The research team in the Digital Content and Media Sciences Research Division, the National Institute of Informatics (NII, Director General: Dr. Masaru Kitsuregawa, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan) - Researcher by Special Appointment Xin Wang, Assistant Professor by Special Appointment Shinji Takaki, and Associate Professor Junichi Yamagishi - has developed the method of neural source-filter (NSF) models for high-speed, high-quality voice synthesis. This new technique, which combines the recent deep-learning algorithms and a classical speech production model dated back to the 1960s, is capable not only of generating high-quality voice waveforms--closely resembling the human voice--but also of conducting stable learning via neural networks.
To date, many speech synthesis systems have adopted the vocoder approach, a method for synthesizing speech waveforms that is widely used in cellular-phone networks and other applications. However, the quality of the speech waveforms synthesized by these methods has remained inferior to that of the human voice. In 2016, an influential overseas technology company(*1) proposed WaveNet--a speech-synthesis method based on deep-learning algorithms--and demonstrated the ability to synthesize high-quality speech waveforms resembling the human voice. However, one drawback of WaveNet is the extremely complex structure of its neural networks, which demand large quantities of voice data for machine learning and require parameter tuning and various other laborious trial-and-error procedures to be repeated many times before accurate predictions can be obtained.
One of the most well-known vocoders is the source-filter vocoder(*2), which was developed in the 1960s and remains in widespread use today. The NII research team infused the conventional source-filter vocoder method with modern neural-network algorithms to develop a new technique for synthesizing high-quality speech waveforms resembling the human voice. Among the advantages of this neural source-filter (NSF) method is the simple structure of its neural networks, which require only about 1 hour of voice data for machine learning and can obtain correct predictive results without extensive parameter tuning. Moreover, large-scale listening tests have demonstrated that speech waveforms produced by NSF techniques are comparable in quality to those generated by WaveNet.
Because the theoretical basis of NSF differs from the patented technologies used by influential overseas ICT companies, the adoption of NSF techniques is likely to spur new technological advances in speech synthesis. For this reason, the source code implementing the NSF method has been made available to the public at no cost, allowing it to be widely used.
"We hope that our NSF method will create new business opportunities for Japanese AI firms that use voice-based interfaces. For future work, we will work to make the method available for use as a real-time voice-synthesis engine in a wide variety of systems. We are also planning to add speaker adaption and other related features to the NSF methods."
Please visit the following page for comparisons of actual human voices to voice waveforms produced by source-filter vocoder methods, by WaveNet, and by NSF.
*It is explained only in Japanese in this movie.
The research described here was supported by the Japan Science and Technology Agency under CREST JPMJCR18A6 and by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science under Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research "KAKENHI" 16H06302, 16K16096, 17H04687, 18H04120, 18H04112, and 18KT0051.
(*1)The Google subsidiary DeepMind, also known for developing the AlphaGo artificial-intelligence system for the game of Go.
(*2) ) A speech production model reported in 1960 by Dr. Gunnar Fant. The model approximates the speech production process by considering both sources, such as the human glottis, and linear acoustic filters, such as the human vocal tract.


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Tailored AFM probes created via 3-D direct laser writing
(Nanowerk News) Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a technique that allows researchers to analyze surfaces at the atomic scale, and it's based on a surprisingly simple concept: A sharp tip on a cantilever "senses" the topography of samples.
While this technique has been successfully used for more than 30 years, and you can easily buy standard micromachined probes for experiments, standard-sized tips aren't always exactly what you need. Researchers frequently desire tips with a unique design -- a specific tip apex shape or extremely long tips that can reach the bottom of deep trenches. Preparing nonstandard tips via micromachining is possible, but it's often expensive.
But now, a group of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) researchers report that they have developed a method to tailor tips for specific applications via 3-D direct laser writing based on two-photon polymerization that will be appearing on the cover this week in Applied Physics Letters ("Tailored probes for atomic force microscopy fabricated by two-photon polymerization").
3-D direct laser writing based on two-photon polymerization can be used to create custom-designed tips. (a) Schematic drawing of the writing process on the cantilever using two-photon polymerization. The inset shows a scanning electron microscope image of the tip apex. To obtain a sharp and defined tip apex, it was written with optimized (but slower) parameters so that the surface of the tip apex is smoother than the rest of the structure. A large variety of tips can be fabricated in this way. (b) High (20 microns) and thin (5 microns at the base) tip. (c) Extremely long tip with a height of 100 microns. (d) Spherical tip with diameter of 10 microns. (e) Tip in the shape of the famous Swiss mountain "Matterhorn." (f) Protruding tip that is visible from the top during scanning. (g) Shrunk conical tip after carbonization through pyrolysis (decomposition caused by exposure to high temperatures). (Image: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) (click on image to enlarge)
Two-photon polymerization is a 3-D printing process that provides structuring with extremely high resolution. It involves using a tightly focused infrared femtosecond laser to expose an ultraviolet-light-curable photoresist material, which causes two-photon adsorption that, in turn, triggers a polymerization reaction. In this way, freely designed parts can be written exactly at the place of their purpose -- even nanoscale objects such as AFM tips on cantilevers.
"This concept isn't new at the macroscopic scale: you can freely design any shape with your computer and print it in 3-D," explained Hendrik Hölscher, head of the scanning probe technologies group at KIT. "But at the nanoscale, this approach is complex. To write our tips, we applied two-photon polymerization with an experimental setup, recently developed at KIT, which is now available from startup company Nanoscribe GmbH."
Tips with radii as small as 25 nanometers -- about 3,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair -- and arbitrary shapes can be attached to conventionally shaped micromachined cantilevers, according to the group. Long-term scanning measurements show low wear rates that demonstrate the reliability of these tips. "We were also able to prove that the resonance spectrum of the probe can be tuned for multi-frequency applications by adding reinforcing structures to the cantilever," Hölscher said.
The key significance of the group's work is that the ability to design optimal tips or probes opens the door to endless options for analyzing samples -- with greatly enhanced resolution.
"Writing parts via 3-D printing is expected to become a big business at the macroscopic scale," he said. "But I was surprised by how nicely it works for nanoscale, too. When our group started with this project, we tried to continuously stretch the technology's limits ... but Ph.D. students Philipp-Immanuel Dietrich and Gerald Göring kept coming back from the lab with new successful results."
As for near-term future applications, two-photon polymerization will become widely available for nanotechnology researchers. "We expect other groups working within the field of scanning probe methods to be able to take advantage of our approach as soon as possible," Hölscher noted. "It may even become an Internet business that allows you to design and order AFM probes via the web."
The group will "continue to optimize" their approach, Hölscher said, and apply it to research projects ranging from biomimetics to optics and photonics.
Source: American Institute of Physics

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Riverside OKs $350,000 to settle lawsuit
Village board votes 4-1 on payout to ex-fire chief
by Bob Uphues September 10, 2013 January 29, 2021
The Riverside village board, without comment on Sept. 5, voted 4 to 1 to pay $350,000 to settle a federal lawsuit filed in 2011 against the village and Deputy Fire Chief Matthew Buckley by former Fire Chief Kevin Mulligan.
By agreeing to an out-of-court settlement, the village was able to avoid incurring more expenses related to the litigation, including much more substantial payout had the court ruled against the village at trial.
"It is frustrating to see out residents' tax dollars spent in such a manner," said Village President Ben Sells in a press release issued Sept. 6. "Still, the village board has acted in the best interests of the village by taking this step to move forward and put this case behind us."
Reached by the Landmark on Monday and given the opportunity to elaborate on the reasons for the village settling the case, Sells referred the newspaper to the press release.
Sells did not vote on the settlement agreement. Trustees Doug Pollock, Ellen Hamilton, Patricia Collins and Joseph Ballerine voted to accept the settlement. Trustee Michael Foley voted against it. Trustee Jean Sussman was absent from the village board meeting where the vote was taken.
Asked if he wanted to comment about voting against the settlement, Foley stated, "I really don't. My vote says it all."
Buckley declined to comment on the case, citing a confidentiality agreement he said he had signed.
Patrick Walsh, the attorney for Kevin Mulligan, indicated that Riverside hurt itself by firing the former chief.
"I think, in the end, Riverside lost a great employee," Walsh said.
Of the $350,000 being paid out by the village, $87,500 is coming directly from the village's general operating fund. The rest of the settlement amount is being paid for by the village's insurance carrier, IRMA.
According to the terms of the settlement, $120,000 will be paid to Mulligan in the form of wages, subject to payroll deductions. Another $113,333 will be paid to Mulligan as a "non-wage consideration," according to the deal.
The village will pay the law firm of Mulligan's attorney $116,667 for attorneys' fees and costs related to the claim.
In addition, the village agreed to give Mulligan a retirement axe, watch and badge in acrylic "as it has given other individuals who have retired from service to the village's fire department."
The village board will vote separately in executive session whether Mulligan can wear a retired village firefighter uniform to special events. In exchange for the money and other considerations, Mulligan agreed to have his case against the village and Buckley dismissed. In addition, he agreed not to seek employment with the village in the future.
The village continues to deny it violated laws or Mulligan's rights when the village board chose to fire Mulligan in April 2011 after a three-year dispute between Mulligan and Buckley, during which Mulligan gave Buckley poor performance reviews and Buckley's complaints about the chief drinking on the job landed Mulligan on administrative leave twice.
Mulligan filed the five-count lawsuit against the village and Buckley in November 2011, claiming the village had violated the Americans With Disabilities Act because the village board believed Mulligan to be an alcoholic and fired him because of that perception. In addition, Mulligan claimed Buckley's complaints against him constituted defamation and created a hostile workplace.
In June, U.S. District Court Judge Ronald A. Guzman dismissed three of the lawsuit's five counts but ruled that Mulligan's claims of an ADA violation and defamation had enough merit to take to trial.
After Guzman's ruling in June, Mulligan's attorney appeared very sure Mulligan would prevail if the case went to trial.
"I'm supremely confident going into trial, if it gets to trial," Walsh said.
This story has been changed to reflect that Matt Buckley did return the Landmark's call, but declined to comment.
2 replies on "Riverside OKs $350,000 to settle lawsuit"


