Following closely on the heels of the popular exhibit by the French modern photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, the museum presents an exciting assemblage of important American paintings from roughly the same time period.
Called "To See as Artists See: American Art from the Phillips Collection," the 100 paintings and one sculpture in the show represent American art from the 1850s through the 1960s.
There is something for everyone here, including sports scenes, portraits, flowers, landscapes and cityscapes, in a plethora of styles and media.
"If you are even the least bit interested in American painting, you're going to love this show," predicted museum director Todd Smith.
In presenting this exhibit, the museum is continuing its mission to bring Tampa a high level of modern and contemporary art.
"Modernism starts with impressionism," Smith observed. "The majority of 19th century works in this exhibition are American impressionists."
You'll find many familiar names among the 75 artists in the group, including Milton Avery, Stuart Davis, Richard Diebenkorn, Arthur Dove, Adolph Gottlieb, Philip Guston, Winslow Homer, George Inness, Jacob Lawrence, John Marin, Robert Motherwell, Georgia O'Keeffe, Maurice Pendergast and John Sloan.
"Every major school of American painting is represented in this show," Smith said. "There are 10 themes around which we've installed the show, and sometimes the artist in a particular school is seen in several different themes."
It all depends on the subject of the painting. For example, paintings by Sloan, one of the eight early 20th century artists known as "The Ash Can School," show up in the "Modern Life" theme section as well as the section called "The City."
In the section themed "Memory and Identity," in which artists draw on their memory for inspiration, you'll find such influential painters as Grandma Moses and Lawrence. Four of O'Keeffe's paintings can be found in the "Nature and Abstraction" section.
"(Duncan) Phillips was one of the first to collect Georgia O'Keeffe in depth," Smith explained. "A lot of these artists were people he knew personally, so he would see work in progress and work completed. Because he knew them, he had a vested interest in their success. So when you see this exhibition, you're seeing one man's personal vision of what modern art was."
Duncan Phillips, (1886-1966) critic, writer and art historian, founded The Phillips Memorial Art Gallery" in Washington, D.C., in 1921 and continued collecting modern and contemporary art throughout his life. The title of this exhibit — "To See as Artists See" — is a reference to a phrase Phillips is credited with using to explain why he put this particular collection of works together.
"His was America's first museum of modern art," Smith noted. "It's really remarkable that he was able to put this together at that time and in that place. Washington wasn't exactly the center of art back then. There weren't many collectors then, so he was able to get superb examples of these artists and their styles. The collection is unrivaled in what it says about working American artists."
Art aficionados usually have a preferred genre. But Chun Arthur Wang's works are attracting a diverse audience as the Chinese American oil painter blazes a new trail in oil painting.
"Though I live in a Western environment, what truly inspires me is traditional Chinese culture. The longer I live in the US, the more I miss Chinese culture," said Wang, a professor of fine arts at the Columbus College of Art & Design in Ohio.
Trained as a realistic oil painter at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in China, Wang moved to the US in 1992, where at Columbus he obtained his second bachelor's degree in fine arts. Later he earned a master's degree in fine arts at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
In 2004, after 12 years of living in the US, he started to explore innovative ways to blend East and West by combining oil painting media with techniques from traditional Chinese painting.
He has since established his own style, which includes more smooth brushwork, delicate details and weakened contrast of light and shading - lending his oil paintings an air of Chinese elegance.
One of his signature works is Do You Hear Me Now? Created in 2010, the painting borrowed its title from a popular commercial for cell phones in the US. It portrays three fretful people of different races speaking on their cell phones, isolated from one another while sitting on the same bench.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
What determines the Price of Gold
There were two main influences when I was growing up in the 1970s and 80s. We went through a period of very high inflation in the United States. President Nixon imposed wage and price controls in a misguided, or perhaps very cynical, attempt to fight inflation. And Nixon’s successor, President Ford, handed out these silly little lapel buttons that said “Whip Inflation Now”. I remember seeing a young man on the TV news who had reported a chain store for the economic crime of raising the price of one of their products. He was being given some kind of award for this.
The second historical event was the gold bull market of the late 70s. Then Reagan came in along with Paul Volker who he inherited from the former president, Carter. I wasn’t paying much attention at the time but it stuck with me that gold had made this huge move.
Those two things came together and had a life-long influence on me. From that time I took away a curiosity about inflation. And that led me eventually to be curious about the whole field of economics. I was lucky that I came upon the Austrian School of Economics. I started reading Austrian economics in high school. The Austrian School emphasized gold as the basis of the monetary system and how well that has worked out over the course of human history.
The popular perception of China an economic juggernaut on a path to eclipse the economies of the developed world. And how did that happen? Because their wise central planners chose an export-driven growth strategy. Many people now think that this strategy has gotten them to a point where they are deficient in domestic consumption, so they need to switch to a consumption-driven mode of economic growth; and that this also will be accomplished by the same wise central planners through a series of carefully designed five-year plans.
I think almost everything about this view is wrong; it is still largely a centrally planned economy and we know from the economics of the Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises, central planners cannot allocate resources.
If you have a very simple economy where people make consumption goods with their bare hands, this can be done with central planning. But Mises was trying to explain the economic growth that has occurred in the world from small villages to vast modern economies with millions of goods and a complex division of labor. How could this type of growth occur? The process requires the development of a complex inter-relationship of capital goods, natural resources, and division of labor.
In a modern economy, the number of things that could be produced is nearly unimaginably large. And the number of different production methods for even a single good is incalculable. Take gold for example – finding a deposit is quite complex. There are many ways to look for it. Magnetic fields, chemistry, electrical, drilling. How much drilling and where? And then, when you have the deposit, should it be open pit or underground? Should a resource estimate be established first or start mining and follow the vein? And what about the metallurgy, the chemistry? What type of electrical power? What types of labor? Refine the ore on site, or partially refine? Build roads, rail, or ship the ore? There are millions of decisions and each one needs to be fully answered down to the hire or purchase of specific pieces of capital and individual workers.
Only with prices can you have accounting, which is the ability to calculate profit and loss. In a market economic system, the important decisions are made on the basis of an anticipated profit and loss, which is the difference between the expected prices received on sales and the costs.
Mises had the insight that prices of capital goods are only a meaningful tool for resource allocation if they are established by a competitive bidding process among entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs must choose how much they are willing to pay to acquire a specific capital asset and hire the skilled workers they need. Entrepreneurs are people who put at risk their own capital, and will either earn a profit or suffer a loss.
The diversity of entrepreneurs is a key part of this. Each business firm or company founder has a unique view of their own market, which may be highly detailed and based on years of experience. Mises also noted that each entrepreneur has his idea about what the customer will want. The market is a decentralized process in which the entrepreneur who has the best plan for each particular asset, along with some cash, will end up in a position to choose how that asset gets used.
In my own former job, I worked for a company that was in a small sub-sector of a sub-sector. There are perhaps half a dozen people in the world who truly understood our industry, maybe fewer. The entire world is full of experts like this, people who understand a particular industry or product really well.
Can you imagine, for example, that we would have iPhones or Kindles if the technology industry was planned by a central committee? Before the iPhone, competition in the mobile industry was primarily over how many minutes per month you got on weekdays or weekends. When Steve Jobs decided to develop the iPhone, he risked $150 million of his shareholder’s money and took on the US mobile industry, who did not want a disruptive phone taking away the spotlight from their monthly plans.
Central planning means the abolition of this type of competition. And that is the problem that Mises identified. There is no way to replace this competitive bidding process with a single planner or a planning committee. The central committee cannot bid against itself for the opportunity to acquire specific capital goods and labor. That would be nothing more than the left hand bidding against the right hand. They could assign fake prices to resources and pretend to calculate the best projects, but the numbers that would come out of this process would not be prices, they would be arbitrary numbers that did not reflect the best possible use of scarce productive resources. Mises showed that a central planner has no basis for making economic decisions, even if the process did not become entirely politicized, as it always does.
The second historical event was the gold bull market of the late 70s. Then Reagan came in along with Paul Volker who he inherited from the former president, Carter. I wasn’t paying much attention at the time but it stuck with me that gold had made this huge move.
Those two things came together and had a life-long influence on me. From that time I took away a curiosity about inflation. And that led me eventually to be curious about the whole field of economics. I was lucky that I came upon the Austrian School of Economics. I started reading Austrian economics in high school. The Austrian School emphasized gold as the basis of the monetary system and how well that has worked out over the course of human history.
The popular perception of China an economic juggernaut on a path to eclipse the economies of the developed world. And how did that happen? Because their wise central planners chose an export-driven growth strategy. Many people now think that this strategy has gotten them to a point where they are deficient in domestic consumption, so they need to switch to a consumption-driven mode of economic growth; and that this also will be accomplished by the same wise central planners through a series of carefully designed five-year plans.
I think almost everything about this view is wrong; it is still largely a centrally planned economy and we know from the economics of the Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises, central planners cannot allocate resources.
If you have a very simple economy where people make consumption goods with their bare hands, this can be done with central planning. But Mises was trying to explain the economic growth that has occurred in the world from small villages to vast modern economies with millions of goods and a complex division of labor. How could this type of growth occur? The process requires the development of a complex inter-relationship of capital goods, natural resources, and division of labor.
In a modern economy, the number of things that could be produced is nearly unimaginably large. And the number of different production methods for even a single good is incalculable. Take gold for example – finding a deposit is quite complex. There are many ways to look for it. Magnetic fields, chemistry, electrical, drilling. How much drilling and where? And then, when you have the deposit, should it be open pit or underground? Should a resource estimate be established first or start mining and follow the vein? And what about the metallurgy, the chemistry? What type of electrical power? What types of labor? Refine the ore on site, or partially refine? Build roads, rail, or ship the ore? There are millions of decisions and each one needs to be fully answered down to the hire or purchase of specific pieces of capital and individual workers.
Only with prices can you have accounting, which is the ability to calculate profit and loss. In a market economic system, the important decisions are made on the basis of an anticipated profit and loss, which is the difference between the expected prices received on sales and the costs.
Mises had the insight that prices of capital goods are only a meaningful tool for resource allocation if they are established by a competitive bidding process among entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs must choose how much they are willing to pay to acquire a specific capital asset and hire the skilled workers they need. Entrepreneurs are people who put at risk their own capital, and will either earn a profit or suffer a loss.
The diversity of entrepreneurs is a key part of this. Each business firm or company founder has a unique view of their own market, which may be highly detailed and based on years of experience. Mises also noted that each entrepreneur has his idea about what the customer will want. The market is a decentralized process in which the entrepreneur who has the best plan for each particular asset, along with some cash, will end up in a position to choose how that asset gets used.
In my own former job, I worked for a company that was in a small sub-sector of a sub-sector. There are perhaps half a dozen people in the world who truly understood our industry, maybe fewer. The entire world is full of experts like this, people who understand a particular industry or product really well.
Can you imagine, for example, that we would have iPhones or Kindles if the technology industry was planned by a central committee? Before the iPhone, competition in the mobile industry was primarily over how many minutes per month you got on weekdays or weekends. When Steve Jobs decided to develop the iPhone, he risked $150 million of his shareholder’s money and took on the US mobile industry, who did not want a disruptive phone taking away the spotlight from their monthly plans.
Central planning means the abolition of this type of competition. And that is the problem that Mises identified. There is no way to replace this competitive bidding process with a single planner or a planning committee. The central committee cannot bid against itself for the opportunity to acquire specific capital goods and labor. That would be nothing more than the left hand bidding against the right hand. They could assign fake prices to resources and pretend to calculate the best projects, but the numbers that would come out of this process would not be prices, they would be arbitrary numbers that did not reflect the best possible use of scarce productive resources. Mises showed that a central planner has no basis for making economic decisions, even if the process did not become entirely politicized, as it always does.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
The Business Of Scouting And A Crisis Of Our Own Making
I’m an Eagle Scout. When I turned 8, and for the next twenty years, Scouting occupied the majority of my time in life.
I was elected and appointed to national Scouting posts for several years as a kid, and served for several more as an adult. When I was 19 years old, I met — then lived with, and traveled the world assisting — one of the great mentors of my life. He was 91 years old, and William “Green Bar Bill” Hillcourt was renowned as one of the founding fathers of the worldwide movement of Scouting. Hillcourt was a hero to millions of Scouts and Scouters. He wrote many of the Scout handbooks and shaped much of the Scouting program for nearly 70 years, though was often out of step with the corporate decision makers of the Boy Scouts of America.
Following Bill’s death, I carried a spark from the torch he tried to pass, and one of my earliest startups was a magazine for Boy Scout leaders, together with a web community we launched in 1994, the dark ages of the internet. We reached tens of thousands of leaders, and for several years it was my honor to write and travel and speak to a grassroots movement of Scouting, and lead an incredible team of staff and volunteers that loved their jobs.
In some ways that early startup experience really set an impossible standard for my future business ventures… we didn’t just satisfy customers. Instead, the words we published and ideas we promoted brought customer letters proclaiming “Bless you for helping me change the lives of kids!”, and went on to paint in vivid detail how we had done so. It was pretty inspirational and heady stuff for all of us in that business, even if we weren’t making any money.
There was a time when I expected my entire life would be spent in the service of Scouting, humbly trying to continue the legacy of Bill Hillcourt, and give back to a movement that had done more to shape and mold the man I became than anything I learned in school, from my parents, or from any other influence.
Scouting inspired the value of cheerful service, honed my leadership, and fostered my ambition to nurture and advance my community. From those lessons, I’ve launched startups, mentored founders, created schools and built several organizations. I’ve succeeded and failed plenty of times, and Scouting was the lab where I first learned how to do both.
The Scouting of my youth was a welcoming place for all kids to learn and grow. But twenty years ago, Scouting in America chose to become a culture warrior, and has increasingly marginalized itself and eroded its brand.
The BSA won a Supreme Court case in 2000, defending its right as a private organization to define its own membership. That case may have been specifically about gay members, but it was really about a broader right of association. The BSA was correct to defend itself in that case, and the final decision of the Court was also correct.
Many may argue that BSA was drawn into the battle. But where BSA failed, and instead placed itself at the tip of the dagger, was in not announcing the very next day that they were granting local chartering partners (the churches, civic clubs, and parent groups) the power to decide who the best leaders would be for their kids.
BSA correctly fought for the right to association, but then denied that right to their most important partners, the parents in neighborhoods and communities across America.
It may be a difficult nuance to understand the difference between the movement of Scouting, which grows in more than 140 countries and still shines brightly with millions of kids in local neighborhoods throughout this country, and the organization of the Boy Scouts of America. The BSA is the national corporation, exclusively granted a charter by the US Congress to administer the only boy scout program in this country. It’s the organization that established this policy.
The movement of Scouting continues to be one of the great opportunities for light and goodness in the world. But in my opinion, and one shared by millions of parents with kids who could benefit from Scouting, the corporation that administers Scouting in America lost its moral compass a long time ago.
The BSA will argue they were only honoring the wishes and concerns of parents. They will argue they didn’t expressly ban gay kids and adults, they simply compelled them to keep that part of their identity secret if they wanted to remain in Scouting. But in reality they refused to allow all local parents, troop leaders and chartering partners to decide for themselves.
In retrospect, the Boy Scouts of America made a bad business decision. It might have been good short-term business, in that it placated a few of their largest chartering partners, like the LDS and Catholic church, who were then using the Boy Scouts as a sectarian tool (even if many smaller churches and other partners were marginalized in dissent). But it was clearly bad business in the long run.
Not long after that Supreme Court case, in a rare, candid moment, the chief scout executive at the time was quoted in the media saying “when [parents] start walking away from us, that’s the signal for us to revisit the issue”. That’s a business decision, driven by numbers, not a moral one.
And for the next thirteen years, the BSA became an increasingly isolated echo chamber of like minded customers, where their business decision ignored the total addressable market.
I was elected and appointed to national Scouting posts for several years as a kid, and served for several more as an adult. When I was 19 years old, I met — then lived with, and traveled the world assisting — one of the great mentors of my life. He was 91 years old, and William “Green Bar Bill” Hillcourt was renowned as one of the founding fathers of the worldwide movement of Scouting. Hillcourt was a hero to millions of Scouts and Scouters. He wrote many of the Scout handbooks and shaped much of the Scouting program for nearly 70 years, though was often out of step with the corporate decision makers of the Boy Scouts of America.
Following Bill’s death, I carried a spark from the torch he tried to pass, and one of my earliest startups was a magazine for Boy Scout leaders, together with a web community we launched in 1994, the dark ages of the internet. We reached tens of thousands of leaders, and for several years it was my honor to write and travel and speak to a grassroots movement of Scouting, and lead an incredible team of staff and volunteers that loved their jobs.
In some ways that early startup experience really set an impossible standard for my future business ventures… we didn’t just satisfy customers. Instead, the words we published and ideas we promoted brought customer letters proclaiming “Bless you for helping me change the lives of kids!”, and went on to paint in vivid detail how we had done so. It was pretty inspirational and heady stuff for all of us in that business, even if we weren’t making any money.
There was a time when I expected my entire life would be spent in the service of Scouting, humbly trying to continue the legacy of Bill Hillcourt, and give back to a movement that had done more to shape and mold the man I became than anything I learned in school, from my parents, or from any other influence.
Scouting inspired the value of cheerful service, honed my leadership, and fostered my ambition to nurture and advance my community. From those lessons, I’ve launched startups, mentored founders, created schools and built several organizations. I’ve succeeded and failed plenty of times, and Scouting was the lab where I first learned how to do both.
The Scouting of my youth was a welcoming place for all kids to learn and grow. But twenty years ago, Scouting in America chose to become a culture warrior, and has increasingly marginalized itself and eroded its brand.
The BSA won a Supreme Court case in 2000, defending its right as a private organization to define its own membership. That case may have been specifically about gay members, but it was really about a broader right of association. The BSA was correct to defend itself in that case, and the final decision of the Court was also correct.
Many may argue that BSA was drawn into the battle. But where BSA failed, and instead placed itself at the tip of the dagger, was in not announcing the very next day that they were granting local chartering partners (the churches, civic clubs, and parent groups) the power to decide who the best leaders would be for their kids.
BSA correctly fought for the right to association, but then denied that right to their most important partners, the parents in neighborhoods and communities across America.
It may be a difficult nuance to understand the difference between the movement of Scouting, which grows in more than 140 countries and still shines brightly with millions of kids in local neighborhoods throughout this country, and the organization of the Boy Scouts of America. The BSA is the national corporation, exclusively granted a charter by the US Congress to administer the only boy scout program in this country. It’s the organization that established this policy.
