  • @SteveAConnor

A massive cosmic explosion in deep space sent out a pulse of high-energy radiation that hit the Earth between the years 774AD and 775AD when the emperor Charlemagne ruled much of Western Europe, scientists have found.

The radiation pulse was probably the most intense cosmic event to have affected the Earth in the past 3,000 years and it left an indelible imprint in ancient cedar trees dating to that time, they said.

Last year, scientists discovered that tree rings from Japanese cedars had much higher levels of radioactive carbon 14 than normal for the years 774AD-775AD, suggesting that something dramatic must have happened in the global atmosphere to trigger the rise of radioactive carbon.

One suggestion was an intense solar flare from the Sun, but this was soon discounted as implausible. Now Professor Ralph Neuhauser of the University of Jena in Germany has suggested that the cosmic radiation came from a massive collision either between two black holes or two massive stars located between 3,000 and 12,000 light years away, within our own Milky Way galaxy

Professor Neuhauser said that the cosmic collision caused a “gamma-ray burst” – a flash on intense radiation and one of the most energetic phenomena in the Universe. Astronomers have seen them in other galaxies, but never in the Milky Way.

“Over the past 3,000 years this was the most energetic event to have hit the Earth,” Professor Neuhasuer said. Even so, it is not likely to have been noticed by anyone at the time because the burst lasted less than two seconds, would not have left a visible impression in the sky and was not close enough to cause species extinctions.

“If the gamma ray burst had been much closer to the Earth, it would have caused significant harm to the biosphere. But even thousands of light years away, a similar event today could cause havoc with the sensitive electronics that advanced societies have come to depend on,” Professor Neuhauser said.


(Crocodile) Maxïmo Park’s fifth studio album, Too Much Information, tries to go beyond that mid-’00s UK angular-guitar rock rut that many bands have fallen into and never emerged from with less driving tempos, more electronics, and way more contemplative songwriting and lyrics. Vocalist Paul Smith’s aged, emotive, melancholic verses are the focal point of the record, and there’s likely a lot of value for close listeners to find in them, but the backing instrumentation fails to deliver and makes songs fall flat on most occasions. Opening act Eternal Summers are a trio from Virginia with a hazier, more carefree lo-fi approach to their fuzzy, power-chord indie rock.
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English Dictionary

Pioneers in dictionary publishing since 1819

Definitions of visual aids

visual aids

plural noun

visual aid (ˈvɪʒʊəl eɪd)

  1. a device, such as a film, slide, model,or blackboard that is intended to supplement spoken information to aid understanding   ⇒  ■ You can use a flip chart and other visual aids, although these will be secondary to the spoken word.
  2. something used to help vision, for example a magnifying glass   ⇒  ■ Using a large hand mirror as a visual aid, take a few minutes to examine your genitals and identify the various anatomical structures.

Example Sentences Including 'visual aids'

It was lined with books, especially encyclopaedias and compendia of visual aids.

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Power company proposes 4.5 percent raise in gas/electric bills

San Diego Gas & Electric Co. is proposing a 4.5 percent average rate increase for natural gas and electricity customers starting in January 2008. Under the proposal, natural gas rates would increase 6.7 percent, or $3.67, and electricity rates would increase 2.8 percent, or about $2, for customers with typical monthly usage, officials said.

If approved by the California Public Utilities Commission after it gets public input, the increases would generate $1.4 billion per year in additional revenue.

Ed Van Herik, SDG&E spokesman, said the money would go toward many different areas, but two of the most important are price increases for raw materials, such as steel and copper, and infrastructure improvements. Steel and copper are used to make electric wires and other utility products.

Michael Shames, executive director of Utility Consumers' Action Network, said SDG&E tried to get a rate increase two years ago. Instead of a rate increase that would have generated $100 million, the California PUC decided to cut rates and cost SDG&E $25 million, he said. UCAN began as a consumer watchdog for SDG&E, he said, before it expanded into the state's gasoline industry and other fields.

"SDG&E will have to be able to prove these costs," he said. "I want to do more investigating."

Under the proposal, customers in inland communities, such as Escondido, would see electricity rates increase $1.43 if they use 500 kilowatt hours of electricity during the summer. Coastal community customers, such as Oceanside residents, would see a $2.10 increase at 450 kilowatt hours. Customers using less than those rates wouldn't see an increase, and SDG&E said those figures represented about the average customer usage for those areas.

For example, Escondido customers using 500 kilowatt hours would see their bills increase from $70.89 to $72.33. An Oceanside customers using 450 kilowatt hours would see their bills increase from $70 to $72.10.

After a customer uses more than those amounts of electricity, rates increase $4.35 for every 100 kilowatt hours after that for both zones. An SDG&E official didn't have a breakdown of natural gas increases.

The rate increases are far from a done deal. Before the PUC signs off on the rate change, it must first set up a time for customers affected by the increases to voice their opinions. Customers could be able to give their opinions during SDG&E's operations review before the PUC. The review starts Sept. 22, includes five more meetings, and concludes no later than February. SDG&E officials couldn't confirm when the public would have a chance to speak about the rate increases.


Romantic Period (1798-1852)

Timeline created by awesomeenglish
Event Date: Event Title: Event Description:
Watson Watson and the Shark, John Singleton Copley John Singleton Copley, an American artist of the Romantic period, was inspired by an event that took place in Havana, Cuba in 1749. The image depicts the rescue of a 14-year-old orphan shipmate who was attacked by a shark while swimming in the ocean.
French revolution Beginning of French Revolution The traditional monarchy who had ruled France for three centuries collapsed in three years, giving rise to the French Republic until Napoleon declared himself emperor in 1804.
Romantic%20period%20picture%202 A Vindication of the Rights of Women- Mary Wollstonecraft Mary Wollstonecraft was the first advocate for women's rights. She fought for the education and intelligence of women as Rousseau called them "weak and artificial". Furthermore, she believed that rationality and reason formed the basis of human rights.
Marat Death of Marat, Jacques-Louis David French Romantic artist Jacques-Louis David painted this image at the Height of the Reign of Terror during the dramatic increase of the French Revolution. The image is a memoir to his friend Jean Marat, The Murdered Publisher. They were both part of the Jacobins political party that would become the most intense of the rebel factions. The positioning of Marat in the tub is a reference to Michelangelo’s La Pieta, as well as the stab wounds and the knife on the floor.
Turner Fishermen at Sea, JMW Turner JMW Turner , an English Romantic Artist, was known for his paintings of light in nature and his fascination with the ocean. "Fisherman at Sea" was his first painting ever exhibited; he was 21 years old. His image is representational of God’s presence embodied in nature and the evidence of his existence.
Romantic%20period%20picture%203 Lyrical Ballads, with a Few Other Poems- Wordsworth and Coleridge William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge publish Lyrical Ballads in 1798. This landmark book was considered to the beginning of the English Literature Romantic Movement. In contrast to the rigid English language, Wordsworth and Coleridge experimented with everyday language that could be understood by even the common people. One of the famous poems was "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner".
Coronation napoleon%5b1%5d Napoleon crowns himself Emperor of France In order to fulfil his dreans of conquest in Europe, Napoleon crowned himself emperor.
Simonbolivar1 Simón Bolivar begins a series of South American rebellions against Spain Known as “Él Libertador” across South America, Simón Bolivar helped to sow the seeds of rebellion and independence in many countries in the northern parts of South America.
Romantic%20period%20picture%204 Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage- Lord Byron This was one of the greatest narrative poems describing a man going through worldly struggles and compromised with pleasure and material forms of wealth. Lord Byron often identified with his own characters by adding traits such as envy, rebelliousness, and rationalism. Childe means a young man who is a candidate to become a knight.
Weal 10 img1850 The United States Declares War on Great Britain The War of 1812 began as a result of American rights being infringed upon by the British. Though there was no clear victor, Americans felt a sudden burst of nationalism that lead to the American Romantic Period.
Kings german legion Allied British, Dutch, and German forces defeat Napoleon at Waterloo In response to the growing influence and threat of Napoleon, the British, Dutch, and German forces ambushed Napoleon at Waterloo and dealt him a crushing defeat.
Caspar Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog, Caspar David Friedrich German artist Caspar David Friedrich conveys the great potential and possibility of man among nature. In the image, the man has climbed high and conquered much, only to see that there are infinite vistas still out there, shrouded in a fog that hides what lies beyond.
Romantic%20period%20picture%205 Frankenstein- Mary Shelley Considered one of the earliest works of science fiction, Shelley writes about a scientist who creates life and is scared of what he invented. The novel has Romantic and gothic elements and truly revolutionized the period. To this day, Frankenstein has had an effect on horror stories and movies.
Raft The Raft of Medusa, Theodore Gericault Theodore Gericault, an influential French artist, is known for his greatest work,The Raft of Medusa. The ship, Medusa, sets sail with three other ships given to the French by the British as a show of good faith to the reinstated French King, Louis XVIII. The ship stuck close to the African shoreline to outpace the other ships but was too close and hit the sandbar. The shipmates escaped on a raft that severed from the ship and were lost at sea for two weeks. Represents social criticism.
6820952 118963920591 Carl Maria von Weber writes Konzertstück Composed for piano and orchestra, the four movements describe a medieval lady's longing for her absent knight, her agonized fears for his safety, the excitement of his impending return, and the joys of reunion and love. This musical representation of emotion and story are extremely important components of the Romantic style of music.
5bf4c7a37d4bc2d6374536c41514331414f6744 Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 Considred one of Beethoven's greatest works, Symphony 9 is notable not only for its length and complexity, but for the fact that he introduced vocal soloists and a chorus into the final movement, as if the purely instrumental form of the classical symphony could not express all that he felt.
Romantic%20period%20picture%206 The Last of the Mohicans-James Fenimore Cooper The Last of the Mohicans is a classic novel published in 1826 as the second book to the Leatherstocking Tales series. The story took place during the French and Indian War, telling a tale about Native Americans and their tribes allying with the French or British. The novel became very popular in England and is commonly read in American classes.
Romantic%20period%20picture%207 The Apotheosis of Homer- Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres The Apotheosis of Homer by Ingres is considered to be one of the great masterpieces of the Romantic Period. Figures from Greek, Roman and modern times - such as Mozart, Voltaire, Dante, and Shakespeare - are symmetrically centered in front of a Greek temple, to pay homage to Homer. Homer is in the middle with Iliad and Odyssey, two of Homer's greatest works, at his feet. This painting in particular uses the technique of fresco, which is the use of plaster.
Moran Grand Canyon of the Yellowston, Thomas Moran, 1827 Thomas Moran and other American landscape painters were inspired by their natural surroundings and often painted outdoors. Moran was a part of the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871 team, where he documented over 30 different sites. His paintings helped inspire congress to create the Yellowstone region as the first National Park in 1872, in order to preserve the most beautiful parts of the country’s wilderness.
Romantic%20period%20picture%201 An American Dictionary of English Language- Noah Webster Even at 70 years old, Noah Webster published one of the first dictionarys for the English langauge. This particular version contained 70,000 entries, more than the 58,000 entires of one previous dictionary. The dictionary did not sell well because it was relatively expensive and was not bound properly.
Eugene Liberty Leading the People, Eugene Delacroix Eugene Delacroix, a French Romantic artist, used this painting as a political poster for the Revolution during 1830. In the image he depicts people celebrating the day that people rose and fought for their victory. It is often referred to as the first political work of modern painting. The artist was a member of the National Guard, and painted an image of himself on the left. He is holding a rifle and wearing a top hat.
Schumann,carnaval,op 9,alfreded Schumann writes Carnaval, Op. 9 One of his most famous works, Carnaval latently expresses Schumann's love for two women through a collection of short piano solo pieces manifestly aboud a masquerade at Carnaval.
Cole The Voyage of Life, Childhood, Thomas Cole Painted by the American landscape artist Cole, The Voyage of Life series depicts four stages of a man’s life and serves as a Christian allegory set in a Romantic backdrop. This image,Childhood, is the first of four paintings representing birth when the baby exits the dark canal and begins his new life.
Felix mendelssohn bartholdy jpg 240x240 crop upscale q95 Violin Concerto in E Minor, Opus 64-Felix Mendelssohn In this piece, Mendelssohn wrote that a single bassoon is to hold one note of the final chord of the first movement, leading immediately into the middle movement. This lack of pause between the first and middle movement is an important structural principle of the Romantic style.
000dd275 medium Liszt’s Faust Symphony This three movement symphony is a musical portrait of the three main characters on Goethe’s Faust. This painting and expression of each character through music, and use of outside influence is representative of a Romantic-style piece. The use of Germanic folklore in the book also is representative of the influence of nationalism and individuality that was important to Romantic composers.
Pyotr ilyich tchaikovsky pic getty images 134752831 Symphony No. 4 in F Minor by Tchaikovsky premieres In addition to the length of the symphony, Tchaikovsky’s expression of contrasting emotion giving Fate musical character and the symphony being an expression of the conflicting emotion in his life is representative of the creativity and emotion behind pieces of the Romantic era, differentiating them from pieces of the Classical era.


