Asthma Pediatrics Dallas

Pediatric Chiropractic

Baby massageChiropractic is based on the important relationship between the spine and the nervous system. One of the most basic ideas in chiropractic is that dysfunction in the spine and its joints can lead to dysfunction within the nervous system. Since the nervous system controls and coordinates all of the systems of the body, spinal dysfunction (also called a subluxation) can have wide ranging effects on the body’s health.Chiropractors have been caring for children for more than 100 years. Many of the common childhood ailments will respond to this safe, natural form of health care. Parents, especially those already receiving chiropractic themselves, are seeking out Dr. Brooks, DC, CACCP for the same safe care for their children.

Dr. Brooks is a Board Certified Pediatric Chiropractor (ICPA) and has many years of experience with children. This training makes it possible for her to evaluate and adjust the spinal misalignments and musculoskeletal systems in children. Spinal adjustments for infants and young children involve very light
fingertip pressure to correct spinal misalignments. Dr. Brooks, DC, CACCP offers specific, gentle adjustments appropriate to the infant/child’s spine and craniosacral therapy to allow the body to function at 100%.

The chiropractic philosophy is based on the following belief statements:

  1. All bodily functions are connected and the healing process involves the entire body.
  2. A healthy nervous system, particularly the spine, is the key to a healthy body. The spinal cord carries information throughout the body and is responsible for all bodily functions. When the systems of the body are in balance, it is called homeostasis. Disorders of the bones, muscles, and nerves can disrupt homeostasis and increase the risk of disease and other health problems.
  3. When body systems are in harmony, the human body has the remarkable ability to maintain health and heal itself.

Why do kids need Chiropractic?

A child encounters many physical and biomechanical stresses during their growing years. The resulting problems in children’s spines can occur at almost any point in their development and growth. The earliest challenge a growing spine faces is the position it is forced into to adapt in utero. Many women will have heard of the fetal positions that can cause problems with labor (brow, transverse, posterior, asynclitic, etc).
What is less well known is that these fetal positions can also cause problems in the baby’s spine. Spinal segments can be pushed out of place or jammed by the position of the baby in the womb. If this position is less than optimal, it can result in a longer and more difficult trip through the birth canal, which can compound the spinal problems. In this way, even natural birthing methods can stress an infant’s spine and nervous system, not to mention interventions such as induction, forceps, vacuum suction, or cesarean section.

The cause of many newborn health complaints such as colic, reflux, breastfeeding difficulties, sleep disturbances, allergic reactions, constipation, failure to thrive and chronic infections can often be in part traced to nervous system irritation caused by spinal and/or cranial misalignment. Since significant spinal trauma can occur at, or prior to birth, many parents elect to have their newborn’s spine checked right after birth. Many developmental milestones such as learning to hold up the head, sitting upright, crawling and walking are all activities that are affected by spinal alignment and are important times to have your child checked by Dr. Brooks, DC, CACCP or another qualified provider. Additionally, falls, sports injuries, playground bumps, heavy school bags and sitting all day in the classroom are all physical stresses to the growing child’s spine and nervous system.

How can I tell if my child has spinal problems?

Unless a child has an obvious problem or complaint it can be difficult for a parent to recognize when a child’s spine is not working correctly. There are some signs that can indicate spinal problems. These include:

  • Breastfeeding difficulties
  • Disturbed sleeping patterns
  • One shoulder higher than the other
  • Restricted head or neck movement to one side or both

Common childhood issues/symptoms that can also be linked with spinal dysfunction, these include:

  • Growing pains
  • Headaches
  • Persistent sore throat, coughs, or colds
  • Recurrent ear infections
  • Scoliosis
  • Torticollis

One of the reasons parents see Dr. Brooks, DC, CACCP for their child is due to physical trauma from an injury of some sort. The spinal misalignments that may occur at the same time of the injury will not necessarily result in immediate pain or symptoms. In addition to physical stress, parents should be aware that emotional and chemical stress affect the child’s nervous system and may also warrant a spinal check up.

Regular chiropractic checkups can identify potential spinal dysfunction resulting from these stresses and chiropractic adjustments may help to enhance future function and well-being.

What Are Common Autism Symptoms?

Are you concerned that your child may have autism? If your little one ends up being diagnosed, it may help you understand his or her behavior a bit more. However, until you know for sure, you may be left in the dark while wondering whether or not it is a condition that your child does have.

There are different autism symptoms that you should pay attention to. You should know that just because your child experiences one or a few of these symptoms does not necessarily mean that he or she has autism. However, the symptoms may be a general sign that you should take your child for an evaluation to find out for sure.

Avoiding Social Interaction

What kind of behavior does your child typically display? Does he or she look at you in the eyes, especially when you are speaking? A little one who has autism will often avoid eye contact and will usually not respond when you are saying his or her name.

If you attempt to hug or cuddle with your little one, he or she may react differently than some children. For example, he or she may begin to cry or want to get down and out of your arms instead of receiving the affection that you are trying to give. It does not mean that your child does not love or appreciate you; it simply means that he or she may not know how to react to physical interaction.

You may notice that your kid does not enjoy playing with others, including family members and close friends from the neighborhood. He or she might not like the idea of sharing or spending time with other people due to a lack of understanding other people’s feelings.

If you have a two year old and he or she does not say any words, it may be time to talk to the pediatrician about it. An evaluation could provide you with the results you are looking for so that you can determine how you want to move forward.

A lack of social interaction could raise a red flag, so pay attention. If you have several children and you do not have all the time in the day to observe just one, document the specific child’s behavior for a week straight and then look back at your notes. Bring those notes in with you during a visit to the pediatrician to discuss them.

Acting Out

Some children with autism appear to be acting out, but it is usually because they do not understand how to properly express the way that they feel. And, if you do not understand the problem, it could make the situation a lot worse.

A child who throws constant tantrums may have autism. Some children happen to be rebellious and are just prone to tantrums, but if you feel like your little one spends most of the day whining or crying about everything, there could be an underlying issue causing such behavior.

While feeling upset, your child may do physical things that could cause harm, such as banging his or her head against a wall or biting down on the hands. He or she could be doing this out of frustration, but it is important to intervene and try calming your little one down to prevent any serious injuries from happening.

If your little often ends up in dangerous situations, there is the possibility of autism. Autistic children may end up in some dangerous situations because they do not realize there is any threat. For example, a child may run across the street while a car is driving down the road without realizing what could really happen to them.

If you feel concerned, these are some of the autism symptoms to look out for with your little one. The symptoms will vary from kid to kid. And, the types of symptoms may differ based on the age of your child too.

The good news is that there are programs available to help your little one. If you find out about the diagnosis based on the autism symptoms and join an early intervention program as quickly as possible, it could truly benefit your little one and everyone else in the household too.

What Chronic Asthma Symptoms In Children Should You Watch For?

Asthma-ChildrenChronic asthma symptoms in children can be spotted, but only if you know what to look for. If you are trying to see what may be wrong with your child, you should do research here, and also be sure that if there are any emergency issues that you contact help right away. You need to know if this is asthma, allergies, or something else because it could be a serious issue. Many children do have asthma, and so it’s not that bad if you have a kid that does because there are many ways to get help.

Does your child have wheezing and coughing symptoms? This is something that can be asthma if it happens after they are active or excited, but if not then it may be a viral infection. If your child has had a lot of viral infections then you may have to deal with them developing asthma and that’s one risk of not getting any kind of problem with coughing or wheezing taken care of right away. There are medications that can knock out infections quickly, and so you need to be aware of what your child’s health is like to get problems like this quickly cared for.

What chronic asthma symptoms in children can be caused by the parent or others around them? One thing would be smoking cigarettes and having your child around you. This is very dangerous not only because it’s going to cause coughing and other symptoms, but also because it can give your children cancer. People tend to think that second hand smoke is no big deal, but it’s basically like smoking when you breathe that air in. Make it a point to smoke outside or somewhere that is ventilated so none of the smoke goes around any children.

Pollution is something that can cause children to develop asthma, and so that means you need to consider how much they are around. If you are moving to a new area, you may not want a child with asthma to have to live too close to the middle of a busy area. There are a lot of vehicles that give off pollution and many factories in cities that can add bad things to the air. If you notice that your child has problems with breathing when they are outside, then you may want to try and move to a less busy area.

Begin looking for signs of asthma during the morning hours or as your kid sleeps. This is because it’s easy to hear the wheezing when a child is tired. Cold air can also trigger symptoms, along with exercising or any activity that gets their heart rate up. You should listen for a high pitched sound that comes from their breathing and happens when they’re breathing out. However, if you can’t hear anything it still could be there so don’t think that’s a reason they may not have it. A doctor can find out if the noise is there with a stethoscope.

Coughing and wheezing will happen during the days and at night, but it may not always be around. If you notice any symptoms, you’ll want to talk with a doctor because if a child is having a hard time breathing they could end up passing out. If they do this then it could be very dangerous, such as if they are crossing the street or even eating something. You can get an inhaler for the child to use, and then when they are having an attack it will be simple to get it under control.

Now that you know the chronic asthma symptoms in children are, you can look out for them to know what you may be dealing with. If you have any questions still, then it’s best to get with your doctor because they should be able to get your child the right kind of help. The longer you wait to fix this kind of a problem the more you’ll be risking your child getting seriously hurt. Asthma may be easy to deal with in some cases, but it can get dangerous as the problem starts to progress.

Common Types of Autism in Babies

Autism is classified among a group of developmental disabilities known as spectrum disorders. The term ‘spectrum’ indicates how this problem affects each individual uniquely. Children affected by these disorders usually experience a delay in the development of various basic skills such. Some cannot socialize or develop relationships with others and communicate effectively while others develop intellectual disabilities and behavioral disabilities.