The movement of Scouting continues to be one of the great opportunities for light and goodness in the world. But in my opinion, and one shared by millions of parents with kids who could benefit from Scouting, the corporation that administers Scouting in America lost its moral compass a long time ago.
The BSA will argue they were only honoring the wishes and concerns of parents. They will argue they didn’t expressly ban gay kids and adults, they simply compelled them to keep that part of their identity secret if they wanted to remain in Scouting. But in reality they refused to allow all local parents, troop leaders and chartering partners to decide for themselves.
In retrospect, the Boy Scouts of America made a bad business decision. It might have been good short-term business, in that it placated a few of their largest chartering partners, like the LDS and Catholic church, who were then using the Boy Scouts as a sectarian tool (even if many smaller churches and other partners were marginalized in dissent). But it was clearly bad business in the long run.
Not long after that Supreme Court case, in a rare, candid moment, the chief scout executive at the time was quoted in the media saying “when [parents] start walking away from us, that’s the signal for us to revisit the issue”. That’s a business decision, driven by numbers, not a moral one.
And for the next thirteen years, the BSA became an increasingly isolated echo chamber of like minded customers, where their business decision ignored the total addressable market.
The Next American G.I. Joes?
As the Pentagon seeks to vastly expand its cyber warfare efforts, experts and hackers warn that hackers who have the skills to wage this war are not a good fit for America’s straight-laced military culture. In short, potential soldiers in cyber warfare break the military mold.
The Defense Department’s Cyber Command plans to add up to 4,900 workers in the coming years. But to fill these positions, the Pentagon will have to tap into an odd recruiting pool: people known more for their distrust of authority and for their belief in open information than their commitment to protecting the country, according to Todd Harrison, a senior fellow for defense budget studies at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.
Recruiting is a “hard thing to do, given the career paths of hackers and the military,” Harrison said. “The typical military career path, in which it takes years to advance, isn’t going to seem very attractive to the hacker. In the software world, you can be CEO of a billion dollar company when you’re in your twenties.”
“There are a lot of things about military culture that may not be attractive to these real hacker types,” Harrison added.
In fact, a group of hackers has recently made the U.S. government one of its targets. As revenge for the suicide of Internet activist Aaron Swartz, who was facing up to 30 years in prison for illegally downloading academic papers, the powerful hackers group Anonymous last week threatened to attack the Justice Department’s network.
Harrison said that the fast-paced nature of cyber warfare – hackers constantly need to find new ways to beat security, making techniques that work today useless in a matter of months – would only complicate recruitment efforts.
“You constantly need to be recruiting 22 year olds,” he said. “If you’re in your 30s you’re too old.”
This would leave people with expertise in cyber warfare, as well as with years of access to highly classified information, without work. At the very least, these redundant workers pose a possible security risk.
Chris, who said he was speaking from the Czech Republic, said forum participants were posting about the Pentagon’s announcement in recent days. But he said he doubted many would be interested in working for the Pentagon or the federal government.
“I've heard quite a lot about the United States trying to fight the cyber crime,” he said. “Generally our [hackers] society knows about these attempts to catch the bad guys, but very few have interest in joining them.”
Chris added that he didn’t think the U.S. government could locate the hackers who are capable of penetrating military systems. He said these hackers operate in secret forums that are extremely difficult to penetrate.
“The real bad people that do all these huge bugs operate in private,” he said. “It's really, really difficult to get there. I don't believe that the government could get to them.”
However, Harrison said not to underestimate the current capabilities of America’s cyber army compared to cyber operations in countries like China and Russia. Few details are known about what the group actually does. On rare occasion, success stories like the infiltration of an Iranian nuclear facility are leaked.
Quarterback play was a bugaboo for the Gators in 2012, and Muschamp is losing Jacoby Brissett to NC State, but he picks up Max Staver. Staver's not as highly rated as some of the more high-profile quarterbacks, but he fits what Muschamp is looking for: a big, physical guy who can stretch the field and is not afraid to carry the ball.
Kelvin Taylor is going to look to challenge for time at the running back spot, and there are defensive players who will use the departures as an opportunity to play early. Alex Anzalone and Daniel McMillian are both early enrollments, and that means they will have more time to digest the playbook and compete for early playing time.
Nick Saban is at it again. The four-time BCS Championship winner is just a wizard on the recruiting trail. He is in the running for some elite recruits, but his current list stands up by itself as a top-notch group. Saban has a knack for meshing his project players with guys who already possess college bodies and mixing them into one class.
This class is headlined by three top-level running backs, and as is Saban's way, he'll let them sort that out themselves in August. If they are up to snuff, they'll get reps on Saturdays. If not, they will be sitting on the sideline watching. Competition is a beautiful thing.
There is a lot to talk about with Saban's class. He has linebackers to continue the embarrassment of riches at that position, plus the quarterback who just seems to fit his mold. Offensive line talent and a lot of wide receivers help too.
However, the big get for the Tide is tight end O.J. Howard. This is a kid who has some real skills when it comes to catching the football and getting open down the field. He has the ability to really open up the offense in Tuscaloosa, and that will be a major problem for defenses. An elite, pass-catching tight end paired with the power rushing attack is a true nightmare for SEC safeties.
The Defense Department’s Cyber Command plans to add up to 4,900 workers in the coming years. But to fill these positions, the Pentagon will have to tap into an odd recruiting pool: people known more for their distrust of authority and for their belief in open information than their commitment to protecting the country, according to Todd Harrison, a senior fellow for defense budget studies at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.
Recruiting is a “hard thing to do, given the career paths of hackers and the military,” Harrison said. “The typical military career path, in which it takes years to advance, isn’t going to seem very attractive to the hacker. In the software world, you can be CEO of a billion dollar company when you’re in your twenties.”
“There are a lot of things about military culture that may not be attractive to these real hacker types,” Harrison added.
In fact, a group of hackers has recently made the U.S. government one of its targets. As revenge for the suicide of Internet activist Aaron Swartz, who was facing up to 30 years in prison for illegally downloading academic papers, the powerful hackers group Anonymous last week threatened to attack the Justice Department’s network.
Harrison said that the fast-paced nature of cyber warfare – hackers constantly need to find new ways to beat security, making techniques that work today useless in a matter of months – would only complicate recruitment efforts.
“You constantly need to be recruiting 22 year olds,” he said. “If you’re in your 30s you’re too old.”
This would leave people with expertise in cyber warfare, as well as with years of access to highly classified information, without work. At the very least, these redundant workers pose a possible security risk.
Chris, who said he was speaking from the Czech Republic, said forum participants were posting about the Pentagon’s announcement in recent days. But he said he doubted many would be interested in working for the Pentagon or the federal government.
“I've heard quite a lot about the United States trying to fight the cyber crime,” he said. “Generally our [hackers] society knows about these attempts to catch the bad guys, but very few have interest in joining them.”
Chris added that he didn’t think the U.S. government could locate the hackers who are capable of penetrating military systems. He said these hackers operate in secret forums that are extremely difficult to penetrate.
“The real bad people that do all these huge bugs operate in private,” he said. “It's really, really difficult to get there. I don't believe that the government could get to them.”
However, Harrison said not to underestimate the current capabilities of America’s cyber army compared to cyber operations in countries like China and Russia. Few details are known about what the group actually does. On rare occasion, success stories like the infiltration of an Iranian nuclear facility are leaked.
Quarterback play was a bugaboo for the Gators in 2012, and Muschamp is losing Jacoby Brissett to NC State, but he picks up Max Staver. Staver's not as highly rated as some of the more high-profile quarterbacks, but he fits what Muschamp is looking for: a big, physical guy who can stretch the field and is not afraid to carry the ball.
Kelvin Taylor is going to look to challenge for time at the running back spot, and there are defensive players who will use the departures as an opportunity to play early. Alex Anzalone and Daniel McMillian are both early enrollments, and that means they will have more time to digest the playbook and compete for early playing time.
Nick Saban is at it again. The four-time BCS Championship winner is just a wizard on the recruiting trail. He is in the running for some elite recruits, but his current list stands up by itself as a top-notch group. Saban has a knack for meshing his project players with guys who already possess college bodies and mixing them into one class.
This class is headlined by three top-level running backs, and as is Saban's way, he'll let them sort that out themselves in August. If they are up to snuff, they'll get reps on Saturdays. If not, they will be sitting on the sideline watching. Competition is a beautiful thing.
There is a lot to talk about with Saban's class. He has linebackers to continue the embarrassment of riches at that position, plus the quarterback who just seems to fit his mold. Offensive line talent and a lot of wide receivers help too.
However, the big get for the Tide is tight end O.J. Howard. This is a kid who has some real skills when it comes to catching the football and getting open down the field. He has the ability to really open up the offense in Tuscaloosa, and that will be a major problem for defenses. An elite, pass-catching tight end paired with the power rushing attack is a true nightmare for SEC safeties.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
All at sea over fish and chips
A determined group of professional chefs wander down an fairly unconvincing alleyway and into an even less convincing locker room, the design of both illustrating unnerving similarities between big-budget reality television and low-budget erotica.
A montage of the preceding week follows, and we are reminded of Matt, the guy with the unsanitary hat who encouraged everyone to follow their dreams, and Anthony, the guy with the undignified exit who encouraged everyone to shut the hell up.
Cassie tells us that when she puts on her chef whites she becomes a different person, and that's who she really is. In light of this identity crisis, we are all slightly confused as to who is speaking to us right now – is it Cassie the talented young chef, or is it Cassie the person in ordinary clothes who cannot cook at all?
The irrepressible force that is Marco Pierre White welcomes everyone to the kitchen in a syrupy baritone. Poetry flows from his mouth and a dangerous charisma radiates from his very core. The women of Australia wonder whether it's really all that healthy to be so attracted to someone who is almost certain at some stage to murder them horribly.
A brand new challenge awaits our chef-hopefuls – the "Reinvention Test". Each week the contestants must take a classic dish that is perfectly fine the way it is and artfully mold it into something that contains far more adjectives.
As the winner of the previous challenge, Akuc must pull a knife from a block to decide which dish all the contestants will tackle. A swift draw of steel later and we find out that it's that most classic of classics – fish and chips.
Marco describes his adolescent experiences by the seaside as “dreamy”, “magical” and “special” and it takes us all a moment to realise with horror that he is not actually talking about fish and chips AT ALL.
Akuc is despondent. Being from Sudan, she has never eaten fish and chips, let alone cooked them. In fact, she's never even seen a fish or been in the same room as a potato.
Cassie is in much higher spirits. She has the unique experience of growing up around fish and chips, so this challenge is one that plays right to her particular strength of having eaten ordinary foods.
Cooking commences, and after a false start and a stern word from Matt Preston, Rhett is struggling to come up with an inventive dish. This is surprising to everyone but most of all to Rhett, who by his own frank admission is so amazing that he should be finding this challenge a walk in the park.
Coop is crafting some ingeniously crispy parsnip chips into a collar, which will be filled with an aerated fish mousse. He's struggling with his mousse, but that difficulty is nothing compared to his struggles as a young father with a heart of gold, trying hard to get the best medical care for his sick daughter. As we are shown scenes of Coop playing with his young girl, we discover that Marco isn't the only one that's good at making people cry.
Akuc again reminds us that she's never eaten fish and chips before, and Rhett again reminds us that he is awesome; and for some reason, I don't think it's the last time we've heard either of these two pieces of information.
Chrissie tells us that she has to get her dish on the plate or she's going home. With this revelation it's reassuring to know that after nine separate series of MasterChef over the past five years, the importance of actually serving food to the judges is something we've been intuitive enough to correctly pick up on.
She's cooking her fish en papillote, which is French for “incorrectly”, and Marco strolls over to advise her that she's doing pretty much everything wrong.
Rhys, having learned almost nothing from the five-course seafood tasting plate that sent Anthony home last week, is making five separate elements for his reinvented fish and chips. The major difference of course being that Rhys' dish involves beer and coconuts, so I have to confess that I'm a little excited.
Akuc now tells us that she's never made batter before, because that's another thing they don't have in Sudan. It would seem appropriate at this time to point out to Akuc that, rather than just the experiences of her early childhood in the Sudan, in this challenge she is also allowed to draw inspiration from her many years of training as a professional chef in some of Australia's best kitchens.
Marco approaches Akuc and tells her that her idea of frying fish in batter and serving it with fried potatoes sounds very original. Akuc thanks him, because apparently they don't have sarcasm in Sudan either.
Ninety minutes is almost up and Marco paces back and forth through the kitchen, repeatedly shouting the number “15”. We assume is the amount of time remaining, but before we can clarify he knocks 246 toothpicks onto the ground, reminds everyone that he is an excellent driver, and informs us that “Qantas never crashes.”
A few frantic moments later and the challenge is over. Rhett summons every ounce of modesty he has in his body to tell us that his dish is amazing and that it should be on the menu at his restaurant. And with that it's on to the tasting.
Coop is first up and his food is cooked impeccably, but Matt's seen it all before. He's disappointed that Coop hasn't used his time in this challenge to invent an entirely new method of cooking. In the interests of full-disclosure I should mention that I have worked with Coop before, and that this may be influencing my opinion that this criticism of Coop has exposed Matt as a heartless monster.
Akuc comes forward with a plate of battered fish and deep-fried potatoes, bringing the list of things we now know that are not present in Sudan to: fish, chips, batter, sarcasm, and the concept of “reinvention” itself.
Cameron has not actually cooked any food, but his impressively architectural diorama of a castle and a lighthouse wins him a gold star from the judges.
Rhett's crispy fried coral trout wings with taro chips and a chili-ginger sauce is a winner, exciting both judges; and Rhys' five-element dish has succeeded where the now-eliminated chef-to-the-stars Anthony had failed. We can only imagine what colour Anthony is turning at home as he watches this.
Chrissie has not fared so well and the judges are not impressed with her fish and chips that she has reinvented to, well, fish and chips. She bursts into tears and Marco puts his arm around her, whispering into her ear.
After months of advertisements espousing Marco's prowess at forcing people to cry, we are now expected to believe he is equally good at making them stop. Right now, I would not be at all surprised if back at home he had a large room just full of tiny vials of tears – all neatly labeled and catalogued by name, date and reason for issue. He just comes across like that kind of guy.
Cassie's deconstructed English classic is a hit with the judges, drawing praise for the little mound of malt vinaigrette foam that identifies this dish as “modern” and distinct from all the years that the human race stupidly ate food that hadn't been turned into gels or foams.
The top three dishes in this challenge belong to Rhett, Cassie and Rhys, and today Rhett has emerged victorious, despite his crippling lack of self-belief.
Akuc and Chrissie are the bottom two, and Marco tells us that in this competition a dish that is “good is not good enough”. Neither, apparently, is dish that is “not good” and Chrissie is told she's going home.
Chrissie cries. Bonny cries. Akuc cries. Some other people probably cried too but I couldn't see them because I think I was crying.
We've often been told of Marco Pierre White's past success in making Gordon Ramsay cry, but what we weren't told is that, in fairness to Gordon, it would appear that Marco just makes everyone cry. Whether it is the intimidating projection of his iron will or an overwhelming personal odour of onions, we cannot know through the medium of traditional television.
Chrissie exits the MasterChef kitchen for the last time, disappointed with the fortunes of the day, but with her head held high in the knowledge that just last week she won praise from one of the world's best chefs and one of the world's best food critics for her berry and almond tart.
A montage of the preceding week follows, and we are reminded of Matt, the guy with the unsanitary hat who encouraged everyone to follow their dreams, and Anthony, the guy with the undignified exit who encouraged everyone to shut the hell up.
Cassie tells us that when she puts on her chef whites she becomes a different person, and that's who she really is. In light of this identity crisis, we are all slightly confused as to who is speaking to us right now – is it Cassie the talented young chef, or is it Cassie the person in ordinary clothes who cannot cook at all?
The irrepressible force that is Marco Pierre White welcomes everyone to the kitchen in a syrupy baritone. Poetry flows from his mouth and a dangerous charisma radiates from his very core. The women of Australia wonder whether it's really all that healthy to be so attracted to someone who is almost certain at some stage to murder them horribly.
A brand new challenge awaits our chef-hopefuls – the "Reinvention Test". Each week the contestants must take a classic dish that is perfectly fine the way it is and artfully mold it into something that contains far more adjectives.
As the winner of the previous challenge, Akuc must pull a knife from a block to decide which dish all the contestants will tackle. A swift draw of steel later and we find out that it's that most classic of classics – fish and chips.
Marco describes his adolescent experiences by the seaside as “dreamy”, “magical” and “special” and it takes us all a moment to realise with horror that he is not actually talking about fish and chips AT ALL.
Akuc is despondent. Being from Sudan, she has never eaten fish and chips, let alone cooked them. In fact, she's never even seen a fish or been in the same room as a potato.
Cassie is in much higher spirits. She has the unique experience of growing up around fish and chips, so this challenge is one that plays right to her particular strength of having eaten ordinary foods.
Cooking commences, and after a false start and a stern word from Matt Preston, Rhett is struggling to come up with an inventive dish. This is surprising to everyone but most of all to Rhett, who by his own frank admission is so amazing that he should be finding this challenge a walk in the park.
Coop is crafting some ingeniously crispy parsnip chips into a collar, which will be filled with an aerated fish mousse. He's struggling with his mousse, but that difficulty is nothing compared to his struggles as a young father with a heart of gold, trying hard to get the best medical care for his sick daughter. As we are shown scenes of Coop playing with his young girl, we discover that Marco isn't the only one that's good at making people cry.
Akuc again reminds us that she's never eaten fish and chips before, and Rhett again reminds us that he is awesome; and for some reason, I don't think it's the last time we've heard either of these two pieces of information.
Chrissie tells us that she has to get her dish on the plate or she's going home. With this revelation it's reassuring to know that after nine separate series of MasterChef over the past five years, the importance of actually serving food to the judges is something we've been intuitive enough to correctly pick up on.
She's cooking her fish en papillote, which is French for “incorrectly”, and Marco strolls over to advise her that she's doing pretty much everything wrong.
Rhys, having learned almost nothing from the five-course seafood tasting plate that sent Anthony home last week, is making five separate elements for his reinvented fish and chips. The major difference of course being that Rhys' dish involves beer and coconuts, so I have to confess that I'm a little excited.
Akuc now tells us that she's never made batter before, because that's another thing they don't have in Sudan. It would seem appropriate at this time to point out to Akuc that, rather than just the experiences of her early childhood in the Sudan, in this challenge she is also allowed to draw inspiration from her many years of training as a professional chef in some of Australia's best kitchens.
Marco approaches Akuc and tells her that her idea of frying fish in batter and serving it with fried potatoes sounds very original. Akuc thanks him, because apparently they don't have sarcasm in Sudan either.
