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A Rickety Stairway to SQL Server Data Mining, Part 14.1: An Introduction to Plug-In Algorithms

by Steve Bolton

…………In my last post in this amateur series of self-tutorials on SQL Server Data Mining (SSDM), I got into a lengthy discussion of how neglected but powerful SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) stored procedures are. This is part of a larger pattern of under-utilization of some of the database server software’s most potent features, including the development of CLR objects to significantly extend the functionality of SSAS and T-SQL, as well as Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) and SSDM itself. SSDM can also be extended in a way that is not applicable to any other component of SQL Server, through the addition of new user-defined mining algorithms. Despite the fact that this gives SQL Server a distinct advantage over other database server mining software in one of the hottest, wide-open fields in computing, it also falls into the same category of neglected functionality. In recent years, this same set of features has also been neglected by some of the top brass at Microsoft, who don’t seem to appreciate just how powerful and well-designed these products really are, or how important they are for the software giant’s position in a segment of computing that is bound to be profitable and relevant for decades to come. The good news is that writing plug-in algorithms for SSDM is also comparable to SSAS stored procedures, in that they appear to more difficult to write than they really are.
…………The development process for a plug-in is by no means trivial, but should not be intimidating either. Most of the kinks in the process actually arise from the age of the SSDM architecture, which hasn’t been significantly updated since 2005. It is a mystery why the top brass at Microsoft has invested so few resources in extending the lead over its competitors provided by tools like MDX and SSDM, but the fact that they both remain at the pinnacle of analysis software eight years later is a testimony to how powerful and well-designed they are. The process for developing plug-ins really could use a makeover, but it’s still useable in its original form, with some adaptations for the .Net platform. The second programming language I learned (besides BASIC, which I used to write games on an old Compucolor II when I was 12) was C++, but I haven’t used it since the 1990s, when I learned to appreciate the simplicity of the Visual Basic syntax. Back in the days of the old COM architecture, I earned a Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD) certification in VB 6.0, but likewise abandoned COM for the simplicity and power of the .Net framework like most other Windows developers. I procrastinated in regard to writing plug-ins for far too long after reading that the architecture is based on C++ and COM, but thankfully, a .Net wrapper has been available for some time that greatly simplifies the process. There are some trade-offs in using the wrappers in place of COM, particularly in terms of “marshalling data between native C++ and managed code” and the inability of Analysis Services to manage the memory of .Net plug-ins in some circumstances. For those who cannot abide these slight performance penalties, or who have a masochistic or historical appreciation for C++ and COM, check out A Tutorial for Constructing a Plug-in Algorithm, written by Microsoft Data Mining Team members Max Chickering and Raman Iyer back in August 2004. I’ll confine my discussion of SSDM plug-ins to the wrapper classes written for .Net, which is superior to the practically obsolete COM architecture in many respects and much more adaptable to my own skill set.
…………Working with the wrapper classes requires a brief initial immersion with the C++ shells, however, which I will describe in this initial post in a four or five part series on SSDM plug-ins. Ideally, we would simply write plug-ins based on native classes within the .Net framework, but Microsoft has not yet upgraded SSDM in this way yet; this is just one of a wide range of enhancements that could be made to this long-neglected but powerful component of SQL Server, in order to establish long-term dominance of the data mining market for Microsoft. In the meantime, however, we must take a few preparatory steps that .Net coders aren’t normally accustomed to. Annoyances like this should not obscure the fact that adding to the nine algorithms included out-of-the-box with SSDM is incredibly useful. As mentioned in A Rickety Stairway to SQL Server Data Mining, Algorithm 7: Clustering, there are thousands of different clustering algorithms in use today, all of which could be implemented in SSDM. There are likewise innumerable variations on other SSDM algorithms we covered in previous tutorials, like Time Series, Neural Nets, Linear and Logistic Regression, Association Rules and Naïve Bayes – not to mention others like Kohonen nets that aren’t implemented at all. As I discussed in some of the introductory posts in this series, the statistical building blocks that these algorithms are built from can be combined, tweaked and rearranged in a practically infinite number of permutations that can be suited to the particular needs of any analytical project. The sky is the limit. New mining algorithms will probably still be being written a century from now, assuming mankind is still around. Because data mining can be applied to such an exceptionally wide range of problems, which mankind has no shortage of today, the field probably won’t reach the top of its bell curve of economic utility for many decades to come, unlike some of today’s hottest tech products, like current craze for tablet-sized devices. For this reason, extensibility is crucial to the data mining industry and products like SSDM in a way that it is not for some of Microsoft’s other software packages, like Visual Studio or SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). It is unlikely that data miners of the late 21st Century will still be using SSDM, but Microsoft could retain its head start in a field with a promising long-term future by properly maintaining and promoting SSDM.
…………Finding a comprehensive, up-to-date list of the companies that have developed algorithms with this plug-in architecture is next to impossible, but a cursory search of the Web through Google turns up such names as Comelio, Angoss and KXEN. This list is probably shorter than it ought to be for the simple reason that there just aren’t enough qualified people available yet to write algorithms for the practically infinite array of problems that mining software like SSDM can solve. The lucrative potential of the field is perhaps best illustrated by the fact that C. L. Curotto and N.F.F. Ebecken’s eight-year-old hardcover book Implementing Data Mining Algorithms in Microsoft SQL Server will set you back a whopping $214 if bought on today. Given that I’m an amateur who has yet to be paid to work in the field, I don’t have that kind of money. Fortunately, cheaper sources of information are available, such as Raman Iyer’s MSDN article Add Custom Data Mining Algorithms to SQL Server 2005 and Data Mining with Microsoft SQL Server 2008, the classic reference on SSDM written by former members of the DM Team like Jamie MacLennan, ZhaoHui Tang and Bogdan Crivat. Sources like these list some of the incalculable advantages of using SSDM the architecture rather than starting from scratch, since it integrates with the larger SQL Server and Windows environment to provide managements of security, transactions, backups and access through such tools as Excel, SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), Reporting Services and the Data Mining Expression (DMX) language processor in SSMS. There’s usually no sense in reinventing the wheel by implementing all of this out-of-the-box functionality yourself. Writing cutting edge algorithms is a high-level activity, which means the last thing you want to be bothered with is lower level architecture details like this, not to mention the painstaking care needed to work with C++ and COM. I’m a big fan of encapsulation of this kind; after all, the overwhelming advantage of computers as a whole is that they allow you to encode blueprints and then copy them effortlessly, thereby freeing users up to perform other tasks on top of those copies. When working with data mining software, however, it’s mandatory.
…………Because the top brass at Microsoft seems to have lost sight of this fact, they haven’t updated the code for SSDM plug-ins properly by providing a real .Net interface. That means we have to jump through a few hoops to build a plug-in with a managed code language like C# or Visual Basic, but the cost in terms of time and energy are inconsequential in comparison to the benefits of being able to write your own SSDM algorithms. Because there’s a relative shortage of SSDM tutorials written with VB, I’ll be creating a Visual Studio project in that language. Before we can get to that stage, however, it is necessary to compile the C++ shells into a .dll that our VB project can reference, otherwise the object model will be invalid. The very first step in the process of writing your own algorithm is to download the Data Mining Managed Plug-in Algorithm API for SQL Server 2005 from the Microsoft Download Center webpage Feature Pack for Microsoft SQL Server 2005 – April 2006. Keep track of the installation location. The first time I attempted to build a plug-in, I downloaded it to C:\Microsoft\Data Mining Managed Plug-in API\ but for this tutorial series, I set it to C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\Data Mining Plugin. The folder should have a structure identical to the one depicted in Figure 1:

Figure 1: The Structure of the Data Mining Managed Plug-In API Folder
Plugin Folder

