I know you were thinking Butternut Squash.
All year long I look forward to the first bowl of Butternut Squash Soup. I know, I'm kind of weird that way. I readily admit that I am fantastic at making soups especially with a hunk of crusty bread and good company. Keep reading for a delicious recipe.
I think of it as pouring my soul into a bowl.
My absolute fondest memory was at my rustic cabin. One of my dearest friends was also at her cabin a lake over so I invited her for Sunday lunch after church. Butternut squash soup, bread and "can I pour you a glass of wine?" the reply surprised me "Renee, I've been sober for years!" opps. I sheepishly put the wine back and thus began a conversation that I will never forget.
The wisdom, laughter, tears — lots and lots of tears flowed. I would even venture to say, without the wine flowing our real emotions flowed instead. Since that mid-fall day at my cabin I've never looked at BS soup, wine or friendship in the same way. Something happened, I'm not sure what but I know I am forever changed.
I can't give you a recipe to change your life through soup but I can give you the soup recipe and maybe, just maybe one day you will serve it and have a life changing experience.
A combination of onion, fennel bulb, leek, garlic, celery, apple, sauteed in olive oil or just a bit of broth.
1 carton of vegetable broth.
I'm trying to lose 100 pounds so I forgo the oil and sauté with the broth — it takes a bit more time so the veggies don't burn but I can still get a caramelized taste. It helps that the apple adds moisture and natural sugar to assist the caramelization/flavor process.
When making soup, the secret is to create layers of flavor.
In this soup having the savory veggies saute first as you are adding the second layer of flavor, the broth. Picking a high quality broth is personal preference and important. If the broth is meh, your soup will struggle to be more than meh.
Then I add the butternut squash to the sauteed veggies and the broth. I let it simmer.
Simmer! That does not mean crank the heat and cook it fast — no, no, no.
Think of making soup like trying to get a baby to sleep — it takes time and a gentle spirit.
Then I use my "zoomer". I think they call it an immersion blender but that is simply too hard to say and not as much fun. In my opinion, life doesn't need fancy words. As a final touch I may add some greens from the fennel — just because I love how they look — deep green, airy and surprisingly vibrant.
Your soup is ready to go. In my house I only have 3 eaters of this particular soup. Since I'm on this diet . . . I have limited my bread consumption back to nearly nothing but I can have a few pumpkin cranberry crisps or fig and olive crisps to give it another flavor dimension and a crunch.
Boatloads of Vitamin A and over half of your vitamin C for the day.
Additionally, BS is very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium and Magnesium, Potassium and Manganese.
For information on any food, my go to resource can be found here. This site gives me a ton of information — it's like having your own nutritionist.
I just thought that this squash had been around forever . . . I imagined Native Americans eating a version of my soup with seasonal veggies. But NO!. The Natives of this land had never even heard of a butternut squash.
The butternut is man made. It was bred by a Charles Leggett of Stow, Massachusetts, in the USA in the mid-1940s. Mr. Leggett took a gooseneck squash — the really pretty squash but a nightmare to peel and cook — with a variety of other squashes. He then took the baby squashes he liked and did it again and again until he found the perfect squash. Since it had a buttery flesh and had a slightly nutty taste . . . he named it Butternut. Honestly, I think he could have been more interesting in his naming.
I love roasted BS. 400 degrees for 30 minutes. I may or may not peel depending on what I'm using if for AND when I'm using it. When I have a big Sunday prep day but I'm not going to eat the squash until later in the week, this is how I cook it.
Rarely do I boil . . . anything. (Except potatoes for mashers.) Having said that the photos that go with this article are almost boiled BS — I had sauted the veggies then added broth to steam the BS then simmer. Ok, so this isn't exactly boiling but not traditional steaming either.
Steaming is a fantastic way to cook the squash if you want to retain the pieces in chunks — like for a cold salad, maybe with dried cherries and a nice curry.
A cool, dry place and it will stay nice for up to six months. I keep mine on the shelf in the pantry away from the stove and the refrigerator — the ambient heat of appliances can warm up the squash. The nice thing about a butternut squash is they are readily available at the grocery store BUT can be tricky to find organic.
Have you ever cooked a butternut squash?
Has someone served you BS and you liked it? Tell me about it in the comments.


text:
Promise kept: PN costs its manifesto proposals at €6 billion
PN says projected economic growth would leave €42.6 billion over eight years in Malta's economy, whilst creating 32,500 new high-end jobs
23 March 2022, 11:54am
by Luke Vella
PN leader Bernard Grech holding the party's manifesto (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)
The Nationalist Party has kept its promise and has provided the its financial model to cover the costings of its 2030 vision, with a €5.97 billion spend.
The PN has projected it will cover the cost of its 550+ measures through economic growth, which would earn the country €42.6 billion over eight years, whilst creating 32,500 new high-end jobs with an average salary of €43,000.
"This is the first time a political party in Malta is not just saying how it will spend taxpayer money, but is also providing detailed projections of how it intends to grow the economy," the PN said in a statement.
PN was quick to publish its manifesto for the 2022 election and made sure to stick it to the Labour Party, for publishing its own a fortnight later.
The financial model includes a stimulus programme for the country's existing high value-added sectors and the creation of 10 new economic sectors. The sectors include metaverse, compliance and due diligence, robotics, 3D printing, artificial intelligence, e-sports, video game production, strengthening the sports industry by linking it to medical and tourism sectors, the energy sector and social enterprises.
PN said that by 2030, the existing sectors are projected to have added another 18,160 jobs and contributed an additional €18 billion to the GDP, while the new sectors are projected to have added another 14,355 jobs and contributed €24.6 billion to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The PN programme aims at generating an additional real economic growth of 6.9% over the current projections.
By 2027, incremental government income from the PN's programme is projected to reach €830 million annually, without increasing any taxes, social contributions or VAT.
Full costings report
The document also lists the €2.8 billion costing of the Trackless Tram system, part of which will be covered in the infrastructural budget set out in the €5.97 billion, while the rest will be raised through EU funds and private financing.
Luke Vella joined MaltaToday as a reporter in 2021
More from Luke Vella

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


We offer a full stock of dancewear, shoes, gymnastics wear, yoga/pilates wear, accessories & gifts. All your favorites by Bloch, Capezio, Nappytabs, Sugar & Bruno, Motionwear & more. We do special orders and teams too. Located behind the post office on Castell Avenue. Open Monday - Saturday 10am-6pm.


Call it chi-BOOST, call it she-BOO, it's a sweet, light and delicate filling either way. Pastry cream lightened with Italian meringue is what it is, and it works well in just about any context where you want a large volume of filling, but don't want to overwhelm the eater with richness or heaviness. A Paris-Brest is a good example, or a Gâteau St. Honoré. Bear in mind that chiboust — like most meringues — doesn't like humidity. And while it can be piped, pipe it only through large-bore nozzles, since constriction and pressure causes it to deflate and go runny. Here I have about a cup of the firmer of the two pastry creams that are up on the site.


I took this photo in Madeira (Portugal), in the highest mountain of the island.
We were expecting a normal hiking day but what we found was an extremely windy day with a lot of mist, I was enjoying like a little kid but freezing cause every hour my girlfriend was stealing me some parts of my clothes (scarf, gloves, jacket…) as it was getting colder and colder. Even that it was amazing to be there surrounded by nothing but cliffs.
The photo was taken with an Olympus mju-II and Fuji Superia Xtra 400.


I have completed my Bachelor's degree. I am currently not working and I live in Ulundurpettai. I come from a middle class, joint family background with traditional values.
My relative has completed her Bachelor's degree. She is currently Not Working and she lives in Viluppuram. She comes from a Middle class, Joint family background with Traditional values.
My sister has a Bachelor's degree and she is employed in Private Sector as a Nurse currently based in Viluppuram. We come from a Middle class, Joint family background with Traditional values.
My name is Sasikala and I am working as a Health Care Professional in the Private sector. I have completed my B.A.. I grew up in a Middle Class class, Joint family with Traditional values.
My daughter has completed her Bachelor's degree. She is currently not working and she lives in Gingee. We come from a middle class, joint family background with traditional values.
My sister has completed her Bachelor's degree. She is currently Not Working and she lives in Tindivanam. We come from a Middle class, Nuclear family background with Traditional values.
My sister has a Bachelor's degree and she is employed in private Sector as a clerk currently based in Viluppuram. We come from a middle class, nuclear family background with traditional values.
I am Bachelor's degree and he is currently working in Chennai city police from 2011 , our native place at villupuram,after marriage he will be residence at his working place and he expects house wife .
I am working Tamilnadu police department. my family is set in my native village near Tindivanam. now I work in Chennai city. I took degree B.A., Eng lit at thiruvalluver University.
My name is T.Rajkumar and I am currently Self Employed. I belong to a Middle Class, Joint Family with Orthodox Values. I have completed my B.A..
My brother has completed his Bachelor's degree. He is currently Not Working and he lives in Tindivanam. We come from a Middle class, Nuclear family background with Orthodox values.


