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Japan racism 'deep and profound'

By Chris Hogg BBC News, Tokyo Only about 1% of Japan's population is registered as foreign Doudou Diene, a UN special rapporteur on racism and xenophobia, was speaking at the end of a nine-day tour of the country. He said Japan should introduce new legislation to combat discrimination. Mr Diene travelled to several Japanese cities during his visit, meeting minority groups and touring slums. He said that although the government helped to organise his visit, he felt many officials failed to recognise the seriousness of the racism and discrimination minorities suffered. He was also concerned that politicians used racist or nationalist themes, as he put it, to whip up popular emotions. He singled out the treatment of ethnic Koreans and Chinese and indigenous tribes. Mr Diene says he plans to recommend that Japan enact a law against discrimination, which he said should be drawn up in consultation with minority groups. He said he would now wait for the Japanese government to respond to his comments before submitting a report to the United Nations.

Student Learning Center

Academic Success and Strategic Learning Links Weekly Planning Calendar (pdf) | Weekly Planning Calendar (editable) Download a 24/7 blank schedule that you can use as a weekly and daily planner! SLC Academic Calendar - Fall 2020 Download a blank calendar that you can use to plan your semester! CalREN Project: Study Tips When to Study Find out how you use and misuse your time before making any changes. Plan two hours of study time for every hour spent in class. There are exceptions, but this is a good general rule. Students making the transition from high school or community college are often unaware of the increased workload expected of them. The benefits of following the rule will be apparent at exam time. Study difficult (or boring) subjects first. If your chemistry problems put you to sleep, get to them first, while you are fresh. Most of us tend to do what we like first, yet the courses we find most difficult require the most creative energy. Save the subjects you enjoy for later. Avoid scheduling marathon study sessions. When possible, study in shorter sessions. Three three-hour sessions are far more productive for most students than one nine-hour session. When you do study in long sessions, take a planned break every hour. Work on several subjects and avoid studying similar subjects back to back. Be aware of your best time of day. Many students learn best in daylight hours. Observe yourself and, if this is true of you, schedule study time for your most difficult subjects when the sun is up. The key point is to determine your best learning time. If early morning doesn't work for you, find out what time is better. Use waiting time. Five minutes waiting time for the bus, 20 minutes waiting for the dentist, 10 minutes between classes -- waiting time adds up fast. Have short study tasks ready to do during these times. For example, carry 3X5 cards with equations, formulas, or definitions and pull them out anywhere. Also, use time between classes or breaks during work to review class notes or notes on reading. A solid review of a lecture can be completed in 15 minutes, and even five minutes can be valuable if you are prepared. Keep a calendar for the semester. Keep track of all your assignments, tests, and papers. Make a weekly to-do list of important tasks and assignments that you need to complete. Be sure to prioritize the list and to do the most important tasks first. Where to Study Use a regular study area. Your body knows where you are. When you use the same place to study, day after day, your body becomes trained. When you arrive at that particluar place, it will automatically sense that it's time to study. You will focus your concentration more quickly. Don't get too comfortable. Put yourself into a situation where your mind is alert. Use the library. Libraries are designed for learning. Entering a library is a signal to your body to quiet the mind and get to work. Most students can get more done in a shorter time at the library. Set up study groups. A study group doesn't take the place of individual study, but it forces you to articulate concepts and makes a review more fun and productive. Also, it helps keep your review on schedule and helps you to avoid procrastination. How to Handle the Rest of the World Pay attention to your attention. Breaks in concentration are often caused by internal interruptions; your own thoughts jump in to tell you another story about the world. If this happens too often, perhaps you need to find a different study time or place. Agree with living mates about study time. This includes roommates, wives, husbands, parents, and/or kids. Make the rules clear and be sure to follow them yourself. Make explicit agreements -- even written contracts. Hang a "do not disturb" sign on your door. One student always wears a colorful hat when he wants to study. When his roommates see the hat, they respect his wish to be left alone. Avoid noise distractions. Don't study in front of the TV. Turn off the stereo. Many students insist that they study better with music, and that may be true. Some students have reported good results with carefully selected and controlled music. The overwhelming majority of research indicates that silence is the best form of music for study. Notice how others misuse your time. Be aware of repeat offenders. Ask yourself if there are certain friends or relatives who consistently interrupt your study time. If avoiding them is impractical, send a clear (but gentle) message. Sometimes others don't realize they are breaking your concentration. Get off the phone/Un-plug from Social Media and Other Distractions You don't have to be a telephone victim. Try saying, "I can't talk right now, I'm studying" or let the call go to voicemail. Or avoid the whole problem by studying at the library. Learn to say no. This is a valuable time saver for students, and a valuable life skill. Many people feel it is rude to refuse a request. Saying "no" can be done effectively and courteously. Others want you to succeed as a student. When you tell them that you can't comply with a request because you are busy educating yourself, 99% will understand. Things to Ask Yourself When You Get Stuck Ask: What is one task I can accomplish toward my goal? This is a good technique to use on big, imposing jobs. Pick out one small accomplishment, preferably one you can complete in about five minutes, then do it. The satisfaction of getting one thing done often spurs you on to get one more thing done. Meanwhile the job gets smaller. Ask: Am I beating myself up? When you get frustrated with a reading assignment, or when you notice that your attention wanders repeatedly, or when you fall behind on problems due for tomorrow, take a minute to ask yourself, am I judging myself too harshly? Lighten up. Allow yourself to feel a little foolish, recognize the feeling, and get on with it. Don't add to the problem by berating yourself. Ask: Is this a piano? Carpenters who build rough frames for buildings have a saying they use when they bend a nail or hack a chunk out of a two-by-four. They say, "Well, this ain't no piano." It means perfection is not necessary. Ask yourself if what you are doing needs to be perfect. You don't have to apply the same standards of grammar to review notes that you apply to a term paper. The basketball player who refuses to shoot until the perfect shot is available may never shoot. If you can complete a job 95 percent perfect in two hours, and 100 percent in four hours, ask yourself whether the additional five percent improvement is worth doubling the amount of time you spend. Sometimes it is a piano. A tiny mistake can ruin an entire lab experiment. Computers are notorious for turning little errors into monsters. Accept lower standards where appropriate, especially when time is short. Ask: How did I just waste time? Notice when time passes and you haven't accomplished what you planned. Take a minute to review your actions and note the specific way you wasted time. We operate by habit and tend to waste time in the same ways over and over again. When you have noticed things you do that kill your time, you are more likely to catch yourself in the act next time. Observing one small quirk may save you hours. Ask: Would I pay myself for what I'm doing right now? If you were employed as a student, would you be earning your wages? Ask yourself this question when you notice that you've taken your third popcorn break in 30 minutes. Most students are, in fact, employed as students. They are investing in their own productivity and sometimes don't realize what a mediocre job may cost them. Ask: Can I do just one more thing? Ask yourself this question at the end of a long day. Almost always you may have enough energy to do just one more short task. If you get in the habit of working until you are done, then doing one more thig, those end-of-the-day tasks will soon add up. The overall increase in your productivity will surprise you. Adapted from: Becoming a Master Student, by David Ellis. (College Survival, Inc. 1984) Seven Day Procrastination Elimination Plan These are 7 strategies you can use to eliminate procrastination. The suggestions are tied to the days of the week to help you recall. On Monday, Make it Meaningful. Why is that job important? If you have been putting off something, take a minute to list all the benefits of completing the task. Look at the job in the perspective of your goals. Write down the task you have been avoiding, then, below it, write your reason for doing it. Relate the task to your goals, and be specific about the payoffs and rewards. On Tuesday, Take it Apart. Break big jobs into small, manageable parts. Then be determined to complete one of those tasks. Make each task something you can accomplish in 15 minutes or less. Make the results measurable so you can see your progress. If a long reading assignment intimidates you, break it into two- or three-page sections, list the sections, then cross off each section as you complete it. Give yourself a visual experience of getting something done. On Wednesday, Write an Intention Statement. Use an intention statement in conjunction with a small task you have created. Write your statement on 3X5 card, and carry it with you or post it in your study area where you can see it often. For example, if you have a term paper to write and can't seem to get started, write yourself an intention statement that says, "I intend to write a list of at least ten possible topics for my term paper by 9 pm. I will reward myself with an hour of guilt- free recreational reading." On Thursday, Tell Everyone. Announce your intention publicly. Tell a friend. Tell your spouse, roommate, parents, or children. Telling the world of your intention is an excellent technique to ensure its completion. Make the world your support group. On Friday, Find a Reward. Rewards can be difficult to construct. A reward must be something that you would genuinely withhold from yourself if you did not earn it. Don't pick a movie as a reward if you plan to go to anyway. If you don't complete what you set out to do, and go to the movie anyway, the movie would be an ineffective reward. When you legitimately reap your reward, notice how it feels. You may find that movies, clothes, or an extra hour studying one of your favorite subjects are more enjoyable when you feel like you've earned it. On Saturday, Settle it, Now. Do it now. The minute you notice yourself procrastinating, plunge into the task. Imagine yourself at a mountain lake, poised to dive. Gradual immersion would be slow torture. It's often less painful to leap. Then be sure to savor the feeling of having the task behind you. On Sunday, Say No. When you notice yourself continually pushing a task into the low-priority category, re-examine the purpose for doing it at all. If you realize that you really don't intend to do something, quit telling yourself that you will. That's procrastinating. Tell the truth and drop it. Then you're not procrastinating, and you don't have to carry around the baggage of an undone task. Adapted from: Becoming a Master Student, by David Ellis. (College Survival, Inc. 1984) Techniques To Manage Procrastination Set Priorities. Not: I don't know where to begin, so I can't begin at all. Not: I have to do EVERYTHING! Nothing less will do. Instead: The most important step is to pick one project to focus on. Break the Task Down into Little Pieces. Not: There's so much to do, and it's so complicated. I'm overwhelmed by my English term paper. Instead: I don't have to do the whole project at once. There are separate small steps I can take one at a time to begin researching and drafting my paper. Set Up Small, Specific Goals. Not: I have to write my thesis within two months. Instead: If I write 2 pages per day, Monday-Friday, I can finish a 1st draft in 1 month. I'll have a revised final draft in 2 months. Take One Small Step at a Time. Not: It's too much. I'll never get it all done Instead: What is the one next step on my list? I'll concentrate on that step for right now Reward Yourself Right Away When You Accomplish a Small Goal. Not: I can't take any time out until I'm completely finished. Instead: I spent an hour working. Now I'll call a friend. Use a Time Schedule. Not: I must devote the whole week to this project Instead: I can use these times this week to work on my project: Monday 7-8; Tuesday 7-9; Saturday 10-12. Learn How to Tell Time. Not: Sorting through these papers and reorganizing my file cabinet will be a snap. It won't take me more than an hour, so I can do it any time. Instead: Sorting papers always takes longer than I expect, so I'll start tonight. I'll spend 1 hour filing 1 stack of papers. Optimize Your Chances for Success. Not: I'll do my writing this weekend at home. Instead: I'll write during the week in a library. (Choose whatever conditions are optimal for you to get work done.) Delegate, if Possible. Not: I am the only person in the world who can do this. Instead: I don't have to do this all by myself. I can ask someone else to do part of the job and still feel a sense of accomplishment. Just Get Started. Not: I can't write this speech until inspiration hits. Instead: I'll write what first comes to mind, then improve it later. Look at What You Have Accomplished. Not: I have hardly made a dent in all there is to do. Instead: I have reviewed my lecture notes and read 3 chapters. That won't guarentee me an "A", but it's more than I did yesterday. Be Realistic! Not: I should be able to work full-time, take 4 classes, be president of the Esperanto Club, spend more time with friends, and play tennis 2 hours a day with no trouble at all. Instead: I have limits. I can take on fewer responsibilities and still like myself. Learning by Listening. Not everything is equally important in lecture. Hold yourself accountable for being selective and differentiating between levels of importance. Organize your notetaking as a way to review, test your understanding of ideas, and prepare for exams. You can learn a lot through listening. In college, it will be a prime source of information. Listening is a skill which must be developed. If you apply the following suggestions, you will find yourself listening more effectively. The responsibility for developing interest and understanding is yours. Be an active listener and get the most out of attending lecture. Concentrate on what the speaker is saying. Sit where you can see and hear the speaker easily and where other distractions are at a minimum. Determine why what the speaker is saying is important to you. If you don't have an immediate, vivid reason for listening to a speaker, you are an unmotivated listener. Practice the habit of paying attention. Prepare to get the most out of lecture by reviewing the important points from the previous lecture. Preview the assigned readings to establish some background knowledge. Determine what you know and do not know about the material in order to focus your listening as an opportunity for learning. Listen for the pattern of organization in lecture. Does it begin or end with a brief summary of the main concepts, themes, or ideas? How are details or examples used to develop specific points? What is the relationship between the points presented? What is the structural format? Outline? Comparative analysis? Main idea, background information, supporting points? Inductive or deductive reasoning? Ask yourself: What questions does this lecture answer? What are possible midterm questions that information from lectures could be used to answer? What is the relationship between the lectures and the readings? A System for Effective Listening and Notetaking You can think about 4 TIMES FASTER than a lecturer can speak. Effective LISTENING requires the expenditure of energy; to compensate for the rate of presentation, you have to acively intend to listen. NOTETAKING is one way to enhance listening, and using a systematic approach to the taking and reviewing of your notes can add immeasurably to your understanding and remembering the content of lectures. Before Class Develop a mind-set geared toward listening. Test yourself over the previous lecture while waiting for the next one to begin. Skim relevant reading assignments to aquaint yourself with main ideas, new technical terms, etc. Do what you can to improve physical and mental alertness(fatigue, hunger; time of day, where you sit in the classroom may affect motivation). Choose notebooks that will enhance your systematic notetaking: A separate notebook with full-sized pages is recommended for each course. You might wish to mark off the pages into one of the formats shown at the end of this section. INTEND TO LISTEN. During Class Listen for the structure and information in the lecture. Resist distractions, emotional reactions, or boredom. Be consistent in your use of form, abbreviation, etc. Pay attention to speaker for verbal, postural, and visual clues to what's important. Label important points and organizational clues: main points, examples. When possible translate the lecture into your own words, but, if you can't, don't let it worry you into inattention! If you feel you don't take enough notes, divide your page into 5 sections and try to fill each part every 10 minutes (or work out your own formula). Ask questions if you don't understand. Instead of closing your notebook early and getting ready to leave, listen carefully to information given toward the end of class; summary statements may be of particular value in highlighting main points; there may be possible quiz questions, etc. After Class Clear up any questions raised by the lecture by asking either the teacher or classmates. Fill in missing points or misunderstood terms from text or other sources. Edit your notes, labeling main points, adding recall clues and questions to be answered. Key points in the notes can be highlighted with different colors of ink. Make note of your ideas and reflections, keeping them separate from those of the speaker. Periodically Review your notes: Glance at your recall clues and see how much you can remember before rereading the notes. Look for the emergence of themes, main concepts, methods of presentation over the course of several lectures. Make up and answer possible test questions. Effective Note-Taking Lecture styles vary greatly from speaker to speaker. Some lecturers are beautifully organized, some ramble, some present an hour of anecdotes and leave the student to determine their significance. It is imperative that you figure out a lecturer's style. In the case of the rambler or story teller, you may find yourself at the end of an hour with only a sentence or two written down. Check with other students, but don't be surprised if it works out that your sentences do, indeed, represent the crucial points of the lecture. Purposes of Note-Taking In order to take efficient notes, the student is forced to listen carefully and critically to what is being said. Taking notes aids comprehension and retention. Personal notes in one's own writing are easier to understand and remember than texbook material. Lecture notes should represent a concise and complete outline of the most important points and ideas, especially those considered most important by the professor. Lecture notes clarify ideas not fully understood in the text or elaborate on things that the text mentions only briefly. A frequent complaint of students is that they are unable to determine during the lecture what is important and what might just as well be left out. These students may attempt to write down every word uttered by the professor, combining page after page of isolated facts and details but missing a more general understanding of the material, as they are too busy writing to listen. The following are some suggestions to aid the student in taking efficient lecture notes. Before the Lecture The single most important thing you can do is to read or skim the text prior to attending the lecture. This will enable you to: Get the general overview of main ideas, secondary points, and important concepts. Listen with understanding and determine what is relevant and irrevelant. Identify familiar terms with unfamiliar terms and concepts. Look up the terms before class. Listen for an explantion during the lecture. Ask the professor or TA for an explanation. Note portions of the material which are unclear. Listen for an explanation during the lecture. Develop questions to ask in class. Look for other gaps in information which should be clarified or filled in. During the Lecture Structure of Notes Each student should develop his own method of taking notes, however, the following suggestions may be helpful. Keep a separate section of your notebook or binder for each course. If there are several types of notes for one course, such as lecture notes, notes on outside readings, and computation of problems, you may want to arrange them on opposite pages for purposes of cross-reference. Notes for each lecture should begin on a new page. This makes for a greater legibility and allows for more freedom in organization. Date your lecture notes and number all pages. Make your notes brief. Never use a sentence when you can use a phrase, or a phrase when you can use a word. Use abbreviations and sumbols wherever possible. Put most notes in your own words. However, the following should be noted exactly: Formulae Definitions Specific facts Note your lecturer's chief pattern. S/he may be summarizing the text and highlighting important points, or trying to draw relationships between new and previous understandings. S/he may expect you to get the textbook material on your own while he discusses related outside material. If s/he is highlighting the text, take down explanations and examples. Seeing a concept stated in more than one way can help you understand it. If s/he draws relationships and asks questions, note the questions and answers. If s/he doesn't give the answers, try to find them after class. Don't worry about outlining, but use indentations to distinguish between major and minor points. Numbers and letters may be added later if you wish. However, if the lecturer says s/he will make four or five points, list four or five causes, etc., be sure to use numbers as a check on having taken them all down. Note down unfamiliar vocabulary and unclear areas. If the lecturer discusses something you don't understand, take it down as best and as completely as you can. Then you can check with the text or at least know what questions to ask if getting help from someone else. If your instructor knows just what you don't understand, s/he's in a position to help you. If you should miss something completely, leave a blank space and get it later. Use margins for questions, comments, notes to yourself on unclear material, etc. Develop a code system of note-marking to indicate questions, comments, important points, due dates of assignments, etc. This helps separate extraneous material from the body of notes and also helps point out areas which are unclear. Margins are excellent places for coded notations. Some suggested codes are: ? - not clear at time of lecture Imp. or ! - important Q - questions * - assignment C - comment(student's own) Attempt to differentiate fact from opinion. Content. Notes should include all main ideas and enough subordinate points to clarify understanding. All formulae, rules, definitions, and generalizations should be included. Inclusion of the speaker's illustrations and examples may help clarify concepts when notes are reviewed. Marginal notes facilitate speedy location of specific items. Instructors usually give clues as to what is important to take down: previews and summaries material written on blackboard, other visual aids repetition vocal emphasis questions asked of the class word clues: four causes of; four aspects of; therefore; in conclusion; and so we see; hence; in a like manner; on the other hand; however; cause-effect; relationships; etc. After the Lecture Go over your notes as soon as possible after the lecture. See below for an example of "mapping" Clear up illegibilities in writing, check for errors, fill in further facts and examples while the lecture is still fresh in your mind. At this point you should clear up misunderstandings or fill in missing information by consulting the lecturer, TA, classsmates, the texts, or addtional readings. Immediate review is essential to retention. Unless you review within 24 hours after lecture or at least before the next lecture, retention will drop sharply and you will be relearning rather than reviewing. Merely recopying notes without thinking about or revising them does not necessarily aid retention. A more helpful practice is to manipulate the material by reorganizing it and putting it in your own words. For a well-organized lecture, an outline can suffice, but in the case of material where important ideas and relationships are scattered throughout, there is a technique called mapping which can be very useful in restructuring and putting together the relevant points. The use of this technique forces you to critically evaluate material in terms of main ideas, secondary points, and details, and to structure this content in an organized and coherent fashion. Relationships must be observed and established, irrelevant material may be excluded. This can be one of the most efficient means of immediate review for optimal retention. Test Taking -- General Tips Tests measure how you are doing in a course. Usually test scores are the key determinants of your course grade. Doing well on tests requires test-taking skills, a purposeful positive attitude, strategic thinking and planning, and, naturally, a solid grasp of the course content. This article contains tips that apply to all types of tests: Additional tips are available for problem solving tests, objective tests, and essay tests. How to Prepare for Tests Familiarize yourself with the test. Ask the professor how long it will be and what kind of questions will be on it. Ask your instructor which concepts are most important, which chapters to focus on, and what you will have to do on the test. Also ask for some sample test questions and whether there is a copy of a similar test on file in a library. Look over the tests you have already taken in the course to predict what you will need to prepare for. Your aim is to determine both the content of the questions and the type of memory/intellectual skills you will be asked to use. Examples of these skills include: Remembering specific facts. Comparing, contrasting, and otherwise interpreting meaning in the information studied. Applying principles and theories to solve problems (that may not have been covered explicitly in the materials). Predicting possible outcomes given a set of variables. Evaluating the usefulness of certain ideas, concepts, or methods for a given event or situation. Overview all the work to be done and schedule time to do it. On the basis of your familiarity with the test, make a list of all the tasks you must complete to prepare for it. Given what topics you expect to be most important on the test, set priorties among your study tasks and plan to do the most important ones first. In scheduling your test preparation work, keep as much as possible to your own routines. If you do not know how to make a study schedule, refer to the article on time management. Avoid the "escape syndrome". If you find yourself fretting or talking about your work rather than studying, relax for a few minutes and rethink what you are doing - reappraise your priorities and if necessary rethink your study plan to address your worries and then START WORKING. Deal with unread materials - succinctly. Approach your unread materials keeping in mind all of your study plan, how much time you have to catch up on your reading, and what it is you need to pull out of the reading. Preview the material, dividing it up into parts looking for the organizational scheme of the work. Decide what parts in the reading you can omit, what parts you can skim, and what parts you want to read. Set time limits for each part, and keep to the limits. Use the following techniques to help move through the reading: Skim all the reading material first (except the parts you have decided to omit) so you will have at least looked at everything before the test. Take notes on what you skim. Read, emphasizing key sentences and concentrating on understanding the ideas expressed. Try editorializing as you read by asking yourself questions regarding WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and HOW about the information. Recite the material to yourself immediately, self-testing at the end of each part to enhance recall even without later review. Review actively. Integrate notes, text, and supplementary information onto summary sheets by diagramming, charting, outlining, categorizing in tables, or simply writing paragraph summaries of the information. Try to create a summary sheet for each study session, or for each main idea, or for each concept. Use as many of the suggested ways possible, bringing all your senses as well as your sense of humor to bear on these summary sheets to make them really personally meaningful. The more of yourself you put into these sheets, the better you will remember the information. Practice doing what you will be doing on the test. If you will be solving problems, then that is what you need to do while studying; if you will be conjugating Spanish verbs, then write these out. Answer unassigned problems or questions in the text or anticipate test questions by thinking frequently, 'If I were making up this test, I would probably ask...', and then answer your question. Remember, the single most effective way to prepare for any test is to practice doing what you will have to do on the test. It is frequently useful to study with other well-prepared students and to attend any review sessions if available. Use these forums to clarify any questions you have about the materials and the test. Do not expect review sessions to repeat any lectures nor to present any addition information. The purpose of these sessions is to give you the opportunity to ask questions about the information to further your understanding. How to Take Tests Be prepared emotionally and physically as well as intellectually. Get into a "fighting" attitude, emotionally ready to do your best. Stay away from others right before the test. Anxiety is highly contagious. Focus on what you know rather than on what you do not know: Reinforce your strengths and arrest your weaknesses. Get your rest the night before a test, eat well balanced meals, keep up with your regular exercise - prepare your brain for optimum functioning by keeping your physical resources well maintained. Avoid fasts; do not take any stimulants you are not used to, and if you are used to them (i.e. coffee or soft drinks) keep within moderate amounts. Arrive at the test room early enough to arrange your working conditions, establishing a calm and alert mode. Select a seat where the lighting is the best (frequently in the front of the room) and where your view of other students will be minimized. When you receive your test, use the back to jot down all the information you are worried you might forget. Remember first to ask whether you can write on the test form itself. Preview the whole test before beginning to answer any questions. Make sure your copy has no missing or duplicate pages. Ask the instructor or proctor to clarify any ambiguities. Read the directions carefully. Plan your time. Allow the most time for the questions which offer the most points. Allocate time at the end to review. Start with the easy questions to build your confidence and to gain time for the harder ones. Work the entire test: Put down some answer for each question, even if you must guess (unless there is a penalty for guessing). Do not panic if you see a question you did not anticipate or prepare for. Use everything you know about the content of the course, the instructor's explanations and your own reasoning ability to analyze the question and create a logical answer. Go for partial credit when you know you cannot get all the points: If you have studied, you are bound to know something. Read the question as is. Avoid overanalyzing or oversimplifying, or you will end up answering a question that exists only in your mind, not on the grading key. Answer the question the testmaker intended: interpret the test within the scope of the course. How to Analyze Returned Tests If you receive your test back to keep, rework your errors trying to reason out why the correct answer was correct. If you do not receive your test back, visit your instructor's office to take a look at your answer sheet and the questions you missed. Look for the origin of each question - text, notes, labs, supplementary reading, etc. Identify the reason you missed a question. Did you fail to read it correctly? Did you fail to prepare for it? Was the test at a more difficult level than you prepared for? Did you run out of time? Check the level of detail and skill of the test. Were most of the questions on precise details and facts or were they over main ideas an principles? Did the questions come straight from the text, or did the testmaker expect you to make sophisticated transformations and analyses? Did you have any problems with anxiety or blocking during the test? Taking Essay Tests Preparing for Essay Tests Begin your preparation by reading your instructor's course description and syllabus and then writing down whatever assumptions, biases, and teaching objectives are stated or implied in these materials. Determine how the various course topics relate to one another, and note any repeated themes. Think about any potential essay questions you can generate from this information, and then write them down. Read assignments and listen to lectures and discussions with the purpose of determining how the course content supports the major themes and answers the major questions you have generated from the course description and syllabus. Modify and refine these themes and questions throughout the course as you gain additional information. At some point prior to the test - preferably a week or two before - quickly look over your notes and the chapter headings from your readings. From this overview, generate a list of major topics for the course material covered. For each major topic, create a summary sheet of all the relevant factual data that relates to that topic. (See "Taking Tests - General Tips" (below) for more information about summary sheets. In addition to learning the factual material, determine any logical relationships among topics. These relationships are often predictive of essay test questions. For example, if, in a history course, you find that two political movements are noticeably similar, then your instructor may very well ask you to compare and contrast the two movements. Generate a list of possible essay questions and consider setting up and answering as many of these questions as time permits. Taking Essay Tests Read all essay questions before you start to write. As ideas and examples come to you, jot them down on scratch paper or on the back of the test so that you won't clutter your mind trying to remember everything. Budget your time according to the point value of each question, allowing time for proofreading and any unexpected emergencies (such as taking longer than you expected on a questions or going blank for a while.) As you read the questions, underline key words (eg., compare, explain, justify, define) and make sure you understand what you are being asked. Begin with the questions that seems easiest to you. This procedure reduces anxiety and facilitates clear thinking. Before actually writing, determine the relationship implied by the question, even if the key word or words do not express a specific relationship. For example, if you were given the following question, "The Progressive Movement was a direct response to the problems of industrialization. Discuss.", you might narrow your response to a more specific cause/effect relationship like the following:"What were the problems of industrialization that caused a response that we label The Progressive Movement?" After determing the relationship implied by the question, picture the relationship by creating a chart or matrix of the related elements. Be sure to separate general issues you wish to bring up from supporting details and examples. Once this framework for your ideas has been created, generate as many ideas as you can within the allotted time to fill in the categories you have established. (See Figure 1). Figure 1. Sample of Prewriting Matrix GENERAL CAUSE PROBLEMS OF INDUSTRIALIZATION EFFECT: PROGRESSIVE RESPONSE Social Urbanization Change in Family New Labor Conditions New Social Conditions Muckraking--Spargo Settlement House Working Condition Laws Brandeis Brief Political Growth of Bossism: Tweed Muckraking--Baker LaFollette Reform Party Platform--1912 Economic Trusts: Standard Oil Wealth Distribution Muckraking--Tarbeil Anti-trust Legislation Railroad Regulation While You Write Be sure your answer has a definite thesis that directly answers the question. State this thesis within the first few sentences of your answer. Provide specific as well as general information in your response by including examples, substantiating facts, and relevant details from your pre-writing matrix. Use the technical vocabulary of the course. Leave space for additions to your answer by writing on every other line and on only one side of each page. Write legibly. If your mind goes blank or you don't know much about a question, relax and brainstorm for a few moments about the topic. Recall pages from your texts, particular lectures, and class discussions to trigger your memeory about ideas relevant to the question. Write these ideas down as coherently as you can. When you reach the end of your alloted time period for a given question, move on to the next item: Partially answering all questions is better than fully anwering some but not others. The instructor can't give you any credit for a question you haven't attempted. If you find yourself out of time on a question but with more to say, quickly write down in outline form what you would write if you had time. After You Write Re-read your answers and make any additions that are necessary for clarity and completeness. Check your response for errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Analyzing Returned Essay Tests Read all comments and suggestions. Look for the origins of the questions. Did most of the information your instructor expected on your essay come from the lectures? From the texts? From outside readings? Determine the source of your errors. Was there any course content tested for which you failed to prepare or were inadequately prepared? Did you misread or misunderstand any of the questions? Did you do poorly because you ran out of time? Were you too anxious to focus on the questions and your responses? Did the instructor criticize your writing skills - grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, style, or organization - or how you developed or argued your points? Check the level of difficulty or the level of detail of the test questions. Were most of the questions asking for precise details or main ideas and principles? Did most of the quesitons come straight from the material covered, or did the instructor expect you to be able to analyze and/or evaluate the information? Did you have any problems with anxiety or blocking during the test? Portions of this handout have been adapted from materials developed by Nancy Wood, University of Texas at El Paso, and David Hubin and Susan Lesyk, University of Oregon Taking Problem-Solving Tests Preparing for Problem-Solving Tests Review notes and text - list the major concepts and formulas that have been covered. Highlight those topics/problems that were emphasized. Note why they were emphasized. The single best way to prepare for problem-solving tests is to solve problems - lots of them. Work problems not previously assigned. Analyze all problems you work: What concepts, formulas, and rules did I apply? What methods did I use? How did I begin? Have I seen this problem before? Is it similar to or dissimilar from other problems I've done? How does my solution compare with the examples from the book and class? Could this problem be worked another way? Can I simplify what I did? In your own words, next to each problem-solving step, explain what you did and why. Look for fundamental problem types. Usually a course has approximately 5 fundamental groups of problems - make sure you can recognize what they are. Practice working problems out of sequence. For example, work a problem from Chapter 7, then one from Chapter 5, then one from Chapter 10. This randomness will allow you to see how different problems relate to each other and will simulate the test-taking experience. Work with a time limit - aim to solve as many problems as you will have on the test within the test time limit (i.e., 30 problems in 50 minutes). Make up a practice test. Possibly you might cut/paste/xerox a test from your homework problems. Taking Problem-Solving Tests Before starting the test, turn it over and jot down all the formulas, relationships, definitions, etc., that you are trying to keep current in memory. Look the whole test over, skimming the questions and developing a general plan for your work. If any thoughts come to you immediately as you look at a problem, note these down in the margin. Plan your time. Allow more time for high point value problems: Reserve time at the end of the period to review your work and to handle emergencies. Start with the easier problems, the ones for which you can specify a solution method quickly. This will reduce anxiety and facilitate clear thinking. For the more difficult problems: Make absolutely sure that you understand the posed problem: Mark key words, identify the givens and unknowns in your own words, sketch a diagram or picture of the problem, anticipate the form and characteristics of the solution (e.g., it has to be an integer, the solution is an algebraic expression, etc.) Make a note, in symbols, diagrams, graphs or tables of all the information given. For complex problems, list all the formulas you consider might be relevant to the solution, then decide which you will need to begin with. If you have no solution method: If possible, write out an equation to express the relationships among all the givens and unknowns, accounting for all the data and facts of the problem. Think back to similar practice problems to select a solution method. Solve a simpler form of the problem if dealing with complex configurations OR substitute simple numbers for unknowns to reduce the amount of abstract thinking required. Break the problem into a series of smaller problems and work each part, thus building up to a solution. Guess an answer and check it. Possibly the checking process will suggest a solution method. If all else fails, mark it to come back to later and work another problem. You may find clues in subsequent problems. For all problems, easy and difficult: Once you have the solution method, follow it carefully. Check each step for consistency in notation. Document all your work so that it may be read easily; write legibly. Evaluate your solutions. Check your answers against the original problem to make sure they fit. Try all test problems. If your mind goes blank, relax for a moment and contemplate the problem OR mark it to come back later. If you run out of time and still have some problems left, try to gain at least partial credit by setting the problem up in a solution plan (even if you can't follow through on calculations). Analyzing Returned Problem-Solving Tests Read the comments and suggestions. Locate the source of the test: Did the problems come from the lectures, the textbook, or the homework? Note any transformations - how were the problems changed from those in the notes, text, and homework? Detemine the source of your errors: Were your errors due to carelessness? For example, did you fail to carry a negative sign from one step to another? Did you misread questions? For example, did you fail to account for all the given data in your solution method? Did you consistently miss the same kind of problem? Could you produce the formulas, or did you remember them incorrectly? Were you unable to finish the test because you ran out of time? Were you unable to solve problems because you had not practiced doing similar ones? Did you have a difficult time during the test because you were too anxious to focus on the questions? Taking Objective Tests Objective tests measure your ability to remember many facts and figures as well as your understanding of the course materials. These tests are often designed to make you think independently - do not count on recognizing the right answer ; instead prepare yourself for high level critical reasoning and making fine discriminations to determine the best answer. The most common objective test questions are multiple-choice, true-false, and matching items. Doing well on these questions requires that you not only master the information but also interpret the test-maker's intentions. You know you have mastered the information if you can: Recall specific terms, facts, names, and other key words; become proficient in the language of the course. Distinguish the ways in which ideas, facts, theories, or other observations differ from each other AND categorize ideas, facts, theories or other observations according to the ways these are similar. Answer the questions and solve the problems in the text and create your own questions or problems. Preparing for Objective Tests Review notes and text(s) - list the major concepts that have been covered Highlight those topics that were stressed. Note why they were stressed. Think vocabulary. Every field of study has its own vocabulary. Identify words/terms used to represent specific concepts (i.e., the word 'paradigm' in a social science research course) and treat them as you would a foreign language - make flash cards for frequent drills, and try to use these words whenever you work with course-related materials. Compare and contrast. Sometimes objective questions can be used to test your ability to distinguish concepts, ideas, theories, events, or facts from each other. Construct diagrams, charts, tables, or lists to summarize relationships. Recite for precision. Review your retention of the information by recalling it often. Use odd moments, in addition to 15-20 minute review sessions, to say or write out complete ideas, facts. It is very important to verbalize the recalled information completely and in a detailed manner so that you will have a precise idea of your mastery of the material. Taking Objective Tests General tips. Plan your time. Allow more time for high point value questions; reserve time at the end to review your work, and for emergencies. Before starting the test, turn it over and jot down all the facts and details you are trying to keep current in memory. Look the whole test over, skimming the quesitons and developing a general plan for your work. If any immediate thoughts come to you, jot them down in the margin. Check with your instructor whether or not you can write on the test. Read the directions very carefully. Look for time limits, specific answering procedures (i.e., answer 3 out of the 4 questions below), how questions will be graded. Start with the section of the test that will yield the most points, but begin working with the easiest questions to gain time for the more difficult ones and to warm up. Work quickly, check your timing regularly, and adjust your speed when necessary. Avoid reading into the question. When you find yourself thinking along the lines of "this is too easy; there must be a trick..." mark the question and move on to another. When you begin modifying the question, the answer you will come up with will be different from the one on the teacher's key. Interpret questions literally. Choose the answer the testmaker intended - stay within the scope of the course. If you know facts that are beyond the level of sophistication of the test, 1) Record the intended answer, and 2) point out the possible ambiguity and make a case for a different answer either in the margin of the test or during the next regular class. Mark key words in every question. To help find the key works ask yourself WHAT, WHO, WHERE, WHEN, and HOW? Multiple choice questions. Probably the most commonly used objective questions, multiple choice questions, consist of 2 parts: The stem - the statement or question. The choices - also known as the distractors. There are usually 3 to 5 options from which you choose the one that will complete the stem statement or question.You are to select the correct choice, the option that completes the thought expressed in the stem. There is a 20% chance that you will guess the correct choice if there are 5 choices listed. Although multiple choice questions are are most often used to test your memory of details, facts, and relationships, they are also used to test your comprehension and your ability to solve problems. Reasoning ability is a very important skill for doing will on multiple choice tests. Read the stem as if it were an independent, free standing statement. Anticipate the phrase that would complete the thought expressed, then evaluate each answer choice against your anticipated answer. It is important that you read each choice, even if the first choice matches the answer you anticipated, because there may be a better answer listed. Another evaluation technique is to read the stem together with each answer choice as if it were a true-false statement. If the answer makes the statement a false one, cross it out. Check all the choices that complete the stem as a true statement. Try to suspend judgment about the choices you think are true until you have read all the choices. Beware of words like not, but, except . Mark these words because they specify the direction and limits of the answer. Also watch out for words like always, never, and only . These must be interpreted as meaning all of the time, not just 99% of the time. These choices are frequently incorrect because there are few statements that have no exceptions (but there are a few). If there are two or more options that could be the correct answer, compare them to each other to determine the differences between them, and then relate these differences with the stem to deduce which of the choices is the better one. (Hint: Select the option that gives the most complete information.) If there is an encompassing answer choice, for example "all of the above", and you are unable to determine that there are at least two correct choices, select the encompassing choice. Use hints from questions you know to answer questions you do not. Make educated guesses - eliminate options any way you can. True-False Questions. Also a popular question type, the true-flase question has only two options. Your odds are always 50-50 with this type of item. Typically, testmakers tend to focus on details in true-false questions. In order for a statement to be true, it must be so 100% of the time. This means each part of the question. Thus you must evaluate the trueness of WHAT, WHO, WHERE, WHEN, and HOW for each statement. Beware of words that qualify and give specific meanings. Words like some, usually, not frequently denote true statements, but be careful to interpret each statement as a special case. Another type of word, such as always and never , should be interpreted as meaning without exception. If you can think of an exception, the statement is false. Testmakers often mismatch items or names with inappropriate events or definintions to test your mastery and alertness. Matching Questions. Matching questions give you some opportunity for guessing. You must know the information well in that you are presented with two columns of items for which you must establish relationships. If only one match is allowed per item, then once items become eliminated, a few of the latter ones may be guessed. The relationship is the crucial factor in a set of matching items. Usually the relationship is common to all included items. For example, all the items in Column B define the terms in Column A, or the individuals named in Column A wrote the books listed in Column B. For every match you make, cross the the items in both columns (unless there is more than one match possible). Begin with the lengthier column containing the information, evaluating the items in the column with shorter descriptions for a match. This way you save time by not constantly having to re-read the lengthy statements.

Fast Talk: Dream Jobs

Let Your Dream Job Evolve Tom Colicchio advertisement advertisement To this day, the best job I ever had was working the grill at my parents’ country club in New Jersey when I was 15 years old. I made $275 a week in cash and got to work in a pair of cutoffs. But your idea of a dream job changes over time. When I was 22, I wanted to run a top restaurant in New York, and I achieved that with Gramercy Tavern when I was in my early thirties. At that point, you can open more restaurants, or you can just take it easy. If I still just had Gramercy Tavern, I’d probably only show up to work at 5 o’clock three days a week, but I realized I wanted more. You can’t be a chef forever. It takes too much out of you. Thomas Keller, who runs the French Laundry and is probably the best chef in America, spends a tremendous amount of time in the kitchen. At the end of the day, he can barely stand up. It used to be the same for me. I can’t and don’t want to do that anymore. I don’t spend nearly as much time with my 11-year-old boy as I want. I want to play my guitar two hours a day. If I couldn’t do those things, I’d be very difficult to work with. My company is now my dream job. The cooking first attracted me, but now I love the business end of it, too. It’s not only about creativity in the kitchen but also how to deal creatively with some of the business issues. The guy running our new lunch spot ‘wichcraft has worked with me for nine years. He had a passion for sandwiches. I helped him design the shop, create the menu, and now we’re rolling it out across the country. That’s every bit as fun as seeing these young guys come up and do some great work in the kitchen. Connect to Your Passion Tim Brosnan advertisement I was the captain of my college baseball team, but I knew I didn’t have what it takes to play in the majors. At some point, I decided I wasn’t going to be embarrassed about telling people what I wanted to do, which was to work in baseball. I got a lot of snide remarks, but I eventually met a guy whose brother-in-law was the Yankees’ general counsel. That led to a meeting with the deputy commissioner. He asked, “What do you think you could do for us?” And I said, “I’ll scrub toilets if you’ll give me a job. I think I can prove myself once I get in.” I was hired in 1991 to head international business affairs and have been in baseball ever since. The business of baseball is all about connecting to people’s passion for the game. I have to be acutely aware of my own baseball passion, because we have to figure out what is lovable about our product and constantly manipulate it to keep it that way. Understanding everything that needs to be dealt with to put the game on the field — to create that pristine, nine-versus-nine, summer-night, smell-of-grass, shine-of-lights experience — has made me appreciate the game even more. It’s a huge entertainment business. Baseball’s revenues will be north of $4.5 billion this year. I get to exist inside the game, but I also get to work in an enormously dynamic business environment. A childhood friend of mine from the Lower East Side still calls me and tells me what’s good, what’s bad, what’s wrong, and what’s right about baseball. I can have that discussion because I still have that love for the game. The only thing I can’t do is root as hard for the Yankees as he does. Pursue the Creative Spirit Halle Stanford In college, when all the other students were making dark movies, I was saying, “Let’s do a puppet television show!” I interviewed for a job with the Jim Henson Co. after graduation and was told that I was overqualified but to keep in touch. They actually meant it, though, because soon after, I was hired as a creative assistant. I was the grand note-taker, but it was exciting nonetheless. The first time I met [Muppets puppeteer] Frank Oz, I nearly fainted. The words that came out of my mouth were, “I like Grover.” And he said to me, “So do I.” advertisement At the time, the company had just healed from the grief of losing Jim, when everybody picked themselves up again. As a 22-year-old just starting out, I really benefited from that creative spirit. The company was willing to nurture who I was, building my talent from within, and I worked my way up. In 2000, a German company acquired Henson. I loved working at Henson, but I didn’t love watching the company go into creative limbo, so I left. For three years, I produced shows on my own, trying to keep that Hensonesque creative dialogue going. When the Henson family took back the company in 2003, I knew it would have everything again creatively. When Jim’s daughter, Lisa, called me last year to come back and head kids’ TV, I gladly accepted. The staff is leaner, more focused, and very excited. My mom told me, “You are so much happier now that you’re back there again.” It really is more of a dream job now. Those Who Do, Teach Rick Steves I’m real thankful that I found something I love doing that works from a business point of view. When I wrote my first guidebook, I was a piano teacher with a recital hall, but gradually the hall became used more for travel lectures than for piano recitals. When I’m in Europe, I’m breathing straight oxygen, I’m 10 years younger, I’m bolting out of bed in the morning, making new friends, learning new things, putting the puzzle together, coming home, and making a lot of money. It’s pretty cool. advertisement Lately, I have so much to update that I spend less time out there looking for new stuff, which is frustrating. But it’s just a reality that I can only do so much, and I’m more committed to making sure my existing material is accurate than finding new stuff. In the old days, I would lead tours all summer long, five three-week tours in a row. Now we do 300 tours a year, and I have 80 guides who work for me, so I lead tours mainly through my books, which are a kind of blueprint, and TV shows. Even though I don’t get to explore as much anymore, the joy and reward in my work have always been about teaching. I just love helping people travel better. I’m a teacher with eager students. People come to me because they’re excited about their upcoming trip, and the idea that they can learn from my mistakes and travel better is very exciting to me. People rely so closely on the books for their trips that they’re on a first-name basis with me. I’m their travel partner in their pocket. I’ve got enough money. I measure profits by how many trips I positively affect.

TNT stash found at Moscow hotel

The Moskva - a landmark for decades - is being rebuilt A ton of World War II explosives has been found at the site of the landmark Moskva Hotel in central Moscow. The find has been linked to Soviet plans to blow up key buildings if Nazi German troops reached the city. Construction workers were laying the foundations for the new Moskva Hotel when they came upon the crates of TNT, which have now been removed. Experts say there were no detonators and the explosives had decomposed so there was no danger of an explosion. The explosives were packed into 20kg crates. The site lies just beyond Red Square and the Kremlin's walls. Russian NTV said the hotel had been mined in case Hitler's troops had taken Moscow. The German forces made it to the outskirts in 1942, but Russian troops stopped them pushing into the centre. The Moskva was the first hotel to be built in Moscow after the 1917 communist revolution. A replica is being built in its place.

Meaningless sex? Male mounting reduces sexual promiscuity of females

Fakery is seen throughout the animal kingdom and is especially evident in the realm of mate selection and mating behavior. A puzzling behavior frequently observed in many species is copulation between males and females without the delivery of semen. In a world where reproduction is key to a species, survival, such behavior poses a real mystery. In a study that sheds new light on the evolution of sexual behavior, researchers have utilized a novel technique to reveal that in feral chickens, the simple stimulus generated by male mounting--in the absence of actual insemination--reduces the sexual promiscuity of a hen, indicating that even copulations that do not result in semen transfer may be crucial to defend the paternity of a male. Females of many species often copulate with multiple males, leading to the phenomenon of sperm competition--the competition between the ejaculates of different males to successfully fertilize eggs. The battles of sperm competition occur at the cellular and molecular levels and involve the production of sperm-associated substances that boost the competitiveness of a male's sperm; however, the production of these substances comes at an energetic cost to males. Males who can avoid such costs--and still successfully mate--may be at a reproductive advantage. Therefore, in some species, males may avoid sperm competition by preventing females from mating with other males. However, previous studies have not fully considered the possibility that female promiscuity may be inhibited by stimuli generated by the simple act of male mounting. In the new study, a team of researchers led by Dr. Tommaso Pizzari of the University of Oxford tested this idea in the feral chicken, a sexually promiscuous species. By using a novel but technologically simple technique--fitting some hens with a light plastic harness covering their cloaca and thus preventing insemination--the researchers were able to separate the effect of insemination products from that of mounting alone and to detect the behavioral response of hens. The use of this technique demonstrated that mounting alone (independently of insemination) not only drastically inhibits the propensity of a hen to mate with a new rooster but also reduces the number of sperm that she obtains from a new rooster in the 2–4 days following mounting. The researchers therefore showed that roosters can defend their paternity by reducing the promiscuity of the hens that they have inseminated; they do so by exploiting in these hens the response to the simple stimulus of mounting. Consistent with this idea, roosters often mount hens that they previously inseminated, but without subsequently delivering additional semen. The study demonstrates that even though the ultimate function of sex is fertilization, copulations resulting in the delivery of little or no sperm are not necessarily functionally meaningless but may instead have an important evolutionary significance. Source : Cell Press

Digital Home Canada – Web and Mobile App development in Toronto and Mississauga from inception to implementation.

Digital Home Canada is a Toronto based digital consulting practice which assists clients in managing all aspects of their web and mobile app development projects including: Mentoring Project Charter Requirements Planning Needs Assessment Workshop Facilitation Ongoing Product Management Project Management Vendor Selection ERP / SaaS selection Mobile App development Website Development Training and post development support Digital Home Canada is headed by Hugh Thompson, a digital development specialist and entrepreneur with over 25 years years of digital marketing, IT, web and mobile app development experience. Contact us at (905) 919-0356 for a free consultation. Enabled.Life – Enabling the Digital World Enabled Life is a framework developed by Digital Home Canada for building digital properties which hold greater appeal to older adults. The purpose of Enabled.life is to provide guidance and direction to web, mobile and TV app developers when building or re-designing digital properties. The goal is to build dynamic feature rich digital properties that incorporate functional and design elements to address the specific needs of Canadian over the age of 45 who now comprise 57% of the Adult population. Digital Home works with product and project managers in an iterative approach to incorporate functional and accessible design changes into their backlogs. Robust Low Cost Web Development Building websites does not have to be expensive. Beautiful, robust, state of the art corporate websites complete with such features as eCommerce, feedback forums, support systems, social media plugins and more can now be built cheaply and effectively by leveraging open source content management systems like WordPress, Joomla, phpBB, BBPress, osTicket, or ecommerce systems like Magento, and WooCommerce. Contact us at (905) 919-0356 and learn how we can help. Digital Marketing After starting his career in a traditional advertising agency, Hugh began working with digital marketing agencies honing his skills during his eight years of building Digital Home into Canada’s most visited Consumer Electronics website. Vendor Selection For clients who lack the in-house resources to complete a web or mobile app, we can help define the requirements and produce the necessary documentation to carry out the search for a qualified North American or off-shore development shop. Walking the Walk It’s often said that “Those who can, do; those who can’t, consult”. Hugh has climbed the mountain. Beginning in 2001, and despite a fair bit of derision and skepticism, Hugh single handedly, created, designed, developed, implemented, and administered a Canadian focused website that grew to an audience of over 550,000 unique Canadian visitors a month. While Hugh owned the site, it was Canada’s most popular special interest website. So, do you want a talker, or do you want the experience of someone with a track record of success? For more info call us at (905) 919-0356 today. Some recent projects Web Application and Mobile App Scoping, Needs Assessment, Design and Development. Project Charter, Workshop Facilitation, Needs Assessment, Wireframing, Vendor Outsourcing For more information, contact Hugh Thompson at (905) 919-0356

metrobits.org

215 metro logos, sorted by city There are different kinds of metro logos: In some cities, a logo stands for the metro system itself, while in others, logos represent one or several operating companies. So there may be more than one logo in one city, while in another, a logo can consistently stand for the system. Some logos are ubiquitous, at least nationwide: Germany: all metros use a blue U logo (LRTs have slightly derived ones). Suburban railways use a green S logo. Italy: most cities use a white letter M on a red square for metros. Spain: most suburban railways (called Cercanias) bear the same red C logo. Former Soviet Union: many cities are using derived versions of a red sloped letter M for their metros.

The Puzzling Story of NATO's Secret Armies During the Cold War: Just What Were They Up to?

Dr. Daniele Ganser is a historian at the Center for Security Studies ETH in Zurich Switzerland. After the Cold War had ended, then Italian prime minister Giulio Andreotti confirmed to the Italian Senate in August 1990 that Italy had had a secret stay-behind army, codenamed Gladio – the sword. A document dated 1 June 1959 from the Italian military secret service, SIFAR, revealed that SIFAR had been running the secret army with the support of NATO and in close collaboration with the US secret service, the CIA. Suggesting that the secret army might have linked up with right-wing organizations such as Ordine Nuovo and Avanguardia Nazionale to engage in domestic terror, the Italian Senate, amid public protests, decided in 1990 that Gladio was beyond democratic control and therefore had to be closed down.During the 1990s, research into stay-behind armies progressed only very slowly, due to very limited access to primary documents. It was revealed, however, that stay-behind armies covered all of Western Europe and operated under different code names, such as Gladio in Italy, Absalon in Denmark, P26 in Switzerland, ROC in Norway, I&O in the Netherlands, and SDRA8 in Belgium. The so-called Allied Clandestine Committee (ACC) and the Clandestine Planning Committee (CPC), linked to NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), coordinated the stay-behind networks on an international level. The last confirmed ACC meeting took place on 24 October 1990 in Brussels, chaired by the Belgian military secret service, the SGR.According to the SIFAR documen of 1959 the secret stay-behind armies served a dual purpose during the Cold War: They were to prepare for a communist Soviet invasion and occupation of Western Europe, and – also in the absence of an invasion – for an “emergency situation.” The first purpose was clear: If there had been a Soviet invasion, the secret anti-communist armies would have operated behind enemy lines, strengthening and setting up local resistance movements in enemy held territory, evacuating pilots who had been shot down, and sabotaging supply lines and production centers of the occupation forces.The second purpose, the preparation for an emergency situation, is more difficult to understand and remains the subject of ongoing research. As this second purpose clearly did not relate to a foreign invasion, the emergency situation referred to is likely to have meant all domestic threats, most of which were of a civilian nature. During the Cold War, the national military secret services in the countries of Western Europe differed greatly in what they perceived to be an emergency situation. But there was agreement between the military secret services of the United States and of Western Europe that communist parties, and to some degree also socialist parties, had a real potential to weaken NATO from within and therefore represented a threat to the alliance. If they gained political strength and entered the executive, or, worse still, gained control of defense ministries, an emergency situation would result. The evidence now available suggests that in some countries the secret stay-behind armies linked up with right-wing terrorists and carried out terror attacks that were later wrongly blamed on the political left in order to discredit the communists and prevent them from assuming top executive positions.Evidence suggests that recruitment and operations methods differed greatly from country to country. The research project into NATO’s secret armies that is being undertaken by the Center for Security Studies at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich, and is headed by myself, has collected and published the available country-specific evidence in the first English-language book on the topic, entitled NATO's Secret Armies: Operation Gladio and Terrorism in Western Europe (London and New York: Frank Cass [ www.tandf.co.uk/books ], 1 January 2005, 300 pages). In a second step, the project is working on gaining access to declassified primary documents, while encouraging discussion among NATO officials, secret services and military officials, and the international research community in order to clarify the strategy, training, and operations of the stay-behind armies.