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AI: Analytics Innovators Series Video
This web video series features examples of groundbreaking companies, services and products that epitmize the age of smarter analytics, pervasive computing and new intelligence that IBM's new Business Analytics & Optimization Services was created to advance.
See more BAO content and clips at the Global Business Services New Intelligence Video Studio. Know of other analytics innovators we should feature? Share in comments here!
RecycleBank a kind of "frequent recycling" rewards program
Earthmine a 3D city mapping service based on Mars Rover technology
FitBit Tracker a $99 wearable health monitoring device that measures your bodily activity and sleep patterns
Jack Mason, Strategic Programs & Social Media
IBM Global Business Services
http://smarterplanet.tumblr.com
Jul 1, 2009 12:17:37 PM | eHealth Trends, Healthcare IT Innovation, Information-Based Medicine, Patient-Centered Care, smarter planet
BusinessWeek: The Family Doctor: A Remedy for Health-Care Costs?
How making primary-care physicians the center of America's health-care system could drive down costs
Interesting story in BW that includes some discussion around IBM's patient centered medical home model. Here's an excerpt:
This medical home may sound like the "gatekeeper" model of the 1990s, a managed-care creation that was all about holding down costs. But advocates say the new concept is designed to help patients, not insurers. It's more like doctoring 1950s-style, when a Marcus Welby figure handled all the family's medical needs. This time it's juiced up with digital technology.
It also represents a politically painless way to streamline a disorganized and wasteful system that chews up a crippling 18% of the U.S. gross domestic product. That burden is felt particularly by private industry, which covers 60% of the nation's insured. Since most businesses try to ferret out waste and disorganization in their own operations, the medical home is a concept they can embrace in good conscience.
One of the biggest advocates is IBM (IBM), which shelled out $1.3 billion last year on health benefits for its U.S. employees and retirees, equal to one month of the company's net income. Dr. Paul H. Grundy, 57, who holds the unusual title of director of health-care transformation for IBM, is a medical-home evangelist who led the company to start the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative, a coalition of some 500 large employers, insurers, consumer groups, and doctors. Part of his goal, he says, is to show that "employers can drive the medical-home idea as buyers of care."
Jun 26, 2009 4:03:00 PM | eHealth Trends, Electronic Health Records, Employee Health, Healthcare IT Innovation, Information-Based Medicine, medical home, Patient-Centered Care
Smarter Healthcare Channel via GBS Video Studio
With healthcare reform taking centerstage in Washington in the weeks and months ahead, we wanted to share this section of clips in the IBM Global Business Services Video Studio, which debuted with the launch of IBM's new consulting organization, Business Analytics & Optimization.
Jun 19, 2009 2:36:16 PM | Clinical Decision Intelligence, Clinical Genomics, eHealth Trends, Electronic Health Records, Healthcare IT Blogging, Healthcare IT Innovation, Healthcare Legislation, Healthcare Quality & Reimbursment, Information-Based Medicine, medical home, Patient-Centered Care
IBM Chief Health Officer Janet Marchibroda on Smarter Healthcare
Janet Marchibroda is the chief health care officer of IBM
"As President Obama and Congress take on what the president in his American Medical Association speech called the "ticking time bomb" of health care costs, they need to know that they can't succeed without harnessing the massive data generated by modern medicine. Getting the best information into the hands of doctors and patients, while protecting patient privacy, is not just a desire but an overriding need if we are to get a handle on spiraling costs and also improve care. "(read the rest @ There Can Be No Health Care Reform Without An Information Revolution - Forbes.com)
Jun 19, 2009 2:32:00 PM | eHealth Trends, Electronic Health Records, Employee Health, Healthcare IT Innovation, Healthcare IT Privacy/Security, Information-Based Medicine, National Healthcare Information Infrastructure, Open Healthcare Standards & Technology, Patient-Centered Care
Smarter Planet Widgets: Analytics, Healthcare, Cities & Energy
In addition to the Smarter Healthcare widget seen here in the right column, we've developed other widgets on key Smarter Planet topics that you are welcome to add to your site, page, or blog, or share with your contacts and network. Simply copy and paste the embedding code that works for your site.
We've also made these widgets available as Facebook applications. Please feel free to put these to work and enable our community to function as a social media catalyst.
Smarter Healthcare Widget
http://apps.facebook.com/smarterhealthcare/
http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/smarter-healthcare
Smarter Energy Widget
http://apps.facebook.com/smarterenergy/
http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/smarter-energy
Smarter Cities Widget
http://apps.facebook.com/smartercities/
http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/smarter-cities
Analytics Album Widget
http://apps.facebook.com/analyticsalbum/
http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/analytics-album
Jack Mason, IBM Global Business Services
Strategic Programs & Social Media
May 28, 2009 2:36:20 PM | Current Affairs, eHealth Trends, Electronic Health Records, Healthcare & Nanotechnology, medical home, National Healthcare Information Infrastructure, Open Healthcare Standards & Technology, Patient-Centered Care, Science, smarter planet, Virtual Worlds, Web 2.0 and eHealthcare
The Patient Centered Medical Home: Blogger Briefing (MP3 Audio)
Download Patient Center Medical Home (MP3)
The Patient Centered Medical Home: Blogger Briefing on new white paper from IBM's Institute of Business Value, and IBM Healthcare & Life Sciences.
Dr. Paul Grundy, Director, IBM Healthcare Transformation
Jim Adams, IBM Center for Healthcare Management
Ed Mounib, Healthcare Lead, IBM Institute for Business Value
Smarter Healthcare on ibm.com
May 20, 2009 12:42:53 PM | Healthcare IT Blogging, Healthcare IT Innovation, Healthcare Legislation, Healthcare Quality & Reimbursment, Information-Based Medicine, medical home, Patient-Centered Care, Public Health Issues, smarter planet
Smarter Planet: Healthcare, This Week's Focus
This week, Smarter Planet moves to the pressing issue of healthcare. As the "op-ad" thought leadership story for this vital topic notes:
"The problems with our healthcare system are well known and well documented and endlessly debated. What's not so apparent is that many of them arise because our healthcare system isn't, in fact, a system."
Adam Christensen's post on the Building a Smarter Planet blog picks up on how of all aspects of smarter planet, healthcare is understandably one that is both deeply personal, as well as a societal front that we all have a vested interest in.
On the Smarter Planet Tumblr site, we've added a channel for all posts the touch on the way in which healthcare is becoming instrumented, interconnected and ultimately, infused with a new kind of intelligence. You can see more about this frontier of advance analytics, predictive modeling, simulation, business decision support via the New Intelligence channel on our Tumblr site.
Feb 23, 2009 10:43:55 AM | Clinical Decision Intelligence, eHealth Trends, Electronic Health Records, Healthcare IT Innovation, Healthcare IT Privacy/Security, Healthcare Quality & Reimbursment, Information-Based Medicine, medical home, National Healthcare Information Infrastructure, Open Healthcare Standards & Technology, Patient-Centered Care, smarter planet
Health Record Banking Advances
(reblogging this interesting update on health record banking, the idea of all patient data flowing to an account they, not doctors, control)
Channel: Source: Patty Enrado, NHINWatch.com Date: February 2, 2009
Sometime during the next two months, through grants totaling $1.7 million, the Washington State Health Care Authority, or WSHCA (pdf), will launch three consumer-controlled health record bank pilots in the communities of Bellingham, Spokane and Cashmere.
WSHCA's efforts are part of a movement toward implementing health record banking, or HRB, systems, said William Yasnoff, MD, PhD, managing partner of NHII Advisors and founder of the Health Record Banking Alliance.
Feb 12, 2009 4:41:14 PM | eHealth Trends, Electronic Health Records, Healthcare IT Innovation, Healthcare IT Privacy/Security, Healthcare Legislation, National Healthcare Information Infrastructure, Patient-Centered Care, smarter planet
MY PWeR (Personal Wellness electronic Record) is an intelligent, comprehensive system is equipped with 24 applications ranging from Electronic Medical Records to electronic prescriptions to transcription solutions. MY PWeR also assists with electronic billing, reporting and analytics, and many other practice management tools.
Earlier this year Quantum announced the launch of the PWeR healthcare information platform and selected IBM as a cornerstone of its information management, storage, security and privacy focus.
See more on the Smarter Planet: Healthcare channel on our Tumblr site.
Jan 19, 2009 11:01:09 AM | Clinical Decision Intelligence, eHealth Trends, Electronic Health Records, Employee Health, Healthcare IT Blogging, Healthcare IT Innovation, Healthcare Quality & Reimbursment, Information-Based Medicine, medical home, National Healthcare Information Infrastructure, Patient-Centered Care, Public Health Issues, smarter planet


