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craigslist | all jobs in washington, DC

2010-03-10 20:00:04 GMT

CLEARED PERSONNEL ONLY

General Contract is seeking cleared personnel to fill Plumbing, Electrical and HVAC positions on a multi-year contract in Washington DC.

MUST posses Journeyman level skills at minimum, valid drivers license, and current Plumbing/Mechanical/Electrical license(s) as required.

IMPORTANT - All position require Top Secret clearance, applicant must posses at minimum SECRET clearance and be able to obtain a Top Secret clearance. This is a mandatory requirement being able to obtain a TOP SECRET clearance.

Electrician (s) duties shall include the following minimum requirements. Perform PM and/or repairs on a variety of electrical equipment and any related auxiliary devices such as lighting fixtures, fans, air conditioning equipment, timing and recording devices, certain kitchen appliances and other electrical equipment. Assists in the installation of any and all types of equipment fans, air conditioning, timing and recording devices and other more complex items such as those of an electronics nature. Completes needed repairs, rearrange and hook up items such as outlets, switches, light fixtures, regulators, etc.

HVAC Mechanic (s) duties shall include the following minimum requirements. Work involves installing, recognizing the cause of faulty equipment and making repairs on large systems that provide for a variety of air conditioning functions such as heating, cooling, humidifying, cleaning, filtering, and circulating. HVAC Mechanics duties shall include a variety of equipment preventive/periodic maintenance, inspection tours, minor operational repairs associated with the operational repair of central and stand-alone heating, fan coil units air conditioning ventilation and refrigeration systems. Maintains repairs and calibrates existing DDC, pneumatic, pneumatic/electric and electric/pneumatic control systems related to all HVAC/R equipment. Diagnoses, tests and locates equipment malfunctions, and more.

Plumber (s) duties shall include the following minimum requirements. Performs plumbing work relating to the installation, modification, and repair of utility, supply, disposal systems, fixtures, fittings, and equipment such as sewage, water, gas, and oil lines, compressed air, vacuum, and acid systems; water closets, water heaters, hydrants, valves, pumps and Sprinkler heads. Makes repairs by removing, cleaning, replacing, packing, and sealing defective parts of utility, supply, and disposal systems such as dirty traps, sections of broken tile pipe, and leaky drains. Utilizes building plans and blueprints, and sketches. Assists in locating and tapping main lines, setting up system routes, placing and cutting route openings, etc.

Please send resume via email or fax to 703-222-5564.

Hepatitis C New Drugs / Janis and Friends

Janis and Friends Hepatitis C Blog (noreply@blogger.com) — 2010-03-10 15:32:00 GMT

Chronic viral hepatitis

The most common risk factor for liver cancer is chronic (long-term) infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV). These infections lead to cirrhosis of the liver (see below) and are responsible for making liver cancer the most common cancer in many parts of the world.

In the United States, infection with hepatitis C is the most common cause of HCC, while in Asia and developing countries, hepatitis B is more common. People infected with both viruses have a very high risk of developing chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer.

HBV and HCV are spread from person to person through sharing contaminated needles (such as in drug use), unprotected sex, or childbirth. They can also be passed on through blood transfusions, although this is rare in the United States since the start of blood product testing for these viruses. In developing countries, children sometimes contract hepatitis B infection from prolonged contact with family members who are infected.

Of the 2 viruses, infection with HBV is more likely to cause symptoms, such as a flu-like illness and a yellowing of the eyes and skin (jaundice). But most people recover completely from HBV infection within a few months. Only a very small percentage of adults become chronic carriers (and have a higher risk for liver cancer). The risk is higher in infants and small children who become infected.

HCV, on the other hand, is less likely to cause symptoms. But most people with HCV develop chronic infections, which are more likely to lead to liver damage or even cancer.

Other viruses, such as the hepatitis A virus and hepatitis E virus, can also cause hepatitis. But people infected with these viruses do not develop chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis, and are not at an increased risk of liver cancer.

Can Liver Cancer Be Found Early?

Because signs and symptoms of liver cancer do not usually appear until it is in its later stages, it is seldom diagnosed early. Small liver tumors are hard to detect on a physical exam because most of the liver is covered by the right rib cage. By the time a tumor can be felt, it may already be quite large.

Many patients who develop liver cancer have long-standing cirrhosis (scar tissue formation due to liver cell damage). If a patient with cirrhosis gets worse for no apparent reason, doctors should suspect that liver cancer may be the cause and do appropriate tests.

If a person is known to have cirrhosis, whatever the cause, most doctors recommend liver cancer screening every 6 months with tests of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and ultrasound. But it's not yet clear if screening will result in more effective treatment of liver cancer.

Alpha-fetoprotein blood test

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a protein that is normally present at high levels in the blood of fetuses but disappears shortly after birth. If it is found in the blood of adults, it suggests they may have liver cancer or some types of germ cell tumors of the testicle (in men) or ovary (in women). It can also be found in the blood of pregnant women and can be used to help diagnose some birth defects and other problems with the fetus before birth.

Tests for AFP are used to look for early tumors in people at high risk for liver cancer. But it is usually not advised as a routine test to screen for liver cancer in people at average risk because there are potential problems with using it:

Some liver tumors do not make a lot of this protein.
Often by the time the AFP level is elevated, the tumor is too large to be removed or it has spread outside the liver.
Some non-cancerous liver diseases can also raise AFP levels.
In areas where liver cancer is very common, using the AFP blood test for screening has detected many tumors at an earlier stage. Still, many experts feel that AFP testing isn't sensitive enough for people living in the U. S. and Europe, and recommend ultrasound (see the next section) as the main test, although the AFP level may still be measured along with it.

Ultrasound

Ultrasound is a test that uses sound waves and their echoes to produce a picture of internal organs or masses. A small instrument called a transducer emits sound waves and picks up the echoes as they bounce off the organs. The echoes are converted by a computer into a black-and-white image that is displayed on a video screen. This test can show masses (tumors) growing in the liver, which can then be tested for cancer, if needed.

This is a very easy procedure to have. It uses no radiation, which is why it is often used to look at developing fetuses. For most ultrasound exams, you simply lie on a table while the transducer (which is shaped like a wand) is placed on the skin over the part of your body being looked at. Usually, the skin is first lubricated with gel.

This test is used in people with certain liver cancer risk factors to help find cancers earlier. Many experts recommend that the test be done every 6 or 12 months. But no one knows for certain how often is really best.

Who should be screened?

Screening for liver cancer is not recommended for people who are not at increased risk. At this time there are no screening tests that doctors consider to be accurate enough for screening in the general population.

People at higher risk for liver cancer may be helped by screening. Many doctors recommend testing for certain groups. This includes people with cirrhosis (from any cause), especially if the cirrhosis is so severe that the patient is on the waiting list to receive a liver transplant. Without screening, while the person is waiting for a transplant, a cancer may develop and become so advanced that it is incurable. Finding cancer early usually makes it more likely that the patient will survive longer. Early cancer will also move the person up on the transplant waiting list.

Most doctors also recommend that certain people with chronic HBV or HCV infections be screened, especially those with a family history of liver cancer. In other groups at increased risk, the benefits of screening may not be as clear. If you think you are at increased risk for liver cancer, talk to your doctor about whether screening is a good option for you.

The Link Between Hepatitis C and Liver Cancer

By Paul Hansen, M.D, director, Providence Liver Cancer Clinic, Providence Cancer Center; and Ken Flora, M.D., gastroenterologist/hepatologist with The Oregon Clinic and consulting physician to Providence Liver Cancer Clinic

I heard recently that liver cancer is on the rise. Why is that?
Primary liver cancer — cancer that starts in the liver, rather than spreading to the liver from somewhere else — is increasing rapidly right now. This increase is linked mainly to the spread of hepatitis C infection in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s.

Hepatitis C, a virus that inflames the liver, is one of the main causes of primary liver cancer, or “hepatocellular” cancer. It wasn’t until the late 1980s that we began to understand hepatitis C and how it was spread — through blood. Until then, blood donations weren’t screened for hepatitis C, so a lot of people were exposed to the virus through transfusions, as well as other ways, such as using shared needles used to inject drugs.

Since the hepatitis C virus progresses very slowly, we’re just now starting to see complications arise among this large population that was exposed 20, 30 or 40 years ago. Liver cancer is one of the potential complications.

Does everyone with hepatitis C eventually develop liver cancer?
No — in fact, most don’t. Only people who develop cirrhosis as a complication of hepatitis C have a higher risk of developing liver cancer. About 20 percent of people with hepatitis C develop cirrhosis — advanced liver scarring caused by decades of inflammation. Of those who do develop cirrhosis, about 20 percent eventually develop liver cancer. So overall, among all people with hepatitis C, the chance of developing liver cancer at some point in your life is about 4 percent.

What makes some people with hepatitis C more or less likely to get liver cancer?
If you don’t develop cirrhosis, then you are at no higher risk of liver cancer than the general public. Having cirrhosis is what raises the risk, so anything that increases your risk of developing cirrhosis will also increase your risk of developing liver cancer.

Alcohol consumption is the key risk factor here. People with hepatitis C should not drink alcohol, since it can accelerate liver damage. Certain prescription and non-prescription drugs also can damage the liver, so people with hepatitis C should review their medications with their physician to make sure they aren’t taking anything that could put further stress on their liver. Finally, smoking increases the risk of all cancers, including liver cancer, so people with hepatitis C should not smoke.

How does hepatitis C lead to liver cancer?
Hepatitis C inflames the liver, and over the course of many years, this inflammation can lead to scarring. Most people with hepatitis C never experience significant scarring or complications, but about 20 percent develop cirrhosis, which is advanced scarring throughout the liver.

Because hepatitis C is a slowly progressive virus, it can take 30 or 40 years for cirrhosis to develop. Meanwhile, the liver is resilient — when damage occurs, the liver goes to work to regenerate itself. We believe that cancer occurs during this ongoing cycle of injury and regeneration. The more cells the liver regenerates, the higher the chances that a mutation will occur in one of those cells, and it’s these mutations that can lead to hepatocellular cancer.

Is there a way to screen people with hepatitis C to check for liver cancer?
Yes. Ultrasound is the main screening tool used to check for tumors in the liver. Ultrasound is non-invasive and can detect tumors when they are quite small.

Should everyone with hepatitis C get ultrasound screenings?
Since liver cancer is a complication of cirrhosis, people who don’t have cirrhosis don’t need to be monitored closely for liver cancer. But people who do have cirrhosis should definitely get regular ultrasound screenings to check for liver tumors.

How often should a person with cirrhosis get screened for liver cancer?
At the Providence Liver and Pancreas Clinic, we recommend that people with cirrhosis get an ultrasound screening twice a year. The more vigilant you are about getting these screenings regularly, the better your chances of catching cancer early, when treatment is most likely to be successful.

Are there any symptoms of liver cancer that a person should watch for?
Liver cancer usually doesn’t present any outward symptoms in its early stages, which is why regular screening is so important. Signs of advanced liver cancer may include pain, tenderness or a lump on the upper right side of the abdomen; enlargement of the abdomen; jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes); easy bruising or bleeding; nausea; fatigue; loss of appetite; unexplained weight loss; or pain around the right shoulder blade.

Can liver cancer be treated?
In many cases, yes. The treatment options generally depend on the size and the number of tumors in the liver. That’s why we say that the best treatment for liver cancer is appropriate surveillance, which means keeping your ultrasound appointments so we can catch cancer when it is most treatable.

What are the options for a person whose cancer is caught early?
If tumors are found when they are small and there aren’t many of them, we can remove them either through surgery (“resection”) or through radiofrequency ablation.

Advances in minimally invasive surgery are making it possible to perform many tumor resections through tiny half-inch incisions, rather than opening up a large incision. These “laparoscopic” techniques minimize trauma to surrounding tissues and leave patients with just two or three tiny scars.

While resection involves cutting tumors out, radiofrequency ablation involves zapping or burning tumors with localized electrical energy, which destroys the tumor and a small margin of tissue around the outside of it. This procedure can be performed laparoscopically, as well.

Both tumor resection and radiofrequency ablation have the potential to cure a patient of liver cancer.

Also See:

Celsion moving to second trials of liver cancer drug

Video/Liver Cancer In HCV Cirrhosis and Interferon Feb 2010

Liver cancer: From molecular pathogenesis to new therapies: Summary of the EASL single topic conference

MDRNA Reports Potent Anti-Tumor Activity Against Multiple Targets In Liver And Bladder Cancer

Liver Cancer Survival Rates

Addtional Studies at Latest Research / News
2010
2009-2004

What if a person has a large tumor, or a large number of tumors?
In this case, we can’t cut out or burn out the tumors, because a person with cirrhosis wouldn’t have enough healthy liver tissue left in reserve to tolerate it. Instead, we use interventional therapies, such as radiation and chemotherapy, to try to slow the growth or reduce the size of the tumors.

One of the most promising new interventional therapies is yttrium-90 bead implantation. This non-invasive procedure uses millions of tiny beads coated with a radioactive element — yttrium-90 — to deliver radiation directly to tumors. The beads are inject into a catheter leading to the main blood vessel that feeds the tumors. Once they reach the tumors, they stay there, blocking the blood supply that feeds tumor growth and destroying the tumor cells with radiation. The treatment is extremely effective at slowing down cancer growth, and can shrink tumors in many cases, as well. In some cases, tumors shrink so much that they become small enough for resection or ablation.

What if a patient isn’t a candidate for these therapies. Are there any other options?
The final treatment option is a liver transplant. A person whose primary tumor is less than 5 centimeters in diameter, or who has no more than three small tumors (each less than 3 cm), can get on the transplant list. However, only about 7,000 livers become available for transplant each year, and there are about 55,000 people on the waiting list in the United States. Preference is given to people who will have the best prognosis after transplantation.

What is the prognosis after a liver transplant? Even if it cures the liver cancer, doesn’t the patient still have hepatitis C?
A transplant won’t cure hepatitis C, but it will remove the cancer and the cirrhosis. Remember that hepatitis C is a slowly progressing virus, and it can take decades to lead to cirrhosis — the main risk factor for liver cancer. After a transplant, the new liver will become infected with hepatitis C, but it will take at least 10 or 15 years for cirrhosis to develop. That gives patients an extra 10 or 15 years of health and hope, during which time scientists will continue to develop more effective therapies.

National Cancer Information Center (NCIC) at 1-800-ACS-2345 can help you get answers to questions about hepatocelluar cancer and other cancer-related issues. The NCIC is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

http://www.providence.org/oregon/health_resource_centers/cancer/faq.htm
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_3X_Can_liver_cancer_be_found_early_25.asp

The Kindle Reader

Jan (jzlendich@comcast.net) — 2010-03-10 08:35:00 GMT

Reading a good mystery novel set in another country can be pleasurable on several levels. You grapple with the whodunit aspect and, while doing so, you absorb something of the unique flavor - the language, sights, history and politics - of the country and perhaps a substrata of society that you would never glimpse as a tourist. Here is a small selection of crime/thriller mysteries to whet your appetite for this fascinating mystery fiction sub-genre.

BOTSWANA

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander Mccall Smith. This is book 1 of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. Book 11(The Double Comfort Safari Club) is scheduled for publication next month. Anchor. Print length: 272 p. Kindle edition $1.99. Text-to-Speech: Disabled.
The other titles in this series are equally enchanting. They are Tears of the Giraffe, Morality for Beautiful Girls, The Kalahari Typing School for Men, The Full Cupboard of Life, In the Company of Cheerful Ladies, Blue Shoes and Happiness, The Good Husband of Zebra Drive, The Miracle at Speedy Motors and Tea Time for the Traditionally Built.
"This first novel in Alexander McCall Smith's widely acclaimed The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series tells the story of the delightfully cunning and enormously engaging Precious Ramotswe, who is drawn to her profession to 'help people with problems in their lives.' Immediately upon setting up shop in a small storefront in Gaborone, she is hired to track down a missing husband, uncover a con man, and follow a wayward daughter. But the case that tugs at her heart, and lands her in danger, is a missing eleven-year-old boy, who may have been snatched by witchdoctors." - paperback edition, inside flap.

BRAZIL

Blood of the Wicked by Leighton Gage. Soho Crime. Print length: 304 p. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"In the remote Brazilian town of Cascatas do Pontal, where landless peasants are confronting the owners of vast estates, the bishop arrives by helicopter to consecrate a new church and is assassinated. Mario Silva, chief inspector for criminal matters of the federal police of Brazil, is dispatched to the interior to find the killer. The pope himself has called Brazil’s president; the pressure is on Silva to perform. Assisted by his nephew, Hector Costa, also a federal policeman, Silva must battle the state police and a corrupt judiciary as well as criminals who prey on street kids, the warring factions of the Landless League, the big landowners, and the church itself, in order to solve the initial murder and several brutal killings that follow...Here is a Brazil that tourists never encounter." - Amazon.

CHINA

Death of a Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong. Soho Crime. Print length: 464 p. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"Set a decade ago in Shanghai, this political mystery offers a peek into the tightly sealed, often crooked world of post-Tiananmen Square China. Chen Cao, a poet and T.S. Eliot translator bureaucratically assigned to be chief inspector, has to investigate the murder of Guan Hongying, a young woman celebrated as a National Model Worker, but who kept her personal life strictly and mysteriously confidential. Chen and his comrade, Detective Yu, take turns interviewing Guan's neighbors and co-workers, but it seems most of them either know nothing or are afraid to talk openly about a deceased, highly regarded public figure. Maybe they shouldn't be so uneasy, some characters reason; after all, these are 'modern times' and socialist China is taking great leaps toward free speech...Tiptoeing around touchy politics and using investigative tactics bordering on blackmail, Chen slowly pieces together the motives behind the crime." - Publishers Weekly.

FRANCE

Murder in the Marais by Cara Black. Soho Press. Print length: 329 p. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
This is the first of ten volumes in Black's Aimee Leduc Investigations series.
"Although set in Paris in the early 1990s, Black's new series start harks back to World War II crimes. Private investigator Aimee Leduc becomes involved when she discovers the body of an elderly Jewish woman whose forehead has been inscribed with a swastika. With the arrival of a German trade delegation, meanwhile, the existence of a powerful covert group comprising former SS officers becomes clear. Aimee's subsequent investigation exposes the connection between a war-time romance gone wrong and the modern-day murder. Literate prose, intricate plotting, and multifaceted and unusual characters..." - Library Journal.

