spacecraft will take images and collect data for more than five hours during its descent. It will remain at its lowest altitude for approximately 30 minutes before the distance increases due to the asteroid's rotation and its irregular shape.
"We expect to get clear images of boulders as small as two feet across and see ridges and craters in exquisite detail," says APL's Dr. Andrew F. Cheng, who serves as the NEAR project scientist. "The laser rangefinder and x-ray spectrometer will also obtain their highest resolution data to date," he says. Although the closest approach is targeted near one end of Eros in the southern hemisphere, the precise location is uncertain. "But that wouldn't be a problem," Cheng says. "A close look at almost any area of Eros' surface will give us detailed information that we don't have now."
At approximately 1:40 p.m. (EDT) on Oct. 26, an engine burn will push the spacecraft away from Eros toward a 125-mile (200-kilometer) orbit, where it will stay for the next month. In December, the spacecraft will begin descending to lower and lower orbits as it completes its science objectives. The mission is scheduled to end in February 2001-one year after NEAR Shoemaker began orbiting the asteroid.
Images from the low altitude flyby will be available starting about 11 a.m., (EDT) Oct. 26, on the NEAR Web site (near.jhuapl.edu).
The Applied Physics Laboratory is a not-for-profit laboratory and division of The Johns Hopkins University. APL conducts research and development primarily for national security and for nondefense projects of national and global significance. APL is located midway between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., in Laurel, Md.
Media contact:


text:
Cassano seals Sampdoria return
Antonio Cassano's footballing exile is over, the former Italy international returning to Sampdoria.
Sampdoria have completed the signing of striker Antonio Cassano - the 33-year-old returning for a second permanent spell at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.
The Italian spent four years at the club, joining permanently in 2008 after a loan spell from Real Madrid, but had been without a club since leaving financially stricken Parma in January.
Cassano terminated his contract with Parma having not been paid wages.
However, he returns to bolster Walter Zenga's forward line, signing a two-year contract ahead of their Serie A opener against Carpi on August 24.
"I'm happy, forza Samp," Cassano said after putting pen to paper.
Cassano scored 41 goals in 115 matches for Sampdoria prior to joining Milan in 2011, with Roma and Inter also among his former clubs.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
My father is gone. With him went pieces of me that I didn't even know existed before I lost them. That's the closest I can come to putting it into words. He is gone and EVERYTHING is different.
My niece; who had a very special relationship with my father will grow up without him. To her, he will always be her "grandpy in heaven." IF S & I somehow manage to have a family, our children will simply never know him.
Here is what the loss of a loved one and the loss of fertility have in common: the loss of the future as you had imagined it. It changes your reality in so many ways.
Dad always believed we'd have children. We never talked about it ..... until one day I let my negativity take over. I spewed something out in conversation about how I'd never have a family.... and I will never forget his words or how it felt when they touched my heart.
"You are going to have kids" he said. Really stern and fatherly like. It was clear that he believed it and for a second he made me believe it! He's my dad. If HE thought so ....than it could truly be!
I still hope so much for him to be right. I just wish that he could be here to see that day. Pigs will fly, cows will come home and hell will probably be iced over. I would be filled with joy for an answer to our prayers; but it would certainly be bitter sweet because my children won't be able to call him Grandpy. It seems NOTHING will ever feel pure and truly joyful ever again.
This is life. I know that I should really be feeling thankful. I had 33 years WITH my father and that is more than some. I know that things could always be worse. Perspective is useful in keeping one sane, it does not necessarily take away the pain. We all experience loss; and grief comes over time and in a gazillion different ways. That phone call you would have made but can't; the gift you would have bought but can not give. With each passing event the loss becomes more and more real. Some say it gets easier with time; I disagree.... it gets harder.
Regardless of our feelings, time marches on. It has no concern for our comfort within it. Frozen, numb, anxious or fearful; we really have no choice but to carry on. The next hour, minute, second... it's all we truly have to hold onto. One minute is all it takes to change your life forever. That is the only thing that really matters.
So why worry? Why search for answers where there are NONE. There is nothing I can change or fix. After 10+ years of checking it all off the list .... including what I told myself were "breaks" where I "let it all go" ..... I've just never really figured out how to do it... how to TRULY let it go. I HAVE tried....it seems impossible NOT to hope. It's that "you never know" kind of thing. Like that couple you know/heard of who got pregnant after 10 years/adopted/stopped trying. Through all of the buried anger/frustration/grief somehow I find myself imagining what it might feel like to be looking forward to meeting our very own little one. You just never know... our own dreams just MIGHT accidentally come true. Every time I catch myself in this day dream, I know I am in trouble for I have not at all "let it go."
I've driven myself bonkers trying to find answers. While I HAVE learned a lot of valuable things... there isn't anything I can "do" to make this a reality. I have to put my faith in the belief that.... if there were answers; they would be clear to me. So, I said to myself...... "Self, where do we go from here? How will you ever get around this without ending up certifiably insane?"
I don't think it's as simple as letting go of the hope for a baby. I think it's bigger than that. I have to let go of my expectations of the future. I have to accept each moment, each day as the blessing that it is. I have to appreciate what I have been given without constantly wondering... "when will it be my turn?" I thought that it would get easier as I got older.... and once again... I thought wrong.
So, this year I will work a little harder at acceptance and gratitude. Wish me luck!


text:
I want to tell you some information about Powerful Holiday Statement. Phuket is a destination which has been visited by so much people. Why? You can see it that the beauty of the Andaman sea and the green vistas of bang tao here is very wonderful. When you are visiting this place, make sure that you are staying in villa beyond.
When you are staying in this villa, you will meet the original escapes with the comfort feature of the modern living. According to the designer due to Powerful Holiday Statement Ideas, the building was meant to bring you a luxury and elegance feature at the same time. The materials used here are using a stone, wood, concrete and steel material.
The villa coming with 7 bedrooms and a spacious living room, kitchen, dining room and a massage room. Each interior in this place is using a highly contemporary design which become softer with the wood additions and a local decorative elements. The bedroom is . coming in a large size and it has a direct access to the terrace. You can have a fresh air here in the morning and see the beauty of the world outside. There are much of positive comments from people in social media who have visited this place.
The bathroom in this place is coming from a medium sized with the standard function like the bath tub, sink, and the mirror. What interesting in the bath tub is that it is placed next to the glass windows so you can enjoy the view while you are taking a bath. The living room is even more beautiful. It is the best when the night comes, the city view are very bright when the night comes with so much beautiful lamps using Powerful Holiday Statement Design.


text:
Here are a few pics of my recent custom finishes
November 5, 2015
fReE mOtIoN!!
Here are a few pics of my recent custom finishes
9 comments:
Gorgeous quilting...as always!!ReplyDelete
Your quilting is fabulous! I especially love the way you quilted the VW bug quilt. Is it possible that you could share the pattern for that quilt? Would love to make it some day!ReplyDelete
Beautiful quilting! Thanks for posting the Log Cabin Star info...I actually have that pattern and not made it yet.ReplyDelete
The first car I ever bought was an orange VW Beetle, so that colorful quilt really tugs at my affection - you did a great job of quilting it, as well as all the others. FUN!ReplyDelete
Very nice longarm quilting! I too have a longarm and have a few projects that I need to quilt. You inspire me to get busy!ReplyDelete
looking fantabulous my far away friend!ReplyDelete
Oh I love the VW!! My daughter just bought a vintage bug, can't remember the year. Her husband has a vintage VW Rabbit. I too would like you to share the pattern if possible :)ReplyDelete
Absorbing everything that's longarmquilt related I hope one day I'll laugh myself into stitches too after finishing a christmasquilt looking that awesome. Do you stitch baste the quilt top before you quilt, third photo from below I think I see rows of basting stitches (from left to right)?ReplyDelete
Thank you for the link!ReplyDelete


text:
How do I start a Negotiation?
The negotiation is between the RFP Point of Contact (POC) and the Vendor POC. Essentially, you will be rejecting the response back to the specific Vendor for their individual response re-submission.
Once the responses are viewable by you (responses are submitted), you can initiate a Negotiation. For example, if you need more information you can request it.
In the example below, the initial response was less than stellar. So let's kick this back for a re-do. So initially I scored this response as a 1 out of 5 and made an internal note of my analysis.
You can click on the Negotiations tab and start a Negotiation. This kicks off a message to the Vendor POC. The body of the message contains your text.
The Vendor POC receives the message and the link takes them directly into the Proposal. The Section is highlighted for visibility.
The individual Question is marked with the info-icon. This response is Rejected on their side, so it initiates a task for their completion.
Once they mark the response as completed/approved, you will see the updated response on your side.
Back on your side, you can see the updated responses from that specific Vendor.
Now I like this answer better, so I update my score and my internal note.