Ninety minutes is almost up and Marco paces back and forth through the kitchen, repeatedly shouting the number “15”. We assume is the amount of time remaining, but before we can clarify he knocks 246 toothpicks onto the ground, reminds everyone that he is an excellent driver, and informs us that “Qantas never crashes.”
A few frantic moments later and the challenge is over. Rhett summons every ounce of modesty he has in his body to tell us that his dish is amazing and that it should be on the menu at his restaurant. And with that it's on to the tasting.
Coop is first up and his food is cooked impeccably, but Matt's seen it all before. He's disappointed that Coop hasn't used his time in this challenge to invent an entirely new method of cooking. In the interests of full-disclosure I should mention that I have worked with Coop before, and that this may be influencing my opinion that this criticism of Coop has exposed Matt as a heartless monster.
Akuc comes forward with a plate of battered fish and deep-fried potatoes, bringing the list of things we now know that are not present in Sudan to: fish, chips, batter, sarcasm, and the concept of “reinvention” itself.
Cameron has not actually cooked any food, but his impressively architectural diorama of a castle and a lighthouse wins him a gold star from the judges.
Rhett's crispy fried coral trout wings with taro chips and a chili-ginger sauce is a winner, exciting both judges; and Rhys' five-element dish has succeeded where the now-eliminated chef-to-the-stars Anthony had failed. We can only imagine what colour Anthony is turning at home as he watches this.
Chrissie has not fared so well and the judges are not impressed with her fish and chips that she has reinvented to, well, fish and chips. She bursts into tears and Marco puts his arm around her, whispering into her ear.
After months of advertisements espousing Marco's prowess at forcing people to cry, we are now expected to believe he is equally good at making them stop. Right now, I would not be at all surprised if back at home he had a large room just full of tiny vials of tears – all neatly labeled and catalogued by name, date and reason for issue. He just comes across like that kind of guy.
Cassie's deconstructed English classic is a hit with the judges, drawing praise for the little mound of malt vinaigrette foam that identifies this dish as “modern” and distinct from all the years that the human race stupidly ate food that hadn't been turned into gels or foams.
The top three dishes in this challenge belong to Rhett, Cassie and Rhys, and today Rhett has emerged victorious, despite his crippling lack of self-belief.
Akuc and Chrissie are the bottom two, and Marco tells us that in this competition a dish that is “good is not good enough”. Neither, apparently, is dish that is “not good” and Chrissie is told she's going home.
Chrissie cries. Bonny cries. Akuc cries. Some other people probably cried too but I couldn't see them because I think I was crying.
We've often been told of Marco Pierre White's past success in making Gordon Ramsay cry, but what we weren't told is that, in fairness to Gordon, it would appear that Marco just makes everyone cry. Whether it is the intimidating projection of his iron will or an overwhelming personal odour of onions, we cannot know through the medium of traditional television.
Chrissie exits the MasterChef kitchen for the last time, disappointed with the fortunes of the day, but with her head held high in the knowledge that just last week she won praise from one of the world's best chefs and one of the world's best food critics for her berry and almond tart.
Lawrence police probe reported home invasions
A grandmother told police that four masked men dressed in black, one of them armed, burst into her apartment at 160 West St. early yesterday and robbed her of about $400 in cash.
The woman said she was in her room watching television shortly before 1 a.m. when she heard a loud bang. When she got up to see what was going on, she was confronted by the four men – one pf whom pointed a gun at her, police Detective Carlos Cueva wrote in his report.
“They forced her back in her room and demanded she give them money and anything else. She then directed the suspects to a sock drawer and told them she had some money in there,” the detective wrote.
The incident was the second reported home invasion in less than three hours. A 56-year-old man who lives in the basement at 263 Jackson St. said he was beaten by three masked men dressed in black, two of them armed with guns, who forced their way into his home at about 10:30 p.m. Friday.
Lawrence police Chief John Romero said investigators don’t know whether the incidents are related. Police don’t have any suspects in the two cases, as the victims said they didn’t recognize their assailants.
“We’re still investigating,” Romero said last night.
In the West Street incident, the grandmother said the intruders took about $400 from the sock drawer. The woman said the men also robbed some cell phones before leaving.
The woman’s 13-year-old grandson told police he was playing a video game when the masked men broke down the front door and entered the apartment. The boy’s mother was also in the house at the time of the incident.
In the Jackson Street incident, the victim told police that he was in bed watching television when somebody knocked on his door. When he opened the door, three men rushed in. Two of them held black handguns and the other one brandished a large knife, Detective Cueva wrote in his report.
“The victim was struck in the head and fell to the floor where they continued to strike him,” the detective wrote.
“They demanded money from the victim who was telling them he did not have money, that he was on disability,” he said.
The intruders went to the other apartment in the basement and forced their way in. The tenant was not home at the time.
“In that room, all the ceiling tiles were moved and pulled out and all his clothes in the closet were pulled out and appeared to be searched through,” Cueva noted in his report.
The man who was beaten said he got up from the floor where he had passed out and ran out the back door screaming for help, he told police.
“At that time the males chased him out the door and again began to assault him. They then ran out the back yard which leads right to Berkeley Street and soon after other people who live in the apartments above his came out to see what was going,” Cueva wrote in his report.
The house is famous for its unique architecture which is the harmonious combination of Vietnamese, French and Chinese styles. It is the place that witnessed the romantic love between Marguerite Duras, a well-known French writer, and Huynh Thuy Le, the son of the Huynh Family who is the house’s owner.
When we arrived at the house, we meet Australian tourists who were listening to the tourist guide’s architectural value and the love between the house’s owner and writer Marguerite Duras. The bustling atmosphere in Sa Dec in the late afternoon reminded all of us of the animated scene at the wharf on the Tien River in the past.
The house was built using precious wood in 1895. Its roof is covered by Yin-Yang tiles and designed with two curved ends in the shape of boats, a familiar symbol of the watery area in the south-western region. In 1917, Huynh Cam Thuan, father of Huynh Thuy Le reconstructed the house in the style of a French villa with a harmony of both Oriental and Western architecture.
The outside of the house improves visitors with the French architectural style that used decorative details, such as statues and relief from the Renaissance on the facade and arched doors in the Roman style and Gothic windows of multi-colored glass. All provide the house with a magnificent and imposing appearance. Going inside, tourists have a familiar feeling because of the Oriental architectural style that is clearly seen through skillful and refined patterns and sculptures in the shapes of birds, flowers, plants, daisies, bamboo and apricots. There are beautiful spots and scenes carved on woo that reflect the bustling life in the watery area in South Viet Nam. The house consists of three compartments with the middle one used for worshiping Guangong according to the religious belief the Chinese and two others for receiving guests and for bedrooms. The corridor of the house leads to the servants’ quarters. The floor was paved with flowered tiles and the walls were built with solid brick, 30-40 languages and it was made into a film of the same named by French Director Jean Jacques Annaud in 1992. The film has left a resounding impression on viewers all around the world.
The move famous that the novel and film become, the larger the number of foreign tourists who want to visit the house grows. Over the years, the house has become a popular destination, fascinating tourists from France, the US, Australia, Japan, South Korea and the UK.
The woman said she was in her room watching television shortly before 1 a.m. when she heard a loud bang. When she got up to see what was going on, she was confronted by the four men – one pf whom pointed a gun at her, police Detective Carlos Cueva wrote in his report.
“They forced her back in her room and demanded she give them money and anything else. She then directed the suspects to a sock drawer and told them she had some money in there,” the detective wrote.
The incident was the second reported home invasion in less than three hours. A 56-year-old man who lives in the basement at 263 Jackson St. said he was beaten by three masked men dressed in black, two of them armed with guns, who forced their way into his home at about 10:30 p.m. Friday.
Lawrence police Chief John Romero said investigators don’t know whether the incidents are related. Police don’t have any suspects in the two cases, as the victims said they didn’t recognize their assailants.
“We’re still investigating,” Romero said last night.
In the West Street incident, the grandmother said the intruders took about $400 from the sock drawer. The woman said the men also robbed some cell phones before leaving.
The woman’s 13-year-old grandson told police he was playing a video game when the masked men broke down the front door and entered the apartment. The boy’s mother was also in the house at the time of the incident.
In the Jackson Street incident, the victim told police that he was in bed watching television when somebody knocked on his door. When he opened the door, three men rushed in. Two of them held black handguns and the other one brandished a large knife, Detective Cueva wrote in his report.
“The victim was struck in the head and fell to the floor where they continued to strike him,” the detective wrote.
“They demanded money from the victim who was telling them he did not have money, that he was on disability,” he said.
The intruders went to the other apartment in the basement and forced their way in. The tenant was not home at the time.
“In that room, all the ceiling tiles were moved and pulled out and all his clothes in the closet were pulled out and appeared to be searched through,” Cueva noted in his report.
The man who was beaten said he got up from the floor where he had passed out and ran out the back door screaming for help, he told police.
“At that time the males chased him out the door and again began to assault him. They then ran out the back yard which leads right to Berkeley Street and soon after other people who live in the apartments above his came out to see what was going,” Cueva wrote in his report.
The house is famous for its unique architecture which is the harmonious combination of Vietnamese, French and Chinese styles. It is the place that witnessed the romantic love between Marguerite Duras, a well-known French writer, and Huynh Thuy Le, the son of the Huynh Family who is the house’s owner.
When we arrived at the house, we meet Australian tourists who were listening to the tourist guide’s architectural value and the love between the house’s owner and writer Marguerite Duras. The bustling atmosphere in Sa Dec in the late afternoon reminded all of us of the animated scene at the wharf on the Tien River in the past.
The house was built using precious wood in 1895. Its roof is covered by Yin-Yang tiles and designed with two curved ends in the shape of boats, a familiar symbol of the watery area in the south-western region. In 1917, Huynh Cam Thuan, father of Huynh Thuy Le reconstructed the house in the style of a French villa with a harmony of both Oriental and Western architecture.
The outside of the house improves visitors with the French architectural style that used decorative details, such as statues and relief from the Renaissance on the facade and arched doors in the Roman style and Gothic windows of multi-colored glass. All provide the house with a magnificent and imposing appearance. Going inside, tourists have a familiar feeling because of the Oriental architectural style that is clearly seen through skillful and refined patterns and sculptures in the shapes of birds, flowers, plants, daisies, bamboo and apricots. There are beautiful spots and scenes carved on woo that reflect the bustling life in the watery area in South Viet Nam. The house consists of three compartments with the middle one used for worshiping Guangong according to the religious belief the Chinese and two others for receiving guests and for bedrooms. The corridor of the house leads to the servants’ quarters. The floor was paved with flowered tiles and the walls were built with solid brick, 30-40 languages and it was made into a film of the same named by French Director Jean Jacques Annaud in 1992. The film has left a resounding impression on viewers all around the world.
The move famous that the novel and film become, the larger the number of foreign tourists who want to visit the house grows. Over the years, the house has become a popular destination, fascinating tourists from France, the US, Australia, Japan, South Korea and the UK.
Monday, January 21, 2013
How New York Tech Is Poised to Lead 'Consumer Electronics'
This year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was notable, not so much for what was there as what has vanished. As Shelly Palmer so apply put it -- aisle after aisle of what used to fill stores like Best Buy are simply vanishing. As he explains it: "several aisles of products are disappearing because... there's an app for that. Point-and-shoot cameras, video cameras, music players, GPS systems, voice recorders, calculators, digital picture frames, and a hundred other products have all been rolled into smartphones and tablets."
Simply put -- the era of devices is coming to a close. That's not to say there won't be neat new phones, or iPads, or flatscreen TV's. Sure their will be. But the real innovation is shifting to software. If you need proof, just look at the number of sensors that were on display. Gadgets that hang off your network and connect a 'thing' to your software via a table or smart phone. Their were sensors to turn on and off lights, sensors to check the quality of the air in your home, devices to remotely lock and unlock your front door, sensors to tell you a plant needs water, and of course all kinds of sensors you wear to connect your body and its behavior to software. Measuring the steps you take, the stairs you climb, your heart rate, even your sleeping patterns.
The software that lives on your phone gets more interesting when it accesses real time information about the world -- and even MORE interesting when it accesses data about YOUR world.
So, what does this have to do with New York? Well, for some time now i've been saying that the future of software isn't about making nifty gizmo's or cool gadgets -- it's about connecting real-world industries and activities to the web. It's what I've labeled Hyphen-Tech -- the technologocal connection of software and industries at New York leads in. Among the most interesting areas for hyphen tech are Technology plus Media, Technology plus Advertising, Technology plus Finance, Technology plus Fashion. And now, I'd add to that list Health plus Technology. In worlds where tech is driving innovation around industries, being near those industries accelerates innovation and growth. New York is ideally suited to grow technology companies in these verticals and, in particular, in social media software where New York's diversity, population density, and frenetic pace helps people-powered software innovate in rapid cycles.
This year's CES officially heralds the change. Our devices are no longer connected as a novelty, they need to be connected. Our car needs to be able to tell us when it needs to be service, or plugged in. Our iPad needs to broadcast it's location and lock down it's data if stolen. Heck, as silly as it sounds -- I want my Fridge to let Fresh Direct know that i'm out of milk or running low on eggs. The science fiction future of our doctors providing health care via a webcam has arrived. Why wouldn't we want our doctors to be able to monitor our health if we have an issue that can be treated with timely adjustments to a dose of medication or an alert if a problem becomes more serious and requires an office visit.
New York has always been about ideas and innovation. But as long as the web was about infrastructure rather than software and industries, New York was going to be in second (or maybe even third) place. But in the new software-centric, industry connected world -- New York has a real shot at being number one. Now, that would be fun.
Soon, bus riders in East Baton Rouge Parish will be able to get real-time updates on smartphones and computers about the location of Capital Area Transit System buses.
CATS officials said they are putting the finishing touches on a series of technology upgrades they’re preparing to unveil at the end of the month — the most transformative change being the addition of GPS, or global positioning systems — on the agency’s 79 vehicles.
Brian Marshall, chief administrative officer for CATS, said the agency’s biggest problem has been long wait times and the uncertainty of when buses would arrive at stops.
“Now, that’s entirely taken away; now, there’s absolute certainty,” Marshall said. “We can let them know when a bus is coming up to a 15-second margin of error.”
CATS contracted with RouteMatch Software, an Atlanta-based company, about five months ago for $1.4 million.
The entirety of the contract, with the exception of operational costs, is covered by federal economic stimulus dollars.
Kiran Vemuri, planning manager for CATS, said the agency will pay about $15,000 a year in operational costs to run the system.
Vemuri said CATS has wanted to install the technology for more than three years, but has lacked the funds for operational costs and local matches. He said the passage of the 10.6-mill property tax in April in Baton Rouge and Baker ensures the agency is able to continue to support the service.
Customers waiting for buses will be able to pull up a live map that shows the destination of their bus, and an estimated time of arrival.
Each of the 59 buses and 20 paratransit vehicles, which are used for disabled riders, has been outfitted with a GPS; LED panels displaying approaching intersections and destinations; automated speakers that announce approaching destinations; and digital passenger counters.
The CATS terminal on Florida Boulevard is now outfitted with digital signs that will eventually tell waiting passengers how many minutes they have left to wait for the next bus. The terminal is also outfitted with two LCD monitors that mimic departure and arrival time screens in airports, with a complete list of route information.
Vemuri said eventually more monitors will be positioned when CATS establishes its new transfer centers in locations like Cortana Mall, the Mall of Louisiana and Southern University.
Vemuri acknowledged that a large segment of CATS’ ridership may not have access to a smartphone, but he said eventually CATS plans to expand the service to include text updates, so riders using a cellphones can text a number and receive an immediate response about how far away their bus is.
Marshall noted that the addition of GPS could encourage riders who have access to vehicles to try the bus instead.
The technology will also ensure that dispatchers at CATS know the location of each bus, allowing them to make adjustments if a bus is running late, Vemuri said.
Tim Quinn, executive vice president for RouteMatch, said his company’s software system is used in 48 states and more than 550 bus systems. He said that when the technology is added, systems typically see increases in ridership and overall rider satisfaction.
“There’s anxiety in not knowing, associated with public transportation,” he said. “Buses run late, airlines run late. The challenge is in not knowing, but this eliminates that.”
The technology also allows CATS to update many of its operational tasks, like scheduling and data collection. Where many of those tasks were done manually before, with Excel spreadsheets, now information is automated in their computer system.
“Everyone talks about GPS, but it’s really a small component as far as the technology,” Quinn said. “It’s creating the technology foundation so that CATS can scale up into all sorts of other things.”
GPS technology is something CATS promised it would add in its tax campaign last year. CATS officials said they would use the tax dollars generated for systemwide improvements and expansions that included more reliable service and eventually reducing wait times at peak hours from 75 minutes to 15 minutes.
Simply put -- the era of devices is coming to a close. That's not to say there won't be neat new phones, or iPads, or flatscreen TV's. Sure their will be. But the real innovation is shifting to software. If you need proof, just look at the number of sensors that were on display. Gadgets that hang off your network and connect a 'thing' to your software via a table or smart phone. Their were sensors to turn on and off lights, sensors to check the quality of the air in your home, devices to remotely lock and unlock your front door, sensors to tell you a plant needs water, and of course all kinds of sensors you wear to connect your body and its behavior to software. Measuring the steps you take, the stairs you climb, your heart rate, even your sleeping patterns.
The software that lives on your phone gets more interesting when it accesses real time information about the world -- and even MORE interesting when it accesses data about YOUR world.
So, what does this have to do with New York? Well, for some time now i've been saying that the future of software isn't about making nifty gizmo's or cool gadgets -- it's about connecting real-world industries and activities to the web. It's what I've labeled Hyphen-Tech -- the technologocal connection of software and industries at New York leads in. Among the most interesting areas for hyphen tech are Technology plus Media, Technology plus Advertising, Technology plus Finance, Technology plus Fashion. And now, I'd add to that list Health plus Technology. In worlds where tech is driving innovation around industries, being near those industries accelerates innovation and growth. New York is ideally suited to grow technology companies in these verticals and, in particular, in social media software where New York's diversity, population density, and frenetic pace helps people-powered software innovate in rapid cycles.
This year's CES officially heralds the change. Our devices are no longer connected as a novelty, they need to be connected. Our car needs to be able to tell us when it needs to be service, or plugged in. Our iPad needs to broadcast it's location and lock down it's data if stolen. Heck, as silly as it sounds -- I want my Fridge to let Fresh Direct know that i'm out of milk or running low on eggs. The science fiction future of our doctors providing health care via a webcam has arrived. Why wouldn't we want our doctors to be able to monitor our health if we have an issue that can be treated with timely adjustments to a dose of medication or an alert if a problem becomes more serious and requires an office visit.
