"The Liberty Song" is an American Revolutionary War song composed by patriot John Dickinson, the author of Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania. The song is set to the tunes of "Heart of Oak", the anthem of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom and "Here's a Health", an Irish song of emigration. The song itself and was first published in the Boston Gazette in July 1768. The song is notable as one of the earliest patriotic songs in the thirteen colonies. Dickinson's fourth verse is the first appearance of the phrase, "united we stand, divided we fall," a patriotic slogan that has prominently appeared several times throughout American history, most recently after the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C.. The song is also likely to be a variant of the Irish traditional song from which is often takes its' tune, "Here's a Health". The lyrics of The Liberty Song also hold the same structure. See lyrics at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Liberty_Song
John Dickinson freely adapted David Garrick's lyrics, especially in the chorus, and Dickinson's friend, Arthur Lee, in Boston enroute to England for law studies, also contributed two stanzas. It was sung throughout the colonies at political meetings, dinners and celebrations; it is likely that "The Liberty Song" was the first song to express American patriotism. The most famous passage in the song is the source of a phrase known to many Americans centuries after: "By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall." Less considered is the final stanza, which calls for toasts for "our Sovereign's Health" and "Britannia's Glory and wealth." Such loyalty notwithstanding, Dickinson still worried, in his typical conservative fashion, that his first version had been too fiery. http://chronicles.dickinson.edu/encyclo/l/ed_libertysong.html
An attorney for Rush, Robert Farmer, has sent a letter to Rand Paul campaign officials informing them that they have violated copyright laws — and urging them to stop playing Rush songs at campaign events. “This is not a political issue — this is a copyright issue,” Farmer said in an interview with the Louisville Courier-Journal. http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100602/NEWS01/6020413/Rock+band+Rush+says+Rand+Paul+s+campaign+can+t+use+its+songs “We would do this no matter who it is.” Click for a story from the USA Today. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2010/06/rock-band-rush-orders-rand-paul-to-stop-using-its-music/1 In his letter, Farmer cited the Paul campaign’s use of a Rush song, “The Spirit of Radio,” to energize a rally.
WSJ Law Blog June 3, 2010
Last week, a Los Angeles County woman named Lauren Rosenberg sued Google in federal court for damages, alleging it was responsible for her being hit by a car. Rosenberg—who also sued the driver who hit her —said the search engine giant was "careless, reckless, and negligent" in supplying her with walking directions in Park City, Utah, last year that led her onto a rural state highway with no sidewalks. And this week, Lauren Rosenberg of Santa Monica got bombarded with the public reaction. Strangers left tart phone messages and withering e-mails lambasting her for suing Google. The problem is—they found the wrong Lauren Rosenberg. This Lauren Rosenberg owns a public relations company, did not sue Google over bad directions, and says she's confident she wouldn't have followed those directions anyway. ("Just because Google says to walk on a highway, you don't walk on a highway.") http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0502-google-map-mistake-20100602,0,3238788.story June 2, 2010
From muse reader
Last night I cut up mango, pears, green onion, red onion, a little diced jalapeno, fresh corn kernels, tossed it together and served it with hamburgers. Very nice condiment. Also, this is THE best pumpkin cheesecake ever, though pumpkin in general seems a little rushing the season:
Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake
About 9 oz ginger snaps
About 5 T melted butter
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
1 cup half and half
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
For crust: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Wrap double layer of heavy-duty foil around outside of 10-inch-diameter springform pan. Place ginger snaps in food processor. Drizzle butter over. Using on/off turns, blend until crumbs begin to stick together. Press crumbs onto bottom (not sides) of springform pan. Bake until crust is slightly golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool while preparing filling. Maintain oven temperature.
For filling: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Add pumpkin and remaining 7 ingredients. Beat just until blended. Pour filling into prepared crust. Place springform pan in large roasting pan. Add enough water to come halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake cheesecake until slightly puffed and softly set and top is golden, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer springform pan to rack and cool. Cover and refrigerate cake overnight. Using knife, cut around sides of pan to loosen cake. Release pan sides. Cut cheesecake into wedges and serve.
Words named after the wrong person
McKenzie (muh-KEN-zee) noun
Someone who attends a court trial as an adviser to one of the parties. This person works not as a legal representative, but as an informal adviser. Also known as a "McKenzie friend".
The term arose from the 1970 divorce case McKenzie v. McKenzie in the UK. The man in this case didn't have a lawyer. An Australian barrister, Ian Hanger, wanted to help, but could not as he was not qualified to practise in the UK. The man represented himself; Hanger offered to sit with him and provide advice as a friend, but he was denied this by the court. The man lost the case, and this denial became the basis for appeal which affirmed the position that a litigant can, in fact, have someone attend the trial to help in a non-professional capacity. Given the role of the barrister Hanger, a better choice of coinage for this word would have been Hanger, instead of McKenzie.
orrery (OR-uh-ree) noun
A mechanical model of the solar system that represents the relative motions of the planets around the sun. After Charles Boyle, 4th Earl of Orrery (1676-1731), who was given one of those models by John Rowley, a London instrument-maker. They were invented by George Graham c. 1700. The device would have been better named either after its inventor, Graham, or its maker, Rowley.
Buridan's ass (byoo-RUHD-uhnz ass) noun
A situation demonstrating the impracticality of decision-making using pure reason, especially a situation involving two equal choices. Named after French philosopher Jean Buridan (1300-1358). Imagine a hungry donkey standing equidistant from two identical piles of hay. The donkey tries to decide which pile he should eat first and finding no reason to choose one over another, starves to death. This paradox didn't originate with Buridan -- it's been found back in Aristotle's time. A hungry and thirsty man cannot decide whether to slake his thirst first or his hunger, and dies. Buridan, in his commentaries on Aristotle, chose a dog, but his critics, in their parody of Buridan, turned it into an ass. So Buridan's ass was named after a person who neither proposed the paradox nor picked that animal to discuss it.
guillotine (GIL-uh-teen, GEE-uh-teen)
noun: A device with a heavy blade that drops between two posts to behead someone.