…………The SQL Server Data Mining Managed Plug-In Algorithms Tutorial.doc file is a much more in-depth tutorial than the one I’m providing here, so it would be wise to consult it throughout your development process. I had to lean heavily on MacLennan, et al. to get me started, but after that I relied on this .doc file by Bogdan Crivat, a leading expert on SSDM who is now with Predixion Software. He goes into much greater detail about specialized scenarios and provides several lengthy demos, which are related to the code found in the topmost folder in Figure 1. Rather than rehashing what Bogdan wrote and ending up with a pale copy of his tutorials, I’ll be contributing separate mistutorials in VB that illustrate some of the pitfalls fellow amateurs may run into on their first attempts at writing a custom algorithm. The first mistake that I made was a costly one in terms of development time: I completely overlooked the SSDMPlugIn.chm file depicted in Figure 1, which describes the object model we’ll be working with in the next several blog posts. I wasted quite a bit of time trying to tease out the structure in Visual Studio through Intellisense and the Object Browser, so please, do yourself a favor and read both this Help file and Bogdan’s tutorial before writing your custom algorithm.
…………The kicker is that you can’t get to the point of writing your first lines of code for the algorithm without first compiling the Visual Studio solution file in the DMPluginWrapper folder into a .dll. There are 46 files related to this project in the root of this folder alone, most of which are C++ headers and .cpp documents needed for this shell project. I don’t know enough about the inner workings of the plug-in architecture to state why this extraneous step is necessary, although it would obviously be simpler if users could simply work with a precompiled DMPluginWrapper.dll file, especially one that it natively .Net-compliant. Compiling the project in Visual Studio is a fairly straightforward process that doesn’t take long though, unless you run into one of the following “gotchas” that I stumbled across. Problem #1 was an error at compilation time about a file named oledbm.h being missing. If you’re working with SQL Server 2005 you can probably find it in the C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\SDK\Include folder, or perhaps Program Files (x86). If not, it can be downloaded from this webpage at the website, which will require registration first. I put my copy in C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\SDK\Include, then added that directory to the Additional Include Directories under the Configuration Properties\C++\General tab, through the Project Properties window in Visual Studio. I’m not sure why dmalgo.h, msxml6.h are included in the same .zip file, but since they are was included in the same a set of bug fixes, I replaced those files with these versions in Data Mining Plugin\DMPluginWrapper as well with no ill effects.
…………After fixing this issue, I ran into Problem #2 on the next attempt at compilation: an error message including the text “C2065: ‘DMMVALUETYPE_INTERCEPT’: undeclared identifier.” To fix this, I added the line text “#define DMMVALUETYPE_INTERCEPT ( 11) ” to oledbm.h after “#define DMMVALUETYPE_NODE_UNIQUE_NAME ( 10 ).” Why I did this is a good question that even I really can’t answer. As I’ve said throughout this series, working with SSDM is sometimes akin to traveling on the starship Enterprise, because you’re “boldly going where no man has gone before.” The same is true of SSAS as a whole, which is why my series An Informal Compendium of SSAS Errors remains one of the few centralized sources of information on the planet for certain arcane Analysis Services bugs. In that series, I wrote about certain error messages that don’t seem to be documented anywhere, by anyone, but in this case I was fortunate to find a single helpful reference: a code sample I found at a somewhat anonymous ftp site that included this extra line. This was one of only two references on Google for the search term DMMVALUETYPE_INTERCEPT. I wasn’t even able to determine whose ftp site it was to give proper credit; I couldn’t even determine what its purpose was, other than what looked to be an inventory of someone’s hard drive. I can’t begin to explain why it worked, only that it did, which will have to do. For now, I will also have to settle for a similar workaround to Problem #3, which proved to be intractable but apparently irrelevant. On the next compilation attempt, I received “error MSB3073: The command “”C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v7.0A\Bin\gacutil.exe” /i “C:\Microsoft\Data Mining Managed Plug-in API\DMPluginWrapper\Debug\DMPluginWrapper.dll” /f: VCEnd” exited with code 1. C:\Program Files (x86)\MSBuild\Microsoft.Cpp\v4.0\Microsoft.CppCommon.targets 113.” The first workaround I applied was to restart Visual Studio with Administrator privileges as mentioned in the thread Error Code 1 When I Install an Assembly in GAC started in 2011 by the user starblue at It had no effect, but running the offending command in a prompt with elevated privileges led to the error: “Failure adding assembly to the cache: This assembly is built by a runtime newer than the currently loaded runtime and cannot be loaded.” This commonly occurs when there is a mismatch with the .Net framework version targeted by a C++ project, so I tried the solution mentioned on April 27, 2010 by Brian Muth at the MSDN webpage Trying to Change Targeted Framework in VS2010. Because the Unload Project command was greyed out in Visual Studio for some mysterious reason, I simply edited the project’s .vcproj file by hand, by adding the new node v2.0 under the node. This set the framework to .Net 2.0 but it apparently did not fix the problem, since I still received the following compilation error after reopening the project: “.NET Framework 2.0/3.0/3.5 target the v90 platform toolset. Please make sure that Visual Studio 2008 is installed on the machine.” I applied a solution I found at this webpage at the knowledge base, which involved changing the Platform Toolset from v90 to v100 on the Configuration Properties\General tab in the Project Properties. I also altered the Stdafx.h file by adding the line “#define _WIN32_WINNT 0×050” because it was unclear if the solution at the esri page called for it or not, but it led to multiple compiler warnings with the text “C4005: ‘_WIN32_WINNT’: macro redefinition.” After removing that alteration to Stdafx.h, the solution still didn’t do the trick. My next course of action was to follow a suggestion at starblue’s aforementioned thread and simply delete the offending command in the Configuration Properties\Build Events\Post-Build Events, which was listed as “”$(FrameworkSDKDir)Bin\gacutil.exe” /i “$(TargetPath)” /f.” After that the .dll compiled just fine. Perhaps there may be unforeseen consequences for not properly referencing the .dll in the Global Assembly Cache as the command is designed to do, but I have yet to encounter them while working on more other installments in this series of mistutorials.
…………After this step, it is a simple matter to create a new Visual Basic (or C# if that is your preference) project and set a reference to the DMPluginWrapper.dll you just compiled in the C++ shell project. As long as it compiles fine, the abstract classes we will derive from in next week’s tutorial will be recognized by Visual Studio. The object model really isn’t that difficult to work with, because we’re only deriving from four base classes: AlgorithmMetadataBase, AlgorithmBase, AlgorithmNavigationBase and ICaseProcessor. As we will discuss next week, the functionality embodied in the methods, properties and other members of these classes is relatively easy to follow, especially with Bogdan’s tutorial to act as a guide. The Shell folder depicted in Figure 1 even contains basic code samples for these classes in C#, which I easily converted to Visual Basic. I was a little rusty in deriving from abstract classes which slowed me down a little more, but I was up and running with a VB plugin project within a matter of minutes after debugging the DMPluginWrapper.dll compilation issues. Designing and implementing the algorithm itself was of course much more time-consuming and thought-intensive, as we shall discuss in the next installment in this series. The extra obstacles we had to hurdle in this post were trivial in comparison, but that is precisely why they could be eliminated; if the “meat and potatoes” of the problems we’re trying to solve are so difficult that they necessitate building custom algorithms, we really shouldn’t be wasting time peeling the potatoes too, so to speak. There are many overwhelming advantages to writing custom algorithms and we’ve already disposed of the most serious drawback, which is the lack of upgrades to the SSDM architecture. Like Analysis Services as a whole, SSDM merely needs a simple makeover to keep it viable for another eight years or more, through such modernizations as the development of native .Net plug-ins and the like. If the DM Team is given the resources it needs to add such enhancements, as well as better documentation and new out-of-the-box algorithms, there is no reason why Microsoft could not quickly become the industry leader in data mining. As with MDX, it is a testimony to how well the product is designed that it has held up so well for so long against its competition, despite years of relative neglect by Microsoft bosses who seem unduly obsessed with Tablet Panic. Hopefully they will recognize in time that computer technology is fanning out in two directions, one leading to miniaturized devices on one end of the spectrum and Big Data on the other. Microsoft entered the former market far too late to ever achieve dominance, but the latter will require Big Analysis software that the company doesn’t seem to know it already has.

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Displays Identity Column Values

By Robert Vallee,

Displays identity column values, number of rows in the table, and the difference between the two. The difference can indicate the amount of deletions that could be going on.

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Get size in bytes of SP, View, Trigger, UDF or Rul

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This UDF and its equivalent stored procedure will return the size of a stored procedure, view, rule or user defined function in bytes .

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art, research and play in creative interaction design

We had fun at this year’s SIGGRAPH in Downtown LA. We showed Glowing Pathfinder Bugs in the Art Gallery – it was interesting to present a sandpit at a heavily tech-led event, and seemed to go down well. We also presented a conference paper on the project, published in a special issue of Leonardo (vol 43, issue 4). And we did an artists’ talk.

More images here, and the project was also covered here by Core77.

Category: 3D interfaces, events, interfaces, Uncategorized

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National Weather Service Recognizes Maricao Municipality as StormReady®

                                                                                (All Photos Courtesy of Jose Alejandro)

(L to R) WFO San Juan WCM Rafael Mojica , OMME Diretor Pablo Ortiz , Maricao City Mayor Hon. Gilberto Perez , PREMA Zone 4 Director Alberto Trabal.

(Jan 22, 2011) -- National Weather Service officials have recognized the municipality of Maricao, Puerto Rico, as a StormReady® community. Maricao is the 6th municipality in Puerto Rico to be recognized as StormReady. With this designation, Maricao joins the ranks of other communities in Puerto Rico that have earned StormReady™ status such as Juncos, San Lorenzo, Dorado, Mayaguez, and Caguas.

The nationwide community preparedness program uses a grassroots approach to help communities develop plans to handle local severe weather and flooding threats. The program is voluntary and provides communities with clear-cut advice from the local National Weather Service forecast office and state and local emergency managers. The program began in 1999 with seven communities in the Tulsa area. Today, there are more than 1,460 StormReady communities.