ITALY

The Terra-Cotta Dog by Andrea Camilleri. Penguin. Print length: 352 p. Kindle edition $6.39. Text-to-Speech: Disabled.
"Andrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano has garnered millions of fans worldwide with his sardonic take on Sicilian life. Montalbano's latest case begins with a mysterious têtê à têtê with a Mafioso, some inexplicably abandoned loot from a supermarket heist, and dying words that lead him to an illegal arms cache in a mountain cave. There, the inspector finds two young lovers, dead for fifty years and still embracing, watched over by a life-sized terra-cotta dog. Montalbano's passion to solve this old crime takes him on a journey through Sicily's past and into one family's darkest secrets. With sly wit and a keen understanding of human nature, Montalbano is a detective whose earthiness, compassion, and imagination make him totally irresistable." - Amazon.

Blood Rain: An Aurelio Zen Mystery by Michael Dibdin. Vintage. Print length: 288 p. Kindle edition $9.65. Text-to-Speech: Disabled.
"Despite his best efforts to please everyone and keep out of trouble, the veteran Italian Criminalpol officer Aurelio Zen has made more enemies than friends over the years. Now it's payoff time. After his last case, amid the gentle hills and lush vineyards of Piedmont, Zen finally receives the order he has been dreading all his professional life: his next posting is to Sicily, heart of the Mafia's power. The gruesome discovery of an unidentified, decomposed corpse sealed in a railway wagon on a deserted part of the island marks the beginning of Zen's most difficult and dangerous case. And indeed, it soon turns out that he will need all his cunning and skill to survive..." - Amazon.

Fatal Remedies by Donna Leon. Grove Press. Print length: 320 p. Kindle edition $8.00. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"For Commissario Guido Brunetti it begins with an early morning phone call. A sudden act of vandalism has just been committed in the chill Venetian dawn. But Brunetti soon discovers that the perpetrator is no petty criminal, for the culprit at the scene is none other than Paola Brunetti, his wife." - Amazon.

LAOS

The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill. E-Reads. Print length: 288 p. Kindle edition $3.21. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"Dr. Siri Paiboun, one of the last doctors left in Laos after the Communist takeover, has been drafted to be national coroner. He is untrained for the job, but this independent 72-year-old has an outstanding qualification for it: curiosity. And he doesn't mind incurring the wrath of the Party hierarchy as he unravels mysterious murders, because the spirits of the dead are on his side. With the help of his newly-appointed secretary, the ambitious and shrewd Dtui, and Mr. Geung, the Down-Syndrome-afflicted morgue assistant, Dr. Paiboun performs autopsies and begins asking questions to solve the mysteries relating to the death of the wife of a government official and of the unidentified body fished out of the river who didn't drown but was tortured with electricity. As it turns out, all is not peaceful and calm in the new Communist paradise of Laos." - Amazon.

THE MIDDLE EAST

Murder in Jerusalem by Batya Gur. HarperCollins. Print length: 416 p. Kindle edition $9.59. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"Tirzah Rubin, set designer for Israeli television, is found dead under a fallen marble pillar. Michael Ohayon, the quiet, introspective Chief Superintendent of the Israeli police, arrives on the scene to begin an investigation of what first appears to be an accident and soon becomes a crime. When the killing is followed by a second and then a third death at the studio, Ohayon and his staff delve further into the deeply intertwined lives of the victims and the other major players in this closely knit television family. Was the murderer's motive love, politics, or something else? The story is rich in the culture of modern-day Israel and gives a vivid depiction of the behind-the-scenes drama of a television station, including a masterfully written scene depicting the hour before airtime..." - Ellen Bell for School Library Journal.

The Collaborator of Bethlehem by Matt Beynon Rees. Soho Crime. Print length: 272 p. Kindle edition $9.86. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
Author Matt Beynon Rees is a former Jerusalem bureau chief for Time magazine. This is the first book in his Omar Yussef mystery series. It was published in the UK as The Bethlehem Murders.
"For decades, Omar Yussef has taught history to the children of Bethlehem. When a favorite former pupil, George Saba, is arrested for collaborating with the Israelis in the killing of a Palestinian guerrilla, Omar is convinced that he has been framed. With George facing imminent execution Omar sets out to prove his innocence. His classroom is bombed and members of his family are threatened. But with no one else willing to stand up for the truth, it’s up to Omar to act, even as bloodshed and heartbreak surround him." - www.themanoftwistsandturns.com.

NORTH KOREA

A Corpse in the Koryo by James Church. Minotaur Books. Print length: 288 p. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"Inspector O, a North Korean state police officer, is given an unusual assignment: go to a certain part of a certain road at dawn and photograph a certain vehicle. Little does he suspect that this seemingly inconsequential task will escalate into a case that will lead him to risk his job, and his life. The (pseudonymous) author, a veteran intelligence officer, has intimate knowledge of Asian life and politics, and it shows: he gives the North Korea setting a feeling of palpable reality, depicting the nature of daily life under a totalitarian government not just with broad sociopolitical descriptions but also with specific everyday details... The writing is superb, too, well above the level usually associated with a first novel, richly layered and visually evocative." - David Pitt for Booklist.

RUSSIA

Sister Pelagia and the White Bulldog by Boris Akunin. Random House. Print length: 288 p. Kindle edition $9.65. Text-to-Speech: Disabled.
"Set in the late 19th century, this charming, highly unusual whodunit from Russian author Akunin (the pen name of Grigory Chkhartishvili) introduces Sister Pelagia, a young nun in a remote Russian province far removed from the intrigue of the czarist government. Pelagia's bishop, who has discreetly and successfully employed her deductive skills before, calls on her when an uncommon white bulldog belonging to his aunt is poisoned. After the nun's arrival on the scene, the two remaining dogs in the breeding line turn up dead, leading Pelagia to suspect the killings are actually an indirect attempt to murder their wealthy mistress, whose devotion to the animals is legendary. Akunin's gently humorous omniscient narrative voice distinguishes this novel from other historical mysteries." - Publishers Weekly.

SCANDINAVIA

The Princess of Burundi by Kjell Eriksson. Translated by Ebba Segerberg. Minotaur Books. Print length: 320 p. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"When the badly mutilated body of John Harald Jonsson - a working-class family man and an expert on the tropical fish known as cichlids - is found in the snow in the provincial Swedish town of Libro, homicide detective Ola Haver and his colleague, Ann Lindell, quickly identify a suspect, an embittered sociopath. The brilliance of Eriksson's richly detailed crime novel...lies in its psychological and even sociological insights. Eriksson not only reveals a deep, sympathetic understanding for his large cast of characters but also evokes a pervasive sense of despair, reminiscent of Henning Mankell's, in the face of the violent, amoral nature of contemporary society and the challenges it places on the police. The title derives from the common name of one of Jonsson's beloved cichlids, and the aquarium is a neat metaphor for the dynamics of smalltown life..." - Publishers Weekly.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. Vintage. Print length: 480 p. Kindle edition $5.50. Text-to-Speech: Disabled.
"...combines murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue into one satisfyingly complex and entertainingly atmospheric novel. Harriet Vanger, a scion of one of Sweden's wealthiest families disappeared over forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently trapped by a libel conviction, to investigate. He is aided by the pierced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together they tap into a vein of unfathomable iniquity and astonishing corruption.

The Locked Room by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo. Vintage. Print length: 320 p. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Disabled.
"A woman robs a bank. A corpse is found shot through the heart in a room locked from within - no firearm in sight. To the eerily intuitive Inspector Martin Beck, these seemingly disparate cases are facets of the same puzzle, and solving it is of vital importance. Only by finding our what happened in the locked room can Beck - haunted by a near-fatal bullet wound and the demise of a soulless marriage - escape from an airtight prison of his own. From its classic premise, The Locked Room accelerates into an engrossing novel of the mind. Exploring the ramifications of egotism and intellect, luck and accident, and set against the backdrop of the inspired deductions and monstrous errors of Martin Beck and the Stockholm Homicide Squad, this tour de force of detection bears the unmistakable substance and gravity of real life." - Amazon.

SPAIN

Death of a Nationalist by Rebecca Pawel. Soho Crime. Print length: 280 p. Kindle edition $9.60. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"Madrid 1938. Carlos Tejada Alonso y Leon is a Sergeant in the Guardia Civil, a rank rare for a man not yet thirty, but Tejada is an unusual recruit. The bitter civil war between the Nationalists and the Republicans has interrupted his legal studies in Salamanca. Second son of a conservative Southern family of landowners, he is an enthusiast for the Catholic Franquista cause, a dedicated, and now triumphant, Nationalist...It is at this moment, when the Republicans have surrendered, and the Guardia Civil has begun to impose order in the ruins of Madrid, that Tejada finds the body of his best friend, a hero of the siege of Toledo, shot to death on a street named Amor de Dios. Naturally, a Red is suspected. And it is easy for Tejada to assume that the woman wearing a red scarf, caught kneeling over the body, is the killer. But when his doubts are aroused, he cannot help seeking justice." - Amazon.

THAILAND

Bangkok 8 by John Burdett. Vintage. Print length: 336 p. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Disabled.
"Bangkok cop Sonchai Jitpleecheep is the only honest officer in his district, yet he reveres his gangster police colonel. He stays out of the city's sex trade but indulges in meth. He's the son of a crafty whore and an American GI, but his mother's hand-picked clients gave him a classical education. While his personality puzzles Westerners - Sonchai also sees the past incarnations of people he meets - these contradictory traits are quite acceptable to his fellow Thais. The more readers get to know Sonchai, the more appealing he'll become. A Buddhist, he nonetheless promises to kill those responsible for the death of his partner, Pichai. Because Pichai was bitten by a cobra while tracking a Marine suspected of jade smuggling, Sonchai's vow piques the interest of U.S. officials. Once they team him with a feisty FBI agent, the investigation takes a series of wonderfully bizarre turns." - Booklist.

TIBET

The Skull Mantra by Eliot Pattison. Minotaur Books. Print length: 416 p. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled. Reader alert: The paperback edition of this book is less expensive than the Kindle version.
"Not many political thrillers are set in Tibet, and few can match the power and poetry of this debut novel by journalist Eliot Pattison. At the heart of the story is a forced labor camp where the Chinese imprison Buddhist monks and other local dissidents they've swept up since taking over Tibet. The prison also holds a few special Chinese prisoners--including Shan Tao Yun. This middle-aged man was once the inspector general of the Ministry of Economy in Beijing, specializing in fraud cases. For reasons even he doesn't understand, he has been imprisoned and brutalized, and now he spends his days breaking rocks high in the Himalayas on a road crew called the People's 404th Construction Brigade. Shan manages to survive under these harsh conditions thanks to the spiritual guidance of his fellow prisoners, but this precarious balance is threatened by the discovery of the headless body of a local Chinese official near a road construction site. The dead man's head soon turns up in a famous shrine - a cave that contains the skulls of heroic monks. The shrewd Red Army colonel in charge of the district asks Shan to conduct an investigation: offers of better food and conditions combined with threats against his monk friends convinces him to take on the task. Colonel Tan wants a fast resolution that incriminates a mute, passive monk found near the cave, but Shan is certain that the man isn't guilty..." - Amazon.

craigslist | all jobs in los angeles

2010-03-10 21:49:10 GMT

FULL TIME HANDYMAN

THE APPROPRIATE CANDIDATE MUST POSSESS SKILLS IN CARPENTRY, ELECTRICAL, PLUMBING, PAINTING, DRYWALL, AIR CONDITIONING, FLOORING (INCLUDING CERAMIC TILE), AND GENERAL REPAIRS KNOWLEDGE. MUST HAVE OWN TOOLS. RELIABLE TRANSPORATION AND VALID CALIFORNIA DRIVER’S LICENSE REQUIRED. MUST HAVE GOOD WORK ETHIC. THE CANDIDATE MUST BE ABLE TO DRIVE TO OTHER COMPANY LOCATIONS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY AND THE VALLEY, AS NEEDED, TO CONDUCT REPAIRS. BILINGUAL ENGLISH AND SPANISH ARE NECESSARY. ONLY THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO CAN PASS A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK MAY FAX RESUME TO (818) 887-4400.

Search for "classical music"

2010-03-10 22:55:03 GMT

Can you think of any famous composers of the past centuries, whose works in particular and music in general may sound like it happens in the 21st century? One of the pioneering musical experiments at the time was Stanley Jordan, who played the famous "Bolero" by creating peerless masterpieces with the help of his electric guitar.

Grist - the Latest from Grist

2010-03-10 23:06:35 GMT

by David Roberts

Most homeowners in the U.S. would come out ahead if they invested in energy efficiency improvements—new insulation, sealed windows, more efficient boilers, and the like. So why don’t they do it? Simple: the upfront costs are steep and the paybacks can take a long time. Many homeowners don’t have access to the capital to cover the costs, or they worry that they will move before the the costs are repaid, thus leaving subsequent owners to reap gains they didn’t pay for.

Given the substantial public good served by having these retrofits done—they save consumers money, create jobs, and reduce carbon pollution—how can public policy encourage them?

If you can come up with half the upfront cost, you can use the “Cash for Caulkers” (i.e., Home Star) program that’s going to be passed into law soon. Or if you live in a town or city that can afford one, you can take advantage of a PACE program, which offers loans that cover the initial costs and are paid back over time from energy savings.

Who does that leave out? Who doesn’t have upfront capital and doesn’t live in a city with money to spend on PACE? You guessed it: rural homeowners.

This matters for several reasons. First off, rural homes—over 20 percent of which are manufactured homes—are substantially less efficient than their urban and suburban counterparts. That’s why, even though their homes are generally smaller and their electricity is generally cheaper, the average rural household pays $200-$400 more a year on energy bills than comparable urban households. And given that they make roughly $10,000 less per year, that’s not chump change.

Second, rural Americans are precisely the ones most politically hostile to climate action, which they see as a liberal political program that primarily benefits cities and coastal elites. Direct energy benefits to rural homeowners could help change the political landscape and ease further action.

Enter Third Way, which today released a fantastically clever idea for addressing this problem. You can read the details here, but in brief, it would effectively extend a PACE-like program to rural homeowners. Rather than being administered by cities, though, it would be run by utilities, specifically the customer-owned utility co-ops that serve rural areas. The co-ops would borrow money from the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service and then offer customers the option of having a qualified contractor come out, do an energy assessment, and install efficiency improvements. This would be paid for by a low-interest (no more than 3 percent) loan, paid back over ten years by a small surcharge on utility bills. The loan is attached to property taxes, so it would transfer with ownership. It’s painless, risk-free, and accessible to all homeowners, just like PACE in cities.

The cost?

According to USDA, the total program cost will be $995 million to issue $4.9 billion in zero-interest loans. That includes $755 million in loan subsidy costs, $200 million for a start-up grant fund, and $40 million for program overhead.

That’s beans!

The benefits?

A loan volume of $5.6 billion dollars at these rates would spur the weatherization of up to 1.6 million rural homes in 47 states over the next ten years, eliminating the need for new generating capacity to power 625,000 homes in coal-dependent areas and creating 34,000 new jobs by 2020, including 20,000 new jobs created by the end of 2011.

Jobs, consumer relief, and carbon pollution reduction—win win win. Not too shabby.

The idea was introduced as legislation today, as the Rural Energy Savings Program. In the Senate the bill is co-sponsored by Sens Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tim Johnson (D-S.D), and Michael Bennett (D-Colo.). A counterpart was introduced in the House by Reps James Clyburn (D-S.C), Tom Perriello (D-Va.), Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.), and John Spratt (D-S.C.).

Bipartisan and bicameral! How many legislative ideas can boast those qualities these days? Again: not too shabby.

Said
Graham: “I just thought it was a marvelous idea. This is great
policy when you can take a relatively small amount of federal dollars,
invest it in the economy and empower people to help themselves.” More on the politics of this in a subsequent post.

Challenging conventional wisdom on renewable energy’s limits

China’s changing energy economy

Kiva Loans

2010-03-10 14:30:03 GMT

$25 of $1,675 raised.

Started raising funds on Mar 10, 2010

Miledy is the coordinator of her group, Amor y Amistad (Love and Friendship), and her story is representative of her group and of Esperanza's Haitian and Dominican clients generally (many of whom recently emigrated to the DR from Haiti). Her group is located in Samana, a lush, rugged peninsula with a nascent tourism industry, where running water (none of which is potable) and electricity are unreliable. She makes her home here in a simple structure as a single mother with her three children.
Miledy is excited to be taking her tenth loan with Kiva partner, Esperanza, after having successfully repaid her previous loans and grown her business. She plans to use this loan to invest in her business selling gasoline and motor oil by the roadside (in an area where there is no gas station nearby, this can be vital). She will purchase more gasoline and motor oil and use the profits to invest in food and school supplies for her children as well as saving towards her goal of owning her own home. She thanks you all for your support.

AllDeaf.com

radioman — 2010-03-10 15:20:25 GMT

Two New Elements Discovered!: Wo and Xy... From Christopher G. Worley, Los Alamos National Laboratory Two new chemical elements have recently been discovered. Here for the first time is a description of their properties. Element Name: WOMAN Symbol: WO Atomic Weight: (don’t even go there!) Physical Properties: Generally round in form. Boils at nothing and may freeze any time. Melts whenever treated properly. Very bitter if not used well. Chemical properties: Very active. Highly unstable. Possesses strong affinity to gold, silver, platinum, and precious stones. Violent when left alone. Able to absorb great amounts of exotic food. Turns slightly green when placed next to a better specimen. Usage: Highly ornamental. An extremely good catalyst for dispersion of wealth. Probably the most powerful income reducing agent known. Caution: Highly explosive in inexperienced hands. Element Name: MAN Symbol: XY Atomic Weight: (180 +/- 50) Physical properties: Solid at room temperature, but gets bent out of shape easily. Fairly dense and sometimes flaky. Difficult to find a pure sample. Due to rust, aging samples are unable to conduct electricity as easily as young samples. Chemical properties: Attempts to bond with WO any chance it can get. Also tends to form strong bonds with itself. Becomes explosive when mixed with Kd (Element: Child) for prolonged period of time Neutralize by saturating with alcohol. Usage: None known. Possibly good methane source. Good samples are able to produce large quantities on command. Caution: In the absence of WO, this element rapidly decomposes and begins to smell.

craigslist | all jobs in los angeles

2010-03-10 20:16:45 GMT

Field Service Technician

General Responsibilities:
Perform calibration, maintenance, testing, troubleshooting, and repair on a variety of gas analyzers and analytical instrumentation in continuous emission monitoring systems. Maintain all logs and required documentation repairs and preventative maintenance. Independently work on assignments that are moderately complex to complex in which experience and knowledge is required to calibrate instruments and resolve problems and follow quality assurance and quality control procedures for the equipment. Work is performed and various locations including oil refineries, chemical plants, power generation facility and industrial work locations.

