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Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Rebalancing The Twins

The first short position on oil was at US$139 (June 8, 2008), the double up position was taken at US$119.90 (August 5, 2008). The shorts were covered at US$112.90.

New positions (August 19, 2008)
Long oil futures $113.20
Long gold futures $802

The time has come to neutralise the oil position and take a small gain there. While I was bullish on oil, it was too much linked to the movements in USD.

I am very bearish on USD but I am more bearish on the destruction of demand from recent events. The liquidity injections from various central banks are good, but may not push oil past the US$115-120 region.

Sell oil futures $117.80 (gain 4.7%)

However I would be doubling up on Gold exposure. The destruction of wealth, and the reinjection of tons of liquidity by all central banks will stoke inflationary pressures again. In particular I am very much keen to be in real assets in this kind of era. I believe gold can even break US$1,000 this year and is headed for higher grounds. Key words, real assets.

Long gold futures US$900.60

(Double Long position in Gold with average price 900.6 + 802/2 -=

p/s photos: Pace Wu Pei Ci

see said...

For oil to go back to its peak of $130-$140, you need those speculators back in. And with deleveraging going on & with a lot of speculators got hit by oil & commodities crash I doubt oil price will go back that $130 zone anytime soon.

successis said...

take a look at natural gas as well mr.Dali, and nevertheless, AUDS!!

ru40342 said...

Dear see,

With dollar going down like raining cats and dogs, speculators are always to ready to shoot the crude oil price all the way to the moon.

Dear Dali,

You really should cover the currency cause i think here's the real place ta make money now. Here's what i get starting from Monday:

USD/JPY: down 185 pips.
Euro/JPY: up 126 pips
Euro/GBP: up 89 pips
USD/CAD: down 203 pips
AUS/USD: up 98 pips
EUR/USD: up 326 pips

Imagine how much money you can make since the leverage for forex trading is 90% or more.

You can easily make 100% return in 1 full day of trading.

Salvatore_Dali said...

dear all,

I have a rule in not revealing my trades. I have chosen to reveal OIL and GOLD because I believe these are the critical elements in deciphering the markets this year, and maybe next. Hence I put it up to help readers understand my views and strategy, and its impact on global equities and bonds. Its not meant to be a whoopie-doozy portfolio. I am not Bill Gross or Buffett.

Yvonne said...

Dear Dali,

Provided that you always make consistent winning in commodities, otherwise isn't it an issue since the USD will depreciate?

Hope you can shed some light here.


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Feburary 10, 2011

PHOENIX, AZ – Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona announced today that the state of Arizona will introduce several counterclaims against the U.S. government in the ongoing litigation over SB 1070, Arizona's racial profiling law.

The following can be attributed to a coalition of rights groups that also filed a lawsuit challenging SB 1070.

"Arizona's counterclaim against the United States is a political stunt designed to distract from the reality that SB 1070's attempt to mandate racial profiling is unconstitutional. Governor Brewer and the attorney general are simply creating a legal sideshow that will do nothing to increase border security."

"SB 1070 is a misguided law that puts Arizona out of step with fundamental values of fairness and equality, and has no place in Arizona or America."

The coalition includes the American Civil Liberties Union, MALDEF, National Immigration Law Center, Asian Pacific American Legal Center (a member of Asian American Center for Advancing Justice), ACLU of Arizona, National Day Laborer Organizing Network and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The law firms of Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP; Roush, McCracken, Guerrero, Miller & Ortega; and Altshuler Berzon LLP are acting as co-counsel in the case.

Founded in 1968, MALDEF is the nation's leading Latino legal civil rights organization. Often described as the "law firm of the Latino community," MALDEF promotes social change through advocacy, communications, community education, and litigation in the areas of education, employment, immigrant rights, and political access. For more information on MALDEF, please visit:

For all media inquiries, please contact Laura Rodriguez.

Copyright 2009 MALDEF — Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund

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publisher: CommonCrawl
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2012 Economic Calendar
POWERED BY  econoday logo
U.S. & Intl Recaps   |   Event Definitions   |   Today's Calendar   |

Chain Store Sales
Released On 11/29/2012 For Nov, 2012

Strength in the second-half of the month couldn't quite offset storm-related weakness in the first half of the month. Chain stores are reporting mostly lower rates of year-on-year sales growth during November than they did in October, the result of lost sales from Hurricane Sandy which closed stores in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. A slower rate of sales growth is a negative signal for the government's ex-auto ex-gas reading, a reading that was already a disappointment in October with a 0.3 percent monthly decline. But chain stores expect to quickly make up the lost sales which, together with what chains are saying is strong momentum from Black Friday, point to strength for the government's December sales report.

Monthly sales volumes from individual department, discount, apparel, and drugstore chains are usually reported on the first Thursday of each month. Chain store sales correspond with roughly 10 percent of retail sales. Chain store sales are an indicator of retail sales and consumer spending trends. There is no official composite number for each month's sales, merely sales figures for individual chains. Also, which chains release monthly numbers varies over time as corporate policies sometimes change in regard to providing monthly numbers to the public in addition to quarterly data.  Why Investors Care

2012 Release Schedule
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Wednesday, January 02, 2013

Super Sale At Crazy Quilt Girl's Shop

It's a brand new year.
 Out with the old and in with the new.
 Need to beef up your fabric stash for a reasonable price?

 Stop over to my friend, Cori's shop (Crazy Quilt Girl) and
check out her GIGANTIC Super Sale going on right now.

One of my favorite, Pezzy Prints, is in this sale!

 I promise you you won't be sorry!
Her sale is great and her customer service is the BEST!!

Stop over to Cori's shop and buy up a storm!
 Let her know I sent you her way too.

Angela Gibson said...

Thank you for the sale information. I just made my first purchase from this store. Happy New Year!

Mama Spark said...

HI Angela,
GREAT! You are going to love Cori and her shop!!

bohemia king said...

nice your site thanks for sharing love you all teme good work keep it up

Post a Comment

I am always thrilled to hear what you, my readers, have to say. C'mon...make my day!!


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Automakers to gearheads: Stop repairing cars

Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) has caused a lot of grief over the years.  AutoBlog reports that now car manufacturers are trying to use it to stop people from repairing and tuning their cars:

Allowing them to continue to fix their cars has become “legally problematic,” according to a written statement from the Auto Alliance, the main lobbying arm of automakers.