The RedSeal Conversation

October 20, 2015 · 10:23 AM

by Wayne Lloyd, Federal CTO RedSeal

Blue vs Red. No, not the Rooster Teeth series for the Halo fans out there. For those that do not know how the reference pertains to cyber security: Blue teams can be looked at as the good guys (cyber defenders) and Red teams are the bad guys (attackers). Not to say the Red teams are “bad guys”; their job is to identify weaknesses in order to teach and improve the capabilities of the Blue teams.
The U.S. military runs Red vs Blue cyber war games, and I had the opportunity to participate in them during my time in the Intelligence Community. I quickly learned that all war games (whether simulated kinetic wars or simulated cyber wars) are rigged to make it impossible for the Blue team to win. Reminiscent of Star Trek’s Kobayashi Maru scenario that Captain Kirk had to participate in at the Star Fleet Academy. Why on earth would you do that? So when the real thing happens you won’t be surprised and you’ll know how to handle it.
The only thing that was a shock to the U.S. military during the war of the Pacific in World War II was Kamikazes. The U.S. military had war-gamed every scenario to include a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. They never imagined suicide attacks in that day and age so it wasn’t part of the games. But, with that single exception, they were prepared to deal with everything that occurred.
I often describe how RedSeal can help Blue teams when I give demonstrations. RedSeal’s native ability to calculate every possible access path and attack vector is basically a cheat for Blue teams. Just as Kirk defeated the Kobayashi Maru scenario by changing the rules (or cheating.) Historically, Blue teams have had to find every possible path into the network and every possible attack vector or exposed vulnerability in order to defend the network. This takes vast amounts of time and effort, and many times is impossible to achieve. The Red team only has to find one way in, and they have all the time in the world to do it.
A lot of Blue team personnel attend our conferences where they get energized about the possibilities RedSeal can open up for them. RedSeal allows the Blue teams to identify the most critical or highest risk access paths and attack vectors in the network, automatically, every day. There are other Blue teams who are known as auditors or vulnerability assessment teams. They look at snapshots of a network’s security posture and network resiliency. Typically these audits are manual, labor intensive and time consuming efforts that consist of collecting and reading network configuration files, reviewing vulnerability scan data, and performing analysis to merge the data into actionable reports. RedSeal can automate this process, turning what could take weeks or months into just a few days, so Blue teams can cover greater portions of the enterprise faster.
Then there are those sneaky Red team people.  Remember them? They only have to find one way in. I don’t get many of them openly announcing themselves at conferences but they do pop up from time to time. They ask, “Can we use RedSeal to automate the analysis to find ways in and pivot or leapfrog through the network?” Well, the answer is yes. As you move through the network and collect data, you can feed it into RedSeal to figure out your next move or moves. There is a misconception that breaches are blitzkrieg style attacks -- meaning that once the attacker is in, it is game over. In fact, most of the time they have to continue to move through the network to achieve their objective -- and then get out with the data without being detected. If you have a model of the network that shows where access is and is not and what vulnerabilities could be leveraged as you push deeper into the enterprise, it removes the unknowns and allows you to move with more certainty towards your goal.
RedSeal is a tool to defeat an impossible scenario. Whether it’s faster time to exploitation or to identification and remediation, RedSeal allows both Red and Blue teams to accomplish their goals faster and with more accuracy through automation. Live long and prosper!

August 18, 2015 · 1:05 PM

by Wayne Lloyd, Federal CTO RedSeal

Not too long ago I had a customer, “Joe”, explain to me how he overcame organizational challenges and got his network team to operationalize the findings from RedSeal.

Joe started by taking advantage of RedSeal features that can be leveraged immediately upon deployment, such as the Best Practice and STIG checks. He generated a report and sent it over to the transport team, convinced that they would recognize the findings’ importance and promptly start remediation efforts.

Unfortunately for Joe, the transport team was busy with their own operational tasks, and he’d just dumped a phonebook worth of problems in their lap.  The first issue they had: More work! More importantly, they had no idea where the data came from and didn’t trust its accuracy. They reacted the same way the people I’ve worked with did; they ignored it. They had to focus on their own priorities. It’s hard to justify overriding operational or mission requirements with new (not mandatory) tasks.

Joe is not the type to be ignored or take no for an answer; he chose another tactic.  He printed three high priority findings and personally showed them to the most receptive network team members. He didn’t present the findings as issues that needed immediate attention but instead, he asked for help in verifying the findings. They reviewed the three findings, validated them as real issues that needed immediate resolution, then thanked Joe for sharing them.

A few days later he did the same thing with the same result.  After weeks of this, the network team came to trust the findings and wanted to know where they came from. He told them it was RedSeal, and they jumped at his offer to have the reports automatically emailed to them. They wanted to learn what else RedSeal could provide.

What I learned from this is if you want to gain acceptance, you can’t just dump mountains of work on an unwitting team that is already over tasked.  You have to slowly gain their trust a little bit at a time.  Show them that you’re really on their side and not there to tell them they are doing things wrong.  Once they have confidence in the data, they will ask for more. Once they gain trust in the results, they will operationalize it into their own workflow as a willing participant… rather than a reluctant recipient.


Project Summary

history of Soviet cooperation in international space science during the first years of the space program. Placing the emergence of the space science community within the context of the Khrushchev years, the dissertation demonstrates the connections between domestic politics, science, and international affairs. This study views space science during the 1950s and 1960s as a coherent part of the practice of science throughout the Soviet period, rather than solely as a product of Cold War rivalries.


Category Archives: delegation

How much does it cost to start with virtual assistance?

1. It takes less money than you think.

2. It takes less training than you think.

2014-02-10 Delegation as programming

3. It takes less risk than you think.

2013-11-27 Trust and assistants

2013-11-27 Trust and assistants

Delegation update

  • 300 hours delegated through oDesk

Things I’m learning

Things to improve

2014-02-26 Thinking about delegation and projects #delegation

2014-02-26 Thinking about delegation and projects #delegation

So, what’s next for me?

Getting the hang of this!

Delegation: “How can I trust people?”

“I don’t trust people with my accounts or info. I don’t want people to steal my secrets.”

Start by working with reputable contractors, and look for personal recommendations if you can. No matter how good the initial interview is, it’s a good idea to trust people gradually and to limit the risk from misunderstandings or malice. Part of learning how to work together is building your trust in your new assistant’s skills and ethics.