Kevin Mitnick

Kevin Mitnick An excerpt from Takedown. Who is Kevin Mitnick? The picture that emerged after his arrest in Raleigh, N.C. last February was of a 31-year old computer programmer, who had been given a number of chances to get his life together but each time was seduced back to the dark side of the computer world. Kevin David Mitnick reached adolescence in suburban Los Angeles in the late 1970s, the same time the personal computer industry was exploding beyond its hobbyist roots. His parents were divorced, and in a lower-middle-class environment that lacked adventure and in which he was largely a loner and an underachiever, he was seduced by the power he could gain over the telephone network. The underground culture of phone phreaks had already flourished for more than a decade, but it was now in the middle of a transition from the analog to the digital world. Using a personal computer and modem it became possible to commandeer a phone company's digital central office switch by dialing in remotely, and Kevin became adept at doing so. Mastery of a local telephone company switch offered more than just free calls: It opened a window into the lives of other people to eavesdrop on the rich and powerful, or on his own enemies. Mitnick soon fell in with an informal phone phreak gang that met irregularly in a pizza parlor in Hollywood. Much of what they did fell into the category of pranks, like taking over directory assistance and answering operator calls by saying, "Yes, that number is eight-seven-five-zero and a half. Do you know how to dial the half, ma'am?" or changing the class of service on someone's home phone to payphone status, so that whenever they picked up the receiver a recorded voice asked them to deposit twenty cents. But the group seemed to have a mean streak as well. One of its members destroyed files of a San Francisco-based computer time-sharing company, a crime that went unsolved for more than a year -- until a break-in at a Los Angeles telephone company switching center led police to the gang. The case was actually solved when a jilted girlfriend of one of the gang went to the police... That break-in occurred over Memorial Day weekend in 1981, when Kevin and two friends decided to physically enter Pacific Bell's COSMOS phone center in downtown Los Angeles. COSMOS, or Computer System for Mainframe Operations, was a database used by many of the nation's phone companies for controlling the phone system's basic recordkeeping functions. The group talked their way past a security guard and ultimately found the room where the COSMOS system was located. Once inside they took lists of computer passwords, including the combinations to the door locks at nine Pacific Bell central offices and a series of operating manuals for the COSMOS system.. To facilitate later social engineering they planted their pseudonyms and phone numbers in a rolodex sitting on one of the desks in the room. With a flourish one of the fake names they used was "John Draper," who was an actual computer programmer also known as the legendary phone phreak, Captain Crunch, the phone numbers were actually misrouted numbers that would ring at a coffee shop pay phone in Van Nuys. The crime was far from perfect, however. A telephone company manager soon discovered the phony numbers and reported them to the local police, who started an investigation. The case was actually solved when a jilted girlfriend of one of the gang went to the police, and Kevin and his friends were soon arrested. The group was charged with destroying data over a computer network and with stealing operator's manuals from the telephone company. Kevin, 17 years old at the time, was relatively lucky, and was sentenced to spend only three months in the Los Angeles Juvenile Detention Center, followed by a year's probation. A run-in with the police might have persuaded most bright kids to explore the many legal ways to have computer adventures, but Mitnick appeared to be obsessed by some twisted vision. Rather than developing his computer skills in creative and productive ways, he seemed interested only in learning enough short-cuts for computer break-ins and dirty tricks to continue to play out a fantasy that led to collision after collision with the police throughout the 1980s. He obviously loved the attention and the mystique his growing notoriety was bringing. Early on, after seeing the 1975 Robert Redford movie Three Days of the Condor, he had adopted Condor as his nom de guerre. In the film Redford plays the role of a hunted CIA researcher who uses his experience as an Army signal corpsman to manipulate the phone system and avoid capture. Mitnick seemed to view himself as the same kind of daring man on the run from the law. After he was released, he obtained the license plate "X HACKER" for his Nissan... His next arrest was in 1983 by campus police at the University of Southern California, where he had gotten into minor trouble a few years earlier, when he was caught using a university computer to gain illegal access to the ARPAnet. This time he was discovered sitting at a computer in a campus terminal room, breaking into a Pentagon computer over the ARPAnet, and was sentenced to six months at the California Youth Authority's Karl Holton Training School, a juvenile prison in Stockton, California. After he was released, he obtained the license plate "X HACKER" for his Nissan but he was still very much in the computer break-in business. Several years later he went underground for more than a year after being accused of tampering with a TRW credit reference computer; an arrest warrant was issued, but it later vanished from police records without explanation. By 1987, Mitnick seemed to be making an effort to pull his life together, and he began living with a woman who was taking a computer class with him at a local vocational school. After a while, however, his obsession drew him back, and this time his use of illegal telephone credit card numbers led police investigators to the apartment he was sharing with his girlfriend in Thousand Oaks, California. He was convicted of stealing software from the Santa Cruz Operation, a California software company, and in December 1987, he was sentenced to 36 months probation. That brush with the police, and the resultant wrist slap, seemed only increase his sense of omnipotence. In 1987 and 1988, Kevin and a friend, Lenny DiCicco, fought a pitched electronic battle against scientists at Digital Equipment's Palo Alto research laboratory. Mitnick had become obsessed with obtaining a copy of Digital's VMS minicomputer operating system, and was trying to do so by gaining entry to the company's corporate computer network, known as Easynet. The computers at Digital's Palo Alto laboratory looked easiest, so every night with remarkable persistence Mitnick and DiCicco would launch their modem attacks from a small Calabasas, California company where DiCicco had a computer support job. Although Reid discovered the attacks almost immediately, he didn't know where they were coming from, nor did the local police or FBI, because Mitnick was manipulating the telephone network's switches to disguise the source of the modem calls. ...he agreed to one year in prison and six months in a counseling program for his computer "addiction." The FBI can easily serve warrants and get trap-and-trace information from telephone companies, but few of its agents know how to interpret the data they provide. If the bad guy is actually holed up at the address that corresponds to the telephone number, they're set. But if the criminal has electronically broken into to the telephone company's local switch and scrambled the routing tables, they're clueless. Kevin had easily frustrated their best attempts at tracking him through the telephone network using wiretaps and traces. He would routinely use two computer terminals each night -- one for his forays into Digital's computers, the other as a lookout that scanned the telephone company computers to see if his trackers were getting close. At one point, a team of law enforcement and telephone security agents thought they had tracked him down, only to find that Mitnick had diverted the telephone lines so as to lead his pursuers not to his hideout in Calabasas, but to an apartment in Malibu. Mitnick, it seemed, was a tough accomplice, for even as they had been working together he had been harassing DiCicco by making fake calls to DiCicco's employer, claiming to be a Government agent and saying that DiCicco was in trouble with the Internal Revenue Service. The frustrated DiCicco confessed to his boss, who notified DEC and the FBI, and Mitnick soon wound up in federal court in Los Angeles. Although DEC claimed that he had stolen software worth several million dollars, and had cost DEC almost $200,000 in time spent trying to keep him out of their computers, Kevin pleaded guilty to one count of computer fraud and one count of possessing illegal long-distance access codes. It was the fifth time that Mitnick had been apprehended for a computer crime, and the case attracted nationwide attention because, in an unusual plea bargain, he agreed to one year in prison and six months in a counseling program for his computer "addiction." It was a strange defense tactic, but a federal judge, after initially balking, bought the idea that there was some sort of psychological parallel between the obsession Mitnick had for breaking in to computer systems and an addict's craving for drugs. After he finished his jail time and his halfway-house counseling sentence for the 1989 Digital Equipment conviction Mitnick moved to Las Vegas and took a low-level computer programming position for a mailing list company. His mother had moved there, as had a woman who called herself Susan Thunder who had been part of Mitnick's phone phreak gang in the early 1980s, and with whom he now became reacquainted. It was during this period that he tried to "social engineer" me over the phone. In early 1992 Mitnick moved back to the San Fernando Valley area after his half-brother died of an apparent heroin overdose. He briefly worked for his father in construction, but then took a job he found through a friend of his father's at the Tel Tec Detective Agency . Soon after he began, someone was discovered illegally using a commercial database system on the agency's behalf, and Kevin was once again the subject of an FBI investigation. In September the Bureau searched his apartment, as well as the home and workplace of another member of the original phone phreak gang. Two months later a federal judge issued a warrant for Mitnick's arrest for having violated the terms of his 1989 probation. There were two charges: illegally accessing a phone company computer, and associating with one of the people with whom he'd originally been arrested in 1981. His friends claimed Mitnick had been set up by the detective firm; whatever the truth, when the FBI came to arrest him, Kevin Mitnick had vanished. His escape, subsequently reported in the Southern California newspapers, made the authorities look like bumblers who were no match for a brilliant and elusive cyberthief. In late 1992 someone called the California Department of Motor Vehicles office in Sacramento, and using a valid law enforcement requester code, attempted to have driver's license photographs of a police informer faxed to a number in Studio City, near Los Angeles. Smelling fraud, D.M.V. security officers checked the number and discovered that it was assigned to a Kinko's copy shop, which they staked out before faxing the photographs. But somehow the spotters didn't see their quarry until he was going out the door of the copy shop. They started after him, but he outran them across the parking lot and disappeared around the corner, dropping the documents as he fled. The agents later determined that they were covered with Kevin Mitnick's fingerprints. His escape, subsequently reported in the Southern California newspapers, made the authorities look like bumblers who were no match for a brilliant and elusive cyberthief. More links

LEGO muscle cars and engines

16. March 2010 - 16:26 — nicjasno I am finally satisfied with the rear suspension geometry. So i decided to post some pics here. You'll notice, the lack of the turntable differential. What we have here is a heavily modified previous generation diferential, with 4 double bevel 12 tooth gear halves. The normal thin 12 tooth gears just don't hold, they break and the teeth get destroyed almost instantly. We'll see how this holds up. The suspension is multilink, and has precisely the same setup as the original challenger rear suspension. When the suspension gets compressed the rear toe arm causes the wheels to gain a slight toe in. More pictures

BBC Open Source

The BBC micro:bit is a pocket-sized codeable computer with an LCD display, motion detection, a built-in compass, and Bluetooth technology. It was given away free to every child in year 7 or equivalent across the UK in 2016. A collaboration between 29 partners, the BBC micro:bit is the BBC's boldest education initiative in 30 years, with an ambition to inspire digital creativity and develop a new generation of tech pioneers.

ongoing by Tim Bray · The New Public Relations

Currently, trade journalism and Public Relations, as we have known them, are being blown up and rebuilt. This is an attempt to write down a theory of what we’re trying to build. [Provoked by smart remarks from Russ Beattie and Steve Gillmor, a really wrong, but provocative, phrase from Steve Rubel, and a private conversation with Big Pharma.] [Update: Tons of feedback; my favorite is from Scoble.] [Update: Gosh, some PR people are irritated; I’m shocked... shocked!] More specifically, Steve Rubel, in the middle of getting a pretty severe smackdown from Russ Beattie, said “If anything, we [PR bloggers] are about bringing transparency to your profession...” and it dawned on me that, no, PR hasn’t been about transparency, not in the slightest. So what should it be about? Simultaneously, Steve Gillmor came out and said what a lot of us have been thinking: the relationship between blogging and the conventional trade press and analysts is starting to have a zero-sum smell. So do these people have a future, and if so, what is it? Finally, last week I was talking to a senior marketing person from a major pharmaceutical manufacturer about enterprise blogging, and he asked “But what about the risk that if you turn your employees loose, they’ll make you look bad?” The answer is at the center of everything in the New Public Relations. The Old Public Relations · The mechanism was easy to write down, it went like this: Senior management, with a lot of input from marketing people, would work out a company’s message and talking points. Internal marketing people, working with PR consultants, would try to burn the message into the retinas of the trade press and analysts. The journalists and analysts would do what they do: the whorish segment of the profession regurgitating the company messages to the attention of very few, the independent thinkers producing sometimes-useful analysis of what the companies were really up to. It never worked that well; to start with, it was expensive and slow. Also, there was a huge conflict of interest: the journalists and analysts, who positioned themselves as independents, were in fact mostly on the payroll of the companies trying to push the messages. There’s another obvious problem with this picture: the real experts, the actual people who work at the company who are down in the trenches getting the job done, aren’t in it. The New Public Relations · The new PR pipeline is a lot shorter, simpler, and wider: Senior management works out a company’s goals and messages. Management works hard to make sure that the employees understand them. The people who are really doing the work tell the story to the world, directly. Will You Look Bad? · Now let’s address the question from the Big Pharma person: Suppose your employees make you look bad? The answer is obvious: if your employees either don’t understand what your company is trying to accomplish, or can’t do a good job of explaining it, then blogs are the least of your problems. That’s not new. What’s new is that when the information chain’s gatekeepers were the PR people and journalists and analysts, it was a lot easier to run a company from the top down, using traditional Pointy-Haired-Boss techniques. This is nothing new: The world has a lot of PHBs, and probably always will, and a lot of places will always be badly managed. What’s new is that, in the era of the New Public Relations, well-managed companies—defined as ones where the employees understand the strategy and can communicate it—have one more advantage. This might, in the big picture, make the this whole free-market economy thing work a little better. No More Intermediaries? · So, can we lay off all the PR people and shut down the trade press? I sure hope not. It seems like we should have room for people out there who make a full-time living observing, and writing about, our profession; but who aren’t whores. Having said that, the business model needs some work, I’m really dubious that an advertising-supported trade press can stay meaningful in the age of the New Public Relations. Also, we still need events—conferences, unConferences, seminars, beer bashes—and they take a lot of organizing and stick-handling and I suspect that PR pros have the right sort of social-convener skills to deliver value from such things. I’m not against information intermediaries; but the days of command-and-control PR are pretty well over. We, the bloggers, are going to go on telling the world what we’re doing for a living and why it matters, and we’re going to do it in our own voices, and we’re going to be simultaneously biased and eccentric and authoritative, because that’s how life is. If our company has a sane strategy and we believe in it, then the world is going to come to understand it. You, the information professionals, you can aggregate us or repurpose us or debate with us or debunk us. But this big fat pipe with everyone’s voice roaring through it? It’s not closing.

Giving New Meaning to 'Spyware'

Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart famously said that he couldn't define obscenity, but that he knew it when he saw it. The same has long been the case with spyware. It's not easy to define, but most people know it when parasitic programs suck up resources on their computer and clog their browsers with pop-up ads. Recognizing that one person's search toolbar is another's spyware, a coalition of consumer groups, ISPs and software companies announced on Tuesday that it has finally come up with a mutually agreeable definition for the internet plague. Spyware impairs "users' control over material changes that affect their user experience, privacy or system security; use of their system resources, including what programs are installed on their computers; or collection, use and distribution of their personal or otherwise sensitive information," according to the Anti-Spyware Coalition, which includes Microsoft, EarthLink, McAfee and Hewlett-Packard. The group hopes the definitions will clear the way for anti-spyware legislation and help create a formal, centralized method for companies to dispute or change their software's classification. "One of the biggest challenges we've had with spyware has been agreeing on what it is," said Ari Schwartz, associate director of the Center for Democracy and Technology, which has led the group's work. "The anti-spyware community needs a way to quickly and decisively categorize the new programs spawning at exponential rates across the internet." The lack of standard definitions of spyware and adware has doomed federal and state legislation and hampered collaboration between anti-spyware forces. In a colloquial sense, spyware is used to refer to a whole range of programs, including unwanted browser toolbars that come bundled with other downloads, surf-tracking software that generates pop-up ads, and software that tries to capture passwords and credit-card numbers. Software companies like Claria, which distribute their pop-up advertising software by bundling it with free programs such as peer-to-peer software, adamantly deny their products are "spyware." They point out that users can usually find a definition of the programs' effects deep in the user agreement. It is unclear what effect the new definitions will have on current anti-spyware programs, such as Lavasoft's Ad-Aware and Microsoft's free AntiSpyware tool. Recently, Microsoft downgraded the default program action for Claria's software from "Remove" to "Ignore," which prompted widespread criticism. Microsoft responded by saying that it had changed the handling of "Claria software in order to be fair and consistent with how Windows AntiSpyware (beta) handles similar software from other vendors." Microsoft is in negotiations to buy venture-capital-backed Claria, according to The New York Times. Ben Edelman, the country's foremost spyware researcher, questions whether the new definitions are simply there so that adware companies can find a way to get a stamp of approval for their software. "From the perspective of users whose computers are infected, there is nothing hard about (defining spyware)," Edelman said. "If you have adware or spyware on your computer, you want it gone. "Maybe the toolbar is Mother Theresa, but it's Mother Theresa sitting in your living room uninvited and you want her gone also," Edelman said. "You don't need a committee of 50 smart guys in D.C. sipping ice tea in order to decide that. "The question is, what do you want to do with it? If you had a consensus of 100 computer-repair technicians or Bill Gates himself, what would they say to do?"

Opinion | Worse Than Death

Hackers are the Internet equivalent of Richard Reid, the shoe-bomber who didn't manage to hurt anyone on his airplane but has been annoying travelers ever since. When I join the line of passengers taking off their shoes at the airport, I get little satisfaction in thinking that the man responsible for this ritual is sitting somewhere by himself in a prison cell, probably with his shoes on. He ought to spend his days within smelling range of all those socks at the airport. In an exclusive poll I once conducted among fellow passengers, I found that 80 percent favored forcing Mr. Reid to sit next to the metal detector, helping small children put their sneakers back on. The remaining 20 percent in the poll (meaning one guy) said that wasn't harsh enough. He advocated requiring Mr. Reid to change the Odor-Eaters insoles of runners at the end of the New York City Marathon. What would be the equivalent public service for Internet sociopaths? Maybe convicted spammers could be sentenced to community service testing all their own wares. The number of organ-enlargement offers would decline if a spammer thought he'd have to appear in a public-service television commercial explaining that he'd tried them all and they just didn't work for him. Convicted hackers like Mr. Jaschan could be sentenced to a lifetime of removing worms and viruses, but the computer experts I consulted said there would be too big a risk that the hackers would enjoy the job. After all, Mr. Jaschan is now doing just that for a software security firm. The experts weren't sure that any punishment could fit the crime, but they had several suggestions: Make the hacker spend 16 hours a day fielding help-desk inquiries in an AOL chat room for computer novices. Force him to do this with a user name at least as uncool as KoolDude and to work on a vintage IBM PC with a 2400-baud dial-up connection. Most painful of all for any geek, make him use Windows 95 for the rest of his life. I realize that this may not be enough. If you have any better ideas, send them along. Op-Ed Columnist E-mail: tierney@nytimes.com

London bombers 'were all British'

Security sources said it was likely at least three of the men, said to be of Pakistani descent, are dead, after belongings were found at the scenes. The details emerged as explosives were found in Leeds and Luton after a series of raids. One man has been arrested. The BBC's Frank Gardner said an expert may have offered the bombers guidance. It appears our youth have been involved in last week's horrific bombings - nothing in Islam can ever justify the evil actions of the bombers Sir Iqbal Sacranie, Muslim Council of Britain Analysis: Worst fears true Q&A: Hunt for bombers Viewpoint: Bombers ready to die The security correspondent said the suspected bombers - one of whom is thought to have been as young as 19 - may have been helped by someone who would have left the country before the bombs went off. Police revealed details of the breakthrough in their investigation into the attacks, which killed at least 52 people, on Tuesday. It emerged that relatives of one of the men had reported him missing last Thursday morning. On Monday night, police had viewed CCTV footage of four suspects together at London King's Cross last Thursday. They all had rucksacks and were seen just 20 minutes before the three Tube bombs started going off at 0851 BST. A bus bomb went off in Tavistock Square at 0947 BST. Three of the men had travelled to Luton from Leeds by train, before catching a Thameslink train to London. They had been joined at Luton by a fourth man who had driven to the Bedfordshire town. 'Shock and horror' Tuesday's police raids, which began at 0630 BST, centred on two properties in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, and four in Leeds. WEST YORKSHIRE RAIDS 1. 0630 BST: Two houses raided in Beeston 2. Two houses raided at same time in Thornhill, Dewsbury 3. One House raided in Holbeck 4. 1320 BST: Controlled explosion in Burley Suspects: Key facts Cars linked to attacks Police said they had arrested a relative of one of the four suspects in Yorkshire and taken them to London for questioning. Explosives were also found in a car at Luton railway station, where experts have carried out seven controlled explosions, with three more expected to follow. A second car believed to be linked to the attacks was also found at the station and towed to Leighton Buzzard, 10 miles (16km) west of Luton, for further examination. Sir Iqbal Sacranie, of the Muslim Council of Britain, said it had received news of the suspects with "anguish, shock and horror". He said: "It appears our youth have been involved in last week's horrific bombings against innocent people. "While the police investigation continues we reiterate our absolute commitment and resolve to helping the police bring to justice all involved in this crime of mass murder. Nothing in Islam can ever justify the evil actions of the bombers." Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair said the searches, carried out under the Anti-Terrorism Act, were intelligence-led and "directly connected" to last week's attacks. Head of the Metropolitan Police anti-terrorist branch Peter Clarke said documents identifying three of the men were found near three blast sites. But there is no identity for the fourth bomber and police do not know if his remains are at the King's Cross blast site or if he has fled. Three of the four men were from the West Yorkshire area, said Mr Clarke. His colleague, assistant commissioner Andy Hayman, said: "I want to conclude by making it absolutely clear that no-one should be in any doubt the work last Thursday is that of extremists and criminals. "No-one should smear or stigmatise any community with these acts." Following developments on Tuesday he described the investigation as "complex and intensive" and "moving at great speed". BOMB MANHUNT London: Forensic work ongoing at blast sites Leeds area: Six houses searched, controlled explosion at one, one arrest made Luton: Controlled explosion after car find near station List of bomb victims Leeds neighbours' shock Police said there was forensic evidence that one of the bombers died in the Aldgate Tube explosion. Property belonging to one of the suspects from West Yorkshire, who was reported missing by his family just after 1000 BST on Thursday, was also found on the devastated bus. A third man's property was found at both the Aldgate and Edgware Road blasts. Mr Clarke said: "We are trying to establish their movements in the run up to last week's attacks and specifically to establish if they all died in the explosions." Eleven victims of the blasts have now been formally identified. Eight inquests will be opened on Wednesday, including those of Londoners Jamie Gordon, 30, and Phillip Russell, 29. Police are asking for anyone with information on the bombs to contact their anti-terrorist hotline on 0800 789 321.

Creating Passionate Users: Ten Tips for New Trainers

« I know something you don't | Main | Every user is new and different... » Ten Tips for New Trainers/Teachers Just because you've used lots of software doesn't mean you can write code. Just because you've been in lots of buildings doesn't mean you can be an architect. And just because you've logged a million frequent flyer miles doesn't mean you can fly a plane. But if that's all ridiculously obvious, why do some people believe that just because they've taken classes, they can teach? (Or just because they've read lots of books, they can write one?) The problem isn't thinking that they can do it, the problem is thinking they can do it without having to learn, study, or practice. I'm amazed (and more than a little disheartened) how many people believe that simply by virtue of their being skilled and knowledgeable in something, they're implicitly qualified to communicate, mentor, teach, or train that thing. It devalues the art of teaching to think that because you've been a student, you can teach well. That because you've experienced learning, you can craft a learning experience. But with that out of the way, nobody needs a PhD (or in most cases -- any degree at all) in education or learning theory to be a good teacher. Just as there are plenty of great software developers and programmers without a CompSci degree. People can be self-taught, and do a fabulous job, for a fraction of the cost of a formal education, but they have to be motivated and they have to appreciate why it's important. The irony is that most people with this attitude would themselves be insulted if the tables were turned--if their students didn't think they needed to learn anything from them... that just going on instinct and winging it would be enough. So this is my starter list for new trainers and teachers (I won't debate any distinctions between "teaching" and "training"--we're talking about one who designs and/or delivers learning experiences, so I don't care what you call it, what your subject is, or even how old your learners are. The fundamentals of how humans learn are pretty constant, even if the application of those fundamentals can look quite different on the surface). There are two different lists here--Eleven Things to Know, and Ten Tips for New Trainers. This is for newbies, so I'm sure I have nothing new to say for those of you who are already experienced teachers/trainers. (A list of reference links is at the very bottom of the post. These aren't anything more than an off-the-top-of-my-head list, so please don't think of them as The Complete Story! And yes, I'm way overgeneralizing, or this would be book-length.) Eleven Things to Know 1) Know the difference between "listening" and "learning". Listening is passive. It is the lowest, least-efficient, least-effective form of learning. That means lectures are the lowest, least-efficient, least-effective form of learning. Listening alone requires very little brain effort on the learner's part (and that goes for reading lecture-like texts as well), so listening to learn is often like watching someone lift weights in order to get in shape. 2) Know how the brain makes decisions about what to pay attention to, and what to remember. And here we are back to emotions again. Emotions provide the metadata for a memory. They're the tags that determine how important this memory is, whether it's worth saving, and the bit depth (metaphorically) of the memory. People remember what they feel far more than what they hear or see that's emotionally empty. 3) Know how to apply what you learned in #2. In other words, know how to get your learners to feel. I'll look at this in the Ten Tips list. 4) Know the wide variety of learning styles, and how to incorporate as many as possible into your learning experience. And no, we're not talking about sorting learners into separate categories like "He's a Visual Learner while Jim is an Auditory learner.", or "He learns best through examples." Every sighted person is a "visual learner", and everyone learns through examples. And through step-by-step instructions. And through high-level "forest" views. And through low-level "tree" views. Everyone learns top-down and bottom-up. Everyone learns from pictures, explanations, and examples. This doesn't mean that certain people don't have certain brain-style preferences, but the more styles you load into any learning experience, the better the learning is for everyone--regardless of their individual preferences. (And while you're at it, know that most adults today do not truly know their own learning styles, or even how to learn. The word "metacognition" doesn't appear in most US educational institutions.) 5) Know the fundamentals of current learning theory! (Check out the book links at the end of this post.) 6) Know why--and how--good advertising works. It'll help you figure out #3. Be sure you recognize why this matters. 7) Know why--and how--good stories work. Consider the learner to be on a kind of hero's journey. If Frodo is your student, and you're Gandalf... learn as much as you can about storytelling and entertainment. Learn what screenwriters and novelists learn. Know what "show don't tell" really means, and understand how to apply it to learning. Humans spent thousands upon thousands of years developing/evolving the ability to learn through stories. Our brains are tuned for it. Our brains are not tuned for sitting in a classroom listening passively to a lecture of facts, or reading pages of text facts. Somehow we manage to learn in spite of the poor learning delivery most of us get in traditional schools and training programs (and books). 8) Know a little something about "the Socratic method". Know why it's far more important that you ask the good questions rather than supply all the answers. 9) Know why people often learn more from seeing the wrong thing than they do from seeing the right thing. Know why the brain spends far less time processing things that meet expectations, than it does on things that don't. 10) Know why it's just as important to study and keep up your teaching skills as it is to keep up your other professional skills. Yes there ARE professional organizations for trainers, with conferences, journals, and online discussions. 11) Know why using overhead slides to deliver a classroom learning experience can--sometimes (often)--be the worst thing you can do. (Although yes, in many cases using slides for some select pieces of a course are important, beneficial, and crucial. What we're dissing is the practice where the entire class, start to finish, is driven around some kind of slides or presentation.) 12) Know how -- and why -- good games can keep people involved and engaged for hours. Learn how to develop activities that lead to a Flow State. Ten Tips for New Trainers 1) Keep lecture to the absolute minimum. There is nearly (but not always) something better than lecture, if learning is the goal. If your class involves a combination of lecture and labs, then if you're short on time--always cut the lecture, not the exercises! (Unfortunately, this is the opposite of what most trainers do.) 2) It is almost always far more important that your learners nail fewer subjects than be "exposed" to a wider range of subjects. In most cases, it's far more important that your students leave able to DO something with their new knowledge and skills, than that they leave simply KNOWING more. Most classroom-based instruction can be dramatically improved by reducing the amount of content!. Give them the skills to be able to continue learning on their own, rather than trying to shove more content down their throats. If your students leave feeling like they truly learned -- like they seriously kick ass because they can actually do something useful and interesting, they'll forgive you (and usually thank you) for not "covering all the material". The trainers that get cricism for not covering enough topics or "finishing the course topics" are the ones who didn't deliver a good experience with what they did cover. 3) For classroom trainers, the greatest challenge you have is managing multiple skill and knowledge levels in the same classroom! Be prepared to deal with it. The worst thing you can do is simply pick a specific (and usually narrow) skill/knowledge level and teach to that, ignoring the unique needs of those who are slower or more advanced. And don't use the excuse that "if they don't have the prereqs, they shouldn't be here." Even among those who meet the formal prereq requirements, you can have drastically different levels. Especially if the teacher who delivered those prereq courses was in the "covering the material" mode. Sure, your students may have been "exposed" to the prereq material, but just because they heard it or read it does not mean they remember it now, or that they ever really "got it." Techniques for dealing with multiple levels: * Be sure you KNOW what you've got. Find out before the class, if you can, by speaking with the students or at least exchanging emails. If you don't have access to students prior to the class, then learn as much as you can during introductions! * Acknowledge the different levels right up front. The more advanced students are far more likely to get pissed off when they think you don't even realize or appreciate their level. By acknowledging it, you recognize their abilities and set the stage for having them act as mentors to the others. * Have multiple versions of exercises! Have a "base" level of lab activities that everyone must complete, but have additional interesting, challenging options so that your advanced people aren't growing bored or frustrated waiting for the slower people to finish their exercises. * For slower people, include graduated hint sheets for exercises. (More on that in the next point.) 4) Work hard to get everyone to complete the lab exercises, but NEVER give out the solutions in advance! This is closely related to #3, because the most likely reason trainers don't have all students finishing labs is because there are some slower learners (and I don't mean "dumber", but simply less knowledgeable or experienced in the topic than the other students, or they just have a learning style that requires more time). Be sure every students has been successful at the exercises! And if you give them the solution in advance, you've robbed them of the chance to seriously kick ass by working through it even when things get difficult. On the other hand, you don't want students to become completely stuck and frustrated, so use something like the technique below: Using graduated hints can work wonders. Prepare three or more levels of hint sheets for the exercises, with each level more explicit than the last. The first level can offer vague suggestions, the second can be a little more focused, and the third can be fairly explicit. Students should be allowed to use these at their discretion, so it's best if you don't force the students to go to you for each new level. Make them available, but make it clear that it's important they turn to them only after [insert number of minutes relevant to your exercise]. After teaching literally thousands of programming and other courses, I can say with certainty that the vast majority of your students will NOT simply go to the most explicit hints right off. But this is conditional... I'm assuming that the exercise is relevant and interesting and challenging without being ridiculously advanced or clearly takes more time to complete than you're able or willing to allow for the exercise. If your exercises suck, for whatever reason, then hint sheets won't fix it. 5) Do group exercises whenever possible, no matter what you've heard. I've heard every excuse, "Adults don't like to do group exercises." or "Professional developers don't like to do group exercises." or "People don't like to do group exercises when they're paying big bucks to be here." or "People from outside the US don't like to do group exercises... ". They're all bulls***. There is a huge social component to learning, regardless of how much we try to eliminate it in the classroom. There's a way to do interactive group exercises that works surprisingly well, and is usually quite easy. A simple formula for group exercises * Use groups of no more than 3 to 5. Try to go above 2, but after 5 you'll end up with some people hanging back. With 3-4 people, everyone feels more obligated to participate and be involved. * When you assign an exercise (like, say, a two-page diagram of an enterprise architecture that they must label and explain), have each person START by working individually for a couple of minutes, THEN get them into their groups (be sure that they know who their group is BEFORE they start any work on the exercise). * Eavesdrop on the groups and comment or just make sure they're on the right track. Drop hints or give pointers if they're veering into an unproductive approach. * After a certain number of minutes, give a heads-up warning "60 seconds left..." so they can finish up. * Be certain that someone in each group has the responsibility to record what the group comes up with. One person should be the designated spokesperson. * After the exercise is done, keep the people in their groups and query each group about their answers, or any issues/thoughts they had while doing it. Note: the first few times you do this in any new classroom, students might be quiet or skeptical about doing it, but after the first two or three, they'll have a hard time imagining how you could do it any other way. 6) Designing exercises The best execises include an element of surprise and failure. The worst exercises are those where you spend 45 minutes explaining exactly how something works, and then have them duplicate everything you just said. Yes, that does provide practice, but it's weak. If you design an exercise that produces unexpected results... something that intuitively feels like it should work, but then does something different or wrong -- they'll remember that FAR more than they'll remember the, "yes, it did just what she said it would do" experience. Note that paper and pencil exercises are GREAT. Even if your teaching programming or any other topic that involves doing. In our books, for example, we have simple "magnetic poetry" code exercises that don't involve everyone having to go to the computer. You can design even simple multiple-choice quizzes, although the more sophisticated the better. Be creative with creating workbook style exercises when you're teaching challenging subjects. In a programming class, for example, I'll have paper exercises (that they do both individually and in a group) that involve everything from, "fill in the rest of this class diagram with what you think should be there" to "fill in each empty method on this sheet with bullet points or pseudo code for what you think should happen there." Depending on the classroom, you could even have an exercise that involves one group "teaching" something to another group. Assign group A to figure out the File API, for example, while group B has to research how and why the Serialization mechanism works the way it does in the lab you just did... As hokey as they are, sometimes game-show style quizzes can still be fun. Especially when there's a set of topics that DO require boring, rote memorization. When they have to burn in certain key facts... you can liven it up and make it a little less painful. The exercises in our Head First books (especially HF Java) are examples of paper execises we do in classrooms, that are separate from hands-on programming "lab" exercises. The best form of longer lab exercises get learners in the flow state! This is where your game design studies can really come in handy. Remember, the flow state comes from activities that are both challenging but perceived as do-able. Get the challenge level right! Having multiple levels of hints means that a single exercise can work for a wider range of skill and knowledge levels without being too easy or too hard -- both of which will prevent the flow state. Exercises should feel relevant! They should not feel like busy work or strictly practice (although for some kinds of learning, extra practice is exactly what you need, but in most cases -- you're looking to increase understanding and memory rather than simply practice a physical skill). If students don't get the point of the exercise, you're screwed. It's up to you to either have an exercise where the point is dead-obvious, or that you can make a case for. The exercise does NOT need to be "real world" in the sense of the actual, complex world you live in. It should, however, reflect a simplified virtual world with its own set of rules. In a learning experience, you're usually trying to help them learn/get/remember only a single concept at a time. Way too many lab exercises that attempt to be "real world" have so much cognitive overhead that the real point you're trying to reinforce is lost. 7) Leave your ego at the door. This is not about you. Your learners do NOT care about how much you know, how smart you are, or what you've done. Aside from a baseline level of credibility, it's far more important that you care about how smart THEY are, what THEY know (and will know, thanks to this learning experience) and what THEY have done. I'm amazed (and horrified) by how many instructors don't ever seem to get to know anything about their students. You should know far more about them than they know about you. At the beginning of class, you do NOT need to establish credibility. You nearly always have a certain amount of credibility in the bank, even if they've never heard of you. You can LOSE that credibility by doing things like lying (answering a question that you really aren't certain about, without admitting that you're not sure), or telling them you really DON'T know what you're doing. But you'll usually hurt the class if you spend time talking about how great YOU are. The best way to let them know what you've done is in the context of a question someone asks, where you simply say, "Well here's how I solved that on an accounts database I was working on at...." But even better if you say something like, "Well here's how one of my clients/students/wo-workers solved it..." 8) Have a Quick Start and a Big Finish. Get them doing something interesting -- even if it's just a group discussion -- very early. Don't bog them down with YOUR long introduction, the history of the topic, etc. The faster they're engaged, the better. Don't let the class fizzle out at the end. Try to end on a high. It's like the movies... where they usually put the best song at the very end, during the closing credits... because this often determines the feeling you leave with. Ask yourself, "what were my students feeling when they left?" Too often, the answer to that is, "overwhelmed, and stupid for not keeping up". And usually, the fault is in a course that tried to do too much. That tried to cover (whatever the hell that means) too much. 9) Try never to talk more than 10-15 minutes without doing something interactive. And saying, "Any questions?" does not count as interaction! Whether it's a group exercise, a lab, or at least an individual paper and pencil exercise of some sort... get them doing rather than listening. But be sure that the interaction isn't perceived as a waste of time, either. 10) Don't assume that just because you said it, they got it. And don't assume that just because you said it five minutes ago, they remember it now. In other words, don't be afraid to be redundant. That doesn't mean repeating the same material over and over... but it often takes between 3 to 5 repeated exposures to something before the brain will remember it, so take the extra time to reinforce earlier topics in the context of the new things you're talking about. Great teachers know how to slip in the redundancy in an almost stealth way... where the thing is looked at again but from a different angle. It's up to you to keep it interesting and lively. 11) If you're not passionate, don't expect any energy from your learners. That doesn't mean being an annoying cheerleader. Be honest, be authentic, but be passionate. It's your job as a trainer to find ways to keep yourself motivated. A lot of teachers/trainers feel it isn't their job to motivate the students. But that's ridiculous. Even the most motivated person in the world still finds it hard to stay motivated on each and every topic... especially when it gets tough. Think about how many technical books you've sat down to read on topics you were extremely interested in, but then couldn't find a way to keep yourself reading. Motivation for the overall topic and motivation for the individual thing being learned are completely different. You're there to supply the motivation for the individual things you're trying to help them learn. Your passion will keep them awake. Your passion will be infectious. It's up to you to figure out how to stay passionate, or quit teaching until you get it back. And finally, don't think of yourself as a teacher or trainer... since that puts the focus on what YOU do. Remember: It's not about what YOU do... it's about how your learners feel about what THEY can do as a result of the learning experience you created and helped to deliver. Rather than think of yourself as a teacher or trainer, try getting used to thinking of yourself as "a person who creates learning experiences... a person who helps others learn." In other words, put a lot more emphasis on the learning and a lot less emphasis on the teaching. Links Related posts on this blog: The brain's crap filter. Most classroom learning sucks Getting what you expect is boring. Crafting a user experience. Keeping users engaged. Users shouldn't think about YOU. Learning doesn't happen in the middle. Books and blogs Lessons in e-Learning Designing world class e-learning E-learning and the science of instruction Simulations and the future of learning What video games have to teach us about learning Digital game-based learning Chris Crawford on Game Design Mind Hacks Mind Hacks blog. A whole new Mind Memory: from mind to molecules Story The Writer's Journey (not just for writers!) Purple Cow (not just for marketers or product designers!) Cognitive Science Foundations of Instruction (Dated, but has some really interesting research) Eide Neurolearning Blog This is just a start for consolidating some of my learning links. I have another huge set of book links, but I'll post those separately. Have fun! Posted by Kathy on July 11, 2005 | Permalink TrackBack TrackBack URL for this entry: https://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d83451b44369e200d83423974f53ef Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Ten Tips for New Trainers/Teachers: » Top Ten Trainer/Teacher Tips from eMusings If only for myself, I wanted to post this link to Top Ten Tips for New Teacher/Trainers. As with all of the articles on the site, which I read regularly, this one is insightful, illustrated, amusing and well-written. [Read More] Tracked on Jul 12, 2005 12:14:50 AM » Ten tips... from Johnnie Moore's Weblog Regular readers (both of them) will know I have a bit of phobia about lists. And I'm making an exemption for Kathy Sierra, especially her post Ten Tips for New Trainers/Teachers. This morning, I particularly liked Number 9:Know why people... [Read More] Tracked on Jul 12, 2005 2:25:29 AM » A List I Don’t Mind from Synesthesia Kathy Sierra has written a great post on the “Whats” and “Hows” of being a good teacher/trainer. Unlike Johnnie Moore I’m not worried about lists if they give you useful information in a digestible form - especially if (a... [Read More] Tracked on Jul 12, 2005 4:50:44 AM » Great advice on improving teaching and training from Blog This weblog post has extensive advice and a long list of links to more resources on improving your teaching/training skills. Great to keep in mind for future training and presentations. [Read More] Tracked on Jul 12, 2005 6:41:51 AM » How to be a better Trainer/Teacher from Raible Designs ~ We Build Web Apps Kathy Sierra has a great post titled Ten Tips for New Trainers/Teachers . This hits home with me because because I've been doing a lot of training lately - and plan on doing a lot more in the future. I think she has a lot of great points, and I certain [Read More] Tracked on Jul 12, 2005 8:15:54 AM » Those that can, do, those that can't ... from Mulley - Damien Mulley's Blog Ten Tips for New Trainers/Teachers and Eleven things to know. Some great advice. Something that musn't be forgotten about anyone in any job or even who just blog information is that we are all teachers in a way. We are... [Read More] Tracked on Jul 12, 2005 9:05:37 AM » 如何成为一个好的老师？ from RockSun's TLOG 在Matt Raible那里看到这个关于如何成为好的训练者/老师的文章，我一直期望自己可以往这方面有很好的发展，所以认真的总结了一遍。 11件需要知道的事情 知道“听”与“学习”的区别 知道大脑如何决定对什么事情保持关注，对什么事情保持记忆。 知道如何运用你在第二条中学到的知识，也就是说怎样让你的学习者感觉到。 知道各种学习样式，怎样的与你的学习经验相结合。 知道当前学习理论的原理！ 知道为什么-和怎样-的广告作用。 知道为什么-和怎样-的故事作用。 ... [Read More] Tracked on Jul 12, 2005 12:16:32 PM » Ten Tips on Coaching from Trends and Issues in Extension From Creating Passionate Users comes this really interesting post on Ten Tips for New Trainers/Coaches. Setting aside any discussions on teaching vs. training vs. coaching, there are some good pointers in the post. Lot's of meat for a blog post, and som [Read More] Tracked on Jul 13, 2005 11:42:35 AM » Teaching and learning from Steve Richards - Adventures in home working Passionate is fast becoming one of ... [Read More] Tracked on Jul 17, 2005 11:14:52 AM » Business Link-a-palooza from Management Craft While I was out of town, the following i [Read More] Tracked on Jul 17, 2005 8:23:47 PM » Creating Passionate Users from Walsall Schools "Why do some people believe that just because they've taken classes, they can teach?" "brainsurgeon" A useful and bitingly true list of 11 things you need to know! [Read More] Tracked on Jul 18, 2005 2:31:02 PM » Teaching notes from Tensegrities Thanks to The Corner for this link to great advice on teaching and learning. It's the best short piece I've read in a long time, and I'm immediately going to forward it to my friends.... [Read More] Tracked on Jul 18, 2005 2:41:40 PM » Tanítás from ÁghyBlog Néhány napos írás, sajnos csak most volt idõm végigolvasni: Ten Tips for New Trainers/Teachers. NAGYON jó írás! [Read More] Tracked on Jul 22, 2005 8:52:36 AM » Podemos enseñar mejor from eCuaderno v.2.0 Si te dedicas a la enseñanza y no le tienes manía a las listas del tipo 10-claves-para-hacerlo-mejor, te recomiendo el magnífico post de Kathy Sierra en Creating Passionate Users titulado Ten Tips for New Trainers/Teachers, del que extraigo: Eleven Things...... [Read More] Tracked on Jul 27, 2005 1:36:29 AM » Cómo ser un buen profesor ... y un buen estudiante from Juan Freire ¿Qué se necesita para ser un buen profesor?. No llega conocer y dominar los contenidos de la materia. Y tampoco es preciso contar con un doctorado y pertenecer a la élite de esa disciplina. Se necesita algo más. Y, ¿qué [Read More] Tracked on Jul 28, 2005 5:48:08 PM » Teaching and training from Making Sense With Facilitated Systems What she said. [Read More] Tracked on Aug 1, 2005 4:50:47 PM » links for 2005-08-02 from LifeBox Hey! (tags: stfu flash) Creating Passionate Users: Ten Tips for New Trainers/Teachers (tags: training gtd) The Chaos Engine: Chaos in the Games Industry (tags: gamedev articles) Gamasutra - Features - "Anatomy of a Design Document, Part 2" [12.17.99] ... [Read More] Tracked on Aug 2, 2005 2:18:04 AM » Podemos enseñar mejor from eCuaderno v.2.0 Si te dedicas a la enseñanza y no le tienes manía a las listas del tipo 10-claves-para-hacerlo-mejor, te recomiendo el magnífico post de Kathy Sierra en Creating Passionate Users titulado Ten Tips for New Trainers/Teachers, del que extraigo: Eleven Things...... [Read More] Tracked on Aug 17, 2005 4:31:35 AM » Tanítás from ÁghyBlog Néhány napos írás, sajnos csak most volt idõm végigolvasni: Ten Tips for New Trainers/Teachers. NAGYON jó írás! [Read More] Tracked on Oct 11, 2005 5:54:23 AM » Tanítás from ÁghyBlog Néhány napos írás, sajnos csak most volt idõm végigolvasni: Ten Tips for New Trainers/Teachers. NAGYON jó írás! [Read More] Tracked on Oct 11, 2005 6:18:18 AM » 如何成为一个好的老师？ from RockSun's TLOG 在Matt Raible那里看到这个关于如何成为好的训练者/老师的文章，我一直期望自己可以往这方面有很好的发展，所以认真的总结了一遍。 11件需要知道的事情 知道听与学习的区别 知道大脑如何决定对什么事情保持关注，对什么事情保持记忆。 知道如何运用你在第二条中学到的知识，也就是说怎样让你的学习者感觉到。 知道各种学习样式，怎样的与你的学习经验相结合。 知道当前学习理论的原理！ 知道为什么-和怎样-的广告作用。 知道为什么-和怎样-的故事作用。 ... [Read More] Tracked on Oct 16, 2005 7:08:17 PM » 10 consejos para nuevos formadores. from Alvaro Gregori, e-learning, formación on-line El post de Creating Passionate Users Blog está pensado para formadores presenciales, sin embago es, con un poco de imaginación totalmente aplicable a la formación on-line. ... [Read More] Tracked on Oct 20, 2005 4:08:48 AM » Helpdesk Situation 2#: The Helpdesk from Michael's Helpdesk By wikipedia definition a helpdesk is an information and assistance resource that troubleshoots problems with computers and similar products Cooperations and places of great bureaucracy tend to deploy these departments in order to deal ... [Read More] Tracked on Dec 25, 2005 11:55:58 PM » Kathy Sierra Changed My Life from philweber.net My new boss likes to remind me thatIm an experienced presenter, but I have a lot to learn about being a trainer. After one such humbling conversation, I fired off an e-mail to Kathy Sierra asking if she offers or... [Read More] Tracked on Dec 29, 2005 1:03:15 AM » Kathy Sierra Changed My Life from philweber.net My new boss likes to remind me thatIm an experienced presenter, but I have a lot to learn about being a trainer. After one such humbling conversation, I fired off an e-mail to Kathy Sierra asking if she offers or... [Read More] Tracked on Dec 29, 2005 3:51:24 AM » Internet Search Engine from Web Search Engines Blog search engines help you find blogs on the Web on whatever topic you'd like to ... Profile of AltaVista, One of the Oldest Search Engines on the Web... [Read More] Tracked on Jan 26, 2006 7:11:19 AM » MSN Search's WebLog from MSN tests new blog, search features MSN tests new blog, search features | The service will let users find blogs and syndicate content using the RSS format, as well as search blogs for specific ... [Read More] Tracked on Feb 21, 2006 1:48:47 AM Comments Kathy, Amen. BTW: Interactive also means that if you take pains to write long blogs, you also take a bit of effort to see what others wrote and also let them "know" that you saw and "learnt" from them. PS: Ok I did check some of your posts and saw you replied, but still not enough. Hope I'm not misunderstood. If we're a community then we must congregate. Don't matter where, don't matter how.No? Posted by: Tarry Singh | Jul 11, 2005 4:42:02 PM One other tip I would give is that when you ARE lecturing and writing stuff on the board, make sure you give time for people to actually write down the text beforing moving on to the next point. I will usually use the time that they are writing to re-state a previous point that lead to this point and then re-read the point. In short, realize that it is difficult to write and listen well at the same time, but don't just stand there for a long pause. Posted by: sloan | Jul 11, 2005 5:19:05 PM It is nice to hear that you are going to publish your book links. I thought it would be nice if you had one quite often reading your blog. In fact, I've bought some books you've mentioned, so that probably means I will be facing more expenses, but nevertheless I am looking forward to see those links. And if you will comment a bit on every book - that would be fantastic indeed. Posted by: Rimantas | Jul 11, 2005 8:39:08 PM You totally, totally rock. =D Posted by: Sacha Chua | Jul 11, 2005 9:15:30 PM Thanks for sharing a valuable list of ideas for creating a better learning experience for the student. It's not just for new teachers, but it's a good list of reminders for the experienced educator as well. I'll just add that lectures are not always necessarily a poor teaching method. The Chronicle of Higher Education had a good article about this in the past year. It featured a number of faculty who are known for providing excellent lectures that keep students fascinated and absorbed in the subject matter. Like much of teaching, leading a good discussion for example, it's an art. Not everyone can do it well. But let's not write off the lecture entirely. At times and for certain content it has its place. Posted by: steven bell | Jul 12, 2005 6:39:06 AM When there will be a "Head First Teaching"? 8) Posted by: Einzling | Jul 12, 2005 7:39:14 AM This has become one of my favorite blogs. I learn and get inspired by something new almost everyday. Anyways, thanks. Posted by: Brian | Jul 12, 2005 9:27:13 AM Tarry: You're right, I don't interact enough on the comments. I put whatever time and energy I have for the blog in my posts, but I should try to dedicate a little more to responding to comments. Thanks for the reminder. Sloan: great advice! I've really had to work on my whiteboard skills. I had to learn to write *bigger*, and to change colors, but your advice on giving them time is really important. Riminatas: I don't know exactly when I'll get to it, but I will definitely take your advice and make comments on each book. Thanks! Steven: You're absolutely right -- I know I've listened to a lot of gripping lectures that were both engaging AND effective. And with a conference presentation as opposed to a classsroom, that's often the only appropriate thing you CAN do... I think a good lecture can be awesome and effective, but most of us don't have great skills for that. This is something I need to work on -- I use the other techniques, in many ways, to compensate for my weak lecture abilities. Sacha and Brian: Thanks! Einzling: Stay tuned. There isn't a Head First Teaching coming, but we *are* doing a book that has a lot of learning theory in it... I'm not ready to give the details yet, but I can tell you this *mystery book* will be out in January ; ) Cheers and thanks to all commenters and trackbackers. Posted by: Kathy Sierra | Jul 12, 2005 11:09:22 AM I wish I'd had a copy of this when I had to TA a class in grad school. I disliked teaching, because I knew I wasn't good at it. And since I didn't like talking in front of a room full of people, I'd get the students to do group exercises as much as possible, even though I absolutely hated group exercises as a student. I thought I was just wimping out, but maybe it was better for the students after all! :) Posted by: Jennifer Grucza | Jul 12, 2005 4:36:04 PM Great Post! I run a Hands-On J2EE user group in Dallas. I'm by no means the most educated on the subjects covered, but either way I have to explain new concepts to people of varying degrees of knowledge. I will absolutely put these tips to use! Thanks... Erik Posted by: Erik Weibust | Jul 13, 2005 9:00:22 AM Refreshing posting (how's that for an emotive statement)! Captured for me the notion that having learners "dis-cover" and "un-cover" content is much more useful than "covering the content". This was my first visit to the blog thanks to a link from Steven Bell. I'm sure I'll be back. Posted by: dbalzer | Jul 13, 2005 9:01:22 AM Kathy, Thanks for you feedback/reply(actually I'm also posting to let (you) know that I checked back.:-) Posted by: Tarry | Jul 15, 2005 12:38:03 PM This is a great post. I can't wait to see your comments on the books you'll recommend. Could you do a set of mini reviews? just a couple of paragraphs on why you consider them important. I was thrown into the training role for a year and a half and I would have loved to have something like this. The hardest part was having to take 2 hours of material and cram it into 40 minutes. By running the students through the motions and having the students do a lot of things, they remembered most of it. Doing is far more effective them lectures in those cases where it applies. Posted by: Stephan F | Jul 15, 2005 4:21:47 PM Whoa! What a goldmine! This article has virtually pulled what I knew by the ears and turned things around. GREAT article! Posted by: Regnard Kreisler C. Raquedan | Jul 25, 2005 6:17:56 AM Fabulous! Matt Raible's blog pointed me here. I'll be studying this posting and accompanying links as I prepare to give my first ever course next April. I am filled with trepidation but I think with a little help from my friends I can pull it off. Wish me luck! Posted by: John Tangney | Jul 25, 2005 3:35:25 PM Just found this blog / site whatever, on a google search, i am creating a learning experience tomorrow morning for a group of potential trainers. This material was inspirational, not just for confirming the good things i know and do that make me a good trainer but for tugging at my conscience and reminding me of the things that i do that detract from me being an even better trainer. thank you Posted by: Nik | Oct 4, 2005 4:31:15 PM Hi, The Eleven Things To Do and Ten Tips are the best articles I've read so far. They really helped me a lot to improve my training skills. I actually conducted a Train the Trainer module based on the tips given here!! Thanks. Posted by: Supria Joshi | May 5, 2006 3:09:46 AM You wrote: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ And while you're at it, know that most adults today do not truly know their own learning styles, or even how to learn. The word "metacognition" doesn't appear in most US educational institutions.) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I studied Psychology in the Netherlands (Europe) and I really enjoyed reading your intelligent remarks. I'm writing a book (both in Dutch and in English) on this matter (learning style, thinking style) but I expect it to be hard to find a publisher. I agree with you that we all do verbal thinking and visual learning, but what about meta-cognition indeed? I put an answer to this question in my book. Odile Posted by: Odile Schmidt | Dec 7, 2006 8:50:42 AM i am confused, there are so much resources on the web and so much books written, that one wishes to study only and to write. some times your memory is slow so all these rules, as they are just like bridals for our concentration on the topic and focus, they seem quite difficult to remember and to be followed up. how much one can believe that certain tips are general enough to be applicable to diverse human minds; and how much is the authenticity. thanks Posted by: yasir | May 8, 2007 5:37:26 AM the tips for new trainer are excellent, will be obliged to have more on the same. Thanks and regards. Posted by: Rupal Panchal | Aug 10, 2007 9:27:49 PM The comments to this entry are closed.