The transport insurance packages available through Morgan Insurance are flexible policy products that are specifically structured to provide full-spectrum coverage for transport companies with fewer than 15 commercial vehicles to insure.
Each package combines four different insurance products: commercial motor insurance, liability insurance, marine cargo insurance, and business interruption insurance.
Include all four types of transport insurance cover or Morgan can tailor a package to suit your business exactly.
The only mandatory inclusion in your transport insurance package is commercial motor insurance to insure your trucks.
Transport businesses with 15 or more trucks to insure should talk to Morgan about customised transport insurance cover.


text:
EPC, EPO, Patents
Miquel Montañá (Clifford Chance)/ December 22, 2022 December 22, 2022 /5 Comments
Christmas is a season for rest, family gatherings, warm wishes, hopes and good cheer. These days, children and adults alike may be preparing their wish list for Father Christmas. One of the gifts that patent aficionados are expecting with excitement for 2023 is a clear answer to the questions referred to the EPO Enlarged Board of Appeal ("EBA") in case T 116/18 (i.e. plausibility). Unless the final answers are clear and consistent with decades of EPO case law, they will do no good to legal certainty, the legal principle the EBA is expected to cherish.
Due to the historical inclination of some of the EPO's Technical Boards of Appeal ("TBA") to embark into waters that are uncharted in the European Patent Convention ("EPC") and/or the Implementing Regulations which, according to article 164 of the EPC, are part of the former, there is a possibility that Father Christmas may bring new referrals for the EBA. These "voyages" might have been charted at the behest of TBA Decision T 2194/19 of 24 October 2022 which, deviating from other TBAs, has highlighted that neither the text of the EPC nor the Implementing Regulations provide a legal basis for requiring the adaptation of the description to the scope of protection of the claim(s) finally granted. Certainly, one could not cite the Guidelines for Examination as an alleged legal basis. This is because, as it is widely known, the Guidelines lack any force of law. A different question is that many applicants may decide to adapt the description to the claim(s) finally granted for reasons of convenience and/or to avoid delays in the examination procedure.
As the TBA highlighted in paragraphs 6.1 to 6.2 of T 2194/19, one thing is that the "invention claimed" (which may not necessarily be the same thing as the "invention") must have support in the description, but a different thing is that all the "embodiments" of the description have to be covered by the claims as granted. According to the TBA, the latter conclusion "[…] cannot be derived from the EPC". And it may have a point. So, in view of the divergence of views among several TBAs on this topic, if Father Christmas is making his list (of gifts for patent aficionados) and checking it twice, a referral to the EBA on this topic may top the list.
Until -if and when- that referral arrives, may we wish our readers all the best for the Christmas season and lots of health and good luck in the New Year.
New CJEU referral on Article 3(c) of the SPC Regulation on the horizon – Sweden following in the footsteps of Finland and Ireland?
Oswin Ridderbusch, Alexa von Uexküll (Vossius & Partner)/ December 28, 2022 December 29, 2022
Patent robot says:
Father Christmas might bring a nice gift in the form a new referral on the issue of description amendments, provided that the EBoA will follow the EPC and not a political agenda, as it did recently with cases G 2/19, 3/19 and 4/19, in which case the gift could be poisoned.
Merry Christmas and peaceful new year!
law sniffer says:
It is worrying that the EPO has money and resources to deal with such matters, and the money comes from the applicants' fees: I would rather lower than wasting them like this. It seems to me just a way of distracting attention from real and substantial quality problems. Are there cases where the description affected a decision at national level? And I am not talking about evident contradictions with the claims which should be in any case ruled out before a patent is granted (and which perhaps even a formality officer or an AI routine could spot …)
Kenavo says:
The problem is that Board 3.5.03, which drafted decision T 2194/19, is not known for balanced and well thought-out decisions. These folks shoot from the hip. As long as no other Board takes the same line, there is unlikely to be any referral to the Enlarged Board of Appeal, IMHO.
francis hagel says:
On this topic, recent decision T 3097/19 issued on 16 November 2022 by Board 3.5.06 is to be signalled. It increases the confusion resulting from conflicting decisions to a level which should be considered embarrassing by the EPO. In essence, it shifts the rationale for the requirement to adapt the description from the initial reliance on the support-in- the-description prong to a creative interpretation of the 1st sentence of Article 84, calling for a « precise determination » of the scope of protection.
This seems to reflect a view of the Board that the reliance on the support in the description in previous BOA decisions is a weak argument and indeed, it undermines this argument.
It is also surprising that the Board (Reason 28.1) has ignored the established case law regarding the interpretation of the 1st sentence of Article 84. According to GL F-IV 4.3 (ii), the 1st sentence is to be interpreted as requiring for the claim to mention all essential features. This makes sense. That it is established case law is clear from the reference to T 32/82 (see Reason 15) of 1984, and T 977/94 restates this interpretation. This is a requirement for the claims, not for the description.
Another remark is that the required « precise determination » of the scope of protection is meaningless when expressed in abstract, out of a specific context. The in-depth interpretation or « construction » of claims by national courts in infringement proceedings or other litigation is focused on the specific term(s) of the claim over which the parties disagree as to their meaning. What terms will be disputed before a court cannot be predicted by the EPO, and this is no EPO business. The argument of improving « legal security » for stakeholders is thus illusory.
As to the likelihood of a referral to the EBA, some people more knowledgeable than I am regarding routes to the EBA doubt it will ever happen. And if it happened, this would likely leave the EPO isolated vis-à-vis national patent offices on this issue, to the detriment of European patent applicants.
The level of confusion calls for a reckoning and exploration of alternative solutions to resolve the divide between BOAs, which in itself generates significant legal uncertainty, let alone the risk of new matter potentially raised by amendments to the description.
The EPO's 2023 objectives include work towards convergence with European patent offices on a number of topics (« Convergence of Practice programme »). It would be desirable to look at the topic of description adaptation within this programme, with the goal of defining a common practice.
In this respect, a valuable source of inspiration is the PCT ISPE Guidelines, section 5.29, which requires adaptation of the description only when inconsistencies cause doubt as to the meaning of the terms of the claims (not just if inconsistencies could cause doubt), and implies that the onus is on the Examining Division to justify an amendment. It is of note that the PCT Guidelines are binding on EPO examiners during the PCT phase of euro-PCT applications, not afterwards.
DXThomas says:
Dear Mr Montana,
T 2194/19 is one of the three decisions which considered that the description does not have to be adapted to the claims. The two other are T 1989/18 and T 1444/20. The only positive point in T 2194/19 is that the requirements to adapt the description will have to be justified, but this is certainly not a scoop.
T 2194/19 is no more than an interpretation worth any other interpretation as long as it is not backed by a decision of the EBA. Trying to find support for this thesis by referring to G 1/08, which deals with the exceptions under Art 53(b), and G 1/07 which deals with surgical methods under Art 53(c) is an attempt which however fails to convince.
We have thus on the one side three isolated decisions, with on the other side a bulk of decisions to the contrary. As example of this contradictory line of case law, it is possible to quote T 1024/18, Reasons 31.6-3.10. T 1024/18 takes expressly the opposite view of T 1989/18. T 1024/18 is exemplary of what can be considered an established line of case law. There are plenty more decisions of the same kind.
Whether many applicants may decide to adapt the description to the claim(s) finally granted for reasons of convenience and/or to avoid delays in the examination procedure is actually irrelevant. It simply is the way the vast majority see the situation.
Adaptation of the description is not only necessary in examination, but also in opposition. It is not infrequent that a board decides on the wording of the claims in which the patent can be maintained in amended form, but also remits for what? For the adaptation of the description! T 1024/18 is a good example in opposition.
When it comes to a referral, there are only two ways possible. Either a question is referred to the EBA by the president or by a board.
Whilst it can be agreed that the Guidelines are not the law, they express the understanding of the law by the EPO and applies to divisions of first instance. As the present practice is enshrined in the Guidelines and backed by a long line of case law, it is difficult to see the president of the EPO referring a corresponding question to the EBA.
The only possibility for a referral will have to come from a board. I am curious to see whether a board, or better some legal members of the boards will be able to push the other members of a board to refer a corresponding question to the EBA. I do somehow have my doubts.
Even in case of a referral, it has first to be admitted and the reply may depend a lot on the questions, although the EBA has now for quite a while rewritten the questions referred to it. My guess is that the EBA might be prone to follow the long line of case law, rather to put everything upside down. This was for instance the case when it came to adopt undisclosed disclaimers. The EBA simply endorsed the existing line of case law.
Believing in a referral looks more or less believing in Father Christmas. I would say we have passed the age for it.
This does however not withhold me to wish you all the best for the Christmas season and lots of health and good luck in the New Year.
By the way, I have commented T 2194/19 and others, going in the opposite direction in my own blog: https://blog.ipappify.de/