Break your tasks down into smaller tasks that people can do with limited access to your information. For example, if you’re delegating tasks related to updating website, you might ask people to take a look at specific pages and e-mail you text that you can copy and paste into your website. If they do a good job and you feel good about working with them, you might give them access to the website so that they can edit the pages themselves.

Here’s another example. I wanted to delegate parts of my podcasting process, but I didn’t want to give people access to my blog or my Google account right away. So I started with typing and transcripts. When that worked out smoothly, I moved to extracting and uploading the MP3. That was fine, so I gave my assistant access to my blog, and now I can just ask him to post show notes and stuff happens. I still haven’t given any assistant access to my Google account, but maybe someday.

2014-01-17 Mapping a strategy for outsourcing podcast work

2014-01-17 Mapping a strategy for outsourcing podcast work

Think about the smaller tasks that make up your process. Try delegating the low-risk tasks first. Plan how you can create a sequence of tasks that starts with clear instructions and limited access. As you become more comfortable with your assistant and with delegation, you can assign larger chunks of tasks, until you get to the point where they have access to everything they need.

2013-11-27 Trust and assistants

2013-11-27 Trust and assistants

Here are some ways to help you come up with a sequence of tasks:

  • Think about the accounts you have and the risk involved in sharing them.
  • Write the tasks down on index cards, sticky notes, or a piece of paper. Index cards and sticky notes are easier to move around, but you can draw arrows on a piece of paper if that’s what you have handy. Note which accounts are needed, and move the tasks until you come up with a good sequence.
  • You can also create a spreadsheet that has tasks as rows and accounts as columns. Mark the accounts that each task needs, and sort the tasks accordingly.

Make sure you use a password manager like LastPass or KeePass when sharing accounts, so you’re not e-mailing passwords around. I use LastPass to share account information with assistants. LastPass also lets me share a password without giving it, and to review who has access to the accounts I’ve shared. It’s not bulletproof, but it adds a little security.

What about guarding against mistakes or intentional actions? Think about ways you can limit people’s access to only the things they really need to complete the task. While e-mail is not a particularly efficient way to collaborate, it’s one way of limiting people’s access to your files and keeping a history at the same time.  Just e-mail them the information they need to work on, and ask them to e-mail you back.

Tools can help you give more specific access to your accounts or files. For example, you may not want to share your Twitter account because people can use Twitter to log on to many other services, not just However, you can use something like HootSuite, Buffer, or GrabInbox to give other people a separate login that they can use to post stuff as you without knowing your Twitter password. Google Drive allows you to share specific folders or documents with people, and you can give them viewing or editing privileges. Dropbox lets you share specific folders, too.

Limiting your accounts can help you trust people with them, too. For example, you might create a separate account just for your assistant, and give that account less access than you have. Alternatively, you can create an admin account and remove the administrative privileges from your account.

Backups can go a long way to make it easier for you to trust people with access to your accounts, since you know that you can recover your data in case people make mistakes or intentionally delete files. To guard against people modifying files maliciously (such as encrypting the data or replacing it with an incorrect copy), be sure to keep older versions of the files, not just the latest one. Dropbox has the ability to restore older versions of a file or undelete files, so you may find that handy. Google Drive can also keep older versions of files, and only the owner of a file can delete it.

Logs can also help you make sure assistants are doing only what they’re supposed to be doing. While logs are not fool-proof, they can help you catch suspicious activity. For example, you might regularly review your Google account history to see if people have logged in from locations you didn’t expect.

If you delegate, there’s always a chance that someone’s going to break your trust by accident or by design. Still, there are ways you can build that trust in people’s skills and ethics, and that’s important if you’re going to trust wisely. Good luck!

Don’t be afraid of mistakes when delegating

What the LEGO Movie and programming are helping me learn about delegation

The LEGO Movie rocks. This post may contain minor spoilers, although I don’t think I give any of the big secrets away. =)

Many people need instructions, and many people who don’t need instructions can’t stand instructions. Regular people want to have somebody tell them what to do. Artists can’t stand having other people tell them what to do, and also struggle with telling other people what to do. Then there are people who might be able to combine both. They can create something unconventional. They can also tap the systems and processes needed to make that happen.

2014-02-11 The LEGO Movie - Reflections on Master Builders

2014-02-11 The LEGO Movie – Reflections on Master Builders

Watching The LEGO Movie made me think about master builders. In the movie, master builders can see parts and build crazy contraptions to adapt to changing situations. It didn’t matter if the part belonged to a different system. You could imagine unconventional ways to use these parts, and you could adapt your plans as the situation changes. You don’t hesitate, you build, and you inspire other people to make things. Maybe this is a metaphor for what I want to be able to do.

I want to be able to deal without having instructions and also be able to give instructions or take instructions. I want to have that ability to be creative, but also to have that ability to channel that creativity in ways that make it scale beyond me. I think that’s what Emmet (the hero in The LEGO Movie) becomes: this person who both works inside the system and outside the system.

Using The LEGO Movie as a source for metaphors makes it easier for me to identify specific skills I want to develop and plan how I can learn. For example:

  • See the parts and know how they can fit together: How do you learn this with regular LEGO? Practice. How do you do this with life? Also practice. Using other people’s instructions lets me take advantage of their experience. I can familiarize myself with the “parts” that I can work with. Research and reflection make it easier for me to recognize and name those parts.
  • See unconventional possibilities: You can boost your creativity through exercises. Free association, forced association, and breaking things down into their components can help. I can practice this by asking uncommon questions and exploring unusual approaches.
  • Quickly adapt as things change: Don’t build for yesterday, build for today (and a little bit of tomorrow, if possible). Don’t get stuck in the past.
  • Act, and inspire others to act: Yes, reflect and plan, but also act and learn. If necessary, act first, adjust later.

I’m comfortable with systems because of my experience with software development. Computers are nothing but instructions. You try to figure out how to express what you want in specific enough terms that the computer can understand and do them. I enjoy that. I find it to be a lot of fun to write programs that get the computer to do what I want. I get a lot of enjoyment out of writing and testing instructions as well. I’m curious about applying ideas from this structured world of computer programming to business. For example, what can programming paradigms help me understand about delegation?

2014-02-10 Delegation as programming

2014-02-10 Delegation as programming

When you’re delegating, you might show what you want and say, “This is what I this is what I’m looking for; please make something like it.” This is like programming by example. You might give detailed step-by-step instructions, and that’s like assembly or low-level programming. You might work at a higher level, writing instructions that refer to other instructions for more details. That’s like procedural programming.

But there are so many other different types of programming! For example, functional programming treats the instructions as a thing you can work with. Maybe there’s a way I can get people to improve or work with the instructions. Functional programming also tends to involve list processing. Maybe you do things in batches, and you think about how you can prepare the output so that you can use it as the input for something else.

Object-oriented programming is about thinking about the objects those processes belong to. Can you keep the information together so that you can see an overview? How can you use the idea of polymorphism? Maybe you might have a common process that handles several different types of objects.

Here’s how I’ve been thinking about applying object-oriented programming to the way I delegate. I’ve gotten most of my podcast/show process worked out. The next step might be to structure more of the work involved in following up after conversations. I can also work on getting a visual overview of the objects I’m working with and what state they’re in. Afterwards, I’ll look into the processes around packaging info, and then I might fill in the gaps for posts and then for sketches.

2014-02-10 Thinking about object-oriented programming and delegation

Back to programming paradigms. If you’re building up a virtual team, parallel programming might be useful. Parallel programming deals with synchronization and communication issues. It might be worth accepting a little less intra-process efficiency to improve communication efficiency.

Declarative programming might be the end-goal of delegation. You just say what you want, and people will figure out how to make it happen: what steps the team needs to take and in what order, and so on. Wouldn’t that be awesome?

I want to get better at taking these ideas about systems and using them to learn more about how to create things. Like Emmet, my first ideas are going to be crappy. I think that learning to work with and without instructions is going to be interesting. I’m looking forward to learning how to become a Master Builder. Who’s with me? What can help you become a Master Builder of life?

Reflections on learning to be an entrepreneur

2014-02-07 Adjusting the balance

2014-02-07 Adjusting the balance

2014-02-08 Artists and entrepreneurs

2014-02-08 Artists and entrepreneurs

2014-02-08 Unfair advantages

2014-02-08 Unfair advantages

2014-02-08 Delegation and task efficiency

2014-02-08 Delegation and task efficiency


• Guest: Do minimum wage laws raise or lower unemployment?

