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Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz
Decades before the Yated began publishing, the great mechaneich, Rav Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz, is said to have commented to a talmid reading the daily newspaper, "Not a word that you read there is true, besides the date." He then added, "Actually, even the date is false, because the paper was printed the night before, so that it would be available on newsstands and in groceries by daybreak."
Apocryphal or not, the lesson is just as relevant today.
At some point, the media became an echo chamber telling people what to think, what to feel, and what it means if we don't go along with their narrative. They stopped reporting news and started to create news, attempting to shape elections and public opinion.
In 1990, there was a small news item about a building that collapsed in Moscow. The Kremlin issued an official statement that the collapse was caused by an engineering error and reassured Muscovites that the government would get the building up and that it would stay up. A wise rosh yeshiva noticed the story and commented that the end of Communism was certainly imminent.
A keen student of human psychology, Rav Shlomo Freifeld explained that for decades, the only position the Kremlin took when anything went wrong was to blame. They unfailingly said that whatever happened wasn't their fault, but someone else's. For the Russian government to concede a construction error, even if it was a relatively small mistake, meant that they had lost their arrogant smugness and their end was near.
Chochom odif minovi. Six months later, he was proven right.
I thought about this story when I saw a letter that the New York Times publisher sent to subscribers of the newspaper. Under the flowery talk, it was as close to a mea culpa as can be, a concession that the paper of record had failed in its mandate to report the stories of the day without partiality or agenda.
The arrogance has been punctured, even if only a bit and for a short time.
Last week, the wall protecting and surrounding the mainstream media and the lie it sold as reality came crashing down. The self-contained, self-congratulatory, condescending liberal media was brought to its knees.
For eight years, Americans were fed a steady diet of liberal rhetoric, starting with the president himself. It was a perpetual lecture aimed at painting conservatives as narrow-minded, myopic, xenophobic, and racist. Together with the media, elected officials presented a new America, quite different from the country we had known in the prior decades. If you didn't agree with them, you were written off as "irredeemable," "deplorable," "un-American," and out of touch with reality.
Obama had presented a Democrat coalition that followers believed would last a generation. Even people registered with other parties, who rely on the mainstream media, believed it and feared that their candidates would never win another election.
Many pundits smugly wondered, live, on air, if the Republican Party would ever again have a majority, or even a close minority, in the Senate or House. The presidency? Ha! Not a chance, they assured us.
Last week, it was revealed that the Democratic Party is like a little poodle on a leash, led by a cadre of supporters in New York, California and other major cities, far removed from the concerns and thoughts of Americans across the length and breadth of the country.
In fact, the numbers show that Barack Obama himself would have lost to Donald Trump if they had run against each other. Obama's presidency and agenda were roundly rejected by the American people. He campaigned very hard for Hillary Clinton and reminded people that she would continue his agenda. He and his family and those close to him all campaigned vigorously for Clinton, yet Trump won every state they battled in. Obama pleaded with the electorate to see the choice as a referendum of his legacy. They listened, letting him know exactly what they thought of his legacy.
From the day Trump entered the race, he was mocked and vilified. The mainstream powerbrokers and media portrayed him as a buffoon who could never last. As he won the primaries in state after state, leading Republicans went to great lengths to have him disqualified. They didn't understand his power; they didn't get his strength. The more money they spent against him, and the more they undercut him, the stronger a force he became. There are Republicans who still don't understand how he did it, though now they are forced to play along.
Hillary Clinton was presented as the inevitable winner, and nearly everyone was convinced that she would win. Though she had difficulty beating an old socialist and required much help – underhanded and otherwise – to put him away, from the day she was handed the nomination, every poll, pundit and expert, and anyone who knows anything, agreed that she would win. Trump had no chance, we were told daily by well-heeled, articulate, well-paid talking heads.
The New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC, and every other media outlet hammered home the message that Trump was unsuitable for the presidency and could never win. And it wasn't only the liberals. Conservatives such as Charles Krauthammer and Karl Rove are just as guilty for failing to perceive what was happening. Perhaps they were influenced by the general media as well, believing the polls, which were obviously skewed in Clinton's favor along with all the other coverage.
The polls were used to obfuscate what was going on around the country. The media painted a picture and it was proven wrong. All through the campaign, everyone thought that Clinton would win and Trump would lose. Though people like to believe that they are not influenced by the secular media, the narrative of the press effectively convinced the nation.
Even those who don't subscribe to the media and the cultural icons, are influenced by what they say and do. The national conversation and information flow is dictated by people with agendas, and unless you receive your information from an objective source, you are likely being lied to by spin experts, as proven by the trove of internal documents publicized by the whistle-blowing WikiLeaks group.