verb: To execute by guillotine or to cut as if with a guillotine. After French physician Joseph-Ignace Guillotin (1738-1814) who recommended its use. Ironically the instrument designed as a humane device has come to symbolize tyranny. Dr. Guillotin realized that hanging by rope or beheading by a sword were cruel and urged a more humane method of execution, one that was swift and relatively painless. Dr. Antoine Louis, secretary of the College of Surgeons, designed a device that was called a Louisette or Louison in the beginning, but eventually became known as a guillotine. A.Word.A.Day with Anu Garg
Friday, June 4, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Report to the UN Human Rights Council on legal issues raised by targeted killing
News release: "Targeted killings pose a rapidly growing challenge to the international rule of law. They are increasingly used in circumstances which violate the relevant rules of international law. The international community needs to be more forceful in demanding accountability,” said Philip Alston, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions. Alston’s report to the Human Rights Council on legal issues raised by targeted killing has been released by the United Nations. “The most prolific user of targeted killings today is the United States, which primarily uses drones for attacks. Some 40 states already possess drone technology, and some already have, or are seeking, the capacity to fire missiles from them”, said the expert. “The result is that the rules being set today are going to govern the conduct of many States tomorrow. I’m particularly concerned that the United States seems oblivious to this fact when it asserts an ever-expanding entitlement for itself to target individuals across the globe. But this strongly asserted but ill-defined licence to kill without accountability is not an entitlement which the United States or other States can have without doing grave damage to the rules designed to protect the right to life and prevent extrajudicial executions.”
Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment Summary, April 2010: "Unemployment rates were higher in April than a year earlier in 291 of the 372 metropolitan areas, lower in 73 areas, and unchanged in 8 areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported. Fourteen areas recorded jobless rates of at least 15.0 percent, while 8 areas registered rates below 5.0 percent. The national unemployment rate in April was 9.5 percent, not seasonally adjusted, up from 8.6 percent a year earlier."
Google Announces Free Download of 10 terabytes of patents and trademarks
Google Public Policy Blog: "When we launched Google Patent Search in 2006, we wanted to make it easier for people to understand the world of inventions, whether they were browsing for curious patents or researching serious engineering. Recently, we’ve also worked on a number of public data search features, as well as experimental features like the Public Data Explorer...That’s why we’re proud to announce that the USPTO and Google are making this data available for free at http://www.google.com/googlebooks/uspto.html. This includes all granted patents and trademarks, and published applications -- with both full text and images."
Enhancing Airline Passenger Protections: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking June 2, 2010
"The Department of Transportation is proposing to improve the air travel environment for consumers by: increasing the number of carriers that are required to adopt tarmac delay contingency plans and the airports at which they must adhere to the plan’s terms; increasing the number of carriers that are required to report tarmac delay information to the Department; expanding the group of carriers that are required to adopt, follow, and audit customer service plans and establishing minimum standards for the subjects all carriers must cover in such plans; requiring carriers to include their contingency plans and customer service plans in their contracts of carriage; increasing the number of carriers that must respond to consumer complaints; enhancing protections afforded passengers in oversales situations, including increasing the maximum denied boarding compensation airlines must pay to passengers bumped from flights; strengthening, codifying and clarifying the Department’s enforcement policies concerning air transportation price advertising practices; requiring carriers to notify consumers of optional fees related to air transportation and of increases in baggage fees; prohibiting post-purchase price increases; requiring carriers to provide passengers timely notice of flight status changes such as delays and cancellations; and prohibiting carriers from imposing unfair contract of carriage choice-of-forum provisions."
"Which like the toad, ugly and venomous,
Wears yet a precious jewel in his head;
And this our life, exempt from public haunt,
Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Sermons in stones, and good in every thing."
- William Shakespeare, As You Like It, 2.1
http://classiclit.about.com/od/asyoulikeit/a/aa_asyoulikequ.htm
Infamous kudzu, the plant that ate the South (and now nibbling at the Northeast), can add air pollution to its list of ecological misdeeds. A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that the invasive plant helps create huge amounts of ozone.
A possible silver lining in kudzu’s ever-expanding cloud of green vines is the plant has shown some potential as a biofuel. Previous research, conducted by the USDA and University of Toronto, has suggested an acre of kudzu yields more gallons of ethanol than that of corn. See pictures and story at: http://www.smartplanet.com/business/blog/intelligent-energy/kudzu/1361/
News release: "Targeted killings pose a rapidly growing challenge to the international rule of law. They are increasingly used in circumstances which violate the relevant rules of international law. The international community needs to be more forceful in demanding accountability,” said Philip Alston, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions. Alston’s report to the Human Rights Council on legal issues raised by targeted killing has been released by the United Nations. “The most prolific user of targeted killings today is the United States, which primarily uses drones for attacks. Some 40 states already possess drone technology, and some already have, or are seeking, the capacity to fire missiles from them”, said the expert. “The result is that the rules being set today are going to govern the conduct of many States tomorrow. I’m particularly concerned that the United States seems oblivious to this fact when it asserts an ever-expanding entitlement for itself to target individuals across the globe. But this strongly asserted but ill-defined licence to kill without accountability is not an entitlement which the United States or other States can have without doing grave damage to the rules designed to protect the right to life and prevent extrajudicial executions.”
Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment Summary, April 2010: "Unemployment rates were higher in April than a year earlier in 291 of the 372 metropolitan areas, lower in 73 areas, and unchanged in 8 areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported. Fourteen areas recorded jobless rates of at least 15.0 percent, while 8 areas registered rates below 5.0 percent. The national unemployment rate in April was 9.5 percent, not seasonally adjusted, up from 8.6 percent a year earlier."
Google Announces Free Download of 10 terabytes of patents and trademarks
Google Public Policy Blog: "When we launched Google Patent Search in 2006, we wanted to make it easier for people to understand the world of inventions, whether they were browsing for curious patents or researching serious engineering. Recently, we’ve also worked on a number of public data search features, as well as experimental features like the Public Data Explorer...That’s why we’re proud to announce that the USPTO and Google are making this data available for free at http://www.google.com/googlebooks/uspto.html. This includes all granted patents and trademarks, and published applications -- with both full text and images."