    • email print
  • Many academics and lawmakers believe that in difficult economic times, a salient way in which the welfare of workers, particularly low-skilled workers, can be enhanced is by means of legislation which will ensure that the wage paid to an employee does not fall below a legally mandated amount.
    The welfare of the aforementioned workers will, of course, be enhanced only if they have a job when a minimum wage law is in place. Therefore, the key policy question becomes the following: Do minimum wage laws increase or decrease employment? Let us investigate.
    From a theoretical standpoint, undergraduates in introductory and in intermediate microeconomics courses are routinely taught that the answer to the above question depends fundamentally on the nature of the market in which a minimum wage law is to be instituted. If, for instance, the underlying market is competitive, i.e., if neither employer nor employee is able to influence the wage, then a minimum wage is simply a price floor above the competitive wage that leads to an excess supply of workers relative to the demand for these same workers. As a result, the relatively small number of workers who are able to find a job at the higher minimum wage are clearly better off but the minimum wage definitely decreases employment in the underlying market as a whole.
    If, in contrast, the underlying market is a monopsony, i.e., the employer is able to affect the wage but the employee is not, then this employer may well keep the wage below its competitive level. In this case, a minimum wage can increase both the wage and employment.
    This logic has been used by many to argue in support of minimum wage laws. Nevertheless, the basic conclusion from theory is that the question as to whether a minimum wage boosts or reduces employment cannot be resolved unambiguously and the matter must be studied empirically.
    Until the early 1990s, most empirical studies showed that at least from a jobs standpoint, a minimum wage was more likely to be detrimental than to be beneficial. Then, in a landmark 1995 book titled, “Myth and Measurement,” the economists David Card and Alan Krueger described the results of their study of the response of fast-food restaurants in New Jersey to an increase in the state minimum wage. Their study showed that the increase in the state minimum wage had actually boosted employment.
    This Card and Krueger study has been much discussed in academic and in policy circles and its findings have led to many debates about the desirability of minimum wage laws from a jobs standpoint. Some economists such as Arindrajit Dube and Michael Reich have produced empirical evidence in support of the thesis that minimum wage laws do not decrease employment. In contrast, others such as David Neumark and William Wascher have conducted several studies and have contended that minimum wage laws do decrease employment.
    Page 2 of 2 - Although the existing empirical research in many countries on minimum wage laws has not settled the question about their employment boosting capacity, this research has generated three key insights.
    First, when setting a minimum wage law, the context matters greatly.
    Second, it is important to consider who the intended beneficiaries are because single women and minority, low-skilled workers, for instance, are affected differently by minimum wage laws.
    Finally, a carefully set minimum wage can boost the wages of workers at the bottom and reduce wage inequality more generally.
    Therefore, this is the trinity of findings that lawmakers need to focus on when they consider whether to either set or to increase an existing minimum wage law.
    Amitrajeet A. Batabyal if the Arthur J. Gosnell Professor of Economics at Rochester Institute of Technology. These views are his own.

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Time to revamp learning in S’pore schools?

Singapore students in a language arts class in Nanyang Girls' High School in 2011. (AFP photo)Singapore students in a language arts class in Nanyang Girls' High School in 2011. (AFP photo)

Ever wonder what the world would be like without the Internet?

A world without smartphones, Yahoo!, Facebook or Wikipedia seems almost unimaginable.

Most of the time, we're so immersed in all of this digital connectedness that we take it for granted.

Easier doesn't mean better

The Digital Age has arrived, and it's here to stay.

Despite the fact that the world has undergone tremendous change over the past 15 years, the education system hasn't changed nearly as much.

This means that education is at risk of getting completely left behind.

Many education policies are in place to make it easier to administer and manage the system.

But easier isn't always better.

Standardized testing, nation-wide examinations, multiple-choice questions—these make it easier for teachers and schools, but they aren't necessarily better for students' development.

When it comes to the education system, we have a problem. And unfortunately there aren't any simple solutions.

In this article, I'm going to suggest two broad ways in which education needs to change, given the Digital Revolution that the world is going through.

1. Schools need to make it clear to students that you don't go to school to get an education. School is just part of your education.

Before the Digital Age, just about the only way you could get an education was to go to school.

Today, however, you can access high-quality, university-level content for free at websites like Coursera and Udacity.

Even if you're interested in learning something less academic—say you want to pick up a new skill or hobby—there's bound to be a YouTube video that will meet your needs.

Moreover, you can read what experts in almost any field have to say just by reading their blogs.

We've never before in history been able to tap into such a wealth of information so conveniently!

This means that the knowledge that schools are able to feed students with is only a fraction of what students can access just by sitting at a computer with Internet access.

Schools should no longer focus purely on teaching students mathematics, science, history, geography and literature.

Instead, schools should also teach students to harness the power of the World Wide Web, and to take full responsibility for their education.

When students take full responsibility for their own education, they won't just learn for the sake of passing tests and exams.

Rather, they'll learn—both inside and outside the classroom—because they understand that education is a lifelong journey.

2. Students should stop being tested on information that can be easily found on the Internet.

What is the typical wavelength of a gamma ray?

What do you get when you differentiate arcsin(x)?

What are some examples of trees that you might find in a temperate coniferous forest?

(If you don't know the answers, I guarantee that you'll be able to find them on Wikipedia.)

These are the kinds of facts that students are often required to memorize for tests and exams.

50 years ago, it made sense to force students to learn certain facts and formulas by heart, because information wasn't simply a mouse click away.

Granted, there are certain historical dates and basic equations that students should memorize, but in the context of the Digital Age we live in, I question the relevance of rote learning.

Tests should require students to look for information from a variety of sources (both online and offline), critically evaluate the reliability and validity of this information, and draw logical conclusions.

Bad exam question: "Explain the key events that occurred during the Japanese Occupation."

Better exam question: "Explain three main ways in which the Japanese Occupation has influenced life in modern day Singapore."

The second exam question would force students to make use of a much wider range of skills than the first.

Obviously, this kind of question would require a lot more time to answer, so exams would no longer be two-hour sit-down affairs like they are now. Instead, they would be open-book.

If tests and exams were restructured in the manner I suggest above, I have no doubt that teachers would need to spend more time grading papers.

Administrative changes to the education system would, no doubt, need to be made so that teachers don't become even more overworked.

But change—sometimes, painful change—is the price of progress.

Once again, easier isn't better. Only better is better.

In closing…

Revamping the education system isn't simple, but it's necessary.

The tides of change, which have come in the form of the Digital Revolution, are threatening to wash over us.

Altering our attitudes toward education completely is akin to learning how to surf.

That's the only way for us to survive these unstoppable tides of change.

Education reform—not just in Singapore, but elsewhere too—is vital, because lives are at stake. More than that, the future of our country and our world is at stake.

Let's get to work.

Other stories by Daniel Wong
Are too many S'poreans expecting 'an easy life'?
Are S'pore schools producing 'losers'?

Why Singaporeans complain so much

15 parenting mistakes you don't know you're making

Daniel Wong is a learning and personal development expert, as well as a certified youth counselor. A sought-after speaker and coach, he is also the best-selling author of "The Happy Student: 5 Steps to Academic Fulfillment and Success". He offers programmes to help students attain exam excellence while also finding happiness and fulfillment, and to empower parents to motivate their unmotivated teenagers. He writes regularly at www.daniel-wong.com. Download his FREE e-books, "The Unhappiness Manifesto: Do You Make These 150 Mistakes In The Pursuit Of Happiness?" and "Singapore Scholarship Guide: The $500,000 Decision". The views expressed are his own.

  • Chefs Are Wondering What Is Singapore Food
    Chefs Are Wondering What Is Singapore Food

    What is Singapore food? Yesterday we met celebrity chef Aaron Craze, the host of  “The Amazing Food Challenge: Fun in the Philippines season 3″ premiering on the Asian Food Channel on December 22, and the show’s judges, Chef Rob Pengson and Chef Fernando Aracama. We asked them one simple question – What is Singapore food? Their answers varied from Sambal Stingray to Laksa, Chili Crab, Black Pepper Crab, Carrot Cake and Bak Kut Teh and quite a few others. So the chefs behind HopHop Chef seek your opinion: What is Singaporean food for you? Give your vote, participate and we will figure it out together. If you can’t see the form below, please ANSWER HERE.   More exciting news on the Amazing Food Challenge: Fun in the Philippines season 3 is coming soon, stay tuned! 9 1 Bon Vivant - Asia's ultimate Food & Lifestyle Magazine, presented by Clubvivre

  • How Far Should Galleries Go To Police Creativity?
    How Far Should Galleries Go To Police Creativity?

    Together with his wife, they set up an art collective, Holy Crap, that features art works created by their 2 children (Aira, 9 and Renn, 11). It was thus disappointing for us to learn about the recent “When Renndon Met Airany” exhibition, is to be removed from Gallery & Co’s space with immediate effect. As Gallery & Co’s space was within the National Gallery, there was an expectation that whatever works of art must be curated beforehand, by National Gallery Singapore, despite Gallery & Co functioning independently as a cafeteria.

  • SGIFF 2015: Looking For Love Along Bugis Street
    SGIFF 2015: Looking For Love Along Bugis Street

    Rolling a film with nudity, transsexuals, prostitutes, is a sure-fire way to get on wrong side of local authorities. Bugis Street ticked all those boxes, and received an RA rating from MDA, only after having full-frontal nude scenes edited out. We follow the journey of starry-eyed Lien (Hiep Thi Le from Heaven & Earth) who leaves her hometown in Malaysia, with a heart and head full of hope, all ready to begin her job in Singapore as a receptionist at Sin Sin Hotel. Little did she realize Sin Sin Hotel functioned as a brothel, and gets a rude shock one day upon witnessing a transsexual cavorting with a client. Internationally respected director, Yonfan, shared that when the film was first screened in Hong Kong, “everyone thought it was in bad taste” and the actors similarly shared that they received a lot of flak for it as well from friends and family. The viewer is forced to confront full frontal intimate scenes that were raw, gritty, primal, and sometimes border-lining on the grotesque.


On-Site CAD Technician
Extreme Measures Inc. - Montréal, QC

This job posting is no longer available on Indeed. Find similar jobs:Site CAD Technician jobs - Extreme Measures jobs

Extreme Measures is seeking bi-lingual architectural CAD technicians for on-site measuring positions in Montreal, Quebec. Applicants must have a college or university degree and work experience in the field of Architectural Technology. Experience with Graphisoft ArchiCAD is very desirable and the availability of a car is a significant asset. Extreme Measures services many major North American cities. The ability and willingness of applicants to travel is a distinct advantage.


Liane Harris Prosperity

How would it look like when you are no longer doubting yourself or self-sabotaging your efforts?

How would it be when you don't have to push yourself to do what you need to do?

What would it be like when you you clearly live in the flow of your dreams with courage and confidence?

We help bring you to this place. A place that is in the flow of your dreams where things are easier, smoother, and happier. A place where you live in freedom, joy, and meaning.

We provide extraordinary self-help and support programs that are fundamental to your prosperity in order to advance you towards the direction that brings peace, joy, and prosperity into your life.