The Democrats had no message. They had nothing to say to working class voters other than admonitions of what they should believe and how they should speak. Their campaign boiled down to warning people that Trump was an evil dope and anyone who voted for him is equally worthy of derision.
The American people were told that Trump wasn't deserving of their support, but they didn't care. They had enough of being told how to think and what to do. Citizens saw the corruption of justice and voted to do something about it. They had enough of paying high taxes, watching a ruling class dominate and rule their lives. And they did something about it.
The big lie has been exposed. We have to be intelligent enough to recognize it and follow up on it. The illusion of the left sweeping across the country, people hating Trump, and the inevitability of a Clinton victory was blown to smithereens. In fact, the Democratic Party is leaderless, without a message, and beholden to the extreme left wing.
The American people are worried. They're anxious about rising health care costs, about their pensions, and about making it through each day.
Obama, when he ran for president, campaigned as the candidate of hope and change, but once elected, he dished out little hope and a lot of the wrong type of change. Trump was not only the law-and-order candidate, but also the hope-and-change candidate. Essentially, he offered hope for a better future and of the country being great again.
Trump did not have formulated policies or serious ideas about governing, but he gives voice to the attitude that empowers the people. He talked about the real fear in American homes, the desire to triumph, the hope of being winners again. He filled large arenas, peddling that message, and by doing so, he made the professional politicians look silly. The experts chose to ignore the phenomenon that was sweeping the country. They were tone-deaf to the message sent by thousands of people who chose to wait for hours to get into a rally, where they would wait some more for the candidate to arrive. Instead of reporting on Trump's large crowds, the media never showed pictures of anything other than Trump at the podium, unless there was a protester or angry poster in the crowd. They ignored the truth. In other words, they lied. They sold an alternate story and convinced themselves and many others that the fictitious story was necessary.
The old ways of the so-called experts and poll-driven candidates, with staff-written position papers and rote responses to straight questions, didn't work this time. People want action. They want someone who understands and respects them. They want their candidate to speak off the cuff and be truthful and straightforward. They don't care for long political records and pedigree.
Trump's bluster and banter reflected conversations that took place in coffee shops and gas stations across the country. Tens of millions of frustrated Americans saw him as someone who would address what was troubling them. His promises, such as vowing to change the way government runs, were expressed and channeled by crystallizing his positions in a three-word-chant, such as "drain the swamp." The people loved it and connected to it, seeing Trump as the leader they had been waiting for. He didn't speak intelligently, and he is not well-read or well-versed, with no experience in doing anything he promised, but they didn't care.
When given the choice of just such a person, they chose him every time they were given the opportunity, as he racked up primary wins and then, last week, electoral votes, one after the other.
Hillary Clinton had a mammoth fundraising operation, with influential political aides, her husband, power-brokers, and all of the media in the country on her side. The Clinton Machine was unstoppable, it seemed.
People bought into the idea that everything is rigged against them. They saw Trump as real, not phony. He was one of them. He spoke like them, using simple, down-to-earth language that they understood, without using multi-syllable words. He didn't try to make himself sound smart and knowledgeable, while trying to make the people feel dumb and less educated on the matters they care about. He was blunt and forthright, and people appreciated that. Yes, they realized that he has a lot of money, but they got over that. When he was attacked, they didn't focus on his deficiencies. In fact, the more he was attacked, the more they were convinced that the rigged system was trying to destroy him. He won despite everything that was unleashed against him, because the people rebelled against the establishment and wanted to get America back to what it is supposed to be.
People are worried about the economy and healthcare. They are scared of terrorism and illegal aliens taking over their country. They care about the Supreme Court, and the sanctity of life and marriage, and were fed up with being told that they are standing in the way of progress.
In the weeks leading up to the election, Obama said repeatedly, "All the progress we've made over these last eight years goes out the window if we don't win this election." The people believed him and voted against him and his agenda for exactly that reason. The legacy he was so concerned about was repudiated by the masses, as his party's candidates went down to defeat up and down the ballot across the country. One-third of Democrats in Congress will now represent three states, California, Massachusetts and New York. The Democrats lost the Senate and the House. Republican governors will now control 33 states.
President Obama, touted by the media and Democrats as a post-racial bridge-builder, was actually a gift to Trump. People don't like him or his policies. They are upset with his lies, his presidential proclamations making an end-run against their elected representatives, taking the country left, quashing American pride, apologizing for America's gains, and coddling with enemies while ignoring friends.