This is a rare tandem. According to the 'Sunbeam bible' – the book Sunbeam Cycles (Pinkerton Press) – the Double Gents tandem was introduced for the 1936 season, with a Lady-back version offered in addition the following year for 10/- extra. It was named the 'Model U' in 1938. By 1940, with the outbreak of war, the model was discontinued.
This one had derailleur gears, which I removed as I dislike them. It's now single speed.
The tandem is in excellent all round working order. I have lights for it, but I've not got round to fitting them yet.


text:
FOR KING & COUNTRY PERFORM
March 2, 2013 By Rob Houston
FOR KING & COUNTRY PERFORM AT "GODS OF WAR"
WORLDWIDE SIMULCAST
Pictured: for KING & COUNTRY performing at "Gods at War" February 27, 2013
On February 27, critically-acclaimed new duo for KING & COUNTRY performed before a packed house and worldwide online audience for the simulcast event "gods at war" led by Pastor and bestselling author, Kyle Idelman. The event, which covered topics including the idols infiltrating our lives and our churches, took place at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY, in front of 5,100 people. for KING & COUNTRY's hit single, "Middle of Your Heart," is at No. 6 on Hot AC/CHR and climbing.
"Middle of Your Heart" is for KING & COUNTRY's third single from their debut album, Crave, which was named iTunes "Breakthrough Christian & Gospel Album of 2012." On January 10, they made their late night debut performing "The Proof of Your Love,"Amazon.com's "Christian Music's Song of the Year," on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." In 2012, for KING & COUNTRY were named as one of Billboard's 17 acts to watch and were CCM's best-selling new artist. New Release Tuesday noted that Crave was "One of the Best Debut Projects in Years!" ET's "The Insider" said the duo, "make music that speaks directly to your heart" and have been "gaining popularity in the alt-rock genre." American Songwriter commented that "for KING & COUNTRY may just be Australia's answer to Coldplay."
For more information please visit, www.forKINGandCOUNTRY.com / facebook.com/forkingandcountry / Follow:@ 4kingandcountry


text:
2018 Drucker Prize for Nonprofit Innovation
Posted by Drucker Institute on February 26, 2018
Drucker Institute Accepting Applications for 2018 Drucker Prize
Now in it's twenty-seventh year, the Drucker Prize (formerly known as the Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation) continues to recognize the organization that best exemplifies Peter Drucker's definition of innovation: Change that creates a new dimension of performance.
Judges for the prize competition also look for highly effective programs that have made a demonstrable difference in the lives of the people they serve. And they take into account how much potential an organization has to further leverage the discipline of innovation based on what has been learned from the resources on the Drucker Prize platform.
In 2018, all applicants for the prize will be presented with an opportunity to learn some of Peter Drucker's core principles. That learning will expand in depth and breadth for fifty semifinalists, to be notified via email on June 1. In Round 2, leaders of the fifty organizations will have the opportunity — online and at their own pace — to dive into specially designed mini-courses covering additional key aspects of innovation and nonprofit performance, followed by an August 3 deadline ffor Round 2 applications. Ten finalists will then be announced on August 31, with the winner of the $100,000 prize to be announced on the Drucker Institute website on October 1. (The winning organization will receive direct communication from the Drucker Institute prior to the public announcement and will receive a check before the end of the year.)
The application period for Round 1 closes on Monday, April 30.
See the Drucker Institute website for key dates, an FAQ, a 2017 resource library, and the registration/application form.


text:
Houston back on track after NFL journey
Stephen Wright, Assistant Sports Editor, Gold Coast
Published Apr 9, 2018 at 8:00 am (Updated Apr 9, 2018 at 12:04 am)
All smiles: Tre Houston and girlfriend Terri C Tear add to an Aboriginal painting with their fingers at the Athletes' Village
Road closures for Race Weekend
Running, darkness, and a secret life
Warriors escape from wintry Chicago
Adventurous winner's humble start in running
Inspiration in the shower
Triangle champion Steede eyes 121st marathon
Tre Houston admits that exploring a route into the NFL was to the detriment of his athletics career, but says he has no regrets and has rediscovered his love for the sport.
Houston put sprinting on the back burner for two months last year while preparing for trials with the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs in the hope of being selected as a wide receiver or punt-return specialist.
The 28-year-old, who runs in the 200 metres heats tomorrow, did not make the cut with either team and had to then pick up the pieces of a disjointed athletics season.
"Last season wasn't great for me because I was trying out for the NFL and trying to do track at the same time. My body was burnt out," Houston said. "It was a complete distraction and when I got the opportunity I was just studying tapes day in, day out for those eight weeks.
"I was just trying to learn everything I could before my tryouts. I just said, 'forget track, the NFL is where it's at!'
"I have no regrets; it was an amazing experience. I'd never played football in my life, never went to college for it.
"I don't think it was meant for me, but if I'd grown up in the States I would have probably been playing football."
Houston's build-up to the Gold Coast has been less than perfect.
He returned to Bermuda from his namesake city in the United States, where had been based for a number of years, at the end of last season and will be opening his season at Carrara Stadium after missing several meets in the US because of injuries.
"This is year has been trial and error for me," Houston said. "I've been at home from the off-season until March, training under DeVon Bean, and I then went to Orlando for two weeks just before coming here.
"I'm trying to strengthen my mind to say that I'm ready because this going to be my first meet of the season. It's not been easy and for me to come out here shows character. I'm going to have to dig deep."
Houston says he is not overly concerned with bettering his personal best of 20.42sec. It is all about reaching the semi-finals for the Bermudian, who has not done so since the 2010 Delhi Games when he ran 21.25.
"It's not my first Games, so I already know what to expect and what I need to do to get out of the rounds," said Houston, who hopes to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
"I'll treat every round like it's the final and the main goal is just to make the semis.
"It's fairly early for a championships and I'm just going to leave it all on the track. I'm not too focused on a PB, it's just about getting to the next round, whatever it takes."
Today Athletics: Tyrone Smith, men's long jump qualifiers, 10.30pm.
Tomorrow Athletics: Tre Houston and Kyle Webb, men's 200 metres heats, 12.05am.
Wednesday Athletics: Tyrone Smith, long jump final, 7.30am* Tre Houston and Kyle Webb, 200 semi-finals, 7.50am*. Mountain biking: Flora Duffy, women's cross-country, 10.30pm.
Thursday Athletics: Tre Houston and Kyle Webb, 200 final, 9am*
Saturday Tyler Butterfield: men's marathon, 7.15pm
*Should athletes qualify