New York has always been about ideas and innovation. But as long as the web was about infrastructure rather than software and industries, New York was going to be in second (or maybe even third) place. But in the new software-centric, industry connected world -- New York has a real shot at being number one. Now, that would be fun.
Soon, bus riders in East Baton Rouge Parish will be able to get real-time updates on smartphones and computers about the location of Capital Area Transit System buses.
CATS officials said they are putting the finishing touches on a series of technology upgrades they’re preparing to unveil at the end of the month — the most transformative change being the addition of GPS, or global positioning systems — on the agency’s 79 vehicles.
Brian Marshall, chief administrative officer for CATS, said the agency’s biggest problem has been long wait times and the uncertainty of when buses would arrive at stops.
“Now, that’s entirely taken away; now, there’s absolute certainty,” Marshall said. “We can let them know when a bus is coming up to a 15-second margin of error.”
CATS contracted with RouteMatch Software, an Atlanta-based company, about five months ago for $1.4 million.
The entirety of the contract, with the exception of operational costs, is covered by federal economic stimulus dollars.
Kiran Vemuri, planning manager for CATS, said the agency will pay about $15,000 a year in operational costs to run the system.
Vemuri said CATS has wanted to install the technology for more than three years, but has lacked the funds for operational costs and local matches. He said the passage of the 10.6-mill property tax in April in Baton Rouge and Baker ensures the agency is able to continue to support the service.
Customers waiting for buses will be able to pull up a live map that shows the destination of their bus, and an estimated time of arrival.
Each of the 59 buses and 20 paratransit vehicles, which are used for disabled riders, has been outfitted with a GPS; LED panels displaying approaching intersections and destinations; automated speakers that announce approaching destinations; and digital passenger counters.
The CATS terminal on Florida Boulevard is now outfitted with digital signs that will eventually tell waiting passengers how many minutes they have left to wait for the next bus. The terminal is also outfitted with two LCD monitors that mimic departure and arrival time screens in airports, with a complete list of route information.
Vemuri said eventually more monitors will be positioned when CATS establishes its new transfer centers in locations like Cortana Mall, the Mall of Louisiana and Southern University.
Vemuri acknowledged that a large segment of CATS’ ridership may not have access to a smartphone, but he said eventually CATS plans to expand the service to include text updates, so riders using a cellphones can text a number and receive an immediate response about how far away their bus is.
Marshall noted that the addition of GPS could encourage riders who have access to vehicles to try the bus instead.
The technology will also ensure that dispatchers at CATS know the location of each bus, allowing them to make adjustments if a bus is running late, Vemuri said.
Tim Quinn, executive vice president for RouteMatch, said his company’s software system is used in 48 states and more than 550 bus systems. He said that when the technology is added, systems typically see increases in ridership and overall rider satisfaction.
“There’s anxiety in not knowing, associated with public transportation,” he said. “Buses run late, airlines run late. The challenge is in not knowing, but this eliminates that.”
The technology also allows CATS to update many of its operational tasks, like scheduling and data collection. Where many of those tasks were done manually before, with Excel spreadsheets, now information is automated in their computer system.
“Everyone talks about GPS, but it’s really a small component as far as the technology,” Quinn said. “It’s creating the technology foundation so that CATS can scale up into all sorts of other things.”
GPS technology is something CATS promised it would add in its tax campaign last year. CATS officials said they would use the tax dollars generated for systemwide improvements and expansions that included more reliable service and eventually reducing wait times at peak hours from 75 minutes to 15 minutes.
Zero Dark Thirty
Although Arnie and Sly are trying to bring back that right wing flag-waving slant of the 80s, there's no escaping the fact that thrillers and action movies have been smarter than your average bear, post 9/11. Like Rendition and Green Zone before it, Oscar-nominated Zero Dark Thirty pockets the full-on patriotism for a more complex take.
A steely Jessica Chastain is a CIA analyst chasing down the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden since 2003. Working from the untrustworthy information given up by tortured prisoners, Chastain works her way up the chain of al-Qaeda operatives and believes that everyone is wrong; he’s not hiding in a cave. However, with each terrorist attack - the 2005 London bombing, the Marriot hotel bombing of 2008 - the powers that be get itchy for results.
There has been a media furore over the torture scenes and more to the point the justification of the torture - the victims give up information that eventually lead to the 'possible' location of bin Laden. What's significant is Chastain's disgust with it - she can’t look when Clarke waterboards a prisoner - and Clarke's inability to deal with the job, asking to be re-assigned home. The tortured Ammar (a wonderful Reda Kateb) is not your average American hater either - he's a human that’s become dehumanised by the lengthy interrogation. The ends justify the means but at what price, the film asks.
Bigelow cranks it back up for the final half hour with the assault on bin Laden's compound. Action fans, probably already disappointed with the talk-heavy two hours, aren’t treated to a gung-ho pay-off as Bigelow opts for tension and atmosphere over bullets and bodies. Playing out in what feels like real time, Bigelow's Call Of Duty-esque POV puts us right in the house with the marines and it’s exhilarating stuff.
In the instance of filmmaking, does it support the story of the film or does it get in the way? For me, the best visual effects are those that really don't draw attention to themselves. You might be creating something extraordinary and impossible to achieve in reality but you really want the viewer to just follow the story of the film and not go, "Oh wow, they spent a lot of money on the computer graphics." I'm lucky enough that I've worked with some fantastic filmmakers who understand that, particularly Christopher Nolan. He's a director who isn't interested in creating eye-candy. He wants to make the most compelling story possible but then he pushes me to create the most extraordinary images that I can put together, and then sell them with the absolute conviction of complete reality.
It totally depends on the filmmaker you're working with. The best directors are those who are collaborative and will actually invite you to bring your own ideas along. That's the great thing about working with Chris, for example: he is extremely collaborative and solicits our ideas. An intelligent filmmaker will always listen to what the visual effects people are actually saying because we are filmmakers too and want to make the best film we possibly can. At the same time, sometimes they say, "I want this," and you just go off and do it. And sometimes afterwards you say, "That didn't work," but I can think of lots of films I've worked on where there has been a questionable decision which turned out to be exactly the right call.
I remember a movie I worked on a long time ago called Hackers, which was one of Angelina Jolie's first films and was about hacking and the early Internet. The director [Iain Softley] was insistent that he didn't want to base any of the computer graphics we were creating for the film on existing computer technology. He didn't want it to look like any interface at the time. We thought, "This is just dumb, it doesn't look like a real computer". But I saw the film recently, and it hasn't aged as a result, the ideas behind it still work as they did nearly 20 years ago. Had we used Netscape 1995 as our computer interface, I think it would be showing its age terribly.
The one where we really got to come up with some cool ideas was the whole Limbo beach sequence, where at the end of the film Leo and Ellen was up on the surf and they're in this incredible crumbling city which is built within the conscious of Leo's character's mind. It's literally collapsing into the sea of the subconscious. That started out as some very abstract concepts: Chris wanted the idea of crumbling architecture, he wanted it to feel like a landform, like a glacier and he left us to it. We came up with some very cool technology to build that city. It's done through a process called procedural modelling. Instead of actually building things by hand and placing all the buildings, we created a piece of code that created the whole landform and the way the buildings crumble into the sea. That gave us something none of us had ever seen before and gave us a place we'd never been to. The team did an astonishing job making it look completely convincing: it's this surreal landscape presented with the conviction of absolute reality.
In Batman, the difference was that, whilst there is a similar use of visual effects, we are trying to create a world that is completely convincing: we want to present the world of the superheroes as if it is in our own world. It's very different to other superhero films. A lot of the stuff we did tends to pass below the level of perception because it's not meant to draw itself out. If you look at The Dark Knight, my favourite scene was the chase sequence where Batman is on his crazy motorcycle (the Batpod) and he's chasing the Joker in the truck. That was an amazing combination of full-scale, practical special effects that we did on location - flipping a truck end over end on a street in Chicago - but then some of the more outrageous manoeuvres of the Batpod - where it flattens down and goes under the truck, mounts the curb, flips up and over - those were done digitally. It's a seamless mixing of the original photography and completely computer-generated imagery. The whole screen is entirely CGI for quite a few of those shots, and I don't think anyone noticed.
I thought Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes was really interesting. There are little central sections of that film, where the apes are breaking out of the animal shelter, which are quite extraordinary. You had a whole sequence where the characters are entirely virtual, but they're being presented as real. So they're not cartoon characters, but they're doing something that could never be real. I thought there was some really new and interesting ways of filmmaking there. I would have loved to have been involved in that. Obviously you can look at something like Avatar, where you're creating an entire universe and presenting it as if you're just filming it.
A steely Jessica Chastain is a CIA analyst chasing down the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden since 2003. Working from the untrustworthy information given up by tortured prisoners, Chastain works her way up the chain of al-Qaeda operatives and believes that everyone is wrong; he’s not hiding in a cave. However, with each terrorist attack - the 2005 London bombing, the Marriot hotel bombing of 2008 - the powers that be get itchy for results.
There has been a media furore over the torture scenes and more to the point the justification of the torture - the victims give up information that eventually lead to the 'possible' location of bin Laden. What's significant is Chastain's disgust with it - she can’t look when Clarke waterboards a prisoner - and Clarke's inability to deal with the job, asking to be re-assigned home. The tortured Ammar (a wonderful Reda Kateb) is not your average American hater either - he's a human that’s become dehumanised by the lengthy interrogation. The ends justify the means but at what price, the film asks.
Bigelow cranks it back up for the final half hour with the assault on bin Laden's compound. Action fans, probably already disappointed with the talk-heavy two hours, aren’t treated to a gung-ho pay-off as Bigelow opts for tension and atmosphere over bullets and bodies. Playing out in what feels like real time, Bigelow's Call Of Duty-esque POV puts us right in the house with the marines and it’s exhilarating stuff.
In the instance of filmmaking, does it support the story of the film or does it get in the way? For me, the best visual effects are those that really don't draw attention to themselves. You might be creating something extraordinary and impossible to achieve in reality but you really want the viewer to just follow the story of the film and not go, "Oh wow, they spent a lot of money on the computer graphics." I'm lucky enough that I've worked with some fantastic filmmakers who understand that, particularly Christopher Nolan. He's a director who isn't interested in creating eye-candy. He wants to make the most compelling story possible but then he pushes me to create the most extraordinary images that I can put together, and then sell them with the absolute conviction of complete reality.
It totally depends on the filmmaker you're working with. The best directors are those who are collaborative and will actually invite you to bring your own ideas along. That's the great thing about working with Chris, for example: he is extremely collaborative and solicits our ideas. An intelligent filmmaker will always listen to what the visual effects people are actually saying because we are filmmakers too and want to make the best film we possibly can. At the same time, sometimes they say, "I want this," and you just go off and do it. And sometimes afterwards you say, "That didn't work," but I can think of lots of films I've worked on where there has been a questionable decision which turned out to be exactly the right call.
I remember a movie I worked on a long time ago called Hackers, which was one of Angelina Jolie's first films and was about hacking and the early Internet. The director [Iain Softley] was insistent that he didn't want to base any of the computer graphics we were creating for the film on existing computer technology. He didn't want it to look like any interface at the time. We thought, "This is just dumb, it doesn't look like a real computer". But I saw the film recently, and it hasn't aged as a result, the ideas behind it still work as they did nearly 20 years ago. Had we used Netscape 1995 as our computer interface, I think it would be showing its age terribly.
The one where we really got to come up with some cool ideas was the whole Limbo beach sequence, where at the end of the film Leo and Ellen was up on the surf and they're in this incredible crumbling city which is built within the conscious of Leo's character's mind. It's literally collapsing into the sea of the subconscious. That started out as some very abstract concepts: Chris wanted the idea of crumbling architecture, he wanted it to feel like a landform, like a glacier and he left us to it. We came up with some very cool technology to build that city. It's done through a process called procedural modelling. Instead of actually building things by hand and placing all the buildings, we created a piece of code that created the whole landform and the way the buildings crumble into the sea. That gave us something none of us had ever seen before and gave us a place we'd never been to. The team did an astonishing job making it look completely convincing: it's this surreal landscape presented with the conviction of absolute reality.
In Batman, the difference was that, whilst there is a similar use of visual effects, we are trying to create a world that is completely convincing: we want to present the world of the superheroes as if it is in our own world. It's very different to other superhero films. A lot of the stuff we did tends to pass below the level of perception because it's not meant to draw itself out. If you look at The Dark Knight, my favourite scene was the chase sequence where Batman is on his crazy motorcycle (the Batpod) and he's chasing the Joker in the truck. That was an amazing combination of full-scale, practical special effects that we did on location - flipping a truck end over end on a street in Chicago - but then some of the more outrageous manoeuvres of the Batpod - where it flattens down and goes under the truck, mounts the curb, flips up and over - those were done digitally. It's a seamless mixing of the original photography and completely computer-generated imagery. The whole screen is entirely CGI for quite a few of those shots, and I don't think anyone noticed.
I thought Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes was really interesting. There are little central sections of that film, where the apes are breaking out of the animal shelter, which are quite extraordinary. You had a whole sequence where the characters are entirely virtual, but they're being presented as real. So they're not cartoon characters, but they're doing something that could never be real. I thought there was some really new and interesting ways of filmmaking there. I would have loved to have been involved in that. Obviously you can look at something like Avatar, where you're creating an entire universe and presenting it as if you're just filming it.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Acura Unveils 2014 Acura MDX Prototype
Making its Canadian debut, the 2014 Acura MDX Prototype evokes strength and excitement and once again raises the bar in the luxury SUV category it created. Utilizing "Aero Sculpture" design language impacting form and function, the 2014 MDX Prototype features alluring proportions with smooth, arching body lines matched to an efficient architecture. The new MDX will feature a new direct-injected 3.5 litre V-6 engine that will deliver improved torque and expected class-leading fuel economy.
"Since its introduction, and with every new generation, the MDX has redefined what an SUV can be," said Jerry Chenkin, executive vice president, Acura Canada. "In true Acura fashion, this next model will take the current MDX's inspired performance and move the needle further by improving fuel economy, luxury and comfort. It's a very exciting time for the Acura brand and we're looking forward to continuing the momentum from 2012 into 2013."
Also making its first Canadian appearance was the all-new 2014 Acura RLX - the most powerful, spacious, and technologically-advanced Acura sedan ever. Utilizing an all-new direct-injection engine, lightweight body structure and the first-ever application of Acura Precision All-Wheel Steer, the 2014 RLX delivers a new and dynamic driving experience unlike that of any other luxury performance sedan. Inside, the RLX also features the Canadian introduction of the AcuraLink connectivity system, which delivers a wealth of communication and entertainment features.
The "Aero Sculpture" styling of the 2014 MDX Prototype pursues the direction of a strong, bold, and premium appearance with low, wide and sleek proportions; clean, efficient and uncluttered design; and elegant, premium detailing, including the next-generation Acura grille design and signature Acura Jewel Eye LED headlights. This "aero" image also reflects significant gains in aerodynamic efficiency, up 16 percent compared to the outgoing 2013 MDX, achieved through extensive testing in Honda R&D Americas' new wind-tunnel laboratory in Raymond, Ohio - where the vehicle is being created.
The 2014 MDX Prototype's sculpted exterior and arcing roofline (35 mm lower than the outgoing model) encase what will be an even more spacious and versatile cabin compared to the outgoing 2013 MDX. The 2014 MDX Prototype features a longer wheelbase that enhances ride quality, increases second-row legroom, and improves third-row seat access.
The 2014 MDX will also feature an all-new, more rigid and lightweight chassis, including new front and rear suspension designs that deliver a more refined, confidence-inspiring, and sporty driving character. An all-new, direct injected 3.5-litre i-VTEC SOHC V-6 powerplant with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) provides more spirited performance while realizing a significant increase in fuel economy to class-leading levels. Special attention was also paid to improving cabin quietness, which is greatly enhanced by the vehicle's all-new chassis and body design and new sound-deadening techniques.
The RLX interior features premium, soft touch materials throughout, with the tasteful application of premium metal and wood-grain accents. A stitched leather instrument panel, centre console and steering wheel, along with available Milano perforated leather seats, communicate a new level of craftsmanship and refined luxury appeal in Acura's top-of-the-line sedan.
Luxury form and function are intelligently integrated in the RLX's new centre console, featuring dual screens - an 8-inch navigation screen and a 7-inch On-Demand Multi-Use Display touch screen - that provide easy and direct one-touch access to key functions, including audio, climate control, navigation, and text-to-voice SMS text message functionality. The sliding, leather-trimmed armrest conceals a dual-hinged centre storage compartment with easy access for both the driver and front passenger to USB connectivity, 12-volt accessory power outlet and space to store tablets and other electronic devices.
Santa Fe County’s only public access to the Rio Grande would undergo environmental restoration and get improved facilities if a proposed project gets the green light from federal officials this spring.
A pair of nonprofits called the New Mexico Wildlife Federation and Rio Grande Return already have spent about $200,000 of private and public money on plans for what it calls the Rio Grande Corridor at Buckman.
The aim, said project manager Alan Hamilton, is to help the local community re-establish its connection to the river on land that is already in the hands of the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
“Let’s ensure that the place is cleaned up and make it a place where people can go and learn about the geology and the hydrology and the history and the culture and the environment,” Hamilton said. “This river is the lifeblood of this state.”
Another main goal of the project, he said, is to cut down on litter from visitors who use the area as a party spot. Early meetings about the proposal revealed that some people don’t visit the area because of its reputation for beer drinking and gun shooting. A volunteer cleanup this fall of a small area yielded 2.5 tons of garbage, most of it broken bottles and discarded tires.
“We want to give it some love and make it look like it’s being taken care of,” Hamilton said. “We’d like to discourage irresponsible kinds of users.”
Planned amenities are intended to help hikers, rafters, rock climbers, horseback riders and others who want to enjoy the natural world with minimal impact.
At Diablo Canyon, plans call for designated camping areas and a gravel parking lot to replace a sandy network of places where motorized vehicles have torn up the landscape near the mouth of the canyon. A kiosk for trail maps and other information would be constructed. Restoration in the canyon itself would include removing invasive species from near natural springs there, and rearranging boulders to provide erosion control and to protect the canyon from all-terrain vehicles.
At the area near the Buckman Direct Diversion intake for Santa Fe’s community water system, access roads would end at another gravel parking lot, and a boat launch would be installed. About 18 acres of riparian bosque area would see habitat restoration, including planting of native cottonwood trees and willows, and removal of salt cedars, elms and Russian olives.