text:
Page links; Related site pages – Book travel, hotels – Useful outside links – About us, Contact
On this page;
Fruit & Vegetable prices in France – price survey for shoppers to Calais, France – Day-tripper.net
Some fruit and vegetables can be much cheaper in France. Bear in mind however, that fruit and vegetable prices are seasonal and vary considerably. We also list the French names of products. French supermarkets are much more pro active in supporting local producers, and you will find more items from France and nearby countries than in United Kingdom shops. Their approach is certainly more ethical For example, we found items from France and Spain recently in a French Supermarket, which in the United Kingdom had come from Israel and South America.
The range of fruits on sale in France is greater. Much of it is sourced from Francophoine countries – the bananas smaller are tastier for example.
Top Tips; Check your shopping from France with local prices in the United Kingdom – take a recent U.K. shop receipt wiht you. Packet sizes in France tend to be larger than in the United Kingdom. For example when shopping in Calais, we found that kiwi fruit came in packs of six as opposed to four in the United Kingdom Raspberries also came in a bigger pack. Fresh food tends to come unprepared in France.
July 2011 – Chicory (endives) are very much cheaper in France. We paid 2.29 euro (about £2.08) for a kilogram at Auchan, at Sainsbury's London they cost £1.10 for 180 grams. In other words they are 2.93 times more expensive in England or 66% cheaper in France.
March 2010 – Peppers (sweet for salads). The price is the same in France and the United Kingdom We noticed that most of the vegetables came from France and Spain though, unlike United Kingdom supermarkets. Loose clementines were about the 5% cheaper in France. We also noticed much of the fruit available in French supermarkets comes from France and Spain,not from across the world.
June 2008 – Fresh figs. We paid the equivalent of 68 pence for 4 figs at Auchan. At Sainsbury in London they were £1.99.
March 2008 – Raspberries were 38% cheaper (when we checked again today there was an offer on in the United Kingdom, now they are 8% cheaper in France! Kiwi Fruit were 9.5% more in France though.
Vegetable Best Buys (All the best buys); The following items were over 30% cheaper in France when we did our survey (% cheaper); Leeks (79.92%), Tomatoes (Vine) (65.43%), Green Beans (61.76%), Sweet Peppers (59.65%), Watercress (57.98%), Spinach (57.07%), Garlic (51.82%), Potatoes New, Charlotte (49.75%), Fennel (48.42%), Sweet Peppers, Red / Yellow (42.36%), Parsley (41.18%), Lettuce – lollo rossa (39.39%), Eschalottes (39.39%), Cucumber (37.50%), Tomatoes, cherry (30.23%).
Fruit Best Buys; Fruit was generally cheaper in France – more so than vegetables (% cheaper); Necterines (70.41%), Grapes, White (67.87%), Figs (65.03%), Melon Galia (49.75%), Bananas (46.67%), Melon (46.31%), Strawberries (45.85%), Lemons (39.39%), Plums (24.62%), Mango (24.24%), Pears (22.48%), Grapes, Red (14.57%)
CREDIT CARDS – we suggest you ring your credit card company before shopping in France – increased fraud means they are turning down shoppers cards if their spending deviates from the norm. Take your mobile – you can often sort the problem out over the phone.
Best buys • Alcohol • Cheese • Coffee • Fish • Meats • Mineral Water • Soft Drinks • Vegetables • Perfumes & Skin Care • Petrol prices • Tobacco • French food and drink brands • Shopping tips
Many fruit and vegetables are cheaper although comparison is difficult as products often come from different countries. In France items are less "packaged", whereas in the United Kingdom they come trimmed, washed and vacuum sealed. This may account for what appear to be inconsistencies in some of the prices. The best buys listed are for those products where we were able to compare like for like.
Doing surveys and comparing products between countries is often very difficult. Not only do package sizes vary, but content as well sometimes. Special Offers distort prices temporarily. We have used the French sizes as a standard and worked out the English price pro-rata. Where it is impossible to adjust for differences (size of pineapples for example) we list the United Kingdom and French prices. We suggest you print these pages and take them with you as a rough guide. In general, French hypermarket labels are more informative and will show you the price per litre or kilogram as well (United Kingdom prices often just the item price), United Kingdom products come in smaller sizes, and there is less of a choice.
Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of these surveys, and Day-tripper.net has carried out considerable in depth research, they should be seen as a guide only and not definitive.
Artichoke (artichaut) – each
Aubergines (aubergines)
Avocado, Fuerte (avocat) – each
Avocado, Haas (avocat) – x 2
Beans, green (haricot vert)
Broccoli (Brocoli) – each
Brussel Sprouts (chou de Bruxelles)
Cabbage (chou) – each
Carrots (carottes)
Cauliflower (chou-fleur) – each
Celeriac (céleri-rave) – each
Celery (céleri) – each
Cucumber (concombre) – each
Endives ()
Fennel (fenouil)
Garlic (ail)
Garlic (ail) CHEAPEST
Leeks (poireaux)
Lentils, Puy (lentilles)
Lettuce, (salade, batavia)
Lettuce, (salade, lollo rossa)
Lettuce, ordinary green leaf
Lettuce, curly (salade, frisée)
Mushrooms – Fricassee
Mushrooms – Paris Roses
Mushrooms – White Button (Piedcoupe)
Onions (oignons) – each
Onions (oignons) CHEAPEST
Onions BIO (oignons)
Onions, pickling (oignons)
Parsley (persil) – bunch
Potatoes (pomme de terre)
Potatoes BIO (pomme de terre)
Potatoes New, Charlotte (pomme de terre)
Radish (radis)
Shalotts (échalotes)
Spinach (épinard)
Spring Onions (Oignon Botte) – bunch
Sweet Peppers (Poivron Vert)
Sweet Peppers, Red / Yellow (Poivron)
Tomatoes, cherry (tomates)
Tomatoes, Vine (tomates grappe)
Tomatoes, large single (tomates)
Watercress (cresson) – bunch
Zucchini – Courgette (courgette)
Onions (oignons) There is so much more to choose from in France when buying onions. As a general guide, brown skinned onions are best for cooking as they are strongly flavoured, white are best for pickling and bottling as they are milder and sweeter, whilst red onions are normally quite sweet and are good in salads. The Shallot (échalote) has a more delicate flavour when cooked, but once you have used them you are more than likely to buy them again. A shallot is actually two or more separate bulbs enlcosed by the outer layer. Spring onions (Oignon Botte) are popular in the United Kingdom as well, but we found them to be cheaper in France.
Useful in a salad it's also very tasty when baked with olive oil.
It was over 150 years ago that the first "white pearls" were found by chance in the Brussels area. Around 1920, the cultivation of chicory, also called "chicons", Witloof chicory (white leaf in Flemish) or Brussels chicory, was introduced into France by Belgian seasonal workers. Now, with 190,000 tonnes per annum, i.e. 83% of national production and 50% of worldwide production, the Nord-Pas de Calais / Picardy is the leading chicory-producing region in the world.
From May to November, the chicory roots, known as "carrots", are grown in the fields. Harvested when ripe, they are kept in a cold store to extend the production period, and thus their consumption period. They are then "forced" in the dark in a warm, damp atmosphere (18%deg;C), to speed up growth of the apical bud which will form the salad, and cause the leaves to whiten. After three weeks' growth, the chicory is broken off from its root, then packaged.
Chicory is traditionally eaten in a salad or a gratin. It can also be used at aperitif time: separate the chicory leaves and you have some superb little boats, ready to hold all kinds of ingredients: taramasalata, lumpfish eggs, avocado purée. As a finishing touch, you can decorate these boats with a tiny slice of lemon or a sprig of parsley, and there you are! Chicory can also be eaten in soup or a quiche and some restaurateurs even make chicory sorbet.
The ultimate diet vegetable, with 15 calories per 100 g, chicory is a fund of vitamins (B1, B2 and C) and mineral salts: magnesium, potassium and calcium. In addition, thanks to its high fibre content, it also helps intestinal transit.
To avoid any bitterness in the chicory, hollow out their stems or caramelise them with a little caster sugar or demerara. Did you know that chicory does not need to be washed? Just remove the outer leaves and it is ready to be used.
Apple Golden (pomme)
Apple Golden BIO (pomme)
Apple Granny Smith (pomme)
Apricots (abricots)
Bananas (bananes)
Cherries (cerise)
Coconut (noix de coco) – each
Figs (figue)
Grape fruit (pamplemousse) – each
Grapes, Red (raisins)
Grapes, White (raisins)
Kiwifruit ()
Kiwifruit BIO ()
Lemons (citron)
Lemons BIO (citron)
Limes (citron vert)
Mango (mangue) – each
Melon (melon jeune vert) – each
Melon Galia (melon) – each
Necterines (nectarines)
Oranges (oranges)
Oranges BIO (oranges)
Passion Fruit ()
Peaches, white (pêches)
Peaches, yellow (pêches)
Pears (poires)
Pineapple (ananas) – each
Plums (prunes)
Strawberries (fraises)
Walnuts ()
– Check out the latest catalogue / leaflet offers (PDF). www.bonial.fr
– Rip-off United Kingdom. www.rip-off.co.uk


text:
- Photo sizesSquare
✔ XXS - tiny
XS - extra small
S - small
M - medium
L - large
Home / Lucas County / 48-48 St. Anthony Church [8]
- 48-48 The Marker to the left of the front door. The parish school is to the right.
- 48-48 The Marker
- 48-48 A young lady visiting the Marker in the old Polish neighborhood.
- 48-48 The Church
- 48-48 Back of Marker
- 48-48 Front of Marker
- 48-48 St. Anthony Church
- 48-48 St. Anthony Church
- Title, side A
- St. Anthony Church
- Text, side A
- Construction for the current St. Anthony Church began in 1890 after the original wood-frame church became too small to serve the steadily growing congregation of Polish immigrants coming into the Toledo area. Completed in 1894, St. Anthony was the second Polish church built in Toledo and became known as the "mother" church for the local Polish community serving as many as 8,000 parishioners piror to the 1970s. The first Mass was celebrated on March 4, 1894. (continued on other side)
- Text, side B
- (continued from other side) St. Anthony Church served an area known as "Kuschwantz" or cow's tail, possibly referring to the rural nature of the area. This area became the initial settlement for a large number of Polish immigrants from the Poznan area of Poland during the late 1800s. St. Anthony played an integral part in the lives of these oppressed immigrants and was a focal point for those who came to build a new life of freedom for themselves in the United States.
- Sponsors
- St. Anthony Society and The Ohio Historical Society
- Address
- 1416 Nebraska Avenue
Toledo, OH 43560
- Location
- 1416 Nebraska Avenue