Beginner’s Guide to Podcast Creation

Ever since Apple’s release of iTunes 4.9 with built-in support for podcasting, hundreds of thousands of people have discovered the wide range of free audio programs now available as podcasts. While most will be content only to listen to podcasts, some – perhaps including you – may be ready to create their own radio-style programs. After all, distribution through iTunes is now easy, and subscriptions are the only thing separating listeners from your thoughts and ideas. Creating podcasts isn’t simple, but it’s not too hard, either. You’ll need a small combination of hardware and software in order to create your own recordings, and in this iPod 101 tutorial Beginner’s Guide to Podcast Creation, we’ll walk through the different elements you need to create a simple podcast, from computer and microphone through to the finished product. First Things First: The Plan Amazingly enough, this first step is the one many podcasters skip: develop a plan. Before you start recording, think about what you want to say, and organize your show accordingly. Make notes, prepare your interviews (if any), and try to improvise as little as possible. While a completely spontaneous show can sound good if you’ve got the knack, the best podcasters prepare their shows in advance and work hard to provide interesting content. (See Seven Rules of Effective Podcasting (offsite link) for some tips on creating good podcasts that people will come back to listen to.) There are thousands of podcasts available today, but it’s easy to pass most of them up because they don’t stand out – figure out your angle, and run with it! Next Up: The Gear You won’t need much hardware to record a podcast: typically, you’ll start with a Mac or PC computer with a recent version of either Windows or Mac OS X; Windows XP or Mac OS X 10.3 or later are recommended. (You can also use Linux, but we’ll only look at Mac and Windows software in this article.) The only other hardware you’ll need is a microphone. The microphone is the most important element in the recording chain, other than your voice – the way listeners hear your voice is greatly affected by the quality of your mic. Don’t use an internal microphone in a computer, such as you’ll find on laptops and some desktop computers. These mics will pick up ambient sounds, such as the noise of the computer, as well as anything you move on your desk while recording. Don’t use a cheap mic that may have come with your computer either. These mics are generally very low-quality and are designed for voice chats, not recording. You don’t need to spend a lot for a mic, however; many podcasters use USB headsets that are designed for both voice chats and recording. Logitech has an excellent line of USB headsets that range up to $50 in price, each with noise-cancelling microphones, which help filter out the ambient noise in your room or outside the windows. If you prefer not to use a USB headset, you’ll just need a microphone and a way to make sure your PC or Mac can record from it. Most PCs have sound cards that are capable of recording audio through a microphone-in port (often colored pink), but some PCs and many Macs don’t have such a port. Griffin Technology’s $40 iMic solves this problem with a small silver disc that connects to your USB port and adds recording functionality. An inexpensive microphone add-on from Griffin called the Lapel Mic ($15) can then be used as a collar-mounted stereo microphone. If you want to sound more professional, you’ll want to look for a condenser microphone, which will require an external power source (you don’t simply plug it into your computer) and result in more realistic sound. Behringer’s Studio Condenser Microphone C-1, at about $55, is a good starting point. You can spend hundreds of dollars for a professional mic, but only real pros need to go into that price range. We used a simple, inexpensive solution to create our own first two podcasts: Griffin’s iTalk ($39.99, iLounge rating: A-). Because we wanted to create the first podcast actually made with an iPod, iTalk was the best microphone option we could find. Belkin and DLO also make a few alternative products, which we review here for those interested in duplicating our efforts. Recording Software Recording your own voice is relatively simple, and there are a variety of PC and Mac programs that can do this. One of the most popular programs among podcasters is Audacity, which can record, edit and post-process your audio. It has several advantages: it is multi-platform (Windows 98 and later, Mac OS 9 and X, and Linux), and it’s free. This open-source program has become the standard tool for podcasters who want to record their shows, edit their recordings, and combine other recordings (such as intros, jingles or music, sometimes made with other programs) to create finished shows. Everything you record with Audacity appears on screen as sound waves that you can edit very much like a word processing program: as with a page full of words, you can zoom in and out to see more or less of the audio wave on screen at once, select portions with a cursor, and delete or format those portions as you desire. Many podcasters delete their “ums” and “you knows” wherever they appear, and you can also use the cursor to snip out boring or screwed-up parts of your recording. Audacity also has tools that reduce background noise and static, create echo effects, and increase or decrease the amplitude of your voice. After each recording, save your file in WAV (uncompressed) format – it’ll take up a bit of space on your hard drive, but it’s the best format to guarantee you don’t compromise on sound quality until you’re ready. Audacity has one major limitation for podcasters: while you can use Audacity to record yourself, you cannot use it to easily record interviews with people who aren’t in the same room; Audacity only records directly from an input source such as a microphone. Many podcasters use the free teleconferencing program Skype to conduct their interviews of other people, and recording the interviews requires an additional piece of software. Podcasters use the Windows program Virtual Audio Cable or the Mac program Audio Hijack Pro. Either of these programs traps Skype’s audio and saves it so that you can edit it in Audacity. After you’ve completed editing of your recordings and interviews, you can export your finished podcast in several formats, including MP3, AIFF and WAV. If you want to export your podcast as an MP3 file, you’ll need to download the LAME MP3 encoder as a helper for Audacity. But if you use AIFF or WAV, iTunes can handle the MP3 compression for you; this latter option is probably best, because you’ll have more flexibility in how you compress the file. We use iTunes for compression, as discussed below. Converting Your Podcast Once you have everything recorded, it’s time to get your podcast into a form that’s easy to share. A one-hour WAV file will take up about 600 MB; listeners won’t download such large files, so you’ll need to compress it into either MP3 or AAC format. As you already know, iTunes has the ability to turn your CDs into MP3s – now you’ll use the same feature to convert your podcast. The first step is add your WAV file to your iTunes library. Drag it from your desktop to the library window, or drag it to a playlist. (One good way to work on files like this is to create a temporary “Temp” playlist, into which you drag files you don’t plan to keep.) Before converting your podcast, you should tag (identify details for) the file. You can enter a name, artist, album, and comments. Use these tags, because once listeners get a hold of your podcast, this is the only way they’ll have to identify it. Start by giving your podcast a name that is not too long; enter your name as artist (or your website’s URL), and, in the Comments field, add anything that you’d like listeners to be able to know. Also, use any of the other fields you want, such as Year, Genre, etc., to provide enough info about your podcast. If you have a logo or photo, you can add it as “album art” in the Artwork tab. Then it’s time to choose your compression settings. Open the iTunes preferences (iTunes > Preferences on Mac OS X; Edit > Preferences on Windows), then click the Importing tab. The Import Using menu lets you select the format you convert your file to. You’ll want to choose either AAC or MP3. AAC will only play through iTunes and on iPods; while some other software may support AAC, few other portable music players do, so your best choice is MP3. (If you do choose AAC, you can select Podcast from the settings menu to use a preset podcast bit rate setting.) Select MP3 from the Import Using menu, then select Custom from the Setting menu. Choose a bit rate of 64 kbps; you could go lower or higher, but voice sounds good at that bit rate, and your files won’t be too large. From the Sample Rate menu, select 22.050 kHz; this is high enough for voice. From the Channels menu, select Mono, unless your podcast is mostly music; voice does not need stereo, and this keeps your files small. Click OK. Now, find your raw podcast file in your library or playlist, select it, then select Advanced > Convert Selection to [format], where format is AAC or MP3. iTunes will compress your file using your settings, and the resulting file will appear in your library. If you’ve tagged your file before converting it, you’ll find it in the genre you set, or by its title. You can now right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac) the file, select Show Song File, and a window will open showing the converted file. Publishing your Podcast If you’ve gotten to this stage, you might already know you have to set up a podcast “feed” URL on your website. (If not, this article tells you all about podcasts and RSS feeds. The basic idea is that you need to have a place where your podcast is stored for people to download it, and then create a web link that other people can use to find the file.) Once you have the feed URL, load iTunes, go to the iTunes Music Store, click the Podcasts link in the left-hand column, and look for the Publish a Podcast link on the left of the Podcasts page. Click that link, enter the URL for your podcast, then click Continue. But at this point, there’s a snag. You’ll have to sign in to your iTunes Music Store account. While you can browse, subscribe to and download podcasts without an iTunes Music Store account, you cannot submit any unless you have an account in the store you want to add them to. So, for example, someone in Australia who wants to add a podcast to the US iTunes Music Store will not be able to do so unless they have a US credit card and billing address. If you do have an iTunes Music Store account, the rest is simple: iTunes automatically picks up any comments and descriptions you’ve added to your RSS feed; you cannot edit them once the podcast is added to iTunes. To find out about the tags you can use, click the “Learn more about podcasting on iTunes” link when you are on the Publish podcasts to the Music Store page. This will take you to a page with a FAQ, and a downloadable PDF file containing full specifications. Apple also has a tutorial about creating podcasts using GarageBand, which is part of iLife ‘05. While GarageBand has some limits for creating podcasts – recordings are limited in time, for example – it is a good way for beginners to work with mixing and editing shows. Links to Additional iLounge Information on Podcasting Need to know more? Take a look at our past articles on podcasting, and join our Podcasting discussion forum to share experiences and advice with other people. Of course, your comments are always welcome below, as well. Understanding the Podcasting Revolution Complete Guide to iTunes’ Podcasts iLounge Podcasting Discussion Forum Complete Archive of iLounge Podcast Stories

News and Analysis From the Labor Research Association

Pensions The Attack on Public Sector Pensions Will Accelerate (December 5, 2005) The pension crisis that began in the steel industry and swept through the airlines and auto industries is now moving on to the public sector. Defined benefit pension plans are in jeopardy as state and local governments move to end these plans and shift to 401(k)-type plans for public employees. The Economy The Perpetuation of Poverty and Race Discrimination (November 15, 2005) U.S. unemployment rates have historically moved along racial lines in a recovery, but Bush administration policies have created even sharper distinctions between the employment opportunities for white and black workers. Workers with less education – overwhelmingly black and locked into large metropolitan areas – are still unemployed at triple the rates for white workers. But the administration and its allies in Congress are cutting back federal funding for the very programs that could help black youths enter college and end a long-standing cycle of poverty, leaving them instead to fall into the ranks of the chronically unemployed and underemployed. Pensions The Larger Pension Question Looms (October 31, 2005) A retirement based only on Social Security benefits and 401(k) payouts will leave most Americans in poverty. Pensions have made the difference between a modest but adequate retirement and financial disaster for millions of elderly Americans. The U.S. retirement system has long rested on the assumption that workers would draw from three sources of retirement income: Social Security, pension plans and personal savings, which now commonly take the form of employee contributions to 401(k)s. Without pensions, the system is not valid. Benefits Union Advantage For Benefits Grows Wider (October 11, 2005) Union workers receive employer-paid benefits that far exceed the benefits employers provide for nonunion workers, and the union advantage is growing wider. For years, employers have been canceling benefit coverage and shifting more of the remaining costs to workers. Unions have been able to fight off this employer attack on benefits, but nonunion workers have been left with inadequate health care protections and no retirement security. Jobs Bush Corporate Government Seizes Katrina Opportunity (September 14, 2005) With people still stranded on rooftops and bodies floating in the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina, the Bush administration did what it has always done best: it moved with lightning speed to dole out lucrative contracts to private corporations. Benefits Workers Lose Stock Options (September 12, 2005) The gap between the diverging paths for wages and profits will grow wider as more companies abandon their broad-based employee stock options plans over the next year and do not replace them with other forms of compensation. Labor Strategies Help the Victims of Hurricane Katrina (September 7, 2005) Labor unions around the United States and throughout the world are rallying to aid the people whose lives have been thrown into chaos by Hurricane Katrina. Many unions have created special disaster relief funds to help out. Volunteers are also needed. To find out what the unions are doing and how you can help, click here. Wages Labor’s Smaller Share (September 2, 2005) This Labor Day marks yet another year of decline in the living standards of U.S. workers. The downward trend in real wages has continued for so long that workers no longer expect an annual wage increase. And the assault on benefits is now so entrenched that many workers don’t receive or expect to receive basic benefits. Wages Workers Left out of the Recovery, Wages Remain Flat (August 11, 2005) The most recent round of economic reports points to higher growth in all parts of the economy except one: wages. Wage increases are weak and are forecast to remain low in 2006. Campaigns Breaking Through the Noise Part II: How Grassroots Campaigns Can Have an Impact on Capitol Hill (August 8, 2005) These days it's easier to send a letter to your congressman, but it's harder to be heard and even harder to have a real impact. For unions and other policy-oriented member organizations, it's still possible, but only if groups follow the new rules that are required to break through the noise in Washington.

How To Keep Things Clean For Less Stress

I used to be really messy. I used to also be really stressed out all the time. I’ve found that as I’ve gotten older, wiser and more organized, I really developed a real appreciation for “clean and orderly.” Why? Well, it all boils down to less stress. I find that when I come home from work and my place is messy, instead of wanting to sit back, grab a beer, a book and relax, I find I feel compelled to take care of things. I really like to have my place be nice and tidy. Not spotless by any means, but not distracting. This means no dirty dishes in the sink or on counters. No piles of anything and no clothes left out in the open. All of these things remind me of things I need to do and intrude on what should be a space and time for me to relax. I’ve been thinking about this a lot, as I’ve recently gained a new roomate; my fiancee, Staci. She’s pretty clean, but quite a bit less organzied and we’re in a space that is simply too small. (Especially with all the wedding gifts starting to come in — argh.) It really brings to light some things I was taking for granted while living alone and it’s made me go back and think creativley about how I keep my spaces clean and organized. h3. Some of my best tips on keeping things clean * Be cleaning constantly. I really try my best to keep things as clean as I can and I spend at least a few minutes every night cleaning up. I try to take care of messes when they happen. For example, I clean and put away dishes as I’m making dinner and I file and sort my mail when I’m opening it. Working smarter, not necessarily harder. * Hire a professional. I have a cleaning service come once a month to do a deep clean. It’s easy to want to let the place get out of control before they come, so I really have to exercise discipline to keep things up, which also helps quite a bit. It’s been totally worth the money. * Do pre-vacation cleaning. I make sure and do a thorough clean (laundry, dishes, etc.) before I leave for any extended period of time. It’s soooo much nicer to come back to a clean house. * Get good storage. This is one thing I’ve had in the past, but don’t have now. (Mainly because I have too much stuff — a story for another day) Having places to file, discard or simply remove from sight things that aren’t used every day is key. * Throw things away. Getting rid of old, unused items can be a very liberating feeling. * Don’t pile! I swear, piles of anything (dishes, clothes, books, mail, paperwork) are probably the most stress-causing things I can think of. * Practice the 4 season clean. Spring cleaning isn’t enough. I try and do something similar every other month. It always amazes me at how much crap I can accumulate in such a short period of time. All in all I’ve found that the cleaner my environment is the less stressed I am and the more I’m able to meet the challenges of the day. Now if I can only get Staci on the same page. But I’ll leave that for another day, as it’s an ongoing issue I’ve not yet sorted. For now, let’s just say I’m pulling a bit of a double duty. ;)

The Day Citizen Media Went Mainstream

I couldn't help but notice how different my media consumption has been surrounding the terrorist attacks in London from September 11th. When my girlfriend came and hammered on my door on the morning of September 11th I turned on CNN and just watched. When I heard about the bombings in London I looked it up on Flickr, Nowpublic, Wikipedia, Wikinews to mention a few. It seems the editors/writers/journalists at the dinosaur blogs did the same. In fact, not only did these old school media folks go online for their news gathering, but they took citizen's media and ran front page stories with it. You probably saw the image that Adam Stacey took on his cameraphone: It was posted here with a Creative Commons license. Then the image immediately appeared here, then here, then here and then onto the cover of many newspapers in London and abroad. It has been viewed almost 70 000 times on Flickr, as well as millions of times on other more popular sites and newspapers. This was just one of the examples (among many) where normal people became frontline media gatherers. "On Thursday morning in London, only minutes after the fourth terrorist bomb blew the top off a red double-decker bus in Tavistock Square, editors at the Times of London on-line unit called for readers to e-mail photos of the disasters unfolding around the city. The BBC website did the same. Over at the Guardian Online, editors directed people to post digital pictures on the popular photo-sharing site Flickr.com. One cellphone snapshot at Flickr, which captured the murky despair and chaos on a crippled Underground train, became an early icon of the attacks and was picked up by the websites of the Guardian, the Evening Standard and other papers." Globe and Mail "A grainy cell phone video taken by a survivor gave viewers worldwide their first look at the London Underground bombing -- and shined a spotlight on a small but growing part of electronic newsgathering."Hollywood Reporter "Among the more striking photos appearing online after Thursday's coordinated London explosions was one of a double-decker bus, its front intact but its sides and top ripped open. The image, on the BBC's Web site, came not from a staff photographer but from an amateur who happened on the scene with a digital camera." Forbes "As journalists scrambled to cover the London bomb blasts, ordinary citizens went online to share pictures snapped by cameraphones and reports of what they saw. At Technorati.com, a search engine for blogs, eight of the top 10 searches Thursday were related to the blasts." Wall Street Journal "Some of the most intimate images of yesterday's bomb blasts in London came from cell phones equipped with cameras and video recorders, demonstrating how a technology originally marketed as entertainment has come to play a significant role in up-to-the-minute news." Washington Post "The images that defined the media coverage of the July 7 London terrorist bombings, which claimed more than 50 lives, came not from professional news crews but from everyday people." National Geographic All of this inspired me to want to capture the day I'd like to remember not for the attacks (although I'll never forget) but for the day citizen's media officially went mainstream. So I created this screencast (~40 MB .mov MIRROR 1, MIRROR 2 thanks Michael, MIRROR 3 thanks Jared, MIRROR 4 thanks andrew, MIRROR 5/CORAL?) of the Wikipedia entry for the attacks as animated by Dan Phiffer's Wikipedia Animate Greasemonkey script. The script was created as a result of Andy Baio's contest. The idea was inspired by Jon Udell's screencasts. It shows the first 923 edits to the Wikipedia entry. You can also see the date and time of the edits flashing near the top. I sped the video up to keep it short and the result is a time lapse in the development of a Wikipedia entry as events unfolded that day. The entry itself now has over 2300 edits. I think I created this as a response to how I feel about the events. Terrorism represents the absolute worst in humanity whereas the response to these attacks, from the Wikipedia, to the blogs, to the international solidarity, to the overall resilience of the Brits represents the best! Check out my feed for more videos You can plug it into iTunes like this. Update 1: The song is called Future Proof and it's by Massive Attack. Update 2: Thanks for all the Diggs! Update 3: Thanks for all the disses too! Yikes! Why the negativity? I made this thing for fun! I didn't expect anyone to take it so seriously... Update 4 Thanks for the mirrors dudes! citizenjournalism london londonbombing citizenmedia screencast wikipedia

Slime Recipe – Make Slime At Home

Slimes.com (the future of who knows what yet?) had the awesome opportunity to visit the World Slime Convention in the sweetest place on earth…YES…Hershey PA! What do you get when you mix a whole bunch of slimers, with Hershey? Well, tons of kids surrounded by two of the best things on the planet…Chocolate and Slime of course! Being this was my family’s first convention, I wanted to share how well organized, and obviously successful, that this meet-up really was. My daughter, who found a love for slime about three years ago, and who has slowly faded out of interest, was simply ecstatic by all of the creators and fans of all of the “artistic creation” of slime. I don’t know how many people were actually there, but there certainly was a huge following. ...

The Game is Afoot

The Game is Afoot My biases are obvious. I am a programmer (or rather, a developer). I believe the best ISVs are the ones which are started and managed by someone who knows how to use a compiler, not by someone who was trained to run a business. But I do admit that a big problem happens when a geek becomes the founder of a software product company. Suddenly the geek must do a whole bunch of stuff they were never trained to do. Somebody has to keep track of the finances, make the coffee and devise clever ways for management to mistreat the employees. Luckily, a lot of this "non computer science stuff" is fairly intuitive. We've got no training on such matters, but if we can figure out how to write a multithreaded network server, we can probably rent some office space without screwing it up too badly. But one area consistently confounds us. In my opinion, nothing in a small ISV is more difficult for a geek than market competition. We can understand deep abstractions and object oriented programming. We have no problem grasping how virtual memory works. Some of us can even remember the keystrokes to do a search and replace in vi. But when geeks start talking about the issues of software product strategy in a competitive market, otherwise intelligent people suddenly sound like Paris Hilton. We just don't get it. Geeks understand market competition about as well as men understand women. To some extent, this deficiency arises from the tendency for computer programmers to think of things in "black and white" terms. We polarize every issue toward one extreme or the other. The basic element of a computer is a bit, and a bit is either on or off, never in between. This "binary mentality" infects our perspective at a very basic level, often causing us to be somewhat clumsy when dealing with any topic that is characterized by shades of grey. But my convictions remain unchanged, so I am always looking for ways to explain this topic in terms that geeks will find intuitive. Along those lines, this article proceeds from a single observation: Geeks don't understand marketing, but they do understand games. #include <You_Need_Competition.h> Before I get started, I want to remind the reader of something that I have said before: You cannot avoid competition. You think you can. In fact, you think that you must. You believe that the only way your product idea can succeed is if it doesn't have to actually beat any competitors. So as you daydream about starting your own company, you search for product ideas, and you discard all of the ones which would already have a known competitor. Eventually, you find an idea which is completely unique. Nobody is selling anything like it. Finally, the path before you is clear! So you proceed to build your killer app. Of course, you are terrified that somebody else will discover your amazing idea, so you keep everything a secret. You setup a small office in the corner of your basement and paint the windows black. You tell your wife you are downstairs looking at porn so she won't get suspicious about what's really going on. Not a single human being on earth gets a glimpse of your product until you are finally ready to unveil your 1.0 release. You emerge from stealth mode and wait for the world to overload your web storefront with traffic. But the orders don't come in. Several months go by and eventually you realize the truth: The reason nobody else was selling this kind of product already is that nobody really needs it. If any substantial number of people were willing to pay for the solution you created, then somebody else would already be trying to relieve them of their money. So your company fails. You decide to take three months off to recover from all the stress. You sit at home all day, listening to soft music on your iPod, oblivious to the irony: Apple is the clear market leader in digital music, even though they brought their product to the market very late, after all of its competitors were well established. You cannot succeed by trying to avoid all competition. But you also can't succeed by simply pretending that the competition isn't there. Your intuition may be horrible, but it isn't actually that bad. Competition can kill you. Marching directly into territory occupied by strong competition is usually just as stupid as it sounds. So neither of these two extremes is very helpful. We really need to understand the subtleties in between. In this article, I'm going to surface a few principles of software product competition by drawing comparisons to games. Ping Pong The game Ping Pong is a game of two people using paddles to hit a small plastic ball back and forth across a table with a net in the middle. For obvious reasons, Ping Pong is also called "table tennis". The winner is the first person to score 21 points. The principle The thing I find most interesting about Ping Pong is that you can often win without doing anything fancy or aggressive. A lot of players think the way to win is to slam the ball really hard. The problem with this strategy is that a slam is a high-risk/high-reward shot. If you do it right, you almost certainly score a point when your opponent fails to return the ball. If you do it wrong, you give your opponent a point. Modesty aside, I consider myself a "pretty good" Ping Pong player. I can slam the ball when necessary, but I hardly ever do. I can beat most other players by simply returning every shot with a little backspin. Hitting the ball hard simply isn't necessary. All I need to do is wait for the other player to make 21 mistakes. How software is similar You can beat a lot of competitors by simply not beating yourself. Most companies go out of business because of their own stupid mistakes, not because of the brilliance or strength of their competitor. Stay conservative, and stay in business. Watch the years go by, and you'll be surprised how many of your competitors come and go. This lesson is hard to learn. Slamming the ball is fun. It's so satisfying when we score a point that way. But when our slam misses the table by 3 feet, we often avoid learning the lesson. We tend to want to blame failures on external factors instead of asking ourselves if the risks we took were reasonable. After the company fails and the Aeron chairs have been auctioned off to pay creditors 20 cents on the dollar, management blames everyone but themselves. "It's the VC's fault! We only needed maybe 12 more months and we would be taking revenue, but that @*&#$%# refused to give us our seventh round of financing!" The lesson is actually quite simple: If you regularly take big risks, you will eventually get burned. Example Oh my. I need an example of a company that killed itself by taking too much risk. There are thousands upon thousands of such firms. Who should I choose? I guess I'll stay close to home and briefly summarize the story of Argus Systems Group, a security software company here in Champaign, Illinois. If you visit their website today, you'll find a company which is alive and well, but that's not the whole story. What you see now is the new Argus. The original Argus filed for bankruptcy in May 2003. The company's assets were sold in July 2003 for a little over $1.5 million to new management who have resurrected the failed venture. What went wrong? Clearly the company had value. A company selling advanced security software in the post 9/11 world should certainly be able to find customers, right? The problem with Argus was not in finding customers, but in finding enough customers to pay the enormous financial obligations to its investors and creditors. Argus was founded in 1993. They took money from outside investors in 1994, but I don't know if it was debt or equity or a mixture of both. More outside money came in 1996. And again in 1998. And a bunch more in 1999. And then another chunk in 2000. In 2001, they were working on getting another 35M in financing, but the deal fell through, and the death spiral began. In March 2003 the local newspaper was writing about Argus missing payroll. One of the company execs said, "We're still carrying a lot of debt." Argus had real products with real customers, but the company was crushed by all of the financial risks it had taken over the years. Don't take this too far Conservative or bold? Which one? This issue is not a checkbox, it's a slider. You have to take some risks if you want to be in business. The trick is to figure out what kind of risks to take. Learn how to take smaller risks, and then take as many of them as you can. Sorry! The game Sorry! is a family board game produced by Parker Brothers. Each player has four "pawns". The goal is to move all four of your pawns from a starting point to the finish. Each turn, you draw a card and move one pawn the number of spaces indicated on the card. (Sorry! is a registered trademark of Parker Brothers.) The principle In order to move a pawn into the finishing area, you have to draw the exact number you need. If you are 3 spaces away and you draw a 5, then you can't move. The effect of this rule is that every game of Sorry! ends up being close. A player can get way ahead, but they almost always slow down at the end as it takes them several turns to draw the card they need to win. How software is similar In software product competition, things are often set up favorably for the other players to catch up to the leader. By nature, the leader usually has more things slowing them down. Version 4.0 of a software product often happens more slowly than version 1.0. You have to implement special support for backward compatibility with your previous releases. You have to implement the features your customers want instead of the ones your prospective customers want. You have to be careful not to break things when you are making code changes. You never want version N to be worse than version N-1. The small ISV working on version 1.0 doesn't have all this baggage to carry around. In fact, I think I'll just over-generalize and say it like this: The older your product is, the slower your development is. Example The most obvious example of this phenomenon is Microsoft Windows. How many times has Cairo/Longhorn been delayed? Remember, this is not a criticism -- it is merely a natural part of the aging process for software products. Each release of Windows takes a long time, and I bet that a big percentage of the effort is spent on backwards compatibility and regression testing. A huge number of applications rely on the Windows platform, and Microsoft needs to be sure that old apps work with its new releases. In other words, they are trying to improve Windows without changing it. That needs to be done with a lot of care. Don't take this too far The day after I publish this article, some yoyo is going to send me email flaming me for saying that it's bad to be the market leader. Please don't bother. I'm not really saying that. Given a choice between being two years ahead of a competitor or two years behind, we all know which choice to make. I'm just saying that not every factor favors the leader. If you are out in front, be aware of the natural reasons why your development is slowing down. If you are trailing, don't despair. Realize that there are certain issues working in your favor. The 100 meter dash The game Wait at the starting line. When the gun fires, run toward the finish line, 100 meters away. The principle Strictly speaking, only one person actually wins this race. However, second and third place are honored with medals as well. The silver and bronze medalists are obviously among the fastest human beings on earth. They didn't "win" the race, and yet, they achieved something amazing. How software is similar There is usually more than one winner. In fact, I'd say that most market segments work out to be very much like the Olympics: The top three players are all considered successful. The game of running an ISV is not a two-player affair with a winner and a loser. You can be quite successful without being the market leader. Example Lots of successful products are not #1 in their market: SQL Server. Last time I checked, Microsoft is #3 in the database market, well behind IBM and Oracle. It would be real difficult to credibly argue that SQL Server is a failure. Opera. I can't cite a source, but it seems fairly obvious to me that these guys are #3, behind Internet Explorer and Firefox. It seems equally obvious to me that Opera is a successful company, but I can't prove that either. TestComplete. I've got even less evidence here, but I admire AutomatedQA and what they have accomplished. Their GUI testing product is at least #3 in the market, maybe even further down than that. They came along years after companies like Mercury Interactive and Rational, but I definitely get the impression that this product is doing well for them. Don't take this too far Every rule has exceptions. The number three player in desktop operating systems is probably not considered very successful, whoever they are. Golf: The Putting Green The game Golf is played with a club and a ball. The object is to get the ball into a hole by hitting it as few times as possible. In the final step of playing a golf hole, we roll the ball along a surface of very short grass into the cup. This surface is called the "putting green". It is rarely flat or level. The principle The tricky thing about putting is studying the green to figure out how the ball will roll. When putting across a slope, how much will the grade cause the path of the ball to curve? When putting down a slope, how hard should you strike the ball to avoid rolling too far if you miss? Using nothing more than visual inspection, it can be really tough to figure this stuff out. Professionals have spent countless hours learning how to "read the green". Making a putt is far simpler if you can watch somebody else attempt it first. This is completely legal within the rules of golf. The person whose ball is further away from the cup must attempt the putt first. The other player has the right to watch the ball roll. Putting second can be a big advantage. You can learn a great deal by watching your competitor go first. How software is similar Using nothing more than visual inspection (market research), it can be really tough to figure out just how a product is going to roll. Very few products get it right the first time. People want to use the product in ways you never expected. Everybody explains that you didn't provide integration with their favorite app. Customers want your product but the price is too high. Customers don't immediately realize that they have the problem your product is designed to solve. Hindsight makes all this stuff obvious. Releasing your product second can be a big advantage. You can learn a great deal by watching your competitor go first. We call this effect the "second mover advantage". Example C# is probably the most perfect example of second mover advantage that I have ever seen. Microsoft is always very careful when they talk about C#. They don't want people thinking of C# as a clone of Java. But the truth is obvious: C# is Java done right. Don't take this too far The reason we call this "second mover advantage" is because presenting it in contrast with the more commonly discussed "first mover advantage", which is very real. Being first has plenty of benefits too. It's just that the benefits of being first are different from the benefits of being second. Bridge The game Bridge is a card game played by four players with a traditional 52-card deck. In each deal there are 13 tricks. The goal is take lots of them. The principle The basic rules of bridge are very simple, but competitive bridge is extremely complex. Bridge players use a "system", a methodology which provides strategy and tactics for play. The system is not part of the basic rules of the game. There are quite a few different methodologies for bridge, all of which are designed to help a player and his partner win. A friend of mine taught me to play bridge. Let's call him Bob (because that's his name). Bob is a very good bridge player. One might think that because I was taught by such a strong player that I might be rather good at the game. Nothing could be further from the truth. I am a terrible bridge player. There are many things about bridge which are not easily taught. You either "get it" or you don't. Bob gets it. He sees things at the bridge table that I just can't see. He always seems to know where the cards are. He and I will sit down for an evening and play 27 hands of bridge. After it's all done, he draws my attention to the 5th hand. I barely recall playing it, but he remembers all 13 of the cards I was holding and tells me exactly where I screwed up. There is one fact about the remainder of my lifetime that is extremely clear: I will never beat Bob at a game of bridge. I simply don't have the talent. Bob's mind can do things mine cannot. More to the point, there is no system or methodology which would allow me to beat Bob. I only know how to play one bridge system (it's called Standard American). Bob plays several different systems, depending on who his partner is. He usually wins, regardless of what system he is playing. In bridge, there is no methodology which is a substitute for talent. How software is similar I used to work with a guy who was in love with the notion of a really good methodology. He was always talking about how great it is to have a system which is not dependent on the abilities of the people on the team. He liked to explain the concept using a sausage grinder as a metaphor. No matter how smart or dumb the developers are, you always get sausage as the result. Methodology of software development is a popular topic, but count me as a skeptic. In software, there is no methodology which is a substitute for talent. Choosing the right development methodology is not going to help you beat your competitors. None of your competitors are going to beat you just because of the methodology they chose. Example I can't find an example to give here, except to offer the following observations as weak evidence of my claims: I've spoken with folks at lots and lots of ISVs. I tend to see smart people following excellent development practices. But I don't know of a single shrinkwrap software company which follows one of the strict development methodologies, much less one that gains competitive advantage by doing so. Don't take this too far I'm not saying that methodology is a completely uninteresting topic. I'm saying is that talent will beat methodology every time, but methodology and talent don't have to be mutually exclusive. Some methodologies seem to be specifically designed to let smart people be smart. Gymnastics The game Gymnastics is a sport in which athletes demonstrate strength, agility and balance in several different events using several different kinds of equipment. The principle Most people watch gymnastics every four years when the Olympics come on TV. Both women and men participate in the sport (separately), but the women's competition seems to be generally more popular. Women's gymnastics involves four different events: Floor exercise Balance beam Vault Uneven bars Participants must compete in all four stages of the competition, and each stage is very different from the others. A gymnast might be truly gifted on the balance beam, but that doesn't mean she's any good on the uneven bars -- the two events require entirely different sets of skills. Each of the four events requires a different approach and different training. How software is similar Marketing teaches us that the life cycle of a product has four stages, each of which corresponds to one group of people in the market: Early Adopters are risk takers who actually like to try new things. are risk takers who actually like to try new things. Pragmatists might be willing to use new technology, if it's the only way to get their problem solved. might be willing to use new technology, if it's the only way to get their problem solved. Conservatives dislike new technology and try to avoid it. dislike new technology and try to avoid it. Laggards pride themselves on the fact that they are the last to try anything new. Each stage is very different from the others. Your ISV might be very successful selling products to Early Adopters, but that doesn't mean you will have any success at all selling stuff to the Pragmatists. These are two entirely different groups of customers and reaching them requires entirely different skills. Example Linux is perhaps the most obvious example today of a product which is very popular with certain Early Adopters and almost completely irrelevant to the Pragmatists. That is not to say that Linux is a failure. I like Linux very much and I use it regularly. But the fact remains: Linux doesn't have much market penetration in the mainstrain markets like the corporate desktop or the home PC. Those buyers are Pragmatists, or Conservatives or even Laggards. Being successful with the Early Adopters is one thing. Selling products to the later stages is a completely different problem. Don't take this too far Unlike gymnastics, an ISV is not absolutely required to participate in all four stages. Some companies cater exclusively to Early Adopters, never bothering to even try and sell stuff to the Pragmatists. An even more common strategy is to only sell stuff to the Pragmatists and Conservatives, sparing yourself from exposure to the bizarre buying patterns of the Early Adopters. Football The game Here in the United States, the sport we call "football" is played on a grass field 100 yards long. Each team has 11 people. At any given moment, one team is trying to move the ball to the end of the field while the other team is trying to stop them. A complex set of rules attempts to regulate the amount of violence and keep it at just the right level. The principle Football is a game of strategy. You can't just grab the ball and throw it down the field. Each team develops "plays" where every player on the field is given very specific instructions. During the week, they practice these plays over and over until the team knows how to do it right. Then the weekend comes, and it's time to actually play the game. In every football game, there is a play where the coach chose the right strategy but the players just didn't get it done. Somebody was supposed to run to the left and instead they ran to the right. This is the moment where the TV cameras zoom in on the coach as he throws up his hands in frustration and screams a word I won't repeat but which can be roughly translated to say: "That is NOT how we practiced that play!!!" Football is a game of strategy, but even more, it is a game of execution. The best strategy won't help you a bit if you can't execute it well. How software is similar The challenge of building and selling a software product is a game of strategy, but even more, it is a game of execution. Most people get this balance exactly backwards. They believe the essence of success is to come up with a really great business plan built on a really great product idea. Those things are important, but a great idea and a great plan won't help a bit if you can't execute it well. Experienced people know that execution is more important than idea. In fact, the more jaded and cynical folks in our industry would say that software product ideas are worthless. Without a doubt, great execution on a good idea is far better than poor execution on a great idea. If you want to beat your competitors in the market, focus on being a team that can get things done. Example Back in 1997, folks were anticipating the upcoming release of the Motorola MAP phone, a "smart phone" which incorporated web browsing and a graphical user interface. By today's standards, I suppose the MAP phone would be rather ordinary, but it was a cool idea for its time. Or rather, it would have been a cool idea if they had ever delivered it. Some Motorola exec killed the project, in early 1999 if I recall correctly. The phone was years late, and its feature set was no longer worth delivering. Competitors already had products on the market with the same or greater functionality. What went wrong? In a nutshell, there was a lot of questionable execution, including some major changes to the architecture and feature set, very late in the game. My company was one of the subcontractors building apps for the phone. Our billings to Motorola were a significant amount of money, so I can only imagine the total sunk cost in this disastrous project was at least an 8-figure number. Too bad. It was a great idea. Don't take this too far Here's a football play I've never seen: Give the ball to one player and have the other ten stand around and watch as he slowly walks down the field. Perfect execution on a terrible idea will get you exactly the results you should expect. The Oscars The game The Academy Awards (aka the "Oscars") are generally considered to be the most prestigious honor in filmmaking. The principle Every year, immediately after the Oscar winners are announced, people begin the debate: Who should have won? The Academy Awards aren't like horse racing or chess where the winner is usually quite clear and undisputed. The decisions about Oscar winners are entirely subjective. Reasonable people disagree. With all due respect to Ben Kingsley and his performance in Gandhi, I still wish Dustin Hoffman had won. But that's just the way the Oscars work. The Academy voters hold the only opinion that matters. The rest of us can argue over which movie or performance we think was the "best", but our opinions don't make a bit of difference in who actually wins. How software is similar The "best" product doesn't always win. That's a pithy way to express the point, so let me try to be a bit more precise. There are two groups of people who have opinions about which software product is the "best": Us. The developers. The geeks. The people who create the products. Them. The customers. The normal people. The people who buy the products. Here's the lesson that developers must learn: The customers hold the only opinion that matters. Sometimes their choices don't seem to make any sense. They prefer one product when we know the other one has better technology. In the end, we can fuss all day about why the market is making "the wrong choice", but it doesn't matter. Our job is not to make the product that we think is best. Our job is to make the product that they think is best. If you can't accept that, you should consider the possibility that you and your career choice are not as well suited as you thought. Example Strictly from a technology perspective, it wasn't terribly difficult to figure who had the best personal computer operating system in 1985. Most people would probably have said that the Amiga operating system was clearly superior to Windows 1.0. Twenty years later, the score of this game looks roughly like this: Windows: 500 million users Amiga: 500 users The "best" product doesn't always win. Don't take this too far Your notion of what is the "best" product may not completely match the opinion of the marketplace, but it's probably not 100% wrong. I don't think I have ever seen the Academy give an Oscar to a performance which was also nominated for the Razzies. Rugby The game Most people in the United States are not terribly familiar with rugby. It could be compared to football, but it is a sport all its own. Like football, it involves lots of players running into each other. Unlike football, the players aren't wearing pads. The principle Traditional Rugby is played with 15 people on each team. At the time of this writing, the top three international rugby teams are New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. My rugby fanatic coworker tells me that this configuration is typical. Noticeably absent from this list is Fiji, a small island nation in the south Pacific. Fiji is about the size of New Jersey but has about one tenth the population. Rugby is the most popular sport in Fiji, but this tiny country simply doesn't have the resources to compete with the big boys. The Fijan rugby team competes, but don't look for them to be in the top three anytime soon. However, there is a variant of rugby which is played with 7 people instead of 15. The game is called "Rugby Sevens". It's not as big as traditional rugby, but its popularity is growing. Guess who won the Rugby Sevens World Cub this year? Fiji. Rugby is segmented into two different categories. Fiji puts most of its resources into competing where it has the best chance to win. How software is similar Segmentation is perhaps the most important concept in marketing, and the world of software products is no exception. Very often, the way to win is not to be better, but to be different. Look at your market and identify the different segments or categories. For each category, ask yourself lots of questions: How many customers are in this category? How much money do they spend? Are those customers well served? Who is selling stuff to those customers now? What unsolved problems do those customers have? Choose a category where you can win. Example I think the best example here is the Apple Macintosh. Steve Jobs is very smart. He could have killed the company by trying to beat Microsoft in the broader market. Instead, the Macintosh seems to have found serenity by dominating a small niche of rabid fans. Don't take this too far Choosing a category where you can win is not the same thing as a creating a whole new category. Which of the following tasks sounds easier? Start a new team to play Rugby Sevens. Make your team good enough to compete with Fiji. Create a new variant of Rugby which is played with 11 people. Start a team. Learn the nuances of this particular configuration. Make your team really, really good at this newly created game. Contact 29 other nations and convince them to start playing "Rugby Elevens". Convince millions of people that their lives would be happier if they would watch 11 people playing rugby instead of 7 or 15. Find lots of corporations and convince them that they should be advertising to your fan base. Contact the International Olympic Committee and ask them to add yet another sport. Sound absurd? At this very moment, somewhere in the world, there is a person writing a business plan which is just as silly. If by chance you are that person, please stop now. Creating a new market category is very, very hard. It is much easier to sell people a product which solves a problem they already know about. Golf: The Tee Shot The game Earlier I mentioned golf in the context of the putting green. But that's the end of the story. Long before the ball lands on the green, each hole starts out with the ball sitting on a tee. The principle The fourth hole at my local course is reasonably typical. When I begin to play this hole, my ball is 561 yards away from the cup where it is supposed to end up. The par for this hole would suggest that I should be able to get the ball into that cup by hitting it only 5 times. My last two shots will be far more precise, so what I need from this first shot is distance. It would be great if I could get the ball around halfway there on the first shot. This should be easy. It's not like the ball is moving. It's just sitting there waiting for me to smack it. All I have to do is swing my club and hit the darn ball straight. Unfortunately, it turns out that this task is incredibly difficult to do with any accuracy. The slightest error will be magnified, usually causing my ball to veer off to the right where it will be reunited with dozens of its friends which are now resting comfortably at the bottom of the lake. The tee shot in golf is all about concentration. This is a mental challenge, not a physical one. There are plenty of teenage girls and 75-year-old men who can hit the ball 300 yards. Muscles don't matter. What you need is 100% focus and absolute concentration on the task. The easiest and most common way to dilute your concentration is to think about your competitor. During your shot, that guy just doesn't matter. It's not like he's playing defense. The best thing to do is to just ignore him completely. If you think about him, then you're not thinking about your shot, and you're probably going to screw it up. It's just you, the club and the ball. Everything else is a distraction. How software is similar I'm ending the article with this illustration because I believe that managing an ISV is more like the golf tee shot than it is like any other game. It's just you, the product, and the customer. Everything else is a distraction. Software companies routinely spend far too much of their attention on their competitors. Our customers wish we would spend all that effort on providing solutions to their problems. Example I'm citing Fog Creek as my example here. I suspect that I could find a hundred different bug-tracking products which appeared on the scene before FogBugz, but Joel ignored all that and kept spouting his mantra: " Listen to your customers, not your competitors!" He has built himself a very fine company, and along the way, the rest of us have learned an awful lot of good stuff from his writings. Don't take this too far It is theoretically possible to take this principle too far, but I've never seen anyone do it. Ignoring our competitors takes discipline. Human nature virtually guarantees that we will err in the other direction. If you have achieved this particular flaw, spending so much time focusing on your customers that your business is actually harmed because of your ignorance of the competition, please accept my congratulations. Most of my readers wish their problems were as easy to fix as yours. The 19th Hole This article ended up a lot longer than I thought it would be. If you got tired while reading it, just be thankful that I deleted the whole section about how seeing into the future is like trying to look down a dark hallway in Doom 3. Be happy that I never wrote the whole bit about how Lotus 1-2-3 ignored Wayne Gretzsky's sage advice about skating to where the puck will be. And most of all, be grateful that I deleted the long rant about offshore outsourcing, the New York Yankees and the Chicago Cubs. :-)

5 worst phones (roundup)

We review a lot of phones here at CNET. A lot. A few are standouts, most are decent and affordable, and a small number just aren't worth the trouble (low price be damned). Gathered below is the rogues' gallery of recent disappointments that just weren't able to live up to their promise. Arm yourself with the knowledge of the phones you can safely skip, then cheer yourself up with this list of rock stars. Editors' note: This post was originally published on March 2012 and is updated frequently. Andrew Hoyle/CNET At first we were excited about the Ektra, which Kodak billed as the photographer's phone. But its 21-megapixel shooter wasn't all that great, it has a poor battery life and the design is clunky and feels cheap. Worst of all? It's way too expensive for its own good. Read the Ektra review. Sarah Tew/CNET Don't get us wrong -- the Phab 2 Pro is a completely novel device. With a 16-megapixel rear camera that has Tango depth sensor and motion tracking from Google, its 3D camera system can render an interactive augmented reality between virtual objects and the real world. But as a phone in itself, it's pretty meh. It's big and heavy, runs an old version of Android, has a short battery life and doesn't have NFC. Read the Phab 2 Pro review. Josh Miller/CNET We'll admit that the Le S3 is fast and competitively-priced. But there are just too many things that we don't like about it. It has a clunky interface, the content it provides under its live streaming service is underwhelming and it lacks a headphone jack. And despite LeEco's predicting for being tech's next great disruptor, the company is going through some troubles. Read the Le S3 review. Enlarge Image Josh Miller/CNET With the DTEK50 ( ), BlackBerry put its own spin on Google's Android OS. And while the software experience was relatively fine, everything else was sort of disappointing. The camera was weak in low-light settings and the phone's performance was slow. Plus, the claim that the device is "The World's Most Secure Android Smartphone" is overblown. In reality, its security features come included in most Android phones. Bummer. Read the DTEK 50 review. Sarah Tew/CNET The Desire 520 has a few things going for it. It's affordable, has loud speakers and has expandable storage. But those things can't outweigh the fact that its screen is rather dull, its battery life is short and the plastic casing feels cheap. Read the Desire 520 review.

emerge random: We have made Linux ready. Now let's make the users ready too. Part I.