Specific Responsibilities:
Under the direction of the Service Manager and or Site Supervisor, carried out as required:

• Performs duties in a safe manner
• Identifies, report and/or correct unsafe work environments
• Works to logic diagrams, electrical and mechanical drawings and sketches, and other written instructions.
• Completes preventive, corrective maintenance and scheduled maintenance; and improves operation of systems, instruments, controls, and metering and electrical equipment installed in plants and in customer facilities.
• Performs preventive maintenance on assigned equipment in customer facilities.
• Trouble shoots and analyzes instrument, control, and metering problems and takes appropriate action to correct deficiencies.
• Trouble shoots and analyzes system problems and takes appropriate action to correct deficiencies.
• Maintains records of readings and test results for all assigned equipment.
• Maintains records and files of readings and data taken during preventive maintenance.

Experience and Skills Required:
• Experience reading electrical prints and manuals.
• Experience with microcomputer and related software
• Familiar with and able to use various test equipment such as multi meters, flow meters, and electronic test equipment in order to calibrate and troubleshoot instruments.
• Experience with continuous emission monitoring systems (CEMS) or be able to acquire quickly knowledge of CEMS and our other products.
• Must have or be able to acquire quickly knowledge of the environmental compliance requirements of 40 CFR Part 75, 40 CFR Part 60, SCAQMD RELCAIM, and various State or Local rules related to CEMS Maintenance and Quality Control and Quality assurance.
• Must have or be able to acquire quickly a good working ability with Word, Excel and Outlook.
• Must have excellent interpersonal skills to work effectively with subordinates, peers, managers, customers and vendors.
• Thorough knowledge, skill and hands-on trouble-shooting and repair experience relating to instrumentation used in modern power stations, refineries and industrial work locations.
• Ability to work scheduled and unscheduled overtime and respond to off-hour call-ins when contacted by phone or by pager.
• Must be able to lift 50+ pounds, climb ladders, work aloft, and work in the elements.
• Must be willing to work overtime as required, work emergency on call one weekend per month.
• Takes rotating, on-call (beeper) on weekends, back shifts, and holidays.
• Must possess a high degree of initiative and judgment.
• Ability to meet highest attendance requirements.
• Possess a valid driver’s license insurable by Company’s vehicle insurance carrier.
• Requires some out-of-town, overnight trips (if not assigned full time to a site)
• Our Company maintains a drug free work environment and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Classification:
This position is Non-Exempt as defined under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

craigslist | all jobs in new york city

2010-03-10 15:06:00 GMT

We are seeking to fill the following internship openings immediately with qualified candidates (or REALLY SMART people we can train).

Operations Support/Biz Dev/Social Media Intern
Excellent communication and people skills, extremely organized and very sharp, strong proficiency in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, highly detail oriented and a great memory. Experience in business office environments.
SOCIAL MEDIA experience highly coveted! If you are interested in Business Development you will benefit from this experience.

WHO WE ARE: www.densebrain.com
We are an engineering and design firm dedicated to improving the way you live your life; digitally.

We're a team of technology and design enthusiasts. We begin every project with a strong conceptual idea and take it from there. Whether that's web, mobile, new hardware, the sky is the limit. And in a time when technology is constantly changing and the next biggest newest thing is ready to hit the market an hour after the last one hit, we're constantly learning, adapting and applying new innovative ideas into the brands we work on.

We've designed content management solutions for Pfizer, delivered global billing integration for Avaya, and developed harmonic bursting devices for Pacific Gas & Electric, and are currently working on projects for P&G.; Whether you need an incredible web-app or a groundbreaking device developed we can do it all, and with a bit of style. Get to know us better at www.densebrain.com

MORE ABOUT THE POSITIONS:
We want those who fill these positions to learn, grow, and eventually join our fast growing firm. In lieu of financial support, we are happy to work with interns and their universities to obtain academic credit for internship work. We offer flexible hours and you will be getting in on the ground floor of a relatively new and successful company doing cutting-edge work. The strongest and smartest developers, designers, and operations staff will be hired.

These internships will be most attractive to candidates with an interest cutting-edge mobile application development and design, licensing/sponsorship marketing in the space, as well as those with a general interest in business operations in a lean office working with some of the largest companies in the world.

HOW TO REPLY:
Please include a well-considered note indicating why you would be the best fit for us, referencing specific experiences, along with your resume. Include “SUPERSTAR” and the position you seek in the subject line of your response.

Rational Mathematics Education

Michael Paul Goldenberg (mikegold@umich.edu) — 2010-03-10 07:58:00 GMT

Responding to some positive remarks about progressive mathematics education, Wayne Bishop (seen above), a founding member of the anti-progressive reform group Mathematically Correct wrote:

Such speculation sounds beautiful, of course, but I have yet to meet
any mathematician who was taught in a full-blown "discovery"
environment.

This prompted me to write the following open letter:

Dear Wayne and Posse:

Reading your comment about what sort of mathematicians you've never met, I must point out that I've yet to meet one who was taught in a post-racial American classroom, either. That's because neither environment exists, or perhaps like post-racial American classrooms, a fully-realized (is it just a coincidence that you used 'full-blown,' a term I only hear used in connection with cases of AIDS?) K-12 discovery environment exists in some tiny little isolated pockets of the country, so tiny and so few that it's merely a drop in the ocean of indifferent, mostly traditional teaching, materials, and curriculum. Of course, there are districts that use some progressive reform curricula in K-5 or K-8, a very few who use them in K-12. But then, books aren't "discovery learning" or student-centered teaching. They're books. Last I checked, teachers and pedagogy are a major component of what goes on in mathematics classrooms. Classroom culture. School culture. Loads of other factors. Which textbook was purchased may not even reflect which resources are used. I've been in many classrooms where teachers have two or more sets of books and pull from all of them, none of them, or some other variant. At any rate, finding those discovery classrooms that might or might not produce mathematicians, doctors, lawyers, or members of Mathematically Correct is a challenge. Finding ones that fit MY view of high-quality, inquiry-based, student-centered discovery learning with good mathematical content and good problem tasks is not a trivial matter.

This is especially so if we're discussing, ahem, full-blown discovery from K to 12 and then through college and graduate school. And mathematicians would necessarily have to have completed graduate school, right? So you're complaining about not meeting someone who under current conditions cannot likely exist. Let's not miss the fact that the curricula and methods you decry weren't even in the wind for the most part until the early to mid 1990s. Doing the math. . . gee, whiz: it would be pretty surprising to find a professional mathematician who was in a discovery learning oriented mathematics classroom from K - 20 (Kindergarten through Ph.D) Because the environment required doesn't exist in all likelihood and certainly not in one district in enough classrooms to cover K-12 over the requisite years, let alone a university where one would find it from freshman year through the end of doctoral classes.

So you've given us a tautology. No doubt you've not found a lot of dead people who are alive, either. Great job, Brownie!

Then again, have you met many mathematicians at all lately, Wayne? Particularly recently-minted ones? I didn't think so.

You went on:

Many of us correctly believe that we should have been
taught more, and more quickly, but the idea of not learning as much
as possible (ostensibly, from knowledgeable teachers and/or
well-written mathematics books) before embarking on discovering new
and exciting mathematics is purely the stuff of ed school insight,

You made that up. Where is it written in "ed school insight" that we should not want students to learn as much as possible, and from excellent teachers, texts (and other sources you seem to always forget about).

But then we have your usual intentional distortion of what "discovery" entails.

Let's keep this simple for the slower readers in the audience: when is 15 - 9 = ? a problem, and when is it an exercise?

Not to keep you in suspense, it's a problem when you haven't been explicitly shown how to do it or make sense of it. It's an exercise when it's something you already know and are asked to merely repeat what you know to demonstrate that you know it.

If I give that question to the vast majority of first grade students, for them it's a problem. If I give it to the vast majority of high school students, it's MOSTLY an exercise, though for some it's STILL a problem, sad to say. Left to figure out what this could mean, students will figure out one or more ways to have it make sense to them. Given the chance to share ideas under the guidance of a wise and knowledgeable teacher, they will decide what makes mathematical sense and choose the method(s) that work well for them. And given the chance to think, they'll likely keep right on thinking. For 13 years of K-12 and well beyond that. Of course, your own genius children and yourself aside, you don't trust most kids. You really think most kids need Saxon Math or something equally dull. And that most teachers (whom you trust even less than you do children) can't possibly learn to do anything better for their students than take them through a million years of a billion exercises culled from the teacher-proof materials of the late Saint Saxon of the Increments. So utterly pessimistic. So utterly mind-killing. But I suspect that for the majority of kids, that's just what you would love to see.

What IS discovery learning? Is it requiring that students "re-invent" all of the K-12 mathematics curriculum as they go? Of course not. No one has ever suggested anything of the kind except for you and your buddies when you try to scare the pants of the ignorant and gullible. And you do SUCH a good job of it. Kind of like the mathematics educational equivalent of WMD and yellow-cake uranium from Niger, etc. Tell your ugly Big Lies often enough, of course, and no one who didn't already know what you're up to might have a hard time distinguishing reality from your fantasy spook stories.

Is discovery learning creating "new and original" mathematics in K-12? Yes and no. It's new and original to each student as she constructs her own understanding of mathematical ideas. (And once in a great while, K-12 kids actually DO come up with something original. But that's not really the point and you know that fact fully well (or at least that we over here in the real world know it), despite your willingness to feign otherwise). But kids are generally not going to go to many places that they haven't been put in a position to go. If the questions asked and the manner in which they are asked and the classroom and school cultures in which they are asked are suitable, the sky may well be the limit as to what is possible or even likely that kids will do in mathematics or any subject. And when the opposite is the case, then kids will almost never go anywhere worthwhile or meaningful when it comes to thinking about mathematics as much more than a set of rules, facts, and procedures to be memorized at least long enough to pass today's test.

It's interesting that someone as utterly lacking in intellectual joy or curiosity as you managed to become a professional mathematician, though not a particularly prolific one from what I can gather of your output. Seems like you settled into a very mundane position at a less-than-demanding school and decided that to puff up your own importance you'd declare yourself an expert on K-12 mathematics education. And you did a nice job of blustering your way into some level of national prominence (or notoriety, depending upon one's perspective). And so you got to show up at some school board meetings and some state or local hearings, maybe a national one here and there, and declare that the sky is falling because people want to provide kids with a richer, more exciting environment in which to learn mathematics than you ever had. You must be VERY proud of yourself, indeed. Seriously.

But boy, does that progressive education stuff threaten and disturb your little world. And so you latched onto the post-Reagan rhetorical ploy of how to undermine progressive thinking and work: preemptive strikes! It's brilliant. If you're politically, socially, personally, educationally,or philosophically regressive, accuse the other guys of being what you clearly are before they get a chance to point out the obvious about you.

MC, HOLD and similar groups are just a small part of the national manifestation of this sort of tactic. You get to call black people, native Americans, and anyone else you choose "racists" if they advocate an approach to math education that goes against your grain. What could be sweeter? You get to call yourself a reformer, when your idea of reform is "Back to the one-room Iowa school house of my youth" or just back to SOMETHING, even a something that for the vast majority of us never existed and never will. Or back to Saxon Math. Gevalt, it's enough to evoke tears from a gargoyle.

It's hard not to laugh when you cite the seminal group who created Mathematically Correct. Even though you managed to attract a couple of self-proclaimed "socialists," to the last member MC comprises people with conservative souls when it comes to education. You tried to pass yourself off for years on the math-teach list-serve as a "life-long liberal Democrat." That may be the single most absurd and transparent lie ever told.

While no one would suggest that a few of the MC/HOLD cabal are highly-regarded mathematicians, you don't quite get to declare yourself (or David Klein or Jerry Rosen) to be in the elite just by rubbing elbows or what-have-you with Jim Milgram. And having Jim Milgram in your fold doesn't make any of the rest of you (or him, for that matter) knowledgeable about ANYTHING that goes into effective K-12 mathematics TEACHING (I have to suspend my disbelief about college and graduate school teaching).

This really does come back to Lou Talman's recent question to Robert Hansen about how arrogant Lou would be were he to declare himself an expert in engineering because he's a knowledgeable professional mathematician. Robert didn't get it, or played at not getting it, but no one else can miss the point. It's arrogant to step way outside one's area of expertise (alleged or real) and then bash the knowledge and professionalism of the actual experts in that field, merely because there is some area of overlap (yes, the word 'mathematics' does overlap). But knowing math well and teaching math well or understanding what it takes to do so are not the same thing. The second two clearly require the first but don't necessarily follow from having it. And that's where you and your MC/HOLD buddies just go utterly off the rails and never come close to jumping back on again in the two decades or so that you've been trying to call yourselves everything you're not.

Deborah Ball and Magdalene Lampert, to name two non-mathematicians you no doubt would deride (behind their backs if not to their faces, or at least I recommend you not try the latter tack) as 'educationists' whose schools should be blown up (you're lucky: they work at the same one here in Ann Arbor), know more in their little fingers about teaching K-12 mathematics than you'll ever know if you live to be 1,000 years old. You are simply not ever going to figure out the things they figured out without all your advanced knowledge of abstract algebra (even when you try to pull the wool over the eyes of some readers here by throwing out a bunch of jargon to hide the fact that multiplication isn't repeated addition and never is going to be repeated addition. If it were, you'd long ago have addressed my inquiry about why those real mathematicians amongst whom you fancy yourself to belong all seem to think we need two fundamental operations for rings and fields and all the structures in between. You know it's not because they think that the latter is just some version of the former. But you can't bring yourself to say it because you'd be agreeing that there's something wrong about the traditional American curriculum. Horrors!!!)

Were you lucky enough to see Ball or Lampert teach kids, I think your head would explode. Well, not really, because your ability to shut out what you don't want to see, to come up with a thousand reasons why what you see can't be what's really going on is truly remarkable. It no doubt keeps you sane in the face of tons of facts that would produce an overload of cognitive dissonance in most people.

And if all else fails, you'll bring up test scores. Or religion. Or one of your dozens of other dishonest ploys.

I wonder if it ever occurred to you that we can tell more about what goes on in a classroom by actually observing what goes on in a classroom than by all the multiple guess tests in the universe?

Probably not.

But please, Wayne: no more red herrings and lies about what discovery learning is or why YOU'VE never met a mathematician who was trained in such an educational environment in K-12. Instead, talk about the millions who never had a chance in hell of becoming mathematically educated even minimally because they were never shown actual mathematics or any way to think mathematically. And hang your head in shame for continuing to try to prevent that from happening merely because it threatens you in a host of ways.

Well, not to be unfair, let me give you most of the last words:

not professional mathematicians let alone (and statistically
speaking, more important) those who need a strong mathematics
background to pursue their areas of interest. For example, none of
the seminal group who created Mathematically Correct word is
mathematics per se (although some of us became involved very early).
Two were PhD's from Stanford, one of statistics and another in
genetics (later recruited as full professor with tenure to Brown),
another was a PhD in geophysics from USC, another was an independent
contractor electrical engineer, etc., united serendipitously one
evening with a single common thread; all were teaching their children
(and sometimes small groups of their children's friends as well)
mathematics to compensate for their school's use of one of the better
of the math reform curricula, CPM under the misnomer College
Preparatory Mathematics about which I have had some experience:
http://mathematicallycorrect.com/cpmwb.htm

Groovy. Just remember: your Ph.D wasn't from Stanford or anywhere close to it in quality. Nor do you teach at Brown, USC or anywhere near that caliber of institution. You don't get credit because some people who do happen to agree with you to sit in the same room sometimes and share your narrow and elitist views. But if you bet me one Jim Milgram, I'll see you with a Hyman Bass, and raise you a Deborah Ball and a Magdalene Lampert. You've got nothing on your side to match the likes of them, or the many outstanding K-12 mathematics teachers who get what all this is really about. You know: kids learning and doing mathematics and thinking mathematically. Not being little Saxon robots. Or robots of any kind.

Independent, democratic, student-generated thinkers and inquirers: they're not just in English class any more.

nacional

evillarreal — 2010-03-10 19:51:14 GMT

Ciudad de México.- El director general de la Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE), Alfredo Elías Ayub, estimó que en 18 meses el servicio de energía eléctrica en la región centro contará con los mismos estándares de calidad existentes en el resto del país.

Durante su participación en el foro 'Estado del arte de las energías renovables', refirió que en el próximo año y medio se harán inversiones importantes para mejorar la red eléctrica de la zona centro del país, a fin de disminuir las interrupciones del servicio.

craigslist | all jobs in new york city

2010-03-10 15:33:10 GMT

About the Company:
Mobile Aspects provides hospitals with a suite of clinical resource management solutions based upon Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technologies. Mobile Aspects products offer real-time automation to effectively store, track, and manage high cost inventory items commonly used in an OR, Catheterization or Vascular laboratory. Mobile Aspects system interfaces seamlessly integrate to a client’s IT infrastructure, providing automation for the management of patient information, materials management and billing records.

Job Description:
Mobile Aspects is expanding its Support team and has an immediate opening for a New York-based Client Service Specialist to serve the corridor between Boston and Washington DC. The successful candidate for this role will provide installation, training, trouble-shooting and repair services to customers of Mobile Aspects products. This individual will act as a point of contact for our customers regarding usage questions and will act as a first level of support. This individual will also be instrumental in developing and maintaining customer relationships and maintaining high levels of satisfaction.