text:
So just who is the biggest?
It's a debate that's been raging between Newcastle United and Sunderland AFC football fans in South Tyneside for years.
Now the answer has finally been revealed, not on the football pitch, but by a team of boffins at the Oxford Internet Institute (OII), who have mapped out support for the Premier League rivals on the world wide web.
Football lovers at statistical information website, floatingsheep.org, teamed up with researchers Joshua Melville and Scott Hale from the OII, to create a map detailing the geography of football fandom – based on the number of Twitter mentions for all 20 top-flight teams.
The results make happy reading for Newcastle United fans, with the map turning black and white in South Tyneside.
The St James's Park outfit came top of the table for tweets in four of the seven South Tyneside postcodes, with the Black Cats in pole position in one, as the two clubs shared bragging rights with a joint first place in another.
Both clubs were shifted from top spot in Boldon Colliery by Everton, who were most tweeted ahead of Sunderland, with Newcastle back in joint third.
Alan Pardew's men were the most tweeted about team in South Shields town centre and Higher Shields (NE33), South Shields, including Harton, Horsley Hill, Marsden, Simonside and Brockley Whins (NE34), Jarrow (NE32) and Hebburn (NE31) with Sunderland getting most twitter mentions in the SR6 postcode, which includes Whitburn and Cleadon.
The two clubs got the joint most number of tweets in East and West Boldon (NE36).
The data used include all geotagged tweets mentioning any of the Premiership football teams and their associated hashtags (such as #NUFC or #SAFC) that were sent between August 18 and December 19, 2012.
Compilers have only included one tweet per user to prevent prolific tweeters from skewing the results.
Nationally, Liverpool (722 mentions per million tweets) are the most discussed club ahead of Manchester United (593), with Newcastle United (297) in ninth and Sunderland (99) in 13th position. Wigan Athletic are the least tweeted about club in the Premier League.
Hebburn (NE31)
1-Newcastle United
4-West Ham
Jarrow (NE32)
1-Newcastle United
4-Liverpool, Manchester City and West Ham
South Shields town centre, including Higher Shields (NE33)
1-Newcastle United
3-Manchester City
4-West Ham United, Manchester United, Everton and Liverpool
South Shields, including Harton, Horsley Hill, Marsden, Simonside and Brockley Whins (NE34)
1-Newcastle United
4-Manchester United
5 West Ham United, Liverpool and West Bromwich Albion
Boldon Colliery (NE35)
3-Arsenal, Aston Villa, Manchester United, QPR and Newcastle United
East and West Boldon (NE36)
1-Newcastle, Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion
4 Tottenham and West Ham United
Sunderland, including Whitburn and Cleadon Village (SR6)
3-Everton and Manchester United


text:
Power law algorithms are ideal for computing things like page rank. That isn't obvious, however.
The basic outline idea is that hub and authority style algorithms are intimately related to eigenvector or singular value decompositions (depending on whether the links are symmetrical). This also means that there is a close relationship to asymptotic beahavior of random walks on the graph. That probably still isn't obvious, so let's dig in.
If you represent the linkage in the web by a matrix that has columns representing source page and rows representing the target page and with a 1 where-ever the source page has a link pointing to the target page, then if you start with a vector with a single non-zero element equal to 1 as a representation of a single page, then multiplying by the linkage matrix will give you a vector with 1 in the positions corresponding to the pages the original page linked to. If you multiply again, you get all the pages that you can get to in two steps from the original page.
Mathematically, if we call the original vector x and the linkage matrix A, the pages that x links to are just Ax. The pages that are two steps from x are A(Ax) = A2 x.
The eigenvector decomposition of A is just a way of writing A as a product of three matrices:
U' is the transpose of U, and U has the special property that U'U = I (it is called ortho-normal because of this).
S is a diagonal matrix.
There is lots of deep mathematical machinery and beautiful symmetry available here, but for now we can just take this as given.
The set of pages n steps from x are
xn = An x = (U S U')n x = (U S U')n-2 (U S U') (U S U') x
= (U S U')n-2 (U S (U'U) S U') x = (U S U')n-2 (U S2 U') x
= U Sn U' x
This is really cool because Sn can be computed by just taking each diagonal element and raising it to a power.
Eigenvector decompositions have other, really deep connections. For instance, if you take the elements of S (call the i-th one si) then
i sin
is the number of paths that are n steps long.
Connected (or nearly connected) clusters of pages can also be derived from the eigenvector decomposition. This is the basis of so-called spectral clustering. For some very impressive examples of spectral clustering see this paper.
So eigenvectors are cool. But how can we compute them? And how can we compute them on BIG graphs in parallel?
First, note that if An = U Sn U' and if some of the si are bigger than others, the big ones will quickly dominate the others. That is pretty quickly, An u1 s1n u1'. This means that we can compute an approximation of u1 by just doing An x where x is some random vector. Moreover, we can compute u2 by starting with a different random vector and iterating the same way, but with an additional step where we forbid the result from going towards u1. With just a few additional wrinkles, this gives us what is called the Lanczos algorithm. Golub and van Loan's excellent book Matrix Computations gives a lot of information on these algorithms.
The cool thing here is that our random vector can represent a single page and we can approximate the final result by following links. Following links is just a (human-readable) way of saying sparse matrix multiplication. If we do this multiplication against lots of different random starting points, we can quickly build parallel algorithms to compute things like page rank.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
A random walk from eigenvectors to parallel page rank
Posted by Ted Dunning ... apparently Bayesian at 11:35 AM
No comments:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
1. Biodiversity 2
a. Global Status and Threats, Conservation Strategies
b. Part of last lecture on valuation will not be covered
2. Past extinctions
a. Extinction is natural part of life
b. History of life - five mass extinctions - boundaries between ecological epics
c. Causes of mass extinctions are diverse - meteors, continental movement, climate changes, temperature changes
d. Diversity of life has increased over time, recovers after mass extinctions
e. Lots of extinctions involve evolutions into something else
f. Sixth extinction -unique in rapidity, that humans are involved
i. Phase 1 - began with spread of humans 100,000 years ago
ii. Phase 2 - began 10,000 years ago with dawn of agriculture - assured food supply, division of labor, rise of civilization and increase in human population
iii. Phase 3 - began 250 years ago with industrial and scientific revolutions - raised carrying capacity - more human capacity to dominate the earth
3. Where humans have colonized new areas, associated with decline of large animals
a. Declines in biodiversity associated with human populations
b. Graph shows large animal populations falling with colonization by humans of different continents, islands - australia, North America, New Zealand
4. North American extinction
a. Science article
b. Extinction of large animals previously attributed to climate change
c. Hypothesis in 1970s - advance of human hunters when Bering land bridge existed into North America - colonists were advanced hunters, wiped out large animals
d. About ten years ago, third idea discussed - glaciers retreated, animals more available to hunters, upset of ecological balance
e. Paper from two weeks ago - dung survey - new data set shows decline in biomass began 15,000 years ago (before humans arrived across land bridge) - earlier human population reduced population of large herbivores, changed vegetation, arrival of hunters via land bridge wiped out large herbivores
5. Threats to biodiversity
a. Sextet of threats: over-exploitation, exotic species, habitat destruction, climate change, pollution, domino effects
6. IUCN rankings
a. International Union of Conservation of Nature
b. Critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable - classifications
7. Over-Exploitation
a. Has caused a number of extinctions, often large and spectacular species
8. Over-Exploitation
a. Over-fishing of cod
b. Single largest threat to fishes in the oceans is over-harvesting
c. Not only threat, but one of most serious
9. Bushmeat trade
a. "emptying of forest"
b. Where people have access to wildlands, over-harvesting of bushmeat significant problem - e.g. Africa
c. Development of natural resources (e.g. oil) involves development of infrastructure, provides access to wildlands, diminished game populations
d. Significant cause of extinctions
10. Non-indigenous species
a. Other names - alien species, exotic species
b. Invasive, nuisance used for species that have strong negative impact
c. What makes it a good/bad invader - utility to humans, ecosystem impact
d. Asian carp - introduced in southern US, spread into Mississippi river, electric fence put in place to keep carp out of Lake Michigan, poisoned Chicago river to kill fish that got past fence
11. Zebra mussel case history
a. Exotic species that came from europe, became established in Great Lakes, went down Mississippi River
b. Continue to spread, have had enormous effect on both the Hudson River and the Great Lakes
c. Have shunted energy to different zone
12. In Hudson River, zebra mussels affect phytoplankton, which has cascade effect
a. Impact - have removed algae and sediments, improved clarity of water,
13. Zebra mussel case history
a. Graph shows change in different parts of ecosystem
14. Nile Perch in Lake Victoria
a. Native to Nile river, but not to African Great Lakes
b. Introduced to lakes by biologists
c. Great number of fish unique to the lakes
d. Will likely cause hundreds of species in Lake Victoria to go extinct
e. Huge export of Nile Perch, very successful fishery - enormous economic impact, social impact
15. Michigan invaders
a. Sea lamp ray, time of arrival in lakes, effect on lake trout
b. Gypsy moth
16. Causes of Spread of Aquatic NIS
a. Colonial nostalgia - acclimation societies in NZ - 20 of 46 species of fishes found in NZ are exotic - people import fish from where they come from
b. Fish culture escapees
c. Pet trade - people throw pet fish into ponds
d. Inter-basin transfers
e. biocontrol
17. What influences invasion success?
a. Aspects of invader - trophic category, behavior, physiology, life history traits
b. Aspects of receiving environment - habitat matching to some degree, habitat resistance (fullness of niches)
c. Success rates appear to be high - ~50%+ of invasive species successful
18. California case study
a. 68 native species, 110 documented non-native introductions, 43% failed
b. Best predictors of success
i. Past history of successful invasions (4 times as likely to be successful)
ii. Broad environmental tolerance
iii. Likes trashed environments
iv. Similar source and recipient environments
v. At least 100 individuals, multiple releases, or both
19. Chart
a. Think of establishment of invasive species as number of stages
b. Transport, living, inoculation, establishment, spread
c. Wise to keep invaders to very small number to make chain as unlikely as possible
20. NIS superstars
a. Some species seem to be good invaders: tilapia, common carp
b. Why are they so successful? Can't answer that well today
21. Habitat loss and fragmentation
a. Chart - loss of atlantic forest habitat in Brazil; remaining habitats small and disconnected
b. Habitat fragments too small to maintain viable populations, too fragmented to allow rescue effect
26. Climate change
a. Graphic shows how summer climate of midwest states will change from today to 2095 - future climate will be very different from modern climate
b. Michigan will no longer be suitable for many species that currently live here
27. Global Warming
a. Chart shows distribution of bird today and likely distribution at point when CO2 levels double
b. Bird distribution moves north
c. For many species, there may not be a big impact
d. Unknown how adaptable many species are to climate change - unknown effects on communities if species begin moving with climate change - could bring significant interaction effects
e. Graph of landscape from hundreds of years ago - species found everywhere north of southern range limit; later, with human impacts, reserve put in place; later, with climate change, reserve no longer serves population well
f. In future we'll still have Yellowstone, but how many species that we value there will still be able to live there?
28. Domino Effects
a. As soon as one species go extinct, all species that depend on it go extinct
b. Not a lot of evidence for domino effect
c. Black footed ferret, preys on prairie dogs
d. Prairie dog colonies declining, black footed ferret has become rare
29. Extinction rates
a. Bob May - "Species are now perishing at 1000 times or even 10000 times the background extinction over the past 600 million years"
b. Background extinction - historic rate
c. Mass extinction - five great extinctions
d. Anthropogenic extinctions - human caused
e. How can we know probable rate?
i. Estimate probable number of species
ii. Estimate rate of habitat loss (know rate of deforestation)
iii. Use species-area relationship to estimate species loss
f. If we lose 1% of forest per year, can expect half of forest to disappear in 70 years
30. Historical vs present-day extinctions
a. Rate of loss of species from fossil record
b. Current rate
c. Future rate
31. Graphs
a. Bigger areas have more species
b. Slope = 0.2 to 0.3
c. Island that is ten times bigger has about twice as many species
32. Graph
a. Islands from largest to smallest
b. Larger number of species on larger islands
33. Estimating rates of species loss
a. For mainland, slope is 0.1 to 0.2
b. Use relationship between area of habitat and number of species
c. Resulting loss rate of species results in loss of 25%-50% of world's species by 2100
34. Take-home messages
a. Biodiversity threatened by six factors
b. Habitat loss represents single biggest threat
c. Over-harvest important in oceans and for bushmeat animals
d. Some 25-50% of world's biodiversity likely to be lost in 21st century
35. Protecting biodiversity
36. How can we protect biodiversity
a. Protected lands - what is current extent? How does level vary among protected lands?
b. Protected lands today cover ~12% of earth's land area; must have good management for remaining non-protected lands
37. IUCN Protected Area Categories
a. Wide range of protected area categories
b. In state of Michigan, 21% of land has some sort of protected status
c. About 20% is very active multiple use; may not be that much biodiversity protection going on
d. Simply saying that something is protected does tell you much about what is going on
38. Protected areas can be very effective
a. 0.2% of costa rica's land area contains large number of species
39. Protected areas in Africa
40. New Protected Areas
a. Various organization have numeric goals
b. Land surface protected must be distributed across different biosystem types
c. Identification of gaps in networks of protected lands to determine where new protected areas should be located
d. Size, shape, linkages, matrix - how big does it need to be to accomplish goal?
47. Graph
a. Number of individuals vs area
b. Larger area has more individuals
c. Large carnivores need area larger than 3 units; need minimum area to support different classes of animals
d. Second graph - each dot is a different park in US; x-axis is area; y-axis is number of extinctions since park established
i. knowing ecology of habitat, calculated number of species that would have been there prior to human impact, compared to number of species in park now
ii. Small parks have more extinctions than large parks
e. Size of reserve very important
53. Take-away messages