In addition to restoring land it would lease from the federal agencies, the New Mexico Wildlife Federation also would complete restoration around the diversion site, which was required when officials granted the city and county permission to build the facilities for drawing and treating surface water from the river.
Rick Carpenter, who serves as the city project manager for the $250 million Buckman water supply pipeline and treatment plant, said the restoration partnership is good because it creates a larger area that will get environmental improvements. Another reason to support the effort is to cut down on illegal activities, he said, noting that the water project board hired private security guards to patrol the area near the diversion.
Federal officials gave environmental clearance for the restoration and amenities last year, but just before the end of an appeal period for the final approval, a group called Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety objected.
The appeal centers on two issues: whether sediment containing nuclear waste will be disturbed during the project and jeopardize workers and future visitors, and whether herbicide proposed to control regrowth of invasive species should be used.
Materials the group circulated to publicize the appeal refer to the area as “Plutonium Park.” At a recent meeting of the Buckman Direct Diversion Board, several people asked local officials to intervene.
“There is nuclear bomb waste buried 3 to 6 feet deep within 8 acres upriver from the Buckman Direct Diversion within the recreation areas,” said Elena Sue St. Pierre. “We continue to ask that these facts be incorporated into the public information for construction workers, park staff safety and pregnant women and babies if this plan proceeds.”
"Since its introduction, and with every new generation, the MDX has redefined what an SUV can be," said Jerry Chenkin, executive vice president, Acura Canada. "In true Acura fashion, this next model will take the current MDX's inspired performance and move the needle further by improving fuel economy, luxury and comfort. It's a very exciting time for the Acura brand and we're looking forward to continuing the momentum from 2012 into 2013."
Also making its first Canadian appearance was the all-new 2014 Acura RLX - the most powerful, spacious, and technologically-advanced Acura sedan ever. Utilizing an all-new direct-injection engine, lightweight body structure and the first-ever application of Acura Precision All-Wheel Steer, the 2014 RLX delivers a new and dynamic driving experience unlike that of any other luxury performance sedan. Inside, the RLX also features the Canadian introduction of the AcuraLink connectivity system, which delivers a wealth of communication and entertainment features.
The "Aero Sculpture" styling of the 2014 MDX Prototype pursues the direction of a strong, bold, and premium appearance with low, wide and sleek proportions; clean, efficient and uncluttered design; and elegant, premium detailing, including the next-generation Acura grille design and signature Acura Jewel Eye LED headlights. This "aero" image also reflects significant gains in aerodynamic efficiency, up 16 percent compared to the outgoing 2013 MDX, achieved through extensive testing in Honda R&D Americas' new wind-tunnel laboratory in Raymond, Ohio - where the vehicle is being created.
The 2014 MDX Prototype's sculpted exterior and arcing roofline (35 mm lower than the outgoing model) encase what will be an even more spacious and versatile cabin compared to the outgoing 2013 MDX. The 2014 MDX Prototype features a longer wheelbase that enhances ride quality, increases second-row legroom, and improves third-row seat access.
The 2014 MDX will also feature an all-new, more rigid and lightweight chassis, including new front and rear suspension designs that deliver a more refined, confidence-inspiring, and sporty driving character. An all-new, direct injected 3.5-litre i-VTEC SOHC V-6 powerplant with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) provides more spirited performance while realizing a significant increase in fuel economy to class-leading levels. Special attention was also paid to improving cabin quietness, which is greatly enhanced by the vehicle's all-new chassis and body design and new sound-deadening techniques.
The RLX interior features premium, soft touch materials throughout, with the tasteful application of premium metal and wood-grain accents. A stitched leather instrument panel, centre console and steering wheel, along with available Milano perforated leather seats, communicate a new level of craftsmanship and refined luxury appeal in Acura's top-of-the-line sedan.
Luxury form and function are intelligently integrated in the RLX's new centre console, featuring dual screens - an 8-inch navigation screen and a 7-inch On-Demand Multi-Use Display touch screen - that provide easy and direct one-touch access to key functions, including audio, climate control, navigation, and text-to-voice SMS text message functionality. The sliding, leather-trimmed armrest conceals a dual-hinged centre storage compartment with easy access for both the driver and front passenger to USB connectivity, 12-volt accessory power outlet and space to store tablets and other electronic devices.
Santa Fe County’s only public access to the Rio Grande would undergo environmental restoration and get improved facilities if a proposed project gets the green light from federal officials this spring.
A pair of nonprofits called the New Mexico Wildlife Federation and Rio Grande Return already have spent about $200,000 of private and public money on plans for what it calls the Rio Grande Corridor at Buckman.
The aim, said project manager Alan Hamilton, is to help the local community re-establish its connection to the river on land that is already in the hands of the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
“Let’s ensure that the place is cleaned up and make it a place where people can go and learn about the geology and the hydrology and the history and the culture and the environment,” Hamilton said. “This river is the lifeblood of this state.”
Another main goal of the project, he said, is to cut down on litter from visitors who use the area as a party spot. Early meetings about the proposal revealed that some people don’t visit the area because of its reputation for beer drinking and gun shooting. A volunteer cleanup this fall of a small area yielded 2.5 tons of garbage, most of it broken bottles and discarded tires.
“We want to give it some love and make it look like it’s being taken care of,” Hamilton said. “We’d like to discourage irresponsible kinds of users.”
Planned amenities are intended to help hikers, rafters, rock climbers, horseback riders and others who want to enjoy the natural world with minimal impact.
At Diablo Canyon, plans call for designated camping areas and a gravel parking lot to replace a sandy network of places where motorized vehicles have torn up the landscape near the mouth of the canyon. A kiosk for trail maps and other information would be constructed. Restoration in the canyon itself would include removing invasive species from near natural springs there, and rearranging boulders to provide erosion control and to protect the canyon from all-terrain vehicles.
At the area near the Buckman Direct Diversion intake for Santa Fe’s community water system, access roads would end at another gravel parking lot, and a boat launch would be installed. About 18 acres of riparian bosque area would see habitat restoration, including planting of native cottonwood trees and willows, and removal of salt cedars, elms and Russian olives.
In addition to restoring land it would lease from the federal agencies, the New Mexico Wildlife Federation also would complete restoration around the diversion site, which was required when officials granted the city and county permission to build the facilities for drawing and treating surface water from the river.
Rick Carpenter, who serves as the city project manager for the $250 million Buckman water supply pipeline and treatment plant, said the restoration partnership is good because it creates a larger area that will get environmental improvements. Another reason to support the effort is to cut down on illegal activities, he said, noting that the water project board hired private security guards to patrol the area near the diversion.
Federal officials gave environmental clearance for the restoration and amenities last year, but just before the end of an appeal period for the final approval, a group called Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety objected.
The appeal centers on two issues: whether sediment containing nuclear waste will be disturbed during the project and jeopardize workers and future visitors, and whether herbicide proposed to control regrowth of invasive species should be used.
Materials the group circulated to publicize the appeal refer to the area as “Plutonium Park.” At a recent meeting of the Buckman Direct Diversion Board, several people asked local officials to intervene.
“There is nuclear bomb waste buried 3 to 6 feet deep within 8 acres upriver from the Buckman Direct Diversion within the recreation areas,” said Elena Sue St. Pierre. “We continue to ask that these facts be incorporated into the public information for construction workers, park staff safety and pregnant women and babies if this plan proceeds.”
Silver Lake Hydro Project, a great winter hiking destination
On a late midwinter afternoon the 3,000 foot-plus peaks of the Green Mountain ridge above Lake Dunmore-Moosalamoo, Worth, Monastery, and Romance mountains-glow frosty-white against a pale pink sky. Golden sunlight slants through the stands of mature pines and hemlocks along the trail, contrasting dramatically with the blue sky light pouring down onto whipped-cream mounds of snow. To the left, the black waters of Sucker Brook plunge downhill between caps of snow and submerged boulders.
This is the Silver Lake Trail, which winds up the steep escarpment to Silver Lake in the Moosalamoo National Recreation Area.
The Silver Lake Trail parallels the scenic Falls of Lana, but this cascade was not named for someone's lost love. During the patriotic fervor that accompanied the Mexican War of 1848, the cascade was christened in tribute to General John E. Wool, a war hero of that conflict. ("Lana" means wool in Spanish-much more romantic than Sucker Brook!) The trail traces the 1878 carriage road that once brought fashionable guests to the religious retreat known as Silver Lake House-a self-sufficient compound that included a rambling, three-story building, boathouses, and 2,500 acres of fields, orchards, and woods.
Silver Lake House was the divinely-inspired dream of Frank Chandler, who envisioned uplifting camp meetings at Silver Lake, which he had inherited. Silver Lake House's glory days lasted into the 1920's, when financial woes and ill health forced Chandler to move into town. The unoccupied building burned to the ground in 1938, possibly during a Middlebury College fraternity hazing party. In 1949 Frank II deeded the hotel's lands to the Green Mountain National Forest.
All that remains of the hotel are a few half-buried foundation stones and the beach itself. Today, the site is free and open to the public for camping, swimming, canoeing, and picnicking, although it is closed to motorized vehicles below the parking area on Silver Lake Road off the Goshen-Ripton Road.
One hundred years ago, Silver Lake was at the heart of an ambitious hydroelectric project of the Hortonia Power Company. This homegrown system was an impressive feat of engineering at the time. The vertical elevation between a reservoir and the generating station is known as the "head" - the higher the head, the stronger the force of the water that drives the turbines at the bottom. At the time of the system's construction in 1916-1917, Silver Lake's 676-foot head was the highest one east of the Mississippi, and it is still the highest in Vermont.
Then, as now, a mile-long, 3-4' diameter tube called a penstock carried water to the tiny brick power station on the shore of Lake Dunmore. The Silver Lake Trail passes under the impressive, elevated penstock, which hums faintly, like a distant beehive. The tall water tower at Silver Lake absorbs temporary spikes or "burps" in water pressure due to seasonal fluctuations in stream flow. With another mountain stream, Dutton Brook, added more recently to the water supply, the expanded Silver Lake system draws from a watershed of 10 square miles.
Eventually needing to access more water, Hortonia began construction on the Goshen Dam, which bankrupted the little utility company in 1923. At that point Central Vermont Public Service Corporation (CVPS) acquired the system. They finished, the Goshen Dam created Sugar Hill Reservoir on Sucker Brook, resulting in a 3-tier gravity-feed system. This system has remained in place since then, with some modernization and upgrades. It qualifies for the National Register of Historic Places.
With more folks getting into the backcountry for recreation, and with the recent creation of the Moosalamoo National Recreation Area, Silver Lake and Goshen Dam have become popular destinations to access whether by bicycle, snowmobile, or foot power.
Today, Green Mountain Power (formerly CVPS) and the USDA Forest Service partner to offer a network of trails, fishing, swimming, picnicking, and camping within the setting of a clean, perpetual energy resource. Generation Asset Manager Mike Scarzello considers providing safe public recreation at these sites, the "fun part" of his job.
The Silver Lake station is one of twenty hydro plants that contribute about 6.5 percent of GMP's total power production throughout Vermont. Mike Scarzello says that the Silver Lake station can handle 60-70 cubic feet of water per second and operates 12-16 hours per day, depending on seasonal stream levels. An upgrade in 1988 enabled remote operation from GMP's Rutland headquarters. Its generator produces 5.3 million k.w.h. annually, or "enough to turn on at least 50,000 100-watt light-bulbs," according to Beth Eliason, environmental engineer at GMP. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) estimates that the same output by other means would cost an extra $62,500 per year.
The Silver Lake station is licensed by FERC, which imposes rigorous permitting requirements, including a Historic Properties Management Plan. Biology, aesthetics, water chemistry and quality all go into the mix. In addition, Silver Lake is certified as a small, low-impact project by the Low-Impact Hydropower Institute, a non-profit organization that oversees environmental issues involving hydropower production.
Silver Lake itself is a 110-acres serene water at 1,300-foot elevation. It's a known site of previous Native American activity-many artifacts have been discovered here.
On this particular day, snowmobilers picnicking at the dam built a snowman and watched as pools of water formed on the ice on Sugar Hill Reservoir through the afternoon. A group of cross-country skiers from nearby Blueberry Hill Inn dropped by to admire the view. Earlier, a lone moose had wandered across the access road, made a loop, and wandered back. Porcupine, raccoon, bobcat and bear make their homes here, as well as grouse, owl, hawk, and hosts of migratory birds.
This is the Silver Lake Trail, which winds up the steep escarpment to Silver Lake in the Moosalamoo National Recreation Area.
The Silver Lake Trail parallels the scenic Falls of Lana, but this cascade was not named for someone's lost love. During the patriotic fervor that accompanied the Mexican War of 1848, the cascade was christened in tribute to General John E. Wool, a war hero of that conflict. ("Lana" means wool in Spanish-much more romantic than Sucker Brook!) The trail traces the 1878 carriage road that once brought fashionable guests to the religious retreat known as Silver Lake House-a self-sufficient compound that included a rambling, three-story building, boathouses, and 2,500 acres of fields, orchards, and woods.
Silver Lake House was the divinely-inspired dream of Frank Chandler, who envisioned uplifting camp meetings at Silver Lake, which he had inherited. Silver Lake House's glory days lasted into the 1920's, when financial woes and ill health forced Chandler to move into town. The unoccupied building burned to the ground in 1938, possibly during a Middlebury College fraternity hazing party. In 1949 Frank II deeded the hotel's lands to the Green Mountain National Forest.
All that remains of the hotel are a few half-buried foundation stones and the beach itself. Today, the site is free and open to the public for camping, swimming, canoeing, and picnicking, although it is closed to motorized vehicles below the parking area on Silver Lake Road off the Goshen-Ripton Road.
One hundred years ago, Silver Lake was at the heart of an ambitious hydroelectric project of the Hortonia Power Company. This homegrown system was an impressive feat of engineering at the time. The vertical elevation between a reservoir and the generating station is known as the "head" - the higher the head, the stronger the force of the water that drives the turbines at the bottom. At the time of the system's construction in 1916-1917, Silver Lake's 676-foot head was the highest one east of the Mississippi, and it is still the highest in Vermont.
Then, as now, a mile-long, 3-4' diameter tube called a penstock carried water to the tiny brick power station on the shore of Lake Dunmore. The Silver Lake Trail passes under the impressive, elevated penstock, which hums faintly, like a distant beehive. The tall water tower at Silver Lake absorbs temporary spikes or "burps" in water pressure due to seasonal fluctuations in stream flow. With another mountain stream, Dutton Brook, added more recently to the water supply, the expanded Silver Lake system draws from a watershed of 10 square miles.
Eventually needing to access more water, Hortonia began construction on the Goshen Dam, which bankrupted the little utility company in 1923. At that point Central Vermont Public Service Corporation (CVPS) acquired the system. They finished, the Goshen Dam created Sugar Hill Reservoir on Sucker Brook, resulting in a 3-tier gravity-feed system. This system has remained in place since then, with some modernization and upgrades. It qualifies for the National Register of Historic Places.
With more folks getting into the backcountry for recreation, and with the recent creation of the Moosalamoo National Recreation Area, Silver Lake and Goshen Dam have become popular destinations to access whether by bicycle, snowmobile, or foot power.
Today, Green Mountain Power (formerly CVPS) and the USDA Forest Service partner to offer a network of trails, fishing, swimming, picnicking, and camping within the setting of a clean, perpetual energy resource. Generation Asset Manager Mike Scarzello considers providing safe public recreation at these sites, the "fun part" of his job.
The Silver Lake station is one of twenty hydro plants that contribute about 6.5 percent of GMP's total power production throughout Vermont. Mike Scarzello says that the Silver Lake station can handle 60-70 cubic feet of water per second and operates 12-16 hours per day, depending on seasonal stream levels. An upgrade in 1988 enabled remote operation from GMP's Rutland headquarters. Its generator produces 5.3 million k.w.h. annually, or "enough to turn on at least 50,000 100-watt light-bulbs," according to Beth Eliason, environmental engineer at GMP. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) estimates that the same output by other means would cost an extra $62,500 per year.
The Silver Lake station is licensed by FERC, which imposes rigorous permitting requirements, including a Historic Properties Management Plan. Biology, aesthetics, water chemistry and quality all go into the mix. In addition, Silver Lake is certified as a small, low-impact project by the Low-Impact Hydropower Institute, a non-profit organization that oversees environmental issues involving hydropower production.
Silver Lake itself is a 110-acres serene water at 1,300-foot elevation. It's a known site of previous Native American activity-many artifacts have been discovered here.
On this particular day, snowmobilers picnicking at the dam built a snowman and watched as pools of water formed on the ice on Sugar Hill Reservoir through the afternoon. A group of cross-country skiers from nearby Blueberry Hill Inn dropped by to admire the view. Earlier, a lone moose had wandered across the access road, made a loop, and wandered back. Porcupine, raccoon, bobcat and bear make their homes here, as well as grouse, owl, hawk, and hosts of migratory birds.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
$420 million TSA program doesn't work
The beleaguered Transportation Worker Identification Credential program, known by the initials TWIC, has been dealt a serious blow with a determination by the Department of Defense that it doesn’t meet DoD standards, and won’t be recognized for department purposes.
“Starting January 29, 2013, TWIC certificates cannot be accepted by ETA [Electronic Transportation Acquisition] … All current TWIC holders accessing an application within ETA will need to purchase an External Certificate Authority (ECA) prior to January 29, 2013. ”
The register entry essentially says that the TWIC program cannot be used to authenticate users for access to DoD computer systems and networks. The Department of Defense will require additional credentials of TWIC holders, who need access to certain defense computer networks starting at the end of the month.
The TWIC program was started as a joint initiative between Transportation Security Administration and U.S. Coast Guard. The purpose of the program is to provide a biometric credential to workers who need to enter “secure areas” of port facilities and vessels that fall under the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002.
Under the program, access to these areas is still allowed to those individuals, but they have to be escorted by someone currently holding a valid card. Individuals without those valid cards have to be kept within sight at all times.
TSA has spent $420 million on TWIC, and it has been estimated that the federal government and private sector may spend as much as $3.2 billion on TWIC during the next 10 years, not including the card readers themselves.
More than 1.9 million U.S. workers have enrolled in the TWIC program with a cost of $132.50 per enrollment.
The TWIC program has been problematic from the start. The TWIC application is a two-step process. A person has to go to an authorized TWIC Enrollment Center to apply for the card and then has to return to pick up the card and provide biometric information. This is not a problem if one lives close to a port city such as New York or Los Angeles. However, some of the facilities that fell under the jurisdiction of the TWIC program are far from the centers. In some cases, a person has to travel six to eight hours to apply for the card, and then repeat the process six weeks later to pick it up. For small facilities under the program, this caused quite a burden.