We have made Linux ready. Now let's make the users ready too. Part I. I was lazily reading last OSnews when I got stuck into a link to this post by mr.akaimbatman. It is just one of the bazillion articles/blog posts I've read about what the Linux desktop would have to be. But now I'm tired, and so I rant. After a long Windows-only experience, it's two years I happily use Linux on the desktop 24/7 (with the exception of the Windows XP box I still have to use at work), and it's two years I read this kind of articles. These articles just get me sick. They get me sick because they invariably miss the point. They take a lot of myths about the lack of adoption of Linux on the desktop and they try to solve them with titanic scenarios of complete desktop environment/filesystem refactoring. While there could be many nice individual ideas in their proposed solutions, they completely lack the sense of time and pragmatism. The reason is simple. All your super ideas about rebuilding the filesystem hierarchy of Linux or merging GNOME and KDE in a single, ultra-cool, ultra-easy desktop environment can be all the best you can think about (most of time they're not, but let's give them a chance). The fact is simply that, given the number of developers and the pace of development of open source software, when all this will happen -if it will happen- we will be already be light years behind other operating systems. Period. To make Linux a practical desktop solution for the masses we do not need to turn the guts of Linux and X upside down. This is a sin of naivete. We just need a little rational change of mind from the community, and a big effort from the software industry. Let me explain. It will take some post to do it, so prepare to read. Ok? Well, start with Part I. I. Linux IS easy and ready for (most of the) desktop. People must just learn its basics. We who use Linux on the desktop don't find it hard. To me Linux is pretty easy when it comes to everyday tasks -even easier than WinXP. So where's the point? When John 'PC User' Doe hears about Linux he usually hears a lot of enthusiastic geeks that assure him that Windows is shit and that Linux is the solution of all John Doe problems. Then John Doe will reply "but I heard Linux is good on servers but not on the desktop" and geeks will point him on the latest-and-greatest Mandriva or SuSE. Until now everything looks almost OK. What will happen then? What will happen is that John Doe, assured that his new shiny Linux will be easy to use, will try to install and use it on his desktop or -much worse- on his laptop. Then John Doe will fill a hundred of forums asking for silly questions like "how do I install the drivers of the webcam I have on the webcam CD?" or "how do I play my iTunes DRM-protected files?" or "why does not my USB ADSL modem works?" More sooner than later most John Doe's will throw the towel and return to Windows, hastily disgusted from Linux. Now, the commonplace deduction is: John Doe bad experience has shown that Linux is not ready for the desktop, because "this is hard, that is inconsistent, that else is awkward". Is this right? No. It doesn't mean Linux is perfect -it is absolutely not. But this is not the reason John Doe finds Linux difficult or even unusable. John Doe did find Linux difficult to use becase he did not learn its basics. He did not learn about it. He never read the instruction manual. When a friend asks me to introduce him into Linux, he almost always says "hey, help me install it, then I will learn it by myself". This will just lead them into troubles. Most PC users have known just DOS and Windows, and just cannot think about something so different. They expect a drive C: or a self-extracting, graphical installer just because they never have known anything else, not because it is intrinsecally easier. What I answer to my John Doe's that want to install Linux is: read documentation first. Please understand to the last word: f i r s t. This does not mean at all forcing them reading kilotons of man pages. This means telling them the truth: that Linux is different from Windows, and that if they do not readily know the basic differences between the systems before the switch, they will be lost, not less than I would be lost if parachuted in the center of an unknown city. Tell them to look on Google and the Wikipedia, to get familiar with the filesystem hierarchy, the distribution diversity, the meaning of magic words like "shell", "kernel", "window manager", "mount point", "package manager" and so on. They don't need to become gurus. They just need simple, clear concepts like "X is the program that controls the graphics on Linux. It is a separate program, not a part of the OS like in Windows. X itself just controls the basics, but your desktop behaviour and appearance will depend on another program, that's the window manager or desktop manager. There are quite a few, you can try some of them and then pick up the one you like, so your desktop can fit your needs and tastes much better." Tell them even to look at screenshots of KDE and GNOME, so they will be already familiar with their new graphic environment. Tell them the command line exists and that they don't have to fear it. Show them simple examples of how it works, and why it is more flexibile and fast than GUI alternatives for simple tasks like "how much space do I have on my partitions?". Only once they will have some familiarity with Linux concepts, give them a live cd. Tell them they can play with the live cd as much as they want, and they will understand the concepts they're read about and can begin to "feel" Linux under their hands. Most people will gladly listen and understand such explanations and will actively do it if politely but firmly advised it's good for them to do so. If they say "oh,I will learn it later, just install it" explain them that it's nothing hard, but that they will be LOST if they don't learn, and that it's like to pretend to be able to drive a train just because you can drive a car. If they still insist, well, advice them not to switch, or to prepare for pain. I know what I say because I had the luck to be prepared to Linux with this approach. When I first considered switching, I just wanted to download all Debian Woody CDs and install them. A friend of mine (the other dude writing on this blog, BTW!) warned me, pointed me to Knoppix and Mandrake and told me that things would have been easier by learning something before. So I downloaded a bunch of tutorials about Linux, I bought a couple of Linux magazines and I spent a couple of weeks by googling and reading stuff. Only after I felt ready to boot a Knoppix, and after some day spent by playing around with Knoppix I finally installed Mandrake 9.1. I remember I was almost disappointed by how easy the transition was, but I realized immediately it was so easy because I was already knowing the basics. And when I see newbies ranting on forums about how bad Linux is, everyone realized they just didn't take the time/will to learn BEFORE installing. Now to my corollary, point I.a: I.a: Installing Linux applications is damn easy. I sadly laughed when I read that he still thinks installing applications on Linux is hard. This was perhaps true years ago, it is pure FUD now. Let me say it clearly: There's nothing easier in XXI-century computing than installing Linux applications with a package manager. I repeat with other words: There's nothing easier than an apt-get or an emerge that can be done on computers today. There are a billion of potentially difficult or awkward things on Linux, but installing applications is not one of these. In fact, strange as it may seem, I started using Linux and I continue to use it almost mainly for this precise reason. With Linux I have literally thousands of applications that I can install instantly, free of charge and that I can trust because they are Open Source. Do this thought experiment. Imagine a world where Debian or Gentoo are the main operating systems of the planet, and where a new player -Windows- is struggling to conquer the desktop. Now a newbie Windows user tries to install his favourite music player. He is accustomed to XMMS, which he installed simply by (1)firing the command line (2)getting root and (3)typing "apt-get xmms install", and now wants to install Winamp. Imagine him knowing well his Debian-based distro but knowing almost nothing about Windows. I'm sure he will first look for a "Package manager" or "Software install" program on his Start menu and/or Control Panel. He won't find anything useful. He will try the command line, but nothing seems to come from there. So he will look on the Internet what kind of package management Windows has; he will find it is almost none. Amazed and disappointed, he will eventually look for Winamp on the Internet and he will download it. He will find himself with an executable file, something he has never associated with software packages. He will eventually double-click it, and he will find an overwhelmingly annoying graphical install that will ask him silly questions like "where do you want to install me?", and he will stare in confusion by understanding that no /usr/bin exists on Windows. If he's clever he will eventually understand the logic of the process: he will find it also awkward and unnecessarily complex. I expect also him quite upset when he will understand there's no "emerge -Du world" that will help him upgrade all his software, but that he will have to do program-by-program, painfully. So here's explained the ridicule of this assertion by akaimbatman (the author of the post linked above): Package management is one of those concepts that seems great on the outset, but fails in practice. The issue is that each package has a complex chain of dependencies unique to itself. In order to be certain that a package is compatible with all installations, all combinations of installed packages must be tested! As it is unlikely that anyone would go through so much trouble, the incompatibilities between packages accumulate, and before long the packaging system is rejecting new installs. And that's assuming that a graphical installer exists! If a graphical installer does not exist, then life becomes even more difficult for the end user. Instead of launching a GUI and selecting the applications he wants, the user must open a terminal and begin typing cryptic commands for which he has no training for.Many proponents of packaging systems downplay these issues by stating that packaging errors don't exist on system XYZ (despite proof to the contrary), and that if the user is running Linux he should be "smart enough" to know how to use the command line. Such statements are just silly. Users want the computer to make their lives easier. Any barrier thrown in their way will only drive them to a different platform. Unfortunately, package managers still drive most Linux desktop distributions.. You're utterly wrong. The packaging system is one of the biggest strenghts of Linux, because it makes installing application easy. Take your Windows fellow and let him see you can start from zero to a fully Internet-aware desktop by typing something like "apt-get firefox gaim xchat thunderbird gftp amule install" instead that downloading and installing a thousand of separate applications from their respective web pages. Oh, your friend does not like typing? Well, let him point-and-click on Guitoo or Mandrake graphic urpmi or something similar. But don't be ridicolous tellimg me that typing "emerge gaim" is difficult, please. The fact the user has no training for typing "emerge foo" IS WRONG, not the package manager. Users need to learn, THEN to use the system. Would you click on an executable installer, if no one ever told you that's the way to install software? Mr.akaimbatman for some reason also tells me that package managers don't work, that they fail continuously. This is pure FUD. Packaging errors are incredibly rare, despite theorical arguments for the contrary. In 2 years of Linux I just found one real package management error, in an obscure bioinformatic Gentoo ebuild. Mailing the package maintainer solved the issue in 48 hours. That's what open source is for. We should tell to newbie that want to switch how powerful are the package management systems of Linux. Surely it would be nice to have them somehow unified (but why don't we write a wrapper around all three main package managers? It would be even easier, and transparent, and it wouldn't involve improbable revolutions). But they work. They are damn easy and powerful. Tell our friends Linux is better, because of package management. I.a.1.: Dealing with non-packaged applications There is still the problem of applications not included as packages of your current distribution. Finding software is still much easier than on Windows, because you can look for it on Freshmeat or SourceForge or on Savannah, that is, on centralized repositories. The problem is installing tarballs. There are solutions for this problem, that this time belong to the Linux community instead of the end user maybe, but they're don't require any massive rewriting of core components. First solution, write a compiling packages helper. This requires not much more than being a simple text-based and/or GUI-based thing that gently unpackages the tarball, executes "./configure", "make" and "make install" (or,better,"checkinstall"), and gently prompts any error encountered in a comprehensible way. (Hey, I just found the Python project I was looking for to cut my teeth on!) This still requires advanced feedback from the end user if something goes wrong, or if customization is needed, but if everything is right it would be nothing harder than an apt-get or a double-click installer. Second solution, distribute static binaries. If dependency hell is your problem, this is perhaps the best solution. I actually love the shared library concept, but I can see that has drawbacks. For big, common libraries like GTK or QT, they can actually be something that the user don't want to install properly, because he/she won't need them except than for one single app, and he/she wants to be sure that single app just works (so we don't want to go into things like "it works with GTK 2.2.3 but not 2.4.1"). For obscure, little dependencies it can be a hell to find them, and it's sad many good apps fall into oblivion just because they depend on a bunch of libnotinstalledonanysystem .so. Building static binaries would solve it: moreover static binaries will run happily compiled with their older libs if newer, not retro-compatible ones are already installed, allowing to avoid contorsionisms like installing KDE 2 libs on a KDE 3 system, for instance. I think it would be foolish to install and distribute static binaries only, but they should be presented as an option by all free software developers (and commercial too). The second part of akaimbatman critics the filesystem hierarchy of Linux. Here I declare: I.b: The filesystem structure of Linux is no problem for the end user. I can't see why the end user should see the directory structure of Linux as a problem (or at least as a major problem). Most of the time they will use only their /home directory, and that's actually one of the things that makes Linux easier and friendlier than Windows. They have no problem to know where is their program, because they will know it is almost always is /usr/bin/program, if they ever need to. Again, it is simply matter of "hey,newbie Linux user,read about the Linux directory structure! You will find it is really rational and simple: all general configuration files are in /etc, all everyday program binaries are in /usr/bin and so on". It is also much friendlier to know your cdrom drive is always /mnt/cdrom than an odd D:, E: or Q:. Again, it is nothing hard if you take the time to understand it before actually using it instead of diving into it expecting that every OS on the planet must be a Windows clone. All advices to change directory structure and all the GoboLinuxes of this world are plain useless, desperate attempts to make of Linux filesystem a fake Windows filesystem. There's nothing bad about both filesystems: they are just different, they need to be understood, and they are out of the user way most of time. We can always try to improve a bit the current scheme, but in general it has nothing bad or awkward. Init scripts structures (SysV or BSD) are surely something that can be improved in the sense of clarity and easiness, for example. But for most part all criticism I've read is basically "This is not Windows", and as such is of no importance. Ok, enough for now. Of course there are things with Linux that are not good, but they're simply not always the ones that are believed to (and definitely NOT what akaimbatman thinks they are). We're just smashing some involuntary FUD here. New chapters will follow.

Worldcom's ex-boss gets 25 years

Bernie Ebbers leaves the Manhattan court after sentencing Mr Ebbers was found guilty of fraud and conspiracy in March, following revelations of an $11bn (£6.2bn) accounting fraud at Worldcom in 2002. The 63-year-old was also guilty of seven counts of filing false documents. Mr Ebbers will begin serving his sentence at a federal prison in Yazoo City, Mississippi, close to his home. The sentence was handed down by federal judge Barbara Jones, who earlier this week rejected his request for a new trial. The sentence was the toughest yet in a string of corporate scandals in the US. Mr Ebbers did not address the court. Instead, he wiped his eyes with a white tissue. Meanwhile, Kristie Ebbers, his wife, cried quietly. The jail term effectively satisfies pleas from prosecutors for a life sentence to be imposed on Mr Ebbers. 'Leader' in crime Defence lawyer Reid Weingarten had called for a more lenient sentence, given Mr Ebbers' heart condition and his involvement in charitable works. However, Judge Barbara Jones said she did not believe his heart condition was sufficiently serious to warrant a reduced sentence. A sentence of anything less would not reflect the seriousness of the crime Barbara Jones, Federal Judge She also rejected his lawyers' contention that the government overstated the losses that investors suffered in the fraud. And she rejected their contention that Mr Ebbers was not a mastermind of the accounting wrongdoing. Mr Ebbers "was clearly a leader of criminal activity in this case," the judge said. "A sentence of anything less would not reflect the seriousness of the crime." Biggest bankruptcy Worldcom's collapse was the biggest bankruptcy in US corporate history. Some 20,000 workers lost their jobs, while shareholders lost about $180bn, when the company filed for bankruptcy protection. Kristie and Bernie Ebbers leaving the court on Wednesday A former Worldcom salesman, Henry J Bruin Jr, told the hearing in Manhattan that the company's collapse had caused him "untold human carnage" and that he had suffered "sheer hell". Mr Ebbers is the first of six former Worldcom executives and accountants facing sentencing this summer. The remaining five have already pleaded guilty and agreed to co-operate in the case against their former boss. On Monday, a judge backed a multi-million dollar settlement under which Mr Ebbers must surrender most of his personal assets, including $5m in cash, to resolve a shareholder lawsuit. The settlement leaves Mr Ebbers' wife with about $50,000 of her husband's fortune, and a modest home in Jackson, Mississippi. Rise and fall Born in Edmonton, Canada on 27 August, 1941, Bernard Ebbers worked as a basketball coach, teacher and warehouse manager before running a chain of motels from which he launched his stellar telecoms career. I believe God has a plan for people's lives, and I believe he had a plan for me Bernie Ebbers Profile: Bernie Ebbers He snapped up rivals and took advantage of the end of AT&T's monopoly which enabled him to offer phone deals at bargain prices. With his fortune rapidly growing, in 1995 he paid £1.2bn for WilTel Network Services and changed its name to WorldCom. By mid-1999 WorldCom shares reached an all-time high and Mr Ebbers became the darling of Wall Street. "I believe God has a plan for people's lives, and I believe he had a plan for me," Mr Ebbers once said. President Bill Clinton once called him "the symbol of 21st Century America" and said Mr Ebbers was "the embodiment of what I want for the future". But in 2001, his attempts to buy larger rival Sprint were thwarted by regulators and worries about WorldCom's mounting debt began to emerge. Mr Ebbers quit the firm in 2002 after admitting borrowing money from WorldCom to cover losses he incurred in buying its shares. In the same year WorldCom went bankrupt. It emerged from bankruptcy in 2004, renaming itself MCI.

Biggest Mistakes in Web Design 1995-2015

Biggest Mistakes in Web Design 1995-2015 I've gathered what I think are the biggest web design mistakes committed during the period 1995 to 2015. Yes, it is a little facetious to say these mistakes will be made in the year 2015, but it's human nature to repeat your mistakes over and over. But it's human nature to repeat your mistakes over and over <grin>. I've added more material to the article—especially the sections on Contrast, Graphics, Flash, JavaScript and Text. I've added more videos and screenshots, including those of sites that have changed. I have proof of how bad they used to be. Some mistakes I'll discuss aren't actually design mistakes in the classic sense—ugly graphics, bad navigation, etc.—but serious big picture problems. 1. Believing People Care About You And Your Website. These women are laughing at you. Why? You designed your website for your needs, not theirs. It gets worse. After they stop laughing, they're going to one of your competitors' sites to buy something. Here's an email I received about the topic: Powerhouse is a UK electrical goods retail store. We knew they had a nice bread maker at an even nicer price, so (we) went to their website to see if we could buy it. Because we use Firefox, we weren't allowed in. (Note: The site has disappeared. Did a Firefox-free environment cause this to happen? I don't know, but I'm sure you don't want to find out what happens if you keep potential customers out of your site. — vf) Comet's website worked a treat and they have our money now! (Ironically they're gone, too, though I suspect not for web design reasons). Write these two sentences where you can see them as you're working: The only reason my website exists is to solve my customers' problems. What problems does the page I'm looking at solve? Nobody Cares About You Or Your Site. Really. What visitors care about is solving their problems. Now. Most people visit a website to solve one or more of these four problems: They want/need information They want/need to make a purchase / donation. They want/need to be entertained. They want/need to be part of a community. Too many organizations believe that a website is about opening a new marketing channel, getting donations, promote a brand, or increase company sales by 15%. No. It's about solving your customers' problems. Have I said that phrase enough? If there ever was a site that was not about meeting their customers' needs, it has to be the Association of International Glaucoma Societies. They've "fixed" the site, but here is a video catching them in the act. The YouTube version is below. 2. A Man From Mars Can't Figure Out What Your Website Is About In Less Than Four Seconds. You should be able to look at the home page of any site and figure out what the site is about in less than four seconds. If you can't, the site is a failure. A current example of a site that would confuse a man from Mars is Genicap. People who make Mistake #1 often end up making Mistake #2. An example of a site that fails the Four-Second Test is an older version of the Mars Hill site (shown below). Is this an African sewing cooperative? Are they trying to sell us something? What is this site about? Who knows? Who is going to care enough to stay around and find out? The name of the organization (Mars Hill) and the "tag line" (we are beginning a new season of covenant) tell you nothing. Non-profit organizations are the worst offenders when it comes to names and tag lines. Here's a typical non-profit organization's name and tag line: Big Hands of Hope – It's all about compassion No. It's all about solving your visitors' problems. Nothing in the name or tag line tells you this organization helps African children. Here's an over-the-top example of a name and tag line that's better: Save the African Children – We keep them from dying a horrible death Yes, you must tone down the tag line, but at least you understand the mission of the organization. back to top 4. Using Web Design Elements That Get In The Way Of The Sale. Would you do this? You're a fundraiser getting ready to make the ask for a large sum of money. You're the best fundraiser on the planet because you have a pitch that can move the heavens. You walk into the donor's office, introduce yourself and place an information packet in front of the donor. As you start to make your big pitch, the donor reaches into the packet, extracts the pledge form you hope he'll sign and grabs a pen. As the donor starts to sign the lucrative, long-term pledge you reach over across the table, grab the donor by the throat and yell. “Not so fast, jerkface! I haven't finished my pitch!!!” You wouldn't do that, would you? Then why are you using design techniques that keep the visitor from getting to the sale? These design techniques are the web equivalent of grabbing someone by the throat because they violate the golden rule of doing business on the Web — "Don't do anything that gets in the way of the sale." Here's an example of getting in the way of the sale — literally — as performed by Jakob Nielsen. Well, somebody at the Nielsen Norman Group. As the person who sent this mistake in to me said in his email: So I get this link on a newsletter that informs me that Dr. Nielsen will be holding usability conferences around the globe - one in a city only a few hours drive from where I live. Clicking the link that's 2/3rds the way down the newsletter, I find myself on a nice, concise and easy to navigate page that provided me with all the information I need. Sold on the idea of attending, I see and click one of the links on the left column menu under each conference city entitled "Registration" for the locale of my desire - only to find that I can't register. When you click on the link, you're given the ubiquitous basic authentication username and password dialog with no instructions on how to enter said page. They want me to register for their conference, but they've thrown down a frustrating step into the process that forces a user to come back some other day. I suspect this occurred by not testing all the links on a machine that wasn't already authenticated. Even if this encumbrance occurs for some other reason, it's not the best way to show one's expertise in the area of usability. Some of the many, many other techniques that get in the way of the sale: Splash Pages, FlashSplash Pages (Video), animations, lack of focal point on the page, too much text, too little text, too many pictures, etc. See any of my books or any article on this site for more examples. When people arrive at your site, it's because they've made a commitment. They've clicked a link or an ad and now they are at your site so you don't have to try to seduce them. Let them in your site. On the other hand, seduction is necessary when you buy ads on other sites and search engines. You have to seduce people before they click. back to top 5a. "My (Blog / Website / Facebook Fan Page / Twitter Account) Is Everything." I was hanging out at a non-web design conference and two of my friends sat down and wanted to talk about their websites. One of them kept loudly saying, "My blog is everything" until he got tired of me trying to tell him otherwise. It's possible that his blog "is everything," but you can only make that statement when you've tried a website, Facebook fan page, Twitter account, and whatever other marketing activities are appropriate. For all I know, his "everything" might actually be Google ads and a simple landing page. Believing there's only one, true path is dangerous. 5b. Thinking your website is your marketing strategy. Unless you're an online shop selling t-shirts, cameras — you get the picture — your website is not your marketing strategy. Your website is part of your marketing strategy. If you take orders over the phone, don't get rid of your phone banks. If you're successfully using direct mail, don't stop. Heck, if the Yellow Pages are working for you, continue to use them. The hard part, is to find where your website fits in your marketing strategy. Here's an email I received from a dear friend who was consulting for an organization that was going to put all of its eggs into one web basket: I have to tell you that I attended a board meeting today for the organization whose website you checked out for me. The board consists of high-end people who had flown in from all over the country! When push came to shove, they asked me what I thought about their ability to raise money by driving people to the website. I shared your response with them. Silence in the room. And then a couple of other board members acknowledged that it needed work, affirming that they had the same impression but didn't have the expertise to say anything.. You can't put all your eggs in one electronic basket. back to top 6. Have You Ever Seen Another Website? Really? Doesn't Look Like It. I usually don't let bad design affect me, but there's one mistake that really gets under my skin. I don't understand how it's possible to create web sites that look like car wrecks on the information highway. Sites like Accept Jesus, Forever Forgiven puzzle me. Hasn't anyone at this organization seen another web site? Have they been to Amazon.com or the ASPCA or even to Catholic.net (which sucks, but is infinitely better than AJFF)? I have a selection of these types of sites in an article called Over-the-top Websites. 7. Navigational Failure. All web navigation must answer these questions: Where am I? Where have I been? Where can I go next? Where's the Home Page? Where's the Home Home Page? Navigation must be simple and consistent. Common mistakes include different types of navigation on the same site, a link to the current page on the current page (home page link on home page), poorly worded links so the visitor doesn't know where he'll go if he clicks, no links back to the home page and confusing links to the home page. A problem that isn't discussed much is the order of the navigational items. Many sites set the link order based on their needs. In this example, the links make sense to this organization (Home, About Us) and they believe the graphics give a down-home feel. If the links were based on their users needs, the links would have a different order and the pictures would be replaced with something more helpful. There are millions of ways to screw up navigation. This video of the Tampax web site shows you one unusual way to screw up navigation. back to top 8. Using Mystery Meat Navigation. While there are 10 million ways to screw up your navigation, the best way to screw it up is to use Mystery Meat Navigation (MMN). Here's my definition: Mystery Meat Navigation occurs when, in order to find specific pages in a site, the user must mouse over unmarked navigational "buttons" — graphics that are usually blank or don't describe their function. JavaScript code then reveals what the real purpose of the button is and where it leads. Wikipedia used to have a great definition of MMN: Mystery meat navigation (also abbreviated MMN) is a term coined and popularized by author, web designer, and usability analyst Vincent Flanders to describe user interfaces (especially in web sites) in which it is inordinately difficult for users to discern the destinations of navigational hyperlinks—or, in severe cases, even to determine where the hyperlinks are. The typical form of MMN is represented by menus composed of unrevealing icons that are replaced with explicative text only when the mouse cursor hovers over them. Flanders adopted the epithet mystery meat because, like the unidentifiable processed meat products historically served in many American public school cafeterias, MMN is unfathomable to the casual observer. Before conceiving the term mystery meat navigation, Flanders temporarily described the phenomenon as Saturnic navigation, a phrase named for the Saturn Corporation, whose web site formerly served as a high-profile example of this web usability problem. Certain types of sites are allowed to use MMN: music, band, movie, art, experimental, fashion — sites where making an impression or being cool is mandatory. Another exception is what I would call "cult sites" — sites that are so popular with a specific group that their audience automatically commits the icons to memory. The old version of Slashdot immediately comes to mind. The stupid Path app interface is another example. The problem with MMN is it influences designers and companies who aren't smart enough to realize they're not in the music, art, movie, or fashion business. When a manufacturing company (video) starts using MMN, you know the apocalypse can't be too far off. The University of Calgary used MMN for unknown reasons. Of course, they changed their site — improving it in the process, but they can't hide their crimes. The video below shows you what the University of Calgary looked like when it used MMN. It's not just small companies and universities that suddenly become brain damaged. Big corporations also act like lemmings. The example below is from an older version of Qualcomm. Yes, that Qualcomm. You know, the company with a market cap of 113 billion dollars. back to top 9. Your Website Lacks Heroin Content. In his classic book Naked Lunch, which I read when I was 15, William Burroughs described heroin as the ultimate product. Why? Because people would crawl through the sewers and beg to buy it. In the non-drug world, there are very few products that can be classified as having heroin's appeal. How many web sites have Heroin Content? Heroin Content's characteristics vary by type of site — but you'll know it when you see it. One global characteristic, though, is frequently updated content. The best way to get people to come back to your site again and again is by having content they need, and then updating this content on a regular basis. How do you create Heroin Content? The answer depends on the likes and dislikes of your audience. Remember, it's what your audience wants that counts. What I consider Heroin Content is somebody else's Quinine Content. Here are some thoughts about web content. Does your content solve your customers' problems or does it create problems? Does your content match your audience's expectations? Have you determined the purpose of your site? Do you know your target audience? Ask yourself: "What content do I have that would cause anybody in their right mind to visit my site a second, third, or fourth time?" This is extremely important. You might con (seduce) someone to visit your site once, but why would they want to come back a second, third, or fourth time? If you can't answer this question, you really shouldn't have a web site. Is the content technically correct? Does your customer need to know the content you're presenting? Is the content current and updated frequently? Can people find the content they're looking for? Does my site have Heroin Content? I just got through reading that Bill Gates wants to start a blog. Why would anyone in their right mind want to read it? Do you think it will contain Heroin Content? As Seth Godin brilliantly points out, blogs only work when they meet four of the following five conditions: Candor Urgency Timeliness Pithiness Controversy Content Trumps Design. PostSecret is poorly designed. You have purple links on a black background, small text that doesn't contrast well with the background, lime green headers, a page that goes on and on, content that only changes once a week and a poorly designed logo. The postcards are often hard-to-read, especially on a small monitor. The content, however, is extraordinary and ever since I discovered the site, I've visited it every week. Well, every week but the week I had brain surgery <painful grin>. This site is proof that content is much more important than design. Yes, my comments about the design are accurate, but meaningless because the site has Heroin Content. Before you start saying, "My site also has Heroin Content so I don't have to worry about the design," let me point out a small fact. Your site doesn't have Heroin Content. Digg.com has it, YouTube borrows a lot of it, and Google is another site that has Heroin Content. back to top 11. Too Much Material On One Page. Yes, it's called a web page, but that doesn't mean you have to cram all your material on one page — just like this page does <grin>. It's very easy to keep adding material to your home page until it gets out of control. With so much content vying for attention, it’s difficult for the eyes to find the focal point. People get confused and they leave. A long web page means you have failed to organize your site properly — probably a combination of not planning your site and poor navigation. An example of too much material on one page is Arngren.net. Oh. Yes, this page is too long. You're learning good web design by looking at bad web design. back to top 12. Confusing Web Design With A Magic Trick. Web design is the reverse of a magic trick. In a magic trick, you show the audience your right hand and perform the trick with your left. In Web design, you tell them where you’re going first—and then go there. People have expectations about web sites and they don't like surprises. It will certainly confuse them and it could make them want to leave and find a site that's less confusing. If you're a dentist, your visitors expect your web site to look like it belongs to a dentist — not to someone who is going to the opera. Here are web site photos of two dentists. Only one looks like what you expect a dentist to look like. Speaking of magic tricks, links should be clearly labeled so your visitors won't be surprised when they click. I made a mistake of not labeling a link on one of my pages and I received the following email: Because I use your site for design considerations, I access your site at work. You probably know where I'm going with this, but…it might not be a bad idea to warn folks when the content is going to be "racy." Don't get me wrong, Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue is tame (and in my view, the models are gorgeous), but some of us work in an environment of hyper-sensitivity! It would be nice to know when my PC is going to be non-PC so I can at least glance over my shoulder. (I know I could look at the address on the status bar to get a clue, but…) Here's a link to what he thought was racy. If you use a vague link description, or just say "Click Here" and don't tell people where they'll end up, they could be horribly surprised (and/or shocked and/or disgusted) when they click the link. back to top 15. Mystical belief in the power of web standards, usability, tableless CSS and HTML 5. There is nothing wrong with Web Standards, usability, tableless CSS and HTML 5 except they're being touted by…guess who?…people who offer web design services specializing in…guess what?…Web Standards, usability, tableless CSS and HTML 5. These are simply tools. Remember, nobody gets excited about the tools used to build a house ("Please tell me what brand of hammers you used!"). People get excited about how the house looks and performs. Yes, Web Standards can make your site search engine friendlier, reduce bandwidth, etc. The article 9 Ways to Misunderstand Web Standards provides interesting insights into the problem. Speaking of problems, the text doesn't show up in IE6 (could also occur because of ad-blocking software I'm using). Works fine in Firefox. Hmm. back to top

Technologies 'to aid the poor'

By Jo Twist BBC News science and technology reporter Iqbal Quadir had the idea for Grameen phones 12 years ago Iqbal Quadir, Grameen Phone founder in Bangladesh, told experts gathered for TED Global in Oxford that aid strategies for the last 60 years had failed. Technologies such as mobiles empowered people because they connected them. This, he said, fuelled productivity much more than the top-down aid approach. Mr Quadir had the idea for Grameen Phone, a way to get mobile telephony into Bangladeshi villages and rural areas, 12 years ago. Since then, the company has grown to more than 3.5 million subscribers, with more than 115,000 phones in villages across the country. Voices heard Talking at the TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) Global conference, a top US event being held in Europe for the first time, he criticised aid for developing countries that benefited authorities over the people themselves. "The only way we can depend on each other is if we connect with each other. Connectivity leads to dependability which leads to specialisation and then productivity," he said. A woman with a mobile becomes important in a village. This changes the power distribution Iqbal Quadir The next step, he hoped, would be to get wireless internet via mobile devices into villages. But he warned of jumping on the technology bandwagon. "If everyone can talk, it is more egalitarian," he told the BBC News website. "But we should not jump ahead too much and say just because the First World has internet, then the Third World should, too. There is a fundamental beauty in just a phone," he said. The Grameen Phone scheme has had a big impact is on the lives of women. Known as Grameen phone ladies, these women provide villagers with a vital link to services such as hospitals and to relatives both at home and abroad, in a country with the lowest number of phones in South Asia. "A woman with a mobile becomes important in a village," he said. "This changes the power distribution." Energising growth He said the success of Grameen Phone had had a huge impact on people's lives in areas where there is poor infrastructure, but that there were bigger problems to address, such as the lack of other credit checks, bank branches, customer contact points, but also energy production. His current project with Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway scooter, is about developing village-based micro-power plants, fuelled by cow manure. Two are currently running in villages providing power for 20 businesses. The project combines access to micro-credit with low-cost energy generation technology to see if rural entrepreneurs can manage mini power plants in villages. "Some breakthrough in energy would be fantastic," he said. "Just imagine if solar panels suddenly become much cheaper. It would reduce the authorities' hold on electricity. "If you bring electricity to villages, you can bring jobs. Electricity is half the problem," he said. TED Global attracts technologists, scientists, artists and commentators alike and runs from 12 to 15 July.

NHL owners rubber-stamp new deal

An entire season was lost when players were locked out on 15 September after owners and unions reached an impasse over a new labour agreement. But on 13 July both sides announced they had hammered out a collective bargaining agreement. The Players' Association ratified the new terms on Thursday and the owners have now rubber-stamped the deal. The board of governors voted unanimously 30-0 to accept the six-year deal which includes a number of rule changes and pay cuts for the majority of players. About 230 players had been in Toronto on Thursday to vote on the six-year deal with nearly 90% in favour. The deal includes a salary cap for each team between $21.5m and $39m salary cap. There also is a provision that allows a player to make a maximum salary of $7.4m - 20% of the team cap. The minimum salary is set at $450,000 with pension benefits improved. Among the rule changes, a shootout will now be held after a game that is tied at the end of regulation and still without a winner at the conclusion of a five-minute sudden-death overtime period. Other amendments include the removal of the red line to permit longer passes while nets will be moved two feet closer to the end boards. Goaltenders will have both the size of their playing equipment and the areas from which they can handle the puck restricted.

Apple reports 'best-ever' quarter

The iPod has helped revitalise Apple's fortunes Chief executive Steve Jobs said this was the California-based firm's best-ever quarterly performance. For the three months to 25 June, its profit rose to $320m (£262.6m), up from $61m in the same quarter a year ago. Sales surged 75% to $3.52bn, fuelled by a six-fold increase in sales of iPods since the third quarter of 2004. The company also shipped 1.2 million Macintosh computers during the last quarter. "We are delighted to report Apple's best quarter ever in both revenue and earnings," Mr Jobs said. And he said the launch of Mac OS X Tiger had been a "tremendous success". Apple released is latest earnings report after the Nasdaq closed trading on Wednesday.

Cognition, Computation, and Intelligent Systems

The University of Georgia has always viewed Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence as interdisciplinary fields where computer science meets philosophy, psychology, linguistics, engineering and other disciplines. Both fields are devoted to the study of cognition and intelligent systems. Artificial Intelligence is particularly interested in creating computer systems that behave intelligently. The Institute for Artificial Intelligence is an interdepartmental research and instructional unit within the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences of the University of Georgia. It offers two degree programs: In addition, the Institute participates in two combined undergraduate/graduate programs, allowing a student to earn within 5 years either an AB in Cognitive science or a BS in Computer science as well as MS in Artificial Intelligence. The Institute's strengths include logic programming, expert systems, neural nets, genetic algorithms, natural language processing and computational psycholinguistics. Affiliated with the Institute are over 75 people from over 10 different countries. We pride ourselves on the diversity of our student body and the ability of our programs to allow for the pursuit of personal research interests. Learn More about our Programs

Shuttle launch delayed until at least Saturday

» Mission: Safety | Crew | Audio quiz | Shuttle milestones Shuttle launch delayed until at least Saturday Faulty fuel sensor forces NASA to scrub Discovery's liftoff By Thom Patterson CNN Mission specialist Soichi Noguchi leaves the orbiter after Wednesday's launch was scrubbed. RELATED SPECIAL REPORT YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Space Exploration Kennedy Space Center or or Create Your Own KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Florida (CNN) -- A faulty fuel sensor aboard the space shuttle Discovery on Wednesday forced NASA to delay its launch until at least Saturday. Wednesday's attempt to launch, on the first day of a launch window that closes July 31, would have been the space shuttle program's first mission since the Columbia disaster 2 1/2 years ago. "We would not in any conceivable way be ready to launch before Saturday," Wayne Hale, deputy shuttle manager, told reporters Wednesday afternoon. Saturday's launch would be at 2:40 p.m. ET. "We're going to go where the technical data leads us until we solve this problem." NASA said the sensor device was showing low fuel levels despite the exterior tank having been filled just hours before. "It will take some time really to understand what to do to remedy the situation," said NASA spokesman George Diller. "There are long faces here in the control center and around the site. Everybody was so looking forward to flying today," Diller said. Crew members were already aboard the orbiter when the launch was canceled. A series of mishaps marked the last 24 hours before Discovery's scheduled launch. On Wednesday morning, it appeared foul weather might postpone the high-profile mission. Repairing a ground heater earlier in the morning had delayed filling the massive external fuel tank. On Tuesday, a cockpit window cover fell off and damaged two protective tiles near the orbiter's tail section. But it was the fuel sensor that stopped the launch, a little more than three hours before the scheduled 3:51 p.m. ET launch. The sensor monitors the amount of super-cold hydrogen fuel in the tank and tells the orbiter's engines to shut down if there's not enough fuel. A launch controller described it as "a low-level fuel sensor in the external fuel tank, one of a set of four -- two of which are needed to work." About 10 miles from the launch site along the Banana River, scores of shuttle watchers -- many wearing shorts and swim wear -- had gathered hoping for a liftoff when word reached them about the scrub. "I'm disappointed and I'm leaving tomorrow, so I will miss it," said Rick Nakazawa, 47, of Santa Barbara, California. "It was exciting, you know, I'm glad I came out. I sure don't regret it, but it kind of sucks, pretty much." Many in the crowd sought shelter under umbrellas or had constructed makeshift tents from bed sheets. Lacey Nielsen, of Alta, Iowa, expressed a bit of optimism about it all. "I am really bummed, but at least for their safety they caught it before anything bad could happen," Nielsen said. "Hopefully it's nothing big and they will be able to get done and put up into outer space." 'Minor repair' among mishaps In Tuesday's incident, a plastic and foam cover fell about 65 feet from a cockpit window and damaged two protective tiles near the orbiter's tail section. The tiles were replaced. Discovery vehicle manager Stephanie Stilson described it as "a minor repair for us." The cover, which weighs less 2 pounds, is designed to protect the shuttle's windows while it is on the launch pad and is removed before liftoff. NASA did not know how the shield had come loose, she said. The loss of the Columbia was blamed on damage to a heat-resistant panel. The panels and insulating tiles make up the shuttle's thermal protection system. NASA concluded a piece of foam from Columbia's external fuel tank hit the shuttle's wing during liftoff, punching a hole in the reinforced carbon-carbon panel and allowing super-hot gas into the wing during re-entry. NASA has committed to daytime launches for the next two missions to ensure ideal lighting conditions for cameras to scrutinize the shuttle's ascent into orbit. Shuttle program gets overhaul In the 2 1/2 years since the Columbia accident, NASA has undergone a wrenching overhaul of the shuttle program. The shuttle has a new fuel tank designed to prevent foam chunks of the size that downed Columbia from breaking off and hitting the spacecraft. NASA engineers also have designed an orbital boom sensor system, which is a second robotic arm tipped with cameras and other instruments and mounted in the shuttle's payload bay. Once in orbit, astronauts will use the boom to inspect panels on the orbiter's wings and nose cone for any damage that might occur during launch. But repairing damage to the protection system -- should any be found -- could prove difficult. Engineers have been testing plugs and crack-repair procedures for the reinforced panels as well as tile-repair techniques in the event of damage. Two such methods will undergo limited testing in orbit by Discovery astronauts, but mission managers acknowledge that the techniques likely will need to be modified before they can be certified. Most NASA engineers agree that astronauts would never be able to repair a hole the size of the one that doomed Columbia. "The past 2 1/2 years have resulted in significant improvements that have greatly reduced the risk of flying the shuttle. But we should never lose sight of the fact that space flight is risky," said NASA Administrator Michael Griffin. Discovery plans to deliver much-needed supplies to the international space station. More than two years have passed since a shuttle, with its school bus-size payload bay, visited the station. Discovery will deliver a replacement gyroscope, an external storage platform and an Italian cargo carrier called Raffaello. The storage platform is needed for upcoming flights when it will be used to assemble the rest of the station. For most of its scheduled mission, designated STS-114, the crew will devote time to inspecting and testing repairs. CNN's Miles O'Brien, Geneen Pipher, Kate Tobin, Marsha Walton and KC Wildmoon contributed to this report. Home Page Get up-to-the minute news from CNN CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more. Home Page Get up-to-the minute news from CNN CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more.

HUMOR: Granny Picks Linux/KDE Over Windows, OS/X, FreeBasd, Next Step, etc.

HUMOR: Granny Picks Linux/KDE Over Windows, OS/X, FreeBasd, Next Step, etc. G ranny P icks L inux Over Windows, OS/X, FreeBSD... Granny heads out on a new adventure and realizes there's nothing so sweet as Linux running KDE. Read more of our Reallylinux.com Granny Files: Linux Makes Granny Cry and Even Granny Has Linux Installed and Granny Dumps MS-Office for Star-Office. H ello my dear Linux friend, Thank you for stopping in to read my newest thoughts about Linux and that very easy to learn and use KDE desktop. I want to share an adventure I had thanks to my son. I'll be the first to admit that I don't get out much. Between my rheumatism, bursitis, and my rather clunky hip, going to the bathroom is an adventure in itself. But I did indeed go last week. Thanks to my son's perseverance and patience I was finally able to visit his office. I'm very proud of him and all of those brilliant computer people. I think people who write computer programs are absolutely amazing! It all began last Friday, when Jason, that's my big boy, drove me to his office. We began the tour downstairs and Jason showed me where the receptionists spend their days. I met a nice blonde gal named Susie. She was a pretty little lady although a bit thin. As I approached her, I thought she might be great for Jason until... She let out an "Oh, sh$@!" It shocked me so much that I had to sit down right there on the floor of the lobby. Susie, such a sweet looking young gal, seemed so upset. She apologized and helped me up and then went back to working. As Jason held my arm keeping me steady, dear little Susie yelped again. This time I was thankfully holding on to the front desk and Jason had my arm. When I asked this young lady what was bothering her so greatly, she pushed her monitor slightly so I could have a look. All I saw was a bright blue screen with some jibberish text. I didn't have my glasses on so I can't tell you what it said, but the message must have been quite upsetting to make a nice young gal spew such harsh words! I looked up at Jason who was still holding my arm, and he softly said, "Windows, mom." Now I finally understood why this sweet young gal suffered so. I opened my purse and handed little Susie, my goodness how thin and pale she looked, a Knoppix Live Linux CD. "Here you are honey. This will help cheer you up." I wanted to share some of my raisin and date snack with this young emaciated gal, but Jason was already pulling me along to the next stop. If that poor girl knew how easy and compatible using OpenOffice is, or the stability of Linux she would be a lot better off. We walked a few steps down the hall and entered a large room filled with posters, pictures, signs, and paper everywhere. I had never seen such a clutter and immediately began to pick up papers that had fallen on the floor or been thrown together in untidy piles on nearby desks. Jason kept insisting I stop cleaning up and meet his friends. One of the gentleman, a tall stout man, stood and greeted me. He was very well dressed and impressively courteous. I turned the corner to peak at his monitor. He was designing a sphere of some kind with many details. It looked like he was painting a picture of a planet and I was quite impressed by the beauty and the detail. I asked him how long it took to draw this pretty sphere, to which he replied, "oh, a couple of days." I couldn't believe my ears. How could a sphere like this take him so long? I shook my head in disbelief. Jason tried to explain that he was creating three dimentional figgy majiggy, but it didn't matter. I told that young man he should be ashamed of taking so much time to draw a sphere. Oh, if I had my KDE running Gimp I could draw a sphere with shading, directional lighting and floating star background in just a few minutes. Jason kept insisting the graphic was much more complex than all that, but I wouldn't have it. I told that young man to get cracking or his employer may crack a few with his whip! Of course it would also not hurt if instead of paying a lot of money for all that fancy software he was using, he could enjoy the benefits from free open source programs. Next we stepped into a fancy elevator. "Is this where you work Jason?" "No mom, I'm on the next floor up, this is the computer room." "You work all the way up top then!" I was so proud of my son. As we stepped out we were greeted by a burly man, bearded and soft spoken. He welcomed us and asked if I would like to see the computer room. I wasn't sure I could keep walking like this, even with my prosthetic shoes. But he kindly grabbed my hand and led me into a very large and noisy room. It was so cold I felt my bones freeze up. I was told this was the server room and that all of these machines were running free BS. Jason kept insisting I refer to it as Dee, he said, "no mom, it's Free BS Dee." But I couldn't figure how some lady named Dee could conceive of such a thing. All I noticed was that these machines were apparently running so hot using this Dee software that the room was set to arctic frost. The big burly man explained how the major part of his day is spent making sure the servers are all up and running. I began to share with him how I never have to worry about my Linux server at home. I asked him if he could show me the monitor he uses. He walked me over to a large cabinet and pulled out a keyboard and flicked on the monitor. I understand why this poor man had to keep standing even to use his computer in such an extremely cold room. I felt myself weaken and had trouble standing. Nevertheless, he quickly showed me some of what he does. I asked him if he wouldn't prefer to use a more graphical desktop, and whether he didn't prefer to point and click rather than type so many commands. He didn't quite understand me, so Jason helped. "My mom's quite fond of using Linux running the KDE desktop. She loves the icons and all." To which the burly man smiled in acknowledgment. I wish I had remembered to share with that gentleman this great article regarding the comparison between FreeBSD and Linux as web servers. Well, off we went. It was finally time for me to visit Jason's office. I wished the nice man farewell and walked back into the elevator. As we stepped out, Jason met another of his friends. They were all so courteous and friendly. Everyone was on such good terms, calling each other by their first names and patting each other on the back. Jason led me into a room that looked more like a dumping ground for computer parts. In the corner, on the only clean desk, was a large black cube with a monitor, printer and other fancy gadgets. "What's that Jason," I asked, pointing at the black cube. "Oh, that's the next machine," Jason responded matter-of-factly. I was excited to be able to see the future and pleaded with Jason to let me try out this next machine before we moved on. He didn't seem to be very interested. But he compliantly pushed up a chair and told me to enjoy. I thought the black mouse was very fancy and the whole system was quite spectacular looking. Jason typed his name and password and then told me to try out a few things. I was impressed by the uncluttered desktop. It was very pretty to look at. I clicked a few icons and then suddenly was shocked to hear a woman's voice. "Your printer is out of paper." "Your printer is out of paper." "What's this all about," I demanded of Jason. This next system talked with such femininity and seductiveness I began to worry about all of these young vulnerable men. I demanded to know who had concocted such a machine that it would try to seduce men and distract them with a female voice. Jason told me it was made by the same man who had led the creation of those systems the artists were using. "He's trying to distract you men from working! You need to get a practical computer that fosters work!" Jason just shook his head. Then he grabbed my arm and gently led me into his office next door. There I saw several systems all running that familiar and comforting KDE desktop. I sat down and let out a sigh. I asked Jason if I could send aunt Bertha an email using Kmail to share my adventure. I clicked a few icons, typed away in glee, then sent off my note. I started Gimp and made a sphere using the script-fu, added a few extra lighting effects, used supernova to create a few dozen brilliant stars and showed Jason what I had been telling his friend from downstairs. Jason just smiled. Then I started his Kwrite and began typing my adventure of the day so I would not forget. Time flew as I played with more and more applications that I was so familiar with in the KDE environment. "All these wonderful free programs," I thought to myself as I opened application after application. All too soon it was time for me to head back home. I needed to take my medicine and to have a few hours of snoozing before dinner. Jason had shown me so many wonderful and interesting things. I begged him to go back and check on that poor little Susie. Jason assured me he intended to check her out every day. Thankfully, I was back at home and my last act before going to sleep was to kiss my monitor and say a word of thanks that I had a computer with Linux/KDE that treated me so kindly. So ends my adventure of the week. I must admit I enjoyed seeing so many different computers, but nothing could ever replace my friendly and familiar Linux/KDE. Love, Granny ReallyLinux.com Special Ed writer Many more beginner articles are available here. Share your thoughts and opinions with Granny on our Message Boards

Fox deceives millions during national pastime

Fox Sports and Chevy teamed yesterday to deceive millions of people during the Major League Baseball All-Star game. They did such a good job of it that many of you viewing probably didn't even notice. As Fox came back from a commercial break in the bottom half of the third inning, many viewers caught sight of a very long, flashy banner draped over an equally ostentatious advertisement picturing a yellow Corvette. The banner read HHRYA.com with the letters done in pseudo Asian design - clearly the work of professionals. However, the Fox Sports broadcasters Joe Buck and Tim McCarver played off the ad like it was the work of a goofy sports fan, dangling his banner in the hopes of securing a moment of TV glory. Here's the chatter as Fox panned across the outfield and then held on the supposed fan's sign for between 10 and 20 seconds. "Welcome back to Detroit," Buck said. "A lot of banners and signs around the ballpark. No surprise there. Somebody just unfurled a big banner behind left field." You'll love the next bit, as Buck devolves into a second grader. "H-H-R-Y-A. Tim, you'll have to tell me what that means. I am not sure, but someone went to a lot of trouble, obviously, to put it up out in left center field." You'd think that would be the end of the stunt, but no. Fox returned to the action to see baseball's best pitcher Roy Oswalt face off against Johnny Damon. After one pitch, McCarver brought all the weight of his formidable intellect to bear on the puzzle: "I don't know what that sign means, but 'hooray' is the first thing that comes to my mind." Funny you should mention that, Tim. Hooray is exactly the sound Fox executives made as they cashed their checks from the largest advertiser of the day. Chevy, the sponsor, must have been disappointed as it failed to prepare its HHRYA.com website for the traffic it expected to receive. Visitors to the site were unable to reach the page for about thirty minutes after the "I don't know what that is" ad appeared. Today, you could see the website runs one of those cheesy take a photo with your cell phone campaigns. Chevy wants people to place themselves in shots with the letters HHR - the name of an upcoming vehicle. Now the site is rolling over here. Is this a huge deal? Well, in the big scheme of things, maybe not. It is, however, one of the most blatant examples of companies trying to pass off an advertisement as reality. Anyone watching the game would have sworn that Buck and McCarver really seemed not to know what was going on. But their ruse was easily discovered once you realized that Fox would never hold its camera on an unknown website and read the URL on air. "Buck might have been saying that tongue in cheek," Fox Sports spokesman Dan Bell told The Register . "For sure, it was planned. It's not like we didn't know about it. Both parties knew about it." Chevy's PR staff is on forced vacation this week and hadn't found anyone who could answer questions about the incident at the time of writing. Buck certainly did not sound "tongue in cheek" to us at all. Both he and McCarver sat there debating the sign like marketing automatons, wondering if it was real and how much time some true fan of baseball spent hammering it out. They most certainly wanted all the saps watching to believe in the sign's authenticity and go hunting for this mysterious website. "Yet another Chevy ad" probably would not have worked as well. It's sad that Buck and McCarver were willing to sacrifice whatever credibility they had as journalists in this way. Beware of what they point out next during a game. It may be a real fan out in the stands ... or just some cardboard figure dressed up as a Coke can. ® Related stories British man sacked for having opinion In the red states, no-one can hear you scream Bush's search for clean Cuban hookers goes awry

Becoming a Better Programmer

Edit - “do it right the first time” defined in the comments. The most valuable thing I have ever learned in programming is to do it right the first time. I take extra care now to make sure the logic of a program is carefully planned out ahead of time and that the core code is written to the best of my ability. It takes a lot of discipline, but it results in fewer bugs and gives me a sense of pride on the project from the very beginning (which is actually more valuable for momentum). Projects I’m proud to work on make it easier to come back to them day after day. If you’re also interested in becoming a better programmer, I highly recommend checking out these great resources:

Get cheap international calls from your mobile, landline, or computer.

Free* phone calls all around the world: Download the free VoipBuster. VoipBuster is a free program that uses the latest technology to bring free and high-quality voice communications to people all over the world. When you use the free VoipBuster software, you can call regular phones in various popular destinations for free or call at an incredible low rate to any other phone on the planet. You can also call all your online friends (pc-to-pc calls) as long as you like, for free. Just click here to download VoipBuster; the download should take only a few moments depending on your connection speed. Download the FREE software » | Go to the instructions »

How do you pass time on a weeknight?

I'm not looking for a new hobby per se, just trying to figure out what my peers spend their time on after the work day is done. These post work evenings of nothing to do but fiddle around with one of too many hobbies, zone out infront of the TV, and end up drinking a bit too much are starting to get to me. I'm interested in learning how common this is and what folks do to combat it. You're married or single, have no kids, hold a regular job and are out of school. So what do you do in the evenings after work?

Police release bus bomber images

Police said Hasib Hussain was shown carrying a rucksack Scotland Yard urged anyone who had seen Hasib Hussain last Thursday to call the anti-terrorist hotline on 0800 789 321. Hussain, 18, and from Leeds, was seen on CCTV in Luton, carrying a rucksack, before he boarded a train to London. Detectives urged the public to help them trace his movements before the bomb went off in Tavistock Square. Police said on Thursday that a man injured in that blast, which happened at 0947 BST, had now died in hospital, taking the death toll from all four bombings to 54. Police say three of the four bombers thought to have died in the attacks are included in this figure. A two-minute silence was earlier held in tribute to all those killed and injured in the blasts at 1200 BST. An evening vigil was also been held in Trafalgar Square, central London. Police have been searching properties in Aylesbury, Bucks, and Leeds. A controlled explosion has been carried out and residents moved in the Beeston area of Leeds, where one of the bombers used to live. This will take many months of intensive, detailed investigation Peter Clarke Anti-terrorist branch Police briefing Head of the anti-terrorist Branch Peter Clarke said: "We need to establish [Hussain's] movements up until 0947 BST, when the explosion occurred in Tavistock Square," he said. "The question I am asking the public is: 'Did you see this man at King's Cross, was he alone or with others? "Do you know the route he took from the station, did you see him get onto a number 30 bus, and if you did - when and where was that?" Police think there were about 80 people on the bus when the explosion happened and Mr Clarke called for any passengers who had not contacted the police to do so. He told a police conference in London the police investigation had uncovered a "vast amount of information", with new leads emerging "literally by the hour". He said detectives had taken 500 witness statements and had seized - and were analysing - more than 5,000 CCTV tapes. "We need to establish a number of things: Who actually committed the act, who supported them, who financed them, who trained them, who encouraged them? "This will take many months of intensive, detailed investigation." He said forensic investigations at the scenes of the attacks were continuing, while properties were being searched in West Yorkshire and in Aylesbury. LONDON BOMBERS Mohammad Sidique Khan: Aged 30, from Beeston, Leeds, recently moved to Dewsbury, married with baby. ID found at Edgware Road blast site. Hasib Mir Hussain: Aged 18, lived Holbeck, Leeds. Reported missing on day of bombings. Said to have turned very religious two years ago. ID found in No 30 bus. Shehzad Tanweer: Aged 22, born Bradford, lived Beeston, Leeds. Studied religion in Pakistan. Forensic evidence linking him to Aldgate blast. Germaine Lindsay: Jamaican-born man who lived in Buckinghamshire. Bomb suspects: Key facts Security sources have told the BBC that the Aylesbury search is connected with trying to identify the bombers. In particular, detectives are trying to establish if the fourth bomber had either lived or stayed there. Police sources have indicated he was Jamaican-born Germaine Lindsay, who lived in Buckinghamshire. Aylesbury is 20 miles from Luton, where the four bombers boarded a train which took them to London. Police are also trying to find the source of explosives found on Tuesday in a raid on a property in Leeds and in a car parked at Luton Central railway station. A second car found at Luton is also being examined. Mr Clarke also confirmed the identity of the second bomber, Shehzad Tanweer, 22, who died in the explosion at Aldgate. He said property belonging to the third man who travelled from West Yorkshire was found at the scenes of the Aldgate and Edgware Road attacks. But he said there was not yet forensic evidence that he died in the blasts. The man has been named as Mohammad Sidique Khan, 30, from Beeston in Leeds. However, Mr Clarke said forensic evidence did indicate that the fourth bomber, Germaine Lindsay, had died in the Russell Square blast. Police are also hunting a fifth man who they believe masterminded the attacks. It is believed he left Britain shortly before the bombings. A sixth man, an Egyptian chemistry student who has disappeared from his house in Leeds, is also being sought.

Mozilla Firefox, Portable (browser)

Mozilla Firefox® is a fast, full-featured web browser that's easy to use. It has lots of great features including popup-blocking, tabbed-browsing, integrated search, improved privacy features, automatic updating and more. Plus, thanks to the PortableApps.com launcher bundled in the Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition, it leaves no personal information behind on the machine you run it on, so you can take your favorite browser along with all your favorite bookmarks and extensions with you wherever you go. Firefox Portable is a dual-mode 32-bit and 64-bit app, ensuring Firefox runs as fast as possible on every PC.