text:
Leadership in Automation
Facebook iconTwitter iconLinkedIn iconInstagram icon
U.S. Oil and Gas Not Keeping Pace With Security Concerns
Though oil and gas companies are benefiting from digitalization, some two-thirds of their risk managers are concerned that it has significantly increased cyber risks, according to a survey conducted by the Ponemon Institute.
Aaron HandAaron Hand
Feb 21st, 2017
They say that the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. Some of the studies that have been coming out lately with regard to industrial cybersecurity seem to be geared primarily toward discovering perceptions. But if the perception is that there's a problem, chances are that industry is more likely to take the steps necessary to do something about it.
In some of the latest findings, oil and gas cybersecurity risk managers reveal their concerns: Deployment of cybersecurity measures isn't keeping pace with the growth of digitalization in oil and gas operations. Only about a third of those responding to a study from the Ponemon Institute rated cyber readiness in their organization's operational technology (OT) as high. And 66 percent say that digitalization has significantly increased their cyber risks.
In fact, 68 percent of the respondents said that their operations have had at least one security compromise in the past year resulting in the loss of confidential information or OT disruption. "We are alarmed and concerned when we have almost 70 percent of oil and gas companies basically admitting that they were hacked in the past year," said Judy Marks, CEO of Siemens USA, which commissioned the study.
The study surveyed 377 U.S.-based individuals responsible for securing or overseeing cyber risk in the OT environment, including upstream, midstream and downstream applications. Some two-thirds of them say the risk level to industrial control systems (ICSs) has substantially increased over the past few years because of cyber threats, and 61 percent say their ICS protection and security is inadequate.
Much of this has to do with outdated and aging control systems, which 63 percent of respondents say is putting their facilities at risk. Using standard IT products with known vulnerabilities in the production environment adds to this risk, according to 61 percent.
Only 41 percent of respondents say they continually monitor all infrastructure to prioritize threats and attacks. An average of 46 percent of all cyber attacks in the OT environment go undetected.
The OT environment overall is at greater risk than the IT environment, according to 59 percent of those surveyed. Marks sees this as a key reason for closer alignment between OT and IT. "We are an operational technology company, and we use what we sell and sell what we use," she says. "In an OT world, while everyone gets comfortable in the IT world, we need this convergence."
As important as oil and gas organizations are to national security, top threats are not seen coming from outside forces, but rather from within—65 percent of respondents say the top cybersecurity threat is the negligent or careless insider, and 15 percent say it is the malicious or criminal insider.
"Be they insider attacks or other malicious or criminal activity," Marks says, "we need to encapsulate the technology and people and processes to respond to this."
Technologies identified as very effective in mitigating cybersecurity risk include user behavior analytics (63 percent), hardened endpoints (62 percent) and encryption of data in motion (62 percent). Unfortunately, those security technologies aren't extensively deployed, according to survey findings. Within the next 12 months, less than half (48 percent) of organizations represented say they will use encryption of data in motion, only 39 percent will deploy hardened endpoints, and only 20 percent will adopt user behavior analytics.
"Cyber attacks in the oil and gas industry can have potentially devastating consequences for the economy and national security," says Larry Ponemon, chairman and founder of the Ponemon Institute. "We hope the findings of this research create a sense of urgency to make the appropriate investments in people, process and technologies to improve the industry's cyber readiness."
Marks urges more cooperation within the oil and gas industry. "We need to share more information so we can respond to these threats quickly," she says, "so oil and gas production and its impact on the economy are not impacted."
For more information, read "The State of Cybersecurity in the Oil and Gas Industry: United States."
Companies in this article
Ponemon Institute
Videos from Siemens IndustryView all videos
Apprenticeship Volunteering Opportunities
The Viktor Ullmann Project
S7-1500 | Collegamento a MindSphere tramite MindConnectFB
Industrial Internet Consortium and Trusted IoT Alliance Combine Memberships
By joining memberships, the Trusted IoT Alliance brings a focus on blockchain and related distributed ledger technologies more squarely into the scope of the Industrial Internet Consortium activities.
David Greenfield
Trends to Watch in 2020 and Beyond
Understanding how the 'black channel principle' ensures safety-related messages get from their source to their destination and IO-Link's role in simplifying the sensor-to-cloud connection.
Michael Bowne
A Practical Energy Efficiency Solution Using Industry 4.0
A look at a simple installation of IoT in a pharmaceutical production environment to help with energy conservation efforts, provide predictive analytics for machine and manufacturing processes, and enable the achievement of ISO 50001 targets.
Craig Correia
Why Start Your Digital Transformation Now (Part Two)?
In this second part of Epicor's perspective on manufacturing's digital transformation, we look at what today's workers want and how you can keep them happy—and your business thriving—with the help of technology.
Start Small with Analytics to Build Momentum
Figuring out which analytics platform works for you may, at first, seem daunting, developing a strategy and small-scale analytics pilots could what helps you finally make that investment.
Daniel Riley
Machines that sense the world around them
ADI gives cobots the ability to sense, adapt and interpret its surroundings. Our motion detection and machine learning expertise is transforming factory floors. From invention to breakthrough with ADI.
Top Articles of 2019: Artificial Intelligence
Coverage of Siemens addition of artificial intelligence via neural networks to traditional control programs is one of Automation World's top 5 articles of the year.
Advantech Spotlights Data and Device Management
As more manufacturers begin digitally transforming their operations, Advantech showcases its products designed to address edge data handling and IoT device management.
SPS 2019 Highlights
Automation World Director of Content David Greenfield reports from the SPS (Smart Production Solutions) 2019 event in Nuremberg, Germany.
The Edge-to-Enterprise Strategy
As advances in automation technology make plant-floor-to-corporate-office connectivity a tangible reality, Aveva claims to be the first supplier to deliver a complete edge-to-enterprise system.
Wood Packaging Producer Achieves Productivity Gains
Denmark's biggest wood packaging producer recently upgraded to a CC-Link IE communications network to achieve an estimated $330,700 USD in annual savings.
Jeanne Schweder
Harting Highlights Software and Single Pair Ethernet
Noting a shift in its approach to incorporate data communication related software, Harting also announces the formation of a network of companies committed to advancing the development and application of single pair Ethernet technology.
How IO-Link Benefits OEMs and End Users
Already popular in Europe, the IO-Link industrial communication technology is reportedly growing by double digits in the U.S. Learn why this point-to-point data communication method is increasingly preferred across industry for delivering device data.
How Business Process Modeling can Prepare you for Digital Transformation
Planning to move your organization into a more digital environment can often be complex, but it's happening whether you like it or not. Business process modeling can help you plan your digital transformation and ease into the digital space.
Rafael Amaral
Bosch Rexroth and Siemens Collaborate with Qualcomm on 5G
With 5G in the early stages of deployment across the globe, Europe looks to lead the way in proving the network's benefit for manufacturing applications.
The Drive as a Sensor
Gathering more data from machines doesn't necessarily mean adding more sensors. Lenze highlights how manufacturers can use data from existing drives for applications such as condition monitoring and preventative maintenance.
Foxconn Upgrades Quality with Video Analytics
Using HPE Pointnext services to deploy machine learning at the edge, Foxconn is able to address quality assurance issues in its production of highly customizable IT servers.
How An Umbrella System Integrator Helps Consolidate Tasks
In any automation project, there are multiple tasks that need to be handled all at the same time. An Umbrella System Integrator can help an organization consolidate these issues and ultimately help manufacturers reach their productivity goals.
Mind-Reading Wearables?
A potential revolution could be coming to the world of wearables with the introduction of a technology that enables the control of devices via thought.
More in IIoT
Rockwell Builds Digital Ecosystem for Customers With Accenture Partnership
Announced this week at Automation Fair, the partnership with Accenture's Industry X.0 will focus on bringing expertise together to help industrial clients transform their connected operations.
Aaron Hand
The Role of MES in an IIoT World
As the Industrial Internet of Things continues to gain momentum in manufacturing, many wonder about the future of manufacturing execution systems and their relation to digitalization initiatives.
James R. Koelsch
What is IO-Link?
In this episode, we connect with Shishir Rege of Balluff to learn about the IO-Link device communication technology and whether or not it is difficult to integrate into existing operations.
MES is Dead, IIOT has arrived.
If your company is struggling to choose between an MES or IIoT solution, you won't find the right answers until you begin asking the right questions.
Are DataOps the Missing Link to Industry 4.0?
In digital industries where data is the lifeblood of decision-making, the ability to contextualize data for use by multiple systems is critical. That's where DataOps software comes in.
Is Software Eating Industry Yet?
Marc Andreeson's statement about "software eating the world" underscored the changing role of technology in our daily lives. But that change has not yet been nearly as dramatic in the industrial world. Seeq's Michael Risse thinks that is about to change.
The SaaS-ification of PTC
PTC's pending acquisition of Onshape will add a cloud-based Software as a Service product development platform to the company's CAD and PLM portfolio.
Stephanie Neil
The Machine Economy is Upon Us
The IOTA Foundation has been working on an IoT communication protocol that will enable machines to autonomously conduct transactions in a fee-free, secure, and trustworthy exchange.
Bringing Industry 4.0 to the Australian Defense Force
This article lays out the four key benefits when adopting Industry 4.0 technologies in your organization.
Siemens Adds Artificial Intelligence to Control Logic
The neural processing unit module for the Simatic S7-1500 controller and the ET 200MP I/O system enables machines to recognize complex patterns.
Today's Digital Transformation Reality
Dana Inc. and Streamline Innovations show how digital transformations can start today in the discrete and process industries using Ignition to overcome legacy infrastructure's digital shortcomings.
Siemens PLM Name Change Reflects New Reach
Siemens PLM becomes Siemens Digital Industries Software to reflect the inclusion of manufacturing operations management capabilities, IOT analytics, and app development aimed at building new systems and integrating and extending existing ones.
© 2020 PMMI Media Group. All rights reserved.