To be recognized as StormReady, a community must establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center; have more than one way to receive severe weather forecasts and warnings and to alert the public; create a system that monitors local weather conditions; promote the importance of public readiness through community seminars; and, develop a formal hazardous weather plan, which includes training severe weather spotters and holding emergency exercises.

Disaster preparedness is everyone's responsibility. Educating yourself and your family on environmental hazards, maintaining a disaster supply kit, and having an emergency plan in place, are all proactive ways you can be better prepared.

The StormReady recognition expires in three years, after which the municipality will go through a renewal process. For more information on the National Weather Service's StormReady program, visit:

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SSP Librarian Focus Group expands to Chicago, to be held August 31

A must attend event for all publishers!  For years the immensely popular SSP Librarian Focus Group has been held in Washington, DC.  In order to broaden its reach, this event that continually sells out and delivers in depth perspectives on library environments and publisher relationships will be held August 31st at the newly constructed headquarters of the American College of Chest Physicians.  The esteemed panel will be ready for your questions. For more details Click Here.

SSP Video Interviews

Watch three short video interviews with scholarly publishing professionals talking about essential publishing skills, the future of the industry and the benefits of SSP. Read More.

Annual Meeting Recap: A Look Back at SSP’s 37th Annual Meeting

Publishers and vendors, freelancers and editors, all came to Arlington, Virginia, last month for SSP’s 37th Annual Meeting where the theme was “The New Big Picture: Connecting Diverse Perspectives”. Over several busy days more than 900 attendees and 150 speakers shared ideas, best practices, and the latest news in scholarly publishing. Read More.

Inaugural Regional Programming Lecture a Success in Boston

The Society for Scholarly Publishing closed out April at the American Meteorology Society (AMS) headquarters in Boston, where the first in a new series of regional programming events was held. Read More.

April Issue of Learned Publishing Just Posted

The April issue of Learned Publishing is now published, and we have some excellent articles looking at the promise (but possible let-down) of post-publication review. Read More.

SSP Announces Newly Elected Officer and Board Members for 2015–2016 Term

The results of the recent election are in! Join us in welcoming the members to the SSP Board of Directors. Read More.

SSP Announces 2015 Travel Grant Recipients

The Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP) announces the 13 recipients of funding available through the Society’s Travel Grant program. Read More.

View the New Publishing & Information Science Programs Listing in the Careers Section

The Professional Development Committee is pleased to offer a list of educational and certificate programs in publishing, information science, and related fields. Read More.

Send Us Your News: SSP Has a New Page for Career Announcements

To highlight what’s happening in our community, SSP has added a page to our website where members can share their latest career updates. Read More.

A new position has been added to the SSP Internship page. Read More.

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ST Life.augmented

STMicroelectronics Named a Thomson Reuters 2012 Top 100 Global Innovator

Geneva /
STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, was named a Thomson Reuters 2012 Top 100 Global Innovator this week, recognizing its achievements as one of the world’s most innovative companies. The program, an initiative of the IP Solutions business of Thomson Reuters, honors corporations and institutions around the world that are at the heart of innovation as measured by a series of proprietary patent-related metrics.
The Thomson Reuters 2012 Top 100 Global Innovator methodology is based on four principle criteria: overall patent volume, patent grant success rate, global reach of the portfolio and patent influence as evidenced by citations.
“Innovation in semiconductors creates value by dramatically improving people’s lives; its influence is seen everywhere, in all our daily activities: in smart consumer devices, healthcare and wellness applications, energy management and saving, as well as data security and protection. The opportunity for ST lies in managing our large portfolio of technologies and IP to continuously push limits and meet and anticipate market needs,” said Carlo Bozotti, President and CEO of STMicroelectronics. “With over 21,000 patents, its dedicated people working in R&D globally, and a structure that encourages the conception and implementation of innovative ideas, ST continues to break new ground, open new markets, and foster economic growth for itself and the world.”

The Thomson Reuters 2012 Top 100 Global Innovator peer-reviewed methodology was executed using the Thomson Reuters Derwent World Patents Index® (DWPI), Derwent Patents Citations Index™, Quadrilateral Patent Index™, and Thomson Innovation®, the IP and intelligence collaboration platform. Comparative financial analysis was done using the Thomson Reuters Advanced Analytics Deal-Making platform.

“Innovation is the foundation for economic prosperity and technological advancement,” said David Brown, managing director, Thomson Reuters IP Solutions. “We congratulate the Thomson Reuters 2012 Top 100 Global Innovator companies and their leaders for recognizing the important role innovation plays in the successes of today and of tomorrow.”

Thomson Reuters 2012 Top100 Global Innovators:
• Added 124,214 new jobs over their prior year employment figures
• Outperformed the S&P 500 by three percent in their market cap weighted average revenue (15 percent versus 12 percent)
• Spent four percent more on market cap weighted R&D than the S&P 500 (11 percent versus seven percent)
• Included academic institutions and government entities for the first time
• The semiconductor and electrical components industry continued to lead in 2012, with 18 representative companies, 29 percent more than in 2011

To view the full report on the Thomson Reuters 2012 Top 100 Global Innovator program, go to

About STMicroelectronics
ST is a global leader in the semiconductor market serving customers across the spectrum of sense and power technologies and multimedia convergence applications. From energy management and savings to trust and data security, from healthcare and wellness to smart consumer devices, in the home, car and office, at work and at play, ST is found everywhere microelectronics make a positive and innovative contribution to people's life. By getting more from technology to get more from life, ST stands for life.augmented.

In 2011, the Company’s net revenues were $9.73 billion. Further information on ST can be found at

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ST Life.augmented

Press Release

Invisible Bike Helmets from Hovding Rely on ST s Motion Sensors and Microcontrollers

State-of-the-art design and technology combine to make a difference in life

Geneva, Switzerland, and Malmö, Sweden /

Motion sensors and microcontrollers from STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, form the brain and senses of the airbag bicycle helmet invented by Hövding, a Swedish design house. The combination of innovative design and state-of-the-art electronics has produced market-unique safety equipment for cyclists in a novel form factor.

International studies show that bicycle helmets reduce injuries by at least 60%. Four in 10 people who die in cycling accidents would have survived had they been wearing a helmet. Despite these alarming statistics, the vast majority of cyclists do not wear helmets for different reasons: they find them bulky, impractical to carry around, or unflattering to wear 1.

The Hövding gear addresses both the safety and practical aspects of bicycle helmets. Unlike traditional skull shells, the ‘invisible‘ helmet is a collar worn around the neck with an airbag folded inside. In an accident, ST’s motion sensors pick up the abnormal movements of a cyclist and send a signal to the airbag, which inflates in a tenth of a second to form a hood that surrounds and protects nearly all of the cyclist’s head and neck, while leaving the field of vision open.

The integrated sensors in the collar detect both linear and angular motion in all three dimensions and recognize complex movements of the user with outstanding precision and speed. To determine an accident condition, the sensor system uses sophisticated algorithms defined from a database of specific movement patterns recorded during hundreds of simulated-accident and normal cycling situations.

The electronics in the Hövding helmet are managed by an STM32 microcontroller - a powerful, flexible and reliable control chip that makes sure everything functions reliably and on a minimal energy budget. Among the industry’s largest ARM Cortex M-based microcontroller families, ST’s STM32 comprises more than 300 devices with many different memory configurations, an extensive set of peripherals, outstanding power consumption, and the industry’s best development ecosystem.

“In life-saving applications, you should never compromise on the choice of underlying technology,” said Anna Haupt, founder and inventor, Hövding. “ST’s market–leading motion sensors and microcontrollers, with unbeatable performance and minimal power consumption were a perfect match to our exacting design needs. Encouraged by the successful cooperation, we are now exploring additional possibilities with ST for improvements in next-generation helmets.”

“The Hövding helmet is an excellent example of how state-of-the-art design and technology combine to make a positive contribution to people's life,” said Benedetto Vigna, Executive Vice President and General Manager Analog, MEMS and Sensors Group, STMicroelectronics. “Hövding’s decision to rely on our sensors and control chips confirms our industry leadership and enabling role in the development of innovative applications that put technologies in new contexts for the benefit of society.”

The Hövding helmets conform to EU safety regulations (CE-marked) and can be bought in Europe through

For further information on the Hövding helmets please see videos on

Hovdin logoAbout Hövding
Headquartered in Malmö, Sweden, Hövding is a nimble start-up company with unique design skills and R&D capabilities in manifold areas from mathematics to electrical engineering and airbag design. The company’s flagship product is the Hövding invisible bicycle helmet.

Further information can be found at

Click here for the high-resolution photo

About STMicroelectronics
ST is a global leader in the semiconductor market serving customers across the spectrum of sense and power technologies and multimedia convergence applications. From energy management and savings to trust and data security, from healthcare and wellness to smart consumer devices, in the home, car and office, at work and at play, ST is found everywhere microelectronics make a positive and innovative contribution to people's life. By getting more from technology to get more from life, ST stands for life.augmented.