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CultureArt
David Hockney: A Bigger Picture at Royal Academy of Art
David Hockney: A Bigger Picture at Royal Academy of Art | Exhibition review
Abigail Moss
A Bigger Picture at the Royal Academy of Art, London, is almost completely sold-out until April for good reasons. This exhibition of Hockney's landscape works is named in reference to one of his most famous works A Bigger Splash, produced in L.A. in 1967. A Bigger Picture not only takes us back to Hockney's roots, it functions to represent points on long and short time scales across his career.
The collection is pleasantly non-linear and creative as a retrospective. The reference to one of Hockney's most seminal works in the exhibition title is a humbling reminder that even the biggest modern artists can take solace and inspiration from their roots. This exhibition sees Hockney past the peak of his career and enjoying a rightful place in the canon of modern painters, reengaging with the place he grew up and developed as an artist – A Bigger Picture is in this sense an unavoidably personal and intimate exhibition. Intimacy of this size and scale is deeply emotive.
Hockney's awe over nature and the power of natural landscape is instantly palpable. More than anything else, you are unlikely to see a more joyous and exuberant exhibition this year. Certain individual paintings such as The Road To York Through Sledmore (1997) and the gallery rooms, (in particular room 6, Woldgate Woods) combine to create a cumulative, completely immersive experience of natural beauty. Hockney's characteristically brilliant use of unseen colours and inventive use of perspective absolutely comes forward in these landscape works. An incredible sense of space, scale and movement is created in every painting. Together as a collection, this creates an almost overwhelming experience for the viewer.
Some pieces are physically enormous, asserting their vibrant presence across numerous adjoined canvasses. Other, though smaller in size, are no less captivating. Any Londoner who is from the countryside is likely to appreciate the sensation of forgetting how glorious British landscapes can be, until we are confronted by one again and reminded. The works in A Bigger Picture put you on a hilltop, a country-lane, in a wood. The sense of flux and movement crystallised by Hockney's techniques contributes to it but it is mainly the result of Hockney's genuine love of Yorkshire and desire to capture its beauty and understated sublimity that make the exhibition a delight.
To call A Bigger Picture a retrospective would be belittling. Firstly because the exhibition includes a large number of new commissions – Hockney's new iPad paintings have understandably caused quite a buzz. This is an exhibition which explores an artist's desire to examine his own roots – rather than one summarising or overviewing a career, as a retrospective might. It is, as we might expect from RAA, judiciously and smartly collected and arranged.
Most rooms cover a theme or a particular specific location, whilst the direction of the exhibition leads to a culmination in room 9; The Arrival of Spring, which portrays Hockney's sense of action and wakefulness in nature, in particular a kind of awareness possessed only by spring. This collection especially projects a pure joy, peace and calm. This is the gem of the exhibition. Huge oil on canvass (or rather, 32 canvasses) The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire in 2011 (twenty eleven) is surrounded by 51 prints of Hockney's stunning iPad paintings. These prints serve to remind us of Hockney's adroit abilities to manipulate multi-media tools to his means, and to consistently use new technologies in the most inventive and beautiful ways.
This exhibition is beautiful and life affirming. It is a reminder of the often-unseen beauty of the world around us. It is a jubilant experience, one which is impossible to forget and unlikely to be matched by another exhibition in 2012.
David Hockney: A Bigger Picture is at the Royal Academy of Arts from 21st January until 9th April 2012. For further information or to book visit the RA's website here.
More in Art
Five restaurants to visit during London's Frieze Art Fair
Tom Van Herrewege: Anthro Zoology at Leicester Contemporary
Federico Fellini museum to open this month in Emilia-Romagna's Rimini
Filippo L'Astorina, the Editor
Architectural pioneers: Celebrating Zaha Hadid
Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience at the Old Stable Yard
Paula Rego at Tate Britain
Zaha Hadid exhibition at Modern Art Museum Shanghai to launch alongside a trio of remote transatlantic events
The Making of Rodin at Tate Modern
David Hockney: The Arrival of Spring, Normandy, 2020 at the Royal Academy of Arts
John Carter: Disney's sci-fi epic is mad but worth it | Movie review
The Summer House at the Gate Theatre | Theatre review


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Video: HTC Leo supports multi-touch
After photographs of the future flagship of HTC Leo in the network appeared in a video demonstration of the capabilities of the multi-touch device. HTC Leo - a device with a large 4.3-inch capacitive touch screen. It is built on a powerful 1-GHz processor and runs Windows Mobile 6.5. In the video shows how to use the movements of two fingers can be "next" page, resize images and even videos.
Interestingly, the Windows Mobile 6.5 such broad functions of multi-touch is not stated. Therefore we can assume that such opportunities have interface HTC TouchFLO, supplementing the core operating system. Either the video shows a communicator on the basis of an earlier version of Windows Mobile 7. And, of course, can not completely exclude the possibility that it simply fakie.
Labels: HTC
QUMO Uno: a simple MP3-player
The company has expanded a series of budget QUMO MP3-player for those who do not want to overpay for a digital device. Novelty is QUMO Uno. Player is made in the form of classical USB-flash drive, which helps to organize file-sharing without a PC connection cable and an additional convenience.
Color devices includes the following options:
orange with white inserts;
salad with white inserts;
purple with white inserts;
and black for fans of the classics.
Each device comes with built-in memory size 2 or 4 GB. Monochrome display helps save battery power. And the main advantage of the player - up to 15 hours of continuous music playback and support for lossless-format.
Dimensions: 88 × 26 × 11,6 mm.
Display: 1.1 ", 128 × 60 monochrome
Internal memory: 2 GB / 4 GB.
USB-port: built-in interface USB 2.0, charging the battery.
Battery: built-in lithium-ion rechargeable, 500 mAh
Compatibility with computer operating systems: WIN 98/SE/ME/XP/Vista/MacOS.
Duration Battery life: Audio playback - up to 15 hours
Mediainterfeysy: microphone, headphone jack 3.5 mm, FM-tuner.
Permissible ambient temperature: 0 to 40 degrees Celsius.
Labels: MP3-Player
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X3 Android phone will be released in January
Resource Mobile Crunch announced that the smartphone Sony Ericsson XPERIA X3, also known as Rachael, will be released in January next year. Recall, this device seems to be the first Android-smartphone Sony Ericsson. About him until there are no official data, all information - preliminary. Although the description of the apparatus has already been published in the online store Expansys.
The smartphone is equipped with a 4-inch touch screen, 8-megapixel camera with flexible shooting, wireless modules Bluetooth 2.1 and Wi-Fi (802.11 b / g), GPS-receiver and microSD-slot. Also assumed that, in addition to Android XPERIA X3 has its own interface Sony Ericsson. On the value of this model of information yet.
LG launches new series of notebooks WIDEBOOK, intended for viewing widescreen
South Korean company LG Electronics announced the launch of a new series of notebooks under the title WIDEBOOK, where each model will be equipped with a widescreen (16:9) HD monitor with LED backlight and Intel Core 2 Duo.
This series includes five new models, including the R580:
R560:
And R380:
All of these models, according to the manufacturer, should strengthen the company's position in the global market gaming laptops. LG believes that at present is the growing demand for notebooks in comparison with the production of conventional PCs, which in fact led to the emergence of this series, which will be available in various designs. For example, models R580 and R560 will be equipped with 15.6-inch displays, R480 and R460 - 14-inch screen, and a small R380 - 13,3-inch panels. R580 and R480 are positioned as a premium model with a stylish and sporty design, while R560 and R460 will be promoted as a reliable and everyday workhorse. R380 will be offered to consumers as the best model performance at an affordable price.
The basis of the same on all models is the idea of mobile entertainment, where the center is a widescreen (16:9) HD (1600x900 or 1368x768) display, optimized for widescreen viewing. In addition, according to the company, taking advantage of innovations in LED backlighting LCD panels, it significantly reduces the power consumption of displays (within 15-20%), which should affect the durability of batteries laptops.
In addition to the above, each new technology includes support for SRS TruSurround HD sound, equipped with Intel Core 2 Duo, 2-or 4-mya GB RAM, 1.3 megapixel web camera, 3G modems support GSM, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS or HSDPA networks, as well as graphics-based system of NVIDIA GeForce GPUs with 1 GB of video memory.
Five new models WIDEBOOK series will begin its sale to Turkey, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and then in other countries in Asia, Europe, North America and Latin America.
The official announcement of Samsung OmniaPRO B7330
Samsung has continued to expand the line of communicators Omnia. Today was officially announced by the communicator Samsung OmniaPRO B7330 with operating system Windows Mobile 6.5. This apparatus is positioned as a business class phone for business people with advanced wireless capabilities (HSDPA 7.2 Mbps, HSUPA 2.0 Mbps) and built-in QWERTY-keyboard. Also, the model Omnia II, OmniaPRO B7610 and OmniaPRO B7320, placed on the market running Windows Mobile 6.1 can be improved in the future to version 6.5, although the terms of the upgrades are not reported.
Total communicator Samsung OmniaPRO B7330 is the successor model OmniaPRO B7320, appeared on the market this summer. One major difference should be the screen with a diagonal of 2.6-inches and a resolution of 320x320 pixels, which, however, still will not touch. Also, the model module is equipped with Wi-Fi, 3-megapixel camera, 320 MB of internal memory and slot for memory cards microSD-format. In addition, GPS-receiver sets. Phone supports networks GSM and UMTS.
Date of entry Samsung OmniaPRO B7330 company does not disclose, but it happens after October 6, when will the official release of Windows Mobile 6.5.
eCAFE EC-1000W - the first netbook with Windows 7
The company officially announced the Hercules netbook eCAFE EC-1000W with preloaded operating system Windows 7. How can the name suggests the device enters into a series netbooks eCAFE and supports branded services. At the moment this is the first netbook, which was originally declared as a model for the new OS Microsoft, and the characteristics of a typical budget device valued up to $ 400.
Netbook eCAFE EC-1000W is based on Intel Atom N270 processor with a clock frequency of 1.6 GHz, has 1 GB of RAM and hard drive to 250 GB. Display with a diagonal 10.1-inch has a resolution of 1024h600 pixels. Among the supported services eCAFE include: eCAFE Email Center (e-mail server), eCAFE Update Manager (a separate ecosystem for netbooks series with up to 50 GB storage space on the server) and eCAFE Webcam Station (providing a reliable communication in video chat). Among other characteristics of the model reported on the support of wireless WiFi (802.11n) compounds, there is a webcam with built-in microphone and shestielementnogo battery capacity of 4400 mAh.
In sale netbook eCAFE EC-1000W should arrive in late October for $ 399.
HP DreamScreen
HP today introduced a new series of photo frames DreamScreen, different advanced networking capabilities. Devices are not fully independent, but require integration into the home network. Also, these photo frames do not have a touch screen - control by using the buttons on the front panel or remote control, for which there is a special reserved seat at the back. Models have a screen diagonal 10.2-inch (DreamScreen 100) and 13.3-inch (DreamScreen 130) and runs on Linux.
Advanced networking capabilities, for data picture frame means that you can download content not only from local resources, but also social services Facebook and Snapfish, they can also play music online radio station Pandora. Devices equipped with 2 GB of internal memory module and Wi-Fi 802.11g, which can be used to connect to the local and global network. In addition to radio Pandora, is currently available only to U.S. residents, photo frames can connect to the service HP SmartRadio, whose catalog includes more than 10 000 radio stations.
In the sale of both models arrive this fall. This first will be implemented DreamScreen 100, which will be available in shops from October 11. Cost Frames HP DreamScreen amount, depending on the size, 250 and 300 dollars.
ITG xpPhone already available for pre-order
The Chinese company ITG is preparing to release a mobile device xpPhone, which is already available for pre-order on the English language site. This model is positioned as a solution that combines capabilities Tablet PC, multimedia and cell phone. In fact, this device is a Tablet PC, following a form-factor "side of the slider and the module's 3G-connection. An interesting feature of the model was the use of both SSD and HDD drives, as well as work that is running Windows XP.
The device has already demonstrated at the exhibition Computex2009 and is intended for users of operators Vodafone, AT & T and Orange. The exact date of sales and the cost is not yet known.
Specifications xpPhone as follows:
Operating System: Windows XP
CPU: AMD Super Mobile
Memory: 512 MB or 1 GB
SSD-drive: 8/16/32/64 GB
Hard drive: 30/60/80/120 GB
Screen: touchscreen, TFT, 4.8-inch diagonal with a resolution of 800x480 pixels
Supported communications standards: GSM / GPRS / EDGE / WCDMA, CDMA / CDMA 2000 / EVDO, TD - SCDMA, TD - HSDPA
Wireless: WiFi 802.11 b / g, WiMAX, Bluetooth, GPS
Camera: CMOS 1.3-megapixel
Interfaces: audio jack, microphone jack, VGA-connector, USB
Hours: talk mode up to 5 hours standby mode up to 5 days
Weight: 400 grams (with battery)
PENTAX Kx: entry-level SLR camera with support for recording HD video
PENTAX introduced the company announced its new model of digital SLR entry-level PENTAX Kx, which, with the words producer, offers a number of functions available in the cells of higher level. Among these opportunities the company notes the presence in the PENTAX Kx features Live View, and support for HD video.
This camera, complete with lens, DA L 18-55 mm, will be offered for a suggested manufacturer price of $ 599.95 and will be promoted to customers as their first SLR camera, offering a simple and easy management, as well as the possibility of shooting with one hand.
Features PENTAX Kx:
12.4 megapixel CMOS (CMOS) sensor with an electronic image stabilizer
2.7-inch LCD display with support for features Live View, allowing you to control the contrast and phase autofocus, and auto-focus on individuals (up to 16 in the frame)
Large-format HD video in the resolution of 720p (1280x720) at 24 frames per second
Built-in post-processing of images, thanks to a broad set of artistic filters
Support received HDR (High Dynamic Range) images (consecutive shooting 3 frames)
High-speed photography (up to 4.7 frames per second with a shutter speed to 1 / 6000 sec.) Thanks to the new image processor PENTAX PRIME II
Advanced Auto
High-speed 11-point wide-angle AF system SAFOX VIII, and allows you to focus on moving objects
Used as elements of food - finger "batteries (AA, included Li-Ion batteries)
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X3 Android phone will be rele...
LG launches new series of notebooks WIDEBOOK, inte...
The official announcement of Samsung OmniaPRO B733...
PENTAX Kx: entry-level SLR camera with support for...