Responsibilities:
Part of the team for implementations and level 1 Support for all customer issues
Ensuring high level of customer satisfaction by Maintaining SLA's (Service Level Agreements) as agreed with customers
Spare parts planning for effective hardware repairs
Maintain high level MTBF (Meantime Between Failures) and low MTTR (Mean Time To Repair)
Complete field repairs, installation of software updates and general system maintenance
Provide application training for system users and help users extract and analyze valuable data
Enter all customer-focused activity into on-line CRM tool
Maintain the CRM tool and take ownership of the information management.
60% travel will be needed.
Participation in ISO 9000 initiatives
Other duties as assigned

Qualifications:
Bachelors or Associates degree in computer science, electrical engineering or other technical
discipline with 1-2 years of industry experience.
Strong communication skills, written and oral, and comfort working in a high-pace, high-stress environment (e.g. hospital operating rooms)
Experience with customer support and customer relationship management
Working knowledge of computer hardware, advanced electronic components, computer maintenance and basic network administration
Ability to think creatively and solve problems
Highly motivated/energetic individual able to work independently, or as a member of a cross-functional team is a MUST
Ability to multi-task and effectively prioritize assignments
Must have vehicle and valid driver's license

Benefits: Health Package (Medical, Dental, Vision), 401K

TreeHugger Jobs

2010-03-09 23:27:08 GMT

SolarCity/Dallas, TX (California,Arizona,Oregon)

SolarCityâ€”a national leader in solar power system design, financing, installation, monitoring and related servicesâ€”was founded with the mission to help millions of homeowners and businesses adopt solar power, protect themselves from rising electricity costs and protect their environment from polluting power sources. The company's SolarLeaseâ„¢, PurePowerâ„¢ and Commercial Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) options can make it possible for homeowners and businesses to switch to clean, solar power for less money than they currently pay for electricity. SolarCity currently serves more than 500 communities in Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon and NOW IN Texas! Additional information about the company is available on the Web site. SolarCity is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity in the workplace.

We are looking for a: Site Auditor/Electrician/Lead Installer

General Qualifications:
-For Electician/Sr Installer candidates:
Applicants must be NABCEP Certified!

-For all positions:
-Previous solar experience
-Understanding of 2005 NEC Code
-Exposure to roof flashing techniques
-Crew/Team management experience
-Must be able to work safely with the tools and equipment required
-Must be willing to do residential, commercial, & service work
-Must be willing to work in extreme environments (hot sun, high places/roofs & crawl spaces).
-Must be able to lift at least 75 pounds and not afraid of roof top heights
-Must have a clean, valid drivers license

Benefits:
-Paid vacation.
-Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
-Stock options
-Great team oriented culture!

Apply To Job

Auto Observer

2010-03-10 15:30:36 GMT

AT&T has agreed to buy two of the first electric-powered Ford Transit Connects, despite the fact that the company's former CEO, Ed Whitacre, is now CEO of Ford-competitor General Motors and, it was revealed this week, still flies AT&T corporate planes as his retirement perk.

GM, where insiders have criticized the Transit Connect for its raw simplicity, almost crudeness, has nothing to directly compete with Ford's clever compact cargo van. The Transit Connect is carving out a new segment for urban delivery vans and, largely for that reason, was voted by journalists as the 2010 North American Truck of the Year in January.

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY NEWS - Google News

2010-03-10 21:26:18 GMT

Deutsche Bank Appointed as Depositary Bank for the Sponsored Level I American ...
MarketWatch (press release)
... mechanical, electrical, mining and process engineering; general building and construction; materials supply and services to the construction industry; ...

and more »

Monster Job Search Results

2010-03-10 09:21:46 GMT

WI-Milwaukee, Adecco Group, a world leader in the recruitment of Technical professionals, has an immediate opening for an Electrical Components Engineer on a six month contract opportunity with a leading client in Milwaukee , Wi , 53204 . Job #144994. Under general supervision, conduct and participate in the research and selection of electronic and electromechanical components. Analyze components to determine c

Kaango.com - Classified Ads

2010-03-10 00:00:00 GMT

REQUEST FOR BIDS - Sealed bids will be received by the Construction Manager Alberici Constructors Inc. at the Saint Louis Zoo Distribution Center on Wells Drive (Gate # 5) or by mail Attn: Patrick Williamson Purchasing Manager Saint Louis Zoo One Government Drive St. Louis MO 63110 until 2:00 p.m. on 03/31/10 for the Saint Louis Zoo Maintenance Facility Expansion & Renovation Project . The project consists of pre- engineered metal building additions at the Maintenance Facility Complex as well as renovations to the existing facilities and includes the follow- ing bid packages: Pre- Engineered Metal Buildings General Trades & Carpentry Mechanical Electrical Plumbing. A recommended pre-bid meeting is scheduled for 03/18/10 at 10:00 a.m. The meeting will be held at the Monsanto Theater located at the lower level of the Saint Louis Zoo The Living World Building One Govern- ment Drive St. Louis MO 63110. Bid documents will be available for review at the AGC of St. Louis MOKAN SLMBC and Alberici's plan room and will be available for purchase from Document Imaging Systems on 03/15/10. Questions regarding the bid should be directed to Alberici Constructors (Leticia Lago) email (preferred) llago@ alberici.com p: 314-733- 2466 or fax: 314-733- 2001. Not less than the current prevailing wage must be paid to all workers on this project. (Originally published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch from 03/10/2010 to 03/17/2010)

The Oil Drum - Discussions about Energy and Our Future

Leanan — 2010-03-10 14:11:32 GMT

The Peak Oil Crisis: The Looming Fiscal Storm

All this says that despite the incessant media repetition that the economic situation is getting better, there is growing evidence that the economy is in fact growing worse. Federal Reserve support of the Treasury security market and purchases of mortgage backed securities is supposed to end in the next few months. Many fear that this action will send interest rates much higher before the year is out.
Where all this leaves oil prices is not yet clear. Gasoline has been rising in recent weeks and now averages $2.75 nationwide. If normal patterns pertain this year, we could see $3 gasoline by summer, but these are not normal times. Two years ago high gas prices are believed to have done much damage to the economy. Asian and Middle Eastern demand for oil appears to be on track to remain strong. But even China's leaders are becoming concerned about too much pointless growth. Geopolitical dangers ranging from the Venezuelan drought to Iran and political stagnation in Iraq remain.

Oil drifts near $81 amid mixed US inventory data

Crude inventories jumped last week by 6.5 million barrels, the American Petroleum Institute said late Wednesday. Analysts, eyeing a cold weather spell in much of the U.S. this month, had expected a drop of 1.6 million barrels, according to a survey by Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos.
However, inventories of gasoline and distillates fell more than analysts expected, the API said.

Gas prices’ run likely won’t top $3

As the economy recovers, energy prices are rising and that is placing extra strain on families' budgets.
Each spring brings a familiar ritual in gasoline markets — rising prices — and this year won't be an exception. But motorists aren't likely to pay much more than $3 a gallon, on average, during the peak summer driving season.

OPEC Raises Forecast for Oil Demand on Lower NGL Estimate

(Bloomberg) -- The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries said it will need to pump more crude than previously forecast this year after cutting its outlook for production of natural gas liquids.
OPEC, which produces about 40 percent of the world’s oil, predicts members will need to produce 28.94 million barrels a day to satisfy demand in 2010. That’s about 190,000 barrels a day more than last month’s projection. Still, OPEC expects demand for its crude this year to be lower than last year after it increased its estimate for 2009 by 200,000 barrels a day.

Saudi Aramco to Invest $90B in O&G; Projects to 2015

The development and deployment of viable alternatives to fossil fuels "does remain an open question," Saudi Aramco Chief Executive Khalid Al-Falih said Tuesday.
Speaking at an IHS CERA conference in Houston, Al-Falih said that oil still underpins the global economy and is likely to remain at the core of the world's energy needs in the future. The conference, known as CERAWeek, reunites some of the world's top oil and gas executives.

OPEC President Vows to Reduce Oil-Price Speculation, Volatility

(Bloomberg) -- OPEC President Germanico Pinto said he will seek to reduce price speculation and volatility during his term as leader of the oil cartel, adding to calls from the U.S. to Europe for measures to minimize market swings.
“The fact that there’s volatility produces difficulties in the markets and in defining a long-term strategy for public investment in the oil industry,” Pinto, who is also Ecuador’s minister of natural non-renewable resources, said yesterday in a statement.

Natural gas focus of oil conference, pointing to source of future

For years, the so-called Oil Day of the annual IHS CERA energy conference, which draws thousands of industry executives to Houston, has been the highlight of this weeklong event. It comes first - before Gas Day and Power Day. The biggest names are keynote speakers that day (This year, for example, Steven Chu, US Secretary of Energy, was among the keynote speakers). And attendence is at its highest.
But the irony of how natural gas is beginning to overtake oil in importance to the industry was underscored by the lunchtime keynote speaker Jim Mulva, chief executive of ConocoPhillips, the third biggest US oil and gas company. Even though Conoco is an oil company first and foremost, and Mr Mulva was speaking on Oil Day to a room filled with oil executives, his speech was called Natural Gas - The Gift.

Musings: Gas Shales May Change More Than U.S. Energy Markets

The U.S. natural gas industry has been focused on the effect the commerciality of gas shale formations is having on the domestic industry. One result is that after years of declining gas production, the U.S. has experienced a rise in domestic supplies. Secondly, the Potential Gas Committee has suggested, based on its study, the country has huge gas resources that can be developed with today’s drilling and completion technologies. They did not, however, suggest that all the potential natural gas resources identified are commercial at current gas prices, and especially at the sub-$5 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf) prices being experienced now. One of the key new basins that will supply this growth in natural gas production is the Marcellus Shale that extends from West Virginia through Pennsylvania and Ohio and into New York. Reportedly this is the largest basin in areal extent (95,000 square miles vs. 5,000 square miles for the Barnett Shale) and possibly in the amount of gas potential with an estimated 500 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of reserves.

Royal Dutch Shell stops gasoline sales to Iran - trade

DUBAI (Reuters) - Oil major Royal Dutch Shell has stopped gasoline sales to Iran, oil traders said on Wednesday, the latest addition to a growing list of firms that have halted supplies under threat of future U.S. sanctions.
The Anglo-Dutch oil firm will join the likes of BP, Reliance Industries (RELI.BO), and independent Swiss trader Glencore, among suppliers that have either stopped fuel sales to Iran or have made a decision not to enter into new trading agreements with the world's fifth largest oil exporter.
"Shell has stopped selling gasoline to Iran, we have not seen them there for a while now," a gasoline trader said.

Russia lowers oil export tariff

The Russian government said it had lowered its oil export tariff from the current 270.7 U.S. dollars per ton to 253.6 dollars, starting March 1.

Tullow Says Total, Cnooc to Help Ramp Up Ugandan Oil Production

(Bloomberg) -- Tullow Oil Plc said the addition of China National Offshore Oil Corp. and Total SA as its partners in Uganda will allow the U.K. explorer to ramp up production from the African nation.
Ugandan oil output may exceed 200,000 barrels a day beyond 2014 after starting next year, Chief Operating Officer Paul McDade said today. Tullow expects Cnooc and Total to each take a one-third stake in its three blocks in the Lake Albert region, subject to government approval.

Land Rig Review: Land Rig Utilization Trends

Although the recent land rig hiring spree has gone a long way towards improving utilization, total land rig utilization still has room for improvement. With the 2005-2009 construction cycle helping to increase available land rig supply by over 1,000 net units, a rig surplus remains despite the ongoing recovery. It is also worth noting that today's hottest onshore plays require higher spec rigs, thus some of the more marginal capacity has been left out of the recovery in demand and overall supply should be discounted to some extent due to legacy equipment.

OPEC's Oil Output on the Rise - Platts Survey

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries' crude oil production rose to 29.31 million barrels per day (b/d) in February, an increase of 60,000 (b/d) from an estimated January level of 29.25 million b/d, according to a just-released Platts survey of OPEC and oil industry officials and analysts.
Excluding Iraq, which does not participate in the oil producing group's production agreements, output from the 11 members bound by quotas (OPEC-11) -- under a 24.845 million b/d collective target -- dipped by 10,000 b/d to 26.75 million b/d in February.
Increases totaling 170,000 b/d from Angola, Iran, Iraq, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Venezuela were partly offset by decreases totaling 110,000 b/d from Libya and Nigeria, the latter's production dropping by 100,000 b/d to 1.98 million b/d in February.

PREVIEW - Arms, energy to dominate Russia's Putin India trip

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Premier Vladimir Putin will offer a traditional cocktail of arms and oil deals when he travels to India on Thursday to persuade a Cold War ally to buy new weapons amid rising competition with the United States.
The Russian economy shrank by 7.9 percent last year after a decade of oil-fuelled boom and Putin sees the defence sector as key to reviving growth. But Moscow often needs to offer incentives to sell its usually outdated military equipment.

India Is Seeking Coal Deals in Australia, ANZ Says

(Bloomberg) -- Indian companies are stepping up interest to secure coal resources in Indonesia and Australia to meet the power needs of the world’s second-most populous country, Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. said.

Natural gas crystals: Energy under the sea

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- It looks like ice -- but this ice could one day be used to heat your home.
It's actually not ice at all, but crystallized natural gas, and if scientists can figure out how to harvest it cheaply enough, it could become a vast new source of energy available in just about every country in the world.

Offshore wind farm a no-go in Jefferson County

The head of the New York Power Authority addressed the Jefferson County Legislature Tuesday night to clear up misconceptions and encourage the board to entertain the idea of an offshore wind farm, but legislators were not swayed on their opposition.

A Rough Rollout for Smart Meters in Texas

So-called “smart” electric meters, heralded as vital for an energy-conscious era, are having a rough rollout in Texas.
The devices, which enable utilities to vary their rates according to the time of day, allow consumers to save money — in theory. But according to The Dallas Morning News, hundreds of Texas customers have called to complain that the meters, which are being installed by a Dallas-based electric company called Oncor, are inaccurately raising their electric bills.

Japan, New Mexico collaborate on smart grid tech

SANTA FE, N.M. – Two national laboratories, the state of New Mexico and a Japanese agency are developing smart grid technology to give homeowners and businesses more access to renewable energy sources by controlling the supply and demand of electric power.

US Department of Energy to grant $40m for development of next generation nuclear plant

The award has been made to Pittsburgh-based Westinghouse Electric and San Diego-based General Atomics.
The US Department of Energy (DoE) has revealed selections for the award of approximately $40m in total to two teams led by Westinghouse Electric and General Atomics for conceptual design and planning work for the next generation nuclear plant (NGNP).

Debating the Nuclear Waste Problem

With Nevada’s Yucca Mountain facility apparently out of the picture as a nuclear waste repository, government nuclear experts say interim measures might be needed for a very long time.

Drought Has Venezuela Looking at Alternatives to Hydropower

A severe drought in Venezuela appears to be pushing the country’s president, Hugo Chávez, to ramp up efforts to diversify the country’s energy portfolio.
Up to now, hydropower has been the major energy source in Venezuela — providing residents and industry with up to two-thirds of the total electricity produced. But a record lack of rainfall has resulted in low water flows and several power interruptions — as well as angry recriminations of the government from some Venezuelans ahead of upcoming legislative elections scheduled for September.

New Zealand: Govt's $21 Billion Bet On Cheap Petrol

This week, Shell CEO Peter Voser joined a growing chorus of voices announcing the end to cheap oil. When asked about whether the theory of "peak oil" was dead the theory that oil production will no longer be able to keep up with demand Mr Voser said "I think what is dead is cheap oil."
"This Government is placing all their bets on electric car technology to keep us moving in the future. But the new cars are expensive, their uptake will be slow, and they don't solve the problem of congestion or where the power will come from," said Dr Norman.

Rail summit rallies support

Mark Robynowitz, was one of two attendees to frame the projects through the lens of peak oil projections, said he believed the federal money would probably only be enough to fix up existing wear and tear, and less highway- and automobile-related expenditures to fund the project should be considered.
“One of the ways that we could afford to improve the trains is to transfer funds from widening (Interstate 5), which the state has to spend billions on, towards fixing the rail ... The Amtrak Cascade is capable of going a 120 miles per hour, but it can barely go half that on most of the routes because the rail network is decrepit.”

Future of public transit in Orillia is now

There are many reasons why limiting automobile useage is considered important -- in large cities gridlock is a multimillion-dollar problem; air pollution is far worse than many people believe (5,800 premature deaths due to smog in southern Ontario, according to the Ontario Medical Association in 2005); climate change; inactive lifestyles leading to fantastically spiking diabetes and obesity rates; parking problems; and recurrent "peak oil" concerns regarding how much petroleum is actually left in the earth to fuel our cars.
All of these problems were considered in a 2007 report titledHealthy Communities, Sustainable Communities: The 21st Century Planning Challenge.

Write a sequel to Ridge author’s book

“GETI’s main objective in promoting the writing contest is to create awareness that peak oil and climate change are issues that will force change upon us,” said CEED director, Gerry Pinel.
“To prepare for those changes, GETI’s mandate is to build resiliency into our area through grassroots-driven, community-based initiatives. We have a positive vision of our community’s future and this writing contest is a great start in that direction.”

Athamas Hedge Fund Will Sell More Wood, Fewer Carbon Credits

(Bloomberg) -- A forestry and carbon hedge fund proposed by Athamas SA will focus on wood rather than carbon credits after United Nations climate talks in December failed to set international targets after 2012.

First Climate Seeks $136 Million for Carbon Credits After 2012

(Bloomberg) -- First Climate AG said it signed letters of intent with major European utilities to invest in projects that may generate emission credits good after 2012.

Sun Activity Reaches Century Low, May Slow Warming ‘Slightly’

(Bloomberg) -- Solar activity is at its lowest level in almost 100 years and should that continue may slow the pace of global warming “slightly,” Potsdam Institute for Climate Research scientists said today in a study.

Climate Myths and Questions, Part II

In Part One of our series, we looked at polar bears, hockey sticks, Medieval Warm Periods and Little Ice Ages, among other topics. Today our list includes water vapor, volcanoes, and CO2.

California global warming law may lead to job losses, report says

Debate over the economic effects of California's first-in-the-nation global warming law flared this week, with a report saying short-term job losses can be expected.

China unsure on warming cause, to stick with CO2 cuts

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's top climate negotiator said on Wednesday that the cause of global warming was still not clear but the problems it was creating were so serious that the world must anyway act to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

China urges greater US commitments on climate change, technical and financial support

BEIJING - China told the United States on Wednesday to make stronger commitments on climate change and provide environmental expertise and financing to developing nations.
At the same time, China said its own efforts to reduce energy intensity have been hampered by its economic recovery in the latter part of last year, which brought growth in heavy energy-consuming industries.