The dispute arises from a section of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that no one thought could apply to vehicles when it was signed into law in 1998. But now, in an era where cars are rolling computing platforms, the U.S. Copyright Office is examining whether provisions of the law that protect intellectual property should prohibit people from modifying and tuning their cars.

Ridiculous, is the word that describes this best, I think.

EFF wins protection for time zone database

Every time I proudly wear my EFF member t-shirt, people ask me what is EFF.  And every time I explain and point them to for more information.  It’s a shame that many of those who even live and breath online don’t know what EFF is and what those guys do.  Have a look at their most recent victory:

In a statement, Astrolabe said, “Astrolabe’s lawsuit against Mr. Olson and Mr. Eggert was based on a flawed understanding of the law. We now recognize that historical facts are no one’s property and, accordingly, are withdrawing our Complaint. We deeply regret the disruption that our lawsuit caused for the volunteers who maintain the TZ database, and for Internet users.”

“It’s a fundamental principle of copyright law that facts are not copyrightable, and Astrolabe should have known that,” said EFF Intellectual Property Director Corynne McSherry. “While the lawsuit should never have been filed, we’re pleased that the legal threat to an important resource has been eliminated.

You can help them do what they do, by joining and donating.

EFF big win over DMCA

Most of the times, when I donate money, I don’t really expect anything back.  I don’t see them as an investment to the future of the person or organization, but rather a gratitude and appreciation for the past.  It was also how I saw my support of Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).  Today I received a press release from EFF, which made me proud to be a member and also a little extra happy about the money I donated over the last few years.  It’s a big win over Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which is one law that I never liked too much.  Here is a quote to get you started:

San Francisco – The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) won three critical exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) anticircumvention provisions today, carving out new legal protections for consumers who modify their cell phones and artists who remix videos — people who, until now, could have been sued for their non-infringing or fair use activities.

“By granting all of EFF’s applications, the Copyright Office and Librarian of Congress have taken three important steps today to mitigate some of the harms caused by the DMCA,” said Jennifer Granick, EFF’s Civil Liberties Director. “We are thrilled to have helped free jailbreakers, unlockers and vidders from this law’s overbroad reach.”

Continue reading the full press release and supporting documents.

As a side note, once again I am amazed at how much influence some American law has on my life, which happens to be far away from the United States territory.  Being a daily user of many services provided by Americans and from the United States soil, I am impacted by rules and limitations faced by those people who provide those services.

Legal and educational systems are lagging behind technology

I’ve mentioned this many times before and, I guess, I’ll need to mention this ever more – the technological progress of the recent years (the digital world, yes) has left many systems of our society behind.Â  Educational and legal are the most noticeable.Â Â  Here are a few words in the insightful and funny video (originally from the – a place of many more insightful videos).Â  Here is a quote from a recent Boing Boing post showing the state of the legal system:

… pictures of Ford cars cannot be printed. Not just Ford logos, not just Mustang logos, the car -as a whole- is a Ford trademark and its image can’t be reproduced without permission.

On copyright, fair use, and free speech

TechCrunch has an excellent cover of the “photograph in the video” story that has been going on all over the web in the last few days.Â  Basically, somebody wrote a funny song and made a video for it.Â  In that video a bunch of images were used including one that was downloaded from Flickr without permission of the photographer.Â  The photographer got really pissed off and such.Â  The video was re-edited to remove the offending image, but there was plenty of discussion on how is right and who is wrong in this story.Â  Some really important questions on copyright, fair use, and free speech were asked, and some really smart people tried to answer them.

The rights of the copyright holder have always been balanced against the more fundamental right of free speech. And free speech in the Internet age, more so than ever before, goes way beyond words and text. The way people express themselves on the Web increasingly involves images, video, animations, and other rich media, often in mash-ups of pre-existing works. That is how people communicate today. Both copyright law and industry standards need to evolve to take that into consideration.

While I support the (copy)right of the author to command the usage of his or her work, I think that this particular case wasn’t handled properly by the photographer.

A little something from the Flickr guidelines

After reading this post at Gonzo Engaged I decided to take another look at Flickr Community Guidelines.Â  After all I have more than 11,000 pictures there and I don’t want to have any surprises, if you know what I mean.

Here are two quotes that I think are worth a reminder:

Donâ€™t upload anything that isn’t yours.
This includes other people’s photographs and/or stuff that you’ve collected from around the Internet. Accounts that consist primarily of such collections may be terminated at any time.

Donâ€™t use Flickr for commercial purposes.
Flickr is for personal use only. If we find you selling products, services, or yourself through your photostream, we will terminate your account. Any other commercial use of Flickr, Flickr technologies (including APIs, FlickrMail, etc), or Flickr accounts must be approved by Flickr. For more information on leveraging Flickr APIs, please see our Services page. If you have other open questions about commercial usage of Flickr, please feel free to contact us.

Oh, and just in case you noticed that somebody took your pictures and uploaded them into their photo stream, and done so without your permission, here is an advice from Flickr on how to behave:

Copyright Infringement
If you see your photographs in another memberâ€™s photostream, don’t panic. This is probably just a misunderstanding and not malicious. A good first step is to contact them and politely ask them to remove it. If that doesn’t work, please file a Notice of Infringement with the Yahoo! Copyright Team who will take it from there.
You may be tempted to post an entry in our public forum about what’s happening, but that’s not the best way to resolve a possible copyright problem. We don’t encourage singling out individuals or their photos in our public forum.

Fighting the spinning spammers

Lorelle has an excellent post covering spinning spam – “Spinning Spammers Steal Our Blog Content“.Â  As always, the article is full of useful links and insightful quote.