Enhancing Airline Passenger Protections: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking June 2, 2010
"The Department of Transportation is proposing to improve the air travel environment for consumers by: increasing the number of carriers that are required to adopt tarmac delay contingency plans and the airports at which they must adhere to the plan’s terms; increasing the number of carriers that are required to report tarmac delay information to the Department; expanding the group of carriers that are required to adopt, follow, and audit customer service plans and establishing minimum standards for the subjects all carriers must cover in such plans; requiring carriers to include their contingency plans and customer service plans in their contracts of carriage; increasing the number of carriers that must respond to consumer complaints; enhancing protections afforded passengers in oversales situations, including increasing the maximum denied boarding compensation airlines must pay to passengers bumped from flights; strengthening, codifying and clarifying the Department’s enforcement policies concerning air transportation price advertising practices; requiring carriers to notify consumers of optional fees related to air transportation and of increases in baggage fees; prohibiting post-purchase price increases; requiring carriers to provide passengers timely notice of flight status changes such as delays and cancellations; and prohibiting carriers from imposing unfair contract of carriage choice-of-forum provisions."
"Which like the toad, ugly and venomous,
Wears yet a precious jewel in his head;
And this our life, exempt from public haunt,
Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Sermons in stones, and good in every thing."
- William Shakespeare, As You Like It, 2.1
http://classiclit.about.com/od/asyoulikeit/a/aa_asyoulikequ.htm
Infamous kudzu, the plant that ate the South (and now nibbling at the Northeast), can add air pollution to its list of ecological misdeeds. A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that the invasive plant helps create huge amounts of ozone.
A possible silver lining in kudzu’s ever-expanding cloud of green vines is the plant has shown some potential as a biofuel. Previous research, conducted by the USDA and University of Toronto, has suggested an acre of kudzu yields more gallons of ethanol than that of corn. See pictures and story at: http://www.smartplanet.com/business/blog/intelligent-energy/kudzu/1361/
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
The U.S. Supreme Court on June 1 handed down a whole bunch of rulings—five to be exact. Included were rulings on the retroactivity of a sex-offender registration law and a case between Alabama and North Carolina. The big ruling of the day involved the Miranda protections—the “warnings” that police must read suspects upon arrest. The court ruled that suspects must explicitly tell police they want to be silent to invoke their Miranda protection during interrogations. Click here for the WSJ story: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704875604575280392747737022.html;
here for the opinion: http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/09pdf/08-1470.pdf
A right to remain silent and a right to a lawyer are the first of the Miranda-rights warnings, which police recite to suspects during arrests and interrogations. But the justices on Tuesday said suspects must tell police they are going to remain silent to stop an interrogation, just as they must tell police that they want a lawyer. WSJ Law Blog June 1, 2010
He was not a mathematician – he never even took a math class after high school – yet Martin Gardner, who has died aged 95, was arguably the most influential and inspirational figure in mathematics in the second half of the last century. Through his monthly column in Scientific American, which ran for 24 years, Gardner popularised mathematical puzzles and games, bringing serious research to new audiences and revolutionising the field of recreational math. But his contribution to math represents only a fraction of a versatile and remarkably prolific literary career. Gardner wrote fiction, books on philosophy, physics, religion, magic and word games, and The Annotated Alice (1960), a definitive guide to Alice in Wonderland. In 1957 he wrote the first bestselling book to debunk pseudoscience.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/may/27/martin-gardner-obituary
Top 10 Best Roof-to-Table Dining
In this year's version of farm-to-table eating, restaurants in big cities are literally raising their roofs, harvesting everything from herbs and chiles to tomatoes and beans
Oliverio Beverly Hills
Pura Vida Atlanta
Frontera Grill Chicago
Uncommon Ground Chicago
Roberta's Brooklyn
Noble Rot Portland, Oregon
Gracie's Providence, Rhode Island
Pyramid Retaurant & Bar Dallas
The Grove Houston
Bastille Café & Bar Seattle See descriptions, addresses, Web sites and phone numbers at: http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/2010/04/top_10_best_roof_to_table_dining
Easy Pumpkin Pancakes taste-tested by four muse readers
2 1/2 c. flour
2 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
6 tbsp. oil
1/2 c. pumpkin butter*
1 c. milk
Mix dry ingredients. Make a well in center of bowl; add remaining ingredients; mix them well, then incorporate them into dry ingredients. Add additional milk gradually until the batter is desired consistency. Makes 24
* Cherry pancakes, substitute cherry butter or cherry topping; Apple pancakes, substitute apple butter, applesauce or diced fresh apples.
Shopsin’s Pumpkin Pancakes Chef Kenny Shopsin serves this popular breakfast dish at his much-loved namesake restaurant in New York City’s Essex Street Market.
http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Shopsins-Pumpkin-Pancakes
The word pumpkin originated from the Greek word Pepõn which means large melon. The word gradually morphed by the French, English and then Americans into the word "pumpkin." Pumpkins and squash are believed to have originated in the ancient Americas. These early pumpkins were not the traditional round orange upright Jack-O-Lantern fruit we think of today when you hear the word pumpkin. They were a crooked neck variety which stored well. Without pumpkins many of the early settlers might have died from starvation. The following poem is a testament to the Pilgrims dependence upon pumpkins for food:
For pottage and puddings and custards and pies
Our pumpkins and parsnips are common supplies,
We have pumpkins at morning and pumpkins at noon,
If it were not for pumpkins we should be undoon.