The cards themselves had a good security design, using standard “Two-factor Authentication,” an authentication method that consists of two or more of the three authentication factors: “something the user knows” (a password), “something the user has” (the TWIC card itself), and “something the user is” (their fingerprint).
To gain entry to a facility or system, the goal was for a person to present their card (something they own) for reading, enter their password (something they know), and have their fingerprint scanned and compared to the fingerprint information embedded in the card’s computer chip (something they are).
One problem that arose early on was that there were no card readers for the cards. The card’s computer chip, known as an Integrated Circuit Chip, stores the holder’s information and biometric data. The chip was supposed to be read by inserting it into a reader or holding it near a “contactless” reader.
Once the card was read, the card holder’s name was to be checked against a list of people who were to be barred from entering the facility. The list was to be updated almost in real time so that if a person was recently added to the list, they could be identified quickly and denied entry.
The problems with the card readers had been so profound that covered workers are allowed to extend their expiring TWIC cards by three years at a reduced price because federal officials are facing delays in deploying the readers.
This latest development with the DoD was not surprising since the program was already plagued by delays, cost overruns and false starts.
In December 2011, the Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Administration said that the 26,000 already issued TWIC cards were missing a digit in the “Federal Agency Smart Credential Number.”
In another case, TSA lost the passwords that were associated with the card and a user had to apply for a new TWIC card if they ever needed their password.
Not that it would matter since the bug-ridden card reader program reduced the TWIC card to merely a “flash card” at most ports as the card reader program has been riddled with glitches and continues to lag behind its implementation schedule.
The future of the program seemed suspect when the Transportation Security Administration opted this year to extend the expiration dates of some of the current cards. With the first round of five-year expiration dates bearing down on TWIC holders, the TSA offered a three-year extension. U.S. citizens with current TWICs that are to expire on or before Dec. 31, 2014, can opt to pay $60 to extend the expiration date for three years.
This latest announcement is making people covered by the TWIC program wonder why a program deemed not suitable for security in the U.S. Army Supply Chain is still being used for security in protecting civilian freight transportation venues from terrorist attack.
According to a December 2012 statement issued by Todd Spencer, the executive vice president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, “At one time we thought TWIC would be it, but it does not appear so now. The promise of secure credentials to identify truckers authorized to work the ports is no closer to reality than ever.”
“Starting January 29, 2013, TWIC certificates cannot be accepted by ETA [Electronic Transportation Acquisition] … All current TWIC holders accessing an application within ETA will need to purchase an External Certificate Authority (ECA) prior to January 29, 2013. ”
The register entry essentially says that the TWIC program cannot be used to authenticate users for access to DoD computer systems and networks. The Department of Defense will require additional credentials of TWIC holders, who need access to certain defense computer networks starting at the end of the month.
The TWIC program was started as a joint initiative between Transportation Security Administration and U.S. Coast Guard. The purpose of the program is to provide a biometric credential to workers who need to enter “secure areas” of port facilities and vessels that fall under the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002.
Under the program, access to these areas is still allowed to those individuals, but they have to be escorted by someone currently holding a valid card. Individuals without those valid cards have to be kept within sight at all times.
TSA has spent $420 million on TWIC, and it has been estimated that the federal government and private sector may spend as much as $3.2 billion on TWIC during the next 10 years, not including the card readers themselves.
More than 1.9 million U.S. workers have enrolled in the TWIC program with a cost of $132.50 per enrollment.
The TWIC program has been problematic from the start. The TWIC application is a two-step process. A person has to go to an authorized TWIC Enrollment Center to apply for the card and then has to return to pick up the card and provide biometric information. This is not a problem if one lives close to a port city such as New York or Los Angeles. However, some of the facilities that fell under the jurisdiction of the TWIC program are far from the centers. In some cases, a person has to travel six to eight hours to apply for the card, and then repeat the process six weeks later to pick it up. For small facilities under the program, this caused quite a burden.
The cards themselves had a good security design, using standard “Two-factor Authentication,” an authentication method that consists of two or more of the three authentication factors: “something the user knows” (a password), “something the user has” (the TWIC card itself), and “something the user is” (their fingerprint).
To gain entry to a facility or system, the goal was for a person to present their card (something they own) for reading, enter their password (something they know), and have their fingerprint scanned and compared to the fingerprint information embedded in the card’s computer chip (something they are).
One problem that arose early on was that there were no card readers for the cards. The card’s computer chip, known as an Integrated Circuit Chip, stores the holder’s information and biometric data. The chip was supposed to be read by inserting it into a reader or holding it near a “contactless” reader.
Once the card was read, the card holder’s name was to be checked against a list of people who were to be barred from entering the facility. The list was to be updated almost in real time so that if a person was recently added to the list, they could be identified quickly and denied entry.
The problems with the card readers had been so profound that covered workers are allowed to extend their expiring TWIC cards by three years at a reduced price because federal officials are facing delays in deploying the readers.
This latest development with the DoD was not surprising since the program was already plagued by delays, cost overruns and false starts.
In December 2011, the Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Administration said that the 26,000 already issued TWIC cards were missing a digit in the “Federal Agency Smart Credential Number.”
In another case, TSA lost the passwords that were associated with the card and a user had to apply for a new TWIC card if they ever needed their password.
Not that it would matter since the bug-ridden card reader program reduced the TWIC card to merely a “flash card” at most ports as the card reader program has been riddled with glitches and continues to lag behind its implementation schedule.
The future of the program seemed suspect when the Transportation Security Administration opted this year to extend the expiration dates of some of the current cards. With the first round of five-year expiration dates bearing down on TWIC holders, the TSA offered a three-year extension. U.S. citizens with current TWICs that are to expire on or before Dec. 31, 2014, can opt to pay $60 to extend the expiration date for three years.
This latest announcement is making people covered by the TWIC program wonder why a program deemed not suitable for security in the U.S. Army Supply Chain is still being used for security in protecting civilian freight transportation venues from terrorist attack.
According to a December 2012 statement issued by Todd Spencer, the executive vice president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, “At one time we thought TWIC would be it, but it does not appear so now. The promise of secure credentials to identify truckers authorized to work the ports is no closer to reality than ever.”
'Smart' appliances are stupid
Smart appliances get no love. Every year at the Consumer Electronics Show, the world’s gadget makers unveil a slate of refrigerators, ovens, and washer-dryers that they insist have been infused with superior intelligence.
And every year, everyone scoffs. That’s because smart appliances’ smarts are usually pretty stupid and never worth the price. This year Samsung showed off a $4,000 fridge called the T9000.
It’s got an LCD touch screen and a wireless connection to the Internet. That’s the sine qua non of intelligence according to gadget makers—slap a touch screen and Wi-Fi on a fridge and voilà , you’ve got yourself an icebox with an IQ to rival Einstein’s!
Why do you need a touch screen and Wi-Fi on your fridge? Is it better for your cucumbers? That’s where the whole argument breaks down.
The T9000 will show you a clock, news headlines, and let you use apps like Evernote right on the door. Apparently you can add an item to your grocery list by tapping it into the fridge then have it available to you on your phone later on.
Why wouldn’t you just type it into your phone in the first place? Or on one of the four iPads you’ve likely got lying around, considering that you’re rich and dumb enough to drop $4,000 on a ridiculous fridge? I haven’t got a clue.
And neither do any of the companies pushing smart devices. What’s the point of an Internet-connected washing machine and dryer? To check the status of your washing from anywhere in the world, obviously! You’ll never again find yourself panicked about your whites while you’re partying with your bros.
You can also “start a load of laundry while driving home from work,” an executive from LG boasted in a press release. That sounds great until you remember that LG’s machine can’t load itself.
To do your laundry on the go, you had to have filled it with dirty clothes and added soap, just like with any cheapo machine, and then brazenly left the house without starting the washer. Smart!
LG didn’t announce the price of its new washer-dryers, but its old smart washing machines and dryers were priced at $1,600 each.
That’s about $1,000 more than you’d spend on a run-of-the-mill model. If starting your laundry from your car is that important to you, knock yourself out, but understand that you’re basically throwing your money away.
Some critics argue that the self-evident stupidity of these smart gadgets shows that the entire pursuit of intelligence in our appliances is misguided. “Maybe I'm just a snob who just wants a fridge that keeps food cooled and makes good ice,” says Gizmodo’s Jesus Diaz.
But I don’t quite agree that we should keep our appliances dumb and simple. The real problem with smart devices isn’t that they’re trying to be smart but that they’re not nearly smart enough. I would love to have a refrigerator that was legitimately intelligent, not one that put on airs because it got gussied up with a touch screen.
What’s a legitimately smart fridge? Well, how about one that automatically keeps track of everything I put in it so that I can check to see if I’ve got any Dijon mustard left while I’m at the store?
Or maybe it could figure out that my four carrots, three ribs of celery, and last night’s chicken leftovers will add up to a great stock—and then flash a recipe on its screen when I go get a Coke.
Or take my stove: What if it could determine when the sauce that’s been reducing on the back burner has just reached the proper consistency—and then shut off the burner all by itself?
See what I’m getting at? I want smarts that improve and automate the performance of my appliances, not just let me control them with my phone. But none of the smart appliances on the market today are smart enough to do this sort of thing.
And it’s not really their fault. The real problem is the stuff in the rest of the world—the food, pots, and clothes that interact with our appliances—don’t have any sort of intelligence embedded in them.
Smart appliances are stupid because the world is holding them back.
Take, for instance, my dream of a refrigerator capable of keeping track of its contents. That would only work if every food item that I put into my fridge were marked with an RFID tag that told my fridge what it was.
Also, every shelf in the fridge would need to be able to register each item’s weight—this would let the fridge determine that my mustard jar contained only a few spoons of mustard, then text me urgently when I’m at the store.
What about the leftovers? How would your fridge know the contents of your Tupperware and whether it was close to spoiling? Maybe Tupperware of the future could be embedded with the spoilage sensor technology that commercial food packagers are now developing.
Let’s get to your stove and oven. Adding RFID and weight sensors to the burner plates on a stove would make it pretty smart. If all your saucepans were RFID tagged, your stove would know how much each pot weighed when empty.
Then, with the weight sensor, it could determine the starting weight of your sauce. Now you tell the stove to cook slowly until the sauce reduces by half. (Obviously it has a natural language speech engine, so you just bark out your command, as you would to your sous chef.)
By monitoring how the weight of the pot changes as the liquid evaporates, your stove could determine exactly when to turn off the burner.
The same idea would work for washing and drying your clothes. If your clothing were radio tagged, you wouldn’t need to set the cycle on your machine; it would know when to use hot water for whites and go easy on your delicates.
Of course, the biggest headache of washing and drying your clothes is all the physical labor—the sorting, the folding, etc. The only real way to get around this is with robotics. If your washer came equipped with a smart arm that could load itself, and your dryer came with another arm that could fold all your clothes—well, that’d be something to crow about.
Considering the many hours of folding time it would save your household, paying even a few thousand dollars more for that kind of intelligence might be worth it.
But I’m getting away from myself. As you can see, truly smart appliances would require a kind of ubiquitous infrastructure of intelligence, which I’d bet is a long, long time away.
It’s so far away that a lot of what I’m suggesting here might sound like science fiction. Maybe even magic. But that’s not a bad thing. Intelligence is a high bar; if we’re going to call something “smart,” let’s make sure it actually is.
And one last thing: Adding touch screens to home appliances is sure to ruin them. Touch screens work great on general-purpose devices like phones and tablets, but on a machine that does only a few things, tactile controls are better.
And every year, everyone scoffs. That’s because smart appliances’ smarts are usually pretty stupid and never worth the price. This year Samsung showed off a $4,000 fridge called the T9000.
It’s got an LCD touch screen and a wireless connection to the Internet. That’s the sine qua non of intelligence according to gadget makers—slap a touch screen and Wi-Fi on a fridge and voilà , you’ve got yourself an icebox with an IQ to rival Einstein’s!
Why do you need a touch screen and Wi-Fi on your fridge? Is it better for your cucumbers? That’s where the whole argument breaks down.
The T9000 will show you a clock, news headlines, and let you use apps like Evernote right on the door. Apparently you can add an item to your grocery list by tapping it into the fridge then have it available to you on your phone later on.
Why wouldn’t you just type it into your phone in the first place? Or on one of the four iPads you’ve likely got lying around, considering that you’re rich and dumb enough to drop $4,000 on a ridiculous fridge? I haven’t got a clue.
And neither do any of the companies pushing smart devices. What’s the point of an Internet-connected washing machine and dryer? To check the status of your washing from anywhere in the world, obviously! You’ll never again find yourself panicked about your whites while you’re partying with your bros.
You can also “start a load of laundry while driving home from work,” an executive from LG boasted in a press release. That sounds great until you remember that LG’s machine can’t load itself.
To do your laundry on the go, you had to have filled it with dirty clothes and added soap, just like with any cheapo machine, and then brazenly left the house without starting the washer. Smart!
LG didn’t announce the price of its new washer-dryers, but its old smart washing machines and dryers were priced at $1,600 each.
That’s about $1,000 more than you’d spend on a run-of-the-mill model. If starting your laundry from your car is that important to you, knock yourself out, but understand that you’re basically throwing your money away.
Some critics argue that the self-evident stupidity of these smart gadgets shows that the entire pursuit of intelligence in our appliances is misguided. “Maybe I'm just a snob who just wants a fridge that keeps food cooled and makes good ice,” says Gizmodo’s Jesus Diaz.
But I don’t quite agree that we should keep our appliances dumb and simple. The real problem with smart devices isn’t that they’re trying to be smart but that they’re not nearly smart enough. I would love to have a refrigerator that was legitimately intelligent, not one that put on airs because it got gussied up with a touch screen.
What’s a legitimately smart fridge? Well, how about one that automatically keeps track of everything I put in it so that I can check to see if I’ve got any Dijon mustard left while I’m at the store?
Or maybe it could figure out that my four carrots, three ribs of celery, and last night’s chicken leftovers will add up to a great stock—and then flash a recipe on its screen when I go get a Coke.
Or take my stove: What if it could determine when the sauce that’s been reducing on the back burner has just reached the proper consistency—and then shut off the burner all by itself?
See what I’m getting at? I want smarts that improve and automate the performance of my appliances, not just let me control them with my phone. But none of the smart appliances on the market today are smart enough to do this sort of thing.
And it’s not really their fault. The real problem is the stuff in the rest of the world—the food, pots, and clothes that interact with our appliances—don’t have any sort of intelligence embedded in them.
Smart appliances are stupid because the world is holding them back.
Take, for instance, my dream of a refrigerator capable of keeping track of its contents. That would only work if every food item that I put into my fridge were marked with an RFID tag that told my fridge what it was.
Also, every shelf in the fridge would need to be able to register each item’s weight—this would let the fridge determine that my mustard jar contained only a few spoons of mustard, then text me urgently when I’m at the store.
What about the leftovers? How would your fridge know the contents of your Tupperware and whether it was close to spoiling? Maybe Tupperware of the future could be embedded with the spoilage sensor technology that commercial food packagers are now developing.
Let’s get to your stove and oven. Adding RFID and weight sensors to the burner plates on a stove would make it pretty smart. If all your saucepans were RFID tagged, your stove would know how much each pot weighed when empty.
Then, with the weight sensor, it could determine the starting weight of your sauce. Now you tell the stove to cook slowly until the sauce reduces by half. (Obviously it has a natural language speech engine, so you just bark out your command, as you would to your sous chef.)
By monitoring how the weight of the pot changes as the liquid evaporates, your stove could determine exactly when to turn off the burner.
The same idea would work for washing and drying your clothes. If your clothing were radio tagged, you wouldn’t need to set the cycle on your machine; it would know when to use hot water for whites and go easy on your delicates.
Of course, the biggest headache of washing and drying your clothes is all the physical labor—the sorting, the folding, etc. The only real way to get around this is with robotics. If your washer came equipped with a smart arm that could load itself, and your dryer came with another arm that could fold all your clothes—well, that’d be something to crow about.
Considering the many hours of folding time it would save your household, paying even a few thousand dollars more for that kind of intelligence might be worth it.
But I’m getting away from myself. As you can see, truly smart appliances would require a kind of ubiquitous infrastructure of intelligence, which I’d bet is a long, long time away.
It’s so far away that a lot of what I’m suggesting here might sound like science fiction. Maybe even magic. But that’s not a bad thing. Intelligence is a high bar; if we’re going to call something “smart,” let’s make sure it actually is.
And one last thing: Adding touch screens to home appliances is sure to ruin them. Touch screens work great on general-purpose devices like phones and tablets, but on a machine that does only a few things, tactile controls are better.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Can this man save pinball?
The last guys who tried to save pinball bet all their quarters on a bunch of 3-D aliens. With sales of new machines dwindling in the late 1990s, the top execs at Williams, the company that controlled 80 percent of the worldwide market, called on their designers to reinvent the game. They emerged with an arcade centaur — the head of a video game on the body of a pinball machine — in which pixilated, holographic-looking Martians marauded among the mechanical gewgaws. Pinball 2000 was a technological marvel. It also nearly killed pinball forever.
In October 1999, not long after Williams introduced Pinball 2000 in a promotional video featuring clips of the moon landing and Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, the company shuttered its pinball division. As the excellent documentary "Tilt: The Battle to Save Pinball" explains, Revenge From Mars, the initial Pinball 2000 title, sold well, but a Star Wars Episode I-themed follow-up got less traction with the Jar Jar-hating masses. Rather than prop up its declining pinball operation, Williams chose to focus on a more promising line of business: slot machines.
Thirteen years after this failed holographic experiment, pinball is just barely alive. A single company, Stern Pinball, holds a virtual monopoly on new equipment. What was once a quintessential American pastime has been exiled from its natural habitats — bars, diners, and even arcades.
For Jack Guarnieri, pinball's decline brought on an existential crisis. Guarnieri has held most every job that has to do with flippers: repairman, game operator, reseller, inventor. With his livelihood and life's passion in peril, he figured there was only one thing to do: Create history's greatest pinball machine, one that would introduce a new generation to the pleasures of a well-struck ramp shot. Three-dimensional aliens couldn't save pinball. Can a small-business man in New Jersey?
In the Jersey Jack Pinball factory, history is covered in bubble wrap. A handful of simple, gorgeously illustrated 1960s-era games — Flipper Clown, King of Diamonds, Road Race — stand in a back corner, ready to ship to a nostalgia-minded connoisseur. The rest of this workshop in Lakewood, N.J., has been given over to a brand-new game with an old-timey theme, the machine Guarnieri believes will rocket pinball into its next golden age: the Wizard of Oz.