Our team is so passionate in this vision that everything we do is for this cause.

Important training programs are posted online, most of them for free, for you to access at anytime.

If you are interested to be updated when we have a webinar or event planned, please join our list. We'd be so excited to have you.

Remember, your life is not meant to be a struggle. You are not meant to be unhappy and in turmoil. You are not meant to just sit and not do anything either.

You are meant to live joyfully, at peace, and in daily prosperity.

As a thank you for joining our list, you will have instant access to INSIGHTS, Vol.1, a collection of 20 posters created to advance, inspire, and move, after you sign up.

If you would like to talk to us by phone, please take advantage of the Contact pop-up to schedule a time that is best for you.

Thank you for visiting this page.

We hope to connect with you again soon.

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Why is it important for you to please everyone? Or maybe not every single person you meet, but someone? Why is pleasing him or her important to you? Is that doable every single time?
In 206 seconds, allow me to offer this insight.
Yup.That's shorter than the time it will take you to use the bathroom.
Remember to Like this video!
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RESET and be more.
Un-tense yourself, physically, emotionally, and mentally. Feel your shoulders soften, your breathing slowing. Notice the calmness that starts to dwell in your mind. The back of your neck relaxing, your whole body relax. Stay here for a bit.
I call this mini Time Outs and it feels refreshing - like getting a short peaceful sleep.
If you are not used to taking time outs like this, it may take a few times before you feel calm and serene. It's okay. With practice, you will get there.
It is important to get mini time outs throughout your day. It is a reset button that allows your tense psyche to refresh and start over.
When you are calm, you are more.
You remember more, you are more patient, more aware, gentler, kinder, happier, and more focus. You expand your capacity to be more. You are also able to take in inner wisdom from a higher perspective. It is enlightening.
Incorporate Time Outs throughout your day and notice the positive change it makes in your life.

Wishing you peace and happiness. - Liane
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"Life is a grind," I sometimes hear other people say. In 95 seconds, let me present a thought why it is not. If you have some insights as to why life is not a grind or a pain to be endured, I would love to know your thoughts.
Much blessings! - Liane
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Some things are not things. Love is not a thing. Trust is not a thing. Dignity is not a thing.
Trust, Love, Faith, Dignity, Integrity are not things. They are marks of a human being who cares from the bottom of his soul.
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In our daily walks in life, sometimes we trip over a low lying feeling like frustration, anger, sadness, loneliness, and despair. Similar to walking, there are some tripping hazards on some paths that we need to watch out for, i.e., uneven surface and objects on the ground. When we trip, we either (1). get right back up, or (2). look at our bruises and curse at the tripping hazards, or (3). get mad at yourself for tripping.
If your response is the 1st, that's good. No need to watch this short video.
If your response tends to be the 2nd or 3rd, then watch the short video. It offers a quick tip to feel better so that you can get back up with a sigh of relief and a bit of a smile on your face.
You'll find that tripping hazards are just there, part of the path, part of life.

Much blessings! - Liane
... See MoreSee Less


Biffle grabs pole while 40 others break Darlington qualifying record

5/9/2008 - NASCAR

DARLINGTON, S.C. -- Greg Biffle was the fastest of 41 drivers who broke the qualifying record at Darlington Raceway and won the pole for Saturday night's Sprint Cup race. Biffle turned a lap of 179.442 miles per hour on a speedy new track surface. That topped the old record of 173.797 mph set in 1996.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualified second and Jimmie Johnson turned in the third-fastest time.


Character List and Analysis "Eugenia ""Skeeter"" Phelan"

Skeeter is the 22-year-old privileged daughter of a cotton plantation owner. She returns to Jackson, Mississippi, following her college graduation and finds that her perspective on the division between white Southern households and black maids has changed. Skeeter wants to be a writer, but her mother wants her to be a wife. Skeeter falls for the senator's son but the romance ends when Stuart learns of her civil rights leanings. She approaches an editor in New York City with the idea of writing about black maids in her town and is tentatively given approval. The project begins her transformation from the woman she was raised to be to the independent, brave woman who chooses her own path.

Skeeter's character represents the theme of alienation throughout the novel. For example, she becomes isolated from the community of southern women in which she was raised. She fails at meeting her mother's expectations for what a proper woman should do and creates conflicts within her group of friends because she questions the way things are done. When Skeeter returns from university, she tries to reenter her old life but finds that the life she left behind now looks different. Her alienation eventually leads to self-awareness of her role within the segregated society, which shocks her and motivates her writing project. The writing project also leads to a friendship with Aibileen that never would have been possible if Skeeter hadn't chosen to break from her own community. Eventually, she must choose between her past and her future. Skeeter decides to leave her community and move to New York City to follow her dream of writing.

Pop Quiz!


President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle are too young to remember, but I'm sure two former presidents and their wives do. Quintessential baby boomers George and Laura Bush and Bill and Hillary Clinton don't agree on much, but there is one thing about which I am certain the couples can agree: When the Beatles first appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show 50 years ago, their worlds collided in a frenzy of screams and lifelong dreams.

That's not to discount other watershed events of the '60s, such as the Kennedy assassination, the war in Vietnam, or landing on the moon. But when John, Paul, George and Ringo first belted out their songs on American soil, I'll bet you a dozen electoral college votes that everything changed for all of them that night, just like everything changed for me.

Sunday night, Feb. 9, 1964, an estimated 73 million of us -- an astonishing 40 percent of the available audience, equal to around 125 million in today's viewership -- watched four English lads pound musical history into our lives. The Beatles had arrived, and with them came a sense of joy, "Yeah, yeah, yeah," and relief. Only 10 weeks earlier, we had been mourning the murder of JFK.

Before the Beatles invasion, teenage boys sported closely cropped hair, our favorite bands included the Everly Brothers and the Beach Boys, and we still were getting used to Lyndon Johnson. Suddenly, none of that mattered. By Monday morning, change was in the air. Many of us headed off to school that day having decided to let our hair grow longer. "I Want to Hold Your Hand" was rocking the charts, and few paid attention to the new president. Sociologists said this phenomenon would pass in a few months. Boy, were they wrong.

Within a year, sideburns were bushy, Beatles paraphernalia had flooded the marketplace, and that war without heroes quietly advanced. By the time I graduated from Cubberley High School in Palo Alto in 1966, I was a self-appointed Beatles know-it-all ("... the real meaning behind the banned record cover is ...") and a troubled believer in Vietnam. With the release of "Eleanor Rigby," social commentary played an ever-increasing role in their music.

Four years of college at USC proved challenging yet disillusioning. The Beatles introduced their magical mystery tour as the nightly news simultaneously broadcast the horrors of Indochina into our homes. Beards soon replaced sideburns, and campus riots replaced sock-hops. Songs like "Give Peace a Chance" and "Hey Jude" weren't simply mega-hits; they were America's new national anthems. Just like George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, my boomer contemporaries, I managed to avoid fighting in Vietnam (despite being selected No. 1 in the 1969 draft lottery).

These were changes that, if you were 20-something at the time, you spent much of your time absorbing or avoiding. I don't know which of these the former presidents embraced. All I know is the changes were real for me and my generation.

In the beginning, John, Paul, George and Ringo personified baby boomers' brightest hopes. The Beatles bridged the gap between black and white, and young and old. Through them, suburbia discovered drugs and the Boston Pops discovered rock 'n' roll. Toward the end of their run, the idyllic images turned to nightmares, much as "Michelle" gave way to "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds."

Some music experts claim the Beatles were responsible for widening the intellectual boundaries of rock, thus making it a more flexible and acceptable art form. I am clearly not smart enough to know whether this is true or not. But I know how music changed, and I know you can hear it in almost every song out today, be it country, hip-hop or just plain pop.

No one can turn back the clock, so trying to "get back to where you once belonged" is a futile exercise. As the great P.J. O'Rourke recently wrote in Time Magazine, "The majority of Americans alive today hadn't been born yet in the 1960s. But we of a certain age (the age that grips levers of power, pulls strings of purse and has the biggest mouth) can't stop reliving each moment.

"Partly it's the poignancy of the decade. It started so well. Handsome young couple in the White House, recovery from the 1960 recession, the Pill, upbeat message movies like '101 Dalmations' and 'Spartacus,' Hugh Hefner's illuminating 'Playboy philosophy' and the clean-cut Kingston Trio leading sing-alongs in short-sleeve shirts with big, wide, cheerful stripes.

"Then it went so wrong. Shooting and killing and troops in combat gear, not only in Watts and Detroit but all the way over in Khe Sanh, South Vietnam. Feminists were suddenly angry for some, as far as men could tell, feminine reason. I had to maintain a C average to avoid the draft. Turns out you can't fly after you take LSD. There was a war on poverty. We lost. And it rained at Woodstock."

All true, P.J., but those changes, in ourselves and in our world, are what we have in common. They are what the Beatles symbolized for me, for two former presidents and their wives, and for us all.

Denny Freidenrich was 15 and a Palo Alto resident when the Beatles arrived in America. He writes from Laguna Beach.


Cerebellar Degeneration

Cerebellar degeneration is a process in which neurons in the cerebellum - the area of the brain that controls coordination and balance - deteriorate and die. Diseases that cause cerebellar degeneration can also involve other areas of the central nervous system,including the spinal cord, medulla oblongata, cerebral cortex, and brain stem. Cerebellar degeneration may be the result of inherited genetic mutations that alter the normal production of specific proteins that are necessary for the survival of neurons.