Babies grow at different paces. Some grow faster than others. However, there are some signs that may appear in a child that can signal the child could be autistic. Some types of autism in babies include:

– Your baby does not coo or babble by the time they are 12 months of age
– Your baby cannot perform actions such as gesturing, e.g. pointing or waving by the time they are 12 months of age
– The child is past 16 months and cannot say even a single word
– It is already 24 months, and your child cannot say a two-word phrase by themselves and if they do, they repeat what someone else has said
– Your baby does not have any language or social skills
– Your baby cannot be able to establish and maintain eye-contact
– Your baby does not communicate by responding to your facial expressions or even make facial expressions

Al these indicate that you should consider an evaluation for autism. There are different types of autism in babies. Below are some of them:

1. Classic Autism

It is also known as Kanner’s Syndrome. This type of autism is considered to be the most severe. It is the second leading childhood developmental disorder. Symptoms of this type of autism appear in the first three years of the life of a baby. They include delayed speech, the absence of emotional and affection contact and extreme need for routine (at times down to the exact minute) movies, clothing, food or TV shows. They can be affected greatly by smells, noise, and bright light. Children with this condition are generally considered to be low functioning, but the functioning of their mind is unknown mainly because of their poor communication and social skills.

2. Asperger Syndrome

The characteristics of this disorder range from mild to severe. This autism type usually presents itself as lacking of the appropriate social skills, inability to read body language and obsession with rituals. Children with Asperger’s may have a heightened sensitivity to bright lights, and can have a high pain tolerance. Many children with Asperger’s lack co-ordination skills and this can make a baby take too long to know how to walk.

3. Childhood Disintegrative Disorder

This is more common in boys, although it is a rare form of Autism. Babies with this disorder do not show signs until they are about two years of age. At this time, they begin to regress where they tend to lose interest in social activities. They also lose motor and communication skills. Some of them stop talking or get their communication regressing to some degree. Other symptoms of this type of autism include loss skills in potty training and the loss of the interest to play.

4. Rett Syndrome

This is a rare neurological disorder that affects mainly females (one out of every ten thousand). Babies with this disorder have problems in the development of activities such as crawling, walking and making an eye contact. This type of Autism interferes with many body movements, especially speech. Children with this disorder can be noticed to have ritualistic hand movements such as wringing, and clapping patting their hands.

5. PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder–Not Otherwise Specified)

Usually described as atypical autism, babies with this type of autism usually exhibit some or all characteristics of autism described above. Normally, the condition lies in between classic autism and Asperger’s syndrome. The condition can range from mild (has minimal effects on life), to severe (having many symptoms affecting many aspects of life).
These types of autism in babies types are the commonest of all, although there are other types out there. They take parents by surprise and each of them has a unique set of difficulties. Many children need to be cared for, even long after their age mates have gained independence, although the will to stay on their own is very strong.


1 July 1989

Everlasting picnic for protozoa: Many protozoa form consortia with other microbes or with chloroplasts stolen from microscopic plants. Some of these partners are ‘milked’, some are digested, while others mop up metabolic waste

OST OF the animals in the world are protozoa. This is not immediately
obvious, but anyone with access to a microscope will soon realise that every
drop of water in the ocean, every bog, moist tree hole and thin film of
water in soil or leaf litter is alive with them. Protozoa are the smallest
of all animals: each individual consists of a single cell, and the cell
is often less than one-tenth of a millimetre long.

Being so small protozoa do not always have much choice about what they
eat. If they are very hungry they might eat their cousins or any other organic
morsel they can catch and swallow. But protozoa usually feed on organisms
that are even smaller than themselves, especially bacteria and small algae.
They spend a lot of time processing the water that surrounds them, trapping
or sieving out particles of food.

This is

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BACKGROUND Left ventricular (LV) midwall geometry has been described conventionally as the sum of the chamber radius and half of the wall thickness; this convention is based on the assumption of uniform transmural thickening during systole. However, theoretical considerations and experimental data indicate that the inner half (inner shell) of the LV wall(More)
To correlate left ventricular function and histologic features in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, precise indexes of hemodynamics and semiquantitative histologic data were combined for multivariate analysis. Right endomyocardial biopsy was performed at the time of cardiac catheterization. Five hemodynamic indexes were used for functional assessment:(More)
Right ventricular pacing alters left ventricular synchrony and loading conditions, each of which may independently influence left ventricular relaxation. Addition of a properly timed atrial contraction by using sequential atrioventricular (AV) pacing minimizes changes in left ventricular loading conditions, but ventricular asynchrony persists. To separate(More)
Observations that the inner (subendocardial) half of the left ventricular wall contributes more to total left ventricular wall thickening than the outer (subepicardial) half may have important implications in the analysis of myocardial fiber length transients. Accordingly, we measured endocardial and midwall shortening and lengthening rates in normal and(More)
To determine whether low ejection fraction (EF) in mitral stenosis (MS) is the result of depressed contractility or is mediated by other factors, left ventricular (LV) function was analyzed by force-length and stress-shortening relationships. Thirty patients without heart disease served as normal controls (Group 1). Forty-three patients with MS were divided(More)
Left ventricular (LV) function was evaluated in 32 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DC) who underwent cardiac catheterization during the past 6 years (group 4), and the results were compared with the data of 30 normal subjects (group 1). The patients were divided into mildly (group 2, 12 patients) and severely symptomatic subgroups (group 3, 20(More)
A precise assessment of left ventricular function was performed in 20 patients with hypertrophic nonobstructive cardiomyopathy to elucidate the basic pathophysiology, and the data were compared with those in 22 normal subjects. Whereas end-diastolic pressure was high in those with cardiomyopathy, a more accurate index of preload, end-diastolic stress, did(More)
To observe the clinical course after reperfusion and recovery from myocardial stunning of the left ventricular anterior wall, we prospectively reviewed and analyzed cardiac enzymes, ECG changes, echocardiograms, and cineangiograms in 8 patients with the acute ischemic syndrome who fulfilled the following criteria: 1) no history of previous myocardial(More)
Echocardiographic measurements of the left ventricle were used to define rates of circumferential fiber lengthening at the endocardium and midwall in 12 normal subjects and six patients with concentric left ventricular hypertrophy (wall thickness 11 to 16 mm). There was no difference in chamber size and systolic shortening in the two groups, but peak(More)
OBJECTIVES Our aim was to determine whether there is a final transition from left ventricular hypertrophy to congestive heart failure in the late stage of essential hypertension. BACKGROUND A theoretic model using the concept of systolic transmural nonuniform wall thickening was applied to develop a concentric two-shell geometry allowing evaluation of the(More)


The V-Check II digitally monitors the state of power for any battery, particularly lift gate batteries, to ensure all work that needs to be performed can be performed, Phillips said. If a signal of less than optimum power is shown, the battery can be charged before a situation occurs where battery power is required but not available.

The V-Check II features a large display surface for the digital readout of the battery state of charge.  Both the voltage measurement and percentage of battery life remaining appear every 15 seconds. The Go/No-Go LED light feature instantly shows if the battery is ready to complete the day’s work. Green indicates available power of 12.6V to greater than 15V, yellow between 12.4V and 12.5V and red below 12.3V.


Art. Advocacy. Empowerment.

You can choose to listen to a particular youth by clicking on his/her name.
Check back regularly to hear new LGBTQ young people ROAR!

Candi on Establishing Her Identity

Candi talks about identifying as gay and transgender at a young age and how her family and classmates reacted.

Angelo on Why He Keeps Smiling

Angelo has endured multiple traumas in his life. In this clip, he talks about how he has been affected, his grandmother’s wisdom and the importance of smiling.

Nabila on Falling in Love

Following her brother’s suicide and her own suicide attempt, Nabila fell in love, came out to her parents and began to explore what being a Muslim lesbian means to her.

MJ on Losing His Parents

In this clip, MJ tearfully describes losing his parents a month apart, his subsequent substance abuse and how he is coping now.

Jahkari on Being Kicked Out

When Jahkari’s parents discovered his transgender identity, he was handed a duffle bag and told to leave. That’s when he found Sylvia’s Place.

Jusheem on Discovering His Bisexual Identity and Pride

Jusheem shares feelings of fear around exploring his sexuality, and how his last minute participation in a gay parade helped him discover his pride.

Dorell on His Future

Dorell talks about how his birth family and sexuality have impacted his life and what he wants for his future.

Netty on Her Mother

Netty discusses her abuse, it’s effect on her schooling and what she would’ve wanted someone to do to help.

Britney on Being ‘Real’

In this short clip, Britney talks about how she wants others to perceive her gender.

Kevin on Overcoming Peer Pressure

Kevin shares some of the ways in which he used to ‘follow’ his peers before and what he wants for himself and his future now.

Ryan on His Culture and Gender Identity

Ryan talks about how his transgender identity was received differently in his Inuit and English cultures.

Aprel on Her Mental Health

Aprel describes a suicide attempt, being diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and how she overcame stigma to accept the help that she needed.

Charlie on Being Adopted

Charlie talks about being adopted by a white family, how his adoption impacted his personality and response to touch, and how others reacted to him.

Slim on Coming Out to Her Family

In this clip, Slim describes the frustration, sadness and relief she felt after her family learned she was a lesbian, and how she wondered things might change.

Mel on Surviving the First Night He Left Home

Mel tells how he helped an acquaintance do his job in exchange for a place to sleep.

Jusheem on Struggling Towards Stability

Jusheem talks about his attempts to escape homelessness and gain stability and his difficulty fending off discouragement long enough to achieve success.