Trump had desired to run for many years, but he presented himself as a political outsider and novice, which he certainly was, leading a movement. The pundits laughed at his unorthodox campaign. He didn't have front men, fancy surrogates, fundraisers, marketing people, pollsters, message tweakers, and everything else that Hillary, Jeb and all the other political pros had. He had himself. He had his brain and his connection to the voters, who saw him as a regular guy like them, just with more money.
And so he won.
And the lessons for us are endless.
We must develop eyes that see the truth, a discernment and judgment to be able to see through lies, recognizing the emes and sticking to it.
Lehavdil, this week's parsha opens with an account of Avrohom Avinu's chesed and extraordinary hachnosas orchim. The Ribono Shel Olam himself was visiting, but there were hungry guests waiting. Avrohom was weak, recovering from his bris milah, but there were human beings who needed his help.
Rav Yaakov Kamenetzky would point out that the greatness of Avrohom does not become evident until we study the second perek of the parsha and the juxtaposition of Avrohom's concern and kindness with his pleas on behalf of the people of Sedom.
Avrohom's special mitzvah was hachnosas orchim. It would stand to reason that he would despise Sedom, the epitome of an anti-chesed city. Since the essence of Sedom was counter to his "agenda," he could be forgiven for perceiving them as an enemy.
But Avrohom was able to view things clearly. He rejected the actions of the Sodomites and was saddened by the way they treated guests, but he didn't let that cloud his vision. In modern-day parlance, the noise didn't distract him from his mission.
When Hashem shared with Avrohom His intention to destroy the city and its inhabitants, he davened for them and bargained for them to be saved. Hakadosh Boruch Hu rejected his entreaties and Sedom was wiped off the face of the earth.
The posuk (Bereishis 19:27) tells us that after the evil city was destroyed, Avrohom arose early and headed to the place where he had stood pleading before Hashem and took a look at the destroyed cities of Sedom and Amorah.
The Gemara in Maseches Brachos (6b) cites this posuk and comments that someone who is koveia makom l'tefillaso, establishes a fixed place for his prayers, is a chossid, an anav, and a talmid of Avrohom Avinu.
Because of his humility, Avrohom Avinu was able to return to the same place where he had been rejected and kept on davening because it wasn't about him. He was a humble soldier of the Creator, focused on carrying out His will, being kind and generous and helping as many people as possible. Avrohom had no agenda of his own that he was seeking to affect.
The Creator can carry out his own agenda with us or without us. If we are fortunate, we can follow his word and get to be on His team.
Sure, it is a struggle not to get swept up with the cause of goodness. We can easily imagine good people being carried away by anti-Sedom rhetoric and hoping for quick destruction of the evil-doers. Rav Aharon Kotler would tell his talmidim that they could learn "da'as Torah" by studying ma'asei avos, the reactions and choices made by the avos hakdoshim in these parshiyos of Bereishis.
The Tchebiner Rov was a successful lumber merchant. When he lost his fortune and was left with no source of income, he acquiesced to the request of gedolim that he accept a rabbinical position.
On Purim of his first year in Tchebin, mishloach manos and financial gifts piled up on the table. The rov noticed tears in the eyes of his rebbetzin, who wasn't accustomed to taking money from anyone.
The rov said to her, "I know how you feel. It is difficult to be a taker. But I ask you one thing. In a few years, don't become upset with those who do not give as much as you would have expected."
The wise rov was aware of the human tendency to initially see a practice as incorrect, but then get used to it, viewing the practice as correct and those who think otherwise as being wrong.
He pleaded with his wife not to let that happen to them.
And it shouldn't happen to us either.
We can plumb these parshiyos, developing Torah attitudes and ideals, and refining our sense of integrity.
We can approach life with clear eyes, seeing past the lies and hearing beyond the din.
This week, hundreds of good Jews gather at a convention specifically for the purpose of learning how to listen, to hear gedolim and rabbonim analyze contemporary issues and address them with Torah lenses. Being together with ehrliche Yidden is itself a means of absorbing the emes and living above the commotion and noise. The courage, conviction and chizuk offered by gedolei Yisroel and our rabbeim are our agenda and our party.
My rebbi, Rav Mendel Kaplan, a vestige of the Lithuanian world that is no more, would relate to us that his rebbi taught him something that he had, in turn, learned from his rebbi: "The first rule in our Shulchan Aruch is zei nisht kein na'ar, don't be a fool."
We have the greatest tool in the world, the Torah, to provide us with wisdom and truth. If we begin to see things clearly, half of the battle is already won.
Editorial Archive
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Q: Entity Connection String Constructor not found in EF 5 and WCF 4.5 at runtime I have developed web application using VS 2010, WCF 4.0 and EF 4.1.1. My WCF Service developed with multiple EF Connection strings configured in web.config file those are taken from Entity Model app.config file. based on the parameters i am redirecting databases with EF Connection string at runtime.
My WCF4.0 web.config like:
  <connectionStrings>
     <add name="WMSChennaiDEVEntities" connectionString="metadata=res://*/Model1.csdl|res://*/Model1.ssdl|res://*/Model1.msl;provider=System.Data.SqlClient;provider connection string="Data Source=192.168.0.89;Initial Catalog=WMSCMSWPROD;User ID=sa;Password=wms@123;MultipleActiveResultSets=True"" providerName="System.Data.EntityClient" />
     <add name="WMSHyderabadDEVEntities" connectionString="metadata=res://*/Model1.csdl|res://*/Model1.ssdl|res://*/Model1.msl;provider=System.Data.SqlClient;provider connection string="Data Source=192.168.0.89;Initial Catalog=WMSHMSWPROD;User ID=sa;Password=wms@123;MultipleActiveResultSets=True"" providerName="System.Data.EntityClient" />
    </connectionStrings>