Associated diseases: Diseases that are specific to the brain, as well as diseases that occur in other parts of the body, can cause neurons to die in the cerebellum. Neurological diseases that feature cerebellar degeneration include:

  • ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, when there is lack of blood flow or oxygen to the cerebellum
  • cerebellar cortical atrophy, multisystem atrophy, and olivopontocerebellar degeneration, progressive degenerative disorders in which cerebellar degeneration is a key feature
  • Friedreich’s ataxia, and other spinocerebellar ataxias, which are caused by inherited genetic mutations that result in ongoing loss of neurons in the cerebellum, brain stem, and spinal cord
  • transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) in which abnormal proteins cause inflammation in the brain, including the cerebellum
  • multiple sclerosis, in which damage to the insulating membrane (myelin) that wraps around and protects nerve cells can involve the cerebellum

    Other diseases that can cause cerebellar degeneration include:
  • chronic alcohol abuse that leads to temporary or permanent cerebellar damage
  • paraneoplastic disorders, in which a malignancy (cancer) in other parts of the body produces substances that cause immune system cells to attack neurons in the cerebellum

The NINDS funds research to find the genes involved in diseases that cause cerebellar degeneration. Discovering these genes, identifying their mutations, and understanding how the abnormal proteins they produce cause cerebellar degeneration may eventually help scientists find ways to prevent, treat, and even cure the diseases that involve cerebellar degeneration.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?CMD=search&term=cerebellar+degeneration+AND+human[mh]+AND+english[la]&db=PubMed&orig_db=PubMed&filters=on&pmfilter_EDatLimit=5+Years 1 http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=Cerebellar Degeneration http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/cerebellar_degeneration/pubs_cerebellar_degeneration.htm http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/cerebellar_degeneration/cerebellar_degeneration.htm V19 National Ataxia Foundation (NAF)
2600 Fernbrook Lane North
Suite 119 Minneapolis MN 55447-4752 naf@ataxia.org http://www.ataxia.org 763-553-0020 763-553-0167 Encourages and supports research into the hereditary ataxias, a group of chronic and progressive neurological disorders affecting coordination. Sponsors chapters and support groups throughout the U.S.A. and Canada. Publishes a quarterly newsletter and educational literature on the various forms of ataxia.
V318 Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA)
P.O. Box 1537
Springfield VA 22151 fara@CureFA.org http://www.CureFA.org (703) 426-1576 (703) 425-0643 National non-profit organization dedicated to the pursuit of educational, scientific and research activities leading to treatments for Friedreich's ataxia.
V168 National Multiple Sclerosis Society
733 Third Avenue
3rd Floor New York NY 10017-3288 ContactUsNMSS@nmss.org http://www.nationalmssociety.org 800-344-4867 (800-FIGHT-MS) 212-986-7981 Funds research, helps families stay together, provides accurate and up-to-date information, helps with employment issues, offers free counseling, runs self-help groups, advocates for people with disabilities, and provides referrals to medical professionals.


A Design Thinking Attitude

6 dic. 2012

Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) philosopher
My favourite definition of Design Thinking it's got to do with finding the insight among chaos.My favorite insight  about Design Thinking is Martin Heidegger's THROWNNESS concept.

Design Thinking requires a set of professional skills grounded in operating in unstable contexts. Design Thinking mindset it's got to do with being able to coop with wildly different people from yourself and dealing with situations that are radically new... It's got to do with feeling comfortable with unexpected, unstructured and unpredictable; Design Thinking is about finding meaning and understanding out of human attitudes and mindsets that an unstable situation brings up.

Design-Thinking-Thrownnes is got to do with developing a survival intelligence applied to a constant evolving enviroment, totally focus on "think in order to act" versus think to "think some more"

Design Thinking it's got to do with THROWNNESS (German: Geworfenheit): It is a concept introduced by German philosopher Martin Heidegger to describe the interactions of the subject with its surroundings in the everyday life, that causes it to act upon instincts, immediate reactions to other people's language and actions, "flow with the situation," and immediate interpretations.
Once one accepts that not to act is also an action, Heidegger notes that one is 'thrown' into situations without being able to reflect on them first, for to reflect on them (not act) is also something that can be interpreted as an action. One therefore must rely on instinctual interpretations, and go with the flow.

Design Thinking is got to do with assuming that you are THROWN into a situation where you haven't been invited in most of the cases: It's about being ALWAYS AN OUTSIDER and feeling comfortable with it.

Design Thinking is about staying calm and focus under pressure: It's about listening to your instincts among the chaos and saying YES and NO clearly to you and the rest of the world.

Design Thinking is about finding synchronicity and serendipity. It's part of that Thrownness Mindset that needs to be on constant "alert mood", because it knows that sooner or later that knowledge is going to be needed: It is another kind of survival instinct.

Design Thinkers is about empathy: They know that they need to gain their audience trust in every single situation, therefore they need to figure out how to connect with people and creating meaningful connections.

Design Thinking is got to do with honesty. Experienced Design Thinkers know very well how to do their jobs...and one of them is understanding people and their social and emotional relationships in order to manipulate...but totally focus on an honest goal (Maybe this could be a nice definition of empathy: Being able to truly understanding other people's insights and weakness, and being respectful and honest about the use of that knowledge)

Design Thinking attitude is got to do with all written above. It's also the impossible search of understanding the DNA of millions of people...and  secretly say to oneself "I told you!"

This is a great video by Fred Collopy (Case Western Reserve University) and their project "Managing as Designing"


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Bacta Tank (Medical Items)

The bacta tank is one of the most widely used and greatest medical breakthroughs known to the modern galaxy. After the discovery of the miracle healing properties of bacta, medical companies throughout the galaxy spent millions of credits in the development of goods and medicines to harness the power of bacta. The bacta tank is one product of those efforts. Alos known galaxy-wide as bacta baths or rejuve tanks, these entities are a common sight inside hospitals and capital-class ship medical bays.

Standing more than 2 meters in height, these tanks of durasteel and transparisteel house hundreds of gallons of bacta and other synthetic solutions to mimic the natural vital fluids of the galaxy’s wide range of sentient beings. Bacta tanks are known as the one of the most effective of revitalization and healing treatment. Patients are submerged in the tank for hours, according to a moving scale based on the severity of one’s injuries. While submerged, the natural effects of the bacta lull patients into a trance-like state that is immediately broken upon removal from the tank. Patients undergoing bacta treatment are swathed in minimal amounts of white clothing, typically briefs for males and gowns for females. Each patient must wear a breath mask that provides a steady supply of the sentient’s needed atmospheric gases while immersed in the tank.

After each use, the contents of the tank are flushed and then undergo a cleaning and disinfection process before they can be refilled for another treatment session. While the typical bacta tank is often found stationed in medical centers, portable models do exist. These models, are often inflatable tub-like constructs that require the patient to lay on their backs. Not only are these models smaller, they require less bacta, as the solution is filtered and pumped over the patient’s supine body.

Although said to be one of the most expensive piece of medical technology, second only to bacta supplies, the bacta tank offers the most effective and complete means of healing possible. This has resulted in creating a high demand for these life saving entities throughout the galaxy.


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Robotic device has therapeutic potential for ankles and feet

This is the claim of Yong-Lae Park, an assistant professor of robotics at Carnegie Mellon University. He worked with collaborators at Harvard University, the University of Southern California, MIT and Massachusetts-based BioSensics to develop an active orthotic (artificial support or brace) device using soft plastics and composite materials instead of a rigid exoskeleton.

The soft materials - combined with pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs), lightweight sensors, and advanced control software - made it possible for the robotic device to achieve natural motions in the ankle.

In a statement, Park said the same approach could be used to create rehabilitative devices for other joints of the body or create soft exoskeletons that increase the strength of the wearer.

Source: Carnegie Mellon University

The rehabilitation of ankle-foot disorders could be aided with a soft, wearable device that mimics the muscles, tendons and ligaments of the lower leg

Conventional passive ankle braces can improve gait, but long-term use can lead to muscle atrophy because of disuse. Active, powered devices can improve function and also help re-educate the neuromuscular system.

‘The limitation of a traditional exoskeleton is that it limits the natural degrees of freedom of the body,’ said Park.

The soft orthotic device enabled the researchers to mimic the biological structure of the lower leg. The device’s artificial tendons were attached to four PAMs, which correspond with three muscles in the foreleg and one in the back that control ankle motion. The prototype was capable of generating an ankle range of sagittal motion of 27 degrees, which is sufficient for a normal walking gait.

The soft device, however, is more difficult to control than a rigid exoskeleton. Park said it required more sophisticated sensing to track the position of the ankle and foot, and a more intelligent scheme for controlling foot motion.

The device contains sensors made of a touch-sensitive artificial skin, and thin rubber sheets that contain long microchannels filled with a liquid metal alloy. When these rubber sheets are stretched or pressed, the shapes of the microchannels change, which cause changes in the electrical resistance of the alloy. These sensors were positioned on the top and at the side of the ankle.

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About Droughts

What is a drought?
A drought is defined as "a period of abnormally dry weather sufficiently prolonged for the lack of water to cause serious hydrologic imbalance in the affected area." -Glossary of Meteorology (1959).

There are actually four different ways that drought can be defined.

What are the impacts of a drought?
Lack of rainfall for an extended period of time can bring farmers and metropolitan areas to their knees. It does not take very long; in some locations of the country, a few rain-free weeks can spread panic and affect crops. Before long, we are told to stop washing our cars, cease watering the grass, and take other water conservation steps. In this situation, sunny weather is not always the best weather.

The Dust Bowl days of the 1930's affected 50,000,000 acres of land, rendering farmers helpless. In the 1950's, the Great Plains suffered a severe water shortage when several years went by with rainfall well below normal. Crop yields failed and the water supply fell. California suffered a severe drought around 1970. Rainfall was below normal for 1 1/2 years, and by the time September 1970 arrived, the fire potential was extremely high and dangerous. Temperatures rose to near the century mark and fires broke out. Losses were in the tens of millions of dollars.