In 2011, the Company’s net revenues were $9.73 billion. Further information on ST can be found at

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Anna Haupt
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Friday, July 03, 2015

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Angela Carella: At Stamford station, the state capitalizes on its asset

Updated 2:29 pm, Monday, July 15, 2013
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The state Department of Transportation's plan for replacing the commuter parking garage at the Stamford train station finally was revealed last week.

Train service is vital to the economic health of Stamford, so residents have been concerned about the state's plan, with good reason. The DOT is not simply replacing the dilapidated garage. The DOT has made a deal with a private developer to build some type of complex where the garage now stands and incorporate commuter parking into it.

The DOT says rebuilding a garage will cost the state too much money. To save money, and make some, the DOT has partnered with a private developer, identified Thursday as JHM Group of Companies.

The DOT can do what it wants. The state owns the land on Station Place and South State Street that is closest to the train platforms. The complex will include a new commuter garage to be built on South State Street and more commuter parking on privately owned land on Manhattan Street. The owners of the Manhattan Street parcel have agreed to sell it to JHM Group.

The new garages on South State Street and Manhattan Street will have a total of 1,100 parking spaces.

The crumbling 1985 commuter garage on Station Place with 727 spaces will be ripped down and replaced with a 600,000-square-foot office and hotel complex. The old garage has a 1,200-space addition, built in 2004, which will remain.

So, when all is complete, Stamford will gain 1,100 commuter parking spaces and lose 727 spaces for a net gain of 373 spaces. At the press conference Thursday, DOT officials did not address the list of commuters who are waiting for monthly parking passes at the train station. The list usually has about 1,000 names.

Details about the plan still are unclear. Still being negotiated, for example, is how many commuter spaces will be in the new South State Street garage and how many will be in the private development on Manhattan Street. City officials have a say only in what happens on Manhattan Street, since the state owns the other parcels.

Some things don't make sense for commuters, such as building an office and hotel complex -- not a parking garage -- directly across from the train station.

On its face, another aspect of the plan doesn't make sense -- having three garages instead of one. Anyone who has ever tried to park at the train station knows that traffic congestion is a big problem. Now commuters will have to drive from one garage to the next looking for a space?

DOT officials said electronic signs will notify commuters which garages have open spaces as they approach. We'll see how that works.

DOT Commissioner Jim Redeker said the new garages on South State Street and Manhattan Street will be linked to train platforms by covered pedestrian bridges, and parking there will be as close or closer than the existing garage.

That can't be, said Jim Cameron, chairman of the Connecticut Rail Commuter Council. The walk from the old garage now is about 150 feet, but the Manhattan Street garage is about a quarter-mile away, which is 1,320 feet, and the South State Street garage is about an eighth of a mile away, which is 660 feet.

So far the plan shows that one of the new garages will connect to the New Haven-bound platform and the other will connect to the New York-bound platform, Cameron said. Both garages should connect to both platforms, he said.

For months Stamford residents have questioned whether the DOT is more interested in making money from its land near the train station or in serving the needs of those who ride the trains.

It's not clear yet how the DOT will benefit financially from the $500 million development deal with JHM Group. But in a May 2 article, city Director of Economic Development Laure Aubuchon told The Advocate "people will pay a premium" for Class A office space near the Stamford train station.

Rental rates for buildings with a short walk to the station are among the highest in the city, and space isn't hard to fill.

Cushman & Wakefield reported that the overall vacancy rate for Class A office space in Stamford as of the second quarter of this year was 27.5 percent. But buildings near the train station do far better. Aubuchon named ones that are 95 percent and 100 percent occupied. The last six corporations that moved to Stamford were all by the train station, Aubuchon said.

And who owns property closer to the train station than the DOT?

Redeker Thursday acknowledged the concerns of Stamford residents who criticize the secrecy surrounding the project, which, even with the involvement of a private developer, is being built on public land with help from a public agency using $35 million in taxpayer money.

"This is the norm for these kinds of projects where we keep the very, very special ideas which are proprietary, and frankly worth a lot of money, confidential," Redeker said.

That's worrisome, Cameron said.

"Even if this project comes up with a glorious solution to the problem at the Stamford train station, the fact that there is no public information, no public input, is wrong," Cameron said. "The state owns the property at almost all the stations on the line. I'm afraid that the DOT can come into any town and do the same thing."

He has a point.

In lower Fairfield County, office buildings near train stations are often 90 percent occupied and better, Advocate reporter Richard Lee wrote in May. Rents often are double what they are even a mile away. In many cases, buildings that are not within walking distance of a train station are only half full, Lee reported.

To make the Stamford deal work, the state wants to close a 2,000-foot section of South State Street, which requires approval by the Board of Representatives. The board's Land Use and Urban Redevelopment Committee is set to consider the request at its 7 p.m. meeting July 23 in the fourth-floor Democratic Caucus Room at the Stamford Government Center, 888 Washington Blvd.

angela.carella@scni.com; (203) 964-2296.


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[Nameplate] Mostly Cloudy ~ 79°F
High: 81°F ~ Low: 67°F
Friday, July 3, 2015

Decorating 'Grandma's' is family affair

Sunday, December 12, 2004

Anna Glastetter, 90, poses in front of only a fraction of Christmas decorations outside her home. (Inset) Glastetter's granddaughter-in-law, Tonya Glastetter, and her son, Nicholas, check the sleigh.
NEW HAMBURG --When it comes to tackling the typically dreaded holiday task of hanging Christmas lights, most people either do it themselves or hire a professional.

But for 90-year-old Anna Glastetter of New Hamburg, she just relies on her family -- all 50-plus of them.

For over 25 years, some of Glastetter's children, 24 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren and their spouses have come together for a day, usually the weekend after Thanksgiving, to decorate the outside of her house and lawn.

The result? A remarkable display of holiday spirit -- and a family's love for "Grandma." And with Christmas just around the corner, Mrs. Glastetter is enjoying every minute of her holiday spectacle.

"This is what Grandma likes. She lives for it each year," said grandchild Tiffany King.

What started out as a few lights on the front porch years ago has evolved into at least 20 Christmas displays and thousands of twinkling lights. No one is really sure how many lights or displays are set up -- they quit counting years ago, family members have said.

From a Santa sleigh with a conveyor belt that rotates little bear Santas to a 70-year-old Nativity scene to the newest of holiday decor like the popular inflatable snowmen and the patriotic touch of an American flag, Glastetter's lawn, house, shop and surrounding areas are decked out with holiday cheer. To safely display decorations, a second electrical box was even installed years ago, King said. "And she still adds to it every year. Sometimes we just hide stuff upstairs so we don't have to use all of it," King laughed.

Few town residents and/or visitors will argue it's hard not to notice the glow at the south end of New Hamburg during the holiday season.

"She likes when she's sitting inside and sees cars slow down as they drive by (her house) to look at all the lights," Danny Joe Glastetter noted about his grandmother. "And some will turn around and drive back through to get a better look."

King credits her cousins, David and Danny Joe Glastetter, for being the foremen of the annual event. The brothers work in construction, and are also electricians, which comes in handy.

But David and Danny Joe Glastetter insist there's not any formal organization to the task, and there's no specific person who can receive more credit than others.

"To me, it's a family thing," said David Glastetter.

At any given time there's at least 30 people, ranging in ages 1 and up, can be found pitching in on the day decorations are put up; and throughout the course of the day there's 50 or more relatives who stop in to help with the decorating, King estimated.

"It's really more of a relaxing time than anything. It's not commercial; it's about getting the family together," David Glastetter said.

Glastetter's daughter, Vickie Eftink, agreed.

"It's great," Eftink said. "Every family is represented, and we can get together and it's kind of like having a reunion."

What she's no longer able to help do outdoors, Grandma makes up for it in the kitchen. Each year she makes pots of her homemade chili and chicken noodle soup for everyone.

A typical "lights hanging day" begins around 6 a.m. with a couple of people in the attic, where all of the decorations are stored, handing down decorations to two other people, who bring everything out to the front porch. Then the items are placed at their tentative locations, and everyone breaks to eat.

Eftink said everyone knows what they're supposed to do. "And it just happens and it just comes together," Eftink said.

After eating, around 5 p.m., the lights are plugged in and problems, if any, are fixed.

And with the flip of four light switches from inside a closet located inside her house, Glastetter can turn on all of her lights.

"She used to have to go outside and plug them in on the side of her house so one year we rewired it so she could do it from inside the house," David Glastetter explained.

Although there have been years with electrical glitches, cut light wires and stolen snowmen, the Glastetter family has managed to escape with no injuries.

"She'll do anything for any one of us, and if we can help her, then we will," commented Danny Joe Glastetter. "As long as Grandma wants us to do it, we'll keep doing it." While different lights and displays have come and gone (and some hidden) through the years, there are two items that must return each year: the Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus displays and the lighted star that hangs on the side of Grandma's house, Danny Joe Glastetter said.