We can offer two different types of guided tours - both with special treats. Both tour types offer insight into how we run the brewery and you get to taste our great beer. We further offer beer tastings every Saturday that can be booked for parties of min. 4 persons.
We guide you through the story about the brewer Theodor Schiøtz, while you get to see the old brewery, incl. the historic cellar with the first kegs and the production facility of today. The tour finishes with a tasting of 4 selected craft beers.
This guided tour focuses on the brewing process and takes place in the microbrewery and our Beer & Food Lab, Anarkist. You will learn more about the brewing process, the effect of ingredients on the final product and how beer and food can be matched. The tour finishes with a tasting of 6-7 selected craft beers along with information about the different brews.
Enjoy a different beer experience when tasting eight craft beers that definitely will teach you and your taste buds new things about beer. You just have to be a party of four persons, and we will take you on a completely new journey through the world of beer.


Southwood is a SW Calgary community that is well served by transit and all important amenities. Southwood real estate includes detached family homes as well as some condos. With fast access downtown, this quiet neighbourhood attracts Calgarians of all ages. See the listings for all the homes for sale in Southwood here, and read more about this SW Calgary neighbourhood below.
Listed by Tanja van de Kamp and Ariette Van Pelt of REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS INC.
Located just to the east of Macleod Trail, Southhood offers extremely easy access to downtown and the north end of Calgary. Macleod Trail leads directly into downtown, and the Calgary Transit LRT line passes through downtown and up to the northwest, passing by both SAIT and the University of Calgary. There are two LRT stations in the community – Southland LRT station and Anderson LRT station. Transfers to other trains in downtown connects commuters with the west and northeast ends of the city.
Southwood is located south of Southland Drive and north of Anderson Road, and it is bisected by Elbow Drive. Southland real estate features a variety of single-family homes and condos. Nearby communities include Haysboro (to the north), Braeside (to the west) and Canyon Meadows (to the south).
With Macleod Trail nearby, all important amenities are not far. Many large retailers and services line both sides of the roadway. Southcentre Mall is just across Macleod Trail and can be quickly accessed with a pedestrian bridge that connects the community to the mall.
There is a public library within the community and a few schools, including Ethel M. Johnson School, Harold Panabaker School and Foundations for the Future Charter Academy. Southwood has an active community association, which hosts an annual street festival called Rhubarb Fest.
Southwood's central location makes it ideal to access indoor and outdoor recreation. Southland Leisure Centre has pools, arenas and a climbing wall and is nearby. Fish Creek Park – Canada's largest urban park – is not far away either. There are also a few golf courses nearby, including Maple Ridge Golf Course and Canyon Meadows Golf and County Club.
Contact us today to learn more about the homes for sale in Southwood.


University of California's David Patterson, also a RISC pioneer and Google engineer, says Moore's Law is over and computer architecture is on the cusp of a new era.
Applications do not all require the same level of computing accuracy, he says, adding that some could use lower-precision floating-point arithmetic instead of the commonly used IEEE 754 standard. Machine learning, he says, is "ravenous for computing" and offers the greatest area of opportunity for applying new architectures and languages. "This is a golden age for computer architecture," Patterson says. Read the article.


A few days back I got a frantic call from an ex-intern. He had moved on to work as the social media executive for a mid-sized publishing firm. He was facing a piquant work situation where his boss, the business owner had his own perception of how Facebook operated and was frequently chastising him for not 'generating enough likes' and not working on Facebook Marketing properly.
It is this ethos that Facebook marketing needs to embrace – Building Trust. Building Credibility. Building long term relationships with your fan base. You do that by following the 5 stop signs that show what you're doing wrong.
Buying likes is a sham that one is trying to perpetrate on your client. This is usually done to make the client feel good about making the right decision to hire the right agency. As a client, if you see a sudden spurt in the number of followers that you have, you can be assured that they have been 'bought'. Just as you can't customers, you can't buy fans. You need to create fans. And it's hard work. So stop buying 'likes' through Facebook Marketing.
Facebook Marketing is not about trying to do a regular update.
90% of all Facebook marketing that I keep seeing comprises of a bunch of regular company wide updates. The underlying assumption behind this thoughtless bombardment is that if you tell people enough times what you are doing, they will love/remember/engage with you. It's the old style mass media approach.
I regularly get to see a sponsored advertisement for buying property or for buying women's shoes. Would have worked great if I was into cross dressing or looking to invest in property. The ugly truth is that brands spend a ton of money blasting their way through Facebook Marketing looking for that elusive consumer who is getting more and more difficult to get by.
Consider a simple fact. My timeline today comprises of at least 30% of sponsored digital advertising and another 20% of company updates from the various company pages where I am a follower. Do I spend time bothering about them? No. Perhaps I do click on a few as a casual clicker, but that's about it. Spending a ton of money on Facebook advertising is not how you handle Facebook. It's still the classic "Mass media advertising approach". Never will work on Facebook Marketing approach!!
Don't believe the fact that by making a weekly content and scheduling it for the week will make your social media work for Facebook Marketing. It won't. All it will do is make your daily life a little less hectic. But unfortunately many agencies tend to talk of how effectively they are managing client's social accounts by showcasing the weekly scheduling that they are doing.
Nothing is further from the truth. If you have bad content, no matter of weekly advance planning is going to further your social impact. All that it will do is to ensure that your followers get a daily dosage of the same mindless content in regular frequency. This is really important if you want to get good conversions through Facebook Marketing!
If you are a client looking to really leverage social media marketing strategy for your business, you're not going to get far by believing in everything that you read or hear. I have heard of social media experts expounding on aspects like the 'best time to post' with scant regard to the fact that they are operating in a market different from the geography on which the research on 'best time to post' was done. Talk of blinkered vision!
Instead of believing, start learning. Marketing is not an exact science and despite what technology has to offer us today, it still isn't. You learn by experimenting, by analyzing data points and drivers each of which are unique to your brand and the audience you're trying to engage with. Stop believing and start learning. This is the best way to let Facebook Marketing work for you.
Facebook is an engagement medium. If your posts are not engaging then you're not doing it right.
Leverage the strength of Facebook's deep customer behavior & demographic depth to advertise. Make your audience reach sharp. That's the best way to get results from your advertising.
Join our free course- How to use Facebook Marketing and grow your business to learn how to take advantage of what Facebook has to offer.


Who needs Miami? Pacha brings Ibiza direct to you tonight, with the DJs who define the island's balmy, bawdy sound: Pacha residents Funkagenda and Sarah Main, plus a live performance by Cape Town electronic jazz band Goldfish. They're joined on the decks by birthday boy Exacta.