“A Homeless Youth” on Sex and Gender

This young person asked not to have their name disclosed. The youth identifies as intersex and transgender and in this clip, the young person describes how other people’s perception of your sex and gender effects a person’s ability to survive.


6,514 headboard how to Dining Design Photos

Tobi Fairley Interior Design
4 Reviews
Leawood Residence
salon chain called the Drybar. If you ever get a chance to go, you'll see how amazing those salons are decorated :)
u can use the tufted wall for headboard bench back coffee table door or ceilings
master bedroom headboard wall
“Dining room” — spallotta
Northern Virginia Premier Interior Designer Best of Houzz 2014
JAUREGUI Architecture Interiors Construction
25 Reviews
Lake Conroe Spanish
What are the dimensions for a king bed headboard
also a DIY project for a handy homeowner with a good eye and a steady hand. How to Stencil a CeilingSelect the appropriate design. When selecting a stencil
“Doors to wine cellar - table and chairs. Need more color for upholstery” — jsmccaffery
DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL
59 Reviews
DKOR Interiors - Interior Design in Sunny Isles, FL Hollywood Regency
t. "The weather influences a lot the way people perceive their space and how they want their space to feel — it's easy, free and brings the outdoors in
“Chairs” — mayleewong
Deborah French Designs
13 Reviews
New York City Loft
Congratulations Deborah, the whole setting looks exceptional. Love how you used the antique jali door as a room partition. We find and import
wooden screen as a headboard
“Dining table chairs” — tforres
Mary Cook
7 Reviews
River Ridge - Southwick
Can u tell me how much distance there is between chairs and buffet?
Any ideas on how to attach chair pulls like these
How are the drapes attached to rod? It is invisible and exactly the look I want
Hi! How are the draperies hanging without an exposed drapery rod? I love the look
Hi I was wondering how i can get the orient express table and chairs. i googled and there are certain
Graceke Design LLC, it is almost a grey-white. This is how Sherwin Williams shows it: .../ Thanks!
How I want the dining room curtains hung
“Server decor (lamps, picture/mirror similar to ours)” — Gutenberg
Convertible Courtyards House
into one of the courtyards to see what makes them convertible. We can see how inside and outside work together, in the balance of indoor and outdoor, in
courtyards to see what makes them convertible. (living room behind) We can see how inside and outside work together, in the balance of indoor and outdoor, in
like the doors and also how the wood flooring lines up with the decking outside
7. How many people is it for?Consider your water needs carefully before selecting your tank. Think about your household – how many people are
“Rain water collection” — coleogando1
Traditional Dining Room
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A large round table, how refreshing compared to all the rectangular tables that have been so popular
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Vocabulary Word

Word: fauna

Definition: animals of a period or region; CF. flora

Sentences Containing 'fauna'

Additional interest lies in the invertebrate fauna.
After experiments with other possible fauna we stumbled on the idea of a boar.
An overview of the flora and fauna of this distinctive region is available in "The Natural Treasures of Carolinian Canada".
Dams have deleterious effects on a riverine fish and other fauna and are often stocked with exotic species.
Description from G. A. Boulenger's (1890) Fauna of British India: Reptilia and batrachia volume :
Fauna include the swamp wallaby, sugar gliders and wetland birds such as egrets and herons.
For example: The Lewin's Rail is listed as threatened on the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act (1988).
Geography climate, economy, flora and fauna.
He is best known for his paintings of forest flora and fauna.
He loved the environment and the flora and fauna around him.
Indio Maiz boasts a large number in species of both flora and fauna.
It was not until 1994 that most invertebrates were even recognized as being just as vulnerable as other fauna.
Lake Poukawa had a species rich Pleistocene/Holocene waterfowl fauna.
Many affluxes brought huge masses of rubble from the eastern mainland and formed a multilayer seafloor, which had a rich flora and fauna.
Part of the plan is to preserve the "Donaumoos" as a habitat for people as well as flora and fauna.
Santuario Orito Indí-Andé Fauna and Flora Sanctuary
Similipal. This is famous for the Similipal National Park, which is a vast evergreen forest having varied flora and fauna, served with a network of perennial streams.
Some of these serve as animal reserves or farms for endangered or underproduced flora and fauna.
Subterranean fauna are animals that have adapted to live underground.
Subterranean fauna have evolved in isolation.
Subterranean fauna have likely adapted to limited food supply and are extremely energy efficient.
The abundant sun and rain provides an ideal environment for flora and fauna.
The core area of the sanctuary covering was notified as Mollem National Park in 1978., Flora and fauna.
The Drin and its surrounding mountainous areas have a great variety of flora and fauna.
The fauna is mainly Indo himalayan, with some overlapping of Palacaretic species.
The flora and fauna of Ranomafana have been subject to extensive scientific research.
The key conservation values of the site, as listed in the reserves’ management plan are the: Flora and fauna.
The Narnala fort nearby area is affluent with numerous flora fauna.
The reptile fauna recorded from the park is 46 and five of them are endemic.
The Sochi Arboretum is a unique collection of subtropical flora and fauna.
The special flora and fauna of the wells is not immediately obvious, because most of the organisms are microscopic.
The upland lakes support a species-poor but notable upland insect fauna.
The wetlands have been identified as supporting native flora and fauna and vital to maintaining the biodiversity of the region.
These specimens were part of the Mazon Creek fauna of Illinois.
This area is under consideration for protection as a Flora and Fauna Sanctuary by the Colombian government.
This paves a valuable lesson of caring for the flora and fauna.
This regulation was clarified in 1999 with Government Regulation No. 7 ("Protection of Wild Flora and Fauna") and Act No. 5 ("Biodiversity Conservation").
This variety of habitats ensures that a wide range of fauna occurs on the site.
Untouched by the hands of human, the neighbouring hills provide a thrilling vista to the untamed beautiful fauna and flora of the Deccan Karnataka.
Waterwood is home to a stunning variety of flora and fauna.

More Vocab Words

::: descry - catch sight of (something distant)
::: effluvium - noxious(harmful) smell
::: eulogistic - praising; full of eulogy


Precision Clock

©Brooke Clarke, N6GCE

28 Oct 2002 first prototype
6 LEDs working & 1 PPS out working

6 digit precision clock to be driven from a precision osc based on a 28 pin PIC 16F870 (later a 16F873A) muxed LED display (photo at top of page)
MM5369A Replacement that is driven from a unit oscillator and outputs either 50 or 60 Hz (jumper select) and 1 PPS this is working
Using Odd frequency Oscillators
Precision Time Standard - Experimental Observations
Stability Table
Temperature Stability
Bresenham's algorithm

Seperate Web pages:
Disiplined Oscillators and Time & Frequency related Patents
Crystal Temperature Compensation Patents
Sundial Patents
Stellar Timekeeping -
Ideas for measuring the Earth's rotation

6 Digit Precision Clock

6 Digit LED precision clock (HH:MM:SS) where the uC clock source comes from a precision oscillator at 1, 5, 10 or 20 MHz.  Because the frequency division is in software it's possible to divide non standard frequencies down to 1 PPS (see below) allowing the use of lower cost yet very high quality oscillators as time bases.

Altough I have the TAC32 software and a GPS receiver with it's serial port connected to my computer, I don't normally run the software. I would like to have a hardware clock driven by my precsion oscillators as a check of their health.

It may be possible to offer an optional version that would display Sidereal time for astronomical use by swapping the uC for one with a different program.

By arranging the digits side by side and using the decimal point as the separator between hours an minutes and a blinking decimal point between minutes and seconds the display might also be used as a frequency or time counter with a different microcontroller installed.

Developing the software routines for the three projects below using the PIC 16F870.  This chip has the same modules needed for the MM5369A products below and has a number of extra I/O pins that can be used for development.  It also is more cost effective than using a smaller PIC for the 6 Digit Precision Clock than using a smaller PIC and then adding extra chips to get the needed I/O pins.
7 Oct 2002 - have interrupt routine working
10 Oct 2002 - have single 7-segment digit that will display a 16 bit value as 4 sequential hex digits for development
12 Oct 2002 - have 10 bit A/D working to be used with thermister for temperature sensing
28 Oct 2002 - received prototype PCB and after fixing the errors have the 1 PPS output and 6 digits turning on.
7 Nov 2002 - trying to get the Microchip ICD2 In Circuit Debugger version 2 working
19 Nov 2002 - Investigating the idea of using a 12F675 8 pin PIC 6 digit clock (maybe more) that would be able to drive any size of LED digits.
                        Starting prototype to try out the idea.  No RS-232, only runs from 10 MHz unit oscillator.

MM5369A Replacement

Many years ago National Semiconductor made an IC that contained an oscillator that worked with the common color burst crystal (3.579545 MHz) and divided down to a 60 Hz output.  This part is now obsolete.  To make a replacement today it costs less to use a unit oscillator than it does to use a separate crystal and loading caps.  Also using a microcontroller allows either 50 or 60 Hz outputs as well as a 1 Pulse Per Second output.

14 Oct 2002 - Prototype is working with the following features:

15 October 2002 - 12 MHz was chosen because it's evenly divisible by both 100 and 120 allowing the generation of either 50 or 60 Hz, but a better choice would be 20 MHz because it's the highest rated frequency for most of the modern PIC chips.  Most low cost unit oscillators have a frequency tolerance of 100 ppm (Parts Per Million) including voltage and temperature and 30 days of aging which translates to 2,000 Hz in 20 MHz.  On the 20.0 MHz unit oscillator I have the frequency was fast by about 100 Hz.  So the correction for starting frequency would also correct for the 120 and 100 division.  The higher frequency translates into finer corrections.