Here is a quote from a linked article – “Protecting Your Content From the Spinning Spammers” – describing the issue:

Â […] process of modifying the content before reposting it is often called â€œspinningâ€. Spinning a work before republication has several advantages, the largest of which is that Google is less likely to detect the work as a duplicate and, thus rank it higher. However, almost equally important is that it is much harder for victims of plagiarism to detect and follow up on the misuse, making this kind of abuse much harder to stop […]

Here are some helpful tips for detecting the stolen content:

  1. Digital Fingerprinting: Digital fingerprinting is a process by which you append a unique word or phrase to the end of your posts in your RSS feed. If the feed is scraped, so is the fingerprint and searching for that string of characters tells you which sites have taken your content. Since fingerprints donâ€™t have easy translations or synonyms, they remain intact through the spinning process. Plugins such as the Digital Fingerprint Plugin and Copyfeed can automate the process.
  2. Â Trackback Monitoring: As was the case with Tonyâ€™s original post, spam blogs often leave links in the scraped post intact, even as they modify the copy. They often send trackbacks to those URLs in a bid to get extra incoming links to the spam blog. If you link to your own articles when writing, you can watch the trackbacks and get an idea for who is using your content, even if it is spun.
  3. Â FeedBurner Tracking: FeedBurner offers a very powerful â€œuncommon usesâ€ feature that tracks where your feed is published. Since FeedBurner does not depend upon the post content to track the feed, spinning the text will not fool the system.

I tried digital fingerprinting coupled with monitoring a few times and I have to say it works pretty good.Â  The way I was doing it though, was on a per article base, not for the whole feed.Â  I noticed that when my content is stolen, usually just a few articles are taken – presumably those with high ranking keywords.

So, what I do sometimes is invent a new word (wordativity anyone? blogalerting?), stick it in the post, and then setup Google Alerts for this word.Â  The moment Google indexes something with this word, I am notified either via an RSS feed or an email.Â  (If you feel really paranoid, you can create a new Twitter account, pipe the RSS feed to that account, and folow it with your main account, so that you get an SMS when stealing occurs.)

Anyway, check the above links for more information about the problem, some insight into legal point of view, as well as how to handle the cases when this happens.Â  And spread the word too.

On copyrights

Since many people had asked me this before and some did just recently – I do believe in copyright law. I believe that the person who created a piece of something, be that music, movie, software, or anything else, has the right to dictate how this piece can be used, distributed, and copied.

I try to obide by the copyright law, but I am not always successful. There is no hypocrisy in this. In the same way, I believe in the traffic laws but don’t always follow them. I try to though.

Continue reading “On copyrights”


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Man On The Move Header Image

1966 Chrysler Newport – Old Dock Street, Brooklyn

July 30th, 2009 by Austin

chysler newport old dock street brooklyn

From a stunning 1941 concept car to fin-tastic coupes, sedans, wagons and convertibles circa 1960, Chrysler has certainly taken liberal use of the Newport moniker. And, with all the low riders and assorted customs roaming around, it is clear that enthusiasts have too. It wasn’t until ‘61 that Chrysler dedicated a specific model line to the Newport name. Up until that point, the badge designated a 2-door hardtop body configuration. This entry level full size sedan, essentially a de-contented sister vehicle to the upscale New Yorker, was meant to bridge the gap between Chrysler and Dodge when DeSoto went under.

Newport’s stylist, Elwood Engel, also penned the out-of-this-world ‘61 Continental and T-Bird before Chrysler stole him away. Engel, who served as design chief at Chrysler from 1961-1974, knew a thing or two about designing cars that moved off lots quickly and even studied under iconic stylist Harley Earl while at GM’s school of design. With models like Newport, his first start-to-finish product design at Chrysler, it is clear that Engel’s distinguished restraint carried over to his new employer. Gone were the exaggerated tailfins from the Virgil Exner administration and in was a squared off, slab sided aesthetic tastefully adorned by chrome strips that ran along the top and bottom of the flanks.

PT Cruiser and Sebring are awesome and everything but we pray the “new”, post-chapter 11 Chrysler has given design talent the directive (and freedom) to create cars even half as compelling as this Newport was.

chrysler newport old dock street brooklyn

Chrysler Newport - Old Dock Street, Brooklyn

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TitlePlanet Earth: How it Works
DescriptionThe materials of the Earth's crust, the processes that produce and modify them, and the development of the Earth and its life forms through time. Su, Au, Wi, Sp Qtrs. 4 cl, 1 2-hr lab; or 2 2-hr cl, 1 2-hr lab. Not open to students with credit for Geol Sci 100. Not intended for ASC BS students. This course is available for EM credit. GEC B.A. phys sci course, B.A. phys sci sequence with 108, 110, 203, 204, 205, 206, 210 or ENR 101 or Geog 120. NS Admis Cond course.


text:
Monday, May 27, 2013

2013: Week 21

2013: Week 21 by MAStapleton
2013: Week 21, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.
Drinking in the experience that is ComicCon London.

A formula for you:
CosPlay* + Marvel Avengers + XBox Game Preview = ComicCon Nirvana.

*For the non-hipsters among you, it means "Costume Play". I had to ask the 13 year old what it meant.

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Friday, July 24, 2009

My Tweets on John 6:1-21

John 6:1-21 is the Gospel lesson for this coming Sunday. Here are my Tweets from Twitter on the passage:
Location? Many think just northwest of Sea of Galilee or Gennesarat. Later called, as [John] has it, Tiberias.

R.E. Brown sees parallels between this passage, from v. 5 on with Numbers 11, involving Moses. Very interesting.

v.2: Crowd saw signs, rather than the reality to which the signs point. That is central to this section of John.

"the mountain": As...Brown points out, this is impossible to localize. Mountains important in OT and NT. Moses/Mt. Sinai important here.

v.3: "sat down": Teachers usually sat down. Today, pope sits down [for pronouncements]: ex cathedra.

v.4: Passover, festival God instituted through Moses, is at hand. Also important. God will compare/contrast.

v.5: Why ask Philip? If event happend NW of Sea of G, this would be close to his home territory. Some think, based on Jesus' itinerary that this happened near Bethsaida, Philip's home town.

My late mentor, B. Schein, thought this happened near Tericheae, a town whose name meant 'Dried Fish.' [The town] specialized in this export commodity. The issue [in this account then would not be] inaccessibility of food to crowd. Terichaea only 20-minute round trip by foot from where Schein thought this incident took place. Thus, feeding of 5000 here has less to do with 'daily bread' than the extravagant, unnecessary grace, blessing, and provision of God in Jesus Christ. Just as life and the world were, from God's perspective, unnecessary, so are all these things.

Even apart from Schein's interpretation we see this when, at end, there is so much untouched food. Overabundance.