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Texas Water Science Center+
Texas Water Science Center
Texas Water Science Center hydrologists, technicians, geographers, geophysicists, geologists, mathematicians, and computer scientists work on a diverse range of products built on a foundation of spatial data.
Links to Texas web mapping applications and Scientific Investigations Maps (SIMs) are listed below.
► Visit US Topo for national USGS mapping products
Date published: August 25, 2017
Texas Water Dashboard
The Texas Water Dashboard presents USGS real-time stream, lake and reservoir, precipitation and groundwater data for more than 850 USGS real-time observation stations in Texas.
Attribution: Water Resources, Texas Water Science Center
Filter Total Items: 22
Select Year20192018201720162015201420132012201120102009
Select Map Type
Select Map TypeStory MapsTopographical Maps (Topo Maps)Geologic MapsGIS DataOther
Sort by Original SortRelease Date DescTitle AscTitle Desc
Water-Level Altitudes 2012 and Water-Level Changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper Aquifers and Compaction 1973–2011 in the Chicot and Evangeline Aquifers, Houston–Galveston Region, Texas
This report is one in an annual series of reports depicting water-level altitudes and water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers and measured cumulative compaction of subsurface sediments in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston-Galveston region.
Attribution: Texas Water Science Center
Water-level altitudes 2011 and water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers and compaction 1973-2010 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, Houston-Galveston region, Texas
Date published: March 15, 2011
Water-Level Altitudes 2009 and Water-Level Changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper Aquifers and Compaction 1973–2008 in the Chicot and Evangeline Aquifers, Houston-Galveston Region, Texas
Date published: February 8, 2010
Estimated land-surface subsidence in Harris County, Texas, 1915-17 to 2001
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the HGSD, prepared a map to show the estimated (approximate amount and extent of) land subsidence that has occurred in Harris County since the early 1900s.
Date published: November 1, 2007
Hydrogeologic Characterization of the Brazos River Alluvium Aquifer, Bosque County to Fort Bend County, Texas
During October 2006–April 2007, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Texas Water Development Board, conducted a study to delineate the altitude of the top, altitude of the base, and thickness of the Brazos River alluvium aquifer, and to compile and summarize available hydraulic property (specific capacity, transmissivity, and hydraulic conductivity) data.
Date published: December 1, 2005
Principal Faults in the Houston, Texas, Metropolitan Area
This report is a synthesis of known faults in the Houston metropolitan area; no "new" faults were identified for this report. More detailed, site-specific reports are available, notably Verbeek and Clanton (1978) and Verbeek and others (1979), in which the geologic significance of faulting for land-use planning, construction, and engineering is discussed.
Geologic Framework and Hydrogeologic Characteristics of the Glen Rose Limestone, Camp Stanley Storage Activity, Bexar County, Texas
The purpose of this report is to present the geologic framework and hydrogeologic characteristics of the Glen Rose Limestone in the study area.


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A goutte is a droplet-shaped charge used in heraldry.  Its name derives from the Old French for "droplet".

A goutte may be blazoned by its tincture, as in a goutte argent (literally "a silver droplet").  Alternatively, there are special names given to gouttes of various tinctures, as in a goutte d'eau (literally "a droplet of water").

In some medieval and Renaissance depictions of coats of arms, the goutte was drawn with wavy sides (as shown above).  More modern depictions have smoothed the sides to make the droplets fatter and more symmetrical - as also seen in the arms on the personal seal used from 1353 by Elizabeth de Burgh, Lady of Clare, and on the 1359 seal of Clare College, Cambridge.

In their earliest uses, gouttes were semé: strewn upon the field of a coat of arms. Rather than  semé de gouttes, this is termed goutty, gutté, or gutty (French gouttée).  It was only much later that the goutte came to be used individually in heraldry as a charge in its own right.

See also
Tincture (heraldry)
Roundel (heraldry)

References

Heraldic charges

fr:Liste des meubles héraldiques#Goutte

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Video: LA Officer Shot Himself Before Crashing Patrol Car
January 10, 2018 • by Staff Writer
The Monroe, LA, officer who died on duty early Sunday morning apparently shot himself before crashing his patrol car.
Officials in each of the agencies investigating the incident confirmed the shooting for The News-Star, but declined to be identified.
Officer Chris Beaudion, 26, was pronounced dead on the scene following the wreck off of Winnsboro Road. His patrol car struck a tree.
It's unclear whether Beaudion shot himself accidentally while driving or committed suicide.
A memorial fund has been established on behalf of the officer's family. Beaudion was married with children.
Read more about Duty Deaths Accidental Shootings Officer Suicide Patrol Vehicle Accidents Louisiana the south Louisiana agencies
Philadelphia to Fire 13 Officers for Facebook Posts
Thirteen officers with the Philadelphia Police Department are likely to be terminated from their jobs over a series of inflammatory comments they shared on Facebook.
Details Released in Fatal Shooting of Arkansas Deputy
On Thursday, the Arkansas State Police (ASP) released further information on the fatal shooting of a deputy who served with the Stone County Sheriff's Office.
Teen Driver Fleeing Florida Deputies Fatally Strikes Pedestrian
The driver—identified as 18-year-old Jamar Johnson—was in a vehicle attempting to elude deputies when he fatally struck a woman walking in a crosswalk, police say.
Capitol Police Arrest 70 at Immigration Protests at Senate Office Building
The United States Capitol Police arrested 70 people at a protest taking place at Russell Senate Office Building on Thursday.
Ohio Department HQ Dealing with Mold Problem
Officers and police leaders with the Worthington (OH) Police Department are dealing with a mold problem discovered in vents and air ducts at the agency's headquarters building.
Wisconsin Police Will Watch Vacationing Residents' Homes While They're Away
The Wisconsin Rapids Police Department has announced on social media that it will increase patrols in neighborhoods of residents who are temporarily away on vacation.
Boy Selling "Ice Cold Beer" Draws Attention of Utah Police
A Utah boy eschewed the idea of operating a traditional summertime lemonade stand and instead opened on the sidewalk a stand selling "Ice Cold Beer," according to the sign he held while standing beside a number of coolers.
Man Throws Molotov Cocktail onto Police Department's Parking Deck
A man reportedly threw a Molotov Cocktail onto the parking structure of the Richmond (VA) Police Department on Thursday afternoon. A small container containing a "flammable liquid" was used in the attack.
Father of Indiana Teen Killed in Vehicle Pursuit Sues Police
The father of a 15-year-old boy killed in a car crash during a vehicle pursuit by the Kokomo (IN) Police Department has filed a lawsuit against the agency.
Alabama Officer Shot Multiple Times Chasing Robbery Suspect
An Alabama police officer was shot and seriously wounded after an armed robbery at a convenience store in downtown Birmingham turned into a deadly shootout.


I'm fascinated by the birds that come to visit me and my feeders. I'm still looking for that decal or some kinda chart that I can keep at my backdoor so I can refer to it whenever a new one shows up to feed. In the meanwhile, my camera lens and Google is my friend so I can ask a general question and then look at the images and compare it to my pic so I can try to figure out what they are.
I'm 99% certain that this is an adult female Hairy Woodpecker. Don't ask my why it's called "Hairy" when it has feathers cuz I'm sure someone out there with a lot of background in birds could explain it to me while I give them the "deer-in-the-headlights" look. Its not that I'm apathetic mind you other than it's more it really doesn't matter to me other than to just know an answer. It all clutters up in my brain anywho.
I was curious how their call sounded and I found it at https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hairy_Woodpecker/sounds. Check out the "Peek Note" and you can listen to what I hear quite often in the trees behind my place. It's kind of fascinating to show them to the gummys and then let them listen to their calls. The girls are getting really good at telling me which bird is which.


After four, four-month rotations within our newsroom, team members will graduate from the program with the chance to apply for exciting internal roles and will be equipped with the knowledge and tools to thrive in today's digital space.
Using all major social platforms to create and publish sharable multimedia stories.
Our digital video team is responsible for the development, production and delivery of original video content across multiple platforms. This includes day-of stories, features, premium content and video series and franchises. Video producers touch all aspects of video creation — from conception, pitching ideas, writing scripts, shooting and editing.
CNBC's enterprise reporters work hard to own the beats that matter most to finance and business readers. Each reporting group works closely with a section editor to delve deeply into their beats, chase down scoops and push the news forward.


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WATERMARK RPG
Sorceria 1: The Mad Doctor
The Adventure
Faira, a quiet farming province near the center of the Aiser Kingdom, enjoyed relative peace growing cabbage, grains, and fruit. Then one day a man calling himself the Doctor came and started turning villagers into the undead! A plea for help was sent to the Guild, the organization of adventurers spanning the continent of Sorceria. The Guild sent four heroes to resolve the crisis. And so, the adventure begins!
The Eight Classes
Select Four heroes from a total of Eight character classes. Who will you select to go?
Journey into a world of magic and wonders. A world of monsters, villains, and heroes. Each Tale of Sorceria will visit a different area of the vast continent of Sorceria, telling the tales of different bands of heroes and their quests to thwart evil.
Randomly Generated Weapons, Items, Stats
Tons of weapons, items, food, and monster stats randomly generated every game! When you play, you may get goblins that are strong in physical defense but weak against fire, and your best weapon may be a Crystal Spear. While in your friend's game he may get goblins weak against ice, and all his weapons are so horrible that he'll have to rely on magic. It is up to you the player, to figure out the best strategy to beat the game with what you have.
© 2012 Watermark RPG Studios. All Rights Reserved. iPad and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.