Enhanced MM5369A Replacement

The inexpensive unit oscillators behave about like a plain crystal in terms of frequency errors due to temperature and aging.  It may be possible to greatly reduce these errors not be trying to control the frequency but rather by controlling the 50/60 Hz output and the 1 PPS output.  This requires both temperature sensing and characterization of the oscillator being used for not only it's current frequency but also how the frequency changes with time (aging rate).  Since crystal oscillators are many orders of magnitude poorer than atomic frequency standards the crystal aging can be characterized in a relatively short time when an atomic standard is used as the reference.

Idea: 14 Oct 2002 - use a pot on AN1 as a switch that's only read at power up (that way it can not change) that would allow selection of:

The 1 PPS LED can be used to indicate which mode was selected during the power up sequence then it changes to the 1 PPS heartbeat.
An alternate use of AN1 might be to use a pot that has no stops and allow continuos frequency correction similar to a variable cap on a crystal but with way more range and resolution.

Using Odd frequency Oscillators

There are a number of oscillators on the market (eBay) that have output frequencies that are not the classical precision oscillator frequencies (1, 5 and 10 MHz).  For example the FEI model FE-2163A is a very high quality double oven unit with extremely good specs but it's frequency is 10,054,347.8 Hz..  I think this frequency can be divided down to exactly 1 PPS using a uC allowing it's use as a precision time standard.

Table of common crystal and unit oscillator frequencies and their factors, typically 2, 3 and 5.  Up to 30 MHz which is the highest I have seen a 16F870 or 16F873A run.

Precision Time Standard

Experimental Observations

Stability Table

This table will give you some idea of how the quality of the oscillator impacts time keeping.  For many months the FTS4060 Cesium standard has a measured stability in the area of a few parts in E-13.  An oscillator at 1E-8 would make a clock that's good to much better than 1 second per year if you correct for the aging.

For a few decades the second has been defined based on the atomic physics of Cesium.  For all the centuries prior the second was defined based on the rotation of the earth.  The switch was made because there are a number of irregularities in the earth's rotation and so it's not that good of a time keeper.

All precision oscillators have a means of adjusting their frequency, none of them turn on and run at exactly their nominal rate.  But the newer Cesium standards do come very close.  First and second generation Cesium standards have a manual "C Field" adjustment to adjust their frequency.  But even when not adjusted the frequency of a Cesium standard stays at a constant frequency, i.e. it does not have aging.

All other oscillators like lab grade crystal or Rubidium oscillators change frequency with time, i.e. they age.  A good oscillator, like a good wine, ages well.  That's to say that as the running time increases the rate of aging decreases.  For a good crystal oscillator after say 6 months of operation the aging rate might get down to parts in E-9 or E-10.  The aging at this point is predictable and can be accounted for either by changing the fine tuning or be predicting the frequency and changing the divisor to get to one second.

Note that precision crystal oscillators need to be calibrated at some time interval (6 months, a year, etc.).  At the time of calibration the frequency is not set to be spot on, but rather is set to be off by the maximum allowable amount that's within spec, but so that spot on is in the direction of the again.  This way at one half of the calibration interval the frequency will be spot on and at the end of the cal interval it will be right at the spec limit.  This way you get the maximum length cal interval for a given spec.

Temperature Stability

Patents related to Disciplined  Oscillators -

Bresenham's algorithm

These links are about a method where a fixed Timer count is used and so results in a jitter on the 1 PPS output as large as the size of the Timer count.  A much better way is to accumulate the fractional timer count error and add one count to the last count of the second and subtract 1 from the fractional error counter.  This way the jitter is limited to one timer count = 1 instruction count = 4/Fosc.

Of course this requires using a different value for the Timer count at different times in one second.  For the FEI FE-2163 double oven 10,054,347.8 Hz oscillator this would translate to 99 rollovers at a Timer1 count of 25,058 and a nominal last count of 32,844, but because of the fractional part overflow for 19 seconds in a row the last count would be 32,845 and once every twenty seconds the last count would be 32,844 resulting in zero error and jitter less than 397.8378 nanoseconds.

Zero-error One Second Timer! - I'm not using this method, but it could be applied differently for much better results
NIST -Dictionary of Algorithms and Data Structures - Bresenham's algorithm - the basis of the Zero-error timer
Bresenham Line-Drawing Algorithm -
Wiki - Bresenham's line algorithm -

This is the  time this page has been accessed since since 13 June 2002.


The Soviet Economy and the Red Army, 1930-1945

This book describes the creation of a new economy in the Soviet Union from 1930 to 1945. The Red Army defeated the Germans in World War II with equipment produced by that economy and not with masses of untrained men as has been often argued. The Soviet weapons were produced in factories designed and built under the direction of American engineers in the 1930s. Also, the Weimar Republic played a part in the creation of the Red Army by providing aviation and tank training schools and technical assistance to the developing armaments industry. Dunn argues that if France had been invaded by the Allies in 1943 rather than in 1944, the post-war world would have been less advantageous to the Soviet Union.

Additional information


America, it’s time to start making things again

After years of going overseas, American companies are starting to make things in the U.S. again. At the same time, many citizens are getting their hands dirty with DIY projects. This could be the start of something beautiful.

Should you consider ‘reshoring’ despite the cost?

Apple’s finite loop

Why I think Apple’s infinite loop is turning gradually finite.

Five innovations that will define tech in 2013

Tesla now building 10 Model S cars per week

Why it’s China’s turn to worry about manufacturing

America has been extremely worried about the loss of manufacturing to China. Seduced by subsidies, cheap labor, lax regulations, and a rigged currency, American industry has made a beeline to China.


Did Eric Holder Lie to Congress?

The core of the claim is that the Attorney General’s testimony conflicts with the fact that he signed a warrant application that attested that there was “probable cause to believe that the reporter has committed or is committing a violation of section 793(d), as an aider and abettor and/or co-conspirator, to which the materials relate.”  But there’s no contradiction between Holder’s statement and his reported actions, let alone a basis for accusing him of lying under oath.   Holder signed a document stating that the government believed there was probable cause to believe Rosen had committed a crime, but there’s no evidence that Holder (or anyone else) in the Administration actually considered taking the next step of indicting (let alone prosecuting) Rosen for his journalistic endeavors.  Prosecutors don’t prosecute everyone they believe may have violated the law; they don’t even consider prosecuting everyone they investigate.  Some “unindicted co-conspirators” are never at risk of prosecution.

If, as Holder testified, it would not be “wise policy” to prosecute journalists for reporting on leaked information, this would not preclude the Department from investigating or conducting surveillance on journalists so as to prosecute government leakers.  Indeed, asserting the existence of probable cause in order to obtain information to facilitate the prosecution of a government leaker is wholly consistent with a policy of aggressively pursuing government leakers while not indicting or prosecuting journalists even if one believes their solicitation of classified material is against the law.  So whether or not one agrees with the Justice Department’s current policies (and I do not), I see no basis for accusing the Attorney General of lying to Congress on this matter.

UPDATE: Bill Otis offers a different view, concluding Holder “is in big trouble.”  I remain skeptical because perjury is quite difficult to prove. We can all agree that Holder would have been more forthright had he acknowledged that he had approved seeking a warrant to seize Rosen’s records, etc., but saying that Holder gave an incomplete or misleading answer is quite not the same thing as saying that he lied under oath.


Interviewed by Nick Garver.

WASHINGTON, DC – As anyone familiar with Cuba knows, the nation remains an anomaly in the Western Hemisphere. While some Latin American nations have questionable democratic practices, Cuba remains the only country in the region that does not hold elections, a litmus test for democracy. Furthermore, the Castro regime has an atrocious record when it comes to freedom of speech, jailing of dissidents, and economic liberty. Raúl Castro has taken some baby steps towards opening up the economy, but his reforms are not enough to suggest that Cuba will transition to a free society anytime soon.

However, Cuba has remained under the stranglehold of the brothers Castro for the past 50 years, despite the US’s imposition of one of the strictest sanctions regimes it has against any country. A hard-liner community in the United States insists that isolating Cuba is the best approach; any economic or political engagement may both empower the regime and recognize its legitimacy. It’s hard to argue against punishing the Cuban government, especially when the Cuban people have suffered so much because of it.

Nevertheless, we’re not in the 1960s anymore and opinion on the issue isn’t uniform, even among Cuban-Americans. A growing group advocates for a more strategic approach to the Cuba issue instead of the status quo. Included in this group is Tomas Bilbao, Executive Director of the Cuba Study Group, with whom I had the pleasure of speaking earlier this week. Prior to joining the Cuba Study Group, Mr. Bilbao was Deputy Director of Operations at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Personal Aide to Secretary Mel Martinez from 2001 to 2003 in the George W. Bush administration. He then served as Director of Operations for Mel Martinez for U.S. Senate and Director of Transition for Senator-elect Mel Martinez. In his role at the Cuba Study Group, he oversees all the group’s projects and activities, such as developing policy recommendations and educating congress and the executive branch on the issue.

Below is an excerpt of our conversation:

Why was the Cuba Study Group formed and how does it differ from other groups advocating on foreign policy towards Cuba?

Well as you know from the history of the exile community, the groups were initially organized as a way to pressure the US government in response to Cuban human rights violations, misappropriations of property, etc. What makes the Cuba Study Group a little different is that it was born out of a desire to change the dynamics that the founders of the organization saw as a failure to respond in a strategic way to the Cuban government’s actions.

And so when the Elian Gonzalez controversy hit, the founders of the group saw that the Cuban-American community was again falling into the traditional trap that the Cuban government benefits from: riling up the exile community and basically getting them to swing at every one of Fidel’s pitches and missing.