Each Oz pinball machine is the size of a casket built for a member of the Lollipop Guild. On this day in early fall, millions of dollars of parts — LED lights and emerald-green legs and a forest's worth of anthropomorphic plastic trees — are sitting in cardboard boxes, waiting to be fished out by arcade-world craftsmen. On one assembly line, they'll put together the machine's heart, adding rails, rollover buttons and magnets to the yellow-brick-road-laden playfield. They'll also add the brains, stuffing the PC board, power supply, and other electronics inside the Wizard of Oz's exterior shell.
In addition to the parts and labor, building a new pinball company takes courage, plus a light messianic streak. The 55-year-old Guarnieri, who's got a lot of his native Brooklyn in his tireless voice, is the best kind of salesman. He talks fast but means everything he says, remembers every detail of anything that has to do with arcades, and doesn't take himself too seriously — while still treating the quest for pinball supremacy as a noble, essential mission.
In Guarnieri's view, this humming factory is proof of all you can accomplish when you love what you do. Bean-counter types have "said some sh--ty things" about his arcade ambitions, he says, telling him he's crazy to throw his money into the shrinking ball-and-flipper market. Perhaps it's true that irrational exuberance can lead you to bankruptcy. But it's also the only way to make something great from absolutely nothing, just as Guarnieri's role models did. "What overcomes doubt," he says, "is the resolve and the passion and determination of people like Steve Jobs and Sam Walton, whether it's going over the hill in Normandy or whether it's building a freaking pinball machine."
Pinball first captivated the spare-change-having masses during the otherwise unamusing Great Depression, then surged again after World War II with the game-changing advent of the flipper. The pinball wizardry chronicled in the Who's "Tommy" launched a silver-ball renaissance in 1969, and the development of bell-and-whistle-larded computerized machines in the 1970s kept those balls rolling. New York City also ended its three-decade-plus pinball ban in 1976 — Mayor Fiorello La Guardia had believed it was "a racket dominated by interests heavily tainted with criminality" that pilfered from the "pockets of schoolchildren in the form of nickels and dimes given them as lunch money" — further clearing the way for the game's cultural ascension.
It was right around that time that Guarnieri got into the business, taking a job as a pinball mechanic after graduating from high school in Brooklyn in the mid-1970s. Soon after, Pac-Man came along and chomped up all the coins. In 1979, pinball manufacturers sold more than 200,000 machines in the United States; three years later, they sold 33,000. During that same period, video games went from collecting around $1 billion per year in quarters to a high of $8 billion, with 1980's Pac-Man reportedly earning more than $1 billion in coins in its first year on the street.
As silver balls lost their capacity to thrill in the 1980s, Guarnieri rode the video game wave. At his peak as an arcade operator and service person, he oversaw 400 video games in and around New York City, in pizzerias and hardware stores and barber shops, as well as the Waldorf-Astoria and the World Trade Center's Skydive Restaurant. For a time, Guarnieri says, the joystick tycoon's biggest concern was excessive profitability — once in a while, a massively popular game like Asteroids would jam up with quarters, rendering it inoperable.
But around 1986, the arcade bubble burst. And though pinball had a brief resurgence a few years later — 1992's "The Addams Family," the game I played obsessively in my college rec center, sold more than 20,000 units, making it the most-popular machine since the 1930s — that market collapsed again in the mid-1990s, leading the majority of manufacturers to abandon the business for good.
Pinball succumbed to the same forces that killed the video arcade. In the 1970s, arcade games far outclassed the entertainment competition, which consisted primarily of three channels of lousy network television, staring contests and throwing rocks at cars. But with the spread of home consoles and cable TV (and eventually ubiquitous Web access and smartphones), paying to play video games at some retail establishment felt inconvenient and outdated, like carrying a boombox on your shoulder or using an outhouse.
In October 1999, not long after Williams introduced Pinball 2000 in a promotional video featuring clips of the moon landing and Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, the company shuttered its pinball division. As the excellent documentary "Tilt: The Battle to Save Pinball" explains, Revenge From Mars, the initial Pinball 2000 title, sold well, but a Star Wars Episode I-themed follow-up got less traction with the Jar Jar-hating masses. Rather than prop up its declining pinball operation, Williams chose to focus on a more promising line of business: slot machines.
Thirteen years after this failed holographic experiment, pinball is just barely alive. A single company, Stern Pinball, holds a virtual monopoly on new equipment. What was once a quintessential American pastime has been exiled from its natural habitats — bars, diners, and even arcades.
For Jack Guarnieri, pinball's decline brought on an existential crisis. Guarnieri has held most every job that has to do with flippers: repairman, game operator, reseller, inventor. With his livelihood and life's passion in peril, he figured there was only one thing to do: Create history's greatest pinball machine, one that would introduce a new generation to the pleasures of a well-struck ramp shot. Three-dimensional aliens couldn't save pinball. Can a small-business man in New Jersey?
In the Jersey Jack Pinball factory, history is covered in bubble wrap. A handful of simple, gorgeously illustrated 1960s-era games — Flipper Clown, King of Diamonds, Road Race — stand in a back corner, ready to ship to a nostalgia-minded connoisseur. The rest of this workshop in Lakewood, N.J., has been given over to a brand-new game with an old-timey theme, the machine Guarnieri believes will rocket pinball into its next golden age: the Wizard of Oz.
Each Oz pinball machine is the size of a casket built for a member of the Lollipop Guild. On this day in early fall, millions of dollars of parts — LED lights and emerald-green legs and a forest's worth of anthropomorphic plastic trees — are sitting in cardboard boxes, waiting to be fished out by arcade-world craftsmen. On one assembly line, they'll put together the machine's heart, adding rails, rollover buttons and magnets to the yellow-brick-road-laden playfield. They'll also add the brains, stuffing the PC board, power supply, and other electronics inside the Wizard of Oz's exterior shell.
In addition to the parts and labor, building a new pinball company takes courage, plus a light messianic streak. The 55-year-old Guarnieri, who's got a lot of his native Brooklyn in his tireless voice, is the best kind of salesman. He talks fast but means everything he says, remembers every detail of anything that has to do with arcades, and doesn't take himself too seriously — while still treating the quest for pinball supremacy as a noble, essential mission.
In Guarnieri's view, this humming factory is proof of all you can accomplish when you love what you do. Bean-counter types have "said some sh--ty things" about his arcade ambitions, he says, telling him he's crazy to throw his money into the shrinking ball-and-flipper market. Perhaps it's true that irrational exuberance can lead you to bankruptcy. But it's also the only way to make something great from absolutely nothing, just as Guarnieri's role models did. "What overcomes doubt," he says, "is the resolve and the passion and determination of people like Steve Jobs and Sam Walton, whether it's going over the hill in Normandy or whether it's building a freaking pinball machine."
Pinball first captivated the spare-change-having masses during the otherwise unamusing Great Depression, then surged again after World War II with the game-changing advent of the flipper. The pinball wizardry chronicled in the Who's "Tommy" launched a silver-ball renaissance in 1969, and the development of bell-and-whistle-larded computerized machines in the 1970s kept those balls rolling. New York City also ended its three-decade-plus pinball ban in 1976 — Mayor Fiorello La Guardia had believed it was "a racket dominated by interests heavily tainted with criminality" that pilfered from the "pockets of schoolchildren in the form of nickels and dimes given them as lunch money" — further clearing the way for the game's cultural ascension.
It was right around that time that Guarnieri got into the business, taking a job as a pinball mechanic after graduating from high school in Brooklyn in the mid-1970s. Soon after, Pac-Man came along and chomped up all the coins. In 1979, pinball manufacturers sold more than 200,000 machines in the United States; three years later, they sold 33,000. During that same period, video games went from collecting around $1 billion per year in quarters to a high of $8 billion, with 1980's Pac-Man reportedly earning more than $1 billion in coins in its first year on the street.
As silver balls lost their capacity to thrill in the 1980s, Guarnieri rode the video game wave. At his peak as an arcade operator and service person, he oversaw 400 video games in and around New York City, in pizzerias and hardware stores and barber shops, as well as the Waldorf-Astoria and the World Trade Center's Skydive Restaurant. For a time, Guarnieri says, the joystick tycoon's biggest concern was excessive profitability — once in a while, a massively popular game like Asteroids would jam up with quarters, rendering it inoperable.
But around 1986, the arcade bubble burst. And though pinball had a brief resurgence a few years later — 1992's "The Addams Family," the game I played obsessively in my college rec center, sold more than 20,000 units, making it the most-popular machine since the 1930s — that market collapsed again in the mid-1990s, leading the majority of manufacturers to abandon the business for good.
Pinball succumbed to the same forces that killed the video arcade. In the 1970s, arcade games far outclassed the entertainment competition, which consisted primarily of three channels of lousy network television, staring contests and throwing rocks at cars. But with the spread of home consoles and cable TV (and eventually ubiquitous Web access and smartphones), paying to play video games at some retail establishment felt inconvenient and outdated, like carrying a boombox on your shoulder or using an outhouse.
Can Jurassic Park bite back?
It is also worth noting how long ago the previous film was (and yes, it does make you feel old) - it was 2001. Over 12 years ago! I can imagine that, rather than a plot that 'continues' the story, it is going to become more of a fun 'revisit' to the island; almost a tongue-in-cheek adventure movie rather than anything continuing the series. More like Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and American Reunion. In this time of 'vintage' and 'retro' products, films like nothing more than glorifying a film as soon as possible - and you can see it now, characters quoting lines in different manners, almost identical to the first film - even the whole 'science' argument becoming 'revamped' with a snarky social-media comment from a brain-box in some vain attempt to modernise the story. They could also imagine a world whereby, 12 years since Jurassic Park III, things have changed. Maybe a montage of small parks opening up all over the world - and the film shows, on the mainland, "nature finding a way". Or perhaps an opening montage showing parks opening up across America, and then falling down and unleashing the dinosaurs upon the world - and the film is set in a world whereby humans are already the prey and we follow a small band of characters as they try and survive in a post-apocalyptic world. There is real scope to play with the "12 years since..." dynamic.
In all fairness, we are in a time where, for better of worse, Hollywood generally seem to understand how to make good sequels - they understand what audiences expect to see from a sequel. In 2001, they were still a little unsure ("Lets get a dinosaur bigger and better than the T-Rex!" - eugh), but now with the continuity of comic book films, they know we want to see characters - and actors - returning, at the very least for a cameo. We want to see a respect for the series - and crucially the first film. Part of the problem of The Lost World: Jurassic Park was the completely different location - I wanted to see the torn up visitors centre and those green-and-yellow cars twisted and destroyed. Indeed, in Jurassic Park IV they truly could do this.
I'll be keeping an eye on the films development - but rest-assured, if it starts to go south, I think we can all sleep easy and just place the film alongside Jurassic Park III and the 'dino-human' plot that was thrown on the scrap heap. Jurassic Park remains an important film - and a fourth one won't take anything away from that.
Recently I had a chat with Ken Ostini, CEO/president of the Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce and we talked about how people wait around until someone else does something that needs doing.
We know what needs to be done, but we usually wait to see who is going to finally do it. The other thing we discussed is that we should be working together to take advantage of all the natural and manmade assets that we have here in Lompoc.
I thought of these same issues when I sat down with Teddy Grossini of Sweet Repeats on West Ocean Avenue. I’ve never spent much time in antique stores. I should, because I’ve always like things from the past and I collect old plastic model kits of airplanes, tanks and ships. I’ve been hearing a lot about what a great place Sweet Repeats is so I just had to talk to Teddy.
The other thing that made me stop and take notice was how this whole antique sector of our economy just kind of popped up. To be truthful, it did not just pop up, antique stores have been around a long time in Lompoc.
However, when I thought of economic development and of taking advantage of what we already have, like the murals, the flowers and wine, I never once thought of our antique shops.
Over the years when I’ve talked economic development with others, no one else ever mentioned this part of the economy. And then, bam, it seems that when Sweet Repeats opened up, people started to notice. It could have been that Teddy’s store helped us get to a critical mass of these types of businesses that forced people to wake up.
I asked Teddy why he started the business; it was real simple, he just did what his wife Teresa told him to do.
Teddy operated heavy machinery and during the winter he would be laid off. During this off time he would buy items from estate sales, swap meets and storage lockers and sell them.
Well, he got pretty good at this and Teresa told him to stay home and do it full time and that was that. They first opened a store at 219 W. Ocean Ave., outgrew that and finally ended up at their current location which consists of 104,110 &118, also on West Ocean Avenue.
Business has been good, which is why Teddy had to expand. Basically, he sells everything on consignment and has about 84 vendors. I asked him where some of his customers are coming from and he said all over.
Teddy’s website tracks the number of visits, one month logging more than more than 400 hits. When he talks to his customers he is finding that they are not only coming to look for antiques but also to try the local wines and look at the murals.
OK, so now let’s get back to the working together to take advantage of what Lompoc has to offer idea. When people tell Teddy that they are coming to look at antiques and murals and drink some wine, like a good businessman and proud Lompocan, he is thinking about how to make it easier for these folks to do that.
The question we both had was if the city, the chamber and the local business owners are doing enough to make us even more of a tourist destination. I remember when I first noticed the tourist buses at the hotels on North H and I would see the tourists walk around trying to find a place to eat. I wondered what we were doing to help these poor lost souls spend their money. That was about four years ago and I still don’t think we have any organized effort to get these folks downtown.
In all fairness, we are in a time where, for better of worse, Hollywood generally seem to understand how to make good sequels - they understand what audiences expect to see from a sequel. In 2001, they were still a little unsure ("Lets get a dinosaur bigger and better than the T-Rex!" - eugh), but now with the continuity of comic book films, they know we want to see characters - and actors - returning, at the very least for a cameo. We want to see a respect for the series - and crucially the first film. Part of the problem of The Lost World: Jurassic Park was the completely different location - I wanted to see the torn up visitors centre and those green-and-yellow cars twisted and destroyed. Indeed, in Jurassic Park IV they truly could do this.
I'll be keeping an eye on the films development - but rest-assured, if it starts to go south, I think we can all sleep easy and just place the film alongside Jurassic Park III and the 'dino-human' plot that was thrown on the scrap heap. Jurassic Park remains an important film - and a fourth one won't take anything away from that.
Recently I had a chat with Ken Ostini, CEO/president of the Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce and we talked about how people wait around until someone else does something that needs doing.
We know what needs to be done, but we usually wait to see who is going to finally do it. The other thing we discussed is that we should be working together to take advantage of all the natural and manmade assets that we have here in Lompoc.
I thought of these same issues when I sat down with Teddy Grossini of Sweet Repeats on West Ocean Avenue. I’ve never spent much time in antique stores. I should, because I’ve always like things from the past and I collect old plastic model kits of airplanes, tanks and ships. I’ve been hearing a lot about what a great place Sweet Repeats is so I just had to talk to Teddy.
The other thing that made me stop and take notice was how this whole antique sector of our economy just kind of popped up. To be truthful, it did not just pop up, antique stores have been around a long time in Lompoc.
However, when I thought of economic development and of taking advantage of what we already have, like the murals, the flowers and wine, I never once thought of our antique shops.
Over the years when I’ve talked economic development with others, no one else ever mentioned this part of the economy. And then, bam, it seems that when Sweet Repeats opened up, people started to notice. It could have been that Teddy’s store helped us get to a critical mass of these types of businesses that forced people to wake up.
I asked Teddy why he started the business; it was real simple, he just did what his wife Teresa told him to do.
Teddy operated heavy machinery and during the winter he would be laid off. During this off time he would buy items from estate sales, swap meets and storage lockers and sell them.
Well, he got pretty good at this and Teresa told him to stay home and do it full time and that was that. They first opened a store at 219 W. Ocean Ave., outgrew that and finally ended up at their current location which consists of 104,110 &118, also on West Ocean Avenue.
Business has been good, which is why Teddy had to expand. Basically, he sells everything on consignment and has about 84 vendors. I asked him where some of his customers are coming from and he said all over.
Teddy’s website tracks the number of visits, one month logging more than more than 400 hits. When he talks to his customers he is finding that they are not only coming to look for antiques but also to try the local wines and look at the murals.
OK, so now let’s get back to the working together to take advantage of what Lompoc has to offer idea. When people tell Teddy that they are coming to look at antiques and murals and drink some wine, like a good businessman and proud Lompocan, he is thinking about how to make it easier for these folks to do that.
The question we both had was if the city, the chamber and the local business owners are doing enough to make us even more of a tourist destination. I remember when I first noticed the tourist buses at the hotels on North H and I would see the tourists walk around trying to find a place to eat. I wondered what we were doing to help these poor lost souls spend their money. That was about four years ago and I still don’t think we have any organized effort to get these folks downtown.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
New inn in Canandaigua
While the opening of the Holiday Inn Express hotel in Canandaigua is a plus for the town, it will also have a positive impact on Ontario County, said Canandaigua Town Supervisor Sam Casella.
“From a economic development standpoint, this means less for the town, and more for the community,” Casella said. He added that the new hotel — in addition to existing lodging in the area — will help boost the sales tax revenue, and will help other businesses in the area.
The Holiday Inn Express is located at 4420 Routes 5 and 20 in the Town of Canandaigua, next to the Super 8 Hotel, and across the road from Wegmans. It features 75 rooms, a swimming pool, fitness center and a business center. According to General Manager Karen Antosh, the rooms are currently priced at $99 a night — $105 a night for the larger “king executive” rooms. She said those prices vary depending on the time of year, with summer prices being typically higher.
The planning process for the hotel began more than a year ago, said Rakesh Patel, the vice president of operations. Construction started in March, and the hotel opened Nov. 29.
Hotel staff, along with the Canandaigua Chamber of Commerce, celebrated that opening Wednesday with an open house and ribbon-cutting event.
“We’re real excited,” Operations Manager Manoj Patel said of the hotel’s opening. “The community has been real receptive.”
He added that they choose that specific location because of its proximity to attractions such as Canandaigua Lake, as well as Finger Lakes Community College.
About two-thirds of the way through Hill Street Blues’ first episode, 1981’s “Hill Street Station,” officers Bobby Hill and Andy Renko—played by Michael Warren and Charles Haid—walk into a boarded-up tenement, looking for a telephone so they can report a stolen patrol car. Instead, they stumble onto a circle of junkies, who get spooked and start firing guns before the cops can respond. When the episode begins, Hill and Renko look like they might be Hill Street Blues’ breakout characters. One’s a level-headed, handsome African-American; the other’s his goofy, hot-tempered cowboy partner. But when the episode ends, it’s unclear whether either man will survive.