At White House: 14 senators discuss climate-energy legislation

The fate of President Obama's plan to shift America toward renewable energy and away from fossil fuels may depend on the outcome of a crucial White House meeting Tuesday with 14 key senators, many from coal- and oil-producing states, who have long opposed curbs on carbon emissions.
Mr. Obama – often criticized for being too hands off on complex and controversial climate-energy legislation after it became stalled in the Senate last year – now appears to be making a full-court press to win the 60 votes he needs for Senate passage of revamped climate-energy legislation, several observers agree.

Shanghaiist

Wee Ling Soh — 2010-03-10 03:00:00 GMT

DJ Vadim and MC Yarah Bravo will host a workshop at Source on Thursday and do a show at The Shelter on Friday.

Where: (for Thursday) Source, No. 158 Xinle Lu, near Donghu Lu 新乐路158号，近东湖路 and (for Friday) The Shelter, No. 5 Yongfu Lu, near Fuxing Xi Lu 永福路5号，近复兴西路

Starts: Thursday, March 11, 7-9PM for the workshop; Friday, March 12,
9PM-late for the show

Cover: Free for the workshop, 50 RMB for show

For more local events, visit the Shanghaiist Calendar.

FREE the WAX is back in town for a gig. This time they are bringing DJ Vadim and MC Yarah Bravo (Ninja Tune/BBE) to China for the second time running. If you had missed their explosive show last year, you know what to do this time.

Tomorrow night, DJ Vadim and MC Yarah Bravo will also hold a FREE workshop and performance at Source, with an open dialogue session that will let fans understand more about their music-making process. Source will be supplying FREE Absolut Vodka and signed posters will be given out at the workshop.

We talked to them about their plans, their history and everything else... AND we're giving you a chance to win free tickets to their show. Read on for more information!

When did you guys meet? Was it big-bang-pow-wow stars and explosions right from the start or did it take a while for you guys to decide that just music wasn't enough?

VADIM: Well for me it was fireworks and explosions from the first point we met. Music came later.

YARAH: There was definitely a special connection straight away. One that I've never had with another person...ever! We were extremely drawn to each other, and everything about each other was just so fresh... we built a bubble around us, which then became a musical bubble, and the bubble is still here... bubbling away!

You live in England, the country of fish n' chips. However, you guys have a very multicultural background (Russia, England, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Sweden, The States). Who wins on a kitchen fight over what dishes to make? What dishes you guys can't live without and why?

VADIM: Hahahah. Great question. We both love food and going to great restaurants. That's actually one of my few vices, going to high-end restaurants. We both love cooking and I would say 9/10 times we cook as good if not better than most restaurants we go to on tour etc... I love food from all over the world. In fact in most cultures there is something that I like that's why my preferred style of cooking and restaurants we go to we would call modern European or modern fusion, basically a plethora of different stuff from everywhere - not in one dish but hints of different things so we could have a fish prepared in a Cajun way with some mango salsa or almond-encrusted fish with some Thai spices or spinach pie or... I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

YARAH: Well we just love flavors and also to cook for each other. For example if I'm all stressed out, Vadim will cook me a nice dinner, he did it last night actually... and brought it to me so I could eat it while working, and he was also working so I sent him a message and told him... this was better than any restaurant we've been to... you are by far the best chef i know!! :-) He cooked me a perfect tuna steak served on a bed of grilled asparagus, a rocket salad with roasted pine nuts, and poached pears... like blaaaow!! Hahaha and the presentation? Fantastic! I always joke with him I want him to go on those food programs on TV and whoop everyone's asses!!

How do you think each of you have influenced each other over the years?

VADIM: Well for me, Yarah influenced so many things consciously or subconsciously - my style of dress. I think so much more about that than before, matching colors and photo shoots. Also about communicating with people, I have learned to be more patient, reflective. I got into Latin music because of Yarah, the whole South American thing. We discovered a lot of things together like cooking traveling, loving...

YARAH: i think we have almost blended into one person hahahaha... no but Vadim keeps me on my toes while I help him relax... so it's a good team.

What has changed since the last time you were in China?

VADIM: Well I started to talk on the mic! Released a new album - U Can't Lurn Imaginashun. Started a new group The Electric and recorded that album, remixed loads of people and been around the world five times!

YARAH: Well I moved to Berlin. Set fire to my flat on my birthday and then launched my solo show around Europe, The Good Girls Rarely Make History Show. It's me, a drummer, a DJ, a back up singer and flutist. All ladies!! And it's the first time I've done something this big, where I'm 100% in charge and creatively I can get all my ideas out. It's an exciting time for me!

Both of you wear so many hats it's nerve-wrecking just trying to keep up. Which do you think was the most unexpected turn your respective musical careers have taken so far and why?

VADIM: Well for me it was getting and surviving cancer. It was a very dark chapter in my life but one I wouldn't want to take away because I feel that post-cancer, I am a happier, more loving person.

YARAH: Vadim's cancer was by far the most challenging unexpected thing we've had to deal with, anything else that might have seemed big before fades in comparison. Hat-wise... I've always been a collector of hats... and I believe you can turn just an average-looking person into someone very interesting-looking with just the right hat... or wrong hat too for that matter. I can't believe people who say they are not "brave" enough to wear a hat... I mean what's the worst thing that can happen? It ain't gonna bite you! Who knows, you might get a look from a cute girl... or guy!

(To VADIM) It's been a long road since your debut. Helping put instrumental hip-hop on the map, producing more abstract tunes, finely-tuned hip hop, soul, Latin, down through an amazing (mainly) reggae record and quite a few more electronic influences on the latest U Cant Lurn Imaginashun. Having said that, what seems obvious is that you make increasingly more accessible (i.e. pop), quality music. If so, is there a conscious effort in your part to make quality pop?

VADIM: I suppose I listen to music quite differently that I did 15 years ago. Now I think alot about choruses, the song in general. Not that I'm trying to be 'pop', just that I'm trying to think of the complete song - the hook, the verse, the music, the bridge. I spend much time listening to the Beatles, Michael Jackson, etc. studying their sound and what made them work in a sense. I think every artist wants to make something that is appreciated and stands the test of time. I don't want to just make some beats that sound like everybody else. I don't want to be somebody else's shadow. I want to create my own shadow that inspires people to create, innovate and take things to a higher level.

(To VADIM) Do you think an artist's output generally gets diluted when they make that transition from more "underground" styles to music that can be potentially mass-marketed and consumed?

VADIM: Well it's hard to say. In general I would concur that to be in the 'pop charts' as a 'pop charts' band, you will have to compromise your sound but saying that, there are many groups who have reached the pop charts who haven't compromised - The Roots, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Angie Stone, Mary J Blige... Fat Freddy's Drop from New Zealand sold a shitload of records, making a very uncompromising reggae soul album that touched millions all over the world. Ultimately music is either good or bad regardless if it's pop or underground. Some music in the charts is utter shit. Not because it's pop but because it's badly sung, cheesy, no content and just style, no chorus etc... it's there simply because it's so heavily marketed - like the recent Cheryl Cole song. It sold millions but it was crap.

(To YARAH) You sing in your song "Freedom Fighters" that your father was once executed, survived (!) and still has a bullet in his body to prove. How do you think it shaped your character as a child growing up in Sweden having such an atypical background?

YARAH: Well it took me about 10 years to write that song just because I felt I could never capture or give justice to how my parents' story truly effected me. I know I am extremely lucky to be alive, and to grow up in a society where I felt safe. Both my parents had to spend time in jail because of their political beliefs, thanks to Amnesty International they are both alive today, and therefore I am alive too. When there is a coup in your country, change of government, severe oppression of the middle and especially the lower class, you're trapped, you have no way out, you have no choice but to fight and try to stand up for your people, my parents survived... but many others "disappeared". I meet youths at concerts around the world... who share a similar story - their parents were also exiled, they also grew up in a foreign country, some lost a lot of family members... my story is not unique, which is what makes it so scary!!

(To YARAH) As a role model of female emancipation, what is your opinion regarding the state of hip hop music today? Any female figures influenced your attitude specifically in that sense?

YARAH: When I was growing up, I looked up to MC Lyte and Lauryn Hill. It only takes one girl to inspire many. One of the most beautiful things for me as an artist is when girls, especially younger girls, tell me I inspired them to start rapping or make music. What more can I ask for? That's a planted seed for a future generation right there... and I ain't even old hahahah. I think too many women in hip hop either act like dudes or complete sluts. How about just being human? This music is for everybody. I'm very confident in my femininity and I don't feel intimidated by other men in the business. I know what I bring to the table is unique.

Top on your to-do list in Shanghai this time round?
VADIM: Eat duck and drink tea!
YARAH: Try some exciting food!!

What's on the cards next?
VADIM: More shows, new album - The Electric and a holiday in Malaysia!!!
YARAH: CHINA!! Then we head off to a well-deserved holiday in Malaysia!!!

Please complete the sentence: "Ten years from now, we will most likely be ..."
VADIM: Living in Bahia, Brazil!
YARAH: In Brazil, on a beach, surrounded by kids and drums...

Courtesy of FREE the WAX, Shanghaiist is giving away a pair of tickets to the show on Friday. It's dead simple. Name us one song from DJ Vadim's most recent album U Can't Lurn Imaginashun. The first person to drop us an email at contest.giveaway (@) shanghaiist (dot) com with the correct answer, along with full name and contact number, wins! Good luck!

New Statesman

New Statesman — 2010-03-10 10:48:45 GMT

The award has been made to Pittsburgh-based Westinghouse Electric and San Diego-based General Atomics.

craigslist | all jobs in new york city

2010-03-10 13:38:50 GMT

We are seeking to fill the following internship openings immediately with qualified candidates (or REALLY SMART people we can train):

1. PHP/LAMP Developer INTERN
IDEAL SKILLS: Very strong SQL, PHP 5.2+, ORM Layers (Propel or Doctrine), PHP Frameworks (Code Igniter/Cake, etc), standard web skills too (HTML/CSS/JavaScript/AJAX, etc). Any experience executing web and facebook components, web-app development, developing APIs HUGE PLUS.

2. DESIGNER INTERN
Adobe CS4 products and tools, specifically Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.

3. OPERATIONS STAFF
Excellent communication and people skills, extremely organized and very sharp, strong proficiency in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, highly detail oriented and a great memory. Experience in business office environments.
SOCIAL MEDIA experience highly coveted!

WHO WE ARE:
We are an engineering and design firm dedicated to improving the way you live your life; digitally.

We're a team of technology and design enthusiasts. We begin every project with a strong conceptual idea and take it from there. Whether that's web, mobile, new hardware, the sky is the limit. And in a time when technology is constantly changing and the next biggest newest thing is ready to hit the market an hour after the last one hit, we're constantly learning, adapting and applying new innovative ideas into the brands we work on.

We've designed content management solutions for Pfizer, delivered global billing integration for Avaya, and developed harmonic bursting devices for Pacific Gas & Electric, and are currently working on projects for P&G.; Whether you need an incredible web-app or a groundbreaking device developed we can do it all, and with a bit of style. Get to know us better at www.densebrain.com

MORE ABOUT THE POSITIONS:
We want those who fill these positions to learn, grow, and eventually join our fast growing firm. In lieu of financial support, we are happy to work with interns and their universities to obtain academic credit for internship work. We offer flexible hours and you will be getting in on the ground floor of a relatively new and successful company doing cutting-edge work. The strongest and smartest developers, designers, and operations staff will be hired.

These internships will be most attractive to candidates with an interest cutting-edge mobile application development and design, licensing/sponsorship marketing in the space, as well as those with a general interest in business operations in a lean office working with some of the largest companies in the world.

HOW TO REPLY:
Please include a well-considered note indicating why you would be the best fit for us, referencing specific experiences, along with your resume. Include “SUPERSTAR” and the position you seek in the subject line of your response.

craigslist | all jobs in seattle-tacoma

2010-03-10 06:46:11 GMT

Applications are now being accepted for Maintenance Laborer in the Facilities Management Department – Maintenance Unit at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. There is one full-time, regular, benefited position to be filled at this time. The primary responsibility of this hire is performing all aspects of the turf maintenance program. Other significant duties include active participation in preventative maintenance programs for roofs and drainage systems.

SUMMARY:

This position leads and/or performs semi-skilled and/or skilled work maintaining and performing minor repairs on facilities and turf.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following:

Mows, edges, and maintains lawns using riding lawn mowers, assigned tractors, edgers, and sweepers.
Assists a variety of skilled-trade personnel in coordinating and performing skilled work; will also assist in the maintenance, repair and construction of buildings and other facilities, and in preparing walks and streets for asphalt and concrete paving operations.
May oversee the work of subordinate employees by planning, training, assisting, monitoring and evaluating the work.
May plan or assist in planning for materials, equipment, and staffing required for work assignments or areas.
May lead and/or perform office relocations and delivery, storage and disposition of materials, forms, furniture and equipment. Performs other building services work including motor-pool operations, and event set-ups, change-overs and support.
Provides regular and ongoing care, preparation, and maintenance for medium- to large-sized parks (over 20 acres) containing several distinct outdoor recreational features (i.e. ball fields, fountains, picnic grounds, play areas, wading pools, etc.).
Aides and participates in the opening, backfilling, and shoring of trenches and other excavations.
Assists with the preventative maintenance and repair of roofs and drainage systems.
Maintains and performs minor repairs to wooden and metal playground equipment, picnic tables, bleachers, and other outdoor recreation facilities.
Maintains routine records and reports.
Drives pickup trucks and other vehicles or equipment in connection with work activities.
Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:

High school diploma or general education degree (GED); or one to three months related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:

Valid Washington State Driver's License required. A Commercial Driver’s License is preferred. Other pertinent licenses may be required.

COMPUTER SKILLS:

No computer skills required.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly exposed to outdoor weather conditions. The employee is occasionally exposed to wet or humid conditions (non-weather); work near moving mechanical parts; work in high, precarious places; fumes or airborne particles; toxic or caustic chemicals; risk of electrical shock and vibration. The noise level in the work environment varies.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The employee must regularly lift and /or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms. The employee is frequently required to stand and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee is occasionally required to sit; climb or balance; talk or hear and taste or smell.

APPLICATION DIRECTIONS

Online application through our Jobs page is required; no other forms of application will be accepted. Please visit the Jobs page of www.zoo.org to see full job posting, and to apply. Resume is REQUIRED when applying for this position. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: April 19, 2010

Woodland Park Zoo is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination in employment on any basis including race, color, age, sex, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity/expression.

craigslist | all jobs in washington, DC

2010-03-10 13:30:32 GMT

Springvale Terrace, a retirement community in Silver Spring, MD, is seeking a skilled painter/maintenace assistant. Responsibilities include painting and general maintenance repairs such as minor plumbing and electrical repairs.

Full-time position with excellent benefits.

Please submit resume and salary requirements to:

Elisabeth Orchard
Administrator
Springvale Terrace
stjobs2010@gmail.com

Economía. Noticias, vídeos y fotos de Economía en lainformacion.com

2010-03-10 13:43:35 GMT

QUART (GIRONA), 10 (EUROPA PRESS)

El delegado del Govern de la Generalitat catalana en Girona, Jordi Martinoy, reclamó este mediodía a Endesa que resolviera el problema de suministro de luz a los más de 100.000 abonados afectados de la demarcación de Girona. Además, pidió una diagnosis exhaustiva y que la compañía cumpla los plazos que se marca.

"No se puede exigir paciencia a ningún ciudadano para que esté dos días sin luz, por lo que tienen todo el derecho a quejarse", manifestó Martinoy. El delegado, durante una visita al municipio de Quart también pidió disculpas a la ciudadanía por la situación ya que "los políticos tenemos que dar la cara" y porqué "no todo el mundo sabe que el problema proviene de una empresa privada y pueden pensar que es culpa de su ayuntamiento o del Govern", aseguró.

Según informó Fesca Endesa a Martinoy a primera hora de la tarde recuperarán la luz 50.000 abonados y el resto a lo largo del día, mediante grupos electrógenos ubicados en los diferentes municipios que todavía no tienen luz.

Ante esta previsión Martinoy exigió a la compañía que "haga previsiones que se cumplan". "Si dice que arreglará la situación, esto tiene que ser verdad y tiene que cumplirse", comentó el delegado, después que ayer, Fecsa asegurara que recuperarían la luz el 70% de los afectados y no fue así.

Además, reclamó el mismo trato que se le dio a Barcelona. "Si en Barcelona movilizan a todo el mundo las comarcas de Girona y el litoral no tienen que ser menos", declaró. Así, se están instalando diferentes grupos electrógenos en algunos municipios para poder recuperar la luz mientras no se soluciona el problema.

A parte del problema del suministro de electricidad, Martinoy explicó que también están trabajando intensamente en la reapertura de la red viaria local. "Una vez recuperada la red principal tenemos que trabajar en la local, porqué todavía hay núcleos, masias y urbanizaciones aislados".

En este sentido reconoció que preocupan principalmente la zona de las Gavarres, el Pla de l'Estany y urbanizaciones aisladas de la comarca de la Selva.

SEOmoz Daily SEO Blog

randfish — 2010-03-10 00:28:43 GMT

Posted by randfish

WARNING: Get ready to read with this one. There aren't a ton of fun graphics or quick bullet points, but I do promise that if you read through, you'll feel much more knowledgable about the topic, and likely get more value from organizing, speaking or attending an event.

Over the past 6 years, I've attended nearly 100 conferences on search, online marketing, startups and technology. I've given presentations or sat on panels at nearly all of them. I've organized our own SEOmoz seminars here in Seattle and in London, built panels for a variety of other conference series and sat in the audience for many hundreds of sessions. Oddly, in the past 3 months, I've had more discussions about the conference format and the optimization of the experience than I can ever recall in previous years.

I don't know whether it's me thinking about the problem more or just stumbling into conversations that center around conference strategy and business models, but like Twitter and conversion rate optimization, it's been finding its way into the nooks and crannies of every lunch, dinner, casual coffee or post-session beer.

Wow... Even Google Trends says this is a hot topic.