And in my WCF Service.svc.cs file i have written function that has CenterId parameter and based on that ID i am changing my EF Connection strings  like this
 WMSChennaiDEVEntities EcChennai;
    public void SetEntityModel(int CenterId)
    {
        if (CenterId == 4)
            EcChennai = new WMSChennaiDEVEntities(ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["WMSChennaiDEVEntities"].ToString());
        else if (CenterId == 10)
            EcChennai = new WMSChennaiDEVEntities(ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["WMSHyderabadDEVEntities"].ToString());

    }

Now I am going to convert this web application to VS 2012. I have created new EF Model with same entities and created new WCF Service. I have done some changes and everything is working fine when i am using only one EF Connection string.
WMSMainEntities EntCenter = new WMSMainEntities();
    public List<WMSCenter> GetCenters()
    {
        using (var tt = new TransactionScope(TransactionScopeOption.Required, new TransactionOptions { IsolationLevel = System.Transactions.IsolationLevel.ReadUncommitted }))
        {
            EntCenter.Configuration.LazyLoadingEnabled = false;
            EntCenter.Configuration.ProxyCreationEnabled = false;
            var CenterColl = EntCenter.WMSCenters.ToList();
            tt.Complete();
            tt.Dispose();
            return CenterColl;
        }
    }

Now I am in big trouble when i am going to change EF Connecction Strings at runtime in the function. Entity is not taking up Connection String parameter as showing message 'does not contain a constructor that takes 1 arguments'
WMSChennaiDEVEntities EcChennai;
public void SetEntityModel(int CenterId)
{
    if (CenterId == 4)
        EcChennai = new WMSChennaiDEVEntities(ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["WMSChennaiDEVEntities"].ToString());
    else if (CenterId == 10)
        EcChennai = new WMSChennaiDEVEntities(ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["WMSHyderabadDEVEntities"].ToString());
}