[v. 7]:
Philip is practical. 200 denarii is the figure he cites. A denarius was the common pay for a day of wage labor then.

v.8: Meanwhile, Simon's been scouting for food among the crowd.

v.9: "a boy": The term in Gk., R.E. Brown points out is paidarion, double diminutive for boy. This is just a little guy.

Paidarion is same term used in Septuagint, Greek NT produced in Alexandria before Jesus, commonly used, for Elisha's assistant, Gehazi. Elisha feeding incident is our 1st lesson this Sunday. Peter Leithart sees Elisha as "protoincarnational" character, a forerunning type of Jesus. Makes sense if John the Baptist is of the same type as Elijah.

v.8: Of course, Andrew doubts that the boy's bit of food is more than drop in the bucket. If Schein is right, the crowd could easily have been sent away [and they could have purchased their own fish in a place where abundant supplies of it existed.]

v.11: Jesus isn't said to "bless" the food the way it's reported in other Gospels. Instead, [in the original Greek of our text], He "gives thanks," a form of eucharisto, [the verb form of] one of the titles we give to Holy Communion, the Eucharist. This definitely foreshadows, [as did Passover].

v.11: "as much as they wanted": Again God's extravagant, unnecessary blessing.

he Apocrypha] imagines a time when God's people will feast on leviathan, the monster of the deep...the deep representing primordial chaos, sin, life without God. Think: fishers of people. Think: Jesus frying fish on John 21.

v.12: Similar to Moses' instructions in Numbers 11.

v.14: The crowd associate this sign with Moses. They fail to see what the sign points to, make a wrong assumption. They see Jesus as "the prophet," a Moses-figure. John 1:17: Law came from Moses; grace--overwhelming amplitude of undeserved blessings, forgiveness, provision--comes from Jesus. In fact, in Jesus, we receive "grace upon grace" (John 1:16), [something Moses never could provide. Only God can do that.] Also: John 1:12-13: All who received Him became children of God, born not of flesh but of God. [Moses can't bring new birth, John 3:3, either.]

v.15: Jesus realized that crowd wanted to pound Him into their compartment for him--a king of the earthly sort, one who raises armies, levies taxes, and does the bidding of his supporters. Instead of accepting their nomination, Jesus went to "the mountain" to pray. Jesus' signs weren't plays for earthly power; they demonstrated the power He already had. Had He become a puny king, all our hope for life, forgiveness, healing would be lost. Through the cross Jesus would claim the Kingship that can save us for all eternity.

vv.16-17: The disciples decide to forge on though Jesus hasn't returned from praying. They must have been accustomed to his absences for this purpose.

v.18: Those of us who have ridden in a boat on Lake Erie during a storm know how storms can whip up on a lake like Galilee.

v.19: John doesn't explicitly say WHY the disciples were afraid. Other gospel says they thought that Jesus was a ghost.

v.20: Literally, Jesus says not, "It is I," but, "I AM," in Hebrew this would be, "Yahweh," the very Name to which God refers to Himself to Moses at the Burning Bush. Jesus is not some prophet, not some puny king. Jesus is I AM, the maker of the universe. His self-identification is a counterpoint to the beliefs of the crowd. Jesus is God.

v.21: This is comical--a bit like Peter throwing on his clothes in John 21, when he recognizes the risen Jesus on the shore. After Jesus makes things explicit, the disciples want to take Him into the boat. But they're already at the shore.

Stoffregen points out that here, Jesus doesn't calm the storm. Not all storms get calmed. But we can still reach the other shore.

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Much appreciation

Obviously, this is the end of the line for the 2011 season for the Reds. And even though the work on the stories and blog will not be stopping, I thought this was as good of a time as any for me to stop and say THANK YOU.

THANK YOU for reading my stories on and THANK YOU for reading and/or commenting on this blog and for enough loyalty to make it one of the better trafficked reporter blogs in our system. THANK YOU for being one of more than 8,600 followers I have on Twitter. I hope it was a useful tool for you to stay updated and that you enjoyed some of the banter.

I can’t believe I’ve been on a baseball beat for 11 seasons now, with season No. 6 covering the Reds in the books. What I like most about this job is its unpredictability. Every day and every game often brings something new or unexpected — whether it’s a three-homer night, an injury, a possible no-hitter, a 19-inning game in Philadelphia or like last night, a suicide squeeze bunt for a win in the 13th inning, followed by a wild four-walk and a balk but a scoreless inning for a save. Hopefully I was able to give you some insight about what happened on the field or in the clubhouse.

Expect a busier off-season than last winter as the Reds have some work to do to be contenders in 2012. Other than some much-needed vacation time here and there (the first coming in early November), I will be on the case throughout covering news and developments so please continue to check in.

But until next time, THANK YOU.

Thanks Mark, enjoyed it. Keep the posts coming, I know I check this everyday just hoping for something new to read, and I’m sure a lot of others do too. I don’t trust a lot of sources out there these days, but I trust this one. So thanks for that.

Thanks a lot Mark! I check your blog more than an other source for Reds info. I look forward to reading the offseason news from you this winter. Until next time, GO REDS 2012!!!

Thank you for your professional approach and economical writing. It helped get through an agonizing season. Look forward to your off-season reporting and to a better 2012.

Thanks Mark. Enjoy your writing and your insights. Enjoy following your tweets during the games. Can’t wait til next spring. Have a great off season and I’ll be checking here often for updates.

Thanks Mark. Great job this year covering the Reds. I hope we get back to the playoffs next season. I visit your blog frequently for information and knowledgeable content. We’ll be watching your off-season reports. Thanks!!!

Reds4Lifecom Fan Forum

Hey, Mark – who you got in the Cy Young and MVP awards – do you get a vote?

I do not get a vote since BBWAA disallows writers from membership. If I did vote…I’d probably give Kershaw the Cy and Braun the MVP. I have not done all the research though.

Ditto…thanks Mark! Enjoy your blog – and always enjoyed catching you w/Marty.

Anybody can win but the Cardinals, right?!?!? Please, not the Cardinals!!!

I well understand the sentiments, but you’ve got to admire what the Cardinals accomplished in September. And, quite often, the team that has to get hot just to get in ends up going far in the playoffs. I’d rather it be Tampa Bay, but, if it’s the Cards, then kudos for the division.

Oh Denny, I’m sure you are a Buckeyes/Big Ten fan too aren’t ya? I will never ever ever do the root for your division/conference thing. Ever.