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2 visitors have checked in at Newburyport Bank - Friend St.. newburyportbank five cents savings bank friend st. amesbury •; newburyportbank five cents. Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank Branch of Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank in Newburyport, MA. Find Routing Number, Map Location, Swift Codes. Board of Directors. Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank. 63 State Street. Newburyport, Massachusetts 02780. Dear Members of the Board.
: Newburyport five cents savings bank
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HOW TO CUSTOMIZE WELLS FARGO DEBIT CARD PICTURE
Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank, doing business asNewburyport Bank, is a bank headquartered in Newburyport, Massachusetts. The bank has 11 branches, including 6 in Essex County, Massachusetts, 2 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, as well as branches in the cities of Dover, Exeter, and Hampton, New Hampshire.
The bank got its name from newburyport five cents savings bank minimum opening deposit of five cents at the time the bank was founded in 1854.
The bank was founded on April 1, 1854.[1]
In March 2011, bank president Richard Eaton retired and Janice Morse was named president and chief executive officer of the bank.[2]
In May 2011, the bank petitioned regulators to allow to reorganize into a mutual savings bank.[3]
In May 2012, the bank established a $400,000 scholarship fund to support local athletes.[4]
In 2013, the bank opened 2 locations in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.[5]
In March 2018, Janice Morse retired and Lloyd Hamm Jr. was selected as president [6]
In March 2019 the bank changed its name to Newburyport Bank, it also redesigned its logo and branding.[7]
^ ab "FDIC Bank Info: Newburyport Bank (FDIC # 90251)". Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
^ Rogers, Dave (March 31, 2011). "5 Cents' first what is investment banking definition CEO takes over reins". Newburyport News.
^ "The feeling's mutual for Newburyport Five". American City Business Journals. May 3, 2011.
^ "Newburyport Five rolls out education fund". American City Business Journals. May 30, 2012.
^ Claffey, Jason (November 22, 2013). "New Business Opens in Yoken's Commons". Patch Media.
^ Rogers, Dave (March 30, 2018). "Newburyport Five Cents Names New President". Newburyport News.
^ Staff Reports (March newburyport five cents savings bank, 2019). "With new name, Newburyport Bank announces expansion, goals for 2019". newburyport news.
Источник: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newburyport_Five_Cents_Savings_Bank
Newburyport Bank main office receives a significant update
PROJECT OVERVIEWReading Time: < 1minute
renovation keeps customers engaged and coming back to the branch.
Newburyport Bank, previously known as Newburyport Five Cents Saving Bank for its account opening minimum deposit of just five cents, was founded in 1854. Today, the bank has 11 branches with locations in Essex County, Massachusetts as well as branches up along the seacoast in New Hampshire.
Newburyport Bank is focused on building a stronger connection to the communities they serve through their four core principles: people, products, facilities, and technology. Within the past year, the bank has invested heavily in not only attracting the right people, but they have also introduced new business lines including government banking, a treasury services group, private client and consumer lending groups, as well as credit cards and auto loans.
The Newburyport Bank headquarters and main retail branch transformation was designed with a clear focus on customers and employees. This transformation has allowed Newburyport Bank to:
Show their commitment to their employees and the community they serve
Leverage digital experiences to keep customers engaged and coming back to the branch
Maintain a consistent look and feel throughout their locations
providing the highest standard of retail banking in its community, both online and in-store
With a mission to provide the highest standard of retail banking to their community, both online and in-store, Newburyport Bank knew they needed to address their headquarter environment. They turned to the Element Group knowing we would design and build them newburyport five cents savings bank headquarters they would not only be proud of, but would also serve their employees with the amenities and comforts of a modern office.
every bit matters
supporting company culture and maximizing employee potential
Newburyport Bank's headquarters location is now a key element when it comes to attracting and retaining top talent, newburyport five cents savings bank well as a strong representation of who they are. This space was designed to not only support their company culture, but to help newburyport five cents savings bank to maximize their potential through organization, collaboration spaces, open floor plans, modern amenities, and so much more.
Let's explore new possibilities for your institution.
Источник: https://www.everybitmatters.com/projects/newburyport-bank-hq/
Newburyport Bank
When you're out and about, traveling for work or newburyport five cents savings bank down Aisle 5 at the local grocery store, home, really anyplace – Newburyport Bank's mobile banking app is very convenient and handy. Newburyport five cents savings bank with you -- Wherever you are. This app supports the Android OS.
First, make sure you're signed up for Newburyport Bank's online banking then simply download our Android mobile app, and:*
*	Check your latest account balance and search recent transactions by date, amount, or check number
*	Easily transfer cash between your accounts
* Pay Bills
* View and activate your cash back offers
*	Find nearby branches and ATMs.
Let us know what you think. Provide a user review or send us your feedback at [email protected]
* Newburyport Bank's Mobile Banking is available only with a Newburyport Bank account. Newburyport Bank's mobile banking app is free. Message and data/web access rates may apply from your wireless carrier. Check your plan for details.
To learn how we protect your privacy, please visit: https://www.newburyportbank.com/uploads/userfiles/files/documents/Privacy-Disclosure.pdf
Источник: https://play.google.com/
Average Hourly Rate for The Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank Employees
The Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank Reviews
We currently don't have any reviews for this employer. Do you work at The Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank? Take our survey to help us meet this goal.
Popular Locations for The Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank
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Companies in the same industry as The Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank, ranked by hourly rate.
Источник: https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Employer=The_Newburyport_Five_Cents_Savings_Bank/Hourly_Rate
The information contained in this website is not meant to substitute qualified legal advice given by a specialist knowing your particular situation. We do not warrant or guarantee that the site will be up-to-date accurate, complete or continuous at all times. The bank directory is published solely as a courtesy. We assume no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the directory.
Источник: https://banksdaily.com/info/newburyportbank
newburyport five cents savings bank FaceBook">
Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank is a mutual savings bank that provides friendly and personal service to individuals and businesses throughout Essex and Rockingham counties. The Bank takes great pride in supporting the many diverse social, educational, civic and cultural community-based organizations to ensure that the greater Newburyport area is a vibrant place to live, work and grow.
Total assets: US$ 768 million (as of September 30, 2016).
Member FDIC (each depositor insured to at least USD 250,000).
These ads are not affiliated with Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank
Headquarter Newburyport, USA
Key People Janice Morse (President and CEO)
ID: 959. Updated: 16.02.2017
Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank Holds Annual Meeting – Reflects on Successful Year
Newburyport, MA, April 23, 2014 --(PR.com)-- Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank Bancorp, MHC announced results for its 2013 fiscal year at the Annual Meeting on March 24, 2014 at Blue Ocean Music Hall, Salisbury, MA. The Company reported net income of $6.0 million even after charitable contributions of over $980,000 by the Company and its Charitable Foundation. Bank President and CEO Janice Morse noted that the institution's 159th year was one of sustained growth, in which the Company demonstrated great strength and profitability, while expanding its presence in the Portsmouth, New Hampshire area and continuing its strong support of numerous community initiatives. The Bank's financial position remained strong, exceeding expectations, with especially strong growth in its commercial real estate loan portfolio. Financial benchmarks show the Bank in an exceptionally strong position compared to competitors and similar institutions around the country.
The Bank noted its growth in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, highlighting the openings of its State Street and Yoken's Common branches. Beginning over a century and a half ago as the "Children's Bank," Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank has continued to focus many of its charitable efforts on the young people in the communities it serves. Through programs such as its Bank Local. Feed Local. Support Local, affiliated with the Newburyport Winter Farmers' Market, and another designed to contribute to the financial needs of local PTOs and PTAs, the Bank reaffirmed its commitment to the youth of the area.
The Bank also noted the service of many long-time employees, notably including Edmund "Ted" Shepard, who joined the Board in 1975 and how to add someone to bank account wells fargo a Director for 39 years. On Monday, March 24, 2014, he retired as a Director and will be an Honorary Trustee moving forward.
Finally, several key promotions were announced, including: Karen Baptiste, Vice President/Chief Risk Officer; Nancy Jones, Vice President; and Assistant Vice Presidents / Branch Managers: Erica Brooks-Sayers, Susan M. Brown, Deborah E. MacDonald, Claire T. Mills, Kimberly A. Bryan.
About Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank
Founded in 1854, Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank is a growing community bank with $672 million in assets, eight locations and over 100 dedicated employees. The Bank offers its newburyport five cents savings bank a full range of consumer, mortgage, commercial lending and business banking products and services. The Bank and its employees also take great pride in supporting the many diverse social, educational, environmental, civic and cultural community based organizations to ensure that the greater Newburyport and Seacoast (NH) areas are vibrant and healthy places to live, work and grow.
Learn more at: www.newburyportbank.com
www.newburyportbank.com
Источник: https://www.pr.com/press-release/553872
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*The Great Reversal: How America Gave Up on Free Markets*
That is the new book by Thomas Philippon, and perhaps the title is a bit misleading, as the book covers both regulatory barriers and natural economic forces behind higher concentration levels. I am a big fan of Philippon's work, but I am not so convinced by his arguments in this book. Most of all, he is trying to argue for systematically greater monopoly power in the American economy, but he is reluctant to provide much evidence for output restriction, the sine qua non of market power.
First note that market power does not seem to be up at the level of actual market competition. And capital's share of income does not seem to be rising in a manner consistent with the monopoly theory, see here and here.
I agree with him about health care, and also (highly regulated) cable television and thus internet connections. I agree with all of his suggestions for removing regulatory barriers to entry, for instance by allowing foreign airlines to serve domestic U.S. markets. From a policy point of view, I am quite close to his perspective.
But when it comes to monopoly power too much of his evidence is circumstantial. OK, there is greater stability for market leaders in many sectors, and weak investment aggregates, but all the time antitrust suits find evidence for output restrictions — so why doesn't this book offer more of such evidence? Here is one passage (p.39) that caught my attention:
…we see a sharp increase in concentration in the airline industry after 2010. That is enough to trigger our interest, but not enough to conclude that competition has weakened. We must first check that concentration has also increased at the route level. We find that it has. We can further show that it came together with higher prices and higher profits.
I have only a pre-publication copy, and perhaps some of the book is missing in my edition, but I don't see the cited evidence presented, nor is it in the airlines section starting on p.137 (which does document increasing concentration at the national level). To consider the contrary evidence, here is an excerpt from an earlier MR post:
As for output restrictions, here is the DOT series on aggregate miles flown. No doubt, there are problems around the time of 9/11 and also the Great Recession, with 2008-2012 being a period of slight quantity contraction. But in 1985 there were 275,864 [million] total miles flown, in 2006 it was 588,471, and 641, 905 in 2015. I'll ask again: if there is so much extra monopoly, where are the output restrictions?
Or look at the price index. Overall prices are down considerably since 2008, and from about 2000 to 2016 they run from about 250 (eyeballing) to about 270, noting 1998-2010 saw a huge run-up in oil prices.
Since I wrote that post there is clearer evidence for a steady price decline since 2012 (he is claiming higher concentration since 2010), just look at the price index, which is FRED channeling BLS. Now maybe those are the wrong numbers for some reason, but I don't see anything in the Philipson book to counter them. I don't see output restriction considered at all. I don't see a price series presented at all.
That is only one sector, but it reflects my deeper worries about the book. I just don't see the evidence for output restrictions, or, in many cases I don't see the evidence for higher prices.
The most sustained discussion of prices comes on pp.114-122, where it is shown that PPP-adjusted prices are higher in America than in Europe, and furthermore the gap is growing. That is far too much aggregation for my tastes ("Europe"), PPP adjustments are not exactly scientific, it is not very direct evidence for market concentration being the culprit, and furthermore if I understand him correctly, the Big Mac index also has the United States becoming relatively more expensive, even though McDonald's clearly has faced massive competition in recent years.
To be sure, if you believe in a productivity slowdown, as I do, you also have to feel that America's economic sectors, in some counterfactual sense, could be much more dynamic, more prone to disruption, and yes more competitive. It is a great disappointment to me that is not the case. But that is far from the view that monopoly power is increasing in the American economy in an economically significant manner, across a wide variety of sectors (health care caveat noted, and even that is selective, as there has been a significant cost slowdown).
So I remain skeptical about the main claims in this book.
*Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language*
by Tyler Cowen July 28, 2019 at 5:07 pm in
That is the new book by Gretchen McCulloch, here is one excerpt:
The passive-aggressive potential of the single period started being reported in thinkpieces in 2013…The string of dots got a thinkpiece in 2018, though it has been popping up in comment threads since at least 2006, while it cousins, the hyphen and string of commas, have been less extensively reported but have occasioned long comment threads on blogs and internet forums. Despite the fears mongered by headlines, it's not the case that the passive-aggressive meaning has killed all other uses of the period. The linguist Tyler Schnoebelen, who's definitely younger than the peak dot-dot-dot generation, did a study of periods in his own 157,305 text messages. He found that, true, periods were rare in short, informal messages — ones less than seventeen characters or containing lol, u, haha, yup, ok, or gonna. But they were still often found in messages longer than seventy-two characters or containing words like told, feels, feel, felt, feelings, date, sad, seems, and talk. The added weight of the period is a natural way to talk about weight matters.
Most books on the internet I find vacuous, this one had some material of interest, though perhaps for some people it is too navel-gazing. But if you are going to spent that much time staring at a screen, and typing text into little boxes, surely you might wish to understand it better. Most of all, I enjoyed the discussion of how different generations have learned to use the internet somewhat differently, depending on when they started.
*Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century*
By George Packer, I thought this book would be dull, but in fact it is interesting throughout. Holbrooke, if you don't already know, was a lifetime American diplomat, but much more than that too. Here is one excerpt:
After the evacuation of dependents and the arrival of ground troops in 1965, South Vietnam became a vast brothel. But even before there were half a million Americans, sex was an elemental part of the war. "I have the theory that if the women of Vietnam had big copper spoons through their noses and looked like Ubangis," a reporter once said, "this war wouldn't have lasted half as long, and maybe wouldn't have even started." The whole scene repelled the Boston Puritan Henry Cabot Lodge. "I not only don't wanna," he said, "I don't wanna wanna."