We reached the top of the hill around 2.30 PM and finished our prayer. If I remember it right, we spent less than an hour and started our downward Journey to Ashram. To our luck, the climate was fantastic and enjoyed the panoramic view of the Hill.
When we reached the temple, we could notice the temple was under construction and we just captured the panoramic view of the hill and took only a few pictures of the temple tower and its surroundings.
To conclude, It was one of the greatest trekking experience in my life as , when we reached the top of the hill, it gave us a feeling of Self-accomplishment 🙂 . We reached the Ashram around 7.30 PM.
Posted in Temple, TravelTagged Courage, Herbs, Iron Steps, Ladder Steps, Mental fitness, Physical Fitness, Sky steps, Temple, Travel, TrekkingBookmark the permalink.


The Eventide H9 Core Harmonizer Stompbox is designed to deliver the legendary sounds of Eventide's H910 and H949 Harmonizers. Featuring a simple, one-knob user interface, the H9 Core is fully-featured standalone stompbox, perfect for users who want to customize their H9 with only the algorithms they want at a lower price of entry.
The Eventide H9 Core Harmonizer Stompbox includes the Eventide's H910 and H949 Harmonizers, the prized studio processors used on stage by such luminaries as Frank Zappa, Jimmy Page, and Eddie VanHalen. All of Eventide's stompbox effects, including new H9 exclusives, UltraTap Delay and Resonator, can be added to Eventide H9 Core.
The Eventide H9 Core Harmonizer Stompbox features a simple, one-knob user interface and is fully-featured as a standalone stompbox. Using the Eventide H9 Core with the powerful H9 Control app for Windows, OSX (via USB), or iOS (wirelessly via Bluetooth), makes creating and managing presets, live control, and in-app algorithm purchases easy. The Eventide H9 owners can sync up to 5 H9s to a single Eventide.com account so their H9 algorithms can be used by 5 H9s simultaneously.
All of Eventide's stompbox algorithms and their associated presets are available for audition and in-app purchase through the H9 Control app. Drag and drop presets into custom preset lists for your upcoming shows. The Eventide H9 Core also features True Analog Bypass, MIDI, and a built-in tuner.


text:
1982-0619-Chautauqua-Farm-missing-tape
Article in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Published after the event, June 26, 1982.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19820626&id=k9JaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=k20DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6861,5939681
Fred Bissell, A woman from Columbia Univ who had since died, Jerold Jampolsky, MD (psychiatrist from California), Vernon Craig (Komar)
Article announces "A Weekend With Richard Rose" to be held August 8 and 9, 1982 at the Farm.
== Link on Selfdefinition.Org/rose
http://selfdefinition.org/rose/articles/1982-june-higher-mind-seminar-farm.htm
Seminar Speakers Show Power of Mind Control
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Saturday, June 26, 1982
By Bohdan Hodiak Post-Gazette Staff Writer
"Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God."
Speaking those words was L. Fred Bissell, MD, a psychotherapist from Kent, Ohio. They are quotes from "A Course In Miracles," which could be described as a self-taught form of spiritual psychotherapy.
Bissell spoke last weekend at the Higher Mind Seminar, held on a farm near Moundsville, W. Va. Although not formally a religious seminar, religious ideas and expressions kept cropping up.
The course has sold 140,000 three-volume sets since it was first published in 1975. The author, a woman who wanted to remain anonymous, has since died. She was a Columbia University psychologist who described herself as "an educator, conservative in theory, atheistic in belief."
The books are available here at the Unity Center in Point Breeze. The center also offers introductions to the course.
The author said she began writing in 1965 when she felt an urge to set down a series of teachings that came to her "out of the blue". Some made her feel uncomfortable, some she didn't understand, and some she disagreed with. But over a six-year period she wrote them all down.
Essentially, it deals with love.
A psychiatrist in California, Gerald Jampolsky, M.D., has taken the basic ideas of the course and put them into a popular book titled Love is Letting Go of Fear.
But while the book explains the course's philosophy, living it is what makes it effective.
Another speaker at the seminar was Vernon Craig of Wooster, Ohio. Known professionally as Komar, he is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for having walked 25 feet over coals that gave a pyrometer reading of 1,494 degrees centigrade.
What was his secret? "Breath control," Craig claimed.
He said that when he was 8 years old, he discovered a book, The Science of Breath, written by a yogi."I literally lived and breathed that book for the next four years."
In most people, Bissell said, the correspondence between the right and left brain functions begins to atrophy beginning at age 9 or 10. He said Craig apparently was able to keep this correspondence open, enabling his mind to have an extraordinary effect upon his body.
Chanting, singing and meditation are among the activities which "integrate the left and right brain," Bissell said, all of which play important functions in religion.
(The article is composed of 2 images, top and bottom.)
Craig has an unusual ability to heal quickly. He once demonstrated firewalking before a Hollywood television audience. He requires silence to keep his concentration. But during the middle of the firewalk, the announcer blared Into the microphone, "Ladles and gentleman he's doing it."
That snapped Craig out of the trance and his feet were badly burned. While most people might have spent months in the hospital, Craig's feet healed in three weeks.
Craig said he didn't think much of two philosophical concepts popular today — "egolessness" and positive thinking.
"Let me point out to you that the most important thing you have to work with is the ego. You are talking about your being, your personality, your 'I am.'" Craig said. "If your ego does not exist, you do not exist. The ego must be built on."
About positive thinking, Craig said. "You can't be totally positive. The negativity in your life helps you grow."
Could he walk on water? "I think I could if I wanted to badly enough, if I could convince myself that I could ... Whatever the mind can conceive, man can achieve."
The seminar was inspired by Richard Rose. 64, owner of the farm. Rose said his own spiritual quest led him to despair and what he thought was insanity. It was then that what he later described as "cosmic consciousness" broke through and he learned the meaning of life.
To share his experience, He began speaking before various groups. In Pittsburgh, a group of college students became interested in Rose's books and formed a discussion group called the Truth and Transmission Society.
On Aug 7 and 8, he will hold a "Weekend with Richard Rose" at the farm.
Rose, who once studied to be a Catholic priest, now is a philosopher. He thinks highly of Zen Buddhism and the Gurdjieff-Ouspensky system. But those attempting to pin him to a particular dogma or answers to specific questions will be disappointed. He is more interested in helping people find their own answers and showing them how they lead themselves into traps.
Details on Pittsburgh lectures, and seminars at the farm are available from the TAT Foundation, 1686 Marshall Street. Benwood. W. Va., 26031.
Camping is available at the farm.
Retrieved from "https://www.direct-mind.org/index.php?title=1982-0619-Chautauqua-Farm-missing-tape&oldid=689"