How Catalog Companies will Use the Internet

How Catalog Companies will Use the Internet The World Wide Web defines a graphical interface to the Internet. The web makes it possible to view both text and images, and you don't have to type anything to use it. You just point and click, and instantly you are talking to a computer in another state, or even another country. By creating an easy, point-and-click interface, it makes the Internet accessible to everyone. You can learn to use the web in 10 minutes. The web makes it easy to distribute pictures as well as text. For catalog companies, especially, this makes the web an attractive proposition. Estimates of the number of people with web access range between 5 and 10 million. A recent Newsweek poll found this group to be ``more educated and more affluent than the general population.'' Microsoft is said to be planning to include web-browsing software in an upcoming version of Windows. By then, if not before, almost everyone who uses a computer will also be able to use the web. A company's presence on the web is called a web site. A web site consists of web pages, which can contain text and color images, just like pages in a magazine or catalog. Once you have established a web site, people with web access will be able to see it from anywhere in the world for the cost of a local phone call. For companies in all businesses, the web will be an important sales tool. For catalog companies, especially, the web has decisive advantages over paper: There is no unit cost. Once you've put a catalog on the web, it is available to everyone with web access. There is no lead time. When you update a catalog, customers instantly get the new version. The catalog can even be tied directly to your inventory system. A catalog on the web can be interactive. Customers can order items directly from it. A catalog on the web helps you to understand your customers better. If you want, you can indentify and track each customer's visits to each page of your site. We do not expect that the web will replace printed catalogs. We do expect that it will eventually account for a substantial fraction of catalog sales. The Internet, like the telephone and the print media, will be a valuable sales tool for those who know how to use it. The web is probably best considered in the way you might consider a potential retail space. Does renting a good space automatically yield sales? No, but it certainly helps. A good location gets attention, and a well-designed store inspires respect. The same is true on the Internet. © 1995 Webgen

Hyperbolic Geometry Article and Javascript Software

If our browser supported the HTML5 canvas and WebGL, there would be a nice animation here :( NonEuclid allows the curious explorer to gain experience in Hyperbolic Geometry and to empirically investigate questions such as: "Does the Euclidean geometry method for constructing an equilateral triangle work in Hyperbolic geometry?" or "In Hyperbolic Geometry, are the base angles of an isosceles triangle congruent?" Aside from being interesting in itself, a study of hyperbolic geometry can, through its novelty, be helpful to high school geometry students. For example, when asked to prove that the opposite sides of a rectangle have the same length, many beginning geometry students will be confused about what to do. Students sometimes think: "Why I am being told to prove what I learned in kindergarten is just part of the definition of what it means for a figure to be a rectangle." The strangeness of hyperbolic geometry helps such students think about and understand the difference between what is part of an object's definition and what is a theorem about an object. Hyperbolic Geometry also has practical aspects such as orbit prediction of objects within intense gravitational fields. Hyperbolic Geometry is used in Einstein's General Theory of Relativity and Curved Hyperspace.

The World’s First All-glass Undersea Restaurant Opens

Press Release 19 April 2005 The Maldives | 15 April marks the day that the first ever all-glass undersea restaurant in the world opens its doors for business at the Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa. Ithaa* will sit five meters below the waves of the Indian Ocean, surrounded by a vibrant coral reef and encased in clear acrylic offering diners 270-degrees of panoramic underwater views. Advertisements “We have used aquarium technology to put diners face-to-face with the stunning underwater environment of the Maldives”, says Carsten Schieck, General Manager of Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa. “Our guests always comment on being blown away by the colour, clarity, and beauty of the underwater world in the Maldives, so it seemed the perfect idea to build a restaurant where diners can experience fine cuisine and take time to enjoy the views – without ever getting their feet wet.” Ithaa* will sit five meters below the waves of the Indian Ocean, surrounded by a vibrant coral reef and encased in clear acrylic offering diners 270-degrees of panoramic underwater views Created by MJ Murphy Ltd, a design consultancy based in New Zealand, Ithaa’s distinctive feature is the use of curved transparent acrylic walls and roof, similar to those used in aquarium attractions. “The fact that the entire restaurant except for the floor is made of clear acrylic makes this unique in the world,” continues Schieck, “We are currently planting a coral garden on the reef to add to the spectacular views of the rays, sharks and many colourful fish that live around the reef near the restaurant.” The five-metre by nine-metre transparent arch, which spans the entire room, seats 14 people and provides a feeling of being completely at one with the underwater world while submerged beneath the surface of the ocean. Set with the resort’s renowned house reef one side, and a clear lagoon on the other, diners enjoy their meal within Ithaa’s translucent shell as the underwater drama unfolds on all sides. Naturally the food will be as spectacular as the underwater setting, explains Schieck, “In such a unique restaurant we wanted to create a distinctive cuisine, which is why we’ve decided to offer ‘contemporary Maldivian cuisine’ as a theme. We take local spices and traditional flavours and give them a western twist to create a fusion cuisine that you could find in the best restaurants in London or New York. Nobody else has done this before and we’re very excited about it.” Ithaa* will sit five meters below the waves of the Indian Ocean, surrounded by a vibrant coral reef and encased in clear acrylic offering diners 270-degrees of panoramic underwater views While the cuisine is dedicated to the fine balance of western food items with a Maldivian flavour, the wine concept is equally exciting; offering diners the perfect opportunity to discover the wines of the prestigious Champagne house Louis Roederer. Ithaa is reached by a wooden walkway from the nearby over-water Sunset Grill Restaurant. Diners begin their meal with drinks on a specially constructed deck over the ocean and then descend to the restaurant via a spiral staircase where the à la carte menu is served. Seating only 14 people, Ithaa offers one of the most intimate and exclusive dining experiences in the world. This innovative restaurant is the first of its kind in the world, and is part of a US $25 million re-build of Rangalifinolhu Island, one of the twin islands that make up Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa. This re-build includes the construction of 79 of the most luxurious Beach Villas in the country as well as the Spa Village, a self-contained, over-water ‘resort-within-a-resort’ consisting of a spa, restaurant and 21 villas. * Ithaa (pronounced eet-ha) means ‘pearl’ in the language of the Maldives, Dhivehi. Hilton Worldwide Resorts is an upscale, global resort network with a collection of 47 resorts, located in exotic places, making up the world’s largest global choice. Currently, 34 resorts are operated by Hilton International, 11 by Hilton Hotels Corporation and two by Conrad. The network spans 21 countries and seven regions including the Americas, Arabian Gulf, Asia-Pacific, the Caribbean, Egypt, Europe and the Indian Ocean. New resort openings are planned in Thailand, Croatia, the Philippines, the Caribbean, Seychelles, Fiji, France, America, Italy, Brazil and Australia.

Turing machine

A Turing machine is the simplest form of a computer. The concept was invented by Alan Turing in 1936. This was the first computer invented (on paper only). I- Principles of a Turing machine. In its simplest form, a Turing machine is composed of a "tape", a ribbon of paper of indefinite length. There is a "head" that can read the symbol, chose to write a new symbol in place, and then move left or right. The Turing machine is said to be in a certain "state". Finally, the program is a list of "transitions", that is a list that says, given a current state and a symbol currently under the head, what should be written on the tape, what state the machine should go, and whether the head should move left or right. The tape is used to store data. In addition, it can also store a series of transitions (a small programs) and thus, the head can run "sub-programs". We then say a Turing machine is emulating another one (the one on the tape). By analogy with modern computers, the tape is the memory and the head is the microprocessor. Although it is composed of pretty simple capabilities, Turing argued that this simple machine could performed any computation, that is, could realize anything that results from operations. In 1950, he discussed that the mind is itself the results of operations (at the neural level) and thus is the creator of the artificial intelligence studies. For examples, see : Turing machine simulator Virtual Turing machine One way to know that a simple mechanism has the same computational capabilities than a Turing machine is to see if it can emulate a Turing machine. Only these mechanisms are powerful enough. Indirectly, it shows that humans are also Turing machines since we can emulate them. II- The Automaton with Append. I chose to implement in Lego a slightly different version of the original Turing machine. Instead of having a bi directional tape, it uses a stack. When the symbol beneath the stack is read (and removed), the machine changes "states" and can add zero, one or two symbols on top of the stack. This variation is maybe very different yet it is possible to show that this simple machine has the same capabilities than a Turing machine. Among other things, it can emulate a Turing machine placed on the stack. I programmed a small interface (through an Access database so Microsoft Access must be installed on your computer) to enter an test simple Automaton With Append (AWA or AAA in French). Follow this link to download the demo: AAA.zip. One reason to build the automaton with append instead of the original Turing machine was that I avoided building a bi directional (near) infinite tape. III- Building the automaton with LEGO It turned out to be a very difficult project since, among other things, the construction needs to be "binary", that is, to be able to deliver one and only one symbol on the top of the stack, to pull one and only one symbol from beneath the stack, and that, for an indefinite period of time. In itself, adding a symbol is not that complicated, but doing this with "binary" precision is another matter entirely. a) the symbols The symbols themselves are made of cylinders. Using plates, I can code in binary so that the cylinder below is (1,0,1) or the number 5. This kind of bar code is easy to read using the light detector. b) the memory The stack is a small hollow tower in which the symbols can fall horizontally. It is therefore a "compact" memory, containing near 10 bytes per 6 inches! Another difficulty is to make sure the symbols will always remain horizontal, which implies equal friction everywhere. Below is shown one section but many can be connected together. I used two sections (since I pretty much ran out of beams at that point). c) the reader The reader is at the bottom of the memory. It is a mechanism meant to expulse one symbol at a time. The expulsed symbol pass in front of the light detector (not shown) so that the bar code can be read . It is composed of the lower part of the memory stack and of a lever (shown on the side) that pushes the symbol out, activated in and out by the red axle. d) the stacker The stacker is at the top. Its purpose is to place new symbols on the stack. It is maybe the most difficult part of the automaton. Only one bank is shown in the picture, but 5 were actually implemented (see pictures below). It works using the two blue blades. Every time the blades turn 90 degrees, one symbol falls down the memory onto the stack. In order to turn exactly 90 degrees, I used the rotation sensor described in the section "Rotation sensor", connected onto the red axle for each bank. Since in the full implementation, there are 5 banks, the correct bank cannot be controlled directly from the RCX which has only three outputs. Therefore, a selector is required that can select, using one motors, which of (up to 5) output must be activated. I used the third design from the page on my 2-to-7 multiplexors. e- putting it all together All the designs shown above are available in LDRAW files: a- the symbol: symbol.dat b- the memory: memory.dat c- the reader: reader_b.dat, reader_a.dat d- the stacker: provider.dat and the rotation sensor: rotation3.dat e-the selecter: multi_v3.dat IV- Programming Well, this Turing machine is not entirely mechanical... I used the RCX to store the transition table. Since the symbols are bar codes read with a light detector, it would have been very difficult to continue with a physical mechanism. Three subroutines are required, one to select which symbol to provide on top of the memory, one to turn the provider one quarter of a turn, and one to pull out one symbol from the bottom of the memory (reading it on the way). These routines were programmed using PRO-BOT. The subroutine Stacker turns the provider one quarter of a turn. It uses a sensor that turns off then on: Declare Stacker CONSTANT 2 Declare stack MOTOR 1 Declare stacking SENSOR 0 Declare stacker_duration CONSTANT 10 SetSensorType(stacking, SWITCH_TYPE) BeginOfSub(Stacker) On(stack) While(stacking = Open) EndWhile() Wait(stacker_duration) While(stacking = Close) EndWhile() Wait(stacker_duration) Off(stack) EndOfSub() The second subroutine select which symbol to provide. It uses two global variables, one which indicates the current location and another one which indicate which is the desired symbol. It compares the actual position with the desired position and move the motor Selecter accordingly: BeginOfSub(Selecter) {if there is a move to do} If(objective <> actual_pos) {decide which way, backward or forward} If(objective < actual_pos) SetRwd(select) Else SetFwd(select) EndIF() {perform the moves for the right duration} While(actual_pos <> objective) SetVar(select_duration, next_step) {if this is the last or first symbol} If(actual_pos = nrnotch) SetVar(select_duration, first_step) EndIF() If(actual_pos = CONSTANT,1) SetVar(select_duration, first_step) EndIF() {move one notch} On(select) Wait(select_duration) Off(select) {update actual position } If(objective < actual_pos) SubVar(actual_pos, CONSTANT,1) Else SumVar(actual_pos, CONSTANT,1) EndIF() EndWhile() EndIF() PlayTone(400,20) EndOfSub() The last subroutine Reader removes one symbol from the bottom of the memory stack, reading it along the way, returning in the variable Symbol the number of black bars on it: Declare Reader CONSTANT 4 Declare read MOTOR 2 Declare reading SENSOR 2 Declare reader_duration CONSTANT 19 Declare gray_luminance CONSTANT 700 Declare couleur VARIABLE 30 Declare Symbol VARIABLE 29 Declare read_timer TIMER 0 BeginOfSub(Reader) {0-initialise} SetVar(Symbol, constant,1) SetVar(couleur, black) {a- pull out} ClearTimer(read_timer) On(read) While(read_timer < reader_duration) EndWhile() AlterDir(read) {b- push in, reading the symbol} ClearTimer(read_timer) While(read_timer < reader_duration) If(couleur = white) If(reading > gray_luminance) SetVar(couleur, black) SumVar(Symbol, constant,1) EndIF() EndIF() If(couleur = black) If(reading < gray_luminance) SetVar(couleur, white) EndIF() EndIF() EndWhile() AlterDir(read) Off(read) {c- remove two for the black of the reader} SubVar(Symbol, constant,2) EndOfSub() A complete listing of the source code is provided in this text file: AAA.rcp. These three routines are the building blocks used in a main program that run the automaton. The main program can be generated automatically by the demo program indicated earlier, AAA.mdb. V- A full example: the AxnBxn problem. Suppose a very simple problem that we want to be solved by an automaton. We want a system that can decide whether the number of A's placed at the beginning of the input (on the memory stack) is the same as the number of B's following the A's. The symbol # indicates the end of the input. A simple way to program the automaton is to (i) read the first A, (ii) all the A's that follow are place back on the top of the stack, (iii) to read the first B, (iv) all the remaining B's are placed back on the top of the stack, and (v) once the end-of-input is reach, put it back on top of the stack, and start the program again on the resulting input. Basically, it creates a new input that has one A and one B less than the original input. A simple way to represent an automaton is with the following diagram: Where the > sign next to q 0 indicates the starting state, and the double line around q exit indicates the accepting state, that is, the input was adequate. The branches depend on the symbol found on the memory (at the bottom of the stack). On occasion, there is an indication "stack an A" which means that the automaton is adding a symbol on top of the memory. Although this visual diagram is convenient to visualize the operations of the AxnBxn automaton, they are generally represented using the transition table, as follow: (q0, #) -> (nothing), (nothing), qExit (q0, a) -> (nothing), (nothing), q1 (q1, a) -> a, (nothing), q1 (q1, b) -> (nothing), (nothing), q2 (q2, #) -> #, (nothing), q0 (q2, b) -> b, (nothing), q2 where (nothing) means that nothing is added to the stack. You can check that both representation have the same meaning. The RCX program that will run this automaton is generated by the AAA.mdb demo program, and the result is: { Mapping of the internal states to a numeric value: } Declare q0 CONSTANT 0 Declare q1 CONSTANT 1 Declare q2 CONSTANT 2 Declare qEx CONSTANT 3 { Mapping of the internal symbols to a number of bars (and the banks): } Declare # CONSTANT 0 Declare a CONSTANT 1 Declare b CONSTANT 2 SetVar(State = q0) {starting state} While(State <> qEx) {finishing state} GoSub(Reader) { reads one symbol, unstacking it on the way} If( State = q0) If( Symbol = #) SetVar( State, qEx) {new state} EndIf() EndIf() If( State = q0) If( Symbol = a) SetVar( State, q1) {new state} EndIf() EndIf() If( State = q1) If( Symbol = a) SetVar( Objective = a) { stacks one symbol} GoSub( Selecter ) GoSub( Stacker ) SetVar( State, q1) {new state} EndIf() EndIf() If( State = q1) If( Symbol = b) SetVar( State, q2) {new state} EndIf() EndIf() If( State = q2) If( Symbol = #) SetVar( Objective = #) { stacks one symbol} GoSub( Selecter ) GoSub( Stacker ) SetVar( State, q0) {new state} EndIf() EndIf() If( State = q2) If( Symbol = b) SetVar( Objective = b) { stacks one symbol} GoSub( Selecter ) GoSub( Stacker ) SetVar( State, q2) {new state} EndIf() EndIf() EndWhile() { end of the main loop} This program is saved by AAA.mdb under the name of AAA_2.rcp, which is automatically inserted in the global program AAA.rcp. IV- My implementation Here is the final result: Not exactly small, and the colors don't really match (I barely have enough LEGO to make it all ;-) ). Below are more details, break down in three pictures. Click to enlarge. A view on the stacker with its 5 banks. In front of the banks are the rotation sensors. A view on the selecter, a 2-to-7 multiplexor which can select one of the 5 bank. Underneath are the two motors that controls it. A back-side view of the reader with the RCX on the side. We can see through the beams of the memory a few symbols stacked, ready to be read. IIV: What can we learn from Turing machines? The main question is related to artificial intelligence. The Turing machine can perform any computation. Well, does the brain performs computations? If so, it is possible to imagine one day a computer that will have the same cognitive capabilities than a human. We could converse with it, it could discover new insight about physics, about the human nature... For more, check the Loebner Prize.

Get Up to Speed on SA Motoring News

South Africa’s struggling carmakers ask government to cut new car taxes Without a tax reduction, some car manufacturers who rely heavily on export sales could find their South African operations become unviable, NAAMSA warns.

Charlie's Diary

Let me make some predictions, starting with: No it won't. Vaccine development will take a flat minimum of 12 months. Then another 1-3 months to ramp up (on a Manhattan Project management basis) and a to-some-extent-overlapping 1-3 months to roll out around the various nations that are involved. (I predict the USA will merrily go its own way and faceplant, unless y'all elect a competent next POTUS. Or VPOTUS, insofar as Biden appears to be past it and Pence is incompetent at anything but arse-licking.) Meanwhile. Lockdown can't be sustained more than 1-2 weeks after peak ICU occupancy passes, so it will be lifted in mid-May in the UK and possibly as early as May 1st in the USA. (I know the Eastern Coalition are kicking back against Trump's deranged demand for an early restart: I expect other states may also join in if their estimates of the long-term damage track reality.) Trump is shooting for May 1st because he's been told the economy will take 6 months to recover, minimum, and he's shooting for the November election deadline. This is laughably optimistic, even if the pandemic had burned out by May 1st: we're in Greatest Depression territory already, the hospitality sector has crashed 75%, airlines have crashed 90%, etcetera. It's not going to be back to normal by November, even if the Fairy Godmother shows up and banishes the horrid virus with a wave of her wand. Period. So. The immediate peak hospital occupancy will pass, lockdown will be lifted sector by sector (or all at once) and region by region ... and the 50% of COVID19 cases who are asymptomatic will go back to work, mingling with the uninfected. 1-4 weeks later there will be a secondary surge in infections and it'll follow the same exponential growth as the first spike in Feb/March. And lockdown will resume, probably in mid-June. (It may be mitigated by summer heat, in which case things will look good for a month or two longer, but I'm not holding my breath: even if heat prevents spread, the prevalence of air conditioning in public spaces in the US provides a transmission-friendly environment.) If the howls of rage at the first lockdown are deafening, the second lockdown will be worse: think of toddlers being sent back to bed with no supper. And that's the lucky work-from-home class: the working poor—with no savings and jobs they need to be physically present for—are going to be increasingly angry and fractious at their exposure. Expect civil disobedience and possibly summer riots unless central banks throw money at the grassroots -- and not $1200 for 10 weeks: more like $1200 per week. Oh, and then there are the hospitals. Hospital staff will begin to catch their breath in mid-May after two months of running at maximum speed ... then it'll all crash again 4 weeks later. They're getting no respite. About 25% of medical staff are off sick with COVID19 themselves at present, far as I can tell: this cohort will be coming back to work by the second lockdown, but a bunch more will be down and sick. You can't run doctors and nurses at full pandemic intensity for all that long without them burning out, as well as getting sick. There will be horrifying staff attrition, and although this year's graduate cohort got pressed into service early, next year's cohort will be suspended because teaching ain't happening. So we're going to see repeated 4-6 week lockdown periods alternating with 2-4 week "business as usual" patches. Somewhere during the second or third lockdown most of the pubs/bars/hotels/restaurants that hibernated during the first lockdown and came back from the dead will give up the ghost: by September-November the damage to about 10-30% of the economy, disproportionately the service sector, will be permanent (FSVO "permanent" that means not coming back until after the pandemic, growing afresh from zero rather than reviving from hibernation). I do not know what the hell Trump will do when his "get America open again" agenda runs into pandemic spike #2, around the beginning of June. Expect denial and heel-dragging and a much worse death toll, this time reaching the rural heartland (where hospitals may not have any ICU beds at all: there's going to be carnage). By August he may well be in full-on meltdown. I wouldn't even be surprised to see a second round of impeachment hearings as the Senate Republican Party tries to throw him under the bus so they can pivot to President Pence. Assuming it's not too late to save their campaign ... By September there's going to be social unrest just about everywhere that hasn't nailed down a massive social spending/social security project on a scale that makes the New Deal look restrained and conservative. And that's going to be the picture until June or July 2022. Extra lulz in the UK: the Prime Minister is out of hospital but hasn't been seen since Monday—my guess is he's hors de combat for at least another two weeks. A quarter of the senior ministers of state are rabid objectivists who actively hate the poor and want them to die, and a majority of the cabinet are still going full steam ahead for a no-deal Brexit transition on January 31st, at which point the UK economy shrinks another 8% overnight. Boris, in principle, has the credibility to pull them back from the brink (and is a perfectly ideology-free vacuum of naked ambition, so he's personally capable of pivoting) but if they try for a maximalist brexit in the middle of a pandemic there will be pandemonium. Wildcards: we might conceivably find a simple and effective medical treatment. Or vaccine development is ridiculously easy. Or the 50% of asymptomatic carriers are a sign that the pandemic is more advanced than we realize, that immunity is long-lasting, and that we're much closer to achieving "herd immunity" than anyone in the epidemiology community currently realizes. But I want to emphasize that these are all straw-clutching exercises. In all probability, they're not going to eventuate. Have I missed anything out? (Aside from the giant meteor, Cthulhu awakening, Krakatoa erupting, and a Dalek invasion. NB: one of those things actually happened last month.)

Because The Future Is Uber

VP debate should be awesome because Pence can't stand women for daring to have cooties. Welcome to Ubersite! | Rating: -1.0 on 4 ratings (9 reviews) last by THE HUMAN CENTIFAG 199 days ago Homer: You can let him down gently, but over the next couple ofmonths, I want you to break it off.Marge: Um, okay, Homer.Homer: Whoof! That was a close one, kids.Another Simpsons Clip Show Site and layout © 2014 Ubersite ® -- All material copyrighted by its respective copyright holder, dumbass

Biggest Web attack of More than 1TB

Biggest Web attack of More than 1TB Reported by OVH founder Octave Klaba The previous attack was of 620Gbps (Gigabits per second) on security expert Brian Krebs’ website, which leads to website offline for nearly a week. OVH attacked by a botnet (zombie army) of hacked devices such as webcams to knock it offline. It has thrown the spotlight once again on the security of IOT (Internet of Things) devices. A website is hit by a massive amount of data so-called distributed denial of service attack. According to Akmail the security firm that supported the site – the attack was nearly double the size of any previous one it had seen and was “among the biggest assaults the internet has ever witnessed”. Recently Symantec security firm reports that cybercriminals looking for vulnerable devices such as TVs, home security systems and webcams for IOT malware. Symantec General Manager Nick Shaw says: [QUOTE]Cybercriminals are interested in cheap bandwidth to enable bigger attacks. They obtain this by hijacking our devices and stitching together a large web of consumer devices that are easy to infect because they lack sophisticated security,[/QUOTE] Chief Technology Officer at Security firm Corero Dave Larson says: IoT botnets were disrupting the industry. The tools and devices used to execute the attacks are readily available to just about anyone; combining this with almost complete anonymity creates a recipe to break the internet. Now cybercriminals are targeting Online gambling companies. A new most powerful DDOS attack ‘Mirai' registered publicly on September 30, 2016, hacking community website HackForums. Thousands of meaningless requests for information temporarily paralyzes the company's website until demanded a ransom paid or web-hosting technical can fend off the threat. Hackers have potent to hold, and online business owners are unsure to protect themselves and their customers completely. The bot has terrifying capabilities and is multitudinous in nature, and coming from every place on the face of the planet. Corero Network Security How about Corero Network Security DDoS defense solutions? Why not hosting providers trust on such 3-rd party vendors? Coreror is the leader in real-time, high-performance DDoS defense solutions. It provides automatic attack detection in real time and mitigation, coupled with complete network visibility, analytics, and reporting. Only legitimate user traffic is allowed to continue to flow as intended. It acts as a black box, requiring little or no intervention from any security or operations personnel.

Biochemist has 'no al-Qaeda link'

British police are searching a house in Leeds linked to Mr al-Nashar Habib al-Adli told Egyptian newspaper Al-Jumhuriyah media speculation about Magdi Mahmoud al-Nashar was groundless. He also denied agents of the British security services had participated in Mr al-Nashar's interrogation in Cairo. Unofficial sources in Cairo and London say British agents are observing the 33-year-old's ongoing interrogation. The Egyptians are doing everything possible to cooperate, the sources say. Mr al-Adli told Al-Jumhuriyah that reports elsewhere in the British and Arab media linking Mr al-Nashar to al-Qaeda were "groundless" and based on a hasty conclusion. Interior Minister Habib al-Adli has said that 33-year old Egyptian Chemist Dr Magdi al-Nashar, who has been arrested recently by the security forces, has no connection with the terrorist al-Qaeda organisation Al-Jumhuriyah Egyptian press jolted by biochemist's arrest The ministry on Friday released an extract from the interrogation in which Mr al-Nashar denied having any role in the attacks. He had told investigators he was on holiday, all his belongings remained in the UK and he planned to return there, the ministry said in a statement. British police are searching a house in Leeds linked to Mr al-Nashar. They have turned their attention to finding those who may have helped the bombers carry out last Thursday's attacks - in which 55 people died, including three bombers. They know three of the bombers were from West Yorkshire - Hussain, 18, of Holbeck, Leeds; Shehzad Tanweer, 22, of Beeston, Leeds, and Mohammad Sidique Khan, 30, of Dewsbury - and are searching their homes. They are also searching the home of the fourth bomber, Germaine Lindsay, a Jamaican-born man who lived in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. Meanwhile Britain's top Muslims have branded the London suicide bombings "utterly criminal, totally reprehensible, and absolutely un-Islamic". A joint statement of condemnation came as 22 leaders and scholars met at the Islamic Cultural Centre, in London. HAVE YOUR SAY Mutual respect between religions is the way forward, which can only be ascertained by allaying fears and listening to the concerns of local people Eddie Espie, Cookstown Send us your comments Muslim leaders said there could never be any excuse for taking an innocent life, it said. The statement said everyone must confront the problems of Islamophobia, racism, unemployment, economic deprivation and social exclusion. Of the Muslim stance on suicide bombing, the leaders said: "There can never be any excuse for taking an innocent life. "The Koran clearly declares that killing an innocent person was tantamount to killing all mankind and likewise saving a single life was as if one had saved the life of all mankind. Those who carried out the bombing, the statement said, "should in no sense be regarded as martyrs". Both Muslims and non-Muslims should help bring the people behind the bombing to justice, it said. We are devastated our son may have been brainwashed into carrying out such an atrocity Mohammad Sidique Khan's Family says bomber 'brainwashed' "The pursuit of justice for the victims of last week's attacks is an obligation under the faith of Islam." But Britain's highest ranking Asian police officer, Tarique Ghaffur, says Muslims and their leaders must do more than just condemn the bombings. In his only interview on the attacks, Mr Ghaffur, the Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner, urged Muslims and their leaders to inform on potential terrorists and their supporters. The police would protect informers, using the lessons learned from tackling serious and organised crime, the head of the Met's serious crimes directorate added. They would have to engage better with minorities - but the minorities would have to take the first step, he said. An air of radicalism had been building up among a minority of Muslims, Mr Ghaffur added. In other developments: Mohammad Sidique Khan's family say they believe the Circle Line bomber could have been "brainwashed" by terrorists. The family of 18-year-old London bomber Hasib Mir Hussain said they were "devastated" at his involvement. Forty-one bomb victims have been identified and 31 named. The government plans new criminal offences of providing or receiving training in the use of hazardous substances; of acts preparatory to terrorism; and of inciting terrorism indirectly, Home Office minister Hazel Blears said. It emerged bomber Mohammad Sadique Khan, a teacher, met MPs Hilary Benn and Jon Trickett during his school's trip to the Palace of Westminster in July 2004.

Top Chinese general warns US over attack

China is prepared to use nuclear weapons against the US if it is attacked by Washington during a confrontation over Taiwan, a Chinese general said on Thursday. “If the Americans draw their missiles and position-guided ammunition on to the target zone on China's territory, I think we will have to respond with nuclear weapons,” said General Zhu Chenghu. Gen Zhu was speaking at a function for foreign journalists organised, in part, by the Chinese government. He added that China's definition of its territory included warships and aircraft. “If the Americans are determined to interfere [then] we will be determined to respond,” said Gen Zhu, who is also a professor at China's National Defence University. “We …will prepare ourselves for the destruction of all of the cities east of Xian. Of course the Americans will have to be prepared that hundreds …of cities will be destroyed by the Chinese.” Gen Zhu is a self-acknowledged “hawk” who has warned that China could strike the US with long-range missiles. But his threat to use nuclear weapons in a conflict over Taiwan is the most specific by a senior Chinese official in nearly a decade. However, some US-based China experts cautioned that Gen Zhu probably did not represent the mainstream People's Liberation Army view. “He is running way beyond his brief on what China might do in relation to the US if push comes to shove,” said one expert with knowledge of Gen Zhu. “Nobody who is cleared for information on Chinese war scenarios is going to talk like this,” he added. Gen Zhu's comments come as the Pentagon prepares to brief Congress next Monday on its annual report on the Chinese military, which is expected to take a harder line than previous years. They are also likely to fuel the mounting anti-China sentiment on Capitol Hill. In recent months, a string of US officials, including Donald Rumsfeld, defence secretary, have raised concerns about China's military rise. The Pentagon on Thursday declined to comment on “hypothetical scenarios”. Rick Fisher, a former senior US congressional official and an authority on the Chinese military, said the specific nature of the threat “is a new addition to China's public discourse”. China's official doctrine has called for no first use of nuclear weapons since its first atomic test in 1964. But Gen Zhu is not the first Chinese official to refer to the possibility of using such weapons first in a conflict over Taiwan. Chas Freeman, a former US assistant secretary of defence, said in 1996 that a PLA official had told him China could respond in kind to a nuclear strike by the US in the event of a conflict with Taiwan. The official is believed to have been Xiong Guangkai, now the PLA's deputy chief of general staff. Gen Zhu said his views did not represent official Chinese policy and he did not anticipate war with the US. Additional reporting by Richard McGregor in Beijing

Google spots Jesus in Peruvian sand dune

Black helicopter alert There's some very good news today for those readers who do not have the good fortune to live in either the UK or the US of A - you now officially exist according to Google UK. Yup, maps.google.co.uk has now restored those bits of the the globe previously not thought worthy of inclusion in the big map - which was everywhere except Blighty and the States, Canada, Central America, some Caribbean islands and the Irish Republic. There's more on the terrifying conspiracy theory behind this mass erasure in our previous report into the matter. But before the black helicopters can return to base, we must ask this simple question: Why has Google Maps chosen to remain silent on the small matter of having located Jesus Christ in a Peruvian sand dune? We find it impossible to believe that Google didn't spot this ghostly Turin shroudesque image of Our Lord in the South American sands. What are they not telling us? A quick phone call to Erich von Däniken confirmed our initial suspicions that the image was hewn from the sand by an ancient civilisation using hot air balloons and alien laser technology borrowed from the scientists of Atlantis. Either that or someone is projecting a picture of Charles Manson onto the desert from a low Earth orbit, Erich told El Reg before popping out to discover a representation of an extraterrestrial wearing an Apple iPod carved into a stone by Mayan artisans in 500BC. Whatever the truth, the implications of this discovery are chilling indeed. Sinister things are afoot at Google, make no mistake. ® Bootnote Muchas gracias to reader Lee Staniforth for his satellite spotting skills. Related stories Google redraws world according to George Bush Need a brothel? Ask Google Google conquers planet Earth

SMART Goal Setting Archives

I encourage you to pick up a pen and a piece of paper and jot down the goals you want to reach. Look at each goal and evaluate it. …

How To Spot Arial

Many of the characters in Helvetica and Arial are very similar to each other, although none are quite identical. Other characters are quite a bit different, and they are the key to telling which is which. Here are some of the most obvious ones (Grotesque 215, Arial’s ancestor, has also been included for comparison): The “a” in Helvetica has a tail; Arial does not. Also, the bowl of the “a” flows into the stem like a backwards “s”; the bowl of Arial’s “a” simply intersects the stem with a slight curve. (Interestingly, the Grotesque “a” has a tail, just like Helvetica. The bolder weights of Helvetica have no tails, an inconsistency that bothers some people. Maybe it bothered Monotype, too.) Arial’s “a” has always seemed a little badly drawn to me, but maybe it’s just me. The top of the Arial “t” is cut off at an angle; the Helvetica “t” is cut off straight. You can see clearly here how the x-height of Arial matches Helvetica’s. This is one of the main things that makes Arial look like Helvetica at first glance, even though the details are different. The ends of the strokes of letters like “S” and “C” are perfectly horizontal in Helvetica; in Arial and Grotesque they are cut off at a slight angle. The “G” in Helvetica has a spur at the bottom of the stem on the right side and the curve at the bottom of the “G” flows into the stem; in Arial and Grotesque the “G” has no spur and the curve at the bottom meets the stem at an angle. The tail of the “R” in Helvetica flows out from the bowl and curves straight down, ending in a slight curve to the right. In Arial, the tail flows down and to the right from near the center of the horizontal bar and straightens out at an angle to the end. It appears to be a compromise between the Helvetica “R” and the Grotesque “R.” This feature is very unusual for a “grotesque” design, and is more typical of “humanist” sans serifs. It feels out of place here and is one of the more awkward design features of Arial. Here is the same word set in all three typefaces: In both fonts, the characteristics described here apply to all weights (except, of course, the tail on the Helvetica “a,” which is dropped on the bolder weights). See also: The Scourge of Arial Monotype’s Other “Arials”

The Web framework for perfectionists with deadlines

Some of the busiest sites on the Web leverage Django’s ability to quickly and flexibly scale. Django was designed to help developers take applications from concept to completion as quickly as possible. Django is a high-level Python Web framework that encourages rapid development and clean, pragmatic design. Built by experienced developers, it takes care of much of the hassle of Web development, so you can focus on writing your app without needing to reinvent the wheel. It’s free and open source. Stay in the loop Subscribe to one of our mailing lists to stay up to date with everything in the Django community: We have a few other specialized lists (mentorship, i18n, ...). You can find more information about them in our mailing list documentation.

Creating Passionate Users: Does college matter?

« Every user is new and different... | Main | Avoid cliches like the plague » Does college matter? Your son wants to play in a band. You think he should be an engineer. You're majoring in bioinformatics because your parents told you it was a good career choice, but you hate it. You love to write code, but now your parents are telling you "it's a bad move, what with outsourcing and all..." You spent your first two years of college maintaining an inhuman blood alcohol level, when it hits you--you've taken out loans to pay for this drinking. We've all accepted that a college degree == $. (Ignoring Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, of course.) College means higher lifetime earnings, and there's plenty of research to back that up. On the other hand, we've also learned that there's scientific evidence that money doesn't mean happiness (assuming you're over the baseline level of poverty). So if there's almost no correlation between money and happiness, but college means more money... where's real happiness in all that? I've watched the wildly conflicting comments on the future of IT/programming as a profession between Dori Smith on "don't do it" and Robert Scoble on how "Microsoft can't find enough programmers". But I'm far less interested in whether majoring in a high-tech field is a good idea today than I am in whether the question even matters. The average education in computer science, engineering, and even medicine is partly obsolete within 18 months. Some weird variant of Moore's law I guess. The conventional wisdom says that the specifics of what you learn are much less important than the fact that you're learning the fundamentals, and you're learning to learn--things you'll need to maintain your skills and knowledge in a quickly changing world. The problem is, you virtually never hear a student say that. It's always the parents or someone speaking on behalf of the educational system. When was the last time you honestly heard (and believed) an actual current college student claim that the true benefit of their formal college education is in learning to be a lifelong learner? That's just bulls***. With very few exceptions, college in the US is more about drinking than it is about deep learning. Others claim that the benefit of a college degree is really more about socialization and independence. I've heard reasonably smart adults say, with all sincerity, that spending $80,000 so little Suzy could learn to live on her own was worth it. I think there are a thousand different, and often better, ways to achieve that. Suzy could join the peace corp, for example, or go on one of those "learning vacations" where you do an archealogical dig. Hell, just a three-month long trip through Europe with a couple friends and a rail pass (or, as a friend of mine did, a bike trip across Turkey) is certainly going to do more for socialization and independence than a traditional college environment, and at a tiny fraction of the cost. The real curiosity, for me and others, is why we spend so much time railing against the decline in public schools for K-12 in the US, while higher education practically gets a free pass. The only major complaints you hear are about the rising costs, when to me--that may be the least of it. In Declining by Degrees, a PBS documentary and book, one of the central questions is about why we aren't looking more closely at what really happens between admission and graduation. Or I should say, looking at what doesn't happen. From the intro: "The decline in the quality of American undergraduate education has not yet become a major public issue. Americans may be cynical about their public institutions and leaders, but their skepticisim does not extend to the nature and content of a college education." "... the result of this mentality (we are resisting the temptation to label it "mental illness") is graduates who are narrowly educated--and often are "trained" for work in fields that will have changed before the ink on their diplomas is dry. Those graduates have scant understanding of civic responsibilities or of the possibilities of life beyond work. Accumulating a sufficient number of courses and credit hours to earn a college degree is, in the public mind, synomous with being educated. But having a diploma bears little resemblance to being educated. "Higher" education has been lowered." So here we have a pile of issues: * Does it still make sense to major in a high-tech field? (and the offshoots I didn't mention about whether gender makes a difference) * Does it really matter what you major in, or is the benefit of college something beyond the actual field of study? * If college = money, but money != happiness, what does that mean with respect to a college degree? * Does it still make sense to go to college... at all? But I think the biggest question of all is something entirely different: Where does passion fit into this equation? Everything I hear about is whether a kid -- male or female -- should pursue this field or that field, what the long-term career prospects are, etc. I almost never hear much discussion about whether it matters if they have a passion for. It's true that sometimes college is the best way for them to discover their passion, but I've seen way too many young people traumatized by the thought of telling their parents that after three years of pre-med, they're switching to something like... ornamental horticulture (a big area of study at my alma mater, Cal Poly SLO). The reason this matters to me now is because I'm right in the middle of it. I've been watching Dori with some envy... going on visits with her son to check out prospective colleges, talking about application forms, entrance exams, all that stuff I naturally assumed I'd be doing when my daughter Skyler turned 16 or 17. The older she got, the better she did in school, and the brighter her teachers found her to be... the more certain I was that she'd follow "the natural path" of the countdown to college that starts somewhere around 10th grade. But it didn't work out that way. Skyler, it seems, could not care less for conventional wisdom, what her friends do, what the numbers say, and most especially--what her mom might think. Skyler believes that life's too short to spend that many years on something you don't love. So she decided to just work for a while until she figures something out. And then a few weeks ago, she announced the discovery that Boulder is home to a world-class vegetarian cooking school that in addition to cooking classes, includes courses in professional development ranging from creating a business plan for a restaurant, to starting a personal chef business. Vegetarian cooking is her passion. She believes in it, she loves it, she takes great pleasure in it. She evangelizes it to others. What horrifies me is that even though I knew she felt this way, it never occurred to me that this was something she might consider instead of college. But she got me with this one: "Mom, your degree was exercise physiology. You spent your first five years out of college as a glorified aerobic instructor. Then you taught yourself programming, took a few night classes at UCLA, and made a huge career switch into computers, and found you loved it. You have your own computer book series. Yet you told me you had just a single computer class in college, and you hated it. So... tell me again why college was so great for you?" And then the kicker: "I have no idea if I'll ever open a restaurant or develop this into a professional career, but whatever investment I make in this will serve me and make me happy for the rest of my life. I'll be using what I learn here in my personal life, almost every day, regardless of my career. How many people can say that about 90% of what they learned in college?" The part I still have to get over is that feeling of a missed opportunity. Of unfulfilled potential (too many Microsoft ads?). This was a straight-A kid. One far brighter at 12 than I'll ever be. One of those about whom people say, "She could succeed at anything she wants." yet what we all secretly meant was, "She could succeed at anything we think she should want." Lucky for her, she learned at a much earlier age that passion matters. That money is far less important than joy (and that money doesn't buy joy). And that whatever decision she makes now, does not determine the rest of her life. She understands that the chances of anyone having a single career for life -- or even a decade -- are asymptotically approaching zero. And that nothing -- not finances (or lack of) or gender or age -- will stand in her way if she decides to learn something. And if what she wants to learn at some point in the future is best studied in a formal higher education environment, there's nothing to stop her from going to college then. Still, I look longingly at the cute Target dorm furniture and think, "maybe one day..." Then I hear what my friends are paying in college tuition, and snap out of it. I'm no longer convinced that we should assume a traditional four-year college should be the automatic default for all high school grads, esepcially given the state of these institutions today. And I seriously wish people would stop looking at me with pity and concern, shaking their head when they realize Skyler ("but she always seemed so bright...") isn't going to a "real" college. Wake up and smell the 21st century... Posted by Kathy on July 14, 2005 | Permalink TrackBack TrackBack URL for this entry: https://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d83451b44369e200d834239ad153ef Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Does college matter?: » Why is College (4 years, $160k) the Default? from Ben Casnocha: The Blog A great post at the Creating Passionate Users blog titled "Does college matter?" She basically asks the same question I've been asking for a few months now: given the state of undergraduate education (she cites the new book Declining by [Read More] Tracked on Jul 14, 2005 5:23:02 PM » Passionate Life from Ayende @ Blog [Read More] Tracked on Jul 14, 2005 5:26:12 PM » Does College Matter from elearnspace The concern expressed here is the heart of what I've argued with connectivism (though I have more optimism on the capacity for higher education to heal itself than the author does): Does College Matter?: "But I'm far less interested in... [Read More] Tracked on Jul 15, 2005 9:09:33 AM » Does college matter? from Damien Katz Your son wants to play in a band. You think he should be an engineer. You're majoring in bioinformatics because your parents told you it was a good career choice, but you hate it. You love to write code, but... [Read More] Tracked on Jul 15, 2005 9:33:20 AM » Smart Kids that Don't go to College from Inspire Creativity I didn't wake up until my Sophomore year in college. At that point, I was rather surprised I did what my parents expected, and was in College. But it was fun, so I stuck with it. I am a programmer. I've taught myself nearly everything I know. But I think [Read More] Tracked on Jul 16, 2005 12:08:56 PM » Does college matter? from wanderingstar.net I came across this blog entry today and found it to be an interesting read with a lot of good points. I thought it especially salient for me since I never finished college and have considered whether or not to finish my undergrad education. I do have ... [Read More] Tracked on Jul 16, 2005 1:32:00 PM » Does College Matter? from 50% tinge Your son wants to play in a band. You think he should be an engineer. You're majoring in bioinformatics because your parents told you it was a good career choice, but you hate it. You love to write code, but... [Read More] Tracked on Jul 16, 2005 6:00:10 PM » Does College Matter? from 50% tinge Your son wants to play in a band. You think he should be an engineer. You're majoring in bioinformatics because your parents told you it was a good career choice, but you hate it. You love to write code, but... [Read More] Tracked on Jul 16, 2005 6:22:04 PM » Does College Matter from Space for Commerce It might. It might not. My feeling is that if you go and you don't have a clue as to why you are there .. what's the point? Kathy Sierra at Creating Passionate Users seems to agree with me in this post. [Read More] Tracked on Jul 16, 2005 8:18:25 PM » Does going to college matter? from Brain Freeze Last Thursday on her Creating Passionate Users blog Kathy Sierra had an interesting post about whether or not going to college really matters anymore. As someone who took 8 years to complete their Bachelor’s degree this is an interesting subjec... [Read More] Tracked on Jul 16, 2005 8:22:13 PM » Is college worth it? from Exercise in Futility I was reading a new blog called “Creating Passionate Users” via Scoble on the subject of the true value of college and I believe my point of view as a college attendee might offer some light on the subject. As I graduated from highschool ... [Read More] Tracked on Jul 16, 2005 9:41:40 PM » Does college matter? from Ablog Kathy Sierra, someone who I really admire, has a longish entry about her daughter's struggles with whether or not to go to college. Her daughter correctly points out that for many people, college doesn't seem all that relevant to what they end up doing... [Read More] Tracked on Jul 17, 2005 2:14:35 AM » On the merits of university or college from Kartar.Net I regularly rant to people about the merits of university and college educations and especially about how crap some of them are. This is consistently true of my field - humanities - where weak teaching, easy grades and appalling subjects tha... [Read More] Tracked on Jul 17, 2005 8:16:20 PM » College matters from Backup Brain Over at her blog, Kathy Sierra starts with something I wrote and goes off on her own tangent: Does college matter? and College matters... sometimes. In the latter, she ends with: I'm just glad that Dori's going to be posting... [Read More] Tracked on Jul 17, 2005 11:52:54 PM » graduation speeches and the value of college from Management Professor Notes II I have been waiting for Case to post a transcript of Chris Matthews' speech to the graduating class of 2005, which was delivered in the Veale Center on May 16... but apparently, we how only post a video archive of the event, which is no longer availabl... [Read More] Tracked on Jul 19, 2005 6:03:06 AM » Around The Web from Pacific Views Billmon: All together now, "Bye, bye, 4th amendment," hello PATRIOT Act. All lies to the contrary, Plame's identity really was a secret, and it seems likely that those who leaked her name knew it. What it means that China broke... [Read More] Tracked on Jul 25, 2005 4:15:49 PM » http://blog.markwshead.com/archives/2005/07/30/98.html from Mark W. Shead Does College Really Matter ... [Read More] Tracked on Jul 30, 2005 10:36:36 PM » Around The Web from Pacific Views Billmon: All together now, "Bye, bye, 4th amendment," hello PATRIOT Act. All lies to the contrary, Plame's identity really was a secret, and it seems likely that those who leaked her name knew it. What it means that China broke... [Read More] Tracked on Aug 4, 2005 9:54:03 PM » Passionate Life from Ayende @ Blog [Read More] Tracked on Aug 27, 2005 10:17:40 AM » $51,718 from Paul Explains Nothing That's it. That's the number I've been focusing on. It has nothing to do with my entrepreneur dreams. Instead, it has to do with an even larger venture I'm taking this year. It's the estimated cost of the next 9 [Read More] Tracked on Sep 1, 2005 10:34:56 AM » Concert to aid scholarship fund from The Colleges Blog This Friday the University of Cincinnati's College of Medicine will host the second annual IvaDean Scholarship Benefit Concert in Kresge Auditorium at 7 p.m. Money raised from this event will support the IvaDean Medical Student Scholarship Fund, which... [Read More] Tracked on Dec 1, 2005 6:14:42 AM » Scientist embryo cloning faked from World News Outline States are doing a mostly poor job in setting policies to discourage cigarette smoking, a new American Lung Association (ALA) report concludes. [Read More] Tracked on Jan 12, 2006 7:17:55 PM » Tour - Tour News, Pictures, Shows from Tour News Latest News. European Tour News · Seniors Tour News · Challenge Tour News... [Read More] Tracked on Jan 16, 2006 7:17:10 AM » Pandia Search Engine News from Search Engine Journal When you search for people using the A9 search engine, hits from ZoomInfo are now default... [Read More] Tracked on Jan 24, 2006 6:44:22 PM » News: Search Results Clogged by Blogs from Trends in Blog Searching With no deliberate effort, many dedicated weblog publishers are finding their blogs rank high on search results for topics that, oftentimes, they claim to ... [Read More] Tracked on Feb 19, 2006 7:54:29 PM » Passionate Life from Ayende @ Blog Passionate Life [Read More] Tracked on Jan 13, 2007 1:38:56 PM Comments For some, college is an opportunity to connect with a group of people and some of the connections last a lifetime. Not to many for me, but for me college was four years of experimenting and learning about state of the art technology (which would have been inaccessible to me otherwise). Maybe Skyler will be able to pull the same thing off with her professional school(s), and maybe she'll make lifetime connections with others along this path; but I'm wondering if she's missing out on something (besides the beer). Posted by: Woolstar | Jul 14, 2005 4:18:16 PM Very interesting post. I've done a fair amount of school (double majored in english and math, with an MS in engineering), and I feel that I got a lot out of it. But I have been blown away with what an interested, focused person can accomplish in software development with no degree (or even no coursework) in computer science. At first, I thought the "self-taught" pheonomenon was a quirk of the software world - that the rapid rate of change in programming was somehow differentiated it from more mature fields (like medicine or law). But lately, I've come around to the notion that the presence of experts without degrees in software represents the norm, not the exception, for learning. People can become truly expert in fields without a "formal" education as long as they have access to information, tools for experimentation, and a passion for learning. Anyway, this is just a longwinded way of saying: "I agree". If you've spent years reading, writing, experimenting, and so forth, you're educated in the field - regardless of degree. If this were the case in other fields, I suspect you'd fine a lot of self-taught experts over there as well. Posted by: Geoff B | Jul 14, 2005 5:38:04 PM Good for Skyler. It's a brave new world, and she sounds like she's jumping into it with courage and the knowledge of what it means. College is fine if you have a clear and passionate goal that fits into that methodology. But few careers do anymore. Hell, even the word "career" is obsolete. "But she always seemed so bright"... Reply: "That's why she stayed away from college". There's a reason the phrase "college education" is two words - it's a special case of the much broader concept of "education". Good luck, Skyler. Posted by: Kyle Bennett | Jul 14, 2005 5:57:20 PM you make some good points and things that i always wondered about when i was in college. i used to hear our president at school and the school board back in new orleans always talking about what was best for us. amazing how they never asked for our opinions or input. how is the average student expected to connexxt? i'm 24, so I've just been out almost 2 years. i tried to focus on the internships and the business leaders that would take me under their wing. it was rare that i was pumped for classes. not because it was class, but i knew that the useful knowledge, the knowledge that would help me move ahead was outside the 'box.' i learned much in the box, but i loved to hear the stories of other people who'd been places. the lunches and business meetings and random emails to professionals i admired...those were and are my passions. i always felt the degree was a formality. i worked hard, did well and graduated, but i never felt as if it would define me. i just knew i needed it to get into that interview. i always thought that once i got some place, i'd make some noise. so far i was right. i can't wait to see who i learn from next and what i can do. i'm just one of many. Posted by: christien | Jul 14, 2005 7:49:17 PM I went to college for a couple of years because it was automatically assumed if you were smart and could do well in high school that you would go there next. This was in the late 80s. I didn't finish because there was not enough there that I wanted to learn. Most of what I'm really interested in, I learn on my own. In some ways, I think a degree is an insult to the passion for actual learning and the love of it, like religion is an insult to the passion for genuine spirituality and a solid sense of ethics. On the other hand, my pay scale over the past 15 years has been relatively slim and slow. Lots of jobs have been taken outside of my interests to keep me afloat and just barely pay the bills. The student loan had been put off for a long time and I'm just in the past few years beginning to knock the principal down after letting all that extra interest accumulate (stupid, stupid, stupid). If I hadn't been so passionate about my interests, it would have been much easier to just play the game. In the end, it's a gift and a curse to be so devoted to something. It has a price. Posted by: Keith Handy | Jul 14, 2005 8:12:48 PM After doing something similar to Skyler, "working for a while" before doing the college thing, I'm finding there is one very good reason to pay the $40,000 pricetag on a college education: the piece of paper you get at the end. As I move up, I've found this piece of paper becomes more and more important to the PHBs while my self-taught experience becomes worth less (and worthless). A college grad who can't understand how to do a fraction of my old job now has my old job - and is paid more to boot. If I'm lucky, I'll score a new job paying almost what I used to make in the higher paying economy I now call home. And all for the want of a paper. Posted by: Cori G | Jul 14, 2005 8:25:20 PM "I've been watching Dori with some envy... going on visits with her son to check out prospective colleges, talking about application forms, entrance exams, all that stuff I naturally assumed I'd be doing when my daughter Skyler turned 16 or 17." You want to borrow Sean for a couple of weeks? We'd be happy to send him out to visit you, and you could beat your head against that particular wall. If Sean announced tomorrow that he didn't want to go to college, and instead wanted to sign up for a training program because he had a passion for [fill in the blank], I'd be the first to break out the champagne. But first I'd have to be revived, because I'd have fallen down into a dead faint. The impression I get of Skyler (not having met her) is that she's a passionate, creative kid wiith lots of ideas. Sean? Not so much. He doesn't have a strong desire to go to college, but then, he doesn't have a strong desire to not go to college. He doesn't have a strong desire to major in a particular field, but then, he doesn't have a strong desire to not major in a particular field. He has no strong desire to go to a particular school, and no strong desire not to go to a particular school. And so on. He's well aware of the life-long learning issue -- anyone who lives in our house would have to be. He's seen that what I was doing 8 years ago is vastly different from what I'm doing now, and that what I was doing 8 years before that was even more different. And we've made it clear that whatever he does end up doing, he should expect that he'll have to work to keep current, because the 21st century is only going to move faster and faster. One of the main reasons we're encouraging bioinformatics for him is because it lets him keep his hand in so many fields -- if it turns out that (for instance) pure mathematics is his love, yay. If it's something else, that's good too. My thought is that he should be exposed to as many different fields and areas as possible, and then he can see which (if any) make him sing. And if none of them do, well, at least he'll have lots of options because he's learned so many things. We make jokes about him going to UCSC and double-majoring in Bioinformatics and Astrophysics (two of their top-rated departments). He'd end up knowing a great deal about a great deal, but there ain't a job on earth that will use all of it. And that's okay. OTOH, he'll be taking Physics for the first time in the fall, and maybe that'll be The One. If you're someone reading this who doesn't read our blog and has gotten the idea from the above that he's a general Math/Science geek: you're right. Another school we're encouraging him to look at closely is Harvey Mudd. One of the things I like best about HMC is that they don't let you declare a major until your Sophomore year. Every Freshman enrolled takes the same "Common Core" courses so they get a broad education. Side thought 1: as I tell Sean, if you're going to use Gates as an example of someone who didn't finish his degree, you have to compare/contrast Ballmer. What would he be today if he hadn't gone to college when/where he did? Side thought 2: some of the heaviest drinkers I've ever known were the 18-25 year olds who didn't go to college. I think that it's more the age and not where you happen to be at that age. Side thought 3: if you've ever considered writing a post on bringing out passion in the dispassionate, I'd love to read it! Posted by: Dori | Jul 14, 2005 9:38:36 PM I have to say that going to college and getting a degree in computer science would probably be a complete waste. My degree is Latin American Studies and I went to a solid liberal arts school. While I have never used that knowledge directly in my jobs, learning to write and communicate ideas and organize thoughts have all been critical to every job I have had, and are critical now that I run my own business. I don't regret for a minute getting my degree, although I didn't spend all that much time getting drunk, so maybe my experience was different. I don't think college is necessary for everybody, but I do think that if you do go to college, you should study broadly instead or narrowly. Skyler sounds like she will be fine because she sounds like she will study broadly outside the confines of a college. Some people can do that, and some cannot, but I am glad she was able to see her way to doing what is right for her. Best of luck to her... and to you. (Having a daughter in college now myself, I assure you that the joys of picking out dorm furniture are easily outweighed by the horrors of watching the way many college students do squander their opportunities) Posted by: Ben Langhinrichs | Jul 14, 2005 9:58:36 PM Hiya Kathy and Skyler... I dropped out halfway through an engineering degree. And I can say, 20 years later, that I'm realllllly glad I did half an engineering degree. Here's what I got out of it: o I became a dj on the campus radio station, allowing me to get my first job at a commercial radio station as a sound engineer, just 4 days after I dropped out. o I was a journalist and humourist on the student newspaper, which allowed me to flex my skills as a writer. I'm now a professional writer and artist, thanks to the exposure I gave myself back then. o The problem-solving skills I picked up in engineering are things I use daily. They fit with my mode of analytical thinking, which I wouldn't easily have uncovered due to my being hyper creative as well. o I learned about sex at varsity too. Hehehehehehe. Very useful. o I learned about politics too, and was a student left-winger, albeit a misanthropic, cynical one. I'm still a lefty, and I really love the exposure I got to diversity and debate. o I learned about film and art. I sat in on history of art lectures, and learned that I have the ability to understand art. I went to our film library and watched rare classics that I could never have seen anywhere else. (Well, it's now possible to buy the dvd of the original NOSFERATU THE VAMPIRE. But until three or so years ago, nogo.) I'm now a filmmaker amongst other things. o I was a member of the War Games Society, and played hundreds of hours of Dungeons & Dragons (and similar). This allowed me to flex my imagination, and work out all sortsa things for myself. Most of the things I learned at varsity were extra-mural. But those extra mural activities were supported by the structure imposed by being in a learning environment. I would argue that a classical education is one of the most valuable things a person can get. (When I dropped out, I started another degree, majoring in philosophy, theory of literature, and English. Didn't complete it, but got far enough (8/10ths of the way) to know that I'm pretty darn clever. Blue skies love Roy Posted by: Roy Blumenthal | Jul 15, 2005 1:17:28 AM Good for Skyler! Personally I'd agree with Robert Pirsig's take on things - that education for the sake of having a piece of paper is frankly not worth the paper it's written on, but that the more worthwhile education comes from interest in the subject. He gives an excellent story of a guy who dropped out of high school because frankly the whole thing bored him. He became a car mechanic, as shop was about the only thing he'd been any good at, but as he repairs cars, he comes across all kinds of engineering problems, so he decides he needs to read up on metallurgy, on maths, on chemistry, and so forth, till in the end he puts himself through college, driven by passion for the subjects which he has a real love for. I kind of did this myself - I went to university as a mature student at age 27, to study French. I'm now working for a French company, though that's as far as my use of the subject goes. That said, I wouldn't have swapped that time for anything. I got to study Japanese there, got my yellow belt in jiu-jitsu there, went and lived in France for a year in a school as part of my studies, came back and cycled the length of the UK for charity, met my wife and fell in love there (we're still together nearly 10 years on, and expecting our second child), and the company that I work for wouldn't have looked twice at me without my degree even though I work in IT and I have an arts degree. I got to study all sorts of interesting things too - like the French resistance, the holocaust in France, the Algerian war, French philosophy, linguistics. It took me till last year to pay off the loans, but it was worth every penny. So, my message to Skyler is, don't write it off, but do what you love. If you find you need a degree for what you want to do, or if it'd be useful to you, then go study it. Whatever you do, do it with arete. In with both feet. Posted by: Matt Moran | Jul 15, 2005 1:39:17 AM I have no doubt that time in higher education can benefit anyone - sometimes it shows them that they are suited to academic study and sometimes it shows them that this is not the path for them right now. I think the problem is the assumption that the "best time" (read "only time for anyone in their right freakin' minds") is at the end of your teens - a hangover imho from a time when careers generally were more formally structured to suit the needs of businesses that were....well, more formally structured. This is about living today. I believe that we're never finished creating ourselves and we do our best work when we help others to create themselves. Just as soon as your daughter ever finds that she's more passionate about going to college than making great food, she will do so. I say "Go Skyler! You feed the world." Posted by: Lloyd Davis | Jul 15, 2005 1:41:34 AM BTW, just to add, I was listening to a dharma talk by the Buddhist Society of Western Australia recently, and the speaker, Ajahn Brahm, quoted a study into happiness by the London School of Economics. Apparently the country that came top in the LSE's league table of happiness was Bangladesh, one of the most desperately poor countries in the world. Apparently poverty is no bar to happiness! http://www.inspirationalstories.com/cgi-bin/printer.pl?302 Posted by: Matt Moran | Jul 15, 2005 1:58:19 AM PS: Kathy... looks like my previous emails to you didn't make it through your spam traps. Darn. Posted by: Roy Blumenthal | Jul 15, 2005 3:48:12 AM All the way through elementary & secondary school, I was told I was "bright." And I was, though I didn't know it. The problem was, I hated school -- it was boring, and we never got to study stuff that I was interested in. I almost never did homework, but picked up enough in class to ace the tests. That made for a lot of B's and C's, with a predictable result on my self-image. I'm a 3-time college dropout, that being the number of times I was convinced, either by parents or friends, that I needed a degree to get anywhere at all. After doing blue-collar work for a few years, I wangled my way into a word-processing job at a mid-sized manufacturing company. I discovered some graphic software on my computer (a Mac -- woohoo!), and started playing around. I started enhancing some of the documents and Powerpoint presentations I was assigned, and within a few weeks, I was asked if I knew enough to work on some print advertising. I lied and said "yes." In truth I knew next to nothing, but I learned, and quickly -- all from reference books and trial&error (this was shortly before the rise of the 'net). Long story short: I became a professional graphic designer, working freelance, doing (mostly) what I love for the past 10 years. Looking back, it's safe to say most of my formal education served only to discourage me from learning. I learned to read before starting school, and got my love of reading from my parents, not from Lit class, where we were never assigned reading that was interesting to me. I learned from my father that if I don't know something, I can learn -- read a book, ask someone, or just try something and see what happens. That is the foundation of my true education. And at this point in time, I am certain that nothing is beyond my capability. For some, college may be a necessity -- some fields require the piece of paper just to get in the door, for instance -- but this is true far less often than it used to be. Instead of the presumption, it should be the exception, IMHO. Posted by: Splashman | Jul 15, 2005 4:15:51 AM At age 3, my daughter announced, "Art is my life, Mommy!" This fall, she is leaving home for the art department of a small Christian school (Gordon College) where the personal standards are high, the students are pretty much self-policing, and the academics look like a real classical education. Some people's take on this? "What a shame...she always seemed so bright." Answer~ She is. She's a chart topper on every test given, and a straight A+ student. "How is she going to learn about the 'real world' without a college experience full of drinking and dating (a euphemism for casual sex)?" Answer~ She'll see the 'real world' all around her in the surrounding communities, especially Boston, but she'll emerge without as much baggage, heartbreak, and STDs. Follow your passion, baby! I did, with a "useless" non-traditional college degree in Classical Greek, a further non-traditional masters in Folklore, and plenty of job offers at every stage of my life because I am unique in my background, training, outlook, and my ability to think and learn! Posted by: Cyndi L | Jul 15, 2005 6:13:48 AM I think the bachelors degree is good for one thing. It gets you in the door for most companies. While it doesn't mean you know how to work, how to learn, or how to solve problems, it's still the minimum entry level requirement for most jobs. Posted by: Steve Betts | Jul 15, 2005 8:17:11 AM Talkiog about passion in what you do and what you do with it: Passion is where your heart lies. I did physics and it sucked big time. I never liked it. I'd have happily wanted to have followed AstroPhysics but anyways back then(13-14 odd yrs back) it didn't matter. Computers back then were all green screens and it was not really that appealing. I went sailing and I was in love with the seas. I've loved everybit of it , I met people from all parts of the world. It was an exilirating experience. I can literally feel like a little kid with a baloon in hands if I can just smell the diesel smoke from the funnels when I drive past the harbors. I found the love of my life when I met my girl friend(now wife) here and I quit saling. I picked up the trails that I left when I left college. IT Sector was on the downside(1999/2000) still I was in love. So I carried on. I started afresh and got into databases(Oracle) and suddennly I was aroused. Since then I have done consultancy,DBA related jobs. It all was possible because I was hooked not because I was calculated or planned it all out. No way. Today I'm a Sr.DBA/Architect , I teach english in local school, will be Giving lessons to univ under-grads at my current Univ job, picking up the strands and trying to tie up my own band andv will pick up just about everything that i fall in love with. The world is changing but it's not the regular joes and janes( they could be even be thunderbird,stanford,yale, harvard grads/masters--there are however exception), it's the drop-outs who're dropping out of the herd. The world today with so much of text, graphic will change so drastically(actually it will be all replaced)that you'd laugh your a** out looking back at this transitional indulgence of typing(vlogging will change this very soon). HI(human intelligence) is truly the potential that will be exploited and will lead to massive breakthroughs. Deal is simple.You just have to fall in love :-). Posted by: Tarry | Jul 15, 2005 9:47:14 AM Four years at $20k/year for an American (first) degree sounds poor value. Is that a typical state college or Yale/Harvard/UCBerkley standard? Why not look at a cheaper European option, with a better degree at the end of it (and perhaps three years instead of four)? Of course some really bright kids adopt a strategy early on of pretending to be one of the crowd and dumber than they are. Unfortunately it's hard to shake that off later on. The real benfits of University are: 1. Living away from home. 2. Learning how to work on problems, and how to absorb new information; 3. Meeting *much* cleverer people than you would meet at home. 4. Stretching your mental faculties. 5. Learning not to give up when things seem hard. 6. Learning to check facts! Employers value many of these traits, en therefore prefer new hires to have a degree. W. Posted by: Wally | Jul 15, 2005 10:29:47 AM Well, these days I'm in the "get the degree anyway" camp. In fact, at almost 42 years old, I am planning to start a degree this year. My story: I too am a software developer/architect, trainer, presenter, and the author of a few tech books (listed at my blog) . Readers and colleagues are surprised to find out that I don't have a college degree. Instead, I traveled the world for five years, visiting 60+ countries, and worked in England, Australia, and Portugal. I took certification courses and taught myself software development along the way because I enjoyed it and it paid well enough to continue my travels for extended periods. In between jobs I saw the world and made some great friends. I highly recommend this to any young person, usually much to the consternation of their protective parents. It was a great experience that I would not trade for anything else. However, I regret not taking time to get a degree since I returned from my travels to Canada (then moved to the USA). In the high-tech business, you work in and with many large companies. These companies have HR departments. They do this by scanning candidate resumes for keywords. If a job requisition has a keyword like "degree" and your resume does not match that keyword, then you are not a match for the job. Simple as that. It doesn't have to be a pertinent degree, I know many colleagues that have music or philosophy degrees. But they do match the keyword, so they are a match. And let's imagine that I did get that degree in computer science back in 1983. In those days the curriculum covered important topics like Fortran, CPM, VAX, punch-card management and top-down programming. What possible use would that knowledge be in today's IT world? Apparently, that doesn't matter. There are thankfully ways around HR for enterprising individuals, which is why I have a job. But the HR hurdle is a tough one to overcome. So based on my attitude, why do I want to get a degree now? Because I'm getting old and there IS a societal glass ceiling for non-college graduates that cannot be ignored. In small business, it's hard to get a loan without a degree, even with a good track record. In the corporate world, having a degree does not become an issue right away. You don't need a degree for an entry-level job, but you do need one for other jobs with more responsibility and higher pay. The result is that if you don't have a degree, you end up working with and for younger, less experienced people for less money than other people in your age bracket. As you said, money isn't everything, but getting stuck in jobs later in life that you are under-qualified for can affect much more than your bank account. So now I'm getting the degree and looking forward to more keyword matches in the future... Posted by: Brian Benz | Jul 15, 2005 11:09:01 AM I know what you mean by that feeling of "unfulfilled potential". I always felt this unspoken obligation to do the hardest thing I was capable of doing, even if I didn't like it. To do something difficult and intellectually demanding. To leave the easier (and sometimes more fun) jobs to those who couldn't handle the harder stuff. I don't know where this feeling came from, but it's hard to shake. Especially when the hard stuff pays so well... Posted by: Jennifer Grucza | Jul 15, 2005 11:45:04 AM I'd like to say thank you for this entry. It's really great to know that someone outside my age group understands that college simply isn't for everyone. You see, two semesters ago, I left school to pursue a basic interest in web development and to work part-time in computer repair until I could figure out something a bit more stable. My mother, professors, friends, and just about everyone else in my life (save two or three people) thought of that decision as being the biggest mistake I've ever made. For the first time since I started looking at colleges, I'm happy. I'm finally able to do something that I love and am not forced to wake up each day knowing I'm going to waste away in three more classes like Intro to Rock & Roll and African Studies in order to fulfill my General Education requirements and come closer to getting a degree in Marketing. Yes, I'm making less money than I would be right out of college. Yes, I'm living paycheck to paycheck. And yes, I'm struggling to find clients in this tiny town. But I'm happy and I'm passionate in what I do. I couldn't ask for more. Posted by: Brian Rose | Jul 15, 2005 11:53:02 AM Here´s what I do: I am living in Germany where we have, additionally to the classic colleges, a dual system where you apply at a company which will send you study. This is for 3 years in terms of 3 months of studying and 3 months of working. You still almost get the same contents as in a classic german college, just very comprimized. And aside from having a view into actual work life, which regular college kids are miles and miles and miles away from, you get paid for studying, now who can claim that? This means: you get a college degree, which is a little less, than the regular one but get to start 2 years earlier two work. I couldn´t allow to be drunk all the time, hell, I can´t even allow myself to get sick more than three days in a row if I want to keep track of my classes. Sounds ugly and it is a bit, but I guess it holds a lot of experiences you sooner or later have to make, which will add to your personal growth more than partying on your parents money. If anyone is interested any further, feel free to inquiry by emailing me or visiting my home page. http://www.allralph.de Posted by: Ralph | Jul 15, 2005 12:10:04 PM One quick note on the financial side of things: It is far easier for the passionate entrepreneur to turn joy into money then it is for the rich person to turn money into joy. In other words it is much easier to find money via passion then it is to find passion via money. Wrote a little more about it at the blog: http://entreprexplorer.blogspot.com Posted by: Jared | Jul 15, 2005 12:19:38 PM "Four years at $20k/year for an American (first) degree sounds poor value. Is that a typical state college or Yale/Harvard/UCBerkley standard? Why not look at a cheaper European option, with a better degree at the end of it (and perhaps three years instead of four)?" Four years @ $20K/year is for a typical state college. A private college such as Yale or Harvard is 2-3 x that. UC Berkley is, for us Californians, a state college (and so on the lower end of things), but anyone enrolling from out of state has to pay higher rates. Got any resources you can recommend to learn more about the European options? When Caltech or MIT has a bill of $160K for a 4-year degree, alternatives sound great. Posted by: Dori | Jul 15, 2005 1:09:18 PM My take on the college thing is if you are not going for a hard science or engineering degree, something that requires access to Big, Expensive Equipment, you are better off just staying home and getting an online degree. For many companies the sheepskin is important, it's a right of passage, a subway token that gets you in, but it doesn't need to be in a related field for them to hire you. I have noticed a trend in some companies requiring master's degrees for certain positions since a Bachelors isn't worth very much to them. I have a little girl and I want her to be passionate about something. I am going to try and expose her to as many different learning experiences as I can to help her find her talents and preferences, but I am sure she will end up changing her work several times in her life. I want her to set up her own business so she can be in control rather then be someone else's drone. For a take on the New World of Work from the other end look at: http://www.mutualofamerica.com/articles/Fortune/May2005/Fortune.asp and http://ripples.typepad.com/ripples/2005/07/how_do_you_know.html Ripples has two sequel posts on the subject too. Posted by: Stephan F | Jul 15, 2005 3:09:19 PM The comments to this entry are closed.