text:
I LOVE learning and earning my PD credits this way. I appreciate the array of choices and even though I've done this three years, I still haven't done everything. I did find the whole Canvas site a little confusing. It felt as though I had to login and register in a zillion different places, but apparently I figured it out.
As a librarian, I only have the students for about 30 minutes a week and between assemblies, field trips, testing, school pictures, and snow days, my classes are often cancelled. It is very difficult to continue a lesson 2 to 3 weeks after its been started. Consequently, I prefer lessons that can be taught/modelled one day, and students can do the following class time. Finding free, quick tech lessons that can be incorporated reasonably within library class works well for me. Tools that I have used in the library include Tagxedo, Coding, Quozia, StoryboardThat and Google Slides. I even used coding as a PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) reward! I use Pocket App almost daily. I continue to use Common Sense Media year after year. Generally, I use tools that are easy to learn and limited in their choices. For example, Storybird is amazing, but I end up spending at least an hour just looking at the illustrations! (Same with Haiku deck) My students would never actually create anything! If there are too many options, it becomes a huge time black hole. On the other hand, I loved learning how to create crossword puzzles. Although creating a book specific puzzle is time-consuming, once made, it can be used year after year, and it is so handy for those students who finish early. Creating crossword puzzles is fun. I usually create one over a break when I don't feel like working, but it gets me into the working mindset. Truthfully, if I didn't have to do PDs I'm not sure I would take the time to find and try out all these tools. Although I'm interested in all of them, they usually seem more daunting than they actually are. Similarly, many of these tools take more me more than 2 hours, which is fine, but would I spend 2-3 hours on figuring something out if I wasn't getting PD credit? Probably not because I'd feel like I was "wasting" time. So yes, I am glad my district offers Cool Tools and I do feel that my students benefit from the tools I learn.


text:
6019 S Co Rd 525 W Coatesville,...
Freije & Freije Auctioneers
Residential Real Estate, Other
May 24, 2018 - Online Only Auction opening May 23rd and Closing May 24th Eastern
Felicity, OH
Online Only Auction
Weinheimer Spanish Goat Auction
Harvey Plus
2184 East Possum Rd.
Springfield, OH 45502
Office: 937-323-6545
Fax: 888-876-2808
May 24, 2018 8:00 PM
Auction Opens for Bidding Wednesday, May 23rd @ 8AM
Contact Jill Harvey with any auction related questions at 937-244-1448 or 937-323-6545 ext. 2.
Riverview Goats
Alan & Pamela Motta
Felicity, OH
513.739.9383 | 513.227.4160
Riverview Boer Goats is now Riverview Goats!
We have transitioned to raising purebred Weinheimer Spanish goats. We loved the Boers, but age and time constraints of other businesses require a more self-sufficient goat. The Weinheimer Spanish goat is a fiercely independent, fertile, efficient meat goat producing machine. In ten years we have NEVER assisted a doe during kidding or a kid to nurse. If you desire a self-sufficient goat, the Weinheimer is the answer.


text:
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, "thousands" of Australians have been targeted for hundreds of dollars each by cold call scammers pretending to be Microsoft but police, regulators and the software company are powerless to fight the growing problem.
The scammers, typically based in Indian call centres, cold call people claiming to be Microsoft staff informing them that their computer has a virus on it. They provide bogus evidence of a virus infection and after winning over the victim, convince them to allow the scammer remote access to their computer through an internet website.
The scammers then pretend to fix the machine and ask for a fee that is up to $400. They use a combination of high pressure sales tactics and social engineering to scare the victim into paying the fee and because victims willingly hand over their credit card details, there is little legal recourse.
Stuart Strathdee, Microsoft Australia's chief security advisor, admitted the problem had grown in scale in recent months and Microsoft was receiving anywhere from two to 50 complaints a day from consumers.
"There's a number of different organisations doing this and they're changing their names almost constantly – we hear new names every week," said Strathdee, who himself has been cold called by the scammers three times.
Strathdee said any prosecution would be difficult as victims would need to have recorded the calls for use as evidence. Some have published recordings of the scam calls on YouTube.
The International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN), which coordinates responses to global scams such as this, said in an emailed statement that "both ICPEN and other national enforcement agencies are aware of the scam that you refer to".
However, it could not detail any specific measures taken to shut the scam down.