"What's sad to us is we'd like to do more and have talked about making things more elaborate, but there's just never enough time to do it all," he said.

But Grandma seems pleased with her family's work. When asked which display was her favorite, Mrs. Glastetter replied: "Everything."

Mrs. Glastetter admitted seeing her family come together to put up Christmas lights for her makes her feel good. And with her German accent, she added: "It's a family affair."


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Friday, July 3, 2015

Charleston center signs with Moberly

Friday, April 25, 2003

Seated with Gant is his mother Hypagia Gant Davis. Standing from left are Moberly coach Pat Smith and Charleston coach Danny Farmer
(Photo by Lance Hanlin, Staff)
CHARLESTON -- Moberly Community College signed another local basketball player on Thursday, landing Charleston all-state center Kewain Gant.

"He was at the top of our list," said Moberly head coach Pat Smith. "He came in and played last week against our players, and our people in Moberly are already calling him the next junior college Tim Duncan."

The Greyhounds are hoping Gant can follow in the footsteps of former Moberly players Mitch Richmond, Bernard Day and Qyntel Woods.

"We've had a lot of good players here at Moberly," said Smith. "I really think Kewain has a chance to come in as a freshman and start for us. If he does that, there's a good chance in one or two years you will be watching him play on TV."

Gant led Charleston to a 28-4 record and a third place finish in the state playoffs this season. The 6-foot-8 senior averaged 15 points, 10 rebounds and seven blocks per game for the Bluejays.

"I think he's a steal," said Charleston head coach Danny Farmer. "He's pretty much a finesse player. He's real skilled with nice post moves, he's a great rebounder and a great shot blocker. I'm very pleased he is getting the opportunity to play at the next level. He's going to keep getting better."

Other schools that made offers to Gant included Missouri-Rolla, Westminster, UT-Martin and Three Rivers, a rival of Moberly.

"Two years ago, we were 30-7, finished fifth in the country and beat Three Rivers three times," said Smith. "This past year, they paid us back. We're hoping by getting Kewain, we kind of swing the pendulum back in our favor."

Gant will be teaming up with Sikeston all-stater Lontas McClinton, who signed with Moberly last week.


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[Nameplate] Mostly Cloudy ~ 79°F
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Friday, July 3, 2015

Thanksgiving pow-wow

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Photo by Jill Bock, Staff
The students at the Sikeston Kindergarten Center learned about the first Thanksgiving this week then had the opportunity to practice their Indian skills. The youngsters sang, danced, and drummed then shared a feast of popcorn and juice as part of their holiday celebration.

For more pictures and stories from the Standard Democrat, click here to log on to the electronic edition.


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Friday, July 3, 2015

Second use for holiday trees

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Real Christmas trees are recycled to help environment

SIKESTON --Those who decorate with real Christmas trees during the holidays have a valuable conservation asset that can have a positive impact well beyond the holidays.

For the complete article and more stories from the Standard Democrat, click here to log on to the electronic edition.


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Friday, July 03, 2015
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Rock Roll and Remember (Medley)
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Rock Roll and Remember (Medley)

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Voicing/Format Accompaniment/Performance CD
Arranger Roger Emerson
Publisher Hal Leonard Publishing Corp
Catalog # 00102486

Price: $69.99

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Rock Roll and Remember (Medley) Arranged by Roger Emerson. For Accompaniment/Performance CD. Published by Hal Leonard Publishing Corp. (Catalog # 00102486, UPC: 884088672331)

Dick Clark and American Bandstand chronicled over three decades of American Rock & Roll music and shaped pop culture history for generations of fans. This 18-minute medley highlights some of the greatest memories in a fast-paced retrospective that will appeal to every audience! In four sections, it is easily adaptable for a variety of performance options and includes choreography by John Jacobson. Songs include: Bandstand Boogie; Rock Around the Clock; That'll Be the Day; Smoke Gets in Your Eyes; La Bamba; The Twist; I Get Around; I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch); I'm a Believer; For Once in My Life; Bad, Bad Leroy Brown; ABC; Last Dance; Jump (For My Love); We Built This City; Auld Lang Syne. Available separately: SATB, SAB, 2-Part, ShowTrax CD. Combo parts available digitally (tpt 1, tpt 2, tsx, tbn, syn 1, syn 2, gtrs, bass, dm, perc, picc). Duration: ca. 19:30.

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Stanton's Jukebox is a specialized "wish list" that allows directors to research purchases, arrange concert programs, create personalized URLs, compare scores study and forward playlists to your students.


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Andy B 6th May 2008 03:52 AM

Footstraps 2004 carve
Is it possible to get a set of footstrap for 2004 carve (blue and black.) It is not the full strap that is required it is only the outer velcro cover which has worn through on the corners.

Cheers for any suggestions that can be offered.

Andy B 7th May 2008 07:09 PM

Andy B 19th May 2008 05:30 AM

Come on folks, still struggling to find replacement strap outers, can you buy them, it seems a shame if you cann't??

Ellen Faller 19th May 2008 08:28 AM

Hi Andy,
Where are you? I might have one or 2, but the full footstrap.

Andy B 19th May 2008 05:38 PM

Ellen I have PM you with my details thanks for offer.

Regards Andy B

Ellen Faller 29th May 2008 08:27 AM

I have replied to you via PM several times but have not heard back from you. I have one blue footstrap, but 2 similar black ones. I can send photos, but need an email address in order to do so. Please check the PM messages.

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rc01 9th November 2009 12:35 AM

Kode 103 or 94

I am looking to replace my 2004 Carve 111 with a Kode 103 or 94. I am an advanced sailor, 77kg, sail on freshwater lakes and am looking for a board to use for bump and jump with my 4.7 and 5.8 sails. Looking at the specs I would think that the 94 would be the choice but sailing in freshwater, super gusty/holey conditions with lower volume has me a little concerned. I wonder if I would be better off with the 103 and just use a smaller fin for the few days a year I sail the 4.7? Any thoughts would be appreciated very much. Thanks, RC

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Troop 131 Eagle Project Fundraiser

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Friday, July 3, 2015

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State lawmakers still at odds on minimum wage

By Cathy Bussewitz

Associated Press

LAST UPDATED: 8:47 p.m. HST, Apr 17, 2014

State House members put forward a new minimum wage plan Thursday that would allow most employers in the state to take a longer time to increase wages.

In the new proposal presented to a conference committee of Senate and House members, employers with fewer than 100 employees — most employers in the state — would not have to pay $10 an hour until 2019, phasing in the increase over five years.

"It's a step backward," said Democratic Sen. Clayton Hee, chairman of the Senate contingent of the conference committee.

The Senate had wanted to increase the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour in three years, but the House had proposed raising it to $10 an hour over four years. Lawmakers from both chambers are now hashing out the differences in a conference committee. The latest proposal was drafted by the House members on that committee.

Representatives on the House side did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Hee said 10 cents per hour can make a difference for a single mom. It adds up to the price of a gallon of milk if she works eight hours a day for two weeks.

"That's why 10 cents is important," Hee said. "If it's unimportant to others, then we should provide for that 10 cents."

The minimum wage has been $7.25 per hour since 2007.

Business groups said the proposal would harm the economy and slow job creation.

Under the new proposal, the tip credit, which would allow employers to pay tipped workers 25 cents to 75 cents less than the minimum wage, remained essentially the same as the last draft of the bill. But senators did not want to include a tip credit, which would kick in if an employee's hourly wages and tips generated $7 more than the minimum wage at the time.

Senate members plan to make a counterproposal when the committee meets again Monday, Hee said.

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UNCW Sports - Seahawk women nip Northeastern

Published: Sunday, March 10, 2013 at 12:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, March 10, 2013 at 12:23 a.m.

BOSTON | Senior guard Tawanna Lee poured in a career-high 23 points and dished out seven assists to lead the UNCW women's basketball team to a 68-64 victory over Northeastern in a Colonial Athletic Association game.

Playing their final game of the regular season, the Seahawks improved to 4-25 overall and 3-15 in the CAA as they ended a five-game losing skid. The Huskies moved to 17-12 and 10-8 with the setback.

In other UNCW sports

No. 20 Clemson rallied from an early deficit with five singles victories to beat UNCW 5-2 in the first meeting between the two schools in men's tennis at the Hoke Sloan Tennis Center. ... Meena Reid and Clarissa Perkins broke their own school records in the 100 meters and shot put to lead the UNCW women's track team to a convincing win at the UNCW Seahawks Invitational at the Greene Track & Field Complex. The Seahawks posted a sweep of the meet as the men also claimed the meet championship. ... Josh Woodfox carded an even-par 71 to move into the top 20 on Saturday for the men's golf team as they dropped back into 10th overall entering the final round on Sunday at Brandon Dunes in Oregon.

- From staff reports

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Patio Playground a colorful, challenging course

Published: Thursday, July 18, 2013 at 2:15 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, July 18, 2013 at 2:15 p.m.