Pilgrim verse, circa 1633
The Pilgrims were also known to make pumpkin beer. They fermented a combination of persimmons, hops, maple sugar and pumpkin to make this early colonial brew. In early colonies, pumpkin shells were used as a template for haircuts to ensure a round and uniform finished cut. As a result of this practice, New Englanders were sometimes nicknamed "pumpkinheads".
http://www.allaboutpumpkins.com/history.html
here for the opinion: http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/09pdf/08-1470.pdf
A right to remain silent and a right to a lawyer are the first of the Miranda-rights warnings, which police recite to suspects during arrests and interrogations. But the justices on Tuesday said suspects must tell police they are going to remain silent to stop an interrogation, just as they must tell police that they want a lawyer. WSJ Law Blog June 1, 2010
He was not a mathematician – he never even took a math class after high school – yet Martin Gardner, who has died aged 95, was arguably the most influential and inspirational figure in mathematics in the second half of the last century. Through his monthly column in Scientific American, which ran for 24 years, Gardner popularised mathematical puzzles and games, bringing serious research to new audiences and revolutionising the field of recreational math. But his contribution to math represents only a fraction of a versatile and remarkably prolific literary career. Gardner wrote fiction, books on philosophy, physics, religion, magic and word games, and The Annotated Alice (1960), a definitive guide to Alice in Wonderland. In 1957 he wrote the first bestselling book to debunk pseudoscience.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/may/27/martin-gardner-obituary
Top 10 Best Roof-to-Table Dining
In this year's version of farm-to-table eating, restaurants in big cities are literally raising their roofs, harvesting everything from herbs and chiles to tomatoes and beans
Oliverio Beverly Hills
Pura Vida Atlanta
Frontera Grill Chicago
Uncommon Ground Chicago
Roberta's Brooklyn
Noble Rot Portland, Oregon
Gracie's Providence, Rhode Island
Pyramid Retaurant & Bar Dallas
The Grove Houston
Bastille Café & Bar Seattle See descriptions, addresses, Web sites and phone numbers at: http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/2010/04/top_10_best_roof_to_table_dining
Easy Pumpkin Pancakes taste-tested by four muse readers
2 1/2 c. flour
2 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
6 tbsp. oil
1/2 c. pumpkin butter*
1 c. milk
Mix dry ingredients. Make a well in center of bowl; add remaining ingredients; mix them well, then incorporate them into dry ingredients. Add additional milk gradually until the batter is desired consistency. Makes 24
* Cherry pancakes, substitute cherry butter or cherry topping; Apple pancakes, substitute apple butter, applesauce or diced fresh apples.
Shopsin’s Pumpkin Pancakes Chef Kenny Shopsin serves this popular breakfast dish at his much-loved namesake restaurant in New York City’s Essex Street Market.
http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Shopsins-Pumpkin-Pancakes
The word pumpkin originated from the Greek word Pepõn which means large melon. The word gradually morphed by the French, English and then Americans into the word "pumpkin." Pumpkins and squash are believed to have originated in the ancient Americas. These early pumpkins were not the traditional round orange upright Jack-O-Lantern fruit we think of today when you hear the word pumpkin. They were a crooked neck variety which stored well. Without pumpkins many of the early settlers might have died from starvation. The following poem is a testament to the Pilgrims dependence upon pumpkins for food:
For pottage and puddings and custards and pies
Our pumpkins and parsnips are common supplies,
We have pumpkins at morning and pumpkins at noon,
If it were not for pumpkins we should be undoon.
Pilgrim verse, circa 1633
The Pilgrims were also known to make pumpkin beer. They fermented a combination of persimmons, hops, maple sugar and pumpkin to make this early colonial brew. In early colonies, pumpkin shells were used as a template for haircuts to ensure a round and uniform finished cut. As a result of this practice, New Englanders were sometimes nicknamed "pumpkinheads".
http://www.allaboutpumpkins.com/history.html
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
New Report: Southern States Have Highest Percentages of “Nonpayers” May 28th, 2010 Source: Tax Foundation Forty-five percent of tax filers in Mississippi had no federal income tax liability in 2008—the highest percentage among all states, according to a new Tax Foundation report based on recently released IRS data. Alaska had the lowest percentage of “nonpayers,” 21 percent. Nationally, the number of nonpayers reached a record high in 2008: roughly 52 million of the 143 million tax returns filed in 2008, or 36 percent. The report, “States Vary Widely in Number of Tax Filers With No Income Tax Liability,” is No. 230 in the Tax Foundation Fiscal Fact series and may be found online at http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/26336.html
The concern is that jurors will assume that prosecutions should play out like they do on the popular TV show CSI: evidence will conclusively point to guilt or innocence and trials will be fast-paced and exciting. If life doesn’t approximate art, the fear goes, jurors could improperly hold it against prosecutors or defendants and render verdicts not supported by the real-life evidence in the case. There is a U.S. News and World Report piece on the so-called CSI Effect on jurors http://www.usnews.com/usnews/culture/articles/050425/25csi.htm and an article written on the same topic in Loyola University Chicago Law Journal, Vol. 41, 2009 The Ohio State Bar Association recently addressed the issue head on, creating jury instructions that explicitly warn about the influence of CSI and other TV legal dramas, including Boston Legal and Judge Judy. The Ohio jury instructions warn: there are many reasons why you cannot rely on TV legal programs, including the fact that these shows: (1) are not subject to the rules of evidence and (2) are works of fiction that present unrealistic situations for dramatic effect. You must put aside anything you think you know about the legal system that you saw on TV.
WSJ Law Blog May 28, 2010
Dr. Beach — Top 10 Beaches 2010 May 28th, 2010 Source: Dr. Beach (Stephen P. Leatherman) Coopers Beach takes the number one spot in the 20th annual Top 10 Beaches ranking produced by coastal expert Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, Director of Florida International University’s Laboratory for Coastal Research. Coopers Beach on the east end of Long Island, New York is the main beach in the Village of Southampton. The rest of the top 10:
2. Siesta Beach in Sarasota, Florida
3. Coronado Beach in San Diego, California
4. Cape Hatteras in the Outer Banks of North Carolina
5. Main Beach in East Hampton, New York
6. Kahanamoku Beach in Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii
7. Coast Guard Beach in Cape Cod, Massachusetts
8. Beachwalker Park in Kiawah Island, South Carolina
9. Hamoa Beach in Maui, Hawaii
10. Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne, Florida
Medicare Part D Beneficiaries Will See 50 Percent Savings on Applicable Drugs in the Coverage Gap in 2011 May 27th, 2010 Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued new guidance to Part D plan sponsors to guarantee that Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Part D prescription drug plans will see 50 percent savings on their brand name and some authorized generic drugs when they enter the coverage gap, or donut hole, during 2011. In a notice in the Federal Register, CMS also issued the draft model agreement that drug manufacturers of applicable Part D drugs will sign in order to participate in the discount program. These agreements with manufacturers represent an unprecedented partnership to help millions of Medicare beneficiaries. Discounts will apply when the beneficiary reaches the coverage gap. Eligible beneficiaries will see the discount when they buy their drugs at their local pharmacy counter.