Schools get racial tension advice

The union is concerned about Muslims in particular The National Union of Teachers said there had been problems in some areas. Teachers from minority ethnic groups, particularly Muslims, might also be vulnerable from some pupils and parents, its guidance said. General secretary Steve Sinnott said open discussion was the best way to counter ignorance and prejudice. 'Determined' "The terrorists' actions were timed to coincide with workers' and pupils' travelling to offices and schools," he said. "We are determined that they will not cause division in our schools." Pupils and teachers must be protected from abuse and threats. "The best way to deal with such problems is to bring them out in the open, to discuss them and ensure that all involved understand that racism is not acceptable. "Pupils and teachers must be able to carry on their normal lives free from fear." He said negative and stereotyped views of Islam and Muslims contributed to prejudice. Teachers should be especially vigilant for signs of name-calling, abuse and bullying and intervene early to prevent things from escalating. But the NUT said no attempt should be made to take a politically partisan approach or to belittle a particular set of opinions.

Create PDF,Convert PDF to Word For Free.PDF API

We are currently under maintenance. In the meantime, you can continue to convert your documents at www.easypdfcloud.com. By uploading a document, you agree to our terms and conditions. Best PDF Converter! It's a very good application - thank you very much for your product. " - Chafik Youceff Fantastic Product. I love the product! Perfectly formatted conversion. " - Gwendoline Huret I had a pretty important personal tax form in PDF I needed to edit and zero resources (including money) to make it happen. Your online PDF to Word service was a blessing!! Thank you very much for having this up and available! " - Neil Harris Best handling of tables. Almost always a faithful rendition of the original. (5/5) **Excellent** - FreewareGenius Pick Almost always a faithful rendition of the original. (5/5) **Excellent** - FreewareGenius Pick (read) I can't speak for anyone else nor their needs, but PDF to Word Online did exactly what I thought was impossible: retain all formatting!!! ESPECIALLY on this one particular document I needed converted. Seriously, even the spaces at the end of each line were preserved and not converted into a line break nor paragraph break. So, thank you, thank you!" - Megami

China plays down nuclear 'threat'

Major General Zhu Chenghu was only expressing "personal views", Beijing officials said. A foreign ministry spokesman said Beijing was committed to its policy of peaceful re-unification with Taiwan. A US state department spokesman has described Gen Zhu's remarks as "unfortunate" and "irresponsible". China regards Taiwan as a renegade province. One-China commitment The Chinese general, who is not directly involved in China's military strategy, made his remarks to foreign reporters on Friday. "If the Americans draw their missiles and position-guided ammunition onto the target zone on China's territory, I think we will have to respond with nuclear weapons," Maj Gen Zhu told an official briefing for foreign reporters. We firmly believe it is in the interests of both China and the United States... to oppose the 'Taiwan independence' Chinese foreign ministry The general said his comments were "my assessment, not the policy of the government". He said he was confident the US and China would not go to war. The US is currently Taiwan's biggest arms supplier and has indicated it would defend the island in the event of a Chinese invasion. Gen Zhu's remarks come at a time when many US politicians are already concerned about China's military build-up. State department spokesman Sean McCormack said he hoped they did not reflect Chinese official policy. On Saturday, the Chinese foreign ministry said: "We will firmly abide by the principles of peaceful re-unification and one country two systems and we will express the deepest sincerity and exert the greatest efforts to realise peaceful reunification. The US is Taiwan's biggest arms supplier "We will never tolerate the 'Taiwan independence'," the spokesman said. He said China appreciated the US government's repeated commitments to the one-China policy. "We hope the United States will fulfil its commitments with concrete actions and join efforts with China to maintain the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," he said.

'Copy our music' urges rock band

Carbon Silicon see themselves as doing 'rock n roll in an adult way' Carbon Silicon make all their recordings freely available online, and actively encourage bootlegging or filming of their gigs. They even attack the current waves of litigation surrounding illegally copied music in their song Gangs Of England, which includes the line, "if you want the record, press record". "What we're talking about here is fans who are sharing music," Tony James, formally of Sigue Sigue Sputnik and Generation X - who formed the group with ex-Clash guitarist Mick Jones - told BBC World Service's The Music Biz programme. "It's just like you did when you were young, when you made a cassette of your favourite tracks you'd love, and would give it to a friend and say 'listen to this.' "Everyone's going to say, 'hang on - if they've got it already, why are they going to buy the record?' But what we find is actually, people really like buying the records." Demos online The music industry has been grappling with issues of piracy over the last few years, in particular since broadband became popular. Artists who have backed anti-piracy campaigns, include Metallica, Tatu and Peter Gabriel. Our ideas of copyright, and what constitutes a record, will change in the future Tony James In particular, he pointed out that people could now record songs in their bedrooms and make them available to the world, and new artists no longer needed "a label, or a manager, or a BBC Radio playlist". Carbon Silicon use their website to show the development of their songs. Demos are put on the web so people can track how they came together. "We feel that it's almost like if I could go and watch Lennon and McCartney in the studio making Sgt Pepper, and watch them on the internet making that record, that would be a really exciting thing," James explained. "So I think what we'll see in the future is people will pay to be there - to be part of the creative process. That's a really exciting thing. "Our ideas of copyright, and what constitutes a record, will change in the future."

Ideas and Advice for Leaders

A study of 25,000 people in 25 countries sheds light on what resilience is and how leaders can cultivate it.

First Case Against Hussein, Involving Killings in 1982, Is Sent to a Trial Court

The Iraqi Special Tribunal set up to try Saddam Hussein said in a statement today that Mr. Hussein and three others will be referred to criminal court on charges related to the killings of about 150 Shiites in the Iraqi town of Dujail in 1982. The tribunal said that investigations into millions of documents and the questioning of thousands of witnesses have been completed, and that the trial related to the Dujail killings was one of several Mr. Hussein and his top aides are expected to face. Officials at the tribunal have said that they expect to put Mr. Hussein on trial by the end of the year. The tribunal's chief investigating judge, Raed Jouhi, said at a news conference in Baghdad that a date for the trial would be set "within days," the Reuters news agency reported. Today's statement represents the announcement of the first formal charges against Mr. Hussein. Other crimes for which Mr. Hussein is likely to face eventual prosecution in separate trials include the Anfal campaign of the late 1980's, in which as many as 150,000 Kurds were killed; the chemical weapons attack on the Kurdish town of Halabja in March 1988 that killed about 5,000; and the repression of a Shiite rebellion in southern Iraq in 1991, in which 150,000 people are believed to have been killed. Also under investigation by the tribunal are the executions of more than 200 Baath Party leaders after Mr. Hussein seized power in 1979. Mr. Hussein's lawyers claim among other things that it is illegal to try Mr. Hussein in his own country because he is immune from prosecution as a head of state.

Guide to Lock Picking

Guide to Lock Picking Guide to Lock Picking September 1, 1991 Distribution Permission to reproduce this document on a non-profit basis is granted provided that this copyright and distribution notice is included in full. The information in this booklet is provided for educational purposes only. August 1991 revision. The MIT Hackning community's opinion. Contents Original Postscript source (gzipped 188 kB). Original Postscript source (uncompressed 819 kB). Original Postscript source converted to Adobe PDF(uncompressed 521 kB).

The Framing Wars

Chomsky effectively won this debate, at least in the sense that most American linguistics departments still teach it his way. (To this day, the two men don't speak.) Undeterred, however, Lakoff and his like-minded colleagues marched off and founded the field of cognitive linguistics, which seeks to understand the nature of language -- how we use it, why it is persuasive -- by exploring the largely unconscious way in which the mind operates. In the 1970's, Lakoff, verging into philosophy, became obsessed with metaphors. As he explained it to me one day over lunch at a Berkeley cafe, students of the mind, going back to Aristotle, had always viewed metaphor simply as a device of language, a facile way of making a point. Lakoff argued instead that metaphors were actually embedded in the recesses of the mind, giving the brain a way to process abstract ideas. In other words, a bad relationship reminds you on an unconscious level of a cul-de-sac, because both are leading nowhere. This results from what might be called a "love as journey" frame in the neural pathways of your brain -- that is, you are more likely to relate to the story of, say, a breakup if it is described to you with the imagery of a journey. This might seem intuitive, but in 1980, when Lakoff wrote "Metaphors We Live By," it was considered fairly radical. "For 2,500 years, nobody challenged Aristotle, even though he was wrong," Lakoff told me, sipping from a goblet of pinot grape juice. Humility is not his most obvious virtue. Through his work on metaphors, Lakoff found an avenue into political discourse. In a seminal 1996 book, "Moral Politics," he asserted that people relate to political ideologies, on an unconscious level, through the metaphorical frame of a family. Conservative politicians, Lakoff suggests, operate under the frame of a strict father, who lays down inflexible rules and imbues his family with a strong moral order. Liberals, on the other hand, are best understood through a frame of the nurturant parent, who teaches his child to pursue personal happiness and care for those around him. (The two models, Lakoff has said, are personified by Arnold Schwarzenegger on one side and Oprah Winfrey on the other.) Most voters, Lakoff suggests, carry some part of both parental frames in the synapses of their brains; which model is "activated" -- that is, which they can better relate to -- depends on the language that politicians use and the story that they tell. The most compelling part of Lakoff's hypothesis is the notion that in order to reach voters, all the individual issues of a political debate must be tied together by some larger frame that feels familiar to us. Lakoff suggests that voters respond to grand metaphors -- whether it is the metaphor of a strict father or something else entirely -- as opposed to specific arguments, and that specific arguments only resonate if they reinforce some grander metaphor. The best evidence to support this idea can be found in the history of the 2004 presidential campaign. From Day 1, Republicans tagged Kerry with a larger metaphor: he was a flip-flopper, a Ted Kennedy-style liberal who tried to seem centrist, forever bouncing erratically from one position to the other. They made sure that virtually every comment they uttered about Kerry during the campaign reminded voters, subtly or not, of this one central theme. (The smartest ad of the campaign may have been the one that showed Kerry windsurfing, expertly gliding back and forth, back and forth.) Democrats, on the other hand, presented a litany of different complaints about Bush, depending on the day and the backdrop; he was a liar, a corporate stooge, a spoiled rich kid, a reckless warmonger. But they never managed to tie them all into a single, unifying image that voters could associate with the president. As a result, none of them stuck. Bush was attacked. Kerry was framed. According to Lakoff, Republicans are skilled at using loaded language, along with constant repetition, to play into the frames in our unconscious minds. Take one of his favorite examples, the phrase "tax relief." It presumes, Lakoff points out, that we are being oppressed by taxes and that we need to be liberated from them. It fits into a familiar frame of persecution, and when such a phrase, repeated over time, enters the everyday lexicon, it biases the debate in favor of conservatives. If Democrats start to talk about their own "tax relief" plan, Lakoff says, they have conceded the point that taxes are somehow an unfair burden rather than making the case that they are an investment in the common good. The argument is lost before it begins. Lakoff informed his political theories by studying the work of Frank Luntz, the Republican pollster who helped Newt Gingrich formulate the Contract With America in 1994. To Lakoff and his followers, Luntz is the very embodiment of Republican deception. His private memos, many of which fell into the hands of Democrats, explain why. In one recent memo, titled "The 14 Words Never to Use," Luntz urged conservatives to restrict themselves to phrases from what he calls, grandly, the "New American Lexicon." Thus, a smart Republican, in Luntz's view, never advocates "drilling for oil"; he prefers "exploring for energy." He should never criticize the "government," which cleans our streets and pays our firemen; he should attack "Washington," with its ceaseless thirst for taxes and regulations. "We should never use the word outsourcing," Luntz wrote, "because we will then be asked to defend or end the practice of allowing companies to ship American jobs overseas." In Lakoff's view, not only does Luntz's language twist the facts of his agenda but it also renders facts meaningless by actually reprogramming, through long-term repetition, the neural networks inside our brains. And this is where Lakoff's vision gets a little disturbing. According to Lakoff, Democrats have been wrong to assume that people are rational actors who make their decisions based on facts; in reality, he says, cognitive science has proved that all of us are programmed to respond to the frames that have been embedded deep in our unconscious minds, and if the facts don't fit the frame, our brains simply reject them. Lakoff explained to me that the frames in our brains can be "activated" by the right combination of words and imagery, and only then, once the brain has been unlocked, can we process the facts being thrown at us.

Nigerian 419er jailed

A Nigerian woman has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for her part in a massive 419 scam. The case, heard in the Lagos High Court, has been hailed as the first big victory for Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crime Commission set up to fight just such crimes. Amaka Anajemba helped extract $242m from Brazilian bank Banco Noroeste. The email scam claimed to be offering kick-backs on a contract to build an airport in the Nigerian capital Abuja. Much of the money was later recovered. She must sell properties in Nigeria, the UK, the US and Switzerland to help pay back the missing money, according to the BBC. The fraud was discovered when Banco Noroeste was bought by a Spanish bank. The bank's international boss was sentenced to a year in prison in Switzerland. Two other defendants will appear in court in September on related charges. The EFCC has 200 ongoing cases against 419 scammers. 419 scams are named after the relevant section of the Nigerian criminal code. ® Related stories Aussies prosecute first 'spammer' 419er seeks Reg reader for IM romance 419ers seek project manager

Pigeons pig out on junk food trash

Pigeons pig out on junk food trash Pigeons in Britain are becoming fat by eating junk food left by humans. YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS Create your own alert to be notified on topics you're interested in. Or, visit Follow the news that matters to you.alert to be notified on topics you're interested in.Or, visit Popular Alerts for suggestions. (CNN) -- British junk food lovers are having an unhealthy effect on the country's pigeons, which are becoming obese by feasting on litter leftovers. The charity Keep Britain Tidy says people who do not throw their uneaten junk food away are causing the problem. Chief executive Alan Woods said the birds were now "supersized" and dependent on people rather than nature for their food. The abundance of food on offer was also causing a population explosion of pigeons in Britain, which are considered a health hazard and a nuisance, he said. "Seven out of the 10 bits of litter we find on our pavements and roads are food related. And with all this trash to choose from, the pigeon, rat, fox and gull population has spiraled," Woods said. The litter problem was worse during summer because the warm weather meant more people ate outdoors. Summer also coincides with the peak breeding season for pigeons in June and July. Woods said if the problem continued, local councils would be forced to cull thousands of pigeons to keep numbers under control. "This isn't fair on the councils who are left to control the pest problem and is cruel to those animals who are scavenging in unnatural environments for food that isn't good for them," he said. Keep Britain Tidy has launched a campaign to raise awareness of the problem and to encourage people not to litter. "People genuinely feed pigeons out of a sense of kindness. But by leaving food around, they are not helping the birds at all. Pigeons become dependent on you for their diet and when flocks gather this spreads disease and drives smaller birds away," he said. "Really, the best way to care for pigeons is to stop dropping and littering food, and instead let nature take its course." He said the charity welcomed new legislation which made it easier to hit people who litter with on-the-spot fines. Home Page Get up-to-the minute news from CNN CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more. Home Page Get up-to-the minute news from CNN CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more.

Heavy Israeli Armor Presses Gaza Border

Correction Appended JERUSALEM, July 17 - Israel and the Palestinians faced the possibility of a major confrontation on Sunday as Israel massed tanks and other armored vehicles just outside the borders of the Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told his cabinet ministers that after the recent violence, including a Palestinian bombing and several Israeli airstrikes, there would be "no restriction on our activities to halt the attacks at communities both inside and outside the Gaza Strip." In renewed fighting in Gaza on Sunday, Israeli forces fatally shot two Palestinian militants, and several more Palestinians were wounded in a series of incidents, the Israeli military said. An Israeli soldier killed Said Sayem, 31, a local Hamas leader in the southern town of Khan Yunis, with a single gunshot to the neck. Mr. Sayem was just outside his house at the time, and Palestinians in the town and the Israeli news media described it as a sniper shooting carried out by a soldier posted in a nearby Jewish settlement. Israel's military said Mr. Sayem had been involved in numerous attacks.

Hybrid Cars Burning Gas in the Drive for Power

Mr. Buford, a telecommunications analyst at Kraft Foods who works in the Chicago area, said he decided on a hybrid because he wanted to "go green," although he added, "I wasn't willing to make any of the trade-offs normally associated with a hybrid." He said he liked the way that the electric motor on his new car kicked in early during acceleration, at a speed range in which the V-6 gasoline engine is relatively weak. And its emissions of smog-forming pollutants are low, he said. (The Environmental Protection Agency puts the hybrid and nonhybrid Accords in the same emissions category). If sold at list price, the hybrid costs about $3,300 more than the V-6 with no hybrid. Mr. Buford said he was not sure if the gas savings would ever pay for the difference. But in that price range -- about $30,000 -- many buyers are not looking for a car that is the cheapest to buy or to operate. Mr. Buford said he expected that when he files his taxes next April, the purchase will cut his tax bill by about $600. The tax credit will begin to be phased out in 2006. The Accord hybrid is not alone in using technology for power; the Toyota Highlander and the Lexus RX330, two premium vehicles, both gained horsepower when they were produced as hybrids. When Lexus created a hybrid version of the RX330 it kept the same 3.3-liter engine, but to get across the idea that the hybrid had as much power as a vehicle with a 4-liter engine it named it the RX400h. In the Accord, the mechanism was simple. Honda took the model with the 3.0-liter V-6 engine, which generates 240 horsepower, and added a 16-horsepower electric system. That is in contrast to the Civic, in which Honda pulled out the standard 1.7-liter engine and replaced it with a 1.3-liter engine when it made a hybrid version of the car. Combined with the electric drive, the car's horsepower remained roughly constant. Consumer Reports called the hybrid portion of the Accord a "green turbocharger." The main benefit is in getting from zero to 60 miles per hour in 6.9 seconds, compared with 9.0 seconds for the basic four-cylinder model. A Honda spokesman, Andrew Boyd, said the company already had hybrids that minimize fuel use, notably the Insight, for customers whose top priority was to save gasoline, and the Civic for customers who wanted a car that performs the same but uses less fuel. Performance in the Civic hybrid is slightly lower than the original model, Mr. Boyd said, and as a result it gets 36 miles per gallon instead of 29.

Cost of US cyber attacks plummets

The cost of individual cyber attacks fell dramatically in the US last year but unauthorised access and the theft of proprietary information remain top security concerns. The 10th annual Computer Crime and Security Survey, put together by the Computer Security Institute (CSI) in conjunction with information security experts at the FBI, shows financial losses resulting from security breaches down for the fourth successive year. The cost of breaches averaged $204,000 per respondent - down 61 per cent from last year's average loss of $526,000. Virus attacks continue as the source of the greatest financial pain, making up 32 per cent of the overall losses reported. But unauthorized access showed a dramatic increase and replaced denial of service as the second most significant contributor to cybercrime losses. Unauthorised access was fingered for a quarter (24 per cent) of losses reported in the CSI/FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey 2005. Meanwhile losses from theft of proprietary information doubled last year, based on the survey of 700 computer security practitioners in various US corporations, universities and government agencies. The study found fears about negative publicity are preventing organisation from reporting cybercrime incidents to the police, a perennial problem the CSI/FBI study reckons is only getting worse. Assuming that this isn't true of what respondents also told CSI's researchers (academics from the University of Maryland), the study presents a picture of reducing cyber crime losses that contrasts sharply with vendor-sponsored studies. Chris Keating, CSI Director, said its study suggests that organizations that raise their level of security awareness but warns against complacency in the face of a changing cybercrime threat. "Individual users are more exposed to computer crime than ever, due to the growth in identity theft schemes. We can't help but note the shift in the survey results toward more financial damage due to theft of sensitive company data. This is an ominous, though not unexpected, development and underscores the need to insist that enterprise networks be properly safeguarded," he said. The CSI/FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey aims to help determine the scope of computer crime along with promoting security awareness. It can be downloaded from the CSI's website GoCSI.com (PDF - registration required). ® Related stories GAO gives US.gov D- for security FBI publishes computer crime and security stats Computer intrusion losses waning The growing problem of identity theft

Weinstein & WB Team on Ninja Turtles

The Weinstein Company and Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that they will join forces to distribute the first all-CG-animated movie in the long and phenomenally successful history of the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” franchise. The announcement was made today by Jeff Robinov, President of Production, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Harvey Weinstein of The Weinstein Company. The as-yet-untitled picture will be released early in 2007. The movie will be directed by Kevin Munroe from his own screenplay, developed in consultation with Turtles co-creator Peter Laird. The film will be produced by Thomas K. Gray and Galen Walker. The executive producers are Francis Kao, Peter Laird, Gary Richardson and Frederick U. Fierst. Worldwide merchandising rights for the movie will be exclusively represented by 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. The two studios acquired the worldwide movie distribution rights from Imagi Animation Studios, who had obtained the production and distribution rights from the Mirage Group, which owns, nurtures and manages the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” property. The new CG-animated, PG-rated movie will derive its tone from the original comic-book series and will be slightly grittier than the previous live-action pictures. The animation will be created in Imagi’s state-of-the art facility in Hong Kong. The “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” motion picture history began in the early 1990s, with three live-action films that grossed a cumulative total of more than $256 million domestically, adding to the entertainment phenomenon that spawned games, toys, costumes and a virtual Turtles industry. In 2003 the Turtles returned to television after a five-year hiatus, now appearing on Cartoon Network and 4Kids TV on Fox in the United States and on major TV channels around the world. Additionally, the entertainment re-launch of the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” has generated hundreds of millions of dollars of worldwide retail sales of new licensed products, including an entirely new range of toys from longtime licensee Playmates Toys. “We are very happy to have obtained the rights to this new ‘Ninja Turtles’ movie,” said Robinov. “We think that a new generation of kids will love discovering the Turtles, especially supported by the enthusiasm of fans of the original movies, comic books and TV shows.” “Re-introducing the ‘Ninja Turtles’ in an animated movie will enable the filmmakers to fully realize the adventure and humor of the property,” said Weinstein. “We believe that there is a global audience for the Turtles and we’re thrilled to be bringing them to their fans, old and new.” Imagi USA’s President and CEO, Tom Gray, said, “The Weinstein Company and Warner Bros. Pictures are ideal partners in this venture, and I am extremely pleased to be working with them. Their marketing and distribution expertise will bring the Turtles to a whole new generation of fans.” Source: Warner Bros. Pictures

1st criminal charges filed against Hussein

Home > News > World > Middle East Rescuers, investigators, and citizens gathered after a massive bomb attack killed more than 90 people near a mosque Saturday in Musayyib, south of Baghdad. Authorities said a liquefied natural gas tank exploded as Shi’ites headed to prayers. (Getty Images Photo) 1st criminal charges filed against Hussein At least 22 killed in suicide blasts BAGHDAD, Iraq -- As the weekend death toll from a blitz of suicide bombings rose to more than 130, the first criminal charges against Saddam Hussein were filed yesterday, raising the prospect that his much-awaited trial could begin in September. For many Iraqis, it will not be a moment too soon to bring to justice the man whose supporters are blamed in at least some of the relentless insurgent violence, which appears to have spiked yet again with a sustained onslaught during the past week. Announcing the charges, Judge Raed Juhi said a court date will be disclosed within days for Hussein and three of his associates to stand trial for a 1982 crackdown against Shi'ites in the village of Dujail, north of Baghdad, during which 158 people were executed. The earliest date will be in September because of a mandatory 45-day waiting period between the filing of charges and the trial in order for the defense to prepare its case. The Dujail case is only the first of several that may be brought against Hussein, who was linked to human-rights abuses throughout his 25-year rule, some far bloodier than the 1982 crackdown. Amid frustrations with the slow pace of the proceedings and concerns that further delays would encourage more violence, the tribunal shelved plans to hold one mammoth trial and instead aims to try Hussein and former members of his Ba'ath Party regime on a case-by-case basis. ''People want closure and justice. There are still a lot of people who believe the Ba'ath Party is going to come back," said a Western diplomat who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity. There are worries that the trial of Hussein, a Sunni, may exacerbate tensions between the majority Shi'ites who dominate the government and the minority Sunnis whose power is limited in the new democracy. But the Western diplomat said the delay in bringing charges against Hussein, who has been in custody for 19 months, emboldened the insurgency and eroded confidence in the new government. The insurgency's resilience has been demonstrated by suicide bombings that have killed more than 240 people in the past eight days. The resurgence of violence undermines claims by US commanders that several high-profile military operations in recent months depleted the insurgency's capacity to mount attacks. The death toll in the worst attack, a suicide bombing Saturday near a mosque in the mostly Shi'ite town of Musayyib, rose to more than 90, making it the bloodiest bombing since the new government took office in April and the second deadliest insurgent attack since the US invasion. At least 22 people died in four suicide bombings around Baghdad yesterday, including one targeting an office of Iraq's Election Commission that killed five election workers. Iraq is to hold a referendum in October on the new constitution being drafted by the country's politicians, and then plans elections in December. Former Ba'athists are believed to be behind at least some of the violence, though US and Iraqi officials attribute the vast majority of suicide attacks to the Sunni extremist, Al Qaeda-affiliated group led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, which has a declared policy of targeting Shi'ite Muslims. The extent to which Zarqawi's group is cooperating with the Ba'athists is unclear, though US officials believe a degree of coordination exists. Many ordinary Iraqis nonetheless remain suspicious that a failure to bring Hussein to justice would leave the possibility open that the insurgency will win and that his regime will be restored. ''There are a lot of people who think Saddam will come back," said Ali Kadhim, who runs the Teeba Supermarket in Baghdad's Saidiyah District and who said he was eager to see the trial begin. ''There are lots of different parties working in his name. They are holding meetings in Syria. The police services are infiltrated, and that's why the government can't stop the violence." One of his customers, overhearing the conversation, disputed the assertion that Ba'athists are responsible for the violence, and insisted that life for ordinary Iraqis was better under Hussein's rule. ''I wish that Saddam would come back," said Omar Qassim, a cellphone company employee who was shopping for groceries in the store. ''Under Saddam, we only saw car bombs on the television. ''I have no love for Saddam, but there are people in charge now who are worse than Saddam, and we have no security and no services," he added. Kadhim acknowledged that he had a point about the electricity. ''I don't want Saddam to come back, but frankly, the services under Saddam were great," he said. Whether the trial will go ahead soon remains uncertain. Past promises that trials are imminent have not materialized, though US and Iraqi government officials are hoping the proceedings will get underway ahead of the next round of voting. Charged along with Hussein were three of his leading associates: Barzan al-Tikriti, his half brother; Taha Yassin Ramadan, his vice president; and Awad Hamad al-Bandar, the Revolutionary Court judge who conducted the secret trials at which most of the Dujail victims were sentenced to death. © Copyright 2006 Globe Newspaper Company.

Despite Concerns on Mad Cow, Court Allows Canada Imports

CHICAGO, July 14 - A federal appeals court on Thursday lifted an injunction blocking the resumption of cattle imports from Canada, after United States agriculture officials told the court that the animals did not pose a threat to humans from mad cow disease. The order by a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit cleared the way for Canadian ranchers to sell cattle in the United States. A shortage of animals to slaughter has hurt profits at the largest American beef packers while forcing some smaller packing houses to close. The Agriculture Department has not said when it would resume the cattle imports, and officials could not be reached late Thursday. "Once the trade can resume, the normal balance of North American trade can be put in place," said Rosemary Mucklow, the executive director of the National Meat Association, a trade group that represents American meat packers and processors. "This is very good news."

News Corp. to Acquire Owner of MySpace.com

The News Corporation, making one of its largest bets on the Internet, announced today that it is paying $580 million in cash to acquire Intermix Media Inc., a Los Angeles-based company whose chief asset is MySpace.com, a Web site that is enjoying surging popularity with young audiences. The acquisition's price is sure to ignite debate about valuations and durability of new media companies because MySpace, the main attraction among Intermix's 30-odd Web sites, is only two years old. MySpace.com is a youth-oriented music and "social networking" site that has grown to more than 16 million monthly users. Its members spend hours on the site, exploring areas devoted to personal classifieds, music, blogs, video games and chat rooms. Several prominent music groups, including the Black Eyed Peas, R.E.M. and Nine Inch Nails, have introduced their latest releases by streaming them on MySpace. Also, major advertisers including Procter & Gamble and Sony Pictures have advertised on the site, and NBC ran a streaming preview of the comedy "The Office" earlier this year. According to News Corporation, MySpace attracts the fifth-most page views of any Web site.

Bush 'modifies' CIA scandal vow

Mr Rove (right) is President Bush's chief political strategist A federal prosecutor is investigating whether any officials broke the law by revealing the name of a covert agent. A Time magazine reporter said top presidential aide Karl Rove had been the first to hint at the identity. Correspondents say Mr Bush's mention of crimes is a shift from his pledge to fire anyone involved in the leak. CIA agent Valerie Plame is married to former US diplomat Joseph Wilson, who accused the Bush administration of distorting intelligence on Iraq. PLAME AFFAIR TIMELINE Feb 2002: Joseph Wilson looks into reports that Iraq tried to buy uranium in Niger 6 July 2003: Mr Wilson goes public about investigation 14 July 2003: Columnist Robert Novak writes the trip was inspired by Ms Plame - Matthew Cooper reports that he had similar information 30 September: Justice department launches probe 24 June 2004: President Bush testifies in case 15 July: Cooper and Judith Miller ordered to testify about sources 10 August: Miller and Cooper sentenced for contempt of court 28 June 2005: Supreme Court refuses to hear appeal 6 July: Miller jailed after appeals fail, Cooper agrees to testify Profile: Karl Rove Mr Rove has denied being behind the leaking of her identity to the media. At the weekend, Time journalist Matthew Cooper wrote that Mr Rove did not disclose Ms Plame's name, but did say that the wife of a government critic worked for the CIA. Mr Cooper also wrote in Time that he discussed Mr Wilson and his wife with Lewis Libby, a senior aide to Vice-President Dick Cheney. Mr Bush told reporters he did not know all the facts and urged them to wait until the inquiry was complete before "you jump to conclusions". "I would like this to end as quickly as possible so we know the facts, and if someone committed a crime they will no longer work in my administration," he said at a news conference. The BBC's Oliver Conway in Washington says Mr Bush's statement appears to leave him some room for manoeuvre. The evidence made public so far does not conclusively show a crime has been committed, he says. The Democratic Party accused Mr Bush of lowering the "ethics bar". Smear allegations Newspaper columnist Robert Novak first publicly revealed that Ms Plame was a covert CIA agent in July 2003, citing two administration officials. That was shortly after her husband wrote an opinion piece for the New York Times in which he accused Mr Bush's administration of twisting intelligence on Iraq. Mr Wilson says he travelled to Niger to investigate a claim that Iraq had tried to buy nuclear material there, but found no evidence to prove it. President Bush later used the Niger claim as part of the justification for the 2003 invasion. Novak wrote that an official had told him the trip was inspired by Ms Plame. Mr Wilson alleges that his wife's name was deliberately leaked in a bid to undermine him.

Why am I not allowed to use my cell phone in airplanes or hospitals?

Most of us experience electromagnetic interference on a fairly regular basis. For example: If I put my cell phone down on my desk near the computer , I can hear loud static in my computer's speakers every time the phone and the tower handshake. In the same way, my car's tape player produces loud static whenever I make a call on my cell phone. When I dial a number on my home's wireless phone, I can hear the number being dialed through the baby monitor It is not uncommon for a truck to go by and have its CB radio overwhelm the FM station I am listening to. Most of us have come across motors that cause radio or TV static. None of these things, technically, should be happening. For example, a truck's CB radio is not transmitting on the FM radio bands, so my radio should never hear CB signals. However, all transmitters have some tendency to transmit at lower power on harmonic side bands, and this is how the FM radio picks up the CB. The same thing holds true for the wireless phone crossing over to the baby monitor. In the case of the cell phone affecting the computer's speakers, the wire to each speaker is acting like an antenna, and it picks up side bands in the audible range. Advertisement Advertisement These are not dire problems -- they are just a nuisance. But notice how common they are. In an airplane, the same phenomena can cause big trouble. ­­An airplane contains a number of radios for a variety of tasks. There is a radio that the pilots use to talk to ground control and air traffic control (ATC). There is another radio that the plane uses to disclose its position to ATC computers. There are radar units used for guidance and weather detection, and so on. All of these radios are transmitting and receiving information at specific frequencies. If someone were to turn on a cell phone, the cell phone would transmit with a great deal of power (up to 3 watts). If it happens to create interference that overlaps with radio frequencies the plane is using, then messages between people or computers may be garbled. If one of the wires in the plane has damaged shielding, there is some possibility of the wire picking up the phone's signals just like my computer's speakers do. That could create faulty messages between pieces of equipment within the plane.­Many hospitals have installed wireless networks for equipment networking. For example, look at the picture of the heart monitor in How Emergency Rooms Work. The black antenna sticking out of the top of the monitor connects it back to the nursing station via a wireless network. If you use your cell phone and it creates interference, it can disrupt the transmissions between different pieces of equipment. That is true even if you simply have the cell phone turned on -- the cell phone and tower handshake with each other every couple of minutes, and your phone sends a burst of data during each handshake. The prohibition on laptops and CD players during takeoff and landing is addressing the same issue, but the concerns here might fall into the category of "better safe than sorry." A poorly shielded laptop could transmit a fair amount of radio energy at its operating frequency, and this could, theoretically, create a problem. For more information on these topics, check out the links on the next page.

Ice Shelf Collapse Reveals New Undersea World

The image shows a mud mound with a central vent that shows up as sort of a bluish tint, and it is surrounded by large bivalves (clams). The central vent has a series of mud flow channels that spill away from the vent center. These were the locations and paths for mud flows that resulted when the mud volcano was more actively venting. The large clams number around 40 or so individuals and their association with the vent indicate a feeding or foraging strategy tied to what ever is coming out of the vent. The scale is shown for this image by the laser points which are 20 cm apart. The collapse of a giant ice shelf in Antarctica has revealed a thriving ecosystem half a mile below the sea. Despite near freezing and sunless conditions, a community of clams and a thin layer of bacterial mats are flourishing in undersea sediments. "Seeing these organisms on the ocean bottom -- it's like lifting the carpet off the floor and finding a layer that you never knew was there," said Eugene Domack of Hamilton College. Domack is the lead author on the report of the finding in the July 19 issue of Eos, the weekly newspaper of the American Geophysical Union. The discovery was accidental. U.S. Antarctic Program scientists were in the northwestern Weddell Sea investigating the sediment record in a deep glacial trough twice the size of Texas. The trough was unveiled in the 2002 Larsen B ice shelf collapse. Toward the end of the expedition the crew recorded a video of the sea floor. Later analysis of the video showed the clams and bacteria growing around mud volcanoes. Since light could not penetrate the ice or water, these organisms do not use photosynthesis to make energy. Instead, these extreme creatures get their energy from methane, Domack said today. The methane is produced inside the Earth and is distributed to the sea floor by underwater vents. This type of ecosystem is known as a "cold-seep" or a "cold-vent." The first of its kind was discovered in 1984 near Monterey, California. Since then, similar ecosystems have been discovered in the Gulf of Mexico and in the Sea of Japan. This recent discovery is the first cold-seep to be described in the Antarctic. The nearly pristine conditions -- which have been undisturbed for nearly 10,000 years -- will serve as a baseline for researchers probing other parts of the ocean. They better hurry though -- debris from the iceberg calving has already begun to bury some of the area. Domack hopes to find new species and that this discovery will open the door to future Antarctic expeditions, specifically into Lake Vostok, a freshwater lake that sits two miles below the surface. Any knowledge gained from studies into Antarctic life could help researchers search for life in other subterranean water locations on Earth. And, experts say, this research could better prepare scientists to examine the hypothesized ocean on Jupiter's moon Europa or on Saturn's moon Titan.