And so they organized the Cuba Study Group with the purpose of responding in a strategic way to the Cuban dilemma in a way that helps facilitate change by focusing on helping the Cuban people, rather than the traditional focus of obsessing with hurting the Cuba regime.

Where does your expertise and passion for the issue come from?

The passion comes from growing up in Venezuela at a time when the supposed models of democracy were falling apart because of the failures of the system there. And having a deep passion for democracy and social justice and especially in Latin America where, of course, Cuba has always been the exception in the last half century. So for that reason, I was always passionate about it but my interest or experience was more a result of my time working on the Senate campaign of then-Secretary [of Housing and Urban Development] Mel Martinez.

My father, who’s Cuban, left before the revolution. And I don’t think we’ve ever had a conversation about Cuba. And remember, he left before the revolution. He didn’t leave for a political reason or anything, he just left because my grandfather had business in Venezuela.

What is the biggest obstacle in effecting change in US policy towards Cuba?

The biggest problem is that the nation of Cuba is a very low-priority issue in the United States. The only people for whom it is a number-one priority are those who have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo in US policy towards the island. And so, as with anything in policy, when the only people who are interested in the policy are the ones who are interested in maintaining it, it becomes very, very difficult to change. Until Cuba becomes a priority issue for more than a small group of hard-line Cuban-American members of congress, it will be very difficult to change congressional policy for now.

In February, the Cuba Study Group released a paper called “Restoring the Executive Authority Over US policy Towards Cuba.” Among the recommendations therein is the de-codification of the Helms Burton Act. President Clinton signed this bill, which made it illegal for the President to lift the embargo without congressional approval, in the election year of 1996. A number of scholars have challenged the constitutionality of this self-imposed restriction on executive authority. Do you have an opinion on this constitutional issue or the likelihood that the courts would overturn it?

Well, you know, I’m not a constitutional lawyer. In fact, I’m not even a lawyer. So I wouldn’t venture into the potential success of such a suit, but I think these things can always be helpful as we saw this last week.

What I think is important is to work on all fronts to encourage the president to take further steps that are within his purview, to educate members of congress as to the benefits of breaking the isolation between the United States and Cuba, and of course there is always a role for the courts.

We saw just this year some very onerous and counter-productive legislation passed by the Florida legislature that was struck down by the courts of Florida. David Rivera, when he was a member in the state house in Florida, helped enact a series of laws that, in his view, were geared towards denying resources to the Cuban regime; in reality,  these laws were just a continuation hard-line policy at the federal level. One of those laws prohibited the state of Florida from contracting with any businesses who have business interests in Cuba. I believe this all started with a contact for a tunnel in Miami by a French company. The appeals courts just struck down that law.

He also helped pass laws that made it impossible for the state’s educational institutions to expend any public or private money in transactions involving Cuba, meaning academic exchanges, conferences, or anything involving any Cuban nationals. FIU, for example, can no longer do conferences where they invite Cuban academics to attend. The University of Miami or the University of Florida can no longer travel to Cuba for academic research using state or private funds.

It’s another way of imposing a travel ban as had been done at the federal level with family, cultural, religious, and academic exchanges during the Bush administration. Since the Obama administration had changed it at the federal level, Rivera and his colleagues in the state house tried to impose those at the state level. The academic restriction still stands, by the way.

Part of that same paper the Cuba Study Group released in February recommends review of Cuba’s designation is a state sponsor of terror. Can you elaborate on why the Cuba Study Group proposes a new look at this issue?

The Cuba Study Group has called in that paper for an apolitical and thorough review of Cuba as a location for state-sponsored terrorism. Over the years we have seen an eroding case for Cuba’s continuing inclusion on the list. To the point where, this year, no evidence is provided that would support Cuba’s continuing inclusion on the list. Harboring US fugitives is not a reason for inclusion as a state-sponsor of terrorism. There’s the case that was made earlier about supporting members of the Basque separatist group ETA. We’ve learned, in recent years, not only that are a lot of those folks there at the request of the Spanish and French governments, but also that France has no sanctions on Cuba because of the presence of those people in the island.

The eroding case makes it imperative that the United States [reconsider Cuba’s status on the list], not just to maintain credibility when it comes to fighting the global war on terrorism, but also because the inclusion of Cuba, far from imposing any additional sanctions that would be hurtful for the regime, only serves as yet another scapegoat for the Cuban government, another irritant in relations between the two countries. If you were to lift it it wouldn’t necessarily lift sanctions, but it would take away important irritants to potential bilateral relations between countries.

The media often overstates the long-term impact of such scandals but I have to ask about you know what. Do you anticipate the Edward Snowden-PRISM scandal will damage America’s credibility in advocating internet freedom in Cuba?

Obviously, I think it can have an impact on US credibly in relations; you saw the statement by European Union spokesperson last week. I think it will affect US credibility as it relates to its relationships with its allies and as an advocate for human rights, openness , and transparency in government.

But when it comes to Cuba specifically, I don’t anticipate that it will necessarily have a negative impact. And that’s because Cuban leaders generally make decisions about reforms or changes that are pro-government, based not on what the US does or fails to do, but on what it perceives as its own interests.

Related to that, most dissidents within Cuba oppose elements of the embargo like the technology restrictions, correct?

I haven’t taken a poll of dissidents, but I can tell you that statements [from many dissidents] in one way or another, whether directly referring to the embargo or not, have made it clear that the broad unilateral sanctions that comprise the embargo do in fact contribute to the isolation imposed by the Cuban government on its own people. So far from starving the Cuban government or from empowering civil society, broadening the net of the US sanctions contributes to the isolation that benefits the Cuban regime.

These seem like pretty sound arguments . What is the most common response you get from hard-liners, most notably hard-line Cuban-Americans in congress, that we shouldn’t ease up sanctions? What is the other side?

The counter argument used by hard-liners is effective when presented to folks with little knowledge or little interest in Cuba; it’s a very easy selling point to say the Cuban government is bad, it represses its own people, therefore we need to punish it. And that simplistic logical makes sense to folks who are unfamiliar with Cuba. You have to remember that those espousing those points of view—the members of congress who do that—are also folks who have never traveled to Cuba in their entire life or even during the last 50 years; they lack the knowledge of the realities of Cuba on the ground.

That being said, these simplistic arguments begin to erode as people have more access to Cuba and more access to people inside Cuba. And perhaps that’s one of the reasons why hard-liners have fought tooth-and-nail to curtail any type of travel to the island and from the island. They realize that, as isolation is broken, it not only undermines the status quo in Cuba but it undermines the status quo in the United States.

Were you just implying there that breaking the isolation undermines their reason to be in politics?

I was not implying, I was specifically stating that it undermines their interest in maintaining current US policy towards Cuba.

The mission statement of the Cuba Study Group lists reconciliation as a goal. Should Cuba be fortunate enough to transition to a free society they advocate a truth commission akin to others done in democratic transitions in Latin America as a way to account for the human rights violations of the Castro regime? If so, should Cubans themselves be involved or should the international community, such as the UN or the OAS, get involved?

With regards to our reconciliation project, we’ve been examining and learning from the experiences of other countries. In our first conference last year that was held at Miami Community College, we were fortunate enough to have the South African ambassador to the United States, who was the closest collaborator of Nelson Mandela, talking about the experience of reconciliation in apartheid South Africa. We also had a member of the parliament of Ireland who spoke about the Northern Ireland experience.

And what we’ve learned there is that there is no one solution to fix all of these problems and that it’s better to focus on the future rather than the past. We don’t discount and we should never ignore the pain that all sides have suffered in these situations. And it’s important to start by recognizing that everybody has a reason to claim victimhood or suffering at one time or another. But the way to move forward is focusing on what we want to achieve together and not necessarily our grievances of past behavior.

There may be a place for some type of mechanism to look at to look at grievances from all sides that have occurred in the past, but I think that that will be up to all Cubans and not one particular group of Cubans to decide in the future.

When you talk to younger Cuban-Americans, do you see a generational shift in attitudes towards the regime, or is it divided along those who actually studied the issue or traveled to Cuba?

The Cuba Study Group actually began by doing all kinds of polling to demonstrate the diversity of thought within the exile community and of course that includes young Cuban-Americans, young Cubans living in the United States, as well as other groups within that segment. Also, older Cubans and college educated Cubans, as well as others.

I think that the main point isn’t that there is a changing attitude towards the regime, because I think by and large those who have come to the United States recognize the failures of the regime. I think what makes the changing dynamics of the exile community unique is the changing attitude toward the Cuban people.

That means that, whereas older generations who no longer have family on the island are more willing to advocate for isolation or a pressure cooker approach towards Cuba, those who have traveled there or still have family on the island and those who recognize the failure of 50 years of bad policies in the United States are less willing to advocate for isolation. So we see generational changes, not only because young people perhaps aren’t burdened by the passion of having lived through the experience, but also because these are people who understand that in a global world, there is an interest in returning to your roots and helping people who look and sound like you and are maybe around your age even if you’ve never met them.

And so it’s not just a generational change. I think it’s a change across the board including in the older generations who are tired of a policy that hasn’t worked and who are willing to try out something different, such as prioritizing helping the Cuban people over hurting the Cuban regime.

You’ve frequently emphasized that US policy towards Cuba is largely shaped by people who have never been to Cuba within the last 50 years. I myself went there on an academic trip in 2004, about week before the Bush administration raised restrictions and thus banned such trips. Do you think the travel restrictions in the second half of the Bush administration rolled back the clock on change in policy towards Cuba?

Having been a member of the Bush administration and having been intimately familiar with some of those conversations regarding the restrictions, I can tell you that they were nothing but counterproductive; they responded to a political motivation of a very small, local, hard-liner minority in the exile community.