All summer “To Kill a Mockingbird” will be relived through at least 50 events around the country, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the publication of a book that became a cultural touchstone and an enduring staple of high-school reading programs. Its publisher, HarperCollins, is trying to tap into what appears to be a near-endless reserve of affection for the book by helping to organize parties, movie screenings, readings and scholarly discussions.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/books/25mock.html
English language A large number of common English words (“jungle,” “nirvana,” “bungalow”) were taken from Indian languages. The Roman occupation of England, from 43 A.D. to the early fifth century, accustomed Celtic-speaking islanders to Latin, which soon became the language of the Romano-British élite. The influence of this is still evident in English topography; for example, the Latin word for camp is castra, which is the reason that so many British place names end in “-chester” or “-cester.” In 1066, the Norman invasion established French as the language of government, but it did not dislodge English. Instead, the assimilation of elements of French into English produced Middle English and, with it, the basic profile of the language we still speak: a large vocabulary of Germanic and French-derived words organized with a simplified Germanic grammar
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2010/05/31/100531crbo_books_chotiner?currentPage=all
The concern is that jurors will assume that prosecutions should play out like they do on the popular TV show CSI: evidence will conclusively point to guilt or innocence and trials will be fast-paced and exciting. If life doesn’t approximate art, the fear goes, jurors could improperly hold it against prosecutors or defendants and render verdicts not supported by the real-life evidence in the case. There is a U.S. News and World Report piece on the so-called CSI Effect on jurors http://www.usnews.com/usnews/culture/articles/050425/25csi.htm and an article written on the same topic in Loyola University Chicago Law Journal, Vol. 41, 2009 The Ohio State Bar Association recently addressed the issue head on, creating jury instructions that explicitly warn about the influence of CSI and other TV legal dramas, including Boston Legal and Judge Judy. The Ohio jury instructions warn: there are many reasons why you cannot rely on TV legal programs, including the fact that these shows: (1) are not subject to the rules of evidence and (2) are works of fiction that present unrealistic situations for dramatic effect. You must put aside anything you think you know about the legal system that you saw on TV.
WSJ Law Blog May 28, 2010
Dr. Beach — Top 10 Beaches 2010 May 28th, 2010 Source: Dr. Beach (Stephen P. Leatherman) Coopers Beach takes the number one spot in the 20th annual Top 10 Beaches ranking produced by coastal expert Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, Director of Florida International University’s Laboratory for Coastal Research. Coopers Beach on the east end of Long Island, New York is the main beach in the Village of Southampton. The rest of the top 10:
2. Siesta Beach in Sarasota, Florida
3. Coronado Beach in San Diego, California
4. Cape Hatteras in the Outer Banks of North Carolina
5. Main Beach in East Hampton, New York
6. Kahanamoku Beach in Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii
7. Coast Guard Beach in Cape Cod, Massachusetts
8. Beachwalker Park in Kiawah Island, South Carolina
9. Hamoa Beach in Maui, Hawaii
10. Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne, Florida
Medicare Part D Beneficiaries Will See 50 Percent Savings on Applicable Drugs in the Coverage Gap in 2011 May 27th, 2010 Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued new guidance to Part D plan sponsors to guarantee that Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Part D prescription drug plans will see 50 percent savings on their brand name and some authorized generic drugs when they enter the coverage gap, or donut hole, during 2011. In a notice in the Federal Register, CMS also issued the draft model agreement that drug manufacturers of applicable Part D drugs will sign in order to participate in the discount program. These agreements with manufacturers represent an unprecedented partnership to help millions of Medicare beneficiaries. Discounts will apply when the beneficiary reaches the coverage gap. Eligible beneficiaries will see the discount when they buy their drugs at their local pharmacy counter.
All summer “To Kill a Mockingbird” will be relived through at least 50 events around the country, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the publication of a book that became a cultural touchstone and an enduring staple of high-school reading programs. Its publisher, HarperCollins, is trying to tap into what appears to be a near-endless reserve of affection for the book by helping to organize parties, movie screenings, readings and scholarly discussions.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/books/25mock.html
English language A large number of common English words (“jungle,” “nirvana,” “bungalow”) were taken from Indian languages. The Roman occupation of England, from 43 A.D. to the early fifth century, accustomed Celtic-speaking islanders to Latin, which soon became the language of the Romano-British élite. The influence of this is still evident in English topography; for example, the Latin word for camp is castra, which is the reason that so many British place names end in “-chester” or “-cester.” In 1066, the Norman invasion established French as the language of government, but it did not dislodge English. Instead, the assimilation of elements of French into English produced Middle English and, with it, the basic profile of the language we still speak: a large vocabulary of Germanic and French-derived words organized with a simplified Germanic grammar
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2010/05/31/100531crbo_books_chotiner?currentPage=all
Friday, May 28, 2010
In the city of Hermosa Beach, California and other upscale oceanfront communities, tattooing is effectively banned for what city officials say is a risk to the public's health, safety and welfare. Johnny Anderson 's request to open a parlor there was denied on grounds that zoning laws don't allow tattooing anywhere in the city. He sued in federal court in Los Angeles, alleging suppression of his 1st Amendment right to impart artistic expression on customers' bodies. The tattoo artist lost the first round of his legal challenge in 2008, when a federal judge deemed tattooing "not sufficiently imbued with elements of communication" to qualify as constitutionally protected speech. Anderson took his case to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals this month, and some constitutional law scholars predict the outcome could be different in what would be the firs—and potentially precedent-setting—federal appellate decision on whether the tattoo artist is engaged in 1st Amendment-protected activity when designing and applying custom tattoos. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-tattoo-speech-20100524,0,2921523.story