text:
Happy Birthday, Dear Betse!
By Jade Arroyo
Betse Davies is one of the most beloved personalities in the expat community, being deeply involved in voluntarism and noble causes. She's mostly known for her work in Patronato Pro Niños, representing the tours. Betse just celebrated her 90th birthday last week, in company of good friends of many different ages and nationalities. The garden party was celebrated at the beautiful gardens of Casa de La Noche, with music, laughter and cake.
Betse became interested on Patronato Pro Niños 21 years ago, when she herself took the first Walking Tour, now a three times per week guided tour around the Centro. This tour actually generates 10 percent of the funding for the healthcare programs. She loved the tours and got involved in fiving them. She attributes the success of the Walking Tours to the great volunteers who share their time and interest in San Miguel de Allende's history.
The scripts for the tours are updated periodically to feature new information and also to focus on special subjects, like architecture or religious festivities that are so much a part of San Miguel's.
Betse, a retired high-school teacher, is a fan of history and humanities. She also volunteers for Mujeres en Cambio and is an active member of the Unitarian Church.
Patronato Pro Niños is an non profit organization that gives medical, dental, and psychological care to children of SMA and the rural areas around it. For further info visit www.patronatoproninos.org.


text:
Calculate your own profit now:
*The calculator displays forecasted ROI calculations subject to daily changes in market value and hashrate
*The calculator displays forecasted ROI calculations subject to daily changes in market value and hashrate
Invest in a fully managed Altcoin and Bitcoin cloud mining service, your earnings begin the moment your contract is activated. With our cryptocoin mining calculator it's easy to see how much you could earn, no experience in cryptocurrency mining is needed and we are ready to assist you at any time!
Join our Affiliate program and receive a 10% profit from your clients investment, subsequently you will receive 4%, 2%,1% and 1% from all investors invited under your primary investor. Or develop your investor network and earn up to 10.8% from your referrals!
Buy your own mining machine from Helixxmine. We use only the highest quality components and all our mining machines are built on site by our professional technicians. Feel free to contact us to discuss your requirements.
HelixxMine offers a fully managed service of Altcoin and Bitcoin mining for novice investors and expert miners alike. Our services range from selling high quality mining hardware to providing a managed cloud mining service for clients who want a transparent and safe way to profit from Altcoin and Bitcoin mining.
Investing in cryptocoin mining has never been easier – with the HelixxMine coin mining calculator it is easy to forecast your profit before investing. Choose the amount you are comfortable to invest and see your profit forecast immediately. As soon as you have set up your account you can start earning your first coins from our cloud mining service.
Once you have invested in cloud mining and begun earning, you might feel inclined to share this opportunity with others. HelixxMine offers a profitable Affiliate Partner program for those who invite others and start earning more profits together with their investor network.


text:
Finra said today that it has fined LPL $7.5 million for 35 separate significant e-mail system failures.
What's more, LPL Financial LLC made misstatements to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. during its investigation of the failures. LPL also was ordered to create a $1.5 million fund to compensate brokerage customers potentially affected by its failure to produce e-mail.
"This is the largest fine Finra has imposed for an e-mail case," said Finra spokeswoman Michelle Ong.
LPL's e-mail review and retention problems occurred from 2007 to 2013, and its systems failed at least 35 times, according to Finra. The firm was unable to meet its obligations to capture e-mail, supervise its reps and respond to requests from regulators.
In concluding the settlement, LPL neither admitted nor denied the charges.
"In September 2011, we reported to Finra issues relating to the surveillance and retention of e-mails," LPL said in a statement. "We cooperated fully with Finra throughout its ensuing investigation. We very much regret our lapse of oversight. We have undertaken a comprehensive redesign of our e-mail systems and associated compliance policies and procedures, and have engaged independent experts to assess and validate our approach."
Over a four-year period, LPL failed to supervise 28 million "doing business as" e-mails sent and received by thousands of reps who were working as independent contractors, Finra said.
In response, LPL said in its statement: "Finra's action identified that certain LPL personnel had information that would have uncovered the DBA issue earlier than senior management was aware, and we have taken steps to train our employees on escalating compliance issues."
It is the second time this year that LPL has faced significant charges about compliance and oversight of its brokers and systems.
In February, the firm said it had paid a $500,000 fine and set aside $2 million in restitution to Massachusetts investors who bought nontraded real estate investment trusts from LPL brokers. The Massachusetts Securities Division had filed a complaint against LPL in December that involved investors who bought shares of several REITs in violation of state limitations, as well as the company's own rules and procedures
LPL, which has 13,000 registered reps and advisers, had its initial public offering in 2010 after a decade of rapid growth. Broker-dealers that grow at a breakneck pace often fall prey to compliance problems, as a rapidly growing sales force can overwhelm resources devoted to oversight and compliance.
Finra said that's what happened to LPL. "As LPL rapidly grew its business, the firm failed to devote sufficient resources to update its e-mail system, which became increasingly complex and unwieldy for LPL to manage and monitor effectively," Finra said in a statement. "The firm was well-aware of its e-mail systems' failures and the overwhelming complexity of its systems."
On the sidelines of Finra's annual conference in Washington today, Finra chairman and chief executive Rick Ketchum reiterated that point and said that the LPL case was not a shot across the bow of independent broker dealers. Rather, it was a matter of LPL growing too quickly and not being able to implement adequate technology and supervision controls to keep up with its rapidly expanding network of brokers.
"It doesn't suggest that there's something inherently flawed with the independent-contractor model," Mr. Ketchum told reporters.�"This is a case where they got over their own skis from the standpoint of the expansion that occurred."
Mr. Ketchum said that he has "a great deal of respect" for LPL and that the firm has a "great deal of integrity."
There can be problems associated with all investment-advisory models — and they've all gotten into trouble, Mr. Ketchum said.
"It's a big risk when you're expanding very quickly — and that, I think, is the message today," Mr. Ketchum said.
LPL chief executive, Mark Casady, who a member of Finra's board of governors, highlighted the e-mail surveillance issue April 25 in a call with Wall Street analysts who cover the company. LPL "recorded an expense related to the expected settlement of the Finra matter in the company's financial statements as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2013," the company statement said. "Therefore, the company does not anticipate any related charges in its operating results for the current quarter."
Reuters reported Monday that LPL was overhauling its compliance procedures in the aftermath of the recent regulatory complaints. The firm has added 137 people to its compliance staff over the past two years, according to the report, which cited LPL's president Robert Moore.
(Mark Schoeff Jr. contributed reporting for this article)


text:
On July 7, 2011, the Federal Trade Commission announced that it had finalized changes proposed in August 2010 to the Hart-Scott Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act ("HSR") and to the Premerger Notification and Report Form ("form") required to be filed by companies with the FTC and Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (collectively, the "agencies") in connection with certain acquisitions that meet the requisite thresholds and are not exempt.
The changes to the form and the rules will become effective 30 days after the final rules are published in the Federal Register, which we anticipate will occur shortly.Most of the proposed rules were adopted as proposed. Set forth below is a summary of new disclosures that must be made as well as some disclosures that have been eliminated.
Excerpt from Law360, July 21, 2011. To view the full article, click here (subscription required).
Sending an email will not establish an attorney-client relationship. You should not send us any information that you want treated confidentially. By clicking Accept you acknowledge that we may review and use any information you transmit to us.