Twelve years later, Hill Street Blues producer Steven Bochco debuted another cop show, NYPD Blue, and about halfway through its pilot episode, another major character gets gunned down. Dennis Franz’s alcoholic, combative Detective Andy Sipowicz walks out of the squad room after getting suspended for beating up a mobster, and heads straight into a bar, where he picks up a prostitute, who lures Sipowicz to a hotel room where that mobster is waiting, with vengeance in mind. Unlike Warren and Haid, Franz was a fairly well-known actor before NYPD Blue premièred—he’d been on Hill Street Blues for years, as well as its spin-off series Beverly Hills Buntz—but in its first episode, NYPD Blue focused more on Sipowicz’s partner, John Kelly, played by David Caruso. So right up to the final scene, where a comatose Sipowicz squeezes Kelly’s hand in intensive care, it isn’t beyond the realm of possibility that Bochco could kill off Franz’s character. Because while Bochco was never a journalist, somewhere along the line, he seems to have learned the first rule of the news business: If it bleeds, it leads.
Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue were credited for revolutionizing television in their respective decades, and for similar reasons. Both shows’ first episodes are immersive experiences, thrusting audiences directly into fast-paced, dangerous, at times blackly comic worlds, populated by so many jaded lawmen and vicious criminals that at first, it’s hard to keep track of who’s who. Both then expand out to include glimpses of the cops’ complicated home lives, while still finding time to show the police interfacing with the other side of the criminal justice system, where state’s attorneys and defense lawyers are slugging it out. Throughout their respective runs—1981-87 for Hill Street Blues on NBC, 1993-2005 for NYPD Blue on ABC—both shows explored the edges of what broadcast censors and the FCC would allow, in an overt attempt to compete with other media. Hill Street Blues looked to be as sophisticated and adult as contemporary cinema, which was in the middle of a heyday of R-rated maturity. NYPD Blue was looking to draw people away from cable TV, which at the time was luring viewers with the promise of nudity and profanity, even though its original programming wasn’t yet up to the networks’ best standards.
Most importantly, both shows’ first episodes were genuinely surprising, setting up many, many hours of stories to come. The shootings aren’t their only twists. Throughout “Hill Street Station,” Captain Frank Furillo spars with public defender Joyce Davenport, who protests the police’s incompetence and abuse of power. At the end of the episode, the audience learns that Frank and Joyce are actually lovers. In NYPD Blue, Detective Kelly flirts with his lawyer ex-wife, Laura, but ends up having sex with uniformed officer Janice Licalsi , who at the end of the pilot is revealed to be working for the mob, on a mission to kill Kelly. Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue were partly about the tangled relationship between crooks, cops, civilians, and the legal system, so it made sense for both to carry that idea forward via scenes of its lead characters literally sleeping with the enemy. But even beyond the metaphorical implications, the sexual relationships let viewers know that they had plenty of intrigue in store.
Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue shared key personnel besides Bochco. Gregory Hoblit was a producer and director on both shows, and helped establish NYPD Blue’s jittery, handheld, swish-pan-heavy look. (On the commentary track to “Hill Street Station,” Bochco says he considered employing a similar style for Hill Street Blues, but decided to use handheld cameras sparingly, figuring that wall-to-wall docu-realism would exhaust the audience, especially since so many of Hill Street Blues’ scenes are long, and set in one location.) NYPD Blue co-creator David Milch got his start as a TV writer in the early days of Hill Street Blues—later becoming its showrunner—and his personality is embedded in both shows as much as Bochco’s. In interviews, Bochco comes across like a Frank Furillo type: calm and cerebral. Milch is more of a Sipowicz: irascible yet perceptive.
Actors who worked with Milch on his later shows Deadwood and Luck sometimes talk about Milch’s strangely effective methods, which involve him walking onto a set, making a few tweaks in the staging, and delivering an offhand comment that clarifies exactly what the scene’s really about. On a featurette included on the NYPD Blue season-one DVD set, this “Milch touch” is evident in the way he describes the cops on the show as wayward Catholic boys, who serve institutions as a way of assuaging their guilt at being sinners. Bochco had a standing deal at ABC when he and Milch were developing NYPD Blue, but the network stalled on picking up the show, which gave Milch an extra year to do research with real-life NYPD cop Bill Clark. In that time, Milch picked up tips not just about how cops behave, but why.
“From a economic development standpoint, this means less for the town, and more for the community,” Casella said. He added that the new hotel — in addition to existing lodging in the area — will help boost the sales tax revenue, and will help other businesses in the area.
The Holiday Inn Express is located at 4420 Routes 5 and 20 in the Town of Canandaigua, next to the Super 8 Hotel, and across the road from Wegmans. It features 75 rooms, a swimming pool, fitness center and a business center. According to General Manager Karen Antosh, the rooms are currently priced at $99 a night — $105 a night for the larger “king executive” rooms. She said those prices vary depending on the time of year, with summer prices being typically higher.
The planning process for the hotel began more than a year ago, said Rakesh Patel, the vice president of operations. Construction started in March, and the hotel opened Nov. 29.
Hotel staff, along with the Canandaigua Chamber of Commerce, celebrated that opening Wednesday with an open house and ribbon-cutting event.
“We’re real excited,” Operations Manager Manoj Patel said of the hotel’s opening. “The community has been real receptive.”
He added that they choose that specific location because of its proximity to attractions such as Canandaigua Lake, as well as Finger Lakes Community College.
About two-thirds of the way through Hill Street Blues’ first episode, 1981’s “Hill Street Station,” officers Bobby Hill and Andy Renko—played by Michael Warren and Charles Haid—walk into a boarded-up tenement, looking for a telephone so they can report a stolen patrol car. Instead, they stumble onto a circle of junkies, who get spooked and start firing guns before the cops can respond. When the episode begins, Hill and Renko look like they might be Hill Street Blues’ breakout characters. One’s a level-headed, handsome African-American; the other’s his goofy, hot-tempered cowboy partner. But when the episode ends, it’s unclear whether either man will survive.
Twelve years later, Hill Street Blues producer Steven Bochco debuted another cop show, NYPD Blue, and about halfway through its pilot episode, another major character gets gunned down. Dennis Franz’s alcoholic, combative Detective Andy Sipowicz walks out of the squad room after getting suspended for beating up a mobster, and heads straight into a bar, where he picks up a prostitute, who lures Sipowicz to a hotel room where that mobster is waiting, with vengeance in mind. Unlike Warren and Haid, Franz was a fairly well-known actor before NYPD Blue premièred—he’d been on Hill Street Blues for years, as well as its spin-off series Beverly Hills Buntz—but in its first episode, NYPD Blue focused more on Sipowicz’s partner, John Kelly, played by David Caruso. So right up to the final scene, where a comatose Sipowicz squeezes Kelly’s hand in intensive care, it isn’t beyond the realm of possibility that Bochco could kill off Franz’s character. Because while Bochco was never a journalist, somewhere along the line, he seems to have learned the first rule of the news business: If it bleeds, it leads.
Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue were credited for revolutionizing television in their respective decades, and for similar reasons. Both shows’ first episodes are immersive experiences, thrusting audiences directly into fast-paced, dangerous, at times blackly comic worlds, populated by so many jaded lawmen and vicious criminals that at first, it’s hard to keep track of who’s who. Both then expand out to include glimpses of the cops’ complicated home lives, while still finding time to show the police interfacing with the other side of the criminal justice system, where state’s attorneys and defense lawyers are slugging it out. Throughout their respective runs—1981-87 for Hill Street Blues on NBC, 1993-2005 for NYPD Blue on ABC—both shows explored the edges of what broadcast censors and the FCC would allow, in an overt attempt to compete with other media. Hill Street Blues looked to be as sophisticated and adult as contemporary cinema, which was in the middle of a heyday of R-rated maturity. NYPD Blue was looking to draw people away from cable TV, which at the time was luring viewers with the promise of nudity and profanity, even though its original programming wasn’t yet up to the networks’ best standards.
Most importantly, both shows’ first episodes were genuinely surprising, setting up many, many hours of stories to come. The shootings aren’t their only twists. Throughout “Hill Street Station,” Captain Frank Furillo spars with public defender Joyce Davenport, who protests the police’s incompetence and abuse of power. At the end of the episode, the audience learns that Frank and Joyce are actually lovers. In NYPD Blue, Detective Kelly flirts with his lawyer ex-wife, Laura, but ends up having sex with uniformed officer Janice Licalsi , who at the end of the pilot is revealed to be working for the mob, on a mission to kill Kelly. Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue were partly about the tangled relationship between crooks, cops, civilians, and the legal system, so it made sense for both to carry that idea forward via scenes of its lead characters literally sleeping with the enemy. But even beyond the metaphorical implications, the sexual relationships let viewers know that they had plenty of intrigue in store.
Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue shared key personnel besides Bochco. Gregory Hoblit was a producer and director on both shows, and helped establish NYPD Blue’s jittery, handheld, swish-pan-heavy look. (On the commentary track to “Hill Street Station,” Bochco says he considered employing a similar style for Hill Street Blues, but decided to use handheld cameras sparingly, figuring that wall-to-wall docu-realism would exhaust the audience, especially since so many of Hill Street Blues’ scenes are long, and set in one location.) NYPD Blue co-creator David Milch got his start as a TV writer in the early days of Hill Street Blues—later becoming its showrunner—and his personality is embedded in both shows as much as Bochco’s. In interviews, Bochco comes across like a Frank Furillo type: calm and cerebral. Milch is more of a Sipowicz: irascible yet perceptive.
Actors who worked with Milch on his later shows Deadwood and Luck sometimes talk about Milch’s strangely effective methods, which involve him walking onto a set, making a few tweaks in the staging, and delivering an offhand comment that clarifies exactly what the scene’s really about. On a featurette included on the NYPD Blue season-one DVD set, this “Milch touch” is evident in the way he describes the cops on the show as wayward Catholic boys, who serve institutions as a way of assuaging their guilt at being sinners. Bochco had a standing deal at ABC when he and Milch were developing NYPD Blue, but the network stalled on picking up the show, which gave Milch an extra year to do research with real-life NYPD cop Bill Clark. In that time, Milch picked up tips not just about how cops behave, but why.
'Gangster Squad' a fusillade of bullets and cliches
A triumph of production design but a pretty dull kill-'em-up otherwise, the post-World War II-set "Gangster Squad" comes from the director of "Zombieland," Ruben Fleischer. It's clear Fleischer, who also made "30 Minutes or Less," hadn't worked through his "Zombieland" jones by the time he got to his latest film. I liked "Zombieland," which made a strong case for its brand of viscera and wisecracks. But "Gangster Squad" is a different sort of picture, or should be.
It's based partially on the real-life 1940s square-off between a secret cadre of Los Angeles Police Department officers and their mobster nemeses, led by the notorious Mickey Cohen. In the opening scene, Cohen, played with scowling Neanderthal relish by Sean Penn, oversees the murder of a soon-to-be-ex-associate. We're up in the Hollywood hills, just behind the sign that still reads "Hollywoodland." The man is pulled apart. In half. Maybe it happened in real life, and maybe it didn't, but launching your gangster picture on such a ridiculous note of bloody excess is certainly a risk. A misguided one.
Josh Brolin, better than his material, narrates this highly fanciful bash, which denounces its heroes' methods of payback even as it celebrates the cinematic possibilities of gun-related violence. With the blessing of LA's valiant police chief (Nick Nolte), Brolin's character, Sgt. John O'Mara, back from the war, assembles a team to take out Cohen, who has made LA his playground too long.
Ryan Gosling, who never really seems to be acting in any period other than 2013, plays the lady-killer copper who falls for Cohen's mistress (Emma Stone). Robert Patrick and Michael Pena play a double act brought into the project; Giovanni Ribisi worms around as the electronics ace in charge of bugging Cohen's digs and providing what little moral conscience "Gangster Squad" accommodates.
Some of these characters are based on the record, others are made up, and most of the dialogue is made of wood, befitting such rejoinders as: Let's give him "a permanent vacation in a pine box!" The template for "Gangster Squad," based on Paul Lieberman's nonfiction account and goosed up by screenwriter Will Beall, is clearly Brian De Palma's "The Untouchables," written by David Mamet. Good template; weak variation.
The original cut of "Gangster Squad" featured a movie theater massacre, which was taken out and rewritten and re-shot in another location. You don't really notice the lurch in continuity, because although "Gangster Squad" boasts swell art direction (I love the nightclubs, Slapsy Maxie's and Club Figaro), it's really just a series of gory, impersonal tit-for-tat revenge killings. Only Penn's line readings feel completely fresh. He may be made up to look like Big Boy Caprice in "Dick Tracy." He may be playing a copy of a copy of a movie stereotype. But like Brolin, Penn seems to be living and breathing convincingly in another time, another place.
The need for community engagement in the provision of public services is at a peak.Legislation demands it, stakeholders insist on it and citizen journalism drives it. Waste management often sits at the heart of the debate.
Consultation on emotive subjects such as waste is difficult and can be combative. Getting it wrong can at best lead to significant delays to a scheme and, at worst, such schemes collapsing.
What is needed is meaningful engagement rather than passive consultation. If public bodies and commercial developers can engage in a meaningful way with their communities and discover what their concerns really are, then resources can be more effectively targeted.
The first step in a successful engagement programme is to listen. The sheer volume of noise created by tweeting, blogging, posting and videoing can often drown out people’s real opinions. The key to understanding is the ability to combine information from a variety of sources, and to use those findings to address issues of importance.
Lord Toby Harris, formerly of Haringey Council, says: “When I was council leader, keeping my finger on the pulse of public opinion was a difficult and arduous task. With current Freedom of Information requirements, a method of trawling all internal information would be helpful. Even better would be trawling outside sources to see if the research findings are still valid six, 12 or 18 months on.”
There are now technologies emerging, including the Symfonix platform, where tweets, emails, comments and other digital media information can be combined with an organisation’s existing data such as meeting minutes, letters, and research reports, and then plotted on a map. Such systems can even analyse the sentiment, location and volume of debate on any given issue.
But understanding what is important remains a challenge. To know that thousands of people have tweeted about an issue is not particularly helpful - content and sentiment are critical.
By casting a net wide to include, for example, blogs, pressure group websites, local media and online communities, a more complete picture will emerge. Understand-ing opinion can be the difference between backing or backlash.
Real insight is achieved only when knowledge is gleaned from various information sets, by understanding the strengths and limitations of those sources and then combining knowledge pools.
It is vital for both the private and public sectors to engage when introducing waste management schemes, tune out background noise and focus on those conversations that really matter. Time and tools are factors, but the cost of not engaging will be far higher.
It's based partially on the real-life 1940s square-off between a secret cadre of Los Angeles Police Department officers and their mobster nemeses, led by the notorious Mickey Cohen. In the opening scene, Cohen, played with scowling Neanderthal relish by Sean Penn, oversees the murder of a soon-to-be-ex-associate. We're up in the Hollywood hills, just behind the sign that still reads "Hollywoodland." The man is pulled apart. In half. Maybe it happened in real life, and maybe it didn't, but launching your gangster picture on such a ridiculous note of bloody excess is certainly a risk. A misguided one.
Josh Brolin, better than his material, narrates this highly fanciful bash, which denounces its heroes' methods of payback even as it celebrates the cinematic possibilities of gun-related violence. With the blessing of LA's valiant police chief (Nick Nolte), Brolin's character, Sgt. John O'Mara, back from the war, assembles a team to take out Cohen, who has made LA his playground too long.
Ryan Gosling, who never really seems to be acting in any period other than 2013, plays the lady-killer copper who falls for Cohen's mistress (Emma Stone). Robert Patrick and Michael Pena play a double act brought into the project; Giovanni Ribisi worms around as the electronics ace in charge of bugging Cohen's digs and providing what little moral conscience "Gangster Squad" accommodates.
Some of these characters are based on the record, others are made up, and most of the dialogue is made of wood, befitting such rejoinders as: Let's give him "a permanent vacation in a pine box!" The template for "Gangster Squad," based on Paul Lieberman's nonfiction account and goosed up by screenwriter Will Beall, is clearly Brian De Palma's "The Untouchables," written by David Mamet. Good template; weak variation.
The original cut of "Gangster Squad" featured a movie theater massacre, which was taken out and rewritten and re-shot in another location. You don't really notice the lurch in continuity, because although "Gangster Squad" boasts swell art direction (I love the nightclubs, Slapsy Maxie's and Club Figaro), it's really just a series of gory, impersonal tit-for-tat revenge killings. Only Penn's line readings feel completely fresh. He may be made up to look like Big Boy Caprice in "Dick Tracy." He may be playing a copy of a copy of a movie stereotype. But like Brolin, Penn seems to be living and breathing convincingly in another time, another place.
The need for community engagement in the provision of public services is at a peak.Legislation demands it, stakeholders insist on it and citizen journalism drives it. Waste management often sits at the heart of the debate.
Consultation on emotive subjects such as waste is difficult and can be combative. Getting it wrong can at best lead to significant delays to a scheme and, at worst, such schemes collapsing.
What is needed is meaningful engagement rather than passive consultation. If public bodies and commercial developers can engage in a meaningful way with their communities and discover what their concerns really are, then resources can be more effectively targeted.
The first step in a successful engagement programme is to listen. The sheer volume of noise created by tweeting, blogging, posting and videoing can often drown out people’s real opinions. The key to understanding is the ability to combine information from a variety of sources, and to use those findings to address issues of importance.
Lord Toby Harris, formerly of Haringey Council, says: “When I was council leader, keeping my finger on the pulse of public opinion was a difficult and arduous task. With current Freedom of Information requirements, a method of trawling all internal information would be helpful. Even better would be trawling outside sources to see if the research findings are still valid six, 12 or 18 months on.”
There are now technologies emerging, including the Symfonix platform, where tweets, emails, comments and other digital media information can be combined with an organisation’s existing data such as meeting minutes, letters, and research reports, and then plotted on a map. Such systems can even analyse the sentiment, location and volume of debate on any given issue.
But understanding what is important remains a challenge. To know that thousands of people have tweeted about an issue is not particularly helpful - content and sentiment are critical.
By casting a net wide to include, for example, blogs, pressure group websites, local media and online communities, a more complete picture will emerge. Understand-ing opinion can be the difference between backing or backlash.
Real insight is achieved only when knowledge is gleaned from various information sets, by understanding the strengths and limitations of those sources and then combining knowledge pools.
It is vital for both the private and public sectors to engage when introducing waste management schemes, tune out background noise and focus on those conversations that really matter. Time and tools are factors, but the cost of not engaging will be far higher.
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