Ever since 1955 – the year after Hurricane Hazel ravaged Southeastern North Carolina's beaches – the miniature golf course Patio Playground has entertained pleasure seekers in Topsail Beach with its gently challenging greens.

What: Patio Playground
Location: 807 S. Anderson Blvd., Topsail Beach
Hours: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. daily through Labor Day
Prices: $7 adults, $5.50 for children 9 and under
Details: 328-6491

Located mere yards from the Atlantic Ocean near the Jolly Roger fishing pier (its sea-level altitude can turn the holes on some greens into mini-swimming pools after a heavy rain), this place can get packed on the weekends. Heaven forbid you wind up behind a large youth group from a local church; you might be there all night.

There are far worse places to wile away the hours, of course. After your mini-golf round, check out the arcade or get a scoop of ice cream.

The course: The crazy, everything-goes color scheme might make your eyes water, but there's something undeniably charming about this place, which is bounded on its southern end by a small, raised garden. Wooden paintings of dolphins, turtles and other sea creatures simultaneously provide decorations and obstacles. Even so, you shouldn't have trouble getting your two-par on most holes. Still, there are two or three greens certain to bedevil most mini-golfers, leading to the dreaded score of "6," the highest you can get for a hole.

Level of difficulty: Easy and difficult.

Par: 38 (there are two par-three holes)

Easiest hole: Lots of competition here.

Toughest hole: Probably No. 18, which is short in length but requires you to hit the ball just right. The tee mat is at the bottom of a steep incline, and the hole is guarded by a horizontal wooden barrier and a net at the top of the hill. Hit it too soft, and your ball will roll right back to you. Hit too hard and it'll ricochet off the wooden barrier or get caught by the net. Only the perfect speed will shoot the ball up and through. If you can do it, it's an easy par, or, with luck, a hole in one, which will win you a free game.

Coolest hole: Hole No. 10, which has a metal loop-the-loop that's more fun to hit your ball through than seems possible, yet there it is.

John Staton: 343-2343

Twitter: @Statonator

Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.

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Beatrice Dalle

Home > Actresses > D > Dalle, Beatrice

Birth Name: Beatrice Dalle
Born: 12/19/1964
Birth Place: Le Mans, Sarthe, FR

A popular French boxoffice attraction who came to international prominence in her film debut as the enticing, impulsive title character of "Betty Blue" (1986), Dalle also starred in Marco Bellochio's 1988 study of witchcraft, "La Sorciere". She also has been featured as a blind woman in the Paris segment of Jim Jarmusch's Night on Earth" (1991), appeared as con woman involved with a gypsy in Claude Lelouche's "La Belle Historie" (1992) and co-starred with Anne Parillaud in "Six Days, Six Nights" (1994), Diane Kurys' dark tale of sibling rivalry.

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Now You Can Beat Donald Trump With A Big Stick!

TV on DVD: 'Covert Affairs: Season 1'

Brittany Frederick Brittany Frederick
June 2nd, 2011 5:00pm EDT

As USA's Covert Affairs prepares for its second season next week (June 7), Universal Studios Home Entertainment has released season one onto DVD in an eleven-episode, three-disc set. Here's my review.

Covert Affairs

The Show

Someone once described Covert Affairs to me as "Alias lite." And it does remind me of Alias, before things like time jumps and secret half-siblings. That's not a good thing, though, as I didn't like Alias. So, too, must I admit that I don't care for Covert Affairs. It's the first USA show that I'd qualify as an outright miss.

The premise of the show is thus: would-be spy Annie Walker (Coyote Ugly's Piper Perabo) is plucked from her training and thrown into active duty. She's got the help of her colleague Auggie Anderson (the terribly underappreciated Christopher Gorham, who will always be Dr. Miles McCabe from Medical Investigation to me), and works under the watchful eye of veteran spies Joan and Arthur Campbell (Leverage's Kari Matchett and The O.C.'s Peter Gallagher). The required sexual tension comes in the form of Jai (Heroes star Sendhil Ramamurthy), whom Arthur has ordered to gain Annie's trust. There's also the one person who's not in the know - in this case, Annie's sister Danielle (House's Anne Dudek).

And there's just something way too cute about all of it.

Covert Affairs never really rings true to me; it feels like TV's interpretation of what a female-centered spy show should be, rather than a serious go at the idea. I don't buy Perabo as someone who'd be a CIA recruit, let alone someone to be taken seriously as an agent in the field, regardless of her character's sudden promotion. Many of the other actors have done better work elsewhere. The best of the bunch is Gorham; no matter what his role on a show he finds something to do with it, and this is no exception. If anything, the challenge of playing a blind yet talented agent should raise his profile. Blind but not any less talented (or written as such), his character is the most unique and as a result, the character that stands out.

My bigger issues are with the writing. I'm not sure when or how this happened, but the phrase "girl power" on TV has come to place style over substance - and Covert Affairs is an example of that. Mixing cute with butt-kicking does not a strong female character make, or a TV show for that matter. To borrow a phrase from another colleague, the show takes "candy coated fun to saccharine levels." I would be fine with this if Covert Affairs presented itself as purely fun, but it wants us to take its drama seriously, and I just can't do that. And there's the separate matter of the inclusion of an overall mythology involving Annie's ex-boyfriend and what the CIA wants with him. Particularly amongst USA shows, it seems every series has to have some sort of ongoing subplot...and it's not always necessary. This is one of those shows that could have gotten on without it.

Admittedly, I have higher standards than most for my spy shows, given my own background, but in my book, Covert Affairs just doesn't make the grade.

The DVDs

This DVD release is pretty much like that for Royal Pains: Season 2, which was available on the same day. You get one cardboard slipcover (using season one's promo artwork for the front of the box), with three plastic cases each including one disc. There's no booklet, but the episode and special feature information is included on the back of each case. Unsurprisingly, I have the same nitpick about this set that I did about the Royal Pains set: while at least this set has packaging that tells you which episodes the commentaries are on, it still doesn't tell you who's on them - you'll have to access the commentary option through the special features menu to find out. (Like Royal Pains it's generally the same group of people on all the tracks so once you've done this the first time, you don't need to do it again.)

The menus are easy to navigate and there are no forced trailers. There's a "play all" option but no scene selection. Video is 1:78:1 widescreen, and I'd say it's comparable to watching the show on USA HD when it aired. This is a good transfer, and fans should feel comfortable deleting their DVR recordings.

I'm disappointed to report that like Royal Pains, Covert Affairs only supports English. There's an English Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 audio track and English SDH subtitles, but no other languages, and again not all bonus features are subtitled. The set gains back some brownie points, however, for the considerate inclusion of Descriptive Video Service (DVS), which is a descriptive narration for blind viewers. That's a really nice the same time it unintentionally highlights the shortcomings of the subtitles.

The Special Features

A decent selection of special features here; not outstanding, but better than some sets. I appreciate how the studio gave us some great material to go with the character of Auggie - not just an interesting featurette about how it works within the show, but a PSA as well. Here's what's on the set.

Deleted Scenes: The usual assortment of snippets that didn't make broadcast.

Gag Reel: Who doesn't love to see other people screw up? This one is funnier than the one for Royal Pains in my opinion.

Commentaries: There are three - on "Pilot," "Communication Breakdown" and "When The Levee Breaks." It's a mix of cast and crew; you'll hear Perabo and Gorham as well as producers and the show's creators. As Perabo and Gorham are really the heart of the show, I don't mind the absence of the other actors as much as I would with other series. Not the best commentary I've ever heard but worth a listen.

Featurettes: "Welcome To The Farm" is your standard making-of. Much more interesting (to me, anyway) is "Blind Insight," which is a little piece where Gorham and Perabo discuss the character of Auggie and how his blindness plays into the show. I wish this would have been longer, because it did pique my interest.

The Bottom Line

Covert Affairs: Season One is an average DVD set for a below-average series, and at $35.99 (as of this writing), it's a bit pricier than some box sets out there. While fans of the show will enjoy a decent selection of special features, I honestly can't recommend this as a blind buy. If you really want to know about being a CIA trainee, pick up the book Class 11 by T.J. Waters; it's one man's real story that's much more entertaining.

Purchase Covert Affairs: Season One at Amazon.

© 2011
Photo Credits: USA

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Now You Can Beat Donald Trump With A Big Stick!

'Monk' Recap: 100th Episode Was Worth Watching

Dee Doyle Dee Doyle
September 8th, 2008 10:51am EDT
MonkOne hundred episodes of "Monk" have been aired, and the special 100th episode may have been one of the very best. Loaded with guest stars, a unique set of cases, and nostalgic reminders of the past, "Mr. Monk's 100th Case" showcased the best of its writers and actors. Here's to another 100 cases, Mr. Monk!