text:
|Uncle B getting in one more cuddle
with his littlest nibling.
Baby Bjorn + hands free = beer!
This was definitely one
of the worst goodbyes for me
London, UK – August 2014
When we left, I think I was too excited to be sad because we had a HUGE trip ahead of us. So let me tell you all about it. But first, a confession.
For those of you who follow me on instagram (be careful, it can become an addiction. One I am slowly trying to cope with due to the fact that internet at home continues to evade me – but wait for my next blog post for THAT scintillating story) I have to apologise for the photos included in this blog post. They're all ones from my phone, most of which I've put up on instagram because well, I'm a PC girl and now I have my Mac, I'm still trying to work out the little things. Like how to get photos off my camera, onto my Mac easily. Perhaps by the time my next post rolls around I will have figured that one out (or skyped my Mac expert sister and asked her).
|The taxis were COOL in Cuba!
Havana, Cuba – September 2014
As well as the rum museum, we went to the gorgeous beach, visited a Cuban cigar factory which gave me newfound respect for how they make Cuban cigars. It's quite incredible and is almost beautiful to watch.
|Day one of holidays, complete with
$2 icy cold beers. Life is sweet!
Havana, Cuba – September 2014
|Not a bad place to start our holiday
Havana, Cuba – September 2014
|While B got a cigar, I got a coconut!! First I had
the juice, then they cut it open for me and
I ate the entire thing. – coconut piggy!
Vinales, Cuba – September 2014
|Our view at the end of our walk. Stunning!
Vinales, Cuba – September 2014
|The best food of our trip. TONNES of grilled meats,
loads of sides, heaps of sauces – incredible!
Playa del Carmen, Mexico – September 2014
|The best place for food, also did
gigantic frozen margaritas.
Yes, that's my 'this is AWESOME' smile.
Playa del Carmen, Mexico – September 2014
|Yoga on a very stormy beach.
Playa del Carmen, Mexico – September 2014
|All that yoga calls for some relaxation under
a palm tree.
Playa del Carmen, Mexico – September 2014
|Our private hammock on our private balcony
overlooking the pool. I'm not actually as
close to the ground as I seem to be.
I didn't eat THAT much Mexican food…
Playa del Carmen, Mexico – September 2014
|Beautiful Xel Ha. All the water
here looked this perfect
Xel Ha, Mexico – September 2014
|Our hippy hut!
Tulum, Mexico – September 2014
|Swinging on our swing!
Tulum, Mexico – September 2014
|What a view!
Tulum, Mexico – September 2014
|More beach yoga. How could I not?!
It was perfect yoga conditions!
Tulum, Mexico – September 2014
On a less fun note, we hired bikes and took a back road to get back to our resort. And by back road, it was more like off road. Rocks and bumps, holes in the dirt track followed by a PROPER off road track that was teaming with flies and blood thirsty mosquitos. And then we hit the end of the road. A swamp. Meaning we had to turn and go allllll the way back cause it was a no through road. The whole time it was raining and took over an hour. It was a horrible experience but I guess travel can't all be margaritas and sunshine.
|Inside, outside and the view from our eco
hut. It was hard to stay grumpy when
this was where we were.
Tulum, Mexico – September 2014
|Saying goodbye to Mexico with a trip
to the supermarket (I love a good
foreign supermarket!) with some
mega Oreos. No, we didn't buy them!
Cancun, Mexico – September 2014
Vegas. What can you say about it? That place is nuts!! Our first night we arrived and were dressed and out the door in less than 40mins. To say B was excited was the understatement of the century. He was buzzing! All glammed up in my high heels and sparkly Vegas dress, I immediately noticed I was overdressed. To the point that all the people around me were in flip flops, shorts, bikinis, singlets or in some cases, no shoes at all. Awkward…
|The classiest casino around.
Las Vegas, USA – September 2014
Ok, so we WERE in the Hooters Casino but still, I had at least expected shoes! On L&G's recommendation, we had to try the famous Hooters chicken wings and I'm pretty sure that's what made me sick for the next two days! Still, when in Vegas, one must try the local eats!
|He's got his wad of dollar bills
ready to rock (and gamble!)
Las Vegas, USA – September 2014
|The colours, the lights, the cocktails –
Vegas is like nothing I've ever experienced!
Las Vegas, USA – September 2014
|BEST anniversary present ever! Thanks B!
Can't wait to see what he'll get me for year three!
Las Vegas, USA – September 2014
|Front row seat!
Las Vegas, USA – September 2014
|Incredible. We had the most perfect
day for it too!
The Grand Canyon, USA – September 2014
|Another thing ticked off my bucket list!
The Grand Canyon, USA – September 2014
|The Mirage our fancy home in Vegas!
Las Vegas, USA – September 2014
|The lights of Old Vegas
Las Vegas, USA – September 2014
|Grilled chicken 'burger' in a lettuce wrap.
They must grow the most enormous lettuces in
the US!
San Fransisco, USA – September 2014
|There was a whole bakery dedicated to gluten-free
foods! I thought it would have been rude NOT
to try a sweet cheese danish.
San Fransisco, USA – September 2014
|The most incredible sushi I've had in my life
(and I've eaten a LOT). The Sumo Roll on the
right rocked my world. Ah-MAZING.
San Fransisco, USA – September 2014
|Cold pressed coffee made with almond milk. I nearly
squealed with excitement when I found this!
San Fransisco, USA – September 2014
|The Golden Gate Bridge. On
our way to our wine tour and also
proof that I did take photos of
things other than food.
San Fransisco, USA – September 2014
|Typical tourist spot. The crookedest street
in the world – Lombard Street.
San Fransisco, USA – September 2014
|Ridiculously enormous gummy bear anyone?
No. We didn't buy it (we didn't have room
in our suitcase, sorry L!)
San Fransisco, USA – September 2014
|Symphony of lights
Hong Kong – September 2014
|Dim sum for breakfast, cheap and cheerful!
We ate where the locals ate and were NOT
Hong Kong – September 2014
|Some sort of street food. B loves to try random
things in local markets!
Hong Kong – September 2014
|Beautiful buildings in Hong Kong. And this is
hashtag no filter too! I found them fascinating.
Hong Kong – September 2014
And now I'm sure everyone's FAVOURITE part of my blog – the travel magnet update, complete with my personal ratings!
|Nothing but magnets for sale in this shop.
Brilliant! Although surprisingly not the only
dedicated magnet shop we came across
on this trip!
Playa del Carmen, Mexico – September 2014
* Cuba – a Cuban cigar. Obviously! 6/10
* Mexico – a sombrero topped with a miniature Corona and taco. Bravo Mexico, bravo! 7/10 (a full blown taco would have been even better – no such luck).
* Vegas – typical pictures of Vegas landmarks behind the glitter-water filled 3D magnet with two tiny dice that roll around in the water. Nice. Classy. 7/10
* Vegas – a mini football that doubles as a bottle opener. Only purchased because it's from Hooters 7/10
* San Fran – a mini replica of their famous trams. Classic, not tacky 7/10
* Hong Kong – a skyline showing the symphony of lights 6/10
* Hong Kong – a bowl of noodles complete with tiny chicken wings, bok choy, chopsticks and noodles hanging off the chop sticks. Bought simply because it was a food magnet, 3D and is AWESOME 9/10 (it loses a point because we bought it at the airport so it was expensive).
|And here they are, in all their glory
Perth, Australia – October 2014


text:
The Pest: Spider Mites
First Sign: Little yellow speckles on leaf surfaces. When you turn a leaf over, tiny, oval shaped mites, about pin head in size, are scurrying around. Their eggs, best seen with a magnifier, will be scattered around at random. Spider Mite eggs are all perfectly round, the same size, ranging from clear to amber in color. With larger infestations a fine webbing, crawling with mites, covers the plant tops. Soon, the leaves are browning and dying.
Most Common Species: The Two Spot. The "two spot" Spider Mites are usually yellow/tan/greenish in color, and by maturity they grow two dark spots on their shoulders, one on each side. The larger the spots, the older the mite, or the more chlorophyll there is in the plant species they are feeding on. Spider Mites can float along with wind currents, or be carried by pets, clothing or infected plant material.
Special Species Notes: Adult females have the ability to go dormant for a time after the photoperiod (daily hours of light) shortens, then re-emerge to lay more eggs a few weeks after the photoperiod lengthens again. That's one reason Spider Mites keep reappearing crop after crop on indoor plants.
Most Popular Control: Spider Mite Predators
Spider Mite Predators not only feed on Spider Mites and their eggs, they also breed twice as fast! Each Spider Mite Predator sucks the juice out of about 5 Spider Mites a day, or 20 of their eggs. Used as directed, predators should noticeably begin to gain control within 4 weeks, and then continue until the Spider Mites are nearly or completely wiped out. Predators disappear when the Spider Mites are gone.
Most Effective Control:
Triple Threat!
Use our mix of all 3 species to cover a wider range of growing conditions.
Wide Temp Range, Moderate Humidity:
Phytoseiulus persimilis
Temperature Range: 55 - 105+ F.
Humidity Range: 55 - 90%
Moderate Temp Range, High Humidity:
Neoseiulus californicus
Temperature Range: 55 - 90 F.
Humidity Range: 60 - 90%
Widest Humidity and Temp Range:
Mesoseiulus longipes
Temperature Range: 55 - 105+ F.
Humidity Range: 45 - 90%
Three kinds of predator mites are used together to work efficiently in different temperatures and humidity. Use one predator for every 20 spider-mites.