Never have been a Buckeyes’ fan. Had a lot to do with my political distaste for one Woodrow Hayes eons ago. Went to Notre Dame. So, back then, didn’t have to deal at all with the conference dilemma you allude to, though it appears future Irish fans will have to wrestle with it. Of course, already so in hoops. And now with all “cards” on the table: I do have fond family and geographical links to St. Louis baseball which occasionally, only occasionally, override the rivalry of the past couple seasons.

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The Ballard Center is an academic center that interacts with students, faculty, and practitioners to search for pattern-breaking social innovations.

Come to the BYU Ballard Center for Economic Self-Reliance and the Peery Social Entrepreneurship program to learn how the world’s most vexing social problems are being solved. The Ballard Center matches students’ personal skills and interests with worthwhile educational experiences that lead to a meaningful life of Doing Good Better.

The Ballard Center opened its doors in 2004 as the Center for Economic Self-Reliance, and has continued to grow since then. Run solely with funds from donors who are dedicated to giving students transformative educational opportunities, the Ballard Center was designated in 2012 as one of 30 Changemaker Campuses around the world by Ashoka U.

Enhance your impact on the world today by signing up for one of the following Ballard Center opportunities:

  • Attend our eye-opening events & clubs to learn how to make your philanthropy smarter
  • Classes provide frameworks for social change and teach students how to leverage their skills
  • On- and off-campus internships help build your résumé and solve social problems
  • Competitions, such as the Social Venture Academy, provide students coaching and funding to make their socially-minded business ideas become a reality

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Whether it’s for one hour a semester or several, there’s a place for you at the Ballard Center. Students from any major can come to the Ballard Center for an advisement session to construct a personalized plan for incorporating our programs into their BYU experience. Sign up here.


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Arrested with his brother Ricky, as a teenager by Spider-Man while trying to break in a car, Wyndell was convicted and sent to prison. After leaving prison, he served in the "Far East" as a mercenary. Eventually, he found out that drug running paid more and began dealing in them. Soon after, he met some unnamed Americans who put him through experimentation that endowed him with super strength and durability. To repay them, he took on the identity of 'Bloodshed', and helped smuggle drugs into the States, eventually ending up in New York where the ship he was on was boarded. Instead of getting caught, he dumped the drugs and went on the run from his boss.

In New York, he met up with his brother Ricky, a college graduate who had turned his life around after being arrested. He intimidated his brother into allowing him to hide at his place. While walking to work, Ricky decided to try and get Spider-Man to help him, but panicked at the last second. Bloodshed, who was following his brother, noticed Spider-Man and attacked him, bent on revenge for their initial run-in. Spider-Man escaped, but placed a tracker on Bloodshed, tracking him to Ricky's apartment where a frightened Ricky ran away.

Eventually, Bloodshed came looking for money he forced Ricky to promise him. Ricky refused to hand over the money, and Bloodshed went in for the kill, but was stopped by Spider-Man. The ensuing fight eventually came to Bloodshed ready to impale Spider-Man on a wrist-mounted blade. Despite his fear of Spider-Man, Ricky leaped onto Bloodshed's back, buying Spider-Man enough time to recover, but injuring Ricky in the process. After delivering one massive blow, Spider-Man defeated Bloodshed, and he was then handed over to the police.

Bloodshed stayed out of sight after that, but recently showed up during the heroes' Civil War, attempting to gain a fake ID in order to flee the country.

At some point, Bloodshed moved to Chicago and continued his criminal activities. He attempted to kill police officer Randolf O'Niel for investigating him. But O'niel was saved by the vigilante Nighthawk, attacked Bloodshed and broke his arm. What happened to Bloodshed is unknown, but given Nighthawk's violent tendencies, it's more than possible he was killed.[1].

Super strength and durability

Strength level

His strength was never clearly defined, but he seemed capable of picking up a cab two-handed with little to no effort.

Wrist-mounted blade

Ricky Dickinson (Earth-616)

Ricky Dickinson (Earth-616)

Ricky Dickinson

Ricky convinced Wyndell to testify against Bazin's empire, gaining the protection of the Witness Relocation Program. Bloodshed agreed, but only if he was given protection by Spider-Man as well[2].

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Marvel Cinematic Universe

Cliff Welsh

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Cliff Welsh was a flame compositor on Captain America: The First Avenger and The Avengers.

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Marvel Cinematic Universe

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Halfway Creek in Charles County MD

Halfway Creek - Physical Feature (Stream) in Charles County

Halfway Creek is a physical feature (stream) in Charles County. The primary coordinates for Halfway Creek places it within the MD 20662 ZIP Code delivery area.

In the Maps and Aerial Photos section below, you'll find links to: (1) Local area photos around Halfway Creek, (2) A listing of the nearest hotels to Halfway Creek and (3) Driving Directions to Halfway Creek from almost anywhere. The location of Halfway Creek is marked on an interactive map. The map can be searched by either business name or business category.

Halfway Creek - Maps, Driving Directions & Local Area Information

Feature Name: Halfway Creek
Category: Maryland physical, cultural and historic features
Feature Type: Physical
Class: Stream
County: Charles County
Latitude: 38.3720696
Longitude: -77.1677557
GNIS ID: 1677035
Camera Icon Photos of the local Charles County area

Neighborhood Data

Address Based Hyperlocal Data Input an address and get data & demographics for the pertinent census block group (CBG), a searchable map and a customized directory. The CBG is the smallest geographical unit used by the Census Bureau for reporting certain data.

Halfway Creek - Maps & Aerial Photos

Search the map for:
BIG Map | Driving Directions | Data Source - USGS GNIS ID: 1677035

Nearby Cities, Towns & CDPs

Fairview Beach, VA (5.1 miles SW)
Dahlgren, VA (7 miles ESE)
King George, VA (7.2 miles S)
Dahlgren Center CDP, VA (7.7 miles ESE)
Passapatanzy, VA (9.5 miles WSW)
Quantico, VA (12.5 miles NNW)
Port Tobacco Village town, MD (12.5 miles NE)
Quantico Base CDP, VA (13.2 miles NW)
Quantico Base CDP, VA (13.2 miles NW)
Aquia Harbour, VA (13.5 miles WNW)

Other Small Populated Places

Wellington Beach, MD (1.4 miles WSW)
Riverside, MD (1.4 miles NE)
Somerset Beach, VA (2.4 miles SSW)
Maryland Point, MD (2.7 miles NW)
Hickory Hill, MD (3.1 miles N)
Hampstead, VA (3.1 miles SSE)
Ambar, VA (3.4 miles S)
Berthaville, VA (3.6 miles SE)
Grayton, MD (4.1 miles NNW)
Owens, VA (4.9 miles ESE)


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Our Services

Along with full medical services and surgery, Ohio State Large Animal Services offers year-round, 24-hour emergency coverage. Individual animal care, ultrasound, endoscopic and radiology exams are also provided. Routine surgeries, exams and other procedures are usually performed on the farm, but in special cases, an animal can be hospitalized and cared for in our clinic.