The episode surrounds the story that a television news magazine has done on Adrian Monk. His 100th case was a serial killer murdering actresses in San Francisco, and to mark this event the show "In Focus" does a piece on Monk. They follow him around the crime scenes and interview his friends, family, and some colorful characters from his past. James Novak is the host of the show, played by the smarmy Eric McCormack, and he invites everyone to his house for a party while the show is broadcasted. Captain Stottlemeyer keeps changing the channel to a basketball game, Randy shows off his new girlfriend who plays victims on television, and Natalie tries to get Monk to join the party.

The fans are reintroduced to Monk in a way, since the show goes over his past again with his father's abandonment and Trudy's tragic death. If any newcomer to the show wanted an episode which would sum up the series for them, this would be it. The interviews include his awkward brother Ambrose (John Turturro), rival Harold Krenshaw (Tim Bagley), biggest fan Marci Maven (Sarah Silverman), and various appearances from the criminals he has put into jail. There is a hilarious scene where three of them compliment one another on their genius plans and yet curse Monk for somehow figuring it all out.

Back to the 100th case, three young actresses are strangled to death and their lipsticks are stolen. They figure out that two of the girls worked in the same restaurant and get information from the cheesy vampire host there, but the third girl did not. Monk realizes their connection when he notes that all three head photographs were taken by the same man, and he is taken in for questioning. They release him, and he disappears. The police search his studio and find plenty of evidence to secure him as the murderer, and they find another murdered girl. He is finally found but has committed suicide.

Something is troubling Monk about the case, and it involves the last murder. He does not think she was one of the photographer's victims but a copy cat murderer. This person had to be working with the police themselves, since details of the serial killer were not let out, and that means it was probably one of the television crew members. Who could it be? Well, as Natalie points out, the killer was stupid trying to get away with a crime right under Adrian Monk's nose!

This was an absolutely delightful episode that reminded fans why they love this show and this character. Monk has had a very difficult journey, and to see it all at once makes the tragedy of his life that much clearer. Still, the television episode also reminded him how many good people he has in his life, and that even his enemies respect him. The one guest star that should have showed up was Bitty Schram, a.k.a. Sharona Fleming, Monk's first nurse. Traylor Howard has done a great job as Natalie, but in such a memorable episode it would have been great for Sharona to show up. On the official website there is a video with the cast celebrating the 100th episode, and it is worth watching.

This Friday is the season finale of "Monk." Wow, season seven was short! Monk tries hypnosis as a form of therapy, and ends up reverting to the mind of a child. In the clips being shown, he does not seem very different. Catch it on USA at 9 pm EST!

Dee Doyle
Story by Chelsea 'Dee' Doyle
Starpulse contributing writer

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Origin: name unknown. The name of a human male Volan III settler on the colony's council who was among those arguing with Evek about the attacks on the Federation Merchant Ship when Commander Sisko and Dukat showed up and fellow colonist Bill Samuels was revealed to have died in Cardassian hands. Amaros was later in the party that kidnapped Dukat from Deep Space Nine and among those interrogating the Gul when Commander Sisko's group came in and Constable Odo captured him. Yet, in the end, Amaros was released to let Hudson know Commander Sisko was willing to let him come back. His council meeting was also later interrupted by Commander Sisko. Though he had some flight experience and joined Hudson in one of the two existing Maquis fighter crafts, Sisko did not share Hudson's resolve under fire.

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Simon Cowell Regretting Hiring Britney Spears For X-Factor?

After Britney Spears’ “walk off” or “short break” (depending who you talk to) during the first day of auditions for ‘The X Factor,’ is Simon Cowell questioning the decision to hire the pop superstar as a judge?

Britney has brushed off the rumors that she walked out on the show, citing that she just needed a short break and adding that she was having the time of her life.  But when it comes to her judging style, some are questioning the decision to pay her $15 million for her first season on the panel.

A witness close to the show  tells Us Magazine  that while other judges, Simon Cowell, L.A. Reid, and Demi Lovato,  critiqued contestants based on their ability, Britney “always said nice things, even telling one mediocre singer he could be ‘bigger than Justin Bieber.’ adding that “Simon was shocked!”

Another X Factor insider countered that statement to the mag, saying, “Simon doesn’t regret hiring Britney, and as a judge, she had strong opinions,’ the first source cautions, “I don’t know how she’s going to handle the live shows!”

From a ratings standpoint there’s no way you can question having one of the biggest names in the biz on the panel.   Even Paula Abdul’s soft critiquing lasted 8 years on American Idol, however it wasn’t without much criticism.

The X-Factor premieres this Summer on FOX, and it will be interesting to see Britney in action.

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st: AW: help with installing ado files

From   "Martin Weiss" <>
To   <>
Subject   st: AW: help with installing ado files
Date   Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:56:24 +0200

ssc d egenmore

in your machine that is connected: You have to transfer _all_ the files that
you see there. In your case, you are missing a Mata function that is hidden
somewhere in those files...

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
[] Im Auftrag von
Gesendet: Dienstag, 30. Juni 2009 19:38
Betreff: st: help with installing ado files

I have one computer that is not connected to the internet. To install the
'egenmore' package, I downloaded the new ado files to my computer that is
connected to the internet and then copied those ado files to my secure
machine. Unfortunately, when I try to run the 'rowmedian' command I get the
following error:

rowmedian(): 3499 _sort not found

I've tried replacing all of the ado files (base, update, personal, plus) all
to no avail.

Any advice is appreciated.

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st: one-sided F test for multiple coefficients

From   Chung Choe <>
To   "" <>
Subject   st: one-sided F test for multiple coefficients
Date   Thu, 23 Dec 2010 21:19:54 +0100

Hi Statalisters:

When running wage regressions, I include a set of explanatory variables (X1, X2, and X3) along with other control variables. Suppose that the coefficients associated with those variables are b1, b2, and b3.

In my specific case, the coefficients are supposed to be negative and it turns out that many of them are so. I'd like to conduct a formal test to show the estimates are negative.

I would want to set up a null hypothesis as follows:

H0: b1>=0, b2>=0, and b3>=0.

Hence if I reject the null, I could conclude that a set of X variables is negatively associated with wages.

First, I wonder if it's correct to apply F-test to this case.
Second, how do we implement this test in Stata?

Many thanks,

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st: generating grouped relative survival estimates from stpm2

From   Tim Evans <>
To   "''" <>
Subject   st: generating grouped relative survival estimates from stpm2
Date   Thu, 9 Jun 2011 17:07:16 +0100

Hi all

I was hoping someone had had experience of estimating relative survival from stpm2. I am trying to take account of case mix by hospital and I can do this sort of ok, but what I need to do is extract the % relative survival as a result of correcting for certain factors.

My current unadjusted model is this:

hosp1, hosp2, hosp3 hosp4 include binary variables that state whether a case belongs to that hospital or not and I have 4 hospitals

stpm2 hosp2 hosp3 hosp4, scale(hazard) df(5) tvc(hosp2 hosp3 hosp4) dftvc(3)
range temptime 0 5 200
predict rs1, survival timevar(temptime) zeros ci

predict rs2, survival timevar(temptime) at(hosp2 1) zeros ci

predict rs3, survival timevar(temptime) at(hosp3 1) zeros ci

predict rs4, survival timevar(temptime) at(hosp4 1) zeros ci

What I would to do is collapse the data to obtain the grouped 1 year survival for each hospital. After I get this working, I can start to add other variables into the model.

This is my first time on here, so apologies for any lack of information.

Dr T Evans
Cancer Registration Information Manager

West Midlands Cancer Intelligence Unit
Public Health Building
University of Birmingham
B15 2TT
Tel: 0121 414 4274

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Posts Tagged ‘Feather River Canyon’

Travel the Feather River Canyon by Train

Wednesday, May 14th, 2014

Have you ever wanted to relive a little bit of history?

Keddie Train 50'sThis is your chance to join Trains & Travel for an unforgettable experience of riding a private charter train up the scenic Feather River and take part in the fun of the 32nd annual Portola Railroad Days.

The special charted train trip starts in Emeryville and will stop to pick-up passengers in Martinez, Davis, Sacramento and Oroville.  Departing eastbound from the Bay Area the train runs on the former Southern Pacific Route along water’s edge of the San Francisco Bay with breathtaking views of the Golden Gate Bridge. After the last pick-up in Oroville the rail line starts the climb in the High Sierra running around Lake Oroville and at one point you will travel over Lake Oroville on the West Branch and then travel through a series of tunnels running under Big Bend Mountain. Once the train reaches the lower region of the Feather River Canyon you will travel 91 miles  through three different regions of the rugged Feather River Canyon.  A number of PG&E hydro dams and powerhouses can be seen from the train. You will pass through a total of 32 tunnels as the train makes it journey from Emeryville to Portola. You will cross the Pulga and Tobin stacked bridges.

Six miles west of Quincy begins a stretch of railroad tracks referred to as the 7 Wonders of the Railroad World.  You will travel over 6 of these wonders between Keddie and Portola.