text:
Radar astronomy
Radar astronomy is a technique of observing nearby astronomical objects by reflecting microwaves off target objects and analyzing the reflections. This research has been conducted for six decades. Radar astronomy differs from radio astronomy in that the latter is a passive observation and the former an active one. Radar systems have been used for a wide range of solar system studies. The radar transmission may either be pulsed or continuous.
The strength of the radar return signal is proportional to the inverse fourth-power of the distance. Upgraded facilities, increased transceiver power, and improved apparatus have increased observational opportunities.
Radar techniques provide information unavailable by other means, such as testing general relativity by observing Mercury[1] and providing a refined value for the astronomical unit.[2] Radar images provide information about the shapes and surface properties of solid bodies, which cannot be obtained by other ground-based techniques.
Relying upon high powered terrestrial radars (of up to one MW[3]) radio astronomy is able to provide extremely accurate astrometric information on the structure, composition and movement of solar objects.[4] This aids in forming long-term predictions of asteroid-Earth impacts, as illustrated by the object 99942 Apophis. In particular, optical observations measure where an object appears in the sky, but cannot measure the distance with great accuracy (relying on Parallax becomes more difficult when objects are small or poorly illuminated). Radar, on the other hand, directly measures the distance to the object (and how fast it is changing). The combination of optical and radar observations normally allows the prediction of orbits at least decades, and sometimes centuries, into the future.
There are two radar astronomy facilities that are in regular use, the Arecibo Planetary Radar and the Goldstone Solar System Radar.
- Control of attributes of the signal [i.e., the waveform's time/frequency modulation and polarization]
- Resolve objects spatially;
- Delay-Doppler measurement precision;
- Optically opaque penetration;
- Sensitive to high concentrations of metal or ice.
The maximum range of astronomy by radar is very limited, and is confined to the Solar system. This is because the signal strength drops off very steeply with distance to the target, the small fraction of incident flux that is reflected by the target, and the limited strength of transmitters.[5] The distance to which the radar can detect an object is proportional to the square root of the object's size, due to the one-over-distance-to-the-fourth dependence of echo strength. Radar could detect something ~1 km across a large fraction of an AU away, but at 8-10 AU, the distance to Saturn, we need targets at least hundreds of kilometers wide. It is also necessary to have a relatively good ephemeris of the target before observing it.
The moon is comparatively close and was detected by radar, soon after the invention of the technique, in 1946.[6][7] Measurements included surface roughness and later mapping of shadowed regions near the poles.
The next easiest target is Venus. This was a target of great scientific value, since it could provide an unambiguous way to measure the size of the astronomical unit, which was needed for the nascent field of interplanetary spacecraft. In addition such technical prowess had great public relations value, and was an excellent demonstration to funding agencies. So there was considerable pressure to squeeze a scientific result from weak and noisy data, which was accomplished by heavy post-processing of the results, utilizing the expected value to tell where to look. This led to early claims (from Lincoln Laboratory, Jodrell Bank, and Vladimir A. Kotelnikov of the USSR) which are now known to be incorrect. All of these agreed with each other and the conventional value of AU at the time.[2]
The first un-ambiguous detection of Venus was made by Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) on 10 March 1961. A correct measurement of the AU soon followed. Once the correct value was known, other groups found echos in their archived data that agreed with these results.[2]
The following is a list of planetary bodies that have been observed by this means:
- Mars - Mapping of surface roughness from Arecibo Observatory. The Mars Express mission carries a ground-penetrating radar.
- Mercury - Improved value for the distance from the earth observed (GR test). Rotational period, libration, surface mapping, esp. of polar regions.
- Venus - first radar detection in 1961. Rotation period, gross surface properties. The Magellan mission mapped the entire planet using a radar altimeter.
- Jupiter System - Galilean satellites
- Saturn System - Rings and Titan from Arecibo Observatory, mapping of Titan's surface and observations of other moons from the Cassini spacecraft.
- Earth - numerous airborne and spacecraft radars have mapped the entire planet, for various purposes. One example is the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, which mapped the entire Earth at 30 m resolution.
Asteroids and comets
Radar provides the ability to study shape, size and spin state of asteroids and comets from the ground. Radar imaging has produced images with up to 7.5-m resolution. With sufficient data, the size, shape, spin and radar albedo of the target asteroids can be extracted.
Only 16 comets have been studied by radar,[8] including 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann. There have been radar observations of 394 Near-Earth asteroids and 133 Main belt asteroids.[8]
See also
- Arecibo Observatory
- Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex
- Pluton
- Deep Space Network
- Radar
- Radar imaging
- 6489 Golevka
- 4179 Toutatis
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Identifiers at line 47: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Andrew J. Butrica (1996). "NASA SP-4218: To See the Unseen - A History of Planetary Radar Astronomy". NASA. Archived from the original on 2007-08-23. Retrieved 2008-05-15.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ "Arecibo Radar Status". Retrieved 22 December 2012.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Ostro, Steven (1997). "Asteroid Radar Research Page". JPL. Retrieved 22 December 2012.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Hey, J. S. (1973). The Evolution of Radio Astronomy. Histories of Science Series. 1. Paul Elek (Scientific Books).<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ J. Mofensen, Radar echoes from the moon, Electronics, vol. 19, pp. 92-98; April, 1946
- ↑ Z. Bay, "Reflection of microwaves from the moon," Hung. Acta Phys., vol. 1, pp. 1-22; April, 1946.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Radar-Detected Asteroids and Comets". NASA/JPL Asteroid Radar Research. Retrieved 2011-10-30.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
External links
- How radio telescopes get images of asteroids
- "Planetary Radar at Arecibo Observatory". NAIC. Retrieved 2008-05-15.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- "Goldstone Solar System Radar". JPL. Retrieved 2010-09-28.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- Dr. Steven J. Ostro & Dr. Lance A. M. Benner (2007). "JPL Asteroid Radar Research". Caltech. Retrieved 2008-05-15.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- "Radar Astronomy and Space Radio Science". Retrieved 2008-05-15.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- Dr. Jean-Luc Margot. "Introduction to Asteroid Radar Astronomy". UCLA. Retrieved 2013-08-02.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>


text: Feb222009 CRAFTS Adult T-shirt to toddler dress [recon] Highly inspired by Cheytown's recon and Vegbee's tutorial I made my little one this dress today. Her "model pose." :D Good view of the front. My first lettuce edge! :D Kind of an action shot. I think she looks like she's from the 80's HippieKender 3 Comments Continue reading


text:
This exhibition features paintings and drawings of birds, animals and plant life, many of which are to be seen in the beautiful Blue Mountains.
An exhibition by Peter Wale
The theme is one of simplicity, peace and relaxation, aimed at engaging the heart and soul of the viewer.
The works on show, personally signed prints and cards are available for purchase.
2 April, 2pm to 4pm
To be opened by the eminent water colour artist, Owen Thompson.
Adult $13.00
Children $4.00
Concession $8.00
Opening Hours
3 April – 1 May Wednesday – Sunday 11 AM -3 PM


text:
Thursday, December 1, 2011
When life gives you lemons...
Introvert (n): 1. a shy person 2. in psychology a person characterized by concern primarily with his or her own thoughts and feelings.
This week life gave me 1 lemon and I had to make gallons of lemonade. That pretty much sums up what happened to me from Monday 4am until now. I won't go into all the details, because that would take up too much space, but kids are well, still getting better, they're home and that's all that's important. Everything else will have to be caught up on shortly.
Sometimes, no matter how much planning you do ahead of time, life just seems to get in the way and brings surprises that test us in many ways. I'm glad I passed this test. Maybe not with an A+, because that would take a miracle, but I'm happy where I'm at now.
So, Two Halves is up on Amazon.com. Yay! I had a few issues with the original upload, but now everything is ok. Still have to fix the title page showing up in double, that's on the to do list.
It is also available in other formats on Smashwords.
I hope those of you who read it let me know what you think. I'm extremely excited about it!
While at the hospital I had a chance to almost finish Marked: A Two Halves Novella. It should be done by end of next week, then I have to set it aside before editing. I struggled with keeping the Novella PG rated. I'm still not sure what to do, because the main character does not want it that way. Right now it's with adult content. No matter how I write, he makes it that way, and it's the only way it seems to flow and be appropriate for who he is.
Two Halves is a young adult novel, I'm not sure the Novella will be that way. I'm trying to figure out how far I can push it to still keep it PG, but it's hard. I'm writing from a male POV and he wants to do things to his mate that aren't PG. Where should I draw the line?
The great thing about the novella is that it explains where many of the characters come from. It gives a deeper background of why they are who they are, and how they came to be that way. I expect it to be available in Spring 2012. I have the cover art all ready and know exactly what I want on the cover. We'll see how it goes.
The reason it will be Spring 2012, is because before it's out I need to write the sequel to Two Halves (yes there will be one) and then there will be a novella that follows the sequel to continue the events from the first novella and it all has to be done before Marked comes out, because of specific events that happen.
I know it sounds confusing, but it makes sense when you read it.
I hope you enjoy the novel as much a I do. I'm looking forward to posting some more info for novice writers on what I'd learned along the way and where I looked for help.
5 comments:
- Alex J. Cavanaugh said...
While at the hospital? Hope your kids are all right!
Marta, send me the links to your book and I'll do a big shout-out on Monday for you.
- December 1, 2011 at 7:06 PM
- Annalisa Crawford said...
I'm glad your kids are recovering. And congrats on your novel! It sounds like you've got a huge heap of work to get through - make sure you have a break for Christmas!
- December 2, 2011 at 5:58 AM
- Marta Szemik said...
Kids are much better! Thank you. yes, much work, but will do as always. Christmas break planned in Florida! Yay! Thanks for the support
- December 2, 2011 at 10:47 AM
- Nina D'Angelo said...
Just found your site through bookblogs and thought I'd add you. Congrats on getting self published through smashwords. I have heard so many different things about this site. I may look into it when I finish the novel I'm writing.
- December 3, 2011 at 1:32 AM
- Green Monkey said...
Hi Marta, Monkey here... I'm just above you on the insecure writers support group link. I have also heard many great things about smashwords. Congratulations on your novel.
- December 7, 2011 at 6:30 AM


text:
Yorkland Controls, as a distributor of J2 Innovations graphic products, increases the graphical experience for users. Users can now expect a higher degree of custom graphical solutions, implemented by control automation integrators.
With FIN Builder, control integrators now have a single tool for creating all user experiences. Whether it runs on a desktop, tablet, or phone, you use the same tool for everything. The core technology is designed to be "client platform independent" which simply means that content created in FIN Builder can be rendered on any client device. Designed by a BAS company, built by a software company, FIN Builder combines efficient workflow with the latest technology to meet demanding customer expectations.
NavigationExpect powerful navigation for an entire project.. The navigation is an important element of the user experience; it is what the user interacts with on a daily basis. Integrators can literally sit down with their customers and build custom navigation exactly the way customers want to experience their system.
Air HandlersAir Handler graphics developed faster than ever before. Simply drag and drop from a library of 3D smart objects representing ducts, coils, fans and sensors, they literally snap into place.
Central Plants
Revolutionize the way central plant graphics are built. Traditional 3D plant and piping graphics were only possible if you used sophisticated 3D drawing packages. Not any more with FIN Builder.
Custom Dashboards
Build custom dashboards quickly and easily using a library of icons, gauges and other visual components. FIN Builder can even complement other web based dashboard applications by incorporating their screens into the FIN environment, creating a unified and custom user experience.
|Visit J2 Innovations site for more information.