I consider the organizers of conferences like SMX, SES, Pubcon & many overseas events (RIMC, SMX Sydney, the SMX/SES shows in the UK & Europe, etc.) to be both good friends and good people. This blog post is in no way meant to denigrate or cast aspersions at their intents or achievements (which have been remarkable - SEO itself has gained tremendous legitimacy because of their efforts). Quite the opposite - it's meant to highlight some of the reasons why things we, as conference goers and speakers, complain about continue and why it's hard to change the status quo. I'm also going to try putting forward some ideas at the end of the post that I have seen work well and would love to see more of (or more experimentation with) in the future.

Competing Incentives

On one side, we have conference & event organizers. They have businesses to maintain, revenue and profits to grow and pressures from owners/investors/boards to meet certain goals. They have to please advertisers

On the other, we have attendees (and, to a lesser extent, speakers) who want to learn, have an enjoyable experience and get personal and professional value from the event(s). Most attendees are not paying themselves - this is a business expense they need to justify and hence, managers and C-level types hold the pursestrings.

In the subsections below, I'll try to walk through the competing incentives and goals of these two parties and why they make the conference experience so tough to perfect.

Venues, Locations & Timing

This is one of the easiest dichotomies to describe. In one corner, we have the organizers, who are optimizing on cost. In the other, we've got attendees, who want the best experience (particularly if they're traveling). Not surprisingly, every organizer wants to hold their event at the best possible time in the most optimal location. That means, at least here in the US, winter events in warm weather climates like southern California, Las Vegas, Florida and Hawaii, summer events in mild climates like the Pacific Northwest or the Bay Area and events in extreme climates like the Northeast and Midwest in Fall/Spring.

Economics dictates that supply for these optimal locations at optimal times will be low because demand is high. This also means that prices will rise accordingly. Organizers know it's hard to pass those costs on to attendees. Once a conference's price has been set for a few years, fluctuating dramatically is challenging.

What many may not realize is some of the additional, behind-the-scenes inputs. For example, conference venues like to book 12-18 months in advance (sometimes more for very large/expensive/high demand events/locations). They require down payments and guarantees, since re-booking a space if an event cancels 3 or even 6 months ahead often proves impossible. In addition, advertisers, speakers, exhbitors and conference goers themselves get accustomed to certain events at certain times in specific places. Changing an established event always carries risk.

Next time you wonder why SES has a show in Chicago in December and New York in March or why RIMC hits Reykjavik in winter, remember that costs, momentum and contracts make those very hard things to change. If we were all willing to fly to Anchorage in January, you can bet the costs would be rock bottom.

Attendance Level

This one isn't quite as clear cut. For some attendees, an intimate, small show experience is ideal. You get one-on-one time with the speakers, more opportunity for Q+A, a less stressful environment and, typically, easier times with everything from getting good food to booking hotels to scheduling meetings with other conference-goers/speakers. However...

The incentives are frequently the reverse for both speakers (who want large crowds so they can justify the travel expense and preparation time) and for organizers (who have a tough time charging enough to a small group to make up for what a larger base could bring). Organizers also want to signal that their events is "a big deal" and high attendance numbers is one of the best ways to do this.

So why not go for huge venues and trim the costs down to minimal levels I hear you ask? Good question.

The obvious answer is profit margins, but it's not the whole reason. Advertisers, sponsors, exhbitors and even speakers want to be in front of "qualified" audiences. An audience of web marketers paying $100 to go to a show is hard to pitch as a compelling and potentially lucrative base to these groups. However, if tickets are $1,800 and 5,000 people show up, every speaker and sponsor in the world wants to make their voice heard and presence known to that group. Even the big industry players like Google, Microsoft, Facebook, etc. will be willing to lose their top notch talent for a week to get in front of the audience, mingle with the crowd and network with the best and brightest.

Some attendees are also more excited by large events. They provide greater opportunities to meet a high quantity of peers and help lend credibility to the value and importance of the event. They also tend to draw big name speakers and presenters, which means a perception of greater value from the learning aspects of the conference.

Of course, this is all balanced by the availability and affordability of venues. SMX Advanced happens in Seattle and for each of the past 2 years, it's been completely sold out. The organizers could go to a larger facility, but Seattle doesn't have many that support in excess of 2,000 people without dramatically raising the costs (and likely lowering quality). It can also be a positive signal to consistently sell out a show - every SEOmoz seminar we've thrown has sold out weeks before the event and this means more early bookings, greater consistency in attendance and revenue and an easier time planning (to be fair, SEOmoz's seminars are a small fraction of the size - 150-250 attendees - of large conferences like Pubcon, SES, SMX or even OMS).

Speakers

Things get more contentious and thorny around the issue of speakers. Attendees and organizers alike can agree that in a perfect world, only speakers who consistently earn top ratings and attract large followings would present. Sadly, in virtually every industry, these individuals comprise only a handful of players. Google's Matt Cutts and Avinash Kaushik are likely among them as is Danny Sullivan of Third Door and Seth Godin. However, I'm hard pressed to name many more that would attract paying audiences simply with their presence.

There's also a large group of phenomenal second-tier speakers like Greg Boser, Dave Naylor, Vanessa Fox, Jessica Bowman, Marshall Simmonds and the like who are excellent presenters, incredibly valuable to the audience, and, together with other positive signals, are likely to draw in paying attendees. This is where the trouble starts, though. These individuals didn't necessarily start out as remarkable presenters. In fact, I've personally seen speakers I'd consider "rock stars" today many years back and the same couldn't always be said of them. It takes a trial-and-error, weeding-out process to determine who's going to be great, and that means you need to try out new names and faces as an organizer.

Finally, you've got groups of new or nearly-new speakers, some of whom may be diamonds in the rough and others who may be complete duds. Organizers have little information to base this on other than their CV, a pitch form and possibly recommendations from previous events. Tragically, even great online writers/bloggers/personalities sometimes turn out to be less-than-amazing when placed in front of hot lights, a restless audience and 15 minutes of Powerpoint.

Organizers complain to me all the time about the necessity of finding the new stars, getting those diamonds-in-the-rough enough experience to shine and providing a diversity of speakers. Many technology conferences face the constant problem of gender imbalance and I'm certainly not immune to it. Last year, between Seattle and London events SEOmoz & Distilled had less than 15% women give talks - a shameful number, but one that can be hard to overcome.

Everyone can agree that we need more truly great speakers and fewer mediocre/poor ones. But when you're trying to discover new talent, mature up-and-coming stars AND bring as many speakers into the event as possible (see the next section),

Session Formats

This might be the toughest problem of all. More speakers = more attendees. And yes, that often holds true for even new speakers and those of low-middling quality. The reason is that speakers frequently invite clients, partners and colleagues as well as promote the event on their sites, blogs and social media accounts. If you want your event to have thousands of attendees, get 100+ speakers and they'll (hopefully) help spread the word for you.

The problem is the session formats this creates. In order to maximize numbers of speakers while fixing the event length, you move from solo presentations to panels with increasingly larger number of participants.

Some organizers argue that panels are a good thing and I'd agree in moderation. For something like an "Ask the Search Engines" panel, having a representative from both Bing & Google makes sense. For Q+A sessions in general, 3-4 panelists can help to spark discussion and even get into vigorous and valuable debates (at SMX West last week, my friend Roger Monti and I got into a nice tiff that I thinked seriously helped keep the audience on its toes - and yes, it was all in good fun and good humor).

However, when it comes to learning about an individual topic in a robust, in-depth fashion, not even conference organizers will argue that having a highly talented panel of 4 or 5 speakers give 10-14 minute slide decks can compare to a single 45-50 minute session with a single great speaker who can go both broad and deep (and then take questions). The highest rated panels (from my understanding and from direct experience with the ones I've seen) are always those where a remarkable presenter has the full time to dig into their subject matter. Three weeks ago I was at OMS San Diego where Dharmesh Shah spoke on Twitter and Tim Ash presented on Conversion Rate Optimization. The difference between that and a panel approach is night and day - there's just no comparison.

But, as an oragnizer, if you optimize towards these high rated sessions and kill the panels, you lose speakers which costs you reach and buzz and, likely, attendees. Happy attendees might rave about the value of the session in their reviews, but no one has the incentive to fill the seats like a speaker (even a bad one). Solving this issue might be a pipe dream.

Session Topics

What about the topic choices themselves? I hear attendees constantly complain about certain topics going missing while others get too much coverage. Organizers, meanwhile, struggle with how to fit in esoteric, but likely fascinating topics against tried-and-true (and in-demand) popular sessions.

The best thing an organizer can do is to survey their audience ahead of time and plan/prepare from that feedback. But, this is much easier said than done. Organizers don't necessarily know who's going to be at a show with enough lead time to arrange speaker schedules and build a topic plan. It's also very hard to get commitments from a large number of speakers with a shorter deadline and nearly impossible to nail down keynotes and big names without months of advance notice.

When Will Critchlow and I do the planning for the SEOmoz/Distilled seminars, we get to cheat in a lot of ways. First off, we have the email addresses of all the PRO and registered (free) members on SEOmoz, so we can survey to our heart's content ahead of time (and do). Second, we actually optimize to speakers - since we largely reject the panel approach, we pool together a list of the speakers we've seen in the last 12 months that have wowed us and then ask them to give performances that speak to their strengths and experiences. Since we only need 10-15 speakers per event, we can personally invite a handful of top-notch folks each time.

Can a larger conference use these tactics? Almost certainly not. Their audiences aren't nearly as nicely packaged ahead of time, and panels are critical to growing the number of speakers, providing the diversity, giving experience to the "diamonds-in-the-rough," etc. Conferences like Pubcon, SMX, SES and OMS would also almost certainly take a huge amount of heat if they stopped accepting pitches and simply relied on a smaller contingent of consistently excellent speakers. Advertisers, exhibitors and sponsorships would likely drop too (even though they're technically not at all tied to the editorial programming side of the equation), and these are a massive source of revenue.

Amenities

As an attendee, we probably think that things like reliable wifi, better food and comfortable seating with tables and power outlets in session rooms makes a big difference. The problem is, these don't tend to correlate with how we actually choose conferences to attend and/or return to. I know organizers who've invested hugely in the attendee experience, only to see retention rates drop (despite the fewer numbers of tweeted/blogged complaints). When those dollars are re-invested in marketing the conference, drawing in bigger keynotes, or optimizing other aspects, the numbers get better even when cardboard sandwiches and grade-school chairs are employed.

We, as conference goers, vote with our wallets, and we apparently don't care as much about the amenities as we make out to (personal note - please, conference organizers, don't use this knowledge against us too much; I love comfy chairs, good food and great wifi).

Press Passes & Guest Passes

Speaking of thorny issues - little in the conference world raises as much public ire as this one. For nearly every event it makes good sense to give bloggers and journalists press passes. However, when a big, expensive, popular event is thrown, these can quickly gobble into profit margins with questionable returns.

The problems are myriad - bloggers don't often deliver the extent or quality of coverage they promise and traditional journalists frequently make no promise of coverage at all (and then write nothing). Feeding and seating them alone can run into the hundreds of dollars per day (trust me, you don't want to know what a trade venue will charge for a cup of coffee or a bag of Cheetos). And, as savvy organizers know, some (possibly even many or most) bloggers would pay to attend the event if their press pass request was rejected. You don't want to anger this vocal minority, but you also can't afford to be taken advantage of.

For sold out events, it gets even harder. Longtime "friends" and traditional receivers of press passes may need to be sacrificed to make room for paying attendees, especially if the event relies on those last 1-200 seats for the majority of the profit margin.

Organizers know they need to be careful to be generous, but discerning, or risk becoming known for "giving free access to anyone who can set up Wordpress." They also want to try to give newcomers to the blogging/coverage scene a chance to make an impact, while being mindful of abuse and sensitive to the dangers of angering influencers. It's a tough tightrope to walk and one that press pass requesters should be more sensitive to (I'm speaking from personal experience on this one, and know that we certainly owe some apologies for past requests and perceived slights).

Optimizing the Conference Experience

Now that we're through all the reasons events are so hard to get right, I'll try to provide some recommendations for every participant in the process. This is personal opinion, and unlike SEO, it's not based on thousands of hours of experience, but probably just a few hundred and my own observations. Still, I hope it's valuable, or, at the least, worth considering.

Advice & Experiments for Organizers

If possible, try to shave panels down to more reasonable sizes. Both speakers and attendees will appreciate it, and
Great networking events should be built into more conferences. Many attendees say that the most value they get is from the networking outside the sessions (which, to my mind means the sessions need help, but that's another matter).
This also speaks to the value of providing great areas to network during the event. Quiet areas with couches, tables, drinks and wifi can make for very happy conference goers (note: for some reason, putting these in/around the trade booths never seems to work very while, though perhaps I just haven't seen an optimal configuration).
Select speakers more carefully. Yes, it's hard work, but it's worthwhile. And consider optimizing topics to speakers rather than the other way around - if you know that a particular individual can give an amazing experience to attendees, block off 45 minutes, email and offer to pick up a flght and/or hotel. I've been consistently shocked by who will say yes (and then feel so guilty/thankful about having their expenses covered that they'll put in twice the effort preparing and promoting) .
Be harsh on returning speakers if their last presentation wasn't up to standards. I understand having some new blood every time, but if someone under-delivered, you need to axe them, or make it clear that the next one needs to make the audience stand up and cheer.
Likewise, bring back great speakers more often, but make them craft new content. In my experience, great speakers seem to do well no matter the topic (so long as they have some experience/relevance to it) far more so than experienced/talented professionals correlate with great presentations on those topic.
Try playing with venues. OMS this year moved to a new location that was 10X better than their previous spot, and my understanding is that the cost was lower, too (SEMpdx's Searchfest also had a new location in downtown Portland this year that was fantastic, though I don't know the cost differential). When you find venues that will be accomodating, magic happens because your cost structure suddenly becomes less of a burden and more of an opportunity to do creative, interesting things attendees will remember.
Big one - don't let the room sizes dwarf the audience sizes. I was just at an event where the room could hold 1,500 people but only 200 were in the session. It feels to everyone - speakers, organizers, attendees - like there's no energy or excitement. In comparison, I was at an event a few weeks back where the room could only hold 150 and 170 squeezed in. The air felt electric and every presentation, question and tip felt alive. Optimize this one carefully because it makes a huge difference.

Advice & Experiments for Attendees

If you love an event, a speaker or a session, sing it from the rooftops. Tweet, blog, write reviews, tell friends and invite colleagues next time. So many of the incentive problems described above happen because as attendees, we don't do the marketing or give the feedback we could and should.
Don't tolerate low quality speakers/presentations, but also don't make it public. Tweeting nasty remarks about a speaker while they're on a panel shouldn't be any more acceptable than booing or throwing fruit. Make your voice heard to the organizers afterwards - it will have a real impact (and if it doesn't, don't come back).
You get out what you put in. Come with an open mind, a stack of business cards, openness to new ideas and a slough of great questions. Introduce yourself, don't be shy and make the most of networking opportunities; they often end up producing the most memorable value.
Be the change you want to see - make sure to let organizers and speakers know what you liked and didn't via email and feedback forms. This includes venue/amenities/location/timing. None of us are clairvoyant (though Google's working on something, I hear).

Advice & Experiments for Budget Authorizers

Give your employees freedom to choose their own events. Great people will choose wisely, and that's who you want to keep anyway.
Let them stretch their budgets and time - at SEOmoz, we fix number of dollars and let our people do the rest. If they want to spend it all on one big trip to a conference in Fiji, go for it. If they'd prefer to optimize for multiple events closer to home, that's great, too. You'll often find employees are much more accountable if they know their budget really belongs to them.
Ask for an if it's just internal docs or wikis or a 20 minute PPT during a brown bag lunch - from employees who attend events. It will force them to take some notes and provide some actionable value back to the rest of the company and it lets the employee be the star - the one who's been somewhere and learned something no one else knows.

Advice & Experiments for Speakers

Be empathetic - imagine yourself in the audience or better yet, remember yourself in the audience in the last session or at the last conference. What impressed you? Do that. What sucked? Avoid that.
Go advanced - I have almost never been asked to go more basic at a search marketing event, no matter how adavnced my presentation or content gets. My takeaway is either that everything I do is way too beginner level or that audiences just love more "down-the-rabbit-hole" material. If you're on the fence, lean advanced.
Don't pitch or present if you can't kick butt. You owe it to the audience, to the organizers and, for goodness sake, to yourself, to do an amazing job every time you're up speaking. If you're not funny or charismatic, don't sweat it - let the material do the talking.
Fewer bullet points, less text, less time talking about each slide and less
More images, more screenshots, more callouts (text boxes with arrows to important stuff on a slide/screenshot), more stories and more real life examples.
Don't ask for a business card to send someone a copy of your slide deck. Make it available online at a URL everyone can access. If your material is good enough, you'll get plenty of warm leads.
Prepare. I'm a busy guy - no, seriously, I mean really busy - and I still take hours putting together high quality decks for even small conferences and 12 minutes presentations in half-full rooms. If you don't have the time to set aside and do great work on a presentation, you better either be incredibly naturally gifted on stage or have a team that makes great decks for you. If you can't do any of these, don't present.
Remember you are why the event happens, you're why everyone is there, and you have a massive responsibility to deliver something that will add value for the audience. Just one or two actionable tips can tilt the balance, but don't settle for that. Do better than anyone would think possible and I promise the rewards wil be tremendous. This industry is still craving excellence from its presenters and you have that chance - don't waste it.
Experiment with taking questions in the middle of your talk, particularly if you're going longer than 20 minutes (which, sadly, is quite rare). It brings a liveliness and level of engagement that's tough to match with a purely "I'm going to talk at you" presentation.