Our practice is staffed with faculty veterinarians with extensive experience and knowledge of large animal medicine. The Marysville facility provides medical and surgical care for horses, dairy and beef cattle, pigs, camelids (alpacas and llamas), deer, and small ruminants (goats and sheep).

Please click on a species to learn more of the services that we provide.


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Drexel dragonThe Math ForumDonate to the Math Forum

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Drexel dragonThe Math ForumDonate to the Math Forum

The Math Forum Internet Mathematics Library

Robert Kaplinsky - Glenrock Consulting

Library Home || Full Table of Contents || Suggest a Link || Library Help

Visit this site: http://robertkaplinsky.com/

Author:Robert Kaplinsky
Description: Lessons consist of "The Challenge(s)," "Question(s) To Ask," "Consider This," and alignments to Common Core State Standards (CCSS): "How Can We Water All Of The Grass?" and "How Much Money Should Dr. Evil Demand?" and "How Did They Make Ms. Pac-Man?" and "How Many Stars Are There In The Universe?" and "Is Gas Cheaper With Cash Or Credit Card?" and "How Sharp Is The iPhone 5's Retina Display?" and "How Much Does The Paint On A Space Shuttle Weigh?" and "How Much Does The Aluminum Foil Prank Cost?" and "How Many Hot Dogs Did They Eat?!" and "How Fast Can You Throw A Baseball?" and more. Formerly a classroom teacher, district math teacher specialist, and University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) instructor, Kaplinsky now serves as Teacher Specialist in Mathematics for Downey Unified School District and Math Coach for a California Math and Science Partnership (CaMSP) grant. He believes teachers must "have rigorous expectations for how students should be able to express their math knowledge, as described in the CCSS for Mathematical Practice, incorporate problem-based learning as part of a balanced set of instructional strategies, increase engagement by using perplexing problems as often as possible." His consulting practice also offers CCSS integration, teacher questioning, lesson study, technology integration, and grant writing services.

Levels: Elementary, Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12)
Languages: English
Resource Types: Lesson Plans and Activities, Web-Based Discussions, Educational Vendors
Math Topics: Basic Algebra, Arithmetic/Early Math, Communicating Math, Polyhedra, Euclidean Plane Geometry, Pre-Calculus, Data Analysis, Probability, Statistics, Applications/Connections
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Q&A #309

How do you become a math teacher?

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From: Jennifer Clough
To: Teacher2Teacher Service
Date: Mar 18, 1998 at 20:59:08
Subject: How do you become a math teacher?

Hello, My name is Jennifer Clough and I am an eighth-grader in Lathrop, CA. I am wondering how many years of extra education you must have to become a teacher. Do you need more or less to become an 8th grade math teacher rather than just a regular teacher? Is there anything special you must do to do this? Please email me if you can answer any of these questions. Thank you.

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Online Spirograph

Math can be fun and here's the proof - Spirograph!

Over the past many years, a lot of people used and enjoyed our windows desktop based Spirograph application. But those who were not using a windows PC were disappointed not to be able to run this cool application. So, we decided to remove the dependency on a certain OS by creating an online version, which can be used on any device running a modern browser be that Mac, Linux or MS Windows. It can even be run on mobile phones and tablets!

Another cool thing is that we did not just create an online version, we created a better version, which is easier to use and understand. We have also made it very simple for you to clone existing spirograph patterns, share the new ones you create and also created an online gallery where you can view spirograph art created by the community and vote for the ones you like!

Create Spirograph    Spirograph Gallery

Spirograph to SVG (Spiro2SVG)

One of our friends has done a wonderful job by creating an SVG exporter for many Spirograph applications including Mathiversity's desktop spirograph software. This beutiful exporter is a real treat for the lovers of sprigraph and roulette patterns.

Visit Spiro2SVG

The Math Behind the Spirograph Toy

Read a most amusing essay by Chiron (one of our very kind users) that explains the workings of the Sprigoraph toy in a way that was never done before! No lucky visitor will miss reading it.

An Old, Inexhaustible Toy

New Version!

Spirograph (desktop) v- was released on April 23, 2015. Improvements include:

  • Fill colors (with transparency)
  • Two fill modes
  • High resolution export for designers

Hi Visitor!

Providing feedback is one way you can help this site become more useful for all of us. Let us know what you want most!

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April 8, 2007

Flatland: The Movies

Like shadows, the denizens of Flatland flit about freely on the surface of their two-dimensional world. All Flatland's inhabitants—straight lines, triangles, squares, pentagons, and other figures—are trapped in their planar geometry. They lack the power (and the imagination) to rise above or sink below the flat surface of their strictly limited realm.

That's the idea behind a remarkable book called Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions, written in 1884 by Edwin A. Abbott (1838–1926), the head of a school for boys in London. Conceived as a satire, this slim volume has long served as a gateway to the fourth dimension and beyond for many explorers of geometry.

Still available in a variety of editions, Flatland has attracted all sorts of attention over the years. Mathematician Thomas F. Banchoff of Brown University has looked extensively into Abbott's life and background, pursuing the question of how Abbott came to write this book. Banchoff himself provides some insights in the introduction to a Princeton University Press edition of Flatland.

Mathematician Ian Stewart of the University of Warwick produced not only an annotated edition of Flatland but also an entertaining sequel that he titled Flatterland: Like Flatland, Only More So.

Now, two teams of filmmakers have created colorful animated versions of Abbott's classic.