text:
Download new drivers
Expert Recommendations
I can't believe I was going to replace my when all it needed was a new Driver, thanks Driver Robot :)
Laura Clopelle, WA
Download Now - driver update tool
If you're trying to find the latest drivers for your , you know how frustrating it can be: scouring badly-maintained manufacturer sites, looking for help from strangers on forums...it's way harder than it should be. We recommend you use Driver Robot for updating your drivers. Not only does Driver Robot search for your in a database of over 2,000,000 drivers, it's guaranteed to find the correct driver for your .
Download Driver Robot now to download the latest official drivers for your .
Driver Robot automatically updates:
- Sound card drivers
- Printer drivers
- Video card drivers
- Motherboard drivers
- Webcam drivers
- Wireless drivers
- Bluetooth drivers
- FireWire drivers
- Ethernet drivers
- Windows XP drivers
- Windows Vista drivers
- USB drivers
- Chipset drivers
- AC97 drivers
- DVD drivers
- Router drivers
Please tell us about the drivers you need:
Three reasons to use Driver Robot to download your drivers:
Driver Robot automatically identifies your
Instead of guessing the model number, serial number, and revision of your , why not let Driver Robot find it for you? Driver Robot is able to automatically recognize every manufactured after 1994. That means it's 100% guaranteed to correctly identify your . This is absolutely critical to finding the correct drivers for your hardware.
Get only official drivers for your
Using Driver Robot means you never have to worry about accidentally downloading old, outdated, or incompatible drivers for your . Because Driver Robot's database of over 2,000,000 is constantly updated, the drivers it downloads are always guaranteed to match your . Nothing's worse than a with the wrong drivers - don't take the chance!
Save massive amounts of time by not searching through your manufacturer's website
Don't spend hours wading through the old support documents of your 's original manufacturer. Get Driver Robot to do the dirty work for you. Its perfect scan and massive database means you're guaranteed to find the device driver you need to get your functional again. Download it now and see for yourself.
Watch how easy it is to update your with Driver Robot:
Driver scan: Detection of
Right after installation, Driver Robot got busy scanning our system. It correctly identified our in this stage, and communicated its information to its driver database.
Scanning and detecting the took about 30 seconds, although we've been told it's faster on newer systems.
Recommendation of driver update for
We pressed "Next" on the scan screen and sure enough, Driver Robot had found a driver update for our . We double-checked the update and made sure it was made by the manufacturers of our , and that it was their most recent release (it was!)
We proceeded through here to the next step: downloading the actual driver and fixing our problem!
Driver download & installation: Updating the 's drivers
Now for the "meat" of the program: Driver Robot automatically began downloading and installing the driver packages we needed for our to function correctly. We were thrilled - the whole process so far had only taken about 3 minutes.
When we were finished installing our drivers, we restarted the system and checked the status of the Device Manager. Sure enough, all clear - our had 100% up-to-date drivers.
Driver Pro Guarantee: It's safe to use Driver Robot to update your
At Driver Pro, we only recommend software we use ourselves every day. Among all the driver updating software we tested, we found Driver Robot the most effective at identifying and updating drivers. Try it for yourself and save the hassle of hunting down rare drivers manually.
Using Driver Robot to look for new drivers for your PC
To use Driver Robot to find drivers for your , you first need to install the software on your system. When you're finished, you may wish to remove it. Driver Robot installs on your computer cleanly, and doesn't make any permanent changes to your system.
Installing Driver Robot on your computer
To begin scanning your computer for new drivers, download the setup file for Driver Robot on to your system. You can do so by clicking on any of the download links on this page, or following this link: Download the Driver Robot installer. The file is approximately 5 megabytes, and will only take 10 seconds to download on most Internet connections.
If you're asked where to save the setup file, choose your desktop as the location and proceed. When the download is finished, there should be a file on your desktop named "Driver Robot_Setup.exe". Double-click on this file to begin the installation routine.
Driver Robot's installer will show you a splash screen, explaining what the program does and which version it is. Continue by pressing the "Next" button, and review the End User License Agreement and make sure you agree to it. When you are finished, press "Next" again to begin installation.
When the Driver Robot setup program is finished, Driver Robot will automatically run. You may now use it to search for new drivers that are compatible with your system
How to uninstall Driver Robot from your system
If you need to remove Driver Robot from your computer, you may do so through Windows's "Add/Remove Programs" (or "Programs and Features", in Vista and Windows 7) functionality.
Press the Start button and open the Control Panel. From here, double-click on the Add/Remove Programs or Programs and Features icon. You should now be looking at a list of all the applications that have been loaded on to your computer.
Find Driver Robot in this list and left-click on it once. An "Uninstall" button will appear. Pressing this button removes Driver Robot from your computer. The uninstallation process is clean and does not leave any remnants behind.
Related content:
- Driver updates:
- 64-Bit Drivers,
- About Driver Robot,
- AC97 Drivers,
- Common errors that are caused by outdated drivers,
- Download drivers,
- Driver downloader,
- Driver scan,
- DVD driver update,
- Hardware drivers,
- How to safely install hardware drivers on you PC,
- How to use Windows 7's automatic driver update utility,
- Monitor drivers,
- Update audio drivers,
- Update printer drivers,
- Update video drivers,
- Vista drivers,
- Windows 7 automatic driver update tool,
- Windows 7 Device Drivers,
- Windows XP drivers
- Drivers for computer internals:
- 64-Bit Drivers,
- Device driver updates,
- Download drivers,
- DVD driver update,
- Ethernet drivers,
- Hardware drivers,
- Hardware drivers and how they work,
- How to fix one of your printer's problems,
- How to get rid of the capped resolution problem,
- How to identify hardware driver problems,
- How to set up dual monitors,
- How to use Windows 7's automatic driver update utility,
- Missing motherboard drivers,
- Motherboard drivers,
- Peripheral interface,
- Solving Multimedia Keyboard problems,
- Solving sound driver problems,
- Specific video card drivers,
- Specific wireless drivers,
- Update audio drivers,
- Update video drivers,
- Windows 7 automatic driver update tool,
- Windows 7 Device Drivers
- Peripheral drivers:


text:
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Chris Christie was asked to leave Amtrak's quiet car Sunday morning after passengers complained to a conductor about the New Jersey governor yelling at his security detail and into his cellphone, according to a rider.
But a woman who sat across from Christie said the incident was no big deal, and that the once the governor learned he was in the quiet car, he left quickly and courteously.
Christie, a Republican presidential candidate, was on the 9:55 a.m. train back to New Jersey from Washington, D.C., after an appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation."
He walked onto the train with a McDonald's strawberry smoothie, already chewing out someone who was with him, possibly a security officer, about a mix-up in seating arrangements, according to Alexander Mann, a passenger on the same train who detailed the Christie incident to CNN in an email and in photos.
Mann wrote that just before the train departed, Christie boarded behind "two men who appeared to be Secret Service agents" -- though that's unlikely, since Christie doesn't yet have Secret Service detail; his staff said he traveled Sunday with one New Jersey state trooper -- and was "yelling at them about some sort of mixup with the seating arrangements and how they had let it happen."
Christie took a seat and began making cell phone calls, despite the "quiet car" markings instructing passengers to refrain from loud conversations or phone use in that portion of the train.
Mann wrote: "The details of the conversation were unclear but it was definitely some sort of work phone call. This went on for 5-10 minutes until the conductor, prompted by passenger complaints, asked him to stop using his cell phone or leave the car. He again started yelling at his security detail and huffed off to another train car. He kept repeating 'frickin' ridiculous' and 'Seriously?! Seriously?!'"
Another rider, though, disputed Mann's version of events. Katie Klabusich wrote on Twitter that Christie "was super courteous & possibly the least intrusive in-public phone person ever."
In a series of tweets she said: "Obvi he was running late coming from a thing & got on the 1st open car, not realizing it was the quiet car b/c diff location on express."
In a message to CNN, Klabusich said she shared a four-person table on the train with Christie.
"He was courteous to me in a couple exchanges about the table - like typically happens anytime people on transit are sharing space," she wrote. "He got on the phone; honestly, one of the least intrusive phone people I've had to ignore. I'm not aware of anyone complaining."
She continued: "When the conductor came through to check tickets, he dispassionately said, 'Sir, this is the quiet car.'
"Christie looked a bit exasperated, which I just took as a frustrating logistics day. Especially since -- on a non-express train -- the first car past first class wouldn't be a quiet car. He said, 'You're kidding. This is the quiet car?' He sighed and told the person on the phone he had to go, grabbed his smoothie and muttered to his security staffer as they walked to another car."
Christie spokeswoman Sam Smith said it was a mistake: The governor hadn't meant to board the quiet car.
"On a very full train this morning, the Governor accidentally took a seat in Amtrak's notorious quiet car," she said in an emailed statement. "After breaking the cardinal rule of the quiet car, the Governor promptly left once he realized the serious nature of his mistake and enjoyed the rest of his time on the train from the cafe car. Sincere apologies to all the patrons of the quiet car that were offended."
Gawker first reported Christie's exit from the car.
CNN's Ashley Killough contributed to this report.
™ & © 2015 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.