Your Thoughts

I don't mean to be forward, but I suspect a lot of organizers, speakers and attendees in the search marketing conference space will check out this post. Please, please share your thoughts and feedback below, with one caveat - we like to keep this blog TAGFEE, so no harsh insults or personal attacks. That's what YouTube comments are for :-)

p.s. I'm just back from Searchfest in Portland (which was a terrific event that continues to get better every year). I was originally asked to give a 20 minute presentation on SEOmoz's toolset, but decided I couldn't be quite that self promotional and created a deck that covers a wider range. I saw folks giving my co-presenter, Enquisite's Richard Zwicky, a hard time over Twitter for talking all about Enquisite's software, but in fact, that's what we were asked to do and I was the one who went off-focus (so if anything, you should blame me). You can check out my slide deck here - SEO Problems and the Tool to Solve Them. Hope you enjoy and sorry about the weird formatting; Scribd didn't import PPTx very well this time.

p.p.s. Please excuse my lack of links to appropriate sites/pages/people and probably spelling errors (drove back from Portland tonight and still not over my sinus infection). Jen, if you have time early tomorrow, maybe you can help add those in? :-)

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2010-03-09 13:01:29 GMT

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2010-03-09 23:13:23 GMT

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2010-03-09 18:15:09 GMT

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2010-03-09 18:19:06 GMT

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High level of personal integrity (honesty and reliability are a must)
Energetic, motivated, team player
Available to work evenings &/or weekends, 10-20 hours/wk
Access to reliable transportation and personal e-mail account

Are you interested in working for a cause you believe in and being paid well in the process? If so, send your resume and a brief cover letter to: portlandjobs@greenmountain.com. Resumes are accepted on an ongoing basis. For general information about Green Mountain Energy, check out our website at www.greenmountain.com.

craigslist | all jobs in los angeles

2010-03-09 18:20:27 GMT

Porter/Grounds Keeper positon available. Full time.
Cleaning and minor maintenance required. Experience in providing great customer service while maintaining quailty in their work. They must take pride in presenting our community to our current and future residents and their guests.
Qualifications
We are looking for a team member and goal oriented person. Must be able to take direction and contribute to the property as well as the team. Some maintenace experience is a plus.
Must have general maintenance knowledge
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Property Management company seeking maintenance technician in the San Fernando Valley Area. Full time.
Qualifications
The Maintenance Technician is responsible for ensuring that the physical aspects of the property meet the company's established standards. Provide diagnosis of problems and make repairs in areas such as HVAC, electrical, plumbing, dry wall, and appliance. Must provide timely and courteous response to resident request for repairs and maintenance.
Education
High School graduate
HVAC certified a plus
electrical, plumbing, appliance and painting experience
Must have general maintenance knowledge

Please Email you Resume at mvm@bdp-bci.com or
Via Fax 818-367-4489

Benefits
401K Plan
Health Insurance /Vison/Dental
Personal Days
Paid Vacation

DSP-FPGA.com

Texas Instruments — 2010-03-09 08:56:19 GMT

Austin, TX (March 9, 2010) – Simplifying design through the expansion of its software and tool offering, Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN) today announced that its Stellaris ARM® Cortex-M3 MCUs are fully supported by the Code Composer Studio (CCStudio) v4 integrated development environment, and eight new Stellaris MCU evaluation kits featuring CCStudio v4 are immediately available in standard distribution. Based on the Eclipse framework, CCStudio v4 is compatible across TI’s microcontroller portfolio to provide developers with a single familiar user interface that easily takes them through each step of the application development flow. Stellaris support in CCStudio v4 includes project file support and easy usage of StellarisWare® software for rapid software development. For more information, go to www.ti.com/ccsstellaris-pr.

Additionally, a new Brushed DC Motor Control with CAN Reference Design Kit (RDK-BDC24) and a module (MDL-BDC24) are also immediately available, and improve on previous brushed DC motor designs by providing additional variable speed control capabilities. The kits contain everything needed to get a developer up and running in 10 minutes or less. The open tool kit is designed to jumpstart development in a wide variety of consumer and industrial motion control applications, including factory automation devices and systems, mobile robots, household appliances, pumping and ventilation systems, and electric wheelchairs and mobility devices. For more information, go to www.ti.com/ccsstellaris-mcrdk-pr

Code Composer Studio v4 key features and benefits for Stellaris developers:

• Fully functional when run on any Stellaris evaluation kit: no code size limits, debug size limits, time usage limits or functional feature restrictions

• Superior code development environment speeds design and troubleshooting with an advanced editor and features such as code completion, code folding, local history of source changes, markers and the ability to associate tasks with source lines

• Advanced GUI framework simplifies data and project management through the creation of perspectives with full customization of menus, toolbars and ‘fast views’ that enable developers to define the functionality and views appropriate to specific tasks

• Debug server scripting interface enables the automation of common tasks such as code validation and profiling

• Update manager tool automatically manages tool updates

Brushed DC Motor Control with CAN Reference Design Kit (RDK-BDC24) and Module (MDL-BDC24) features and benefits:

• Variable speed control for both 12 V and 24 V brushed DC motors at up to 40 A continuous current

• 32-bit Stellaris LM3S2616 MCU and optimized motion control software enables DC motors to run smoothly and quietly over a wide speed range

• Support of open-loop voltage control as well as closed-loop control of speed, position or motor current

• Rich set of sensor interfaces, high performance Controller Area Network (CAN) interfaces, and control options, including analog and quadrature encoder interfaces

• New RS232-based serial control input that also functions as a serial-to-CAN bridge

• Integrated TI analog for increased efficiency, including a CAN transceiver, RS232 line driver/receiver, voltage regulator, swift DC/DC converter and current shunt monitor

• Mabuchi RS-555PH-3255 Brushed DC Motor included in kit

• Comprehensive StellarisWare® software, complete documentation, LM Flash Programmer utility for firmware updates, BDC-COMM for serial communications with the motor, GUI for monitor and control, and complete source code, schematics and PCB Gerber files

Pricing and availability

Stellaris MCU evaluation kits featuring CCStudio v4 are immediately available through TI’s distribution channel. These kits include the EKS-LM3S811, EKS-LM3S1968, EKS-LM3S2965, EKS-LM3S6965, EKS-LM3S8962, EKS-LM3S3748, EKS-LM3S9B90 and EKS-LM3S9B92, priced from 49USD to 109USD. Code Composer Studio v4 tools are available for TI’s entire embedded microcontroller portfolio with the CCStudio v4 Platinum Microcontroller license for the cost-effective price of 495USD.

The RDK-BDC24 is priced at 219USD and the MDL-BDC at 109USD. Both are also immediately available through TI’s distribution channel.

TI’s broad portfolio of MCUs and software

From general purpose, ultra-low power MSP430™ MCUs, to Stellaris Cortex-M3-based 32-bit MCUs and high performance, real-time control TMS320C2000™ MCUs, TI offers the broadest range of microcontroller solutions. Designers can accelerate time to market by tapping into TI's complete software and hardware tools, extensive third-party offerings and technical support.

Find out more about TI’s new Stellaris tools support by visiting the links below:

•CC Studio: www.ti.com/ccsstellaris-pr

•Stellaris MCUs - www.ti.com/ccsstellaris-slp-pr

•StellarisWare Software – www.ti.com/ccsstellaris-swlp-pr

•Brushed DC Motor Control with CAN Reference Design Kit: www.ti.com/ccsstellaris-mcrdk-pr

•Stellaris Power Reference Designs: www.ti.com/ccsstellaris-pm-pr

•TI's microcontroller portfolio: www.ti.com/ccsstellaristools-mcu-pr

•Sample and purchase: www.ti.com/ccsstellaris-buy-pr

About Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) helps customers solve problems and develop new electronics that make the world smarter, healthier, safer, greener and more fun. A global semiconductor company, TI innovates through design, sales and manufacturing operations in more than 30 countries. For more information, go to www.ti.com.

Blogs

James C. Kaufman, Ph.D. — 2010-03-10 00:04:20 GMT

Most of initial thoughts to the Oscars on Sunday were similar to most people's:

• Ben Stiller is not and has never been funny

• I think Neil Patrick Harris should host the next American Psychological Association convention

• Dang, there were virtually no upsets

• No time for singing the best songs, but time for an interpretative dance?

• Who is Elinor Burkett and why was she allowed to be out in public?

Some of my thoughts are, perhaps, more unique to that of a creativity researcher:

I've always liked Michael Giacchino, composer of Pixar movies and Lost; now, I love him. In a brief speech, he articulated nearly everything I know about how to encourage creativity:

When I was nine and I asked my dad, "Can I have your movie camera? That old, wind-up 8 millimeter camera that was in your drawer?" And he goes, "Sure, take it." And I took it and I started making movies with it and I started being as creative as I could, and never once in my life did my parents ever say, "What you're doing is a waste of time." Never. And I grew up, I had teachers, I had colleagues, I had people that I worked with all through my life who always told me what you're doing is not a waste of time. So that was normal to me that it was OK to do that. I know there are kids out there that don't have that support system so if you're out there and you're listening, listen to me: If you want to be creative, get out there and do it. It's not a waste of time. Do it. OK? Thank you.

Yes! How do we nurture creativity? We allow mini-c (the initial creativity inherent in the learning process) flourish. We allow an environment to be psychologically "safe" from judgment and discouragement. We encourage people to pursue what they love.

And if we're lucky, we get a Michael Giacchino.

More thoughts: If anyone gets discouraged about their creative progress in their careers, take heart from Mauro Fiore. The cinematographer won the Academy Award for his work on Avatar. Twenty years ago, Fiore was the key grip (i.e., camera placement/rigging) for Stripped to Kill II: Live Girls and Saturday the 14th Strikes Back. These films were not just truly horrible films - they were also sequels to truly horrible films.

Consistent with the general research indicating that it takes ten years to become an expert in an area, Fiore worked on Schindler's List (as a gaffer, in charge of the electric work) in 1993 and then advanced to be a cinematographer on a successful televisions how (Tracey Takes On). Consistent with research I did with fellow PT blogger Scott Barry Kaufman, Fiore illustrates that if it takes ten years or so to make a professional contribution to a field, it takes about ten more years to make a truly outstanding mark. After twelve years of being a cinematographer on such movies as Training Day, Smokin' Aces, and Tears from the Sun, Fiore reached his (likely) peak with his brilliant, Oscar-winning work on Avatar.

What does this mean? It takes time to become an "expert" in a field and even longer to reach a level of "greatness." It's okay to not be a superstar yet. Even Chaucer started small (indeed, his first story was supposedly called Strypped to Kille: The Miller's Wife Returnes).

Thirdly: One of my frequent topics to write/talk/think about is the idea of creativity across domains. Is creativity one thing or many things? Even with a broad domain (such as acting), there are still nuances (which, which John Baer, I have expanded into the Amusement Park Theory of Creativity). For example, acting in movies does not necessarily mean the same thing as acting on television. One striking illustration can be found in examining which people were ignored for the Oscar memorial segment. Notable omissions include television superstars Bea Arthur, Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, and Ricardo Montalban. All four made movies, ranging from the outstanding (Fawcett's The Apostle's Wife) to popular (Montalban's Naked Gun and Spy Kids 2 and 3) to the regrettable (Arthur's Mame) to the completely obscure (McMahon's The Vegas Connection). All four are obviously much better known for their contribution to television (and all will likely get special tributes at the Emmy's). This feeling that those with major acclaim in television and minor acclaim in film do not deserve a tribute at the Oscar's may illustrate a strongly domain-specific point of view. Of course, they did honor Michael Jackson, who appeared in The Wiz and little else.

Fans have been commenting extensively about the omissions (especially Fawcett). Some of this anger has taken the form of criticizing other memorial inclusions, such as the writers/directors/behind the scenes people (such as Tullio Pinelli, Ken Annakin, Daniel Melnick, and Gareth Wigan). Such comparisons hint at the differences between how novices and experts perceive the movies. One message board poster wrote - and I quote - "Too much focus on the 'behind-the-scenes' people. People don't want movies for the writing or directing." Clearly, most expert moviemakers and movie connoisseurs would acknowledge the small contributions of folks like Spielberg, Hitchcock, and Scorsese.

Finally, I noted Howard Stern's reactions to best actress nominee Gabourey Sidibe. In his typically antisocial manner, he delivered a wide array of insults. These ranged from racial/sexist humor ("the most enormous, fat black chick I've ever seen") to mock sympathy ("You feel bad because everyone pretends that she's part of show business and she's never going to be in another movie") to crude humor ("What movie is she going to be in? ‘Blind Side 2,' she could be the football player") to supposed advice ("You just want to say to her, listen, honey, now that you've got a little money in the bank go get yourself thin, because you're going to die in three years"). Reactions have been varied, with some people voicing agreement and most expressing disgust, shock, and anger.

Why does Stern say these sorts of things? One reason is that it gets the desired results - it gets him attention. There is actually some scientific evidence of this phenomenon - three researchers studied shocking content in social appeal (i.e., HIV/AIDS prevention) advertising. They found that people shown the shocking ads remembered them better, paid more attention, and were more likely to change their behavior. Obviously, these are different contexts, but it may be that Stern is going to continue to get exactly what he wants from his antisocial comments.

How will Sidibe react? One interesting study looked at the role of honor and how it impacts a person's response to an insult. For both honor-driven (i.e., collectivist) societies and non-honor-driven (i.e., individualistic) societies, anger is a more likely response than shame. When someone is angry after an insult, they typically have a desire to punish the insulting person. This feeling can result in a verbal attack (i.e., insulting the person back) or giving verbal disapproval. Shame can also lead to verbal disapproval, but it can also lead to withdrawal (doing nothing). Honor cultures tend to verbally disapprove more; non-honor cultures tend to withdraw. In part, this tendency is because shame is seen as an embarrassing thing in non-honor cultures.

None of this, of course, changes the fact that Stern is an ass.

This is purposely not a picture of Howard Stern.

My last blog can be found here.

Fast Company

Colin Doody — 2010-03-09 18:34:21 GMT

One of the ways individuals can reduce the impact of aviation emissions is to buy carbon offsets every time they fly. Around $25 can offset the amount of carbon released per passenger during a London to NY roundtrip. But most people don't know how carbon offsets work or how to purchase them.

Transcript:

Brad Pitt: One of the ways individuals can reduce the impact of aviation emissions is to buy carbon offsets every time they fly. Around $25 can offset the amount of carbon released per passenger during a London to NY roundtrip. But most people don't know how carbon offsets work or how to purchase them

Mike Mason, Founder and Chairman, ClimateCare: Ten years ago we set up to try and develop a mechanism for getting ordinary people to be able to do positive things about the climate that were measurable, that were deliverable and related to their own lives. So we set out to create a voluntary carbon market.

David McMillan, Direct General, Eurocontrol: A number of airlines now are offering voluntary offsets schemes to their passengers; where they say if you want to offset the cost of emissions that you personally will be responsible for as a passenger on that aircraft. It will cost you an extra few lbs. But if you add that for all the passengers on the aircraft and use that to do something sensible like buying some carbon reduction schemes somewhere else in the world, it has a real impact.

Mike Mason: The actual measurement is the least difficult of all the issues. If you swop an incandescent light bulb for an energy efficient light bulb, you know exactly how much electricity you save and you know how much the grid emits in producing that and you can do it, it's a simple sum. Much more difficult is making sure what you're doing, first of all is additional this is the jargon or additionality. In other words, what you're doing is going above and beyond the existing policy the existing customs and practice., and the emissions aren't being counted by someone else. So for example, if we do something in the UK they will be counted by the UK government, which is not our objective, our objective is to go above and beyond what the UK government is doing.

The other piece that piece that is quite difficult also is to make sure we avoid leakage. Take for example avoided deforestation; deforestation is a huge source of green house gas emissions, but if you just put a fence around the forest and say "ok guys no more chopping the forest down anymore", without removing the source of demand, than all that happens is they go and chop down a forest somewhere else. So that is the other problem, dealing with leakage, dealing with problems where you don't get that kind of effect.

Brad Pitt: Money from offsets is used to fund energy saving projects in the developing world. These projects reap other benefits for the community, like employment and better health.

Mike Mason: There are two kinds of projects; there are those which have environmental benefits in terms of reduced emissions such as wind farm. But may not have any particular local benefit. On the other end of the scale this is a good example of a piece of low-technology intervention that we're using in Africa, in Uganda in fact., that's why its painted in the national colors of Uganda. This is an improved cook stove, its not the worlds most improved cook stove but its made locally using appropriate manufacturing techniques so that local people and build them and repair them. What distinguishes this from the stoves that many people use at the moment is that there's a ceramic liner in here, which keeps the heat in, which reduces hugely the amount of fuel you need in order to operate and cook your food. It also has controlled air holes there, which makes sure enough air, comes in to burn the fuel properly. A stove like this can reduce emissions and fuel consumption by 40% or more. Its very simple, obviously it isn't a solution to a global problem, but a quarter perhaps a third of the worlds population cook on very poorly made cook stoves which cause blindness and respiratory illness as well as causing huge amounts of pollution.

I speak to senior people at companies, I speak to ordinary audiences of employees, and when you explain to them the back-story the issues behind climate change they all come away thinking "good lord, is it really that bad". And if you could capture their intent the moment they walk out of that room we would have solved the problem. But they go back to their desk and the same pile is in the in try and the same problems face them at home and within 24hrs they've moved on. This is such a big issue, that people don't seem able to comprehend that it affects everything they do and that when they walk out of the room they should start behaving differently. Its making demands of people that are bigger than they can cope with. And some how what we have to do is to ease that transition, don't face them with a cliff, face them with a gentle ascending path that they can climb up.

I would dearly love to see every airline operator required to either include offsets in the price or to offer them as an opt-out. In other words you have to tick the box is you don't want it. We've got to start offsetting we've got to do it today, its easy to do it today and there are plenty of opportunities to do it. You and I share one planet, and we haven't got a spare one.

Additional digital shorts from the e2 Series: Seoul Reengineers a Freeway Into a StreamPortland, A Global Model of Transit Oriented Development London's Transportation Transformation for the 2012 Olympics

craigslist | all jobs in new york city

2010-03-09 13:59:14 GMT

Health Club in Rockville Centre is seeking a part-time maintenance person 15-20 hrs per week with experience in repairing and maintaining gym floor and facility. Equipment includes Precor, Life Fitness, Cybex, Magnum cardio and strength equipment in addition to StarTrac spin bikes. General handyman experience is also required which includes electrical, carpentry, plumbing, etc.