They made helping Cuban dissidents, and Cuban society as a whole, more difficult. They also added to the Cuban government’s long list of scapegoat talking points where they could blame the US government for all its failures. But more importantly, [the US did this] at a time when Cuba was making a decision on how to get out of the Special Period and when Hugo Chavez was offering to be a savior by making Cuba completely dependent on Venezuela. The United States missed out on a huge strategic opportunity to break isolation between the two countries, to assist civil society directly with people-to-people contact and to make Cuba more dependent on the US and less dependent on Venezuela; what we ended up doing was the exactly the opposite. We made it more difficult for dissidents to gain access to resources, we made it more difficult for Cubans to learn about the outside world and for Americans to learn about Cuba, and we made it less likely that Cubans inside the island would become less dependent on the Cuban government. In fact, Bush administration policies almost ensured that Cubans would remain dependent on the regime.

So I take it that you think that it was right for the Obama administration to lift these restrictions. What other steps can the president take without approval from congress to make the situation better?

You alluded to our paper on restoring the executive authority where we outline 11 specific steps the president can take to continue to empower the society of Cuba and facilitate giant change inside the island. There is also an important memo by a lawyer named Stephen Propst from the lawfirm Hogan Lovells that provides the legal argument for all these steps the president can take under his executive authority. Brookings and the Council of the Americas have issued similar recommendations, which can be an additional guideline for steps the president can take. President Obama is well aware of the steps he can take. All that’s missing is the political will to do so.

The first term of the Obama administration was characterized by very important steps, especially in regards to breaking the isolation between the two countries and creating a mechanism to support Cuba’s growing independent small business community.

Unfortunately, political considerations have gotten in the way of the president continuing to move on his commitment to help Cuban civil society; in some instances, it was even rolled back. Some are celebrating the resumption of postal and regulatory talks, which have already been reinstated by the Obama administration prior to Alan Gross being detained. So, we’ve only now made it back to what was one of the starting points of the first term of the Obama administration. So there’s still much more the president can do. And we’ve outlined some steps that we believe would help people continue to help their families on the island but also, more specifically, to continue to empower the growing small business community on the island because we believe that the solution to Cuba’s problems begins by providing Cubans with a way to improve the lives of their families without dependence on the Cuban government.

If there is one overarching theme here, it’s that we need to get away from a policy that obsesses solely on hurting the Cuban government and replace it with one that obsesses with helping the Cuban people. If you obsess with hurting the Cuban government, you may or may not win. If you obsess with helping the Cuban people, you will always win.

Tomas Bilbao is the Executive Director of the Cuba Study Group in Washington, DC.

Comments 1-2 of 2

  • Nicolas Oliva

    08/07/2013 06:25 AM

    I enjoyed reading this interview, and appreciate the research and efforts of the Cuba Study Group.

    One area I would like to know more about regarding legislation is what is being done to prevent the situation from becoming even worse. My concern is that because the issue is a low-priority one for most, and a high-priority one for a few, that the few will once again use all of their leverage to contaminate the present immigration reform efforts with more "hurting the Cuban government" legislation.

    Are the watchdogs being careful to ensure that negotiations for votes in the House don't use the Cuban people as bargaining chips?

  • Jorge Olondo

    07/06/2013 03:30 PM

    How do we organize and move forward from here?

Our Opinions

Date Title
7/3/13 Current Record


Filmmaker Q&A

Director/Producer Barbara Ettinger talks about local residents’ reactions to TWO SQUARE MILES and the future of Hudson, NY.

Barbara Ettinger shares her hopes for TWO SQUARE MILES.

As the film began to take shape in my mind, I hoped that it could become a universal story of community, engagement and citizen activism. I wanted the film to become a tool to inspire viewers to get involved in their own communities and to understand that their actions can generate change. I wanted people to see that democracy works.

What led you to make TWO SQUARE MILES?

The inspiration for TWO SQUARE MILE arose from the aftermath of the events of 9/11. The American people wanted to know, “What can we do to help?” Unsatisfied by President Bush's first answer (go shopping), I asked myself the same question. What would I tell the citizens of our nation to do at this dark time? Powerless to sway international events, my own answer was for each of us to get involved at the most local level. My intuition was that a deeper exploration of one's own community would provide comfort and insight into our rapidly changing nation, while leading to meaningful change.

So I picked up my camera and began to do just that. Three years and hundreds of interviews later, the result is the story of the small city of Hudson, NY, which covers just two square miles. Through unexpected and lively glimpses into one small town, I hope that viewers will be inspired to reflect on what makes democracy work.

My first challenge was overcoming my own shyness in approaching people and getting their permission to film. More importantly, I wanted to maintain a certain level of neutrality as I walked into a series of conflicts in a place where I hoped to become a participant and long-term resident. This was sometimes difficult because my husband and I were against the plant, but wanted the community to understand that our interest was in hearing from both sides. We felt that in listening carefully to both sides, there could be a way of bringing the level of distrust and hostility down a notch or two, and create an environment for possible dialogue, or at least, better understanding.

Another issue was that events were happening without a formal schedule, and in an unpredictable manner. Consequently, we had to be ready to get a camera working at a moment’s notice. Whether it was a public meeting or a demonstration or a breaking interview, we had to be ready to jump at the opportunity or miss the shot. This uncertain schedule continued for the full three years of filming.

How did you gain the trust of the people you interviewed and get them to open up on camera?

First of all, it was critical to be honest up front about what we were doing and what our own positions were about the dominant conflicts. We also had to demonstrate that we were not going to go away, but that the film was going to go on for an extended view of life in Hudson. This was not going to be a quick snapshot. Hopefully, we showed some understanding of the delicate nature of the responsibility of the filmmaker in this kind of situation.

What has the audience response been so far? How have Hudson residents reacted to the film?

To date the film has been shown locally as well as in other sections of the country. Audiences have been engaged with the story, the characters and the courage of those who are willing to work for change. Again and again, people take the story of the film and apply it to issues in their own communities. We continue to feel rewarded as we listen to people discuss ways in which they can act. This response was a major goal of the project.

The audiences in Hudson have been extremely engaged and supportive of the film. In fairness, however, the majority of the local viewers are probably people who are delighted that the cement plant was defeated and that there has been some change in local leadership. In making the film, we became increasingly aware of how difficult, if not impossible, it is to make a complete portrait of a community with all its complexities and nuances. It became clear to us that even with three years of filming we were taking snapshots and telling a limited story. We learned early on the fact that the film’s reality would be a subjective one and would therefore leave some people feeling that this was not how they understood the forces of change in Hudson. Most viewers, however, feel that it is an accurate portrayal of the city at a particularly volatile time.

What do you think the future has in store for Hudson?

With the defeat of the SLC plant, Hudson now has the opportunity to have a greater impact on its own future. The city has created an 18-month moratorium on development in the waterfront district while the citizens create a long-range waterfront revitalization plan for the department of state in Albany. The city is also working more closely with local businesses to build awareness outside of Hudson to the attractions of its diverse commercial offerings. The architectural capital of the city continues to be refurbished and restored, making it an ever more attractive destination site. Day by day there are new places available for lodging which means that visitors can stay overnight. On a given weekend, there is a growing sense that Hudson is thriving.

Yet, there continue to be issues around the funding of education and municipal services. Can there be property taxation that residents find fair? Can there be student engagement and achievement that allow the community to be proud of the educational experiences of their children? Can the economy grow to accommodate the search for new or better jobs? What will happen to affordable housing? These are the everyday questions that linger.

At the moment, Hudson is debating these issues openly. That is hopeful. Change is slow, but there continue to be citizens that have a vision and are willing to work hard to move towards the realization of their goals. The challenge continues to be how to keep an open agenda and move ahead with transparency in the process of change. We hope that the film challenges other communities to do the same. Citizen activism can make a difference.

Motivation is not the problem. The difficult challenge is to hold back and not pursue every fascinating story that we come across. There are many stories that deserve to be told, and it is hard not to race from one to the next.

My challenge is to try to pull back after a project and to recharge my batteries before I take on another one.

Why did you choose to present your film on public television?

As a filmmaker I want to share my stories with the largest audience possible without having to subject my work to advertising breaks and the other compromises of commercial television. I was attracted by what I knew to be the broad support that PBS gave its filmmakers.

Finally, I am especially excited about being selected as part of the Independent Lens season because of how it is packaged as a venue for documentary features. It gives my story a broad audience and helps me as I increase my own credentials for future projects.

What are your three favorite films?

Wings of Desire by Wim Wenders
Wild Strawberries by Ingmar Bergman
Dr. Strangelove by Stanley Kubrick

What didn’t you get done when you were making your film?

In many ways the film was an extension of our everyday lives. After all, this was our community and these were our battles. If anything, making the documentary made us more active in and engaged with the community than we might have been otherwise. Now that the film has moved into another phase of its life, we often miss the somewhat hectic, but always highly engaging process of the documenting the tumultuous life of Hudson, New York.

If you weren’t a filmmaker, what kind of work do you think you would be doing?

I was trained as a still photographer and if I wasn’t making documentaries, I would like to make portraits, as I am endlessly fascinated with the human face.

From the time I was a child, however, I wanted to work in the United Nations. So perhaps that is the direction I would have gone.

What advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers?

Never give up. Any film project presents huge obstacles that must be overcome. If you believe in your work, then you just have to surmount them.

Funding is one of the largest obstacles. I would encourage anyone to get some initial grants that come from recognizable sources. It is not critical that they be large, but that they come from a source that provides legitimacy to the project. This grant can then be parlayed to further funding. The more one can build a production account on the front end, the more energy can then be focused on the creative aspects of the film.

Try to strive for strong film values throughout the process.