The False Claims Act, originally passed during the Civil War, was amended in 1986 to give prosecutors and plaintiffs a powerful tool to punish those who defraud the U.S.—and to recover money illicitly taken from the government. To a large degree, the incentives have worked: plaintiffs who help the government recover money typically recover a big percentage of the recovery. In recent years, the government has gotten much of its money back—and many plaintiffs have gotten rich. But has the process worked too well? That’s the question asked in a lengthy American Lawyer article by Amy Kolz http://www.law.com/jsp/tal/PubArticleTAL.jsp?id=1202457711736&pLitigation_Spring_p__The_Professional&hbxlogin=1 The article focuses largely on a New Jersey physician named Joseph Piacentile. Over the last 15 years, Piacentile has been a whistle-blower in suits that have returned more than $1 billion to the U.S. Treasury. Among the notches on Piacentile’s qui tam belt are a $155 million settlement with Medco Health Solutions, Inc., in 2006; a $515 million settlement with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company in 2007; and a $425 million settlement with Cephalon, Inc., in 2008. “Dr. Joe,” as he is known in the qui tam plaintiffs bar, has earned at least $17 million in whistle-blower awards, according to public records and an estimate of his share of the $46.5 million relator’s award in Cephalon. There is a darker perspective on Joseph Piacentile. Unlike most qui tam relators, he doesn’t blow the whistle as an employee or business partner of the companies he has sued. Instead he relies on secondhand information collected through his own investigations. http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2010/05/25/does-the-false-claims-act-work-a-little-too-well/?mod=djemlawblog_h
In Greek mythology, the Sirens (Greek singular: Σειρήν Seirēn; Greek plural: Σειρῆνες Seirēnes) were three dangerous bird-women, portrayed as seductresses who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. Roman poets placed them on an island called Sirenum scopuli. In some later, rationalized traditions the literal geography of the "flowery" island of Anthemoessa, or Anthemusa, is fixed: sometimes on Cape Pelorum and at others in the islands known as the Sirenuse, near Paestum, or in Capreae. All such locations were surrounded by cliffs and rocks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siren
THOUGHTS FROM LYNNE Cooking equipment I can't live without
Whenever I cook in a pan, I have a wooden spatula in my hand. The wide flat bottom is infinitely more efficient that the little tip of a spoon. I can't count how many pan sauces I've saved from burning because that wide base keeps ingredients moving and boiling down at the same time. At about $6.00, I can replace those spatulas as needed. My big stainless steel colander is constantly in the sink. With its 14-inch diameter, I can rinse pounds of produce and toss the water away from generous helpings of pasta and greens. Restaurant supply stores are great places to find bargains in colanders. All-Clad's 12-inch sauté pan is where I pan-grill, stew, flash-cook pasta sauces and roast everything, since the handle is heat proof so the pan goes into the oven without a concern. It saved me from investing in a roasting pan for years. The Splendid Table May 26, 2010
"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players.
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.
And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard;
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything."
- William Shakespeare, As You Like It, 2.7
http://classiclit.about.com/od/asyoulikeit/a/aa_asyoulikequ.htm
The False Claims Act, originally passed during the Civil War, was amended in 1986 to give prosecutors and plaintiffs a powerful tool to punish those who defraud the U.S.—and to recover money illicitly taken from the government. To a large degree, the incentives have worked: plaintiffs who help the government recover money typically recover a big percentage of the recovery. In recent years, the government has gotten much of its money back—and many plaintiffs have gotten rich. But has the process worked too well? That’s the question asked in a lengthy American Lawyer article by Amy Kolz http://www.law.com/jsp/tal/PubArticleTAL.jsp?id=1202457711736&pLitigation_Spring_p__The_Professional&hbxlogin=1 The article focuses largely on a New Jersey physician named Joseph Piacentile. Over the last 15 years, Piacentile has been a whistle-blower in suits that have returned more than $1 billion to the U.S. Treasury. Among the notches on Piacentile’s qui tam belt are a $155 million settlement with Medco Health Solutions, Inc., in 2006; a $515 million settlement with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company in 2007; and a $425 million settlement with Cephalon, Inc., in 2008. “Dr. Joe,” as he is known in the qui tam plaintiffs bar, has earned at least $17 million in whistle-blower awards, according to public records and an estimate of his share of the $46.5 million relator’s award in Cephalon. There is a darker perspective on Joseph Piacentile. Unlike most qui tam relators, he doesn’t blow the whistle as an employee or business partner of the companies he has sued. Instead he relies on secondhand information collected through his own investigations. http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2010/05/25/does-the-false-claims-act-work-a-little-too-well/?mod=djemlawblog_h
In Greek mythology, the Sirens (Greek singular: Σειρήν Seirēn; Greek plural: Σειρῆνες Seirēnes) were three dangerous bird-women, portrayed as seductresses who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. Roman poets placed them on an island called Sirenum scopuli. In some later, rationalized traditions the literal geography of the "flowery" island of Anthemoessa, or Anthemusa, is fixed: sometimes on Cape Pelorum and at others in the islands known as the Sirenuse, near Paestum, or in Capreae. All such locations were surrounded by cliffs and rocks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siren
THOUGHTS FROM LYNNE Cooking equipment I can't live without
Whenever I cook in a pan, I have a wooden spatula in my hand. The wide flat bottom is infinitely more efficient that the little tip of a spoon. I can't count how many pan sauces I've saved from burning because that wide base keeps ingredients moving and boiling down at the same time. At about $6.00, I can replace those spatulas as needed. My big stainless steel colander is constantly in the sink. With its 14-inch diameter, I can rinse pounds of produce and toss the water away from generous helpings of pasta and greens. Restaurant supply stores are great places to find bargains in colanders. All-Clad's 12-inch sauté pan is where I pan-grill, stew, flash-cook pasta sauces and roast everything, since the handle is heat proof so the pan goes into the oven without a concern. It saved me from investing in a roasting pan for years. The Splendid Table May 26, 2010
"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players.
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.
And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard;
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything."