A vivid passage to be sure, but two points. First, why call the one sensible guy a "Puritan"? (Yes, the Puritans in fact were great, but I don't think the remark is to be taken in that spirit.) Second, it seems to me that many Ubangi women are likely quite beautiful, and probably I saw some of them while in Ethiopia. Furthermore, at least these days, it is optional whether they wish to take on the famed "lip plate."
In any case, I would describe the book as "rollicking." You can order it here.
For the recommendation I thank Mr. C. Weber.
From the WSJ Op-Ed:
Mr. Trump is the only thing that stands between us and a world dominated by China.
From the author's bio:
Mr. Chang is author of "The Coming Collapse of China."
Solve for the equilibrium!
What should I ask Samantha Power?
I will be having a Conversations with Tyler with her, no associated public event. She has a new book coming out The Education of an Idealist: A Memoir. So what should I ask her?
*Me the People: How Populism Transforms Democracy*
By Nadia Urbinati, I think of this book as the next step after Martin Gurri. Here is one bit:
…the massive usage of the internet — which is an affordable and revolutionary means of interaction and information sharing by ordinary citizens — has supercharged the horizontal transformation of the audience and made the public into the only existing political actor outside institutions born from civil society.
But more significantly, populism is so diverse and the word is so often misused, how should we best understand it? First, by breaking down parties, the new internet populism raises the status of personalized individual leaders, such as Trump and also AOC. Thus:
…populism in power is actually a new form of mixed government in which one part of the population achieves a preeminent power over the other(s). As such, populism competes with (and, if possible, modifies) constitutional democracy in putting forth a specific and distinctive representation of the people and the sovereignty of the people.
Populism also has a hard time giving up power, because the rhetoric is purifying, and the pretense is that the current government does in fact represent a more or less unitary "will of the people," enemies of the people aside of course. Elections are about revealing a majority opinion that (supposedly) already exists, and thus populism does not fit entirely easy into standard democratic practice.
Here is more:
As such, populism is more than merely a movement of contestation or mobilization, and it should not be confused with social movements in civil society. Populism is a movement of contestation against the existing political establishment, but one that seeks a majority that would rule with unchecked ambitions and plan to remain power for as long as possible, though without revoking political liberty or eliminating adversaries. The "benign" aspects of populism in power include its dwarfing of the opposition and minorities by humiliating them and creating an overwhelming propaganda campaign that endlessly reinforces the power of majority opinion.
Populism is not just a style of politics, so you can't expect a successful and truly left-wing populism, nor will populists end up as a successful vehicle for "right-wing" ideas either. Beware!
There is too much political science jargon in this book, and many of the paragraphs are too long or too circuitous, and furthermore much of the best content is difficult to summarize. Nonetheless this book makes more sense to me than the treatments of populism I read in the mainstream press or in "intelligent" magazines, and I found it genuinely insightful throughout. Recommended, at least if you are up for a particular kind of read. You can pre-order the book here.
1. Christopher Tyerman, The World of the Crusades: An Illustrated History. The best and most engrossing history of the crusades I have read. By the way, the "children's crusade" probably didn't have that much to do with children. The periodic topic-specific two-page interludes are especially good.
2. Tobias Straumann, 1931: Debt, Crisis, and the Rise of Hitler covers a critical episode in European history, and one which has not entirely faded into irrelevance. The author is a financial historian rather than an economist, so think of this book as scratching your history itch, in any case recommended.
3. Jim Auchmutey, Smokelore: A Short History of Barbecue in America is the most current of the best histories of barbecue and it is more bullish on the barbecue future than most treatments.
4. Chris Miller, The Struggle to Save the Soviet Economy: Mikhail Gorbachev and the Collapse of the Soviet Economy. One of the best books on the beginnings of the reform era, with a special focus on whether the Soviets could have chosen a Chinese path (no, too many embedded interest groups, so does that mean Mao is underrated?).
5. Katherine Eban, Bottle of Lies: The Inside Story of the Generic Drug Boom. A "worth reading" look at what the title promises, but all the best parts are about how the FDA tries to regulate generic drug production in India.
6. Roger L. Geiger, American Higher Education Since World War II. Not as sprightly as I might have wished for, nor does it cover the controversial issues in the conceptual fashion I was hoping to find, but nonetheless an extremely useful resources for teaching you the basic facts of how the sector has evolved.
New out from Princeton University Press is Robert J. Shiller, Narrative Economics: How Stories Go Viral & Drive Major Economic Events.
There is Heather Boushey's new How Inequality Constricts Our Economy and What We Can Do About It.
Yale has published a new translation of Book of Job, translated by Edward L. Greenstein, very likely worth a read.
My favorite things New Hampshire
1. Musician. I don't love Steve Tyler/Aerosmith, so what am I left with?
2. Author: I find John Irving unreadable, so does it come down to Russell Banks? Who else is there? Salinger lived in New Hampshire for a long time, so I'll pick him, though it is also pretty far from my favorite. Here is my Catcher in the Rye review.
3. Sculptor: August Saint-Gaudens.
"Law Supported by Power and Love"
4. Adam Sandler movie: The Waterboy, Happy Gilmore.
5. Poet: Robert Frost, who seems to be clear winner for the whole state. There is a scholastic version of Frost which is quite dull, don't be put off if that is all you know of him.
6. Movie director: Brian DePalma, Dressed to Kill and Mission to Mars being my favorites.
7. Painter: Maxfield Parrish. I feel I'm being forced into many of these choices — I simply can't think of anyone else.
8. Secretary of the Treasury: Salmon P. Chase. Chase is one of the few people to have had a major position in the executive branch, served in Congress, and sat on the Supreme Court.
9. Free trade economist: Douglas Irwin.
The bottom line: For all of my grumbling, for such a small state it does pretty well.
*Escape from Rome*
The author is Walter Scheidel and the subtitle is The Failure of Empire and the Road to Prosperity. Imagine a whole book on what he calls "the second Great Divergence," namely that China developed a large, relatively unified hegemonic state early on, while Europe remained (mostly) politically fragmented.
Have you ever wondered why the Roman empire did not, in some manner, re-form in the Western part of Europe? And how did it matter that China had a tradition of having to defend against the steppe while Europe did not? Here is one brief excerpt:
…East Asia was characterized by a unipolar or hegemonic political system for 68 percent of the years between 220 BCE and 1875. This pattern presents a stark contrast to the prevalence of a balanced system in Europe for 98 percent of the years from 1500 to 2000, or indeed at any time after the demise of the mature Roman empire.
Remoteness from the bulk of the Eurasian steppe was a constant, invariant across Europen history. Just as it did not matter if Latin Europe's states were weak, it also did not matter if a large empire was in place. Unlike Chinese dynasties, the Roman empire did not bring forth a nomadic "shadow empire": there was no ecological potential for it. The Pontic steppe, where Sarmatian tribes might have coalesced in response to the inducements of Roman wealth, was too detached from the Roman heartlands that lay behind the Carpathians, the Alps, and the Adriatic. To the west of the plains of Eastern Europe, both components of the "steppe effect" were conspicuous by their absence: and so — at least after Rome — was empire-building on a large scale.
If you wish to read a book to ponder the second Great Divergence, this is the one. You can pre-order it here.
*The Body: A Guide for Occupants*
That is the title of the new Bill Bryson book, and it delivers in all the ways you would expect a Bryson book to do. Here is one sample paragraph:
Before penicillin, the closest thing to a wonder drug that existed was Salvarsan, developed by the German immunologist Paul Ehrlich in 1910, but Salvarsan was effective against only a few things, principally syphilis, and had a lot of drawbacks. For a start, it was made from arsenic, so was toxic, and treatment consisted in injecting roughly a pint of solution into the patient's arm once a week for fifty weeks or more. If it wasn't administered exactly right, fluid could seep into muscle, causing painful and sometimes serious side effects, including the need for amputation. Doctors who could administer it safely became celebrated. Ironically, one of the most highly regarded was Alexander Fleming.
…the average grave is visited for only about fifteen years…
You can pre-order the book here, I would be interested to read more about Bryson's work, writing, and research habits.
My Conversation with Neal Stephenson
Here is the transcript and audio, and here is the CWT summary:
If you want to speculate on the development of tech, no one has a better brain to pick than Neal Stephenson. Across more than a dozen books, he's created vast story worlds driven by futuristic technologies that have both prophesied and even provoked real-world progress in crypto, social networks, and the creation of the web itself. Though Stephenson insists he's more often wrong than right, his technical sharpness has even led to a half-joking suggestion that he might be Satoshi Nakamoto, the shadowy creator of bitcoin. His latest novel, Fall; or, Dodge in Hell, involves a more literal sort of brain-picking, exploring what might happen when digitized brains can find a second existence in a virtual afterlife.
So what's the implicit theology of a simulated world? Might we be living in one, and does it even matter? Stephenson joins Tyler to discuss the book and more, including the future of physical surveillance, how clothing will evolve, the kind of freedom you could expect on a Mars colony, whether today's media fragmentation is trending us towards dystopia, why the Apollo moon landings were communism's greatest triumph, whether we're in a permanent secular innovation starvation, Leibniz as a philosopher, Dickens and Heinlein as writers, and what storytelling has to do with giving good driving directions.
COWEN: If we had a Mars colony, how politically free do you think it would be? Or would it just be like perpetual martial law? Like living on a nuclear submarine?
STEPHENSON: I think it would be a lot like living on a nuclear submarine because you can't — being in space is almost like being in an intensive care unit in a hospital, in the sense that you're completely dependent on a whole bunch of machines working in order to keep you alive. A lot of what we associate with freedom, with personal freedom, becomes too dangerous to contemplate in that kind of environment.
COWEN: Is there any Heinlein-esque-like scenario — Moon is a Harsh Mistress, where there's a rebellion? People break free from the constraints of planet Earth. They chart their own institutions. It becomes like the settlements in the New World were.
STEPHENSON: Well, the settlements in the New World, I don't think are a very good analogy because there it was possible — if you're a white person in the New World and you have some basic skills, you can go anywhere you want.
An unheralded part of what happened there is that, when those people got into trouble, a lot of times, they were helped out by the indigenous peoples who were already there and who knew how to do stuff. None of those things are true in a space colony kind of environment. You don't have indigenous people who know how to get food and how to get shelter. You don't have that ability to just freely pick up stakes and move about.
COWEN: What will people wear in the future? Say a hundred years from now, will clothing evolve at all?
STEPHENSON: I think clothing is pretty highly evolved, right? If you look at, yeah, at any garment, say, a shirt — I was ironing a shirt today in my hotel room, and it is a frickin' complicated object. We take it for granted, but you think about the fabric, the way the seams are laid out.
That's just one example, of course, but you take any — shirts, shoes, any kind of specific item of clothing you want to talk about — once you take it apart and look at all the little decisions and innovations that have gone into it, it's obvious that people have been optimizing this thing for hundreds or thousands of years.
New materials come along that enable people to do new kinds of things with clothing, but overall, I don't think that a lot is going to change.
COWEN: Is there anything you would want smart clothing to do for you that, say, a better iPad could not?
STEPHENSON: The thing about clothing is that you change your clothes all the time. So if you become dependent on a particular technology that's built into your shirt, that's great as long as you're wearing that shirt, but then as soon as you change to a different shirt, you don't have it.
So what are you going to do? Are you going to make sure that every single one of your shirts has that same technology built into it? It seems easier to have it separate from the clothing that you wear, so that you don't have to think about all those complications.
There is much more at the link, including discussions of some of his best-known novels…
Pessoa, *Philosophical Essays*
The half-sceptic speaks like Socrates, I know only that I know nothing. The whole sceptic speaks like Francisco Sanches: Haud scio me nihil scire, I do not even know if I know nothing.
The end of reason is a weariness of thinking. Yet reason is so strong that even its weariness is a part of its strength and we dream rationally if we have learnt reason.
Those bits are from this (uneven) volume.
*Fentanyl, Inc.*, by Ben Westhoff
The slightly misleading subtitle is How Rogue Chemists are Creating the Deadliest Wave of the Opioid Epidemic. Why misleading? So many substance abuse books are a mix of hysterical in tone and a disappointing "paint by numbers" in their execution, but this one really stands out for its research, journalism, and overall analysis. To give just one example, it is also a great book on China, and how China and the Chinese chemicals industry works, backed up by extensive original investigation.
Start with this:
Americans take more opioids per capita — legitimate and illegitimate uses combined — than any other country in the world. Canada is second, and both far outstrip Europe. Americans take four times as many opioids as people do in the United Kingdom.
For many years, Chinese organized-crime groups known as triads have been involved in the international meth trade. But experts familiar with triads say their influence appears to be waning in the fentanyl era. "They're a shadow of their former selves," said Justin Hastings, an associate professor in international relations and comparative politics at the University of Sydney…Though ad hoc criminal organizations continue to move drugs in China, major trafficking organizations are rare there, and cartels basically nonexistent. This leaves the market wide open for Chinese chemical companies, who benefit from an air of legitimacy.
As for marijuana and cocaine, they are used by only about one in every forty thousand individuals in China. But the book covers the entire U.S. history as well.
Definitely recommended, this will be making my year-end "best of" list for non-fiction. And yes I did go and buy his earlier book on West Coast rap music.
*The Narrow Corridor: States, Societies, and the Fate of Liberty*, the new Acemoglu and Robinson book
Due out in September, by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson, here is an excerpt from the Amazon summary:
State institutions have to evolve continuously as the nature of conflicts and needs of society change, and thus society's ability to keep state and rulers accountable must intensify in tandem with the capabilities of the state. This struggle between state and society becomes self-reinforcing, inducing both to develop a richer array of capacities just to keep moving forward along the corridor. Yet this struggle also underscores the fragile nature of liberty. It is built on a fragile balance between state and society, between economic, political, and social elites and citizens, between institutions and norms. One side of the balance gets too strong, and as has often happened in history, liberty begins to wane. Liberty depends on the vigilant mobilization of society. But it also needs state institutions to continuously reinvent themselves in order to meet new economic and social challenges that can close off the corridor to liberty.
You can pre-order here.
A simple American tale of travel and books
by Tyler Cowen July 3, 2019 at 1:24 pm in
At Colorado Springs airport, on my way to Denver:
TSA official at security [pre-check, for that matter]: "We have to search your carry-on, it is suspicious that you have so many books."
They searched every book.
TC: "Thank you, sir!"
I had fewer books in my carry-on than usual.
The heaviest book I had was Vasily Grossman's Stalingrad, which is why I had fewer books than usual.