English speaking is required
Person should be able to lift at least 50lbs
Daily tasks may include and are not limited to cleaning, stocking, mechanical repair and trouble shooting problems for cardio equipment.
Good job for someone looking to supplement their income.
Retirees welcome
Background check and good references a MUST
Please send a history of your employment and skills that relate to this job or send resume

Compensation to begin at $9/hr depending on experience level (skills such as mechanical repair, plumbing, electrical, painting can increase hourly wage)

Economía. Noticias, vídeos y fotos de Economía en lainformacion.com

2010-03-09 15:37:00 GMT

- El presidente de la Generalitat quiso conocer de primera mano los trabajos de Endesa y REE para restablecer el suministro eléctrico
MADRID/BARCELONA, 09 (SERVIMEDIA)

El presidente de la Generalitat, José Montilla, ha pedido hoy a los responsables de Endesa y de Red Eléctrica Española (REE), "que pongan todos los medios necesarios para que a lo largo de las próximas horas se recupere de forma progresiva" el suministro eléctrico en las poblaciones todavía afectadas por el temporal de nieve, según informó hoy el Ejecutivo regional.
El presidente autonómico se ha desplazado hoy en la sede central de Endesa Cataluña para recibir explicaciones in situ de los trabajos que Endesa y REE están haciendo para restablecer el suministro a los más de 180.000 abonados que a mediodía estaban sin electricidad y que se encuentran concentrados especialmente en las comarcas de Girona y el Maresme.
Montilla se reunió entre otros con el director general de Endesa Red, José Luís Marín, y el director general de Endesa en Cataluña, Josep Maria Rovira, que le han explicado que la tormenta de ayer ha afectado a 11 subestaciones eléctricas, que ha hecho caer 25 postes de alta tensión y que más de 700 efectivos de la compañía están trabajando para restablecer el servicio.
El presidente catalán subrayó la importancia de estos trabajos, puesto que el funcionamiento de la red eléctrica "es básico para restablecer la normalida" en las poblaciones afectadas.
La situación de la red eléctrica es una de las consecuencias de la tormenta de ayer que más preocupa el Gobierno autonómico. Las actuaciones en otros campos, como la red viaria y de transporte público, se irán restableciendo y ya se está volviendo a la normalidad, concluyó Montilla.
(SERVIMEDIA) 09-MAR-10 MAG/lmb

Economía. Noticias, vídeos y fotos de Economía en lainformacion.com

2010-03-09 15:35:00 GMT

MADRID, 09 (SERVIMEDIA)

La Asociación Española de Cogeneración (Acogen) critica los "falsos posicionamientos que tratan de enfrentar energías" renovables y convencionales y defiende un mix en el que cuenten todas las fuentes de energía.

En el último boletín de Acogen, el director general de esta organización, Javier Rodríguez, firma un editorial en el que se posiciona a favor del "equilibrio para España en materia energética, lo que supone valorar cada sistema en su justa medida y contar con todos ellos para un mejor futuro energético".
"Si pretendemos establecer diferencias entre tecnologías buenas y tecnologías malas, aplicable a las renovables y las eficientes, también a las convencionales, enfrentando eólica, fotovoltáica, cogeneración, biogás, valorización de residuos, nuclear etcétera y esgrimiendo datos, cuanto menos cuestionables, estaremos creando un debate estéril, incorrecto y perjudicial para el interés general del país", sostiene en esta publicación.
Desde el sector de la cogeneración, que produce más del 12% de la electricidad de España, "no estamos de acuerdo con falsos posicionamientos que tratan de enfrentar energías". La cuestión, a su juicio, "no es perseguir una separación de actividades y regímenes tratando de obtener ventajas para la tecnología propia en detrimento o alejamiento de las otras".
"Cada energía tiene sus características: unas prestan garantía al país y están disponibles apretando un botón y otras requieren ser transportadas a grandes distancias, necesitan mayores infraestructuras, o gastos de operación, y el soporte de otras, o se generan cuando se dan las circunstancias naturales", añade Rodríguez.
Por ejemplo, las renovables "nos aportarán sostenibilidad y riqueza, pero a plazo más lejano: en una sostenibilidad más a largo".
Por ello Acogen apuesta por "optar por lo que aporta riqueza tanto en el corto como en el largo plazo", es decir, por incluir todas las tecnologías en el mix energético.
(SERVIMEDIA) 09-MAR-10 CCB/lmb

Washington Examiner Site Feed

2010-03-09 15:10:05 GMT

General Electric Co. on Monday proposed halting further dredging of the Hudson River if PCBs churned up by the work spread too much pollution downriver during the second phase of an ongoing cleanup.

Daily News & Analysis

2010-03-09 10:48:34 GMT

GE Healthcare also rolled out its first Computed Tomography (CT) - system manufactured in India.

eCoustics.com news

2010-03-09 15:19:28 GMT

An ambitious load of marketing initiatives from the General Motors division, which is getting ready to launch its Volt electric car, emphasize that brands increasingly see the digital-culture festival as a place to test out new campaigns that aren't yet r

1Sky Blog Posts about everything

Jason Kowalski — 2010-03-09 17:42:01 GMT

Last week Senators Kerry (D-MA), Graham (R-SC), and Lieberman (I-CT) indicated they are working to introduce a comprehensive climate and energy bill as soon as possible. The trio generated much buzz after they gave a general description of the new approach to emissions reductions that will be included in their bill. While many key senators seemed open to the new proposal, others -- joined by members of the House -- launched new attacks on the Clean Air Act, gaining praise from Senator Murkowski (R-AK).

At the same time, phones in Senate offices were ringing off the hooks as climate advocates from across the country made 300,000 phone calls during the "72 Hours for Clean American Power" call-in campaign. This week is expected to be another busy one on Capitol Hill. Financial regulatory reform and a second jobs bill are expected in the Senate, and the House will begin work on a final push for health care reform.

1. Senate Climate Bill Push Heats Up

Senators John Kerry (D-MA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) were originally expected to introduce a bill last week. A bill was not released, but all three senators pledge that one is still on the way. Last Tuesday, Lieberman said: “Hopefully within a week or so we will have at least a detailed narrative to share.”

According to a report by Reuters last week, "Kerry told reporters he hoped a compromise climate control bill could be put together this month, although many meetings still must be held. Graham told reporters it will be "weeks" before a bill is ready."

The trio revealed this week that the bill will likely use a 'sector-by sector' approach to cap carbon whereby electric utilities will be required to reduce their carbon emissions first, followed by the transportation fuels and manufacturing sectors. The three senators held meetings with many key senators this week and some moderates from both sides of the aisle expressed interest in the new plan.

Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) said she is "generally happy" with the direction the climate bill is heading. Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Judd Gregg (R-NH), Evan Bayh (D-IN) and even Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) have also expressed interest in the forthcoming bill.

Murkowski said last Wednesday that her support may be contingent on opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil drilling. Lieberman quickly asserted that drilling in ANWR would not be a part of the comprehensive bill.

Last week, 13 senators signed onto a letter initiated by Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) urging their colleagues to ensure that the Clean Air Act performance standards for coal plants remain intact in climate and energy legislation considered by the Senate. 1Sky worked hard with allies at Environment America, Sierra Club, and beyond to urge the following senators to join as they did and sign on to the Menendez letter: Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT), Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), Senator Benjamin Cardin (D-MD), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Senator Al Franken (D-NJ), and Senator Jeff (D-MN). 1Sky is encouraged to see these senators voice their support for defending the Clean Air Act, and holding big polluters accountable. Their support will be crucial for ensuring that the oldest dirtiest power plants are required to reduce their carbon emissions once national climate legislation is in place.

Last week, as part of the "72 Hours for Clean American Power" call-in campaign, 1Sky supporters joined climate advocates nationwide in making more than 300,000 phone calls to the Hill, urging senators to pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation this year.

2. Clean Air Act Attacks Persist

Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) can introduce her "Dirty Air Act" resolution at any time up until late May or early June. While her spokesperson has previously suggested the measure would be introduced in "mid-March," he said last week that, "politically, she can call it up whenever it's most convenient for her, not anybody else." Murkowski currently has only 41 co-sponsors (subs req'd), 10 votes shy of the 51 needed for passage.

Last week, Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) introduced a new bill that threatens the Clean Air Act by putting a two-year block on greenhouse gas regulations. He is now the fourth Senate Democrat to support such an attack on the Clean Air Act. Representatives Nick Rahall (D-WV), Alan Mollohan (D-WV), and Rick Boucher (D-VA) introduced an identical measure in the House. 1Sky strongly opposes these measures and all efforts to undermine the Clean Air Act.

Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) announced publicly that -- unlike the rest of the West Virginia delegation -- he will not support Rockefeller's attack on the Clean Air Act.

Yesterday, Murkowski sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson requesting further information about how she plans to control carbon pollution via the Clean Air Act (subs. req'd).

Last week, as part of the "72 Hours for Clean American Power" call-in campaign for a climate bill, 1Sky supporters demanded that senators to oppose all efforts to undermine the Clean Air Act.

3. Senate Jobs Bill #2 and Financial Reform on the Way

Last Thursday, the House passed a slightly modified version of the Senate's initial $15B jobs bill. It includes tax credits aimed at encouraging employers to hire new workers, but does not contain any major climate-friendly provisions. It now goes back to the Senate for another vote before being signed into law by President Obama.

The Senate is now considering a second jobs bill on the scale of $150 billion. A vote on cloture is scheduled for this afternoon. Drafts of the new bill include unemployment and COBRA extensions, tax credits for dirty energy, and minor tax credits for energy efficient housing and appliances.

In Georgia last week, Obama introduced the $6 billion "Home Star" plan which would provide consumer rebates for home energy efficiency projects like installing new insulation, water heaters, and windows. The proposal is expected to be included in one of the Senate jobs bills, although was not included in $150 billion bill introduced by Reid last week (subs. requ'd).

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) said he wants to introduce "Home Star" in the Senate and will hold a hearing specifically on the proposed program next week.

Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) expects to release a bipartisan proposal for financial regulatory reform next week, adding yet another priority to the Senate schedule ahead of a climate bill.

4. Health Care Grand Finale May Pave the Way for a Climate Bill

The White House made clear last Thursday that it hopes to see Congress bring health care to a final vote this spring. The administration is asking that the House pass the Senate bill by March 18, and that both chambers pass fixes before Easter so that a health care bill can be sent to Obama's desk. This means the administration has endorsed use of the reconciliation process to pass health care reform through the Senate with a simple majority.

Senators Graham and Lieberman have some concerns about the impact that the continued health care fight may have on a push for comprehensive climate and energy legislation, but Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) maintains that health care reform is a separate issue that will not have a large impact on the climate debate (subs. requ'd).

Prepared by Jason Kowalski and Julie Erickson from 1Sky’s policy team. Please direct questions or comments to jason@1sky.org.

India's Ready Reckoner

Inde (mumbaimeetups@gmail.com) — 2010-03-09 08:16:00 GMT

New Delhi, March 9, 2010: Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla, a 208-room upscale business hotel spread over 2.1 acres, is reaching final stages of completion. The capital city’s newest hotel is expected to launch later this month. Crowne Plaza is one of the world’s fastest growing business hotel brands from InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms. Globally, there are 366 Crowne Plazas with 100,994 rooms in over 60 countries. IHG has another 129 Crowne Plaza hotels in the pipeline, more than half of which (72) are in the Asia Pacific region. Truly international, Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla offers premium accommodation, designed for the discerning business and leisure traveller who appreciates simplified elegance combined with the practicality of the latest features, as well as value for money.

Situated in the heart of South Delhi, Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla is barely 27 km from Indira Gandhi International Airport and 25 km from the Domestic Airport. Elaborating on the hotel’s progress, Mr. Barun Jolly, General Manager, Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla, said, “Conveniently located in proximity of key commercial hubs, this Crowne Plaza is set to become South Delhi’s newest business address and dining landmark. Most of the construction has already been completed including the lobby, meeting rooms, ball rooms, two restaurants, the French Patisserie, guest rooms and back of the house. Other than these, we will also be launching 9 meeting room options that can accommodate 10 to 400 guests at a time.”

Commenting on the various F&B options to be opened at the hotel, Mr. Jolly said, “We’ll open an all-day dining restaurant with 180 covers, live counters, interactive chefs and a spread of gourmet delights from across the continents. A unique attraction at the hotel will be the 80-seater restaurant offering authentic Chinese and Italian cuisines under one roof. F&B options will also include a French Patisserie with 20 covers offering specialty tea and coffee, variety of delectable cakes, pastries, breads and quick eats.”

Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla will boast of as high as 60-65% guest area to receive natural day light, which is one of the highest among hotels in Delhi. This will reduce the electricity consumption in lighting up lobbies etc. in day time, besides adding a distinct freshness to the hotel premises.

The hotel provides a spectacular view of the historic Tughlaqabad Fort, and is within close proximity of Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range on Surajkund road, the newly-renovated world-class sporting venue for the Commonwealth Shooting Championship. The hotel is also easily accessible from business districts like Nehru Place, New Friends Colony, NOIDA, Mohan Cooperative and Faridabad. Commonwealth Games Village and Pragati Maidan are also within few kilometers only.

For further information, please contact:

Puneet Khunger (9810191409) / Bindi Saikia (9818913289)

puneet@gutenbergpr.com / bindi@gutenbergpr.com

Gutenberg Communications

Notes to Editors:

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms. IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, over 4,400 hotels and more than 645,000 guest rooms in 100 countries and territories around the world. The Group owns a portfolio of well recognised and respected hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites® and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty programme, Priority Club® Rewards with 48 million members worldwide.

IHG has 1,400 hotels in its development pipeline, which will create 140,000 jobs worldwide over the next few years.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.

IHG offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at www.ihg.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards programme at www.priorityclub.com. For the latest news from IHG, visit our online Press Office at

www.ihg.com/media

Monster Job Search Results

2010-03-09 08:29:48 GMT

FL-Melbourne, Melbourne based client has a need for an Electrical Engineer. The ideal candidate may be considered a specialist in a specific hardware area or generalist in multiple hardware areas and recognized in their organization. Job Description: Must have significant domain knowledge of products and systems in assigned area. Plan, analyze, design, test and document hardware of high complexity and contribut

San Francisco Citizen

sfcitizen — 2010-03-09 16:45:58 GMT

Here’s the thing about that NUMMI plant in Fremont that’s closing down at the end of the month – Toyota thought about making Prius hybrid electric cars there after the departure of General Motors, but then rejected that idea. So, Corolla production will be taken care of by an existing plant in Ontario, Canada and pickup trucks, too, [...]

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craigslist | all jobs in new york city

2010-03-09 12:24:06 GMT

Local retail sales establishment seeks a high quality, driven maintenance specialist. Candidates should have a strong history of facilities maintenance, identifying potential hazards, and preventative care maintenance. If you are looking for a new opportunity to grow with a company, take ownership over your personal success, and take on new and interesting challenges, then this could be the opportunity for you. If you feel your skills match the needs of the position, please send in your resume.

PLEASE INCLUDE SALARY REQUIREMENTS IN EMAIL RESPONSE

Requirements
• Proven track record in the area of maintenance and general custodial responsibilities
• Basic carpentry, electrical, plumbing and painting skills
• Desire to grow professionally while ensuring high facility standards are continually met and maintained.
- Ability to interact with customers and provide excellent customer service

Full time position: 32 - 40 hrs per week. Our company offers a competitive salary and outstanding benefits, which include; medical, dental, and vision care. Plus, 2 weeks paid vacation and holiday, personal and sick days. For immediate consideration, please email your resume to: whiteplains@storagedeluxe.com.

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2010-03-09 12:26:17 GMT

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Wikio - Finance

twocents@thestreet.com (David MacDougall) — 2010-03-09 10:00:00 GMT

United Technologies stays close to its area of expertise, engineering, while avoiding far-flung -- and riskier -- industries that General Electric has moved into.

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craigslist | all jobs in SF bay area

2010-03-09 10:50:06 GMT

JDSU plays a vital role in the broadband and optical innovations that enable breakthrough solutions for a wide range of essential high-tech industries. From biotechnology to telecommunications to brand protection, JDSU's broad portfolio of products and solutions provides ample opportunity for you to apply your skills and knowledge to cutting-edge technology that impacts people's lives. The successful candidate will spend 80% of their time supporting the operations in San Jose and Milpitas. This includes the III/V Wafer Fabrication Facility at 80 Rose Orchard, the Front End Semiconductor Fabrication and Back End Assembly & Test operations at 1750 Automation Parkway, the Lasers and Communications assembly facility at 1750 Automation Parkway and the HQ & R&D; operations at the McCarthy facility. In support of these operations, this position will act independently to identify issues of potential risk to the company and implement programs to address any noted concerns. Examples will include conducting needs assessments for development of the Emergency Response Team, reviewing the installation of semiconductor equipment utilizing SEMI standards for tool installation, utilizing your background in OSHA and EPA regulations to provide input into the development of Company programs such as the On-Line Training & Incident Reporting systems.

Other responsibilities will include the development and maintenance of such programs as:

• Electrical Safety and Hazardous Energy Control, Confined Space Entry & Rescue, Material Handling, and related EH&S; programs.
• The remaining 20% of the individual?s time will be utilized supporting programs that span both individual site operation and Corporate programs.
• Example of programs will include development of the Company Major Emergency Planning and Preparedness Plan, and Major Emergency Response Plans and general development and advancement of the Company?s EHS Management System. Ad-hoc projects will include tasks such as XRF support, and Industrial Hygiene Monitoring.
• This position will report to the Sr. EH&S; Manager for the Optical Communications Segment of the Corporation.
• In this capacity the candidate will operate with a high degree of independence and will receive only general direction regarding routine responsibilities.
• The ideal candidate will have 7+ years of experience in the EH&S; profession with a record of increasing responsibilities.
A bachelors degree in Chemistry, Engineering or related field is required.

Qualifications:

• A bachelors degree in Chemistry, Engineering or related field is required.

JDSU offers a comprehensive benefits package including: First day coverage for medical/dental/vision insurance A total of ten paid holidays per year, plus vacation and sick time 80 hours of vacation for the first year, with each anniversary date the accrual rate increases by one day until the 10 year anniversary Sick time is 80 hours per year to a maximum of 440 hours Participation in the JDSU 401(k) program available on the first of the month after 30 days of employment Short-term disability with long-term disability available for a small monthly contribution Flexible benefits program for out-of-pocket health and dependent care expenses Additional value-added benefit programs including tuition reimbursement

JDSU, a worldwide leading provider of broadband test & measurement solutions and optical products for communications, commercial and consumer markets, employs a wide array of scientific, engineering, and manufacturing talent. Providing innovative solutions for industrial, commercial and consumer applications, JDSU offers professional challenge and development for exceptional individuals who thrive on change and will flourish in a diverse, progressive work environment. JDSU is an equal opportunity employer. Additional information about the company is available at www.jdsu.com.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer.

To Apply for this position, please CLICK HERE