- William Shakespeare, As You Like It, 2.7
http://classiclit.about.com/od/asyoulikeit/a/aa_asyoulikequ.htm
Thursday, May 27, 2010
How Scholars Work: Panning for Gold in Libraries Marianne Ryan, Editor
Judith M. Nixon, Guest Columnist
How do liberal arts scholars work? For example, where do they get their ideas? When beginning a research project, do they start with a Google search, or the library’s homepage? How and when do scholars use libraries and library resources—especially library-funded databases? How has research changed since the explosion of the Web? See article here: http://www.rusq.org/2010/04/07/how-scholars-work/
Literary Resources: A Pathfinder Neal Wyatt, Editor Stefanie R. Bluemle, Guest Columnist
Librarians responsible for the collection development of their library’s literary criticism section know that it is a difficult task to select the right book. Is the Oxford World’s Classic or the Penguin the best imprint of Jane Eyre? Which translation of War and Peace best captures Tolstoy’s language? Does the collection need both the 1818 and 1831 editions of Frankenstein, and if not, which edition? See primary, secondary, and Web resources at: http://www.rusq.org/2010/04/07/literary-resources/
At a warehouse in New Jersey, 6,000 used copy machines sit ready to be sold. CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian reports almost every one of them holds a secret. Nearly every digital copier built since 2002 contains a hard drive - like the one on your personal computer - storing an image of every document copied, scanned, or emailed by the machine. In the process, it's turned an office staple into a digital time-bomb packed with highly-personal or sensitive data. If you're in the identity theft business it seems this would be a pot of gold. "The type of information we see on these machines with the social security numbers, birth certificates, bank records, income tax forms," John Juntunen said, "that information would be very valuable." Juntunen's Sacramento-based company Digital Copier Security developed software called "INFOSWEEP" that can scrub all the data on hard drives. He's been trying to warn people about the potential risk - with no luck. See rest of the story at: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/04/19/eveningnews/main6412439.shtml
Nick Schenk's script for Gran Torino , centering on Walt Kowalski, a racist Korean War vet, and his Asian neighbors, won the National Board of Review's award for best original screenplay, just as Diablo Cody's "Juno" did in 2008. The movie's original setting was Minneapolis, but shifted to Detroit when Michigan offered Warner Bros. a 42 percent production rebate. "Gran Torino" retains some Minnesota flavor, however. Several Twin Cities actors play significant roles. The pivotal part of Thao, a Hmong teenager whom Walt protects from predatory gangs, went to Bee Vang, a 17-year-old junior at Robbinsdale Armstrong High School in Plymouth with no stage experience. When Bee won the part at a May casting call at a Hmong community center in St. Paul, his family and friends were incredulous.
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/36949514.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUnciaec8O7EyUsI
A Nashville songwriter won a 2 1/2 year legal battle May 24 to regain control of his life and make all medical, legal and financial decisions for himself, in a case that drew wide attention to problems that can arise when a disabled person is put in the care of a guardian. The same judge who removed Danny Tate's legal rights in 2007restored them to the 54-year-old musician who has written a top 10 hit and composed tunes for several popular TV shows. http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2010-05-24-tate-songwriter_N.htm
Gardens in Michigan Lists 11 links to gardens including Cranbrook House and Gardens and Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
http://www.gardenvisit.com/gardens/in/usa/michigan
Judith M. Nixon, Guest Columnist
How do liberal arts scholars work? For example, where do they get their ideas? When beginning a research project, do they start with a Google search, or the library’s homepage? How and when do scholars use libraries and library resources—especially library-funded databases? How has research changed since the explosion of the Web? See article here: http://www.rusq.org/2010/04/07/how-scholars-work/
Literary Resources: A Pathfinder Neal Wyatt, Editor Stefanie R. Bluemle, Guest Columnist
Librarians responsible for the collection development of their library’s literary criticism section know that it is a difficult task to select the right book. Is the Oxford World’s Classic or the Penguin the best imprint of Jane Eyre? Which translation of War and Peace best captures Tolstoy’s language? Does the collection need both the 1818 and 1831 editions of Frankenstein, and if not, which edition? See primary, secondary, and Web resources at: http://www.rusq.org/2010/04/07/literary-resources/
At a warehouse in New Jersey, 6,000 used copy machines sit ready to be sold. CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian reports almost every one of them holds a secret. Nearly every digital copier built since 2002 contains a hard drive - like the one on your personal computer - storing an image of every document copied, scanned, or emailed by the machine. In the process, it's turned an office staple into a digital time-bomb packed with highly-personal or sensitive data. If you're in the identity theft business it seems this would be a pot of gold. "The type of information we see on these machines with the social security numbers, birth certificates, bank records, income tax forms," John Juntunen said, "that information would be very valuable." Juntunen's Sacramento-based company Digital Copier Security developed software called "INFOSWEEP" that can scrub all the data on hard drives. He's been trying to warn people about the potential risk - with no luck. See rest of the story at: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/04/19/eveningnews/main6412439.shtml
Nick Schenk's script for Gran Torino , centering on Walt Kowalski, a racist Korean War vet, and his Asian neighbors, won the National Board of Review's award for best original screenplay, just as Diablo Cody's "Juno" did in 2008. The movie's original setting was Minneapolis, but shifted to Detroit when Michigan offered Warner Bros. a 42 percent production rebate. "Gran Torino" retains some Minnesota flavor, however. Several Twin Cities actors play significant roles. The pivotal part of Thao, a Hmong teenager whom Walt protects from predatory gangs, went to Bee Vang, a 17-year-old junior at Robbinsdale Armstrong High School in Plymouth with no stage experience. When Bee won the part at a May casting call at a Hmong community center in St. Paul, his family and friends were incredulous.