One production is the work of filmmakers Jeffrey Travis (director) and Seth Caplan (producer). About 30 minutes long, it features the voices of Martin Sheen (Arthur Square) and Kristen Bell (Square's granddaughter, Hex). The movie is slated to be part of an educational DVD that also includes the original text of the book, teacher notes, games, and quizzes. You can find out more about this production at http://www.flatlandthemovie.com/.

The movie will make its Mathematical Association of America debut in August at MathFest 2007 in San Jose, Calif. After the showing, Banchoff will lead a discussion about Flatland and its use in the classroom. Banchoff was on the film's advisory board, along with Jon Farley, Sarah Greenwald, and John Benson.

The second production comes from independent filmmaker Ladd Ehlinger Jr., of Huntsville, Ala. Working with Tom Whalen (writer) and Mark Slater (composer), Ehlinger created an 83-minute, wide-screen epic that fleshes out Abbott's tale into a dramatic political fable that hinges on the invasion of Flatland by three-dimensional beings. It echoes with commentary on racism, social rigidity, political manipulation, and challenges to accepted belief. For more details, including film clips and music samples, see http://www.flatlandthefilm.com/.

To be able to afford to bring his feature to film festivals and to the attention of film distributors, Ehlinger is currently selling a special "collector's edition" DVD of the production.

It'll be interesting to see what comes out of these ventures, but, whatever the result, the original Flatland is as accessible as ever—in print.

Flatland: The Movie.

Flatland: The Film.

Abbott, E.A. 2005. Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions, with an introduction by Thomas F. Banchoff. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.

______. 2002. The Annotated Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions, with introduction and notes by Ian Stewart. Cambridge, Mass.: Perseus.

______. 1992. Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions. Dover.

Banchoff, T.F. 1990. From Flatland to hypergraphics. Interdisciplinary Science Reviews 15(No. 4):364-372.

Peterson, I. 2000. Views from Flatland. Muse 4(October):26-27.

______. 2000. A stranger from Spaceland. MAA Online (Dec. 20).

The full text of Flatland is available at http://www.geom.uiuc.edu/~banchoff/Flatland/.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It is worth noting that Ehlinger does not charge inflated prices for educational use of his version of Flatland, unlike Caplan, who seems to think the big money can be found in the pockets of educators.


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Star-K Kosher Hot Dogs…at the Super Bowl

super-bowl-xlvii-in-the-superdome-in-new-orleansThe football season is just a few weeks old but already the Super Bowl is making news. Football fans that eat kosher will be able to purchase glatt kosher hot dogs and other food at Super Bowl XLVII in the Superdome  in New Orleans. The vendor will be Kosher Sports Inc., founded in 2003 and certified by the Star-K Kosher Certification.

Jonathan Katz, president of Kosher Sports, proudly stated that, “this is the first time there will be a glatt kosher food offering at the Pro Bowl or Super Bowl.” KSI is no stranger at big events, being the exclusive kosher caterers at many prominent sports stadiums and venues, such as the US Open Tennis Championships, Barclays Center, United Center, Oriole Park, American Airlines Arena, Ford Field, and Ravinia Music Festival.

But the Super Bowl won’t be the biggest event ever to offer kosher food. Hermolis Caterers of London provided close to 3,000 packaged meals for the athletes, staff, and journalists of the 2012 Summer Olympics. In addition, kosher sandwiches and hot meals for visitors were available from some vendors in the Olympic Park. Strikly Kosher, another sports caterer, offers Glatt Kosher fare at Yankee Stadium. Most of the stands at the sports arenas are also the convenient meeting areas for minyanim. In Yankee Stadium on most summer nights, it’s the seventh inning! For an even more exquisite game experience, they also offer private dining for suite owners, with an elaborate menu which includes a sushi bar, carving station, and fine napkin and silverware.

{ Newscenter}

  1. I hope the people who are popping the $$$ for Superbowl tickets and plane fare to New Orleans aren’t asking for tuition reductions. With all the financial challenges facing our community, the last thing we need is to be throwing money away on this sort of narishkeit. Unfortunately, there will probably be people there who want to eat kosher. I won’t be one of them.


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The Educational Opportunity Center at University of Hawaii Maui College is a federally-funded TRIO program that provides post-secondary educational information, financial aid resources, and career exploration to any Maui County adult interested in college but unsure of where to start. Our services are free and available on an individual, group, or outreach counseling basis.

Our Maui office is located at University of Hawaii Maui College, 310 Ka‘ahumanu Avenue, Kahului, HI, 96732. For personal assistance or for more information, call 984-3286. Our Moloka‘i office serves the island of Moloka‘i with locations at the Maui Community College Moloka‘i Education Center in Kaunakakai, Moloka‘i ( 553-4490 ext. 23) and at Moloka‘i High School.


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Essay What Would I Like to Invent

Rakitina Alyona

Nowadays science does not stand still and develops. Therefore there are a lot of new inventions like computers, cars, TV sets and others. But many things haven’t been invented yet. So I would like to invent a teleport. I want it looks like a tablet with a map. You should only choose the place where you want to go, press “Start” and it takes you there. Also there is a mini instruction which is attached to the device:

1. not to touch the device with wet hands

2. not to beat somebody by it because it can break

3. not to use it like a stand under the hot dishes

4. use the device only according applying

5. your hands must be clear when you use the gadget.

Teleport works like a splitter of molecules. You only transform into molecules then travel at the speed of light and transform into person again.

It is my dream to have my own teleport. Of course I understand that it can worsen our life because people will move less and it may cause a lot of problems with their health but I think it will be a very useful thing for anybody.


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Home > Lawrence C. Levine
Lawrence C. Levine

Lawrence Levine

Director, Summer Program in Salzburg
Professor of Law
B.A., Allegheny College
J.D., University of California, Hastings

Phone: 916.739.7155
My Email

Representative Scholarship

Tort Law and Practice (5th ed. 2016) (with Dominick Vetri, Joan E. Vogel & Ibrahim J. Gassama).

The Restatement of Gay (?), 79 Brooklyn L. Rev. 621 (2014) (with Prof. C. Joslin)

Understanding Torts (5d ed. LexisNexis 2013) (with John Diamond & M. Stuart Madden).

"Justice Kennedy's "Gay Agenda": Romer, Lawrence, and the Struggle for Marriage Equality," 44 McGeorge L. Rev. 1-30 (2013) (PDF file)

Tort Law and Practice (with Dominick Vetri et al., 4th ed. LexisNexis 2011).