text:
The Cover- Irene Agbontaen: The Girl Who is Taller Than Your Average
CAF Gifts African World Cup Nations $2.5 Million
By Damilola Faustino
The Confederation of African Football has announced that it will give each of the five world cup teams Nigeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria and Senegal $500,000 to help in their preparations for the tourney in Russia next year. This amounts to $2.5 million in total.
According to a CAF statement: "It was decided that CAF will grant a financial subsidy of $500,000 to each of the five African teams. The financial package will be used mainly to strengthen and improve the technical supervision of each team.
"In addition, CAF will provide each African representative with "fieldwiz" equipment, a technological device and physical performance measuring tool for outdoor team sports players."
CAF had in November constituted an ad hoc committee led by its first vice-president Kwesi Nyantakyi to map out what support it could give to Africa's representatives at the global football showpiece.
The statement further said: "The committee, which has CAF Executive Committee member Kalusha Bwalya and presidents of the Football Associations of the five qualified countries as members, met in Moscow, Russia, on the sidelines of the draw for the FIFA World Cup."
Comments are visible after approval
Previous Article'New' Eva Out With "Secret Lover"
Next ArticleAccelerate 9- Somebody Save Lala, She's Trapped In Nine Hot Choices
#Russia2018: Argentina Knock Out Nigeria To Crawl Into The Last 16
#Russia 2018: Uruguay Drops Off Both Saudi Arabia & Egypt
#Russia2018: France Goes Through To Their Third Final In 10 Years
South Africa-Senegal World Cup Qualifier To Be Replayed
Russia 2018: Super Eagles Camp Bubbles
Nike Receives 3m Orders For Super Eagles Jersey


Azzaro Pour Homme Cologne by Loris Azzaro for Men was introduced in 1978. Azzaro pour Homme is a unique cocktail of humor, vitality, modernity and masculine elegance, mirroring its creator, Loris Azzaro. The intuitive and innovative alchemy harmonizes around 320 components, of which more than half are of natural origins.


text:
State House Wrap-Up Week of May 16, 2022
Posted May 20, 2022 · Add Comment
The Assembly Education Committee, and more than a dozen other Legislative Committees, convened at the Statehouse to hear and move bills on Thursday, May 19th. Following are measures affecting New Jersey school districts that moved in Trenton this week.
Assembly Education Committee Meeting:
Eliminating edTPA to Help Increase Teacher Pipeline
S-896/A-677 would prohibit the State Board of Education from requiring the completion of a commissioner of education approved performance-based assessment (i.e., edTPA) as a requirement for teacher certification. It would remove this requirement for both the obtaining of a certificate of eligibility with advanced standing or a certificate of eligibility. Teaching candidates would have to complete a performance-based assessment approved by an educator preparation program. The Committee voted favorably to advance this bill, and it has been second referenced to the Assembly Oversight, Reform and Federal Relations Committee. The Senate version of this bill has already been unanimously passed by the full Senate in March of this year. NJPSA testified in support of this measure.
Homeschoolers Participation in Extracurricular Activities
A-1041 would require school districts to allow home-schooled students to participate in any school-sponsored extracurricular activity including, but not limited to, clubs, musical ensembles, Statewide interscholastic sports programs, and theatrical productions in the student's district of residence in accordance with the same criteria established for students enrolled in the district. Under the bill, a home-schooled student who wishes to participate in an extracurricular activity in his resident district must provide proof that he resides in the district; meet the eligibility and try out criteria for participation in the activity; and comply with all policies, rules, and regulations of the governing organization of the extracurricular activity. The Assembly Education Committee favorably released this bill by a vote of (6-1). NJPSA testified in opposition to this bill, and requested that this decision be left to local boards of education and principals.
Teacher Student Loan Redemption Program
A-1840 would establish the Grow Your Own Teacher Loan Redemption Program in the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA). The purpose of the program is to encourage students who graduated high school from a school district with a shortage of teachers to return to teach in that school district. Under the bill, HESAA will offer loan redemption up to $10,000 of principal and interest of eligible student loan expenses for each full year of employment by the program participant. The total loan redemption amount for a program participant, for five years of employment, is not to exceed $50,000. To be eligible to participate in the program, an applicant is required to: be a resident of the State and maintain domicile in the State during participation in the program; have previously graduated high school in a school district designated by the Department of Education as having a shortage of teachers during the year in which the applicant submits a program application to HESAA; have successfully completed an undergraduate or graduate program of study within a five-year period prior to applying for the program; be hired as a certified teacher by the school district with a shortage of teachers from which the applicant graduated high school; and have an outstanding balance on a State or federal student loan and not be in default on any loan. The committee favorably released this bill by a unanimous vote of (7-0). NJPSA testified in support of this measure.
Multimedia Advertising Campaign to Recruit New Teachers
A-3586 directs the NJDOE in consultation with the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, to establish a multimedia advertising campaign to attract candidates to the teaching profession. The campaign will use a combination of digital outlets, television, radio, print, and other media to promote the teaching profession as an engaging, dynamic, and rewarding career opportunity. The department would also be required to create targeted advertising to increase the recruitment of teachers from underrepresented racial groups and into high-demand fields. The bill is funded using ARP funds. A-3586 was released favorably by the Committee by a vote of (6-1). NJPSA testified in support of this measure.
Scholarship Program for NJ Educators
A-3681 creates a scholarship program to provide incentives for high-achieving students to pursue careers in education. Scholarships will be awarded by the department to 50 students enrolled in approved programs of study at an institution of higher education within the State. Each student will receive a tuition waiver for each semester of study and an annual stipend of $5,000 for four years of study or until the student receives a bachelor's degree and completes an educator preparation program. Within the first five full years after graduation, the student is required to seek and accept full time employment as a teaching staff member with a public school district in the State for no less than three full school years, during which time they will receive mentoring to aid the student in furthering a career in education. The committee favorably released this bill by a unanimous vote of (7-0). NJPSA testified in support of this measure.
Transparency in Health and Sex Education Curriculum Act
A-3968 (Carter, Linda S.) would establish several requirements related to the adoption of curricula implementing the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Comprehensive Health and Physical Education. The bill would require:
boards of education and boards of trustees of charter schools and renaissance school projects to offer an annual opportunity for parents and guardians to provide comments on any curriculum necessary to implement the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education proposed for the succeeding school year. A board may satisfy this requirement with either a public meeting of the board or of the appropriate committee of the board.
boards of education would be required to post, prior to the start of the new school year, in a prominent location on the board's official website, information regarding:
the board-approved curriculum for any instruction necessary to implement the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education;
how a parent or guardian may provide public comment on any curriculum developed to implement the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education; and
the statutory right of the parent or guardian to decline their child's participation in any portion of the health, family life education, or sex education curriculum and the procedure for exercising that right.
Finally, the bill charges the NJDOE with providing boards of education with learning standards support materials that suggest a variety of activities and strategies that may assist in the development of local curricula aligned with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards pursuant to the bill. Nothing in the bill would be construed to require a board of education or board of trustees of a charter school or renaissance school project to use learning standards support materials provided by the Department of Education.
This bill tracks the long-standing practice in our schools of making our health and physical education curriculum, including the area of sex education, available to parents for their review and consideration. NJPSA understands that most districts already post this curriculum on their websites. Teachers, supervisors and school principals are available to discuss, take questions/comments from parents, and work with them to alleviate any issues with this curriculum. If the parent wishes to opt their child out of the sex ed portion of the course, districts follow the law in place (N.J.S.A. 18A:35-4.7) since 1979 and allow them to do so. This has been the practice in our schools for a long time. We hope that this bill will help to promote a calm and meaningful discussion of any curriculum issues at the local level where instruction comes to life for students and their families. The bill was reported out of the Assembly Education Committee by a vote of 4-3. The bill is now on Second Reading in the General Assembly. The bill has previously been reported from the Senate Education Committee, and is also on Second Reading in the Senate. NJPSA testified in support of this legislation.
Assembly Higher Education Committee
Teacher Recruitment Grant Program
A-1287 establishes a competitive grant program in the Department of Education to provide funding to an organization that recruits, trains, and places new teachers in high poverty school districts. The selected organization would receive a grant equal to the amount of private contributions that the organization receives, not to exceed $2 million each year, for three years. For the purposes of the grant program, a high poverty school district is one in which at least 40 percent of the students qualify for free or reduced-price school meals. This bill was favorably released by the Committee (7-0). NJPSA is neutral on this legislation.
Assembly Appropriations Committee Meeting:
Public Awareness Campaign for School Meals
A-2365, requires the Department of Agriculture to start a public education campaign to educate parents and guardians of students about existing and expanding school meals program options in New Jersey. The Committee voted favorably to release this bill (9-1) with one member abstaining. This bill had a previous hearing in the Assembly Agriculture and Food Security Committee, and is now awaiting consideration by the full General Assembly. NJPSA supports this initiative.
"Working Class Families' Anti-Hunger Act"
A-2368, would enable more working-class students to be eligible for the free breakfast and lunch option and create a pathway to a universal school meals program. Schools would be required to provide free school breakfasts and lunches free of charge to students from working class, middle-income families. The "Working Class Families' Anti-Hunger Act" would help reach 26,463 families under the free lunch and breakfast program at a cost of approximately $19.2 million every year. The legislation would require the state to provide funding to each school district, as may be necessary to reimburse the costs associated with the district's provision of free meals to middle-income students who are federally ineligible for such meals under the National School Lunch Program or federal School Breakfast Program. These reimbursement provisions are similar to current law, which provides that a student who is federally eligible for reduced price meals be not required to pay any cost for those meals, and that the State will reimburse schools for the difference between the federal allocation for reduced price meals and the total cost of the meals served to such students. The Committee voted to release this bill favorably by a vote of (10-0) with one abstention. This bill had a previous hearing in the Assembly Agriculture and Food Security Committee, and is now awaiting consideration by the full General Assembly. NJPSA supports this initiative.
Assembly Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee Meeting:
Purple Star Schools
A-3694 creates a Purple Star Schools Program in the Department of Education. Under the program, the Commissioner of Education will annually recognize as Purple Star Schools those public and nonpublic schools that provide for, or have made significant progress to respond to the educational and social-emotional challenges military-connected students encounter during the transition to a new school when the student's parent or guardian is an active duty member of the United States Armed Forces and is relocated due to the active duty member's continued military service. The bill was released favorably by the Committee by a vote of (5-0). NJPSA supports this initiative.
Assembly Women and Children Committee Meeting:
Student Mental Health Assistance Pilot Program
A-660 establishes a four-year pilot program in which the participating school districts will establish a mental health assistance program for students in grades kindergarten through 12. The purposes of the pilot program are to identify issues affecting student mental health and the possible impact of those issues on academic performance, and to provide intervention, support, and referral services in a confidential setting to help students who may be experiencing mental health difficulties. A school district that wants to participate in the pilot program will submit an application and proposal to the Commissioner of Education, and the commissioner will select up to 15 school districts for participation. The bill was released favorably by the Committee by a vote of (5-0). NJPSA supports this initiative.
Additional information about all legislation currently pending in Trenton may be found on the NJ Legislature's website: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us. If you have any questions, or would like to discuss any of the bills that moved this week, please reach out to your NJPSA Government Relations team: Director Debbie Bradley dbradley@njpsa.org or Assistant Director Jennie Lamon jlamon@njpsa.org. As always, thank you for your advocacy and for all that you do.