The worst drought in 50 years affected at least 35 states during the long hot summer of 1988. In some areas the lack of rainfall dated back to 1984. In 1988, rainfall totals over the Midwest, Northern Plains, and the Rockies were 50-85% below normal. Crops and livestock died and some areas became desert. Forest fires began over the Northwest and by autumn, 4,100,000 acres had been burned. A government policy called "Let Burn" was in effect for Yellowstone National Park. The result? Half of the park--2,100,000 acres were charred when a huge forest fire developed.

How do meteorologists predict droughts?
Meteorologists determine the onset and the end of a drought by carefully monitoring meteorological and hydrological variables such as precipitation patterns, soil moisture, and stream flow. To do this, meteorologists make use of various indices that show deficits in precipitation over periods of time.

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Elliott BROOD

Elliott BROOD is a three-piece, alt-country band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, consisting of Mark Sasso on lead vocals, guitar, banjo, ukulele, and harmonica, Casey Laforet on guitar, backing vocals, bass pedals, keys and ukulele and Stephen Pitkin on percussion, sampler and backing vocals. The band formerly billed its own style as "death country" but prefers the term "revival music" .


Cylinder Testing

Above is a picture of the w/c ratio of 0.7, 350lb of water base mix after compression testing on March 13, 2012

In the determination of our final panel design specs, many tests need to be performed so as to optimize in terms of our concrete mix with regards to the ratio of cement to water and deterimine the required reinforcement. Below is the list of concrete samples created and what tests will be/are being performedin order to aid in our optimization:

Three concrete cylinders were poured February 15, 2012. One was an attempt to recreate the 2003 Sr. Design team "Positive Reinforcement's" mix that they used. The second and third were poured one with and one without bagasse to compare it's benefits in compression. These cylinders were tested March 7, 2012. These tests concluded that "Positive Reinforcement's" concrete was stronger than necessary, and that bagasse does not add any benefits in compression.

A second round of 5 test cylinders were poured on March 6, 2012. The purpose of this round of cylinders is to compare mix ratios. They were tested March 13, 2012. The conclusion from this round is a mixture consisting of a water to cement ratio of 0.7 with a base mass of 350lb of water is optimal due to a combination of strength and workability, among other criteria. It has been noticed that because sand does not maintain a given water saturation level, using a w/c ratio of 0.7 and a base mass of 350lb of water is only good as a starting point, from which modifications are made to achieve a slump of ~3 inches.

With each full panel that is poured, additional concrete from each batch is made into a cylinder and then tested 1-week after being poured to determine the strength of concrete contained in each panel.


19 bears rescued in Vietnam

By Margie Mason

Tan Uyen, Vietnam - The three tractor-trailer containers sat in a row, divided with metal partitions into 19 tiny, sweltering cells.

Massive claws and furry black noses poked between the iron bars: 19 rare Asiatic moon bears awaiting their next gall bladder milking. Their bile is a coveted traditional medicine ingredient used to treat everything from haemorrhoids to epilepsy.

Some paced nervously inside the cages, panting and foaming at the mouth with wild bloodshot eyes. Others laid in their urine and faeces, resting on the cool concrete floor.

They devoured the bananas and chunks of watermelon - including the rinds - offered to them, a welcome treat from their usual diet of rice gruel.

The bears were found at an illegal Taiwanese-owned operation in southern Vietnam. On Friday, four days after being hoisted onto tractor trailers and driven 2 000 kilometres north, they reached a new home with grass and tire swings at a rescue centre about two hours outside of Hanoi, the capital.

The government had deemed their previous living conditions unsuitable.

Bear bile has been used for thousands of years in Asia to treat fevers, pain, inflammation and many other ailments.

In the 1980s, China began promoting bear farms as a way to discourage poaching. The bears were housed in small cages, and the green bitter fluid was sucked from their gall bladders using crude catheters, sometimes creating pus-filled abscesses or internal bile leakage. Many bears die slowly from infections or liver ailments, including cancer.

The idea caught on in Vietnam and elsewhere as demand grew alongside the region's increasing wealth. Bear bile products are also illegally smuggled into Chinatowns worldwide.

An informal survey by the World Society for the Protection of Animals found 75 percent of stores visited in Japan selling bear bile products, followed by 42 percent in South Korea. In the U.S. and Canada, it was around 15 percent.

Bear bile harvesting remains legal in China, where the government says 7 000 bears are milked on around 250 farms, though animal welfare groups say the real number could be double that. Demand for illegal wild bear bile, believed to be more potent, is also increasing, they say.

Amid international pressure, Vietnam outlawed the milking practice in 2005, and some 4 000 bears in captivity were implanted with microchips to help identify any new bears added illegally. Owners were warned not to tap them for bile. But the practice continues, and a black market thrives.

"We want this industry to end. Government has decided to phase this out, and we understand it's going to take time," said Chris Gee from the World Society for the Protection of Animals in England.

"Across the whole of Asia there's probably 20 000 bears on bear farms."

Last year, a farm in northern Vietnam was raided for selling bile to busloads of South Koreans, who watched it being extracted as part of their sightseeing tours. Some of the farms in Vietnam are owned by South Koreans and Taiwanese.

"They're more organised and bigger. They're run like a business now," said Tuan Bendixsen of Animals Asia Foundation in Vietnam, which rescued the bears this week in Vietnam.

"It's part of a package tour."

Bear bile contains a high concentration of ursodeoxycholic acid.

A synthetic version is sold as a pill and used in Western medicine for treating gall stones and liver ailments.

The pill is sold in China but cannot be used in traditional medicine because it is not derived from a natural source.

In a paper published last year, Yibin Feng from the School of Chinese Medicine at the University of Hong Kong suggested herbal substitutes that produce the same healing elements for various ailments could replace bear bile.

Another option is to use bile taken from slaughtered pigs or rabbits, which contains lower concentrations of ursodeoxycholic acid, or use artificial bear bile, which has a similar chemical makeup and produces the same medicinal effects.

"We found some animal bile and plants have better effects than bear bile in some diseases," Feng said.

"Given all these, people in China should accept these alternatives. Of course, some people in mainland insist that no matter how close those substitutes can be, it is still not as good as the real ones."

The newly rescued bears - two of them missing limbs and one blind - were sedated and removed one-by-one from their tiny cages on Friday at Tam Dao National Park. They are joining 29 bears already at the rescue centre.

Ultrasound tests found evidence of thickened gall bladders, a telltale sign of milking, said Animals Asia veterinarian Heather Bacon. She said some may need to have the organ removed due to extensive damage.

Many of these black bears, some standing 1,8 meters tall on their hind legs and weighing 150 kilograms, have been caged since being snatched from the wild as cubs up to seven years ago, Bendixsen said.

The moon bears, named for the tan crescent-shape marking across their chests, will remain in quarantine for 45 days.

They will then be moved to a building with large living cells where they will learn to mingle with other bears, before moving to a bear house where they can play outside in an enclosure with trees, grass, tunnels and swings.

They'll also be spoiled with dollops of honey and peanut butter. - Sapa-AP

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[Scipy-tickets] [SciPy] #923: Adding new options to the optimize.fmin_l_bfgs_b procedure .

SciPy Trac scipy-tickets@scipy....
Mon Sep 17 17:54:12 CDT 2012

#923: Adding new options to the optimize.fmin_l_bfgs_b procedure .
 Reporter:  gilles.rochefort         |       Owner:  somebody
     Type:  enhancement              |      Status:  needs_review
 Priority:  normal                   |   Milestone:  0.12.0
Component:  scipy.optimize           |     Version:  devel
 Keywords:  optimize, fmin_l_bfgs_b  |

Comment(by gilles.rochefort):

 Considering the new stopping rule, I definitely disagree.
 The number of evaluations (gradient and function) is not the same as the
 number of iterations (i.e. the number of times the current minimizer is

 This L-BFGS-B algorithm is based on callback mechanisms. Internal fortran
 code asks for some actions to the python code. Such actions are actually :
 * compute the function and gradient ('FG')at given current estimate;
 * a 'NEW_X' action that just say a new estimate has been computed.

 Because this L-BFGS-B algorithm is based on a linesearch heuristic (the
 way to evaluate the step length at each iteration), the number of
 evaluations may be greater than the number of iterations (the number of
 time we update the initial estimate).

 I made a [pull request|https://github.com/scipy/scipy/pull/318] . When I
 tried for the standalone example in file lbfgsb.py the number of
 evaluations is 23 and the number of iteration is 21.

 While the number of function/gradient evaluations is relevant for
 computation time, the number of iterations is also needed to give an idea
 about the rate of convergence.

 By the way, I agree that the fortran output should be kept, but an option
 to disable it may be provided.

Ticket URL: <http://projects.scipy.org/scipy/ticket/923#comment:3>
SciPy <http://www.scipy.org>

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Erik Satie - Gnossienne No.1

Rating is available when the video has been rented.
Published on May 7, 2012

Alfred Eric Leslie Satie (Honfleur, 17 May 1866 -- Paris, 1 July 1925) was a French composer and pianist. Starting with his first composition in 1884, he signed his name as Erik Satie.

Satie was introduced as a "gymnopedist" in 1887, shortly before writing his most famous compositions, the Gymnopédies. Later, he also referred to himself as a "phonometrograph" or "phonometrician" (meaning "someone who measures (and writes down) sounds") preferring this designation to that of "musician," after having been called "a clumsy but subtle technician" in a book on contemporary French composers published in 1911.

In addition to his body of music, Satie also left a remarkable set of writings, having contributed work for a range of publications, from the dadaist 391 to the American Vanity Fair. Although in later life he prided himself on always publishing his work under his own name, in the late nineteenth century he appears to have used pseudonyms such as Virginie Lebeau and François de Paule in some of his published writings.