"As brain science continues to permeate the culture, neuroliteracy becomes ever more important. Neuroscience is one of the most important intellectual achievements of the past half century, but it is young and still getting its bearings. To demand the wrong things of brain science, to overpromise on what it can deliver, and to apply its technology prematurely will not only tarnish its credibility, it will also risk diverting crucial and limited resources, including federal funding for research, into less profitable ventures and blind alleys.
Skilled science journalists and bloggers, as well as neuroscientists and philosophers who write for the public and neuroethicists (a hybrid sort of scholar with training in both practical philosophy and science), now see part of their jobs as protecting the integrity of neuroscience from the growing legion of brain overclaimers. Responsible translators of neuroscience encourage a healthy skepticism, cautioning judges and policy makers in particular that brain activity elicited under narrow experimental conditions cannot currently yield enough information to explain or predict human behavior in the real world, let alone inform the design of social policy.


Biofuels can provide energy without the reliance on environmentally harmful fossils fuels -- but scientists are still searching for a plentiful source. Craig A. Kohn demonstrates how cellulose, the naturally abundant tough walls of plant cells, might be the solution.
Clarification: The cellulose molecule (depicted at 1:57) is (C6H10O5)n.
Do you think it will be feasible to replace the use of fossil fuels with biofuels? Explain.
Think of at least one example of how bioprospecting is used by the following: medicine; agriculture; industrial applications.
What is different between the cow's stomach and a laboratory?