text:
Martin Theophilus of The Museum of Magnetic Sound Recording, Part Two
Written by J.I. Agnew
Martin Theophilus is the Executive Director of the Museum of Magnetic Sound Recording (MOMSR), a private collection of recording machines, tapes and other materials, along with a companion website. The site contains a wealth of information and photographs of vintage gear. J.I. Agnew interviewed Martin at length. Part One appeared in Issue 144, and the second part of the interview is presented here.
J. I. Agnew: What are the challenges of starting and maintaining a museum dedicated to vintage sound recording technology?
Martin Theophilus: Winning over folks to the vision is critical. However, it always comes down to funding.
One of our ideas was to co-locate with other Austin, Texas non-profits. [Our efforts to put this in place] began in July 2013 with folks from the Austin Museum Partnership, the Austin Museum of Popular Culture (which had a huge collection of music posters in a small space), and the Texas Museum of Science and Technology, which is no longer open. We met with a man, Jim Rankin, who had 500 antique radios. There is a small Texas Music Museum in Austin. It primarily has old Texas sheet music, some records and a number of acoustical machines they're afraid to display for fear they'll get broken or stolen. Then there's Jim Cartwright, whose two-story Austin home is absolutely full of hundreds of antique Victrolas. These are all entities that were already operating on bare bones with no significant funding. Retail space in Austin was becoming unaffordable for them to survive.
We thought that creating a space that continually attracts new visitors, as well as getting return traffic, was essential. That was our goal for the two studios and [we also wanted] a performance space with a 1950s-[style] cafe.
Martin Theophilus.
JIA: Has the museum attracted the interest you had anticipated?
MT: The response exceeded expectations; however, follow-through was disappointing. [The] media coverage was excellent. The Austin NBC affiliate covered our efforts three times. CBS, once. Texas Music Magazine wrote an article and gave us free ads. The Audio Engineering Society profiled the Museum. Local print media released stories.
The Texas Music Office director Casey Monahan was a strong supporter and provided great resources. Strangely, the Austin Music Office staff completed a tour and never helped at all.
We were inundated with inquiries. To this day I receive multiple inquiries every day for tape recorder repair resources, recorder donation offers (which I no longer accept unless they are truly unique) and [a] whole range of historical magnetic recording questions. I love the folks who worked in the recording community and who share wonderful stories. They also often clarify manufacturer information on our website, or they send [stories and information] about their work with Ampex, Studer and all the other companies.
TEAC Corporation of Japan contacted me, asking for photos of a very early recorder that we have and they didn't. TEAC then provided a short story about our museum and linked to it, and released it in Asia, Europe and North America. Their advertising executive said he thought TEAC could do some joint promotion with us. He said he would bump it up the chain. A couple weeks later he said the top TEAC folks said they were interested, but only after our museum was in a permanent public facility.
MCI (later Sony) JH-110, Sony APR-5003 (with time code indicator) and Otari MX-5050 recorders.
There were other things like that. The Illinois Institute of Technology (ITT) had all of Marvin Camras' early work in magnetic recording. plus his personal belongings. I was contacted by their curator. He said he was given a mandate by ITT that all [of] Marvin Camras' artifacts and personal belongings needed to go as they were repurposing the building. [He asked,] "ITT will keep several of his patented items, but I have to find a home for the rest. Do you want them?" "Yes!" "Okay, I'll finish the inventory next week and provide a list and we'll arrange to send them to you." Four weeks went by, and he called. Turns out [that] after ITT saw the list they decided to keep it all and divide it amongst their various buildings.
Before he passed away, I had several great conversations with Rusty Paul, Les Paul's son. He loved the Museum's plan and said Austin would be the perfect place for his Dad's eight-track Ampex, "The Octopus." He [told me], get into a permanent facility and I'll loan it to your Museum for a while.
Eric, a physician in Iowa, contacted me and said that he was retiring and moving, and his wife was encouraging him to donate his tape recorder collection. He said he was inventorying it and would send me a summary. I asked [him] how many machines he had, and [he answered that he was] actually not sure. However he'd worked on all of them and they were [in] excellent [condition]. A month went by, and he sent an inventory of almost 500 recorders. We didn't have a building [at the time], but our board discussed it and decided a couple of us would fly up and rent U-Haul trucks to bring the collection back and place them in storage. He had a bit of everything, including a six-foot-tall recorder that was intended for a US aircraft carrier and never installed.
A few weeks later, I got a call from Eric's wife. Turns out, now that he was retired, and as he began inventorying and messing with the recorders, he decided to keep them. They were staying in their home. She was secretly calling [without his knowledge] to [tell me] he was going on a trip, and while he was gone, she was going to have shelves installed for his collection. What should she build for him? Eric is now active on Facebook groups [dedicated to tape recorders].
Sony TC-777 tape recorder, one of Martin's favorites. It came from a corporate boardroom and is as new. Martin carried the ad for this recorder in his wallet in college and aspired to own one, but settled for the Sony TC-600 because of its lower cost.
We were offered some of Alan Lomax's artifacts if we were successful in creating the Museum.
JIA: What were the circumstances that caused you to take everything back to a private collection, rather than bringing everything into a museum? What happened?
MT: All our funding applications were being turned down. One of the most significant was a grant proposal to the Moody Foundation. We made the initial cut. However, in the end they said there had been floods in Texas, and they were accepting grant requests to help disabled children and create historical art displays. So, [we couldn't compete with that kind of need]. We received suggestions that we start pitching the museum in Oklahoma City, Nashville and other locations. One recommendation was that we build the collection into two semi-trucks, then drive around the country giving presentations at schools and colleges.
At the end of five years, my passion was waning. I realized the push for funding had taken me away from the basic enjoyment of working with the recorders. I hadn't even dusted the collection for six months. So our board met and they voted unanimously that over the five years, we'd exhausted the attempt to create the Museum. They all said we gave it our best effort! It was [also] felt that if we'd had some famous [celebrity] memorabilia, maybe things would have been different.
JIA: Has this experience affected your perspective and aims for the future of your collection and museum in any way?
MT: I no longer actively pursue a [location] for the collection. [But] I'm always an optimist, and with the current interest in reel-to-reel tape recorders. who knows. I understand the desire for studios to add the "analog" sound. However, I did not anticipate the [emergence of the] individual collectors that are now appearing. So, who knows? I felt that we always needed to connect with someone who loved the old recorders and had the resources to make it happen.
JIA: What is your own background and how has this contributed to the Museum?
MT: I graduated from Sul Ross [University] with a Bachelor of Music degree, with the intent of being a Texas band director. However, I'd worked as a police dispatcher during college, and was drawn to law enforcement. I was hired as a state police officer for Sul Ross, but the pay was low and I couldn't progress in policing because I was high-risk, having lost a kidney to cancer at age three.
So, I took a job with the State of Texas that paid twice as much, and became a social worker, mostly in child protective services. The state sent me to Austin for a month's training. I spent days training, and nights absorbing the music scene and doing some recording. Austin was where I knew I had to be!
While ham radio definitely had an impact on my electronic skills, I'm sorry to admit that seriously working on electrons never stuck. I can do recorder maintenance, fix mechanical problems, and [do] some minor electrical fixes. However, tracing and fixing circuits usually leaves the recorder in worse shape! I do have an excellent tech person available when I need [them].
In the end, from Alpine to Austin, tape recording has been an integral part of my life!
JIA: What sort of skill set and/or personality traits would you consider important in anybody considering starting an audio technology preservation center, be it a museum or otherwise?
MT: The electrical and mechanical know how I mentioned above would be helpful.
My strength in trying to create the Museum is that I am truly, deeply passionate about the importance of the preservation of the magnetic reel tape recorder. When Germany built those first tape recorders with the ability to edit content, it changed everything. When tape recorders went mainstream from the 1950s to the 1980s, the ability to record music was made available to everyone willing to learn to use them. Bing Crosby's transition from vinyl to tape is probably the best example. {He took advantage of] the indistinguishable quality [between live and taped broadcasting], and [the capabilities of tape] editing.
Webcor Squire and Roberts 770X recorders; Tape-Athon Model 7210 background music tape player. Second row: Sony TC-630, 1954 Berlant Concertone 20/20 tape machines. Third row: Ampex 602-1 recorder; Akai Terecorder; Roberts Duet recorder with matching amp/speaker to its right. Bottom row: Dokorder 8010 tape duplicator; Roberts 770A and Wollensak 1980 recorders. In the photo is a revolving rack holding around 100 catalogs and brochures. Far right: Bell and Howell Model 2297 recorder with vacuum-loading; Marantz 5420 cassette deck; Viking 85 deck.
It was the passion and commitment of all these folks who wanted to make the magnetic tape recorder better, from Brush units being improved by Willi Studer, to Crown recorders going from [being used for] missionary work to [becoming] radio and studio workhorses. It was passion that drove all those folks. Passion, skills, luck, and surviving a lot of disappointment.
Another key ingredient is a love of history. I wish I had time to follow all the leads I've received to better provide the details. Phil Van Pragg wrote a book, The Evolution of the Audio Recorder, and I met him and he inspired me to preserve the technology and further my collection.
A love of interacting with people [helps]. Interviewing Robert Metzner [founder of Califone and mentioned in Part One of this series] was amazing. We videotaped an interview with Rupert Neve at Blue Rock Artist Ranch and Studio in Texas; however, we never made it to the Neve factory in Wimberley before he passed.
Teac 25th anniversary commemorative box; Ampex 601-2, Pioneer RT-2044 four-track and Crown 722 SX recorders; two Teac Model 1 mixers on top of a Dokorder 1140 four-track recorder. In front of the Dokorder is a Shure box containing a Shure 3000 near a Teac Model 2 mixer. Mics and accessories, left to right, are a Shure 315, Turner 211, Ampex HD-16 tape head demagnetizer, Calrad Velocity VM-12, Shure 330, RCA 1945 Varacoustic, RCA MI-6204-C, RCA Junior Velocity 74B, Neumann U48, and a Shure 737.
We've interviewed Freddy Fletcher of Arlyn Studios and Pedernales Recording Studio. He is Willie Nelson's nephew. Freddy's interview was great, but so was hearing his mom Bobbie Nelson's history and that of the Austin Opera House.
Ray Benson was a supporter and gave us a very entertaining interview, as did Floyd Domino (both are members of Asleep at the Wheel). For a while, Floyd and Asleep At The Wheel's memorabilia were on display, along with our Ampex 200A, at the Bullock Texas State History Museum.
Part Three of this interview will appear in Issue 146.
All images courtesy of the Museum of Magnetic Sound Recording.
Header image (left to right): Ampex AG-440; Magnecord 1024; Altec 1592B Mixer; Sony mixer made by Shure; Teac Model 1 mixer; Tapco 4400 spring reverb; Ampex ATR-102 recorder with manual; Ampex 351 with amp, remote, an Accurate Sound Company amp and an Inovonics amp. The briefcase beside the Ampex ATR-102 manual is a Crowncorder spy briefcase.
2 comments on "Martin Theophilus of The Museum of Magnetic Sound Recording, Part Two"
ReederRuss says:
I enjoy the CD's from Octave Records and am considering an old passion, reel-to-reel tape machines. Is there any good source for Pre-recorded music on open reel tape any longer?
Frank Doris says:
Yes! Check out Adrian Wu's article here:
https://www.psaudio.com/copper/article/open-reel-tape-the-ultimate-analog-source/
Also, Ken Kessler has been covering reel-to-reel in depth in Copper and will continue to do so. You can also find old tapes on eBay and perhaps other online sources.
Moving to Computer Audio: A Comprehensive Overview, Part Two
In Part One (Issue 144) we looked at the fundamental…
From the Sweet Spot
Suspending Disbelief: The Potential of Acoustic Levitation
Acoustic manipulation is a technique that can be used in…
True-Life Rock Tales
Whistling While You Work
As I step off my elevator, I hear music coming…
Audio Static
Dogged Determination