Respect your subjects. Having a camera doesn’t give you rights; it gives you privileges. Consequently, you have greater responsibility in how you affect people’s lives with that camera.

Find the best editor possible. They will make the film.

Have fun. There is so much stress in being a filmmaker that you have to continually find ways to keep a balance. Find the time to laugh and to take care of yourself.

What sparks your creativity?

Just observing the energy of life around me.

Read the filmmaker bios >>

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Integrated Safety Plans Go Far in Ensuring Worker Safety: Making Safety a Part of the Fabric of Your Daily Operations Helps Ensure Work Will Be Performed Safely and Effectively

Article excerpt

There are many compelling reasons to reduce the number of work-related injuries. The biggest motivation is protecting your company's most valuable asset: its employees. The financial reasons are equally persuasive. A safe work environment reduces injuries and lost time, so productivity and profitability are boosted. Regulatory pressures dictate a certain level of safety. And many business owners see improving worker safety as a corporate responsibility, and feel a social and moral obligation to provide a safe work environment.

Safety managers have found integrated safety plans (ISPs) a highly effective way to improve worker safety and reduce accident and injury.

Integrated safety management is a comprehensive process designed to ensure safe work. An ISP systematically integrates safety considerations into management and work practices at all levels to accomplish work while protecting the worker, the public and the environment.

The goal of an integrated safety plan is to improve regulatory compliance by making employees more accountable for safety, reduce injury rates and assure a "system's is in place to handle any safety issues, not just crises.

Most accidents are preventable, and an integrated safety plan is a relatively easy way to do preventive work and raise awareness of safety issues. An integrated safety plan is beneficial in many ways. A successful plan can:

* Improve safety

* Increase work efficiency

* Minimize costs

* Protect the public and the environment

* Increase employee awareness, involvement and morale

Developing an Integrated Safety Plan

Define the scope of work. First, translate the statement of work into project tasks. Prioritize project tasks and allocate resources.

Evaluate the hazards. Analyze project tasks and identify potential process and job hazards. Categorize potential hazards.

Develop and implement hazard controls. Identify applicable laws, regulations, rules and standards. Identify the controls needed to prevent/mitigate potential hazards. Consider the training and qualifications needed to perform the work, the engineering and administrative controls, and the personal protective equipment required. The next step is developing a work plan that establishes how the work will be done, including the resources allocated to the tasks, a schedule of work activities, and as necessary, a task breakdown structure. Then you must communicate the work plan to employees.

Perform work within the controls. You should first perform a prestart readiness assessment to verify you are ready to perform the project tasks. If your assessment says you are prepared, communicate the authorization to start work. Then perform work within the established controls.

Provide feedback and continuous improvement. A site manager assesses the work being performed. Communicate your expectations to employees so they know how to properly report safety issues or concerns. Address any reported safety issues or concerns by implementing corrections. Keep in mind that the extent of documentation required to fulfill each item is dependent upon the complexity and hazards of the work to be performed.

Investing in your Employees

When you have an integrated safety plan in place, your employees see your commitment to their safety. By taking a serious and standard approach to preventing injuries, you are ensuring their quality of life. Employees feel a sense of empowerment when they are asked to participate in the development of a plan that affects them. …


Cooking 101: Brocco-cheese burritos

There is no denying that Americans are getting busier and busier these days. We have so much on our checklists that we have to make time to check off each item.

But we shouldn't let our rushed lifestyles get in the way of getting a solid start to our day.

Despite how cliche it sounds, breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. It's a way to break the fast of snoozing for hours with a meal packed with the nutrients you need for your day.

Brocco-Cheese Burritos are a great on-the-go breakfast. But if you're like me, you'll love these any time of the day.

The original recipe calls for eight eggs, or two eggs per serving. But if you'd like to cut down on the cholesterol, use four whole eggs and four egg whites.

As for the oil, I prefer olive oil, but I've used vegetable oil in a pinch, and it worked just as well.

Brocco-Cheese Burritos

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 box frozen broccoli, defrosted and dried, or a few large stalks of broccoli, finely chopped

Salt and ground black pepper

8 eggs or 4 whole eggs and 4 egg whites

Splash of milk

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

4 large whole-wheat flour tortillas

Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. If using defrosted broccoli, add it to the skillet and cook for about two minutes. If using fresh broccoli, stir occasionally and let cook for 5 to 6 minutes until lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper.

Beat the eggs with a splash of milk, season with salt and pepper and scramble with broccoli. Remove from heat.

Heat tortillas in a dry skillet over medium-high heat for about one minute on each side. Be sure to use them right away; they will harden quickly.

To assemble the burritos, place about a quarter of the egg mixture into the center of the heated tortilla. Top eggs with about a quarter of the shredded cheese. Tuck in the sides and roll from one end to the other.


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Octodad: Dadliest Catch video explores the game's quirky narrative - watch

Octodad: Dadliest Catch has received a new promo from Young Horses.

The behind-the-scenes video delves into how the developer told the story of a simple family 'man'.

The comical stealth title revolves around an octopus named Octodad, who happens to be living on land with a human family.

Due to his boneless nature, Octodad regularly faces challenges on a daily basis, challenging players to find different ways to interact with characters and explore the environment.

Octodad: Dadliest Catch was recently released on PlayStation 4.

The PS4 version features support for new controller configurations, including the PlayStation Move and DualShock 4.

Watch a trailer below:

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In Hawaii, a power developer will soon find out if earth and sky mix.

Pacific Light & Power will build a 10-megawatt solar thermal plant that will combine a trough solar collector from Spain's Albiasa with a turbine traditionally used in geothermal systems.

Why? Ten megawatts is unusually small for a solar thermal field. BrightSource Energy, by contrast, wants to build one in California that will produce 396 megawatts of power. Most solar thermal systems, however, collect heat from the sun to turn water into steam and then feed the steam into gigantic turbines. The heat requirements and the size of the solar thermal fields mean that solar thermal parks can only be built economically in places like North Africa or Arizona where the sun shines almost every day of the year, lots of empty land exists, and humidity remains almost nonexistent. Even the presence of a few clouds can depress the power output.

Geothermal turbines swap water and steam for organic fluids like butane, which turn to vapor at lower temperatures. Thus, geothermal turbines require less heat, which in turn allows for smaller solar fields in a wider range of climates and geographies. Like traditional solar thermal systems, excess heat can be stored and run through the system in the evening or when cloud cover descends.

Jesse Tippett, the managing director of Albiasa, likens it to thin-film solar panels. The underlying technology may not be as efficient but it can generate energy in a wider variety of circumstances.

When completed in 2011, the plant -- located on the island of Kauai -- will provide close to seven percent of the power needed on the island.

Alibasa and PLP describe it as a hybrid plant, but it's more of an unusual concatenation. Generally, hybrid plants are power plants that combine renewable energy generation -- like solar thermal systems or biogas burners -- with gas turbines to provide more baseline-like power. Florida Power and Light and Abengoa are currently building hybrid plants.

Power from the plant will be "close to Hawaiian (grid) parity," he said, which means expensive. Electric power in Hawaii costs around 25.78 cents a kilowatt hour, the highest rate in the U.S., according to the Energy Information Administration. Hawaii generates most of its power from diesel generators. But Albiasa will study ways to bring the cost down to make these systems feasible elsewhere.

Tags: brightsource, geothermal, hawaii, hybrid power plant, power production, solar, spain, thermal, turbine


Recycled Alphabet Craft

Scrap paper , magazines and catalogs all crowd my recycle bin. So today I put them all to work for me and made this recycled alphabet craft using only one piece of paper that hadn’t been rescued from the bin. It’s fun, bright and makes a great long term cooperative art project for young kids. Pull it out when it’s rainy and search for a few letters in a magazine, glue them on and add some more another day. I like projects like these because they teach young kids how be committed to something over more than 20 minutes. Also in classrooms these long term cooperative projects always seemed to be the greatest sources of pride for my students.

  1. Gather your materials. You will need one large piece of paper, some construction paper scraps, glue, a pen, some magazines/catalogs and scissors.
  2. Start by cutting your construction paper into squares ( or any other shape)- this just makes a fun frame, you can skip this and simply glue the letters onto the paper too.
  3. Glue them on. This is a fun way to get your child counting to 26, as well as figuring out how to fit all on one page. If your child is really young I would probably do this before bringing them into the activity, just so their energy is on the letters, not the set up.
  4. Write the alphabet on the construction paper squares.
  5. Cut some letters out of the magazines for your child if they need help. I did this for every age group I worked with up until school age.  They are still challenged looking for the individual letters but not frustrated by looking for them in magazines that may or may not have what they need. * Tip … auto magazines are great for these activities, because of the abundance of car makes with Z, Q and X  letters that are usually a pain to find.
  6. Start adding the letters on. Go for as long as your child wants.  This does not need be be done in one sitting!
  7. To make it more challenging for older kids have them find only upper or only lowercase letters.

Alphabet Books

ABC of Canada by Kim Bellefontaine is a cute little book that is a perfect little introduction about Canada for toddlers and preschoolers. The text is short, the colors are bright and the illustrations are both fun and accurate. I was happy to see things like the northern lights, Calgary Stampede and of course Z is for Zamboni ! Even if you have never been to Canada it’s never too early to learn about your neighbor to the north!

The Alphabet Tree is a stunning book. The book is all about letters that come together to make words and then after a caterpillar informs them that they need to say something they join together to make sentences. Up to this point the book is a brilliant teaching tool , but for me the best part is yet to come. When the words get together they decide to say ” Peace on earth goodwill toward all men” and then the caterpillar asks them to jump on his back so he can take the words to the president . Considering it was written in 1968 it’s quite the statement. A fantastic activity to do with your child after reading this would be to ask them what they would write to the president ? For younger children using letters on leaves you could spell out easy 3 letter words like they do early on in the story. All in all a brilliant book.