An Assessment of the Law School Climate for GLBT Students, 58 J. Legal Educ. 214 (2008) (with Kelly Strader et al.).

Understanding Torts (with John Diamond & M. Stuart Madden, 3d ed. LexisNexis 2007).

Tort Law and Practice (with Dominick Vetri et al., 3d ed. LexisNexis 2006).

Courses: Torts, Sexual Orientation and the Law, Legal Profession

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Commodities Futures and Options Brokerage

Commodities Trading Brokerage

Moss Capital Management, Inc. is a full service brokerage and risk management firm specializing in metals, energy, grains, and softs and offering hedging strategies for producers and processors.

Futures Trading

At MCM we offer various ways to trade:

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Risk Management

Offering the expertise to formulate, construct, and implement simple or complex risk management strategies.

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Jan 11, 2010 05:55 PM


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The University of Texas Medical School at Houston
The University of Texas Medical School at HoustonThe University of Texas Medical School at Houston
The University of Texas Medical School at Houston
March 12, 2010 | from the Office of Dean Giuseppe Colasurdo

Distributed every other Friday via e-mail to all Medical School employees, students, residents, and postdoctoral fellows, UT 2 Me is Dean Giuseppe Colasurdo's update of news and items of interest. He also welcomes feedback via e-mail.

Well my calendar these days have been filled with strategic budget meetings. The word “budget” is perceived differently by everyone, and we are always mindful of the effect this word has on the morale of faculty and staff.

So far, we have reviewed the budgets of 14 Medical School departments, and each one takes a varied approach to our collective goal of long-term stability. From the bold approach of neurosurgery, the enthusiasm of anesthesiology and pathology, the solid reputation of dermatology, and the experience of emergency medicine, to the challenging nature of our "primary care" programs, the difficult payor mix of diagnostic and interventional imaging, and the highly organized structure of integrative biology and pharmacology, I appreciate the hard work and leadership of each of our departments. Someone told me the other day that “no one can be thanked enough.” And I believe this is true.

As we go forward in our budget planning for the new fiscal year, we are doing so with a 5 percent reduction in state funds. Even in these tough economic times, our Medical School and institution remain strong. UTHealth has posted a positive margin the last seven years, and our Medical School practice plan is projecting another positive margin this year thanks to your hard work, the support of our hospital partners, and the continued mindfulness of expenses and improving efficiencies.

In this climate, we must reward productive people who are helping us achieve our amazing milestones – educating our highest number of residents and students, marking our greatest improvement in the group practice, exceeding new faculty recruits by 400 in the last two years. These are outstanding accomplishments – and our good people who have done this work must be retained and recognized.

It was a chilly day when we opened the doors to the new Behavioral and Biomedical Sciences Building last month, but I understand that Dr. Jair Soares and his faculty are now moved in and content in their new home. Thanks to the generosity of Mrs. Evelyn Griffin, the Evelyn H. Griffin Stem Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory is now open, and Dr. Charles Cox will direct the regenerative medicine program in that facility.

You have probably read that in an effort to improve efficiencies and collaborations, President Kaiser announced a new reporting structure for the Institute of Molecular Medicine, moving it from the Office of the President to the Medical School, effective March 1. A town hall meeting with IMM faculty, Dr. Tom Caskey, President Kaiser, and the Medical School administration is planned for next week, where we will address the issues of tenure, research and clinical integration, opportunities for mentorship, and involvement in the educational program. The IMM is a successful institution, and I am confident that working together we will be able to greatly advance its long-term financial outlook. I want to reassure the IMM faculty that its goal and mission is unchanged, and Dr. Caskey’s model for innovative research is one in which we strongly believe.

I want to thank the Vaughans for inviting us into their lovely home Thursday evening as we enlarge the circle of friends of this institution.

The Friends of the Medical School were out in full force at a recent lunch at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, which featured Dr. Carmel Dyer describing her incredible aging center. I cannot thank Sally Harvin enough for her leadership developing this very successful program.

I always enjoy visiting with our faculty, and I had the chance to talk with Dr. Erik Wilson recently, who is an international leader in minimally invasive and bariatric surgery. He is incredibly productive – one of those faculty members who refuses to sit still. His contributions to the field are numerous  as demonstrated by his invited lectures at Duke, Cincinnati, and the country of Columbia combined with his recently published paper on robotic-assisted gastric bypass surgery. I am grateful for his leadership and innovation.

I also very much enjoyed meeting with Dr. Dong Kim and Dr. Roc Chen, a recently recruited faculty who has become a leader in the city for endovascular neurosurgery. Dr. Kim has a genuine interest in promoting his faculty's career development, and I am confident  Dr. Chen and his colleagues will provide significant contributions in the field of clinical neurosciences. It is inspiring to see a chair who cares about developing the career of young faculty, and I want to see a lot more of this.

Dr. Sheila Coogan, one of our outstanding cardiovascular surgeons, recently hosted an open house for her new clinic in the community. I applaud her sharing knowledge and serving a need beyond our TMC borders.

Recently, President Kaiser and I have had very productive meetings with our Memorial Hermann friends, Juanita Romans, Chuck Stokes, and Dan Wolterman. We have never had the support we have today from Memorial Hermann leadership, and we are grateful for this partnership.

President Kaiser and I also recently met with AAMC President Dr. Darrell Kirch to talk frankly about the current and future challenges of our academic health center, especially in light of uncertain “health reform.”

I am looking forward to a special student event hosted by Ralph and Becky O’Connor, which will help promote our need for student scholarships. We will have representation from the “old school” and “new school” of teaching to give us a talk – Dr. Red Duke and Dr. LaTanya Love.  I can’t wait to hear what they have to say. Speaking of Dr. Love, I would like to congratulate her on her new position as assistant dean for the newly combined Office of Admissions and Student Affairs.

UT System Chancellor Dr. Francisco Cigarroa and Executive Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs Dr. Ken Shine were among those on campus for a recent visit by the UT System. Although it was not easy to describe the tremendous progress of the Medical School in 15 minutes, I think our leadership felt the positive momentum and bold attitude of our people, and they always enjoy the fresh reports directly from the students.

Have a great weekend,

For archives of this newsletter, visit the Dean's Communications homepage.