On roads, highways, and interstates around Charleston and throughout South Carolina, you can expect to encounter an abundance of both large and mid-size commercial trucks during your travels. While we depend on these drivers to provide us with a variety of goods and services, motorists are at a distinct disadvantage when trucking accidents occur. If you've been injured, contact an experienced South Carolina truck accident attorney today.
South Carolina has seen a rash of truck accidents over the past several months, the latest of which occurred on I-26. A February 2017 ABC 4 news report stated an accident involving an Isuzu box truck left one motorist dead and a trail of debris stretching from the interstate to the adjoining frontage road. While authorities were uncertain of the cause of this particular accident, highway safety experts claim that in many cases, distracted driving is to blame.
The latest available statistics from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) indicate that nearly 4,000 people are killed each year as the result of commercial motor vehicle (CMV) accidents. In the majority of cases, fatalities involved motorists rather than truck drivers.
Less than one fifth of fatal CMV accidents involve the truck driver alone. In 84 percent of cases, one or more motor vehicles are involved.
Whereas car accidents are more likely to occur during weekends, truck accidents occur more commonly during the week.
Truck accidents can occur anywhere, but they are twice as likely to happen on major roads and arteries than they are interstates or freeways.
Factors that contribute to trucking accidents include demanding schedules, lack of proper vehicle maintenance, and improper loads, as well as reckless behaviors on the part of the truck driver.
If you or someone you care about has been involved in an accident with a commercial motor vehicle, contact Anastopoulo Law Firm right away. Our experienced South Carolina truck accident attorneys can advise you on how to hold negligent truck drivers and trucking companies responsible for the injuries you suffer to help you get the compensation you deserve.