Want more Alphabet Crafts? Check out my Alphabet Crafts eBook and you will have a craft for every letter!

Alphabet Books II

firefighters A to Z

eating the alphabet

abc bunny

human alphabet

Alphabet Book List

animalia by Greame Base

Align Center

The Racecar Alphabet by Brian Floca did not live up to my expectations. My main complaint it that the letters aren’t showcased at all. Yes each page starts with the appropriate letter but I really feel like in an alphabet book the letter needs to be obvious , and easy for young children to pick out. The text was centered around each letter but there wasn’t very good flow from one page to the next. I was disappointed in this pick.

What Pete Ate

Baby's Alphabet by Jean Marzollo


Immigration into the United States fluctuated throughout the 20th century because of varying economic conditions. But the changes made by the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 drastically increased the number of immigrants allowed into the United States. The chart below depicts the increase in population per decade during the 20th century with a brief description below of how immigration numbers affected the's goal of reducing annual legal and illegal immigration to more traditional numerical levels enjoys broad based public support. Virtually every major poll that has been conducted in the past decade finds that a majority of Americans support lower immigration numbers.


Czech Rep 28 Serbia 36

at RC Slavia Praha, Vladivostocka, Prague

Serbia withstood a spirited rearguard action from the rapidly improving Czech Republic to take the inaugural Slavic Cup in Prague.

Taking advantage of a disappointing start by the hosts, and inspired by man of the match Mate Granic, Serbia scored 18 unanswered points in the opening spell, capitalizing on the home team's handling errors.

Down 24-4 at the break, the Czechs gave a much improved performance in the second half, inspired by tough-tackling Andrew Mulhall, an Australian-born Czech resident, and Michal Kucera, who the Czech RL association named as their outstanding player.

Thanks to three late tries, two of them to Kucera, the gap was eventually reduced to eight points, as the visitors began to tire.

Delighted Serbia RL official Jovan Vujosevic commented, ?I am delighted with the victory as we blooded several new players to build up our strength in depth.?

?It has been the most challenging year yet for Serbia RL but we have competed successfully at a number of levels and we hope to start further work at under 16?s next year.?

CZECH REP. 28: Tries: Ku?era M.-2, Priputen, Paukner, Brabec.
Goals: Ku?era M.-4.

SERBIA 36: Tries: Pe?i?-2, Novakovi?, Jankovi?, Grani?, Anti?, Vojvodi?.
Goals: Grani?-3, Novakovi?-1.

Sent-off: Novakovi? (Serbia)

CZECH REP.: Priputen, Ciporanov, Mana, Mulhall, Paukner, Ku?era M., Poledna, Br?dle, St??brn?, Holovsk?, Verbich, Kurka, Prokep. Subs (all used): Hencl, Benda, Ku?era J., Brabec.

SERBIA: Miti?, Vojvodi?, Milinkovi?, Anti?, Rakovi?, Grani?, Vujo?evi?, Novakovi?, Pe?i?, Jevti?, Jankovi?, Tom?i?, ?ebeljan. Sub (used): Risti?.


Xanten: Victory Monument

Xanten victory monument: inscription commemorating the end of the Batavian Revolt, found at Vynen, north of Xanten.

The Xanten victory monument
The Xanten victory monument
The text of this monument, which was found near Vynen (north of Xanten) and can be seen in the Rheinisches Landesmuseum in Bonn, illustrates the suppression of the Batavian Revolt in the summer of 70.

AVGvsti  Filio  TRibvnicia  POTestate  IMPeratore
IIII  COnSvle  II  DESIGnato
III  CENSoribvs  DESIGnatis
LEGato  AVGvsti  PRo  PRaetore
LEGato  AVGvsti

... to the son2 of imperator Vespasian
Augustus, with tribunician
powers, imperator for the
fourth time, twice consul, appointed
for a third term, appointed as censors,
to Aulus Marius Celsus,
governor with the rank of propraetor,
and to Sextus Caelius Tuscus,
commander, [this was monument dedicated by]
the Sixth legion

In the confusion after the suicide of the emperor Nero in June 69, the commander of the army of Germania Inferior, Aulus Vitellius, had used the Rhine army to march on Rome. His campaign had been successful, and judging from what measures are known (like appointing Roman knights as heads of the bureaucracy), he might have been a great ruler. However, once Vitellius had become emperor, the eastern legions revolted, proclaiming their commander Vespasian emperor (July 69). The army of the Lower Danube sided with the new pretender, and in December, the forces of Vespasian had captured Rome.

During the civil war, the Rhine frontier was poorly protected and the Batavians, a tribe living in the Lower Rhine area, revolted. Led by Julius Civilis, they besieged and captured the Roman base at Xanten, and the revolt spread to the valleys of the Moselle and Meuse. In 70, Vespasian sent an army to the north to restore order; it was commanded by Quintus Petillius Cerialis, who had already taken part in the march on Rome, and was to have an important command in Britain. After an advance to Mainz and Trier, the expeditionary force moved to the north, to Cologne, which had liberated itself, and to Xanten.

Here, the Batavians tried to defend their homeland. After a fight of two days, the Roman legion II Adiutrix, VI Victrix, XIV Gemina, and XXI Rapax overcame their adversaries. The legionaries of the Sixth dedicated their victory to the emperor, his son Titus, governor Aulus Marius Celsus, and their commander Sextus Caelius Tuscus. This inscription is the lower part of the victory monument; the upper part, in which the emperor himself must have been mentioned (note the plural censors in the fourth line). It is remarkable that Cerialis is absent.


46 publicity stills
0 wallpapers

Heather Mason and her father have been on the run, always one step ahead of dangerous forces that she doesn't fully understand, Now on the eve of her 18th birthday, plagued by horrific nightmares and the disappearance of her father, Heather discovers she's not who she thinks she is. The revelation leads her deeper into a demonic world that threatens to trap her forever.

Starring: Sean Bean, Radha Mitchell, Deborah Kara Unger, Kit Harington, Malcolm McDowell, Carrie-Anne Moss
Links: IMDb, Posters


John Hasbrouck Van Vleck

John Hasbrouck Van Vleck
(1899 - 1980)

American physicist and mathematician who shared the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1977 with Philip W. Anderson and Sir Nevill F. Mott. The prize honoured Van Vleck's contributions to the understanding of the behaviour of electrons in magnetic, noncrystalline solid materials.
Educated at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and at Harvard University, where he received his Ph.D. in 1922, Van Vleck joined the faculty of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, in 1924. He taught at Wisconsin from 1928 to 1934, and he then went to Harvard, where he eventually served as chairman of the physics department (1945-49), dean of engineering and applied physics (1951-57), and Hollis professor of mathematics and natural philosophy (1951-69).

Van Vleck developed during the early 1930s the first fully articulated quantum mechanical theory of magnetism. Later he was a chief architect of the ligand field theory of molecular bonding. He contributed also to studies of the spectra of free molecules, of paramagnetic relaxation, and other topics. His publications include Quantum Principles and Line Spectra (1926) and The Theory of Electric and Magnetic Susceptibilities (1932).


At the end of Grey's Anatomy Season 9, Episode 12: "Walking on a Dream," Queen of Cuts Dr. Cahill came up with a drastic plan to help fix Seattle Grace-Mercy West: Cut the ER.

At first, this seemed like a totally crazy plan. Cut the Emergency Room? Seattle Grace-Mercy West is a hospital! What kind of hospital doesn't have an ER? Especially on TV. How else are we supposed to get hilarious medical cases involving biker gangs and stripper poles?

But the more we thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. We believe Dr. Cahill that the ER is a huge money suck, and there are plenty of interesting medical stories that don't involve ER patients.

That said, we still can't imagine Seattle Grace-Mercy West without an ER. But what about you: Do you think closing the ER would be an interesting twist, or a terrible idea?

Catch the next new episode of Grey’s Anatomy on Thursday, January 31, 2013, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.


Tags » Nuclear Physics

Manchester, UK: the IOP particle, astroparticle, and nuclear physics group meeting

The University of Manchester next week plays host to a swarm of physicists working in nuclear physics, particle physics and astroparticle physics.

It’s ‘IOP2015′, the Institute of Physics’ group meeting for all three fields, all taking place at the same time in the same venue. 153 more words

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Physics Madness Bracket

To coincide with the college basketball playoffs, Symmetry Magazine is running a “Physics Madness” bracket populated by various experiments/facilities in particle physics, nuclear physics, and astrophysics. 15 more words

Thoughts on Nuclear Bombs

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Image of the week: a potential energy pizza

Pizza is one of the most popular dishes in the world, and can be topped with almost anything. But this time, it’s not quite edible. 186 more words

Nuclear Power in our holographic Universe.

Dear Visitor,

William Blake, some two hundred years ago, watched with deep misgivings as the Industrial Revolution changed English society. In this mood, he prayed: “God preserve me from single-eyed vision, and Newton’s Sleep”. 1,615 more words

February's LabTalks in JPhysG: cosmic rays and nuclear reactions

This February, nuclear fission, cosmic rays and nuclear reactions took centre stage in JPhysG’s LabTalks. We ask authors to describe their research and their findings in a non-specialist way, helping readers to understand the advances presented in their research. 169 more words

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Scientific theory vs the experimental method

How can we enhance our understanding of the uncertainties that arise when experiment and theory come together? A new focus issue in JPhysG explores ways to assess uncertainty and improve both the precision and accuracy of nuclear models. 689 more words

Computational Physics