Error msg like:
Error   3   'CTScan.EntityLibrary.WMSChennaiDEVEntities' does not contain a constructor that takes 1 arguments  D:\Code\CTScan\CTScan.WCFService\CTScanService.svc.cs   66  29  CTScan.WCFService

I have more than 300 methods already developed in the service. Every function is depend on the SetEntityModel(int CenterId) function.
So please help me to resolve how to call EF5 connection strings in runtime issue.
Thanks in advance.
EDIT:
I have tried by giving connection string directly as follows:
if (CenterId == 4)
        {
            EcChennai = new WMSHMSWPRODEntities();
            string ConStr = "metadata=res://*/CTScanCore.csdl|res://*/CTScanCore.ssdl|res://*/CTScanCore.msl;provider=System.Data.SqlClient;provider connection string='data source=192.168.0.89;initial catalog=WMSHMSWPROD;persist security info=True;user id=sa;password=wms@123;App=EntityFramework'";
            EcChennai.Database.Connection.ConnectionString = ConStr;

        }

Changes:
1. Removed parameter in connection string 'MultipleActiveResultSets=True;'
2. Removed " and added single quote
3. Error message Keyword not supported: 'metadata'. at EcChennai.Database.Connection.ConnectionString = ConStr;
Keyword not supported: 'metadata'.

Please help me

A: Add the constructor you are looking for in a partial class outside of the auto-generated entity class:
public partial class WMSChennaiDEVEntities : DbContext
{
    public WMSChennaiDEVEntities(string connectionstring)
            : base(connectionstring)
    {
    }
}

This constructor is not included in EF 5 apparently to prevent us from accidentally passing a sql connection string when an entity connection string is desired.  Don't use Code First by mistake

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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$335,000 Raised for family of slain U.S. Marshal
WGAL News 8
WEBVTT WE ARE TOLD THERE HAVE BEENMORE THAN THREE OR TWO CALLS AWEEK TO THE HOTLINE.RO HELPING THE FAMILY OFCHRISTOPHER HILL, THE DEPUTYU.S. MARSHAL KILLED WHILESERVING A WARRANT IN HARRISBURG.A GROUP THAT HELPS FAMILIES OFMILITARY AND FIRST RESPONDERSKILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY ISCALLED TUNNEL TO TOWERSFOUNDATION.IT HAS RAISED $335,000 FORHILLS' FAMILTHAT INCLUDES $235,000 IN
The community has responded in a big way in helping the family of Christopher Hill, the deputy U.S. Marshal killed while serving a warrant in Harrisburg earlier this month. A group that helps families of military and first responders killed in the line of duty is called "Tunnel to Towers Foundation."It has raised $335,000 for Hills' family. That includes $235,000 in donations and a $100,000 donation from the group. The group started the fundraising campaign the day after Hill was killed, to pay off his family's mortgage.
The community has responded in a big way in helping the family of Christopher Hill, the deputy U.S. Marshal killed while serving a warrant in Harrisburg earlier this month.
A group that helps families of military and first responders killed in the line of duty is called "Tunnel to Towers Foundation."
It has raised $335,000 for Hills' family. That includes $235,000 in donations and a $100,000 donation from the group.
The group started the fundraising campaign the day after Hill was killed, to pay off his family's mortgage.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Mary Eileen Shackleton is District 7230 Governor Nominee and will be Governor for the Rotary year 2020-21. Mary currently serves as District 7230 Executive Secretary and chairs the District Grant and Stewardship Subcommittee. She is a member and Past President of the Rotary Club of Metro New York City (2015-16), when the club was awarded a Presidential Citation. Mary is also a two-time Assistant Governor (2016-17, 2017-18). She graduated from the Rotary Leadership Institute in 2018. Mary is a Paul Harris Fellow and member of both the Paul Harris and Bequest Societies.
Mary is a Research Specialist with the international law firm Kirkland & Ellis, LLP. She received a B.A. (Communication) from Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. Mary went on to receive a J.D. from the Maurer School of Law, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, and a M.I.L.S. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. She is a member of the American Association of Law Libraries, the International Legal Technology Association, and the Law Library Association of Greater New York. Mary was admitted to the Indiana Bar in 1988.
Mary is a proud Midwest farmer's daughter and fourth-generation Rotarian. Her paternal great-grandfather, Evan