China to send pig sperm to space

Scientists hope to study the effect of cosmic rays on the pig sperm Some 40 grams of pig sperm will be taken on board the Shenzhou VI spacecraft for its October launch. Some of the sperm will be kept outside the spacecraft's biological capsule and some inside, according to China's Xinhua news agency. Surviving sperm will be returned to Earth and used to understand better the processes involved in pig reproduction. The pigs chosen are a breed called Rongchang, named after an area in the southwest of the country and famed for their physique and for the quality of their meat. Agricultural experts hope to use the sperm to fertilise pig eggs back on Earth - to see what effect a period of microgravity will have had on the sperm's activity. China's first manned spaceflight two years ago made it the third country able to launch a human into space on its own, along with Russia and the United States. During the upcoming mission, two astronauts will orbit the planet five or six times.

Piggly Wiggly wiggles themselves into the 21st century, but at what cost?

Piggly Wiggly is a grocery store chain located in the midwestern United States. If you have ever shopped there, they are definetely a hometown style store, the kind that makes you feel at home from the second you walk in the door. They are also one of the least technological chain of grocery stores in the US. Well, they were until recently. Piggly Wiggly is the first chain to roll out biometric payment pads to their entire corporation. The idea behind the biometric pads is that you can link your fingerprint to either a checking account or credit card and when you are ready to pay for your groceries by simply pressing your thumb on the pad and away you go. Shoppers can also link their fingerprint to their "store loyalty cards" so they don't have to carry their cards anymore (don't get me started on how annoying and pointless those store loyalty cards are... I hope Safeway enjoys tracking Ehjeet MaDrawers' shopping habits.) There are obviously some security concerns that the original article didn't address. Sure, the likelihood of someone stealing your fingerprint is next to null, but there is still a central database of credit card/checking account numbers that has to be maintained. There was no mention of who the maintainer was, but there is a high chance that it is either maintained by Pay By Touch (The company behind the product Piggy Wiggly is using), or the Automated Clearing House network, the payment transfer service used by Pay By Touch. The problem, as I see it, is that if the database is indeed maintained by Pay By Touch that leaves yet another company, with no public security record, with access to your financial information. The security concerns don't seem to be stopping people from signing up for the service. 15-20% percent of Piggly Wiggly's noncash customers are now using Pay By Touch, only weeks after the rollout was completed. Apparently a good number of the early adopters are from a demographic that is considered to be afraid of technology: senior citizens. The explanation behind the willingness of seniors to switch is that a lot of the seniors were as concerned with offline (good ol' fashioned beat you over the head) theft as they were identity theft. The seniors said that they were thankful for a system that allowed them to leave their checks and credit cards at home. Piggly Wiggly's employees were quick to adopt the system as well because it made it easier for them to grab a quick drink or bite to eat while on break without having to dig out their wallet. According to loyalty card reports, customers that have adopted Pay By Touch are getting through the line quicker and coming back more often.

CNN moves TV closer to the Web

As networks continue to market video on its Web sites to high-bandwith users, computer screens are becoming a home away from home for TV viewers. Enter CNN, who announced Sunday that it will offer paid subscribers access to its premium streaming video service. Called CNN Pipeline, the service provides users with on-demand video streams from the network's major news outlets as well as in-depth features, CNN.com and wire stories, and a search feature. "We thought we needed to take something to the next level," said CNN Networks chairman Jim Walton, who gave an onscreen tour of CNN Pipeline during the Television Critics Assn.'s summer press tour at the Beverly Hilton. "What I'm about to show you right now is PlayStation or Nintendo or GameCube," Walton said. The four live streams of video content will be available 24/7; what ones to show will be chosen by CNN.com's editors. He said that it will be live but it won't be raw. There will still be an editorial process, and CNN.com will turn away from anything that doesn't fit standards. The network, a pioneer in the news industry, recently lifted the for-pay video restriction on its Web site, which is one of the top sites visited on the Web. The move to broadband likely marks a shift in target demographics, as the coveted 18-to-24 age group has shown an increasing reliance on the Web rather than television for news and information. Walton noted that "the growing broadband buzz" was the major reason for the network's move to launch the video service, and with advertisers eager to market to a younger demographic, it would be within CNN's best interest to attract viewers outside of its cable market. Currently, advertisements from GM, Chase, Xerox, UPS, and Verizon—all companies aggressively marketing themselves to Generation Y—precede the free video clips available on the CNN Web site. Although rival CBS News announced last week that it would be retooling its Web site as a 24-hour news service, CNN says that it did not take any cues from the CBS project, noting that "the projects were on parallel and separate tracks." Another competitor, ABC News, also offers subscription access to its nightly news and magazine shows. CNN Pipeline will be available this fall for an as-yet-unannounced monthly charge. Windows users will be able to install the CNN-developed player, but Macintosh users will have to content themselves in the meantime with a Web-based client.

Blair confronts 'evil ideology'

Blair confronts 'evil ideology' SPECIAL REPORT QUICKVOTE Do you agree with UK PM Tony Blair that the London bombings were driven by "evil ideology" rather than opposition to any policy? Yes No or View Results YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS London Acts of terror or or Create Your Own LONDON, England (CNN) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair met Muslim leaders on Tuesday to discuss ways of tackling homegrown Islamic extremism in the wake of the July 7 terrorist attacks in London. Blair said that those present -- clerics, lawmakers and business leaders --shared a "strong desire" to "confront this evil ideology, take it on and defeat it by the force of reason." The meeting comes as a new poll published by the Guardian newspaper revealed that two-thirds of Britons believed the London bombings were linked to the UK's role in the war in Iraq. Some 33 percent said Blair bore "a lot of responsibility" for the attacks which killed 56 people, including the four suspected bombers, and injured more than 700. A further 31 percent said he bore "a little" responsibility. Three-quarters of those polled also believed further suicide attacks were likely. Speaking after Tuesday's meeting, Blair rejected speculation that British foreign policy had influenced the London bombers. "When people talk about the links between Iraq, Afghanistan or Palestine and what has happened, yes it is true these people will use these things as an excuse," said Blair. "My view is that they will use whatever is going on in foreign policy to justify what they do ... or just generally the fact that Britain is an ally of America. "It is not that their means are wrong but their ends are right. Everything about their ideology and what they stand for is wrong." Blair's comments followed Foreign Secretary Jack Straw dismissal of a report by two leading think tanks which claimed that Britain's close alliance with the U.S. over Iraq had put the country at particular risk of terrorist attack. (Full Story) Meanwhile wire services reported that Pakistani security forces had detained 25 people as part of an investigation into possible links between Islamic militants and the London attacks. On Monday Pakistani intelligence and immigration officials told CNN that two of the suspected bombers, Mohammad Sidique Khan, 30, and Shahzad Tanweer, 22, had traveled to Karachi in November 2004. (Full Story) Tuesday's meeting with Muslim representatives at Downing Street was also attended by Conservative and Liberal Democrat opposition leaders Michael Howard and Charles Kennedy. Blair, who also met Afghan president Hamid Karzai on Tuesday, described the talks as "heartening." "The meeting revolved around a very strong desire of people from right across the Muslim community in our country to be united, not just in a condemnation of the terrible terrorist attacks here in London but also to confront and deal head-on with the extremism that is based on a perversion of the true faith of Islam," Blair told a press conference. Lawmaker Shahid Malik, parliamentary representative for Dewsbury where one of the bomb suspects lived, said that Muslims faced a "profound challenge." "We recognize we've got to work better at confronting those evil voices -- as minute as they are -- inside our communities," he said. Muslim representatives have expressed shock that the four men suspected of carrying out the bombings were all born in the UK. On Monday British imams issued a fatwa condemning violence that will be read at mosques during prayers later this week. The religious edict ruled that suicide bombings were "vehemently prohibited." Conservative party leader Howard said the Muslim community had a responsibility "for reaching out to those who have been the targets of the merchants of evil and hatred." CNN's European Political Editor Robin Oakley said the government wanted better regulations controlling the admittance of imams and holy leaders into the UK and "stricter standards applied to those who influence impressionable young people." Iqbal Sacranie, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, the country's largest Islamic group, told Reuters that any initiatives should be based on a partnership between government, police and faith organizations. "The Muslim community should not be treated as a problematic community, but treated as a community that is willing to play its role in the mainstream," said Sacranie. But Anjem Choudary, UK leader of the militant Islamist group al-Muhajiroun, told BBC radio that Muslim leaders should not meet Blair for talks. Choudary said that no division between moderates and extremists existed in Islam and refused to condemn the London attacks. "I don't think one should legitimately sit down and negotiate. I think the time for talking, quite honestly, is over. Now is the time for action. You can't sit down and negotiate while you are murdering Muslims in Iraq," said Choudary. On Monday evening British Home Secretary Charles Clarke announced plans to introduce new antiterror legislation before the end of the year that would ban militant preachers from inciting terrorism. The measures, which include a new offence of "indirect incitement to terrorism," will be put before lawmakers in October. The bill would forbid activities such as accessing terrorist Web sites and acquiring bomb-making materials and make it an offence to undergo terrorist training. It would also ban preachers who praise terrorist attacks. "We believe that is the right way to go and we believe it will enable us to address the threat which we face with the unity and determination which is critical," Clarke said after talks with his Conservative and Liberal Democrat counterparts. The British government faced fresh criticism on Tuesday over revelations that security services failed to detain one of the bombers after linking him to an alleged plot to explode a truck bomb in London. UK newspapers reported that Mohammad Sidique Khan had visited a man allegedly involved in the plot, which led to eight arrests in March 2004. The eight suspects are due to face trial later this year. Charles Shoebridge, a security analyst and former counterterrorism intelligence officer, told The Associated Press that if the report was true it would be "evidence of an enormous failure." The New York Times on Monday claimed that British intelligence officials had concluded less than a month before the bombings that there was no group intent on or capable of launching an imminent attack, prompting the government to lower its formal threat assessment from "severe defined" to "substantial." The newspaper, citing a confidential intelligence report, said the assessment was particularly surprising because it stated that terror-related activity in the UK was a direct result of the country's role in the war in Iraq. (Full Story) "Events in Iraq are continuing to act as motivation and a focus of a range of terrorist related activity in the U.K.," the report said. Home Page Get up-to-the minute news from CNN CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more. Home Page Get up-to-the minute news from CNN CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more.

The world could really use Google Calendar (by Jeremy Zawodny)

There's been a lot of speculation about Google Calendar recently. And you know what? I sure as hell hope they do it. There's been so little innovation in the world of on-line calendars these last few years. Perhaps Google getting into the act would finally change that. I've often wished for a web-based calendar that didn't suck but they all seem to. I want something that: plugs nicely into my e-mail client (Thunderbird) has busy search capabilities, invites, and other scheduling aids syncs with modern hand-held devices and mobile phones does resource scheduling (conference rooms, summer houses, whatever) handles conflict resolution and notification sends reminders and alerts sports a sane permission system produces RSS feeds provides vCal support is presented with a modern, slick DHTML interface Help me out here... What am I missing? The company that does this stands to gain a lot of new users--not just individuals, but small and medium sized business too. Once the kinks are worked out, they can integrate it into the Google Search Appliance and provide a platform and e-mail client neutral calendaring for larger businesses too. Update: It was implied in a few of the things I wrote, but having good Web Service APIs would be essential. Update [4/12/2006]: It's been over a year and now Google Calendar is finally live. Posted by jzawodn at February 23, 2005 08:37 PM

Ron Moore's Deep Space Journey

But that was fine. Because for Hatch, it was always about convincing the world that it made sense to bring back "Battlestar." And in fact, soon Universal would indeed be relaunching the Galactica -- although Richard Hatch would not be on board. In December 2001, David Eick, who was behind shows like "American Gothic" and "Xena: Warrior Princess," got a call from David Kissinger, president of the media conglomerate Studios USA, which controlled the Universal library. Over the previous year or two, the idea of reviving "Battlestar" had been floating around Universal. Now, Kissinger said, there was some new interest at Studio USA's sister company, the Sci Fi Channel. Would Eick be interested? Eick had his misgivings about the idea. But he had some experience sending out secret, under-the-radar cultural messages through pulp entertainment (in Xena's case, a nascent lesbian chic). He saw an opportunity -- what he called "a great potential for irony." As he told me, "If you could do a show called 'Battlestar Galactica,' with that title, that would harken toward the kind of sincere, dimensional, textured, emotional drama of '2001' and 'Blade Runner' -- oh, my God. You could blow everyone's mind." Eick met Ron Moore a few years before, when Moore was consulting on "Good vs. Evil" for the Sci Fi Channel. But even though Eick didn't know "Star Trek" particularly well, he knew that "Star Trek" was exactly what he didn't want this new series to be. And he knew that "Star Trek" was not and would never be a subject that was close to Moore's heart. And so he called Moore and asked him if he was interested in bringing a second big spaceship show back to life. Moore knew the original "Battlestar," and after talking to Eick, he watched Larson's original three-hour pilot again. It surprised him. Here was a deeply somber story about a civilization that had basically endured genocide, and for the first hour it was elegantly told and strangely affecting. "They were trying," he told me. "It took a hard left turn to insanity when they reached the casino planet, but they were really trying." Moore said he would do it, but he wanted to make some changes. After numerous meetings and a full script treatment, he wrote a two-page memo that laid out the basic tenets of what the new "Battlestar Galactica" would eventually become. "We take as a given the idea that the traditional space opera, with its stock characters, techno-double-talk, bumpy-headed aliens, thespian histrionics and empty heroics has run its course, and a new approach is required," it began. "Call it 'naturalistic science fiction."' There would be no time travel or parallel universes or cute robot dogs. There would not be "photon torpedoes" but instead nuclear missiles, because nukes are real and thus are frightening. "To this day," Eick says, "I don't think either of us could have anticipated how valuable the memo would be." It would repair everything that had been worn down to convention in a genre Moore had once loved. But "Battlestar" would be more than just an opportunity to do "Voyager" correctly. "When I watched the original pilot," Moore says, "I knew that if you did 'Battlestar Galactica' again, the audience is going to feel a resonance with what happened on 9/11. That's going to touch a chord whether we want it to or not. And it felt like there was an obligation to that. To tell it truthfully as best we can through this prism." In the miniseries Moore wrote to introduce the new "Battlestar," the echoes of the war on terror were unapologetic and frequently harrowing: what happens when an advanced, comfortable, secular democracy endures a devastating attack by an old enemy that it literally created (which enemy, in Moore's version, also happens to be religious fanaticism)? For a genre often derided as escapist, science fiction has a long tradition of social commentary, no small part of which comes from "Star Trek" itself, which embraced race and gender equality on the bridge of the Enterprise at a time when it was still largely being rejected in real-life America. But Moore wanted a show that would move between the idealistic fantasies of "Trek" and the hard moral pragmatism of the military -- that would embrace both the binnacle and the bat'leth, if you will. He listed for me some of the thornier questions the show evokes: "What does it mean to be free in a society under attack? What are the limits of that freedom? Who's right? Who's wrong? Are you rooting for the wrong side?" Like Richard Hatch, Moore and Eick were taking "Battlestar Galactica" more seriously than it had been taken in a long time, though in a very different way. And for this reason, Moore thought he would be a hero to those who had rallied to Hatch's cause. At last there would be someone who would get a new "Battlestar" made and, what's more, who would be faithful to the original story's dark premise -- perhaps even more faithful than the original had been. As production progressed on the miniseries, details of the changes Moore and Eick had in mind for "Battlestar Galactica" began to circulate on the Internet, and to many fans they were deeply disturbing. The Cylons would look human, and they would be sexy. Even more troubling: Moore had killed the idea of any "continuation story," as Hatch had long been championing. All of the characters would be recast, including Hatch's own Apollo, and the story would start over.

The Most Beautiful Machine, 2003

"The Most Beautiful Machine" is an idea of Claude E. Shannon, who died in 2001. His "Mathematical Theory of Communication" is the fundament of the digital machine. It's a communication based on the functions ON and OFF. In this special case the observers are supposed to push the ON button. After a while the lid of the trunk opens, a hand comes out and turns off the machine. The trunk closes - that's it!.

Good 2-player board games

I just picked up Carcassonne, based on recomendations read on boardgamegeek.com, and I am looking for some other interesting 2-player games which I can play with my S.O. I've also been playing a lot of Tantrix and Scrabble lately, but that is the extent of what I know about current games. Any recomendations? Good 2-player board/card games?

Finding New Music Worth Listening To

Finding New Music Worth Listening To 7:54 PM Subscribe July 18, 2005 How does everyone keep up with new music? Over the past year, blind luck and close reading of a few blogs turned me on to some music I'm glad I didn't miss (Bloc Party, Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem). Work and other obligations prevent me from listening to KCRW, KEXP or some other "hip" radio stream all day, and I just don't have the time to read through x-amount of MP3 blogs a day looking for the next exciting thing. Pitchfork's 'Best New Music' feature is helpful, but I'd like something more. Ideally, I'd like a podcast of non-podsafe (i.e., whatever's new and good, signed or otherwise) music or a single blogger who posts frequently and writes well. I'm not looking for a bootlegging outlet, just a reliable source for direction on what's new and worth my time.

How to Learn From Your Mistakes

You can only learn from a mistake after you admit you’ve made it. As soon as you start blaming other people (or the universe itself) you distance yourself from any possible lesson. But if you courageously stand up and honestly say “This is my mistake and I am responsible” the possibilities for learning will move towards you. Admission of a mistake, even if only privately to yourself, makes learning possible by moving the focus away from blame assignment and towards understanding. Wise people admit their mistakes easily. They know progress accelerates when they do. This advice runs counter to the cultural assumptions we have about mistakes and failure, namely that they are shameful things. We’re taught in school, in our families, or at work to feel guilty about failure and to do whatever we can to avoid mistakes. This sense of shame combined with the inevitability of setbacks when attempting difficult things explains why many people give up on their goals: they’re not prepared for the mistakes and failures they’ll face on their way to what they want. What’s missing in many people’s beliefs about success is the fact that the more challenging the goal, the more frequent and difficult setbacks will be. The larger your ambitions, the more dependent you will be on your ability to overcome and learn from your mistakes. But for many reasons admitting mistakes is difficult. An implied value in many cultures is that our work represents us: if you fail a test, then you are a failure. If you make a mistake then you are a mistake (You may never have felt this way, but many people do. It explains the behavior of some of your high school or college friends). Like eggs, steak and other tasty things we are given letter grades (A, B, C, D and F) organizing us for someone else’s consumption: universities and employers evaluate young candidates on their grades, numbers based on scores from tests unforgiving to mistakes. For anyone that never discovers a deeper self-identity, based not on lack of mistakes but on courage, compassionate intelligence, commitment and creativity, life is a scary place made safe only by never getting into trouble, never breaking rules and never taking the risks that their hearts tell them they need to take. Learning from mistakes requires three things: Putting yourself in situations where you can make interesting mistakes Having the self-confidence to admit to them Being courageous about making changes This essay will cover all three. First, we have to classify the different kinds of mistakes. The four kinds of mistakes One way to categorize mistakes is into these categories: Stupid : Absurdly dumb things that just happen. Stubbing your toe, dropping your pizza on your neighbor’s fat cat or poking yourself in the eye with a banana. : Absurdly dumb things that just happen. Stubbing your toe, dropping your pizza on your neighbor’s fat cat or poking yourself in the eye with a banana. Simple : Mistakes that are avoidable but your sequence of decisions made inevitable. Having the power go out in the middle of your party because you forgot to pay the rent, or running out of beer at said party because you didn’t anticipate the number of guests. : Mistakes that are avoidable but your sequence of decisions made inevitable. Having the power go out in the middle of your party because you forgot to pay the rent, or running out of beer at said party because you didn’t anticipate the number of guests. Involved : Mistakes that are understood but require effort to prevent. Regularly arriving late to work/friends, eating fast food for lunch every day, or going bankrupt at your start-up company because of your complete ignorance of basic accounting. : Mistakes that are understood but require effort to prevent. Regularly arriving late to work/friends, eating fast food for lunch every day, or going bankrupt at your start-up company because of your complete ignorance of basic accounting. Complex: Mistakes that have complicated causes and no obvious way to avoid next time. Examples include making tough decisions that have bad results, relationships that fail, or other unpleasant or unsatisfying outcomes to important things. (I’m sure you can come up with other categories: that’s fantastic, please share them here. But these are the ones you’re stuck with for the rest of this essay). I’m leaving all philosophical questions about mistakes up to you. One person’s pleasure is another person’s mistake: decide for yourself. Maybe you enjoy stabbing your neighbor’s cat with a banana, who knows. We all do things we know are bad in the long term, but are oh so good in the short term. So regardless of where you stand, I’m working with you. However, mistakes are defined in your personal philosophy this essay should help you learn from them. Learning from mistakes that fall into the first two categories (Stupid & Simple) is easy, but shallow. Once you recognize the problem and know the better way, you should be able to avoid similar mistakes. Or in some cases you’ll realize that no matter what you do once in a while you’ll do stupid things (e.g. even Einstein stubbed his toes). But these kinds of mistakes are not interesting. The lessons aren’t deep and it’s unlikely they lead you to learn much about yourself or anything else. For example compare these two mistakes My use of dual part harmony for the 2nd trumpets in my orchestral composition for the homeless children’s shelter benefit concert overpowered the intended narrative of the violins. I got an Oreo stuck in my underwear. The kind of mistakes you make defines you. The more interesting the mistakes, the more interesting the life. If your biggest mistakes are missing reruns of tv-shows or buying the wrong lottery ticket you’re not challenging yourself enough to earn more interesting mistakes. And since there isn’t much to learn from simple and stupid mistakes, most people try to minimize their frequency and how much time we spend recovering from them. Their time is better spent learning from bigger mistakes. But if we habitually or compulsively make stupid mistakes, then what we really have is an involved mistake. Involved mistakes The third pile of mistakes, Involved mistakes, requires significant changes to avoid. These are mistakes we tend to make through either habit or nature. But since change is so much harder than we admit, we often suffer through the same mistakes again and again instead of making the tough changes needed to avoid them. Difficulty with change involves an earlier point made in this essay. Some feel that to agree to change means there is something wrong with them. “If I’m perfect, why would I need to change?” Since they need to protect their idea of perfection, they refuse change (Or possibly, even refuse to admit they did anything wrong). But this is a trap: refusing to acknowledge mistakes, or tendencies to make similar kinds of mistakes, is a refusal to acknowledge reality. If you can’t see the gaps, flaws, or weaknesses in your behavior you’re forever trapped in the same behavior and limitations you’ve always had, possibly since you were a child (When someone tells you you’re being a baby, they might be right). Another challenge to change is that it may require renewing commitments you’ve broken before, from the trivial “Yes, I’ll try to remember to take the trash out” to the more serious “I’ll try to stop sleeping with all of your friends”. This happens in any environment: the workplace, friendships, romantic relationships or even commitments you’ve made to yourself. Renewing commitments can be tough since it requires not only admitting to the recent mistake, but acknowledging similar mistakes you’ve made before. The feelings of failure and guilt become so large that we don’t have the courage to try again. This is why success in learning from mistakes often requires involvement from other people, either for advice, training or simply to keep you honest. A supportive friend’s, mentor’s or professional’s perspective on your behavior will be more objective than your own and help you identify when you’re hedging, breaking or denying the commitments you’ve made. In moments of weakness the only way to prevent a mistake is to enlist someone else. “Fred, I want to play my Gamecube today but I promised Sally I wouldn’t. Can we hang out so you can make sure I don’t do it today?” Admitting you need help and asking for it often requires more courage than trying to do it on your own. The biggest lesson to learn in involved mistakes is that you have to examine your own ability to change. Some kinds of change will be easier for you than others and until you make mistakes and try to correct them you won’t know which they are. How to handle complex mistakes The most interesting kinds of mistake are the last group: Complex mistakes. The more complicated the mistake you’ve made, the more patient you need to be. There’s nothing worse than flailing around trying to fix something you don’t understand: you’ll always make things worse. I remember as a kid when our beloved Atari 2600 game system started showing static on the screen during games. The solution my brother and I came up with? Smack the machine as hard as we could (A clear sign I had the intellect for management). Amazingly this worked for a while, but after weeks of regular beatings the delicate electronics eventually gave out. We were lazy, ignorant and impatient, and couldn’t see that our solution would work against us. Professional investigators, like journalists, police detectives and doctors, try to get as many perspectives on situations as possible before taking action (Policemen use eyewitnesses, Doctors use exams and tests, scientific studies use large sample sizes). They know that human perception, including their own, is highly fallible and biased by many factors. The only way to obtain an objective understanding is to compare several different perspectives. When trying to understand your own mistakes in complex situations you should work in the same way. Start by finding someone else to talk to about what happened. Even if no one was within 50 yards when you crashed your best friend’s BMW into your neighbor’s living room, talking to someone else gives you the benefit of their experience applied to your situation. They may know of someone that’s made a similar mistake or know a way to deal with the problem that you don’t. But most importantly, by describing what happened you are forced to break down the chronology and clearly define (your recollection of) the sequence of events. They may ask you questions that surface important details you didn’t notice before. There may have been more going on (did the brakes fail? Did you swerve to avoid your neighbor’s daughter? etc.) than you, consumed by your emotions about your failure, realized. If multiple people were involved (say, your co-workers), you want to hear each person’s account of what happened. Each person will emphasize different aspects of the situation based on their skills, biases, and circumstances, getting you closer to a complete view of what took place. If the situation was/is contentious you may need people to report their stories independently – police investigators never have eyewitness collaborate. They want each point of view to be delivered unbiased by other eyewitnesses (possibly erroneous) recollections. Later on they’ll bring each account together and see what fits and what doesn’t. An illustrative example comes from the book Inviting disasters Inviting Disaster: Lessons from the edge of technology. It tells the story of a floating dormitory for oil workers in the North Sea that rolled over during the night killing over 100 people. The engineering experts quickly constructed different theories and complex explanations that focused on operational errors and management decisions. All of these theories were wrong. It was eventually discovered through careful analysis that weeks earlier a crack in a support structure had been painted over, instead of being reported and repaired. This stupid, simple and small mistake caused the superstructure to fail, sinking the dormitory. Without careful analysis the wrong conclusion would have been reached (e.g. smacking the Atari) and the wrong lesson would have been learned. Until you work backwards for moments, hours or days before the actual mistake event, you probably won’t see all of the contributing factors and can’t learn all of the possible lessons. The more complex the mistake, the further back you’ll need to go and the more careful and open-minded you need to be in your own investigation. You may even need to bring in an objective outsider to help sort things out. You’d never have a suspect in a crime lead the investigation, right? Then how can you completely trust yourself to investigate your own mistakes? Here some questions to ask to help your investigation: What was the probable sequence of events? Were their multiple small mistakes that led to a larger one? Were there any erroneous assumptions made? Did we have the right goals? Were we trying to solve the right problem? Was it possible to have recognized bad assumptions earlier? Was there information we know now that would have been useful then? What would we do differently if in this exact situation again? How can we avoid getting into situations like this? (What was the kind of situation we wanted to be in?) Was this simply unavoidable given all of the circumstances? A failure isn’t a mistake if you were attempting the impossible. Has enough time passed for us to know if this is a mistake or not? As you put together the sequence of events, you’ll recognize that mistakes initially categorized as complex eventually break down into smaller mistakes. The painted over crack was avoidable but happened anyway (Stupid). Was there a system in place for avoiding these mistakes? (Simple). Were there unaddressed patterns of behavior that made that system fail? (Involved). Once you’ve broken a complex mistake down you can follow the previous advice on making changes. Humor and Courage No amount of analysis can replace your confidence in yourself. When you’ve made a mistake, especially a visible one that impacts other people, it’s natural to question your ability to perform next time. But you must get past your doubts. The best you can do is study the past, practice for the situations you expect, and get back in the game. Your studying of the past should help broaden your perspective. You want to be aware of how many other smart, capable well-meaning people have made similar mistakes to the one you made, and went on to even bigger mistakes, I mean successes, in the future. One way to know you’ve reached a healthy place is your sense of humor. It might take a few days, but eventually you’ll see some comedy in what happened. When friends tell stories of their mistakes it makes you laugh, right? Well, when you can laugh at your own mistakes you know you’ve accepted it and no longer judge yourself on the basis of one single event. Reaching this kind of perspective is very important in avoiding future mistakes. Humor loosens up your psychology and prevents you from obsessing about the past. It’s easy to make new mistakes by spending too much energy protecting against the previous ones. Remember the saying “a man fears the tiger that bit him last, instead of the tiger that will bite him next”. So the most important lesson in all of mistake making is to trust that while mistakes are inevitable, if you can learn from the current one, you’ll also be able to learn from future ones. No matter what happens tomorrow you’ll be able to get value from it, and apply it to the day after that. Progress won’t be a straight line but if you keep learning you will have more successes than failures, and the mistakes you make along the way will help you get to where you want to go. The learning from mistakes checklist Accepting responsibility makes learning possible. Don’t equate making mistakes with being a mistake. You can’t change mistakes, but you can choose how to respond to them. Growth starts when you can see room for improvement. Work to understand why it happened and what the factors were. What information could have avoided the mistake? What small mistakes, in sequence, contributed to the bigger mistake? Are there alternatives you should have considered but did not? What kinds of changes are required to avoid making this mistake again?What kinds of change are difficult for you? How do you think your behavior should/would change in you were in a similar situation again? Work to understand the mistake until you can make fun of it (or not want to kill others that make fun). Don’t overcompensate: the next situation won’t be the same as the last. References Inviting Disaster: Lessons from the edge of technology by James Chiles. A series of magazine style essays about major technological disasters in the last 100 years. Includes the Challenge shuttle, Apollo 13, & Three mile island. The Logic of Failure by Dietrich Dorner. An analysis of decision making mistakes in complex environments. More academic than Inviting disaster, but also more prescriptive. [First posted, July 17 2005]

apophenia » Which evil nation state are you? (similes for Microsoft, Yahoo and Google)

OK, i can no longer resist posting this even though it’s not so very nice. In a moment of snarkiness, i was thinking about how to frame the perceived attitude of the three big search companies: MYG (Microsoft, Yahoo, Google). By thinking on a global landscape and thinking about empires, i decided that you could draw similes between each company and powerful nation-states in the 20th century. Yes, it’s a crude and rude model drawing off of stereotypes to build caricatures. But it is kinda funny. I was trying to resist posting this because it feels so inappropriate, but why should that stop me? Microsoft is Germany. They did some pretty evil things a while back but you don’t remember the details, you just know that you really hate them. Even though they’re really no worse than any other large corporpation/country, you can’t help but distrust them permanently because, well, you always have. Yahoo is Japan. It had an economic crisis that almost destroyed it and it plays too nice with all of the other evil empires, supporting the most evil endeavors. It hasn’t really innovated for a while, but it tries to improve on known products to support average people. It’s currently trying to sell culture in the form of animated cutesy iconic images which you kinda like and kinda despise. Google is the United States. It has never seen trouble on home turf. It is arrogant and loved by the elite. You know you’re supposed to respect them for being better than everyone else, because they think they are, but you actually kinda resent them for being so rich and powerful. Yet, you really like their cool toys. Note: This post is meant to be humorous in that way when you make fun of things which are intimately a part of your life. I have much respect for all three companies and while parallels are drawn that sting, it is meant in jest, to poke at the issues of how attitudes by each company are perceived. I also know that this post can be read as xenophobic because i draw on stereotypes of different powerful nation-states. With both the companies and the countries, i am not saying anything about the employees/residents – this has to do with corporate and historical brands, not with the actualities or individuals. I tried to draw parallels that were equally dismissive and offensive of each company, so don’t think that i’m aiming for one company in particular. I do respect all three companies and countries, even when they (as institutions) make a fool of themselves. In fact, i work for Google because i respect Google. But in any case, i figured you’d enjoy these caricatures and tear them to pieces (or at least critique the hell out of them). (And thanks to Barb for the image!) Update: The comments are *fantastic* – make sure to read them and play along! Technorati Tags: humor, microsoft, google, yahoo

Opinion | A Poverty of Dignity and a Wealth of Rage

A few years ago I was visiting Bahrain and sitting with friends in a fish restaurant when news appeared on an overhead TV about Muslim terrorists, men and women, who had taken hostages in Russia. What struck me, though, was the instinctive reaction of the Bahraini businessman sitting next to me, who muttered under his breath, "Why are we in every story?" The "we" in question was Muslims. The answer to that question is one of the most important issues in geopolitics today: Why are young Sunni Muslim males, from London to Riyadh and Bali to Baghdad, so willing to blow up themselves and others in the name of their religion? Of course, not all Muslims are suicide bombers; it would be ludicrous to suggest that. But virtually all suicide bombers, of late, have been Sunni Muslims. There are a lot of angry people in the world. Angry Mexicans. Angry Africans. Angry Norwegians. But the only ones who seem to feel entitled and motivated to kill themselves and totally innocent people, including other Muslims, over their anger are young Sunni radicals. What is going on? Neither we nor the Muslim world can run away from this question any longer. This is especially true when it comes to people like Muhammad Bouyeri -- a Dutch citizen of Moroccan origin who last year tracked down the Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh, a critic of Islamic intolerance, on an Amsterdam street, shot him 15 times and slit his throat with a butcher knife. He told a Dutch court on the final day of his trial on Tuesday: "I take complete responsibility for my actions. I acted purely in the name of my religion."

dbacl project homepage

Can a Bayesian spam filter play chess? by Laird A. Breyer Introduction Many people these days depend on Bayesian filters to protect them from the ever present email scourge that is spam. Unlike older technologies, these programs' claim to fame is that they learn the spam patterns automatically, and more importantly, learn personalized spam (bad) and ham (good) email patterns. Like many others, I wrote a Bayesian filter to protect me from unwanted email, which I called dbacl. My implementation functions as a Unix command line text classifier, with special email support, and can be used with procmail. People are often astonished at how well statistical mail filtering works after they first try it, and it's tempting to imagine that such programs actually understand the emails being delivered, rather than merely matching patterns. Now chess has always been a popular gauge of intelligence that everyone can understand, so if we put all these ideas together, then the question "Can a Bayesian spam filter play chess?" seems like a fun experiment with a lot of appeal. Let's put down some ground rules: This experiment will test a real spam filter, not a specially designed chess program. It won't aim to beat Deep Thought (I wouldn't know where to start, and I have a feeling this could be difficult anyway ;-), but it will aim to show signs of "intelligence", or we won't claim success. Finally, since dry tables and graphs are no fun, a theoretical proof of concept is not enough: the spam filter must really play chess in a way that everyone can see, and try out at home. The account below is designed so that you can follow and duplicate it by yourself. All you need is a Unix compatible computer. You'll have to open a terminal and be ready to type shell commands. All shell commands below are preceded by % to indicate the prompt, but you don't type the '%'. Instructions are fairly detailed, and various scripts can be downloaded when needed, but it helps if you're familiar with the shell. Ask a friend if you need help. Important: You must follow these instructions if you want to actually play chess against the spam filter. You must also download some training games and teach the filter beforehand. Running the scripts alone is not enough. The instructions have been tested and work correctly on a GNU system with the bash shell. Start by making a directory to keep all the workings in one place. % mkdir chess % cd chess

The Decline and Fall of Journalists on Film

It isn't hard to spot what's behind this erosion of the journalist's image. When Watergate broke, tabloid television wasn't a force and 24-hour cable news (all shouting all the time!) hadn't been invented. As the news media expanded, standards became as varied as the outlets, and the public's respect for the media steadily declined. The damage has been done by everything from gossipy Internet sites where anything passes for news to the Jayson Blair fiasco at The New York Times and CBS's apology for its Dan Rather report on President Bush's National Guard service. A Gallup poll released last month showed that public confidence in journalism had reached a new low, with television news and newspapers receiving the same dismal number. Only 28 percent of those polled said they had a great deal of confidence in those media. The more that confidence plummets, the more likely movies are to portray reporters unfavorably; and, in a snowball effect, the more unsavory reporters appear on screen, the more that image takes hold. Today it is pervasive. In the Russell Crowe boxing movie "Cinderella Man," reporters at a news conference make the hero's wife (Renée Zellweger) cry by suggesting her husband may be killed in the ring. The episode is revealing because it's such a throwaway scene in a big commercial movie, playing off the easy assumption that reporters are the bad guys. "Crónicas" is a prime example of how current films gesture at that shared image. (Now in New York and Los Angeles, the film opens in other cities Friday and through the next month.) When the cameraman nudges the grieving parents -- the first thing we see a journalist do in the film -- it's a shorthand way of situating us in the world of tabloid television. The moral question the film goes on to raise is whether the reporter and his crew can rise above their tawdry impulses. The film is no treatise on journalism, though. It's a sleek cat-and-mouse game that begins by placing viewers one step ahead of the journalists. The film opens with a man suspiciously bathing and washing his clothes in a river, the same man who soon after accidentally hits a boy with his truck and is attacked by the crowd that witnessed it. The film plants the idea that he may be the serial child killer even before the journalists begin to suspect.

Brain science - Helpful junk

THE brain is the most complicated object known. How it gets that complicated is, however, almost completely unknown. But part of the answer may turn out to be junk—at least that is the conclusion of a study led by Fred Gage of the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, which has just been published in Nature. One of the puzzling features of the human genome is that although genes are numerous they actually form less than 5% of the DNA in a cell nucleus. The rest was thus, rather cavalierly, dubbed “junk DNA” by those who discovered it. Gradually, a role for some of this junk has emerged. In particular, parts of it regulate the activity of genes, and thus which proteins are produced and in what quantities. That has implications for what a cell does—or, to put it another way, what type of cell it is. One of the most puzzling sorts of junk, though, is something known as a LINE-1 retrotransposon. This is junk that won't stay in one place. Retrotransposons are sometimes known as “jumping genes”. They pop from chromosome to chromosome with gay abandon. The assumption has been that they are genetic parasites. They resemble retroviruses, which certainly are parasites (HIV, the cause of AIDS, is a retrovirus). And the effect of a string of irrelevant LINE-1 DNA popping into the middle of a functional gene is indeed traumatic. The gene in question stops working. The parasite hypothesis is supported by the fact that although bits of DNA that look as if they have once been part of a LINE-1 element make up 20% of the human genome (ie, they are more than four times as abundant as real genes), only 100 retrotransposons are actually able to leap around, and only ten of those leap often. By and large, the parasites have been disabled, suggesting they are such bad news that evolution has eliminated them. Dr Gage and his colleagues, however, suspect that at least some of those that have not been disabled have been allowed to live on for a purpose. Instead of being destroyed, they have been subverted—and what they have been subverted to do is to create complexity in the brain. Light fantastic The researchers were led to this idea when they scanned the stem-cell precursors of nerve cells with a device called a gene chip. This detects the activity of genes by measuring the presence of the molecular messengers they send into the cell to do their bidding. To their surprise, the researchers discovered a lot of LINE-1 messengers, suggesting that retrotransposons are active in these precursor cells. To find out what was going on, Dr Gage and his colleagues built a piece of DNA that included a human LINE-1 retrotransposon; a gene for a molecule called green fluorescent protein (GFP); a genetic switch to turn the whole lot on; and a special sequence of DNA that keeps the switch in the “off” position unless the retrotransposon jumps from one place to another. The result of all this genetic engineering was a system that produces light in cells in which a retrotransposon has jumped. And GFP glows green, as its name suggests, so such cells are easy to spot. The researchers spliced their creation into the DNA of nerve-cell precursor cells from rats (which they then grew as laboratory cultures). They also spliced it into the DNA of a line of mice, so that it was present in every cell in the mice's bodies. Nerve-cell precursors can turn into two types of brain cell besides nerve cells. These other two types have supporting, rather than starring roles in the brain, and cannot transmit nerve impulses. The rat-cell work showed that LINE-1 jumping happens only in precursors that turn into nerve cells, and that it seems to be regulated by a protein called Sox2 that is already known to play a crucial role in the formation of nerve cells. The mouse work showed that LINE-1 was not jumping in any other parts of the body (except, oddly, the sex cells—a result that had been seen before). That suggests it is happening in the brain for a purpose. The mouse work also showed that the retrotransposons were jumping mainly into genes that are active while precursor cells are changing into their destined cell types. The team identified a dozen and a half such genes that were affected by LINE-1, and followed up one of them, PSD-93, in detail. PSD-93 makes a protein found in the places where nerve cells touch each other and pass their signals on. When LINE-1 jumped to a location in the genome near PSD-93 it increased production of the protein. That increase, at least in cell cultures, made it likelier that a developing precursor cell would turn into a nerve cell. So much is observation. This is where the speculation comes in. Brain formation is an incredibly wasteful process. About half of the nerve cells created in a developing brain have died by the time that brain has formed. Many researchers think that which cells live and which die is decided by a process similar to natural selection. Cells with the right properties in the right places flourish; those without wither. But natural selection requires random variation to generate the various properties. Retrotransposons could provide that variation, by affecting gene expression at random, depending on where they pitch up. Changing the quantities of proteins such as the one made by PSD-93 would probably change the nature of the affected cell quite radically, and might even be responsible for generating the different types of nerve cell that are known to exist. Certainly, the brain has many more different types of cell in it than any other organ. A similar idea about generating variation has been proposed in the past, to explain the activity of LINE-1 elements in sex cells. This, the theory goes, would bolster variety in an individual's offspring above and beyond the variation already provided by sexual reproduction. That is an interesting idea. But the thought that the complexity of the mammalian brain—and the existence of human intelligence—depends on variety induced by a tamed genetic parasite is truly audacious. Whether it is true remains to be seen.

How Google Maps Got Me Out Of A Traffic Ticket

How Google Maps Got Me Out Of A Traffic Ticket In January of this year, I was pulled over by a traffic officer for “disobeying a steady red”, a.k.a. running a red light. I pleaded “Not Guilty” to the charge, and today - nearly six months later – I went to court to find out the fate of my ticket violation. Check out how Google Maps saved me some serious cash - and points on my license! There I was on a bench waiting for my name to be called at the Downtown Manhattan DMV hearings bureau. After hearing several testimonies from other drivers, I knew this Judge wasn’t going to be sympathetic to my troubles. So driver after driver, only one had a happy ending. So at this point I was worried because being found guilty would mean a 150 dollar fine, plus 50 in penalties, and worse of all points on my license. I began to contemplate how it all happened since it had been so long. I jotted down some notes on a small piece of paper, and then the moment of truth arrived. After my name was called, I gathered my belongings and made my way up to the stand where the offending officer joined me. The judge swore her in and asked for her testimony. The officer did what I expected - after all, I had been listening to all of those prior testimonies – and began to describe the scene of the violation. In her story I noticed one fatal flaw, which I had planned to exploit but I had no proof whatsoever. The officer stated the street I was on was a one way westbound street and I was turning onto an avenue that was at a two way street separated by a concrete divider. Only thing was, I was on a two way, not one. So it came time for my testimony and I stated that I was in mid-turn when an oncoming vehicle was coming toward me very quickly and I had decided not to make the turn until that SUV passed me. The Judge stopped and asked me how could there be an oncoming vehicle if the street was only one way. I stated that it was indeed a two way street. The officer reiterated that it was only a one way. So who was the judge to believe? I was desperate for proof so I did the unthinkable: I whipped out my notebook. I was very lucky to find an extremely bad connection via Wi-Fi. I pulled up Firefox and when to maps.google.com. I typed up the intersection and zoomed in as close as possible: As you can see, Cathedral Pkwy (110th street) has no arrow indicating the traffic directions. However, 109th and 111th do. I mentioned this to the judge that this means that 110th is indeed a two way street. The traffic officer begged to differ. She said perhaps an arrow was just missing from the equation. So I called her bluff, and researched a new intersection, Times Square: I asked her honor if she was familiar with 42nd Street. She nodded and I continued to mention how all of its neighboring streets have indication arrows of the direction, with one exception: 42nd Street. Everyone knows that this is a two way. The judge said that due to lack of memory of the officer she will have to dismiss the violation. Thank you Google Maps, you rule.