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/36949514.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUnciaec8O7EyUsI
A Nashville songwriter won a 2 1/2 year legal battle May 24 to regain control of his life and make all medical, legal and financial decisions for himself, in a case that drew wide attention to problems that can arise when a disabled person is put in the care of a guardian. The same judge who removed Danny Tate's legal rights in 2007restored them to the 54-year-old musician who has written a top 10 hit and composed tunes for several popular TV shows. http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2010-05-24-tate-songwriter_N.htm
Gardens in Michigan Lists 11 links to gardens including Cranbrook House and Gardens and Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
http://www.gardenvisit.com/gardens/in/usa/michigan
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
In Japan QR codes are found on everything from business cards to fresh lettuce. Now they are coming to the West and advertising and promotion will never be the same again. Walking with Dinosaurs, the arena spectacular at Madison Square Garden, has a 100ft tall tower banner complete with QR Code prominently displayed on the corner of 33rd Street and 7th Avenue. The QR Code resolves to http://purl.us.com/009000001 which if you are using a mobile device redirects to a promotional mobile site. # http://2d-code.co.uk/
A QR Code is a matrix code (or two-dimensional bar code) created by Japanese corporation Denso-Wave in 1994. The "QR" is derived from "Quick Response", as the creator intended the code to allow its contents to be decoded at high speed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_Code
The National Data Catalog is an open platform for government data sets and APIs. It makes it easy to find datasets by and about government, across all levels (federal, state, and local) and across all branches (executive, legislative, and judicial). http://nationaldatacatalog.com/
An Application Programming Interface (API) is an interface implemented by a software program which enables it to interact with other software. It is similar to the way the user interface facilitates interaction between humans and computers. An API is implemented by applications, libraries, and operating systems to determine their vocabularies and calling conventions, and is used to access their services. It may include specifications for routines, data structures, object classes, and protocols used to communicate between the consumer and the implementer of the API. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Api
Quote "People here in Los Angeles are upset that the mayor's proposed plan to cut the budget of libraries. This could affect as many as nine people." Jay Leno
Feedback to A.Word.A.Day
From: Richard A. D. Freeman Morton's fork
Def: A situation involving choice between two equally undesirable outcomes.
Since most forks today have two or more prongs (tines) it would be good to point out to your readers that, in the 15th century, forks had only two prongs.
From: Stephen Phillips Hobson's choice
Def: An apparently free choice that offers no real alternative: take it or leave it.
Mr. Hobson also arranged supply of fresh water to Cambridge through a system of open channels by the roadside, part of which exists to this day.
From: Prof. Dr. Otto Steinmayer Hobson's choice
Hobson was loved enough at Cambridge to inspire a volume of commemorative poems upon his death. Among others, John Milton contributed. Hobson died aged 86, so he had a full life.
Dr. Johnson remarks that this is the only poem Milton wrote in the "metaphysical" style.
From: Clare Cross Diseases named after physicians
There is some controversy regarding the use of apostrophes for diseases named after the researchers who discovered them. There are a number of issues involved, but it is at least partially a political question: Who "owns" a disease? The National Down Syndrome Society specifically states a preference for "Down" over "Down's" "because an 'apostrophe s' connotes ownership or possession." The online Merriam-Webster dictionary, which reflects common usage, is inconsistent, using "Down syndrome", but "Parkinson's disease". I'm a copy editor for a medical journal, and our policy is to avoid apostrophes in these constructions (this would not include Lou Gehrig's disease [amyotrophic lateral sclerosis], since Gehrig actually had the disease). Our policy has occasionally led to complaints from authors, who are concerned that readers searching for, say "Parkinson's" rather than "Parkinson" in the US National Library of Medicine (PubMed) database will not be able to find their papers. It's a legitimate problem. I noted at one point four different versions in the PubMed database for what my journal would call "Graves disease", including "Grave's disease", "Graves' disease", and "Graves's disease". A researcher would have to use four separate searches to find all of the papers on this condition. Readers who wish to learn more about this issue should consult the American Medical Association style manual.
A QR Code is a matrix code (or two-dimensional bar code) created by Japanese corporation Denso-Wave in 1994. The "QR" is derived from "Quick Response", as the creator intended the code to allow its contents to be decoded at high speed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_Code
The National Data Catalog is an open platform for government data sets and APIs. It makes it easy to find datasets by and about government, across all levels (federal, state, and local) and across all branches (executive, legislative, and judicial). http://nationaldatacatalog.com/
An Application Programming Interface (API) is an interface implemented by a software program which enables it to interact with other software. It is similar to the way the user interface facilitates interaction between humans and computers. An API is implemented by applications, libraries, and operating systems to determine their vocabularies and calling conventions, and is used to access their services. It may include specifications for routines, data structures, object classes, and protocols used to communicate between the consumer and the implementer of the API. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Api
Quote "People here in Los Angeles are upset that the mayor's proposed plan to cut the budget of libraries. This could affect as many as nine people." Jay Leno
Feedback to A.Word.A.Day
From: Richard A. D. Freeman Morton's fork
Def: A situation involving choice between two equally undesirable outcomes.
Since most forks today have two or more prongs (tines) it would be good to point out to your readers that, in the 15th century, forks had only two prongs.
From: Stephen Phillips Hobson's choice
Def: An apparently free choice that offers no real alternative: take it or leave it.
Mr. Hobson also arranged supply of fresh water to Cambridge through a system of open channels by the roadside, part of which exists to this day.
From: Prof. Dr. Otto Steinmayer Hobson's choice
Hobson was loved enough at Cambridge to inspire a volume of commemorative poems upon his death. Among others, John Milton contributed. Hobson died aged 86, so he had a full life.
Dr. Johnson remarks that this is the only poem Milton wrote in the "metaphysical" style.
From: Clare Cross Diseases named after physicians
There is some controversy regarding the use of apostrophes for diseases named after the researchers who discovered them. There are a number of issues involved, but it is at least partially a political question: Who "owns" a disease? The National Down Syndrome Society specifically states a preference for "Down" over "Down's" "because an 'apostrophe s' connotes ownership or possession." The online Merriam-Webster dictionary, which reflects common usage, is inconsistent, using "Down syndrome", but "Parkinson's disease". I'm a copy editor for a medical journal, and our policy is to avoid apostrophes in these constructions (this would not include Lou Gehrig's disease [amyotrophic lateral sclerosis], since Gehrig actually had the disease). Our policy has occasionally led to complaints from authors, who are concerned that readers searching for, say "Parkinson's" rather than "Parkinson" in the US National Library of Medicine (PubMed) database will not be able to find their papers. It's a legitimate problem. I noted at one point four different versions in the PubMed database for what my journal would call "Graves disease", including "Grave's disease", "Graves' disease", and "Graves's disease". A researcher would have to use four separate searches to find all of the papers on this condition. Readers who wish to learn more about this issue should consult the American Medical Association style manual.
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