"Gnossienne" is the name given to several piano pieces by French composer Erik Satie in the late 19th century.
Satie's coining of the word "gnossienne" was one of the rare occasions when a composer used a new term to indicate a new "type" of composition. Satie had and would use many novel names for his compositions; for example, "ogive" had been the name of an architectural element until Satie used it as the name for a composition, the Ogives Similarly with "vexations", "croquis et agaceries" and so on—but "gnossienne" was a word that did not exist before Satie used it to indicate a composition. "Gnossienne" appears to be derived from the word gnosis; Satie was involved in gnostic sects and movements at the time that he began to compose the Gnossiennes. However, some published versions claim that the word derives from Cretan "knossos" or "gnossus" and link the Gnossiennes to Theseus, Ariadne and the Minotaur myth.

The Gnossiennes were composed by Satie in the decade following the composition of the Trois Sarabandes (1887) and the Trois Gymnopédies (1888). Like these Sarabandes and Gymnopédies, the Gnossiennes are often considered dances. It is not certain that this qualification comes from Satie himself—the sarabande and the Gymnopaedia were at least historically known as dances.

The musical vocabulary of the Gnossiennes is a continuation of that of the Gymnopédies (a development that had started with the 1886 Ogives → Sarabandes → Gymnopédies → Gnossiennes) later leading to more harmonic experimentation in compositions like the Danses Gothiques. These series of compositions are all at the core of Satie's characteristic 19th century style, and in this sense differ from his early salon compositions (like the 1885 "Waltz" compositions published in 1887), his turn-of-the-century cabaret compositions (like the Je te Veux Waltz), and his post-Schola Cantorum piano solo compositions, starting with the Préludes flasques in 1912.
[from Wikipedia]

Artwork:Remedios Varo
Played by:Daniel Varsano

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Prof. Espen Gaarder Haug

Motion against the void (ether) can be deteted, and has likely already been deteted.

For links to finance see the bottom of this page.

Unified Revolution introduces a new fundamental theory of physics, backed up by mathematics and scientific experiments. For the first time in the history of man, a unified theory of space, time, energy, mass, gravity, causality, uncertainty, cosmology, and even memory and intelligence is presented.

More than 2,500 years ago, the ancient Greek philosophers, Democritus and Leucippus, assumed that everything consisted solely of indivisible particles perpetually traveling in the void. This theory was called atomism. Ancient atomism was abandoned and ignored by modern science, not because the theory was flawed, but because it was never understood, and not even close to fully explored. This book introduces a new mathematical framework derived from ancient atomism, and it therefore includes several hundred new mathematical results in fundamental physics that have never been published before.

Einstein's special theory of relativity only scratches the surface of space and time, and it is replaced through this work by indivisible relativity theory. Einstein s famous formula, E=Mc^2 , is correct, but there are several deeper layers behind this formula that are revealed in this book. Unified Revolution will cause shock waves in the scientific community.

ISBN 978-82-999703-0-3: Hardcover (only), 752 pages, more than 200 colour illustrations. Cover design Line Halsnes. , (Oslo's best bookstore, just in front of the Kings Castle, that I used to guard)

Follow me also on my blog where I will be actively discussing Unified Revolution and its many implications. I recently also signed up on twitter, you will find me as @EGHaug.

Table of Contents and Preface

Table summary of main differences between atomism and main frame physics

Comments and corrections version 8 November 2015

My presentation at the 14-10 club at the Royal Institution, London, October 15, 2015. Expect a slow download as the file is about 140mb. The presentation is not easy to understand only from the slides. I am open for more talks about this topic! My talk was mainly about mathematical atomism, which is what my new theory and book are about. The first few slides was about high speed trading under special relativity theory. Here the conclusions are correct if comparing a midpoint colocation with a single exchange colocation. However there is a third type of set-up, twin (or mirror) exchange colocation, and in that case some of the conclusions on some of the slides do not hold. See my midpoint colocation page for many more details on this!

Explanation: true one-way speed of light

Excel spreadsheets on the one-way speed light: One-way speed of light any direction alpha, One-way speed of light any direction theta, One-way speed of light parallel direction, The relationship between alpha and theta

Excel spreadsheet length contraction and expansion in the parallel direction In general one cannot (even hypothetically) measure length contraction without having two synchronized clocks. Einstein length contraction contains a synchronization error. It is the Einstein synchronization error that makes the Einstein length contraction reciprocal. Under Einstein's theory two trains traveling in the opposite direction will both claim it is the other train that is contracted. This holds true when using Einstein synchronized clocks. However, the length contraction in Einstein's theory is an apparent length contraction that has an embedded Einstein synchronization error. The FitzGerald  length contraction (and also the original Lorentz contraction) are not the same as the Einstein contraction. In FitzGerald length contraction it is the velocity relative to the ether that is relevant. Under Einstein's theory it is only the relative velocity that counts. FitzGerald's contraction and also the original Lorentz contraction are incomplete (they only holds between the ether frame and one moving frame, not between two frames that both move against the ether frame) and the Einstein length contraction contains a synchronization error. See my book for derivations and discussions. Lenght contraction/expansion for any angle relative to the void.

Twelve years ago I by luck stumbled upon the most wonderful knowledge, something so simple that it is hard to grasp. Out from two postulates everything (the fundament of everything, my book will not tell you how to run your dish washing machine) else follows. Unified Revolution is a theory based on sound logical reasoning, backed up with mathematics, that again compared to well known and less known experiments and observations.

Einstein's special relativity theory is replaced by a much more fundamental relativity theory. The Lorentz transformation and also the Einstein transformation still hold anywhere in the universe (with a few exceptions), but the interpretation of these transformations by modern physics is wrong. Lorentz and Einstein's transformations are a special case when using Einstein and Poincare synchronized clocks of the fundamental transformations presented in Unified Revolution.

Unified Revolution

New Fundamental Physics

Finance and economics:

Books, Articles, Collector comic and animation, Features, High Speed Trading

@ Copyright 2014 to infinity, Espen Gaarder Haug


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|    Game Design

Creating compelling, immersive games requires understanding, visualizing, demonstrating, and tuning the interactions of an ever-increasing number of game tools and systems. While game designers need to understand and exploit the possibilities of new technologies such as realistic physics, facial expressions, and lighting techniques; they must also continue to master the traditional disciplines of drama, game play, and psychology.

The Design Track explores the challenges and ramifications of the interaction between new technologies and established techniques.

Arrow Search for all Design Track sessions

Skill, Matchmaking, and Ranking Systems Design
Josh Menke (Activision Publishing)
Emptying the Trash: A Last Look at TRS-80 Game Designs
Jim McGinley (Bigpants)
Released in 1979, the TRS-80 computer was a horrible, unique constraint that produced some great, forgotten games. 15+ of the best games will be highlighted, unearthing mechanics and ideas that will inspire today's game makers. Videos will be shown of each game being played at a high level by the presenter (one of the few people alive who is skilled at these games). This is a sequel to GDC 2012's highly rated "Inspiration from the Trash", and the final nail.

Finding these games is beyond the reach of most (they're not on YouTube). Rather than navigate the idiosyncrasies of TRS-80 emulation software, research which games are worth remembering, and master the unforgiving gameplay, people can instead attend this presentation. In-between games, we'll reflect on how modern issues were viewed 35 years ago. Cloning, sequels, casual games, licensed games, apocalypses all existed, and distance will provide attendees with insight into their future.
Rules of the Game: Five More Techniques from Quite Inventive Designers
Richard Rouse III (Paranoid Productions)
Michael De Plater (Monolith Productions)
Emily Short (Independent)
Liz England (Insomniac Games)
Jason VandenBerghe (Ubisoft)
Lee Perry (Independent)
There's no absolute "rule book" for the art of game design, yet every designer has a personal set of techniques they call their own. The popular "Rules of the Game" session returns to present five highly accomplished designers who each share a key rule-of-thumb that they employ when designing a game. Each speaker gets ten minutes to present a rule and go into detail about how they've used it on some of their most successful projects. These are unique and personal techniques that are not commonly held design wisdom and may well challenge the way you think about design. Speakers talk honestly about the pluses and minuses of each technique, helping the audience understand where the rules apply and where they may not. Come to hear novel and useful game design concepts while also learning how some very interesting designers go about making great games.


The Mini-Games of Bully: Part 1

Your homework was never quite like this.

Bullworth Academy pride themselves in rigidly sticking to the curriculum at all times, to this end consistent truancy will result in punishment. The esteemed staff of the Academy, though occasionally questionable in their recreational habits, ensure that the pupils have a firm grounding in the key academic subjects. Alongside the strict principals of loyalty, trust and ruthless ambition that are ingrained in every pupil in the academy by the principal Dr Crabblesnitch, core subjects include English, Gym, Shop Class, Photography, Art and Chemistry. Each subject comprises a series of five tests to be passed with flying colors. Of course on passing each test a due reward, in the form of gameplay features will be earned by the player. Bullworth Academy's educational system is provided through a host of exciting and innovative mini games lovingly developed by Rockstar Vancouver to accompany the main storyline of Bully.

Chemistry classes involve the creation of complex chemical compounds through intricate button combinations pressed in a timely manner. Through the school year Mr. Watts will test students in the lab, good marks will earn them the formula for items such as firecrackers, stink bombs and itching powder.

Bullworth Academy imbues students with as much hunger for cultural pursuits as they have for academia. Art classes provide the students with the skills to produce works eligible for adorning the most prestigious of gallery walls. A refreshing take on a much loved classic puzzle arcade game fits the bill perfectly for this class.

Gym class is the perfect arena for Bullworth Academy students to develop the grit and determination needed to claw their way to the top of the pile. The highly finessed and easy to use combat system is gradually unlocked through some serious wrestling matches and passionate games of dodge ball.