Permissive Action Links

What is a PAL? A PAL–a "Permissive Action Link"–is the box that is supposed to prevent unauthorized use of a nuclear weapon. "Unauthorized" covers a wide range of sin, from terrorists who have stolen bombs to insane American military officers to our allies who may have some of their own uses for bombs that are covered by joint use agreements. It's supposed to be impossible to "hot-wire" a nuclear weapon. Is it? There is little in the public record that discusses just how Permissive Action Links (PALs) work. This isn't surprising, of course; remarkably little has been published about most technical details of nuclear weapons design. Even so, much more has been published about the so-called "physics package" than about the control aspects. This may be because something that goes bang is sexier, of course. But it may also be because fission and fusion are natural processes that can be studied in the abstract. Someone can reinvent the atom bomb (as, indeed, many have done). A PAL is an engineering artifice, with many possible design choices. Furthermore, the design of a PAL is based on cryptography, and cryptography has always had the aura of the forbidden. My Motivation History I used to worry about General Power. I used to worry that General Power was not stable. I used to worry about the fact that he had control over so many weapons and weapon systems and could, under certain conditions, launch the force. Back in the days before we had real positive control [i.e., PAL locks], SAC had the power to do a lot of things, and it was in his hands, and he knew it [R95]. The exact details are hazy, but the broad contours are clear: the inspection team found the control of the forward-based nuclear weapons inadequate and possibly illegal. In Germany and Turkey they viewed scenes that were particularly distressing. On the runway stood a German (or Turkish) quick-reaction alert airplane (QRA) loaded with nuclear weapons and with a foreign pilot in the cockpit. The QRA airplane was ready to take off at the earliest warning, and the nuclear weapons were fully operational. The only evidence of U.S. control was a lonely 18-year-old sentry armed with a carbine and standing on the tarmac. When the sentry at the German airfield was asked how he intended to maintain control of the nuclear weapons should the pilot suddenly decide to scramble (either through personal caprice or through an order from the German command circumventing U.S. command), the sentry replied that he would shoot the pilot; Agnew directed him to shoot the bomb. France's history has not been characterized by the same orderliness of political succession and civil-military relations as Great Britain's. Indeed, there have even been moments of instability in the nuclear age. During the revolt of the generals against De Gaulle in 1960, for example, the government ordered the detonation of a nuclear device in Algeria so that it would not fall into the hands of the military. I've occasionally been asked why I compiled this page. It stemmed from my interest in the history of cryptography (see Prehistory of Public Key Cryptography for details), and for the implications of PAL design for tamper-resistant devices in general. I claim no expertise in nuclear weapons design.PALs evolved from the need to exert greater negative control over nuclear weapons. Contrary to popular belief, the original motivation was not to guard against unauthorized actions by rogue American military officers. To be sure, this was not a negligible threat. More than one Strategic Air Command head was interested in starting World War III; one was later described this way by another general who reported to him:A more pressing concern was foreign access. Under the auspices of NATO, assorted nuclear weapons were at least partially controlled by other nations. This was worrisome, especially to Congress, and in violation of U.S. law. Worse yet, some of our allies were seen as potentially unstable [SF87] ; there was considerable fear that the military in one of these countries might override even their own civilian leadership. Stein and Feaver cite France as one possible example, and possibly Germany and Turkey:After this incident, Harold Agnew came up with the idea of the PAL [A05] . In a discussion of the French need for PALs on their own weapons, Stein and Feaver say this:For these reasons, I suspect that the "sanitized" Alternative I of NSAM 160 almost certainly calls for PAL protection only for weapons in a few specific countries, and may even cite them by name. (Another point here is that weapons that might be captured by an enemy need more protection. It wouldn't be politic to disclose that the U.S. expected certain countries to be overrun early in a war–though of course that is to some extent obvious, especially for parts of Germany.) The U.S. military resisted PALs for a long time. Eventually, they were persuaded because of the greater freedom it gave them: in times of tension, they could disperse nuclear weapons to block easy destruction or capture, while still retaining control over their use. Despite that, they didn't deploy PALs that quickly. In 1974, when an armed quarrel broke out between two members of NATO (presumably Greece and Turkey, though the reference doesn't say), the Secretary of Defense learned that many tactical nukes were not equipped with PALS [R04]. Worse yet, he learned that some military commanders of these nations wanted those nukes.... It took two more years before PALs were completely deployed. Even then, the Pentagon dithered; at ICBM silos within the U.S., the "secret unlock code" was set to 00000000. On the other hand, some PALs were deployed by the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis [GS94], though the deployments did not yet include the Jupiter missiles in Turkey. This fact was of some concern at the time; under President Kennedy's orders, the Joint Chiefs of Staff ordered the U.S. commander in Turkey to destroy the missiles–which, unlike their nuclear warheads, were under Turkish control–rather than let them be launched without his explicit permission. (This might suggest that Alternative I–presumably the highest-priority deployment–specified Germany and/or France.) PALs are supplemented by "coded switch systems". These are devices that prevent the release or launch of an armed nuclear weapon. For example, when B-1 bombers are on alert, the PALs in their weapons are unlocked before takeoff. But the crew can't use those weapons until they receive an authorization code. (In some planes, the crew can communicate with the PALs from the cockpit. This feature was omitted in the B-1, apparently as a cost-saving measure.) Given this, it is not surprising that Navy weapons are not protected by PALs. In their normal environment, there is relatively little risk of capture, no foreign nationals have custody, and communications with (especially) submarines is somewhat problematic. Only when the weapons are brought ashore is a PAL activated, and then only for things like nuclear depth charges [B93, SF87]. In place of PALs, an elaborate set of procedures, involving the PA system, several different keys, and the participation of most of the crew is necessary for a nuclear submarine to launch its missiles [C87c]. All that notwithstanding, a use control system, apparently similar to the coded switch systems, has recently been added to the submarine fleet. For that matter, by the early 1970s the insider threat was realized; this was the motivation for the installation of use control systems on the bombers and on the strategic missiles by 1976/7 [B04]. Several different mechanisms are used to prevent accidental detonation. First, there is the "strong link/weak link" principle. Critical elements of the detonator system are deliberately "weak", in that they will irreversibly fail if exposed to certain kinds of abnormal environments. A commonly-used example is a capacitor whose components will melt at reasonably low temperatures. The "strong" link provides electrical isolation of the detonation system; it only responds to very particular inputs. Naturally, this entire subsystem is physically packaged in such a way as to shield critical parts of the weapon from any unwanted electrical energy. A very detailed description of strong and weak links can be found in [PG98]. Bombs are also engineered to fail gracefully. For example, the high-explosive shell is closely matched to the characteristics of the fissile materials in the pit; if anything but the exact proper detonation occurs, there should be no nuclear reaction. The design goal for the safety mechanisms is a probability of less than 10-6 that an accidental detonation at one point in the explosives surrounding the core can cause a detonation equivalent to more than four pounds of TNT, and the probability of an accidental nuclear detonation due to component malfunction be less than 10-9 for normal conditions, and 10-6 for abnormal conditions [H90a] [H90b] [D93]. Advances in computers have permitted the use of three-dimensional models of bomb components. These have shown that earlier two-dimensional models were dangerously misleading. Apparently, the danger was greater than had been appreciated that an accidental explosion could cause dispersal of radioactive materials or even a nuclear yield [H90a] [H90b] [D93]. Coupling between at least some different stages of the detonation system is by means of a moderately complex digital signal, and not a simple contact closure [C87c]. Again, the intent is to prevent accidents. It is possible that PALs function by decrypting this signal, though that by itself would not achieve the no-bypass design goal. Bombs are also protected against accidental (and some unauthorized) detonations by "Environmental Sensing Devices" (ESDs) [SF87]. ESDs detect the normal physical environment expected for that weapon. For example, a nuclear warhead in a missile would experience high acceleration, a period of free fall, and then some deceleration. Its ESD is designed to detect those conditions; the warhead is not armed until they occur. Someone who stole the warhead could not detonate it unless the launch system was stolen as well. Of course, in some situations that is a risk, too. In at least one incident, a nuclear weapon did come very close to accidental detonation. In 1961, a B-52 with two large warheads crashed near Goldsboro, North Carolina; the impact set off the conventional explosives in one of the bombs, and triggered all but one of the safety mechanisms in the other [C87b]. PALs are powered by radioisotope thermoelectric generators [A94]. An RTG provides for very long lifetime with little maintenance required. They work by alpha decay of plutonium-238, a non-fissile isotope. The limiting factor on the lifetime of an RTG is helium buildup. Types of PALs Combination lock The earliest control mechanism was a three-digit combination lock. Later versions were four-digit locks designed to accommodate split-knowledge, where two different individuals could each have half the key. The combination lock can do different things. Some block the volume into which firing components must be inserted, others block electrical circuits, while still others prevent access to the fuzing and arming mechanisms. These locks were in use at least as recently as 1987. In 1981 -- almost 20 years after PALs were invented–about half of the U.S. nuclear weapons in Europe were still protected by mechanical locks [SF87]. CAT A CAT A PALs, intended for use on missiles, were electromechanical switches. The arming input was a 4-digit decimal number. (Some sources say it was a 5-digit number.) Crews used a portable electronic device that plugged into the weapon to arm it. CAT B The CAT B PAL, used on bombs, was similar in spirit to the CAT A, but used fewer wires. This permitted remote control of the PAL from an airplane cockpit. With the CAT B, it is also possible to check the code, relock the weapon, or rekey it. Later models of the CAT B included a limited-try feature, rekeying, and a code-controlled lock. CAT C The CAT C PAL accepts 6-digit keys. A limited-try feature disables the bomb if too many incorrect keys are entered. Most references omit the CAT C. It may just be a later model of the CAT B. CAT D The CAT D PAL accepts 6-digit keys. A given PAL can accept a number of different keys, permitting different groups of weapons to be unlocked with one transmission. Some keys are used for training; others are used to disarm the weapon or to disable it. One source [CAH84] suggests that PAL codes can also be used to vary the yield on some weapons. There are a number of selectable mechanisms to disable the bomb. In addition, there are "violent or nonviolent methods for destroying the warhead or making it irreparably nonfunctional" [C87c]. (One report, which I have not yet seen confirmed in the literature, is that the violent option involves a shaped charge which destroys the symmetry of the pit. It is thus no longer able to fission until it has been remachined -- and machining plutonium is non-trivial.) One reference suggests that there is a remote disable option on some PALs. CAT F The CAT F PAL appears to be similar to the CAT D, but it accepts a 12-digit key. There have been a number of different types of PALs used over the years.The 1984 price for a CAT D PAL was $50,000 [CAH84] I haven't yet found anything about setting C.R.M.-114 discriminators to "FGD 135", let alone "OPE"... Cryptography and PALs Given all this, what cryptographic mechanisms are used for PALs? I have not been able to find any public material on the subject. It is known that PALs work on cryptographic principles. A common supposition is that the arm code is in fact a key that is used to decrypt some of the timing data. Phil Karn made the following suggestion: Precise timing–that's the key to my idea for a highly effective PAL. First, design the weapon to make the firing sequence as inherently complex and critical as possible. Vary the chemical composition and detonation velocities of the various pieces of high explosive so they have to be detonated non-simultaneously. Then store all of the required timing data in encrypted form in the weapon's memory. Better yet, encrypt everything (program and data) except for a small bootstrap that accepts an external key and decrypts everything for firing. Include this decryption key in the "nuclear weapons release" message from the "National Command Authority" (I've always loved that military terminology!) I've suggested similar ideas in the past, including the use of somewhat different shapes for each piece of the lens. That way, each individual detonator must fire at a different time. It isn't clear that that works. Apart from the possible ease of determining the types of the different explosives, the goal of the implosion is as near-perfect a spherical shock wave as possible. Traditionally, this has been done by covering the sphere of explosives with equally-spaced detonators and triggering them simultaneously. There would not appear to be much room for variation, especially since the tolerance is only about 100 nanoseconds. A timing-based PAL is much more logical if a non-spherical explosive shell is used. If some of the explosives were thicker, they would have to be fired slightly sooner. This may be desirable even with a spherical arrangement, to achieve higher yield. It is mathematically impossible to have both detonators that are exactly equally spaced and an adequate number of them. Timing variation may compensate for that. Similarly, an asymmetric fissile core would require non-simultaneous detonations. Such a variant is not at all inconceivable. Hansen [H88] reports early experiments with such things. Furthermore, at least one model of a nuclear artillery shell imploded a cylindrical core. (The motivation for such shapes is the geometry plus size constraints on the warhead. The B61 bomb, for example, is only 12" (30 cm) in diameter. This does not leave much room for a sphere of high explosive surrounding a pusher, a tamper, an air gap, and a fissile core.) During the investigation into alleged Chinese espionage against the U.S. nuclear weapons programs [H99], it was disclosed that modern U.S. hydrogen bombs do, in fact, use a non-spherical core [NYT99]. This is apparently a key technique in building miniaturized warheads. [SH01] states that two-point detonation is used on warheads like the W88. It does not appear to be feasible to build detonators that have their own delay elements. In fact, the problem all along has been to build detonators that would fire at a predictable time after triggering. Known designs require high current and high voltage; switching this is non-trivial. Modern bombs use complex electronics. An early attempt by India to test their bomb is rumored to have failed because of an electronics malfunction. Some newer U.S. bombs use microprocessor-based controllers and sequencers, an design choice that would not have been taken without pressing need. Another possible design principle–this is speculation; no authoritative sources have said this–would be scrambling the wires [CZ89]. Suppose that a group of wires led into a scrambling unit. The scrambling unit would have a set of Enigma-like rotors; only if they were all in the proper position would the proper connections be made. If it were not obvious how the wires should be connected–and if, perhaps, they were embedded in epoxy as they entered and left the unit–it would be very hard to analyze them and hence bypass them. At the very least, there would be a delay of several hours while the circuitry was analyzed. The simplistic encryption idea doesn't fit the newer CAT D and CAT F devices. As noted, those models use multiple codes that can arm different sets of devices. Some PALs have a "training key"–a code that gives a useful response during an exercise, but does not actually unlock the device. At the least, these imply a level of indirection in the key structure. Furthermore, there must be a command channel to allow for changes to the group structure. At least one source suggests that the actuating mechanism is mechanical, not purely electronic. This would also tend to contradict the design hypothesis given above. The course on PALs doesn't seem to explain such details, either... Feaver [F92] suggests that a possible PAL design principle involves physically moving assorted parts into the proper positions. There is precedent for that–not only were the very first nuclear weapons partially assembled on board the plane, an "automatic insertion" device was later used to mechanize that step [H90a]. (Another early mechanical safety mechanism was a boron-cadmium wire in the center of the pit. The boron and cadmium would, in theory, absorb enough neutrons to damp the chain reaction. To arm the bomb, the wire was withdrawn. This turned out to be problematic on the W47 warhead. When the device had been in storage for a while, the wire tended to break during withdrawal. For a time, much of the U.S. nuclear submarine fleet was armed with defective warheads [H88], until the bomb was redesigned.). PALs seem to rely on cryptographic principles and tamper-proof design: There are two basic means of foiling any lock, from an automobile ignition switch to a PAL: the first is to pick it, and the second is to bypass it. From the very beginning of the development of PAL technology, it was recognized that the real challenge was to build a system that afforded protection against the latter threat. Rather than attempting to build an indestructible lock, scientists at Livermore Laboratory in 1961 directed their efforts towards constructing a system that would render a weapon unusable if an attempt was made to interfere with its PAL. By 1964, it had been demonstrated that this approach would work. The design was perfected and incorporated into weapons that utilize CAT D and CAT F PALs. With this system, the insertion of too many false codes or an attempt to bypass the PAL will render the weapon permanently inoperative, and the weapon must then be returned to the weapons plant for reassembly. The protective system is designed to foil the probes of the most sophisticated unauthorized user. It is currently believed that even someone who gained possession of such a weapon, had a set of drawings, and enjoyed the technical capability of one of the national laboratories would be unable to successfully cause a detonation without knowing the code. [SF87]. The requirement for safety in the face of an enemy with full knowledge is eerily similar to the requirements for the security of a cipher system. An admiral was less convinced of their absolute safety, though this was 10 years earlier: All nuclear weapons have some type of command and control mechanism which is designed to preclude unauthorized use, and all nuclear weapons are equipped with safety devices that meet rigid standards.... With regard to enemy capture of a nuclear weapon, similar safety and security devices thwart the arming, fuzing, and firing of the weapon, particularly if the enemy has little or no knowledge of the mechanical or electro-mechanical operation of the protective device. It is possible, however, that these mechanisms can be defeated by a sophisticated enemy over a period of time. Thus, emergency destruction devices and procedures have been developed so that nuclear weapons may be destroyed without producing a nuclear yield in the event that enemy capture is threatened. The Permissive Action Link (PAL) Program consists of a code system and a family of devices integral or attached to nuclear weapons which have been developed to reduce the probability of an unauthorized nuclear detonation... [M76]. A technical solution to the issues raised by the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy was jointly worked out by the Sandia and Los Alamos Laboratories. The concept was to embed a mechanical or electromechanical code switch in the warhead in a location such that it could not be bypassed reasily. To foil any attempt to bypass the device, the switch's appearance and markings were disguised to make its function unclear unless the weapon's manual were also available. [J89] Initially, PAL were simply attached to the electrical circuitry of nuclear weapons. Weapons designers recognized that it would be relatively easy to "wire around" these early PAL and they subsequently "buried" the PAL devices deep inside the weapon, making them virtually inaccessible to anyone trying to arm a weapon without authorization. In addition, weapons designers of more recent PAL have encapsulated the entire nuclear weapon or the PAL with a protective skin. Any penetration of this covering results in automatic, irreparable damage to the weapon, making it impossible to detonate [C87b]. It was almost certainly possible to bypass early PALs:PALs are physically integrated with the bombs: [C87c] has a diagram (taken from [WR708] ) that implies that PALs rely on both the tamper-resistant encapsulation and encryption of the digital signal path mentioned earlier. A picture shows three inputs to a "control/isolation" processor: the arming and fuzing sensors, the flight environment sensors as passed through a signal processor, and a "human intent" signal passed through a box labeled "unique signal (UQS) generator". (Earlier, I had suspected that the "generator" is at least in part a stream cipher keyed by the PAL code. This now strikes me as improbable.) We must distinguish between a safety mechanism and a security system. The former is designed to prevent accidental detonations; the latter is designed to resist a determined adversary. Unique signals are safety mechanisms. The High Energy Weapons Archive says that the current unique signal uses "digital communications and codes". Earlier unique signal generators used a signal of a type that did not occur elsewhere in the weapon, and was unlikely to arise by accident. For example, [S72] describes a train of square waves generated by a wind-up device. [MSC92] describes the unique signal concept in great detail, including the very detailed analyses that went into modern designs. (You can find a mathematical analysis at [C01].) Among the (surprising) conclusions of this analysis are that keyboard input does not meet the safety and reliability requirements–using, say, hexadecimal digits is unsafe; asking the user to type 24 bits is unreliable. (Modern unique signal generators use a 24-bit input, and lock up if an erroneous bit is entered. Some older designs have a "reset" signal, and hence permit multiple tries; these use 47-bit input sequences.) Remarkably, the unique signal is usually considered unclassified [MSC92], which is pretty good evidence that it's not part of a security mechanism. If a keyboard isn't used, what is? The suggested mechanisms rely on an operator physically inserting something–a ROM key, a bar code, etc.–into a reader. The safety mechanisms are shown in the following schematic: (Diagram adapted from [C87c].) [S72] suggests an alternative scheme, where the human intent signal is passed in series through the environmental sensor. However, the unique signal itself is generated immediately before the strong link. Drell [D93] strongly supports the notion that PALs protect the digital signal path: The Enhanced Nuclear Detonation Safety System (ENDS) is designed to prevent arming of nuclear weapons subjected to abnormal environments. The basic idea of ENDS is the isolation of electrical elements critical to detonation of the warhead into an exclusion region, which is physically definied by structural cases and barriers that isolate the region from all sources of unintended energy. The only access point into the exclusion region for electrical power for normal arming and firing is through special devices called strong links, which cover small openings in the exclusion barrier. The strong links are designed so that there is an acceptably small probability that they will be activated by stimuli from an abnormal environment. Detailed analyses and tests give confidence over a very broad range of abnormal environments that a single strong link can provide isolation for the warhead to better than one part in a thousand. Therefore, the stated safety requirement of a probability of less than one in a million requires two independent strong links in the arming set, and that is the way the ENDS system is designed. Both strong links must be closed electrically -- one by specific operator-coded input and one by environmental input corresponding to an appropriate flight trajectory–in order for the weapon to be armed. (A good modern summary of ENDS is at [W12] .) There are several powerful principles here. First and foremost, a bomb will not detonate unless sufficient electricity reaches the detonators. If you can block that–and there are two strong links, either one of which can do so–you've rendered the bomb harmless. Consequently, a good design principle for a PAL is one that blocks the current flow. It is also reasonable to suspect that the switches are mechanical in operation, rather than electrical. An electrical switch could more easily be closed by accident, if a stray piece of metal were to short-circuit a pair of wires. Furthermore, if the PAL does indeed operate the switch, a rotor-like configuration is ideal. There are many possible settings, and no simple contact closure will produce a current path. In fact, given that Drell notes that each gate has one chance in 103 of failing, it is tempting to conclude that three digits of the PAL code are used to arm each gate. (The environmental sensor gate, then, would be operated by a combination of PAL input and trajectory data.) That is clearly an oversimplification, though; the gates have to resist accidents, including fires and impacts, as well. The simplicity of the design carries with it a corresponding price, however: it implies a lot of reliance on the protective barrier. Someone who could breach the barrier without activating the safety mechanisms could indeed bypass both the PAL and the environmental sensors. Furthermore, this barrier must also be resistant to enemy attempts to induce bomb failures. To give just one example, X-rays, which could be used in an attempt to probe the barrier, are one form of threat that the protective structure senses [C87c], and hence one that could presumably lead to a self-destruct sequence. But X-rays have also been considered as a defensive measure against nuclear weapon attacks. Indeed, bombs release much of their energy as X-rays [R95]. If this guess at a design is correct, the rotor settings are the actual cryptographic key. Presumably, these are rarely changed–one would have to open the sealed environment to do so. But the settings could be encrypted in an external PAL key; this in turn could easily be changed by a microcomputer embedded inside the bomb's protective skin. Other Design Ideas There are many other possible approaches to a PAL design. For example, in modern bombs the pit is "levitated" inside the ball of high explosives [H88] [R95] . Perhaps the placement of the pit can be varied in three dimensions. A seriously off-center pit won't detonate properly. On the other hand, a "fizzle yield" or plutonium dispersal are still serious matters; this approach may not offer enough safety. Another possibility is changing the timing of the "initiator". The initiator supplies the initial neutrons to start the chain reaction; in a modern bomb, this is done by an electronic device. Hansen [H88] notes that this is a critical parameter, and can act as a failsafe device. But it isn't clear that this is reliable enough to be use for PALs; there is a moderately high probability of of neutrons being present from spontaneous fission, especially of Pu-240. A chain reaction started by stray neutrons wouldn't have nearly as high a yield, but it would still be significant. (In a related vein, Hansen also notes that the timing of the injection of a deuterium-tritium "booster" into the center of the pit is critical to the yield of the weapon. If this timing is controlled by the PAL, the enabling code can vary the damage done by the weapon, as mentioned earlier.) Given that earlier PALs seem to work by interrupting the high voltage supply, it is tempting to try to build on this principle but with stronger cryptographic backing. Bombs get their high voltage detonation current from a bank of capacitors; these in turn are charged from batteries. A typical battery-driven charging circuit–as is incorporated into ordinary electronic flash units–works by pulsing the battery's DC output and feeding that into a transformer. The output of the transformer is fed to the capacitors. Suppose that the frequency of the pulses is controlled by a microprocessor, with a narrow bandpass filter between its output and the transformer. The pulse frequency would have to be just right for the charging circuit to work. Better yet, have several filters switched in and out of the circuit by the microprocessor, which of course would switch the pulse frequency accordingly. If the timing and frequency information were encrypted using the PAL as a key, it would be improbable that the capacitor would be charged. One could add a few more wrinkles, such as a computer-controlled drain circuit and closely matching the battery's maximum output to the necessary charge values. It is quite unclear if this scheme can be made to work. If nothing else, the circuit is quite involved, and would require careful analysis. Furthermore, the high-voltage circuit components are of necessity outside the tamper-resistant barrier; it might be too easy to wire around them. Finally, building a high-voltage power supply is a relatively easy task; an enemy who gained possession of a nuclear weapon might be able to replace those circuits entirely. Finally, actual sections of microprocessor code could be encrypted. If the essential detonation sequence is complex enough, and in particular if it relies on decisions made by the microprocessor in response to actual conditions in the bomb, this would be a powerful defense. The unknown question, of course, is whether or not an adequate yield could be obtained by a much simpler control mechanism. Also note that the decryption key would have to be present in the actual code. Suitable reverse engineering of the code would reveal this key. PALs and Key Management A reference [J89] and an Air Force Document suggest that PALs are rekeyed periodically. Furthermore, at least some Air Force bases regularly have PAL keys on hand, albeit (apparently) in encrypted form; these are among the highest priority items that must be destroyed in event of an emergency. It is reasonably probable that public key cryptography is not used directly. No known public key cryptosystem uses keys as short as 6 or 12 digits. (Of course, the lack of any visible plaintext or ciphertext might thwart most cryptanalysts...) Feaver [F92] repeatedly points out the difference between the enabling message–the PAL unlock code–and the authorization message–the message from the National Command Authority authorizing the use of nuclear weapons. [WR708] says that a protoype PAL based on public key cryptography has been built, but that it has not been deployed. No further details are given in the non-redacted portion. Public key cryptography might be used in the overall command and control system. The code values carried by the President are identification and authentication information, not PAL codes themselves [B93]. (There have been accidents with the custody of these, too. Carter's codes were left in some clothing that was sent to the dry cleaners; Reagan's were inadvertently taken by the FBI (with his clothing) when he was in the hospital following the assassination attempt [F92].) There is a reasonably clear statement about the basic design principles of these codes in a Congressional hearing: Now, I recall reading a few weeks ago that someone in our armed services who is in the nuclear chain of operation raised the question at an orientation session as to how they could be sure that the order to launch a nuclear strike in point of fact came from the President. After that, the person was removed from the program completely.... How do the people down the chain of command, who are the recipients of the Presidential order, know that the order, in fact, has come from the President, rather than an impostor? Admiral Miller: We have incorporated in the release process not only the order to do the job, but an elaborate, highly secure, coded authentication system, where you not only get the order, but you get an authentication that the order is valid. That prevails all the way down the line, actually almost to the weapon itself. In some instances, that technique exists right at the weapon [M76]. That's as good a requirements statement for digital signatures as you're going to get, especially from an admiral talking to a Congressional committee in 1976, when public key cryptography had not yet been reinvented by the civilian community. (Clearly, there are other cryptographic techniques that could be used, most notably one-way hashing of passwords–an idea that was publicly known at the time. But most of these are vulnerable to replay attacks, especially given the offline nature of an authorization order.) A counter-argument against use of digital signatures for such purposes is their length. Some of the radio systems used or contemplated for Emergency Action Messages (EAMs) are extremely low bandwidth. Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) radio is restricted to about one bit per minute after error correction; Very Low Frequency (VLF) operates at "slow teletype speeds" [C87a]. The actual PAL codes are in fact fairly widely disseminated, though not to the level of individual weapons commanders. The authorization codes are much more tightly held, though the extent of the delegation is classified. Recently declassified documents confirm that the president has in fact delegated such authority. There is clearly a place here for sophisticated key management techniques. Cotter suggests that such are used [C87c]: Distributing codes too widely could compromise control. Holding the codes at too few locations could compromise survivability under enemy attack. Force survivability was given high priority. The management scheme, devised by Defense Department communications security experts, allows great flexibility in code passing and in recall of control during and after a crisis subsides. The Bottom Line–How do PALs Work? From the open literature, it is impossible to come to any definite conclusions. It seems clear, though, that there is no single mechanism in use. PALs that one could build today would be vastly different than those deployed in 1962. My guess is that the CAT A, B, C, and D PALs were, in effect, electromechanically-operated devices similar to the rotor mechanism described earlier. Most likely, they interrupted the high voltage path. They were definitely electromechanical, and I doubt very much that mid-60's technology would have permitted an electronic encryption-based design. CAT F is at least partially electronic. ([H88] says that modern PALs are microelectronic in nature.) The design principle appears to be control of the detonator current, coupled with the tamper-resistant barrier. I have found no evidence to support any of the hypotheses involving encrypted code or timing information. These remain the best bet for an inherently safe PAL design, however, and Cotter [C87c] does hint that CAT F–unlike earlier models–is inherently impossible to bypass. He also says "electronic information processing based on cryptological techniques was incorporated in the coded switch and controller circuitry." It seems plausible that control of the D-T pump timing and the initiator are encrypted timing signals; doing so would be very straight-forward, and would provide a strong control over total yield of a stolen bomb, if not necessarily over actual detonation. Was I Right? I recently acquired a copy of a 1961 memo [A61] by Harold Agnew on the need for PALs. An appendix describes the design principles for a prototype. It had two parts, connected by a cable. The accessible part was, of course, for entering the arming code. The inaccessible part accepted the code and controlled whether or not the X-unit could charge. The X-unit is the trigger for an implosion bomb. It appears to be a capacitor bank, similar to those used in camera flash units. It's charged during arming time; krytrons are used to discharge the capacitors to feed current to the detonators. Security in the prototype was provided by inaccessibility; the new box is buried deep inside the bomb, so you'd have to disassemble and reassemble the bomb to bypass it. Here's the crucial text from the memo: A small electronic or electromechanical coded receiver (decoder) would be installed in the weapon in a relatively inaccessible location. This decoder would be connected by a cable to a connector in an accessible part of the weapon, such as on the warhead protective cover or near one of the access doors. A particular, resettable coded signal would be required through this connector to operate the decoder. The output switch of the decoder would interrupt critical arming circuits at any time prior to operation, and would complete these circuits only upon receipt of the proper coded signals. ... The critical arming circuits to be interrupted would be the inverter to converter circuits and the nuclear arming circuits in capsule type weapons, the high voltage safety switch circuits in high voltage thermal battery type weapons, and the converter input circuits in chopper-converter type weapons. This makes more sense than my notion of interrupting the current from the high voltage source to the detonators, for several reasons. First, in older bombs there were many detonators — the Mk-5 bomb, for example, used 92-point detonation. Interrupting the detonation via a PAL would thus require 92 controlled switches. This is impractical. It might work for a modern two-point bomb, though; you interrupt one detonator wire, and rely on the one-point safety property to prevent any nuclear yield. Still, if there's still an X-unit it has a very undesirable property: it's possible to arm the bomb without the PAL. That's a dangerous state; a bomb is much safer if unarmed. One section of The Swords of Armageddon, available online, notes that environmental sensing devices also interrupt the arming path. (It also notes the existence of "motor-driven rotary safing switches which isolate power sources in a weapon from the firing components", perhaps partially confirming another speculation of mine.) Why are PALs Classified? As noted, it is hard to find authoritative technical descriptions of how PALs work. Admiral Miller repeatedly declined to be more precise in his testimony, citing the "highly classified" nature of the material [M76] . But from whom are the secrets being kept? There is ample evidence [SF87] [B93] that the U.S. offered design details on PALs to other nuclear powers. The rationale, of course, was to help these countries control their own nuclear weapons. The first approach to the Soviet Union was as early as 1971 (they weren't interested, though they never had PALs of their own; they relied on ``people watching people who watched still other people'' [R04] . On the other hand, a former Soviet general implies that at some point, the Soviets did have technical control measures of some sort [GS94] ). This suggests one of two possibilities. First, and most intriguing, the design of PALs may be so closely tied to the design of nuclear weapons that revealing the former gives hints on the latter. Nothing I've seen supports this theory, but it is possible. Second, the incremental risk if a U.S. nuclear weapon is compromised by another nuclear power is comparatively small. But a non-nuclear power–or group–would benefit greatly from anything that improved their odds of using someone else's bombs. If, however, my guesses about the design are correct, PALs per se have little that is sensitive. But the tamper-resistant skin is another matter. References Declassified References Related Web Sites Acknowledgments Note: as is the way with the Web, some of these links no longer work. Most of the dead links are on government sites. It is unclear to me whether or not this represents a deliberate attempt to exert tighter controls on nuclear weapons information.The Westfield Memorial Library was extremely helpful in locating many of these quite arcane books for me. Jan Wolitsky provided useful data and pointers.

Week in Apple: Snow Leopard review, Sept. 9 event confirmed, rumors galore!

It has been a busy week in the Apple world. Not only did Snow Leopard finally come out (along with our epic review), but Apple announced a special media event that is expected to see updates to the entire iPod line. What else was at the top of the news this week? Read on for our roundup. Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard: the Ars Technica review: Mac OS X 10.6, aka Snow Leopard has landed. This time around, Apple goes light on the glitz in favor of some heavy work under the hood. John Siracusa dives deep into Apple's new OS offering to see what's new, what's still the same, and whether it's worth upgrading. Apple confirms September 9, 2009 "rock and roll" event: Apple has announced a special media event to take place on September 9, 2009. The invitation indicates that it will be iPod-related (just like in previous years) and will take place in San Francisco. 5 ways to listen to music on the iPhone without using iTunes: One of the iPhone's main selling points is its ability to play music. But we don't always want to listen to music from our iTunes libraries, do we? Here are five ways to listen to music on an iPhone without using iTunes. Apple rumored to have supersized prototype tablets (poll): The latest tidbit out of China suggests Apple is looking at larger sizes for tablet computers, and they might just run Mac OS X, too. Take our poll and let us know what you think about an Apple tablet. Snow Leopard's "Wake on Demand" could lead to Apple TV bliss: If you are using Snow Leopard and have some newer Apple hardware, there's a new way in which your devices can be awoken from sleep—and not just over a wired connection. OpenCL gets tires kicked, run around the block: Early attempts to benchmark OpenCL performance on Snow Leopard reveal some details about Apple's first-out-of-the-gate implementation of the GPGPU language—as well as some hints at impressive processing speed. Sources: Current iPod SKUs discontinued, hinting at refresh: According to insiders speaking to Ars, stock of current iPod models is running dry and new ones aren't coming in anytime soon. This all but confirms that an iPod refresh is on the way, but we already knew that. Apple lists software known to be janky with Snow Leopard: Forget Adobe CS3. There's a whole swath of software applications that won't work well (or at all) with Snow Leopard, and Apple has listed out a handful of them for your convenience. Some will be prevented from loading, so check out the list before you install. Poll Technica: Will Steve Jobs present at September 9 event? Is Steve Jobs planning to present at next week's iPod event? Two analysts have taken opposing views on the matter, and so has the Ars staff. What do our readers think? Tell us in the poll. Apple TV might be on the agenda for September 9 event: Low availability of one Apple TV model leads at least one analyst to speculate about an Apple TV announcement next week. An Apple TV update would be welcome—especially if it adds oft-requested features—but we think it'll be "only rock and roll" next Wednesday. Apple says exploding iPhones due to "external pressure": Apple's investigation into spontaneously exploding and cracking iPhones has yet to yield any evidence of product defects. That is the story the company told to France's minister of consumer affairs, anyway. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Now playing: A glut of ads

As head of production at New Line Cinema, Toby Emmerich is not your typical moviegoer. So when he wanted to see “War of the Worlds” the other night, his choice was between seeing the film in a theater with a tub of popcorn or watching it in a screening room at Jim Carrey’s house, with a private chef handling the culinary options. Despite this seemingly loaded deck, Emmerich opted for a real theater. “I love seeing a movie with a big crowd,” he says. “But I had no idea how many obnoxious ads I’d have to endure -- it really drove me crazy. After sitting through about 15 minutes of ads, I turned to my wife and said, ‘Maybe we should’ve gone to Jim Carrey’s house after all.’ ” When DreamWorks marketing chief Terry Press took her young twins to see “Robots” this year, she said, “My own children turned to me and said, ‘Mommy, there are too many commercials!’ Now, when the lights go halfway down, I’m filled with dread. The whole uniqueness of the moviegoing experience is being eroded by all the endless ads.” You don’t have to be an industry insider to be aggravated. Ads are one of the reasons why moviegoers, especially adults, are abandoning theaters this summer. When my favorite music biz blogger, Bob Lefsetz, wrote recently about being bombarded with ads before seeing “Crash” at a local theater, he was deluged with supportive mail from incensed ad-loathing readers. As Barry Ritholtz put it: “The commercials just add insult to an already declining experience.” Advertisement It’s only going to get worse. According to the Cinema Advertising Council, ads in theaters increased by 23% last year alone. The New York Times recently reported that Gillette aired its first in-theater ad, touting its new Pulsar toothbrush, convinced that a big-screen look at the toothbrush’s new technology will “have amazing visual impact.” I can testify to the impact, though I’d call it more depressing than amazing. I saw the ad last week during an afternoon of theater ad watching. The Pulsar ad was just one of roughly two dozen ads, public-service spots and behind-the-scenes film and TV features that make up the 2wenty, a 20-minute package of ads that plays on 5,700 screens in Regal theaters around the country. Put together by National CineMedia, a joint venture between the Regal and AMC theater chains, the 2wenty represents, depending on your point of view, a new high or low in theater advertising. Cliff Marks, National CineMedia’s president of sales and chief marketing officer, says he isn’t presenting commercials but “an entertaining content piece” in which nearly half the ads are created for or seen first in theaters. He’s recruited four Big Media partners -- Universal Studios, Sony Pictures Entertainment, NBC and TBS -- that produce behind-the-scenes features for the package. He insists moviegoers have no problems with well-presented ads. “Our research shows that the overwhelming majority of people like the 2wenty,” he says. “Most importantly, we end our show at the designated show time -- we’re doing it on our time, not on your time.” No one will say how much theater owners are making from ads, but it seems clear that annual revenues are sizable -- CineMedia’s media partners alone are paying millions for their chunk of the Regal package. If I viewed it simply as an investor, I’d be impressed, especially by the shrewd foresight of real estate magnate Phil Anschutz, who has emerged as America’s largest theater owner, combining his Regal chain with United Artists and Edwards Theaters. Advertisement Buying into the business when many chains were in bankruptcy, the reclusive billionaire has poured roughly $70 million into equipping Regal theaters with new digital video technology. But that technology isn’t being used to show “War of the Worlds” on a hi-def digital video system. Theater owners are content to wait for the studios to pony up most of the conversion costs for digital projection. Anschutz put all that money into the theaters largely to sell more ads. The $70-million investment, which includes satellite delivery capability, allows Regal, via CineMedia, to play a new package of advertising each month, with custom-crafted versions of the 2wenty to run in front of PG, PG-13 or R-rated movies. My first look at the 2wenty came at the Grand Palace theater in Calabasas, a sleek replica of a 1940s movie house that has a six-screen multiplex. The package is a big step up from the hodgepodge of slides and spots airing in most theaters. There were even two clever ads: a Nike “Friday Night Lights"-style look at high school football and a making-of feature on “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” a Universal comedy starring Steve Carell. Instead of just showing tedious interviews with the filmmakers, the feature cannily sold Carell himself, showing clips of him in “Bruce Almighty,” “The Office” and on “Late Night With Conan O’Brien.” But the rest of the 2wenty was given over to routine spots you could see on TV; Fanta and Sony Ericsson ads I’d seen in other theaters I went to; a promo for a Regal MasterCard; an L.A. Times ad with bad techno music, and commercials for three TV shows, including NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.” I’ve seen TV show ads in theaters before. But somehow the sheer absurdity of the idea didn’t really register until watching the “Loser” spot. Imagine being a studio executive sitting in a movie theater -- the once-sacred palace where we saw glorious dreams in the dark -- being exhorted to stay home next Tuesday night to watch “The Biggest Loser.” Wouldn’t you fear for your future? Advertisement The studios have only themselves to blame. As ads began to creep into theaters years ago, virtually everyone turned a blind eye. The only studio to take a stand was Disney. In 1990, the studio said it wouldn’t allow any ads in front of its films. The studio lifted the ban on Touchstone films a few years ago, but it still refuses to allow ads before its Disney-brand films. Says studio chief Dick Cook: “We felt theaters were the last bastion of a commercial-free environment and that ads simply weren’t appropriate, especially in front of films playing to kids and families.” There are a few small theater chains that refuse ads. The Pacific theater chain’s ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood is commercial free, charging moviegoers $14 in return for a more pristine environment. Jerry Pokorski, the chain’s head film buyer, says ArcLight’s strategy is a big success, but he’s vague about how soon Pacific will extend its no-commercial policy to other theaters. “It’s where we’re going in the future, but we’re still trying to understand the economics of the whole thing.” For the studios, the economics are simple. They’re conglomerates now, meaning that advertising a cellphone in a theater may help Sony’s bottom line as much as the profits from a new film. Even if an NBC ad sours a few people on seeing a Universal film, it evens out in the end. Still, it’s not hard to connect the dots between the growth of in-theater advertising and the continuing box-office slump. At a time when virtually every technological innovation, from TiVo to the iPod to satellite radio, is geared to helping us escape advertising, movie theaters are subjecting us to more of it. The studio marketers say they’re caught between a rock and a hard place. As more consumers tune out commercial TV and radio, marketers have to grab eyeballs where they find them. “I’m just trying to keep our business alive,” says Geoff Ammer, president of Sony worldwide marketing. “We get information every week about how many new [digital video recorders] there are. Three years ago, it was 750,000 homes. Now it’s roughly 3 million. The day when it’s 50 million homes is not far away.” Advertisement Universal Pictures Vice Chairman Marc Shmuger insists that Universal’s making-of features for CineMedia respect moviegoer sensibilities. “We find that people have enjoyed them,” he says. “As a marketer, our challenge is to make a connection with people. If we can’t find the consumer as easily on TV, then we have to go to the one place where you know the moviegoer is -- in the theater.” The problem is that people who advertise in theaters -- especially movie studios -- have made a devil’s bargain. The more polished the ads, the more they dilute the potency of the ads we actually enjoy -- the coming attractions. We need someone who loves movies to take a stand. If Steven Spielberg had decreed that he’d play “War of the Worlds” only in theaters that didn’t run ads, the commercials would’ve vanished. George Lucas reportedly forced theaters to limit the amount of trailers before “Revenge of the Sith.” If only he’d gone after the real villains -- the ad-mongers -- he would’ve been viewed as a hero. If someone doesn’t step up to the plate soon, movie theaters will soon find themselves in a one-quadrant business, catering to restless teenagers. The rest of us will happily watch DVDs on our giant plasma TVs, no longer able to remember the last time we felt the need to make that woeful trek to a multiplex that looks more like an ad-plastered NASCAR track with every passing day. Advertisement The Big Picture appears Tuesdays in Calendar. Comments or suggestions can be e-mailed to patrick.goldstein@latimes.com.

Focus: The making of Mr Invincible

As Lance Armstrong heads for a record seventh win in the Tour de France, Denis Campbell analyses the physical and emotional strengths that make him great Soon after breakfast this morning, 161 of the world's top cyclists will mount their machines at Lezat-sur-Leze in the Pyrenees and embark on one of the toughest stages of the world's most gruelling sporting challenge, the Tour de France. They will spend the best part of seven hours in the saddle and, in draining heat, tackle 205.5km (128 miles) of hills, passes and climbs of unremitting cruelty at speeds which average 28-30mph but sometimes reach 65mph. No wonder the riders describe the Tour as three weeks of torture. Whatever their best efforts, by tonight one man - Lance Armstrong - will almost certainly still be in the lead. Cycling's icon and figurehead is chasing an astonishing seventh consecutive win in an event which requires superhuman qualities. His tactics are simple: 'It's attack until they crack, or I do,' he says. If he triumphs yet again when the Tour ends on the Champs-Elysees next Sunday, the American will have both rewritten the annals of sporting achievement and redefined the limits of human endeavour. Unhappily for his rivals, the 33-year-old Texan has more heart than them for the task ahead - quite literally. 'Genetically Lance is a freak,' says his friend Tony Doyle, the British former pursuit cycling world champion. 'His heart and lungs are bigger than most people's, and most other elite cyclists', so they make him more efficient as an athlete. He also generates far less lactic acid than the others, and he recovers quicker - vital in a race where you push yourself to the limit day after day after day.' Most usefully, though, Armstrong is a survivor. 'Although the Tour is excruciatingly painful, for Lance it is still not as tough a battle as when he overcame testicular cancer,' explains Doyle. 'That means that he is mentally strong, very driven and has a lot higher pain threshold than the other guys because he's beaten a life-threatening disease. He can suffer that bit more.' Cancer gave Armstrong the worst times of his life. Hearing he had a 60 per chance of dying. Having surgery to remove one testis. Chemotherapy to fight tumours that had spread to his lungs and brain. Five months in hospital as he defied doctors' expectations. But illness was also the making of him. 'In a strange way cancer did him a huge favour,' says Daniel Coyle, author of the recent biography Lance Armstrong: Tour de Force . 'It removed 15lbs of muscle and resculpted his body into the leaner shape. Before then he had been too big and too muscular, especially in the upper body. And it gave him the discipline that, allied to his talent, turned him into the sporting phenomenon he is today. 'He was already a world champion, but he had been an undisciplined kid: brash and uncontrollable. After he was diagnosed with cancer, he began displaying discipline at the millimetre level.' When the doctor told him his body was riddled with tumours, Armstrong took in the news for a couple of minutes and then said: 'Let's get started. Let's kill this stuff.' Coyle says: 'He adopted a very scientific approach to fighting the cancer.' Out went coffee, red meat and dairy products. 'He went after the cancer in a very organised, methodical, aggressive way, and came away with an appreciation of what discipline could do for him. He approaches cycling the same way. He weighs his food to ensure he does not go above his optimum weight, and constantly monitors his bodyfat ratio. 'After cancer, he turned the Tour into a problem he wanted to solve,' says Coyle. 'He pays attention to every last detail that contributes to the pursuit of excellence. That's what sets him apart,' believes Dave Brailsford, the performance director at British Cycling. 'He is always looking to make a tiny improvement to his nutrition, his position on the bike, or the science of how he trains.' Thus he avoids ice cream, in case it causes indigestion, or carbonated water, lest it induce diarrhoea, or chocolate mousse - excessive sweating - and does not shave his legs the night before racing, in case the minimal energy required to regrow the hair makes a difference. He has two key numbers: 74, his optimal weight in kilos, and 500, which is his maximum sustainable power in watts. If they are both right he will produce 6.7 watts per kilo. If he does that, he will almost certainly win. His key advantage is that he can sustain that power for an hour at a time, even up and down the Pyrenees. Germany's Jan Ullrich, his nearest rival, cannot quite match Armstrong's consistency. 'He is not happy until he has found "the shit" - the coolest helmet, or fastest bike or best teammate. He's about trying to make himself into "the shit", the thing nobody has seen before', says Coyle. His eight teammates in the Discovery Channel team, and their 30-strong back-up squad of specialists, all share one goal: for Armstrong to win. His feats have inevitably prompted speculation thathis success might be down to performance-enhancing substances. Allegations to that effect in a book last year have led to ongoing legal action. Armstrong denies the accusations and has always tested negative. Any conversation with one of cycling's cognoscenti about what makes Armstrong so good comes back to his cancer and the tough childhood which forged his iron will. He was born Lance Gunderson in Plano, Texas, in September 1971, when his mother, Linda Mooneyham, was 17. Her marriage to his father, Eddie Gunderson, broke down when he was just three. Armstrong has never spoken to, or about, his father since. 'Lance would undoubtedly not have turned out the way he has _ if I had stayed with his mother,' Gunderson admitted recently. 'I would probably have ballsed the whole thing up.' Armstrong was named after Lance Retzel of the Dallas Cowboys gridiron team; his surname came from his mother's second husband, Terry Armstrong, his ex-stepfather. Times were hard for mother and son, financially and emotionally. 'When things got tough, I would always tell Lance that "this isn't a problem, this is an opportunity",' she has said. 'We weren't afraid of failing, only of giving up. Losing is worthwhile if you learn something worthwhile from it.' But losing is the last thing on Armstrong's mind. Next Sunday, come what may, he intends to retire - and wants to bow out on a high, as a champion and a history-maker. His place in posterity assured, he plans to unwind, spend more time with the three children from his first marriage, start a new family with his girlfriend, the rock singer Sheryl Crow, and devote even more energy to his cancer charity. An adviser to George W Bush on the President's Cancer Panel, there is even talk of a career in politics, and following in Bush's steps by running for governor of his home state. Before then, though, there is one last week in the saddle - one final battle for the ultimate winner. The Tour in figures The Tour de France began in 1903 but was almost abandoned in 1904 because cheating was so common There are 21 stages in 23 days over a total of 2,241 miles. The longest is 239.5km (150 miles) Riders reach up to 70mph. At such speeds a burst tyre, skid or collision can be fatal It is very demanding: 28 riders have dropped out already this year. Belgium's Georges Goffin began the race in 1909, 1911 and 1922 but never lasted beyond day one The Alpe d'Huez has 21 'switchbacks', turns of at least 90 degrees Riders often relieve themselves in the saddle to save time Competitors consume up to 7,500 calories a day Top riders earn about £1m a year, though Armstrong makes around £10m in race fees, prize money and sponsorship Britain's Bradley Wiggins won a gold, silver and bronze at the 2004 Olympics but there are no Britons in the Tour de France

FAA says no to in flight wireless use, or does it?

Laaaaadies and Gentlemen! Welcome to the Main Event! In corner one we have the 6 time champion "The FCC" and in corner two we have the underdog "The FAA." Fighters, bow to each other; I want a clean fight. Ready? Set? Fight! Just over six months ago the FCC lifted its ban on wireless device usage while in flight. However, it was understood that the FAA would still have to reverse its ban as well. The decision has been made and the FAA will not reverse its ban, at least not entirely. The wireless devices being discussed here range from cell phones and Blackberries to WiFi. Currently the only option for in-flight communication available from most airlines is over-priced satellite phones that aren't exactly the cream of the crop when it comes to clarity. Want to check your email? Too bad, you'll just have to wait until you land in London... in thirteen hours. Why are these devices banned? The FCC had originally implemented the ban because of the risk of interference between the devices and crucial on-board systems such as navigation and communications. Nobody wants to end up in the middle of the ocean just because your friend had to SMS you and tell you about how you missed Jenny kissing Tommy at the park earlier that day. However, as these devices mature and proliferate two things have become obvious. The first being that the interference risks are either not as bad as once thought or the device manufacturers are finding new ways of reducing the risk. The second is that the demand for wireless is continuing to grow. Joe Schmoe wants the ability to wirelessly email his/her friends to tell them that he/she is floating 30,000 feet above the earth and is sitting next to a really annoying overweight woman in a funny puse shirt. However, even with those two items in mind, the FAA still doesn't feel it's safe to lift the ban on all devices. They will only lift bans on devices that are proven to not cause any negative effects to communications and navigation systems. "If an air carrier is willing to take the time and incur the expense of testing and verifying that the cell phone usage presents no in-flight interference problems, our rules allow an air carrier to permit such devices," Nicholas Sabatini, associate administrator for aviation safety said. Why this falls into the laps of individual corporations is beyond me. The FAA is tasked with keeping the public safe while flying, so why are they relying on the individual airlines to get involved? Does the FBI make civilians track down federal criminals and then make the arrest once the hard work is done? No, so the FAA's approach seems like a cop-out. With that being said, the FAA has allowed certain equipment to be tested in production flights in a limited scope. United Airlines was given permission to install the Boeing Connexion WiFi system on their Boeing 757 aircraft. The purpose of the Connexion system is to give passengers in-flight internet access. Sabatini warned that going through the testing cycle is rather challenging because of the constant changing cellphone technology and increasingly complex navigation systems (the FAA is moving everyone to satellite navigation.) And of course we can't forget about the ever-present annoyance factor. Imagine all the endless "hey, I'M ON A PLANE" phone calls you'll have the pleasure of listening to every flight; absolute heaven for the likes of Dom Joly.

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Rick Chapman is In Search of Stupidity

(This is the foreword to Rick Chapman’s new book, In Search of Stupidity .) In every high tech company I’ve known, there’s a war going on, between the geeks and the suits. Before you start reading this great new book full of propaganda from software marketing wizard and über-suit Rick Chapman, let me take a moment to tell you what the geeks think. Play along with me for a minute, will you? Please imagine the most stereotypically pale, Jolt-drinking, Chinese-food-eating, video-game-playing, slashdot-reading Linux-command-line-dwelling dork. Since this is just a stereotype, you should be free to imagine either a runt or a kind of chubby fellow, but in either case this is not the kind of person who plays football with his high school pals when he visits mom for Thanksgiving. Also, since he’s a stereotype, I shall not have to make complicated excuses for making him a him. This is what our stereotypical programmer thinks: “Microsoft makes inferior products, but they have superior marketing, so everybody buys their stuff.” Ask him what he thinks about the marketing people in his own company. “They’re really stupid. Yesterday I got into a big argument with this stupid sales chick in the break room and after ten minutes it was totally clear that she had no clue what the difference between 802.11a and 802.11b is. Duh!” What do marketing people do, young geek? “I don’t know. They play golf with customers or something, when they’re not making me correct their idiot spec sheets. If it was up to me I’d fire ‘em all.” A nice fellow named Jeffrey Tarter used to publish an annual list of the hundred largest personal computer software publishers called the Soft-letter 100. Here’s what the top ten looked like in 1984: Rank Company Annual Revenues #1 Micropro International $60,000,000 #2 Microsoft Corp. $55,000,000 #3 Lotus $53,000,000 #4 Digital Research $45,000,000 #5 VisiCorp $43,000,000 #6 Ashton-Tate $35,000,000 #7 Peachtree $21,700,000 #8 MicroFocus $15,000,000 #9 Software Publishing $14,000,000 #10 Broderbund $13,000,000 OK, Microsoft is number 2, but it is one of a handful of companies with roughly similar annual revenues. Now let’s look at the same list for 2001. Rank Company Annual Revenues #1 Microsoft Corp. $23,845,000,000 #2 Adobe $1,266,378,000 #3 Novell $1,103,592,000 #4 Intuit $1,076,000,000 #5 Autodesk $926,324,000 #6 Symantec $790,153,000 #7 Network Associates $745,692,000 #8 Citrix $479,446,000 #9 Macromedia $295,997,000 #10 Great Plains $250,231,000 Whoa. Notice, if you will, that every single company except Microsoft has disappeared from the top ten. Also notice, please, that Microsoft is so much larger than the next largest player, it’s not even funny. Adobe would double in revenues if they could just get Microsoft’s soda pop budget. The personal computer software market is Microsoft. Microsoft’s revenues, it turns out, make up 69% of the total revenues of all the top 100 companies combined. This is what we’re talking about, here. Is this just superior marketing, as our imaginary geek claims? Or the result of an illegal monopoly? (Which begs the question: how did Microsoft get that monopoly? You can’t have it both ways.) According to Rick Chapman, the answer is simpler: Microsoft was the only company on the list that never made a fatal, stupid mistake. Whether this was by dint of superior brainpower or just dumb luck, the biggest mistake Microsoft made was the dancing paperclip. And how bad was that, really? We ridiculed them, shut it off, and went back to using Word, Excel, Outlook, and Internet Explorer every minute of every day. But for every other software company that once had market leadership and saw it go down the drain, you can point to one or two giant blunders that steered the boat into an iceberg. Micropro fiddled around rewriting the printer architecture instead of upgrading their flagship product, WordStar. Lotus wasted a year and a half shoehorning 123 to run on 640kb machines; by the time they were done Excel was shipping and 640kb machines were a dim memory. Digital Research wildly overcharged for CP/M-86 and lost a chance to be the de-facto standard for PC operating systems. VisiCorp sued themselves out of existence. Ashton-Tate never missed an opportunity to piss off dBase developers, poisoning the fragile ecology that is so vital to a platform vendor’s success. I’m a programmer, of course, so I tend to blame the marketing people for these stupid mistakes. Almost all of them revolve around a failure of non-technical business people to understand basic technology facts. When Pepsi-pusher John Sculley was developing the Apple Newton, he didn’t know something that every computer science major in the country knows: handwriting recognition is not possible. This was at the same time that Bill Gates was hauling programmers into meetings begging them to create a single rich text edit control that could be reused in all their products. Put Jim Manzi (the suit who let the MBAs take over Lotus) in that meeting and he would be staring blankly. “What’s a rich text edit control?” It never would have occurred to him to take technological leadership because he didn’t grok the technology; in fact, the very use of the word grok in that sentence would probably throw him off. If you ask me, and I’m biased, no software company can succeed unless there is a programmer at the helm. So far the evidence backs me up. But many of these boneheaded mistakes come from the programmers themselves. Netscape’s monumental decision to rewrite their browser instead of improving the old code base cost them several years of Internet time, during which their market share went from around 90% to about 4%, and this was the programmers’ idea. Of course, the nontechnical and inexperienced management of that company had no idea why this was a bad idea. There are still scads of programmers who defend Netscape’s ground-up rewrite. “The old code really sucked, Joel!” Yeah, uh-huh. Such programmers should be admired for their love of clean code, but they shouldn’t be allowed within 100 feet of any business decisions, since it’s obvious that clean code is more important to them than shipping, uh, software. So I’ll concede to Rick a bit and say that if you want to be successful in the software business, you have to have a management team that thoroughly understands and loves programming, but they have to understand and love business, too. Finding a leader with strong aptitude in both dimensions is difficult, but it’s the only way to avoid making one of those fatal mistakes that Rick catalogs lovingly in this book. So read it, chuckle a bit, and if there’s a stupidhead running your company, get your résumé in shape and start looking for a house in Redmond.

Security bracelet foils child abduction

A father's attempts to abduct his infant son from a North Carolina hospital last week were foiled by an electronic bracelet around the baby's ankle. Walter Mitchell was apprehended by hospital security guards outside Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte after his flight with his newborn son in a cloth bag triggered a "code pink" alert. The alert prompted hospital staff to guard exits of the hospital. Although Mitchell made it from the hospital's seventh-floor nursery onto the street via an emergency exit he was quickly apprehended by guards. The baby was returned unharmed to Presbyterian Hospital, where it was attending a check-up. The baby was already under the care of social services after his parents, Mitchell and Juanita Slade, were charged with child abuse and neglect charges involving the alleged mistreatment of their other kids. Mitchell told police he snatched his newborn because he didn't want to surrender the custody of another child to social services, WSOC-TV reports. Both Mitchell and Slade have been remanded in custody following the alleged abduction last Friday (15 July). Presbyterian Hospital installed the "Hugs" Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) infant protection system when it opened its new maternity center last September. The "Hugs" Infant Protection System, part of the June 2005 acquisition of Instantel by VeriChip, which is best known for its controversial people chipping technology, contains a tiny radio transmitter designed to prevent infants from being removed from a health care facility without authorisation. Every infant wears a Hugs tag on the ankle or wrist, and exit points throughout the hospital are electronically monitored to detect unauthorised removal of an infant. The use of electronic bracelets to protect kids in maternity wards is commonplace in the US. RFID-tags represent a refinement of the technique. According to VeriChip, there have been 233 infant abductions in the US over the last 22 years. Half of these abductions occurred from health care facilities. VeriChip's RFID infant protection systems are designed to combat not only infant abductions, but also accidental infant mismatchings. The firm says its systems are installed in approximately 900 US hospitals. ® Related stories Feds approve human RFID implants Kidnap-wary Mexicans get chipped Anti-RFID outfit deflates Mexican VeriChip hype Cap Cyborg to chip 11 year old in wake of UK child killings Kev Warwick cyberkiddie no closer to activation First people injected with ID chips, sales drive kicks off

Distillers Wiki

Welcome to Home Distiller The calculators page has been *mostly* fixed! We will be working on improving them but for now most of them seem functional. What is Home Distiller? HomeDistiller.org is the largest Online Resource for Distillers. This site contains detailed information regarding the creation of distilled spirits for beginners to advanced distillers. The information contained here is the distilled (pardon the pun) information contained in our forums. To ask specific questions or to do more research, check out the Home Distiller Forums. Beginners The journey of a thousand steps starts with one Beginners should check the Beginner's Guide and New Distiller Reading Lounge. Beginner's Guide to Making Distilled Spirits: This should be your first read to start your journey. Washes, Mashing and Fermentation Let the fungus make magic Once you've decided what you're going to make here's how to get it started. Most good things start with good water Wash preparation from grains to starch Fermentation of sugar into alcohol by yeast You wouldn't want to drink a distillers version of a beer Wine is the precursor to brandy and many related spirits Need some inspiration, start here: Tried and True Recipes All things Mashing related: Category:Mashing All things Fermenting related: Category:Fermentation All things Yeast related: Category:Yeast Distillation Ye Olde Timey Pot still Now that your fermentation is complete the fun part comes next. Maturation, Storage, and Flavoring of Spirits Barrels and barrels You're done making your product, next comes worst part, waiting. Drinking & Cocktails Bottoms up! Now the best part, enjoying your product! Archive of the Previous HD Content

Global Industry Market Sizing

Daily Updates from Official Sources Track thousands of statistics as and when they are released. All from sources such as National statistic agencies, Governments, International organizations...

It Ain't Just Paint

JULY 21--Meet Patrick Tribett. The Ohio man was nabbed yesterday morning for "abusing harmful intoxicants" as he attempted to make a purchase at Bellaire's Dollar General Store. The 41-year-old Tribett, it seems, had been huffing spray paint and needed a refill. According to a Bellaire Police Department report, Tribett's pupils were constricted and he replied slowly to their questions. Oh, and "officers observed the paint on face and hands," as can be seen in this mug shot. Tribett, who was previously busted for assault, domestic violence, and inhaling harmful intoxicants, was booked into the Belmont County Sheriff's Office lockup. His booking photo immediately joins TSG's pantheon of favorite kooky mug shots like this one, this one, this one, and, of course, this one. (2 pages)