The first if referred as the “Keddie Wye”.  It is the only railroad wye in the world with two legs on bridges and a closing track in a tunnel.  The next is the Keddie yard, here two trains passing each other in opposite directions are both actually moving eastward.  East of Quincy is “Williams Loop” , the railroad track makes a continuous one mile loop to gain altitude.  The track crosses over itself to gain the necessary elevation required.  Long trains actually cross over themselves.  You will cross the Clio Trestle which is a breathtaking structure at 172 feet in height and 1,005 feet long.

You may choose to ride the train one-way or round trip.  This route is basically a freight only line now and seldom sees a passenger train.  It is very possible that this will be the last year that Trains and Travel will be offering this specific train trip due to costs.  The company is offering several different classes of tickets and lengths of trip to meet varying budgets.

 The second day of the trip you can spend at the Portola Railroad Days, starting with the Golden Spike Parade.  The passenger train will depart Portola at 2:00pm for the 40 mile journey down the Feather River Canyon to Keddie where it will turn  around on the famous Keddie Wye and Spanish Creek Bridge.

 Day three you board the train for a return trip down the Feather River Canyon and back to the bay area.

 For  more complete details on pricing, departure times, meals, lodging and transfers please visit Train & Travel’s website.  Train & Travel also offer other excursions all over the world.

 For more details on the Portola Railroad Festival please visit their website.  The Feather River Rail Society was founded in 1983 with a goal to preserve the memories and significant equipment from the 100 year history of the Western Pacific Railroad.

 The Western Pacific Railroad Museum now has one of the best collections of early diesel locomotives in the U.S.  Train rides in cabooses and vista flat cars are available on weekends during the summer and with special arrangements you can even drive a locomotive.  The Railroad Museum can be reached at 530-832-4131 or

2nd Annual Tehama Trail Passport Weekend June 2 & 3rd

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012
Tehama Trail Passport Weekend

Tehama Trail Passport Weekend

The Tehama Trail is a journey that begins in Corning, visiting world-class olive and olive oil producers. A short trip to the east finds you in Vina where the Monks of the Abbey of New Clairveaux practice ancient traditions of grape growing and wine making. On the way north to the Volcanic Vineyards of Manton, there are several interesting stops on Hwy 99 worth the stop.  After sampling the wines of the slopes of Mt. Lassen, the trail takes you to Historic Downtown Red Bluff where quaint shoppes and riverfront dining are a way of life.

The stops along the trail include:

You may want to get off the trail and head to  Mt. Lassen Volcanic National Park  and the St. Bernard Lodge for dinner and a room.  Travel to the Indian Valley the next day and visit Indian Falls just south of Crescent Mills on Hwy 89.  Travel down the Feather River Canyon on 70 back to I -5.  This gives you a chance to do something different and have a great weekend.

Tehama Trail Passport Weekend tickets are $25 per person and include free tasting at all farms. All proceeds go to benefit the Tehama Trail association to further develop agri-tourism in Tehama County. Tickets can be purchased at all participating farms and the Tehama County Farm Bureau. Tehama Trail highlights local tourist attractions, historic landmarks and local shopping. The map is easy to navigate and user friendly.

For more information visit, or call 530-527-7882.

Feather River Video Contest

Wednesday, April 11th, 2012

Feather River and Trains

Feather River and Trains

Feather River Video Contest

Purpose of  the Feather River Video Contest intends to promote the Feather River region and foster economic development through awareness and tourism. The goal of the contest is to encourage the production of videos that reflect the natural beauty and vibrant community that exists in the amazing place we are fortunate enough to call home. The contest is an initiative of Carrot Consulting with a $100 grant provide by Feather River Bread for the Journey for the prize money.

Contest Details
•Videos must be 3 minutes or less.

•Videos may be submitted by individuals, groups, organizations, or businesses.

•Videos must not contain any commercial businesses, industry names, brand names, product placement, endorsements, or trademarks.

•Videos may not be deleted or removed after the contest is over.

•Each entrant may submit up to two videos.

How to Enter
•Upload your video to YouTube, being sure to fill out the Title, Description, Tags, Category, and Map Location. (Learn more about that here.)

•Upload your video and submit your contest entry form by 5:00 pm PST, May 11, 2012.

Official Rules
No purchase or payment necessary to enter or win. Videos must not contain any commercial businesses, industry names, brand names, product placement, endorsements, or trademarks. Video must contain a Title, Description, Tags, and Location. By submitting an entry, each entrant agrees to the rules and warrants that his or her entry complies with all requirements.

All eligible submissions will be judged through an online voting process. Anyone can vote but an individual is only permitted one vote. The voting will take place between May 14th and May 31st on The video with the most votes by 5:00pm PST on May 31st will be deemed the winner. The prize will be split should a tie occur.

The first place winner will receive $100 in cash. The contest winner will be notified by phone or e-mail by June 4, 2012.

Email Carrie!

Things are starting to happen in the North State.  Come visit St. Bernard Lodge, Lassen National Volcanic Park, Lake Almanor, Quincy and the Feather River Canyon.  Take some great video and possibly win $100.00.  Upcoming events in the area include: Taste Of Plumas April 15th, 20th Annual Cabin Fever Quilt Show April 21-21,  Red Bluff Round Up April 20- 22, free entrance to Lassen Park April 21-29th and Mother’s Day Brunch at St. Bernard Lodge May 13th.


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Monday Medical: Suicide is everyone's concern

National Suicide Prevention Week, which highlights efforts to prevent suicide, is this week through Saturday. Throughout the United States, there are communities like ours that help educate the public about how to recognize symptoms of suicidal behavior in our friends, co-workers and family members.

We strive to give people resources to learn more about suicidal behaviors and what we can do to help prevent this action from occurring. Yet the truth is, many people do not want to talk about suicide or do not think it affects them.

Recently, as I was selling tickets for our local Reaching Everyone Preventing Suicide program fundraiser, I asked many people to purchase a ticket to help support suicide prevention efforts in Steamboat Springs.

The responses varied from not acknowledging my presence to saying, "I will be out of town" or "I am not interested." Many people do not want to acknowledge that there is a problem or learn more until it directly affects them.

Fortunately, a few people took the time to listen and ask me questions about what they could do. My hope is that more people will want to learn about suicide prevention before it becomes too late.

Suicide affects everyone. According to national statistics, suicide is the ninth-leading cause of death annually. The high number of suicides occurring in Steamboat Springs in recent years is a concern.

Individuals who commit suicide span a variety of ages, genders, geographic locations, and socio-economic statuses. What are the symptoms of suicide, and how can you get help if you or someone you care about is showing the signs of suicidal ideation?

Many people who commit suicide may feel hopeless and have the "typical" symptoms of depression. Others may not seem depressed but will begin to socially isolate themselves by pulling away from family and friends.

Other signs to look out for in a possibly suicidal person include any observed change in mood, behavior, activities, sleeping and eating. The individual may show signs of irritability or expressed feelings of hopelessness/helplessness and diminished interest in activities.

The individual may have gone through a traumatic event such as a significant death, parental relationship restriction/termination or abandonment, loss of a job or financial setback. He or she may show an increase in statements about death or dying.

The individual may begin giving away belongings or engaging in destructive behaviors such as increased use of drugs or alcohol or cutting on themselves.

Treatment for depression and suicidal thoughts often is a combination of medications and counseling services. The earlier we begin treating the symptoms, the more manageable the negative emotions can feel.

If you begin to feel some of the symptoms mentioned above, there are some lifestyle changes such as eating right, getting enough sleep and exercising that are helpful steps to counteract depression symptoms.

The excess use of alcohol and illegal drugs also can contribute to feelings of depression and often mask the underlying problem.

If you find that these lifestyle changes do not work, please seek professional help with a counselor.

You are not alone, and there is help available in our community. Suicide is not the answer to solving your problems.

John Fleeker, LMFT, is the Routt and Jackson County director for Steamboat Mental Health, a subdivision of Colorado West Regional Mental Health.

StopTheBrutalChemtrails 5 years, 10 months ago

This is a great story, and if you want to make more of a difference in the large number of suicides in Steamboat Springs you might want to think about educating your city council on the dangers of fluoride so they will quit putting that toxic substance in our water. Check it out.

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Johnny Spillane celebrates his first World Cup victory in Oberhof, Germany, in 2010.

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Johnny Spillane, at a glance

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Old man and the skis: Spillane adjusting to life after Nordic combined

Sometimes it’s milk and sometimes it’s bread, but it’s always a call Hilary Spillane can make now. After a long day of work and the grocery list is missing that one thing, Hilary doesn’t have to load the children up, hop back in the car and make the drive. Husband Johnny now is a phone call away. “It’s a little different,” Hilary said. “Any little thing you need you can stop and think about it and he’s here to help you.”

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Routt County in photos: Oct. 31, 2012

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Yampa Valley Bank got in the spirit of Halloween on Wednesday. Submitted by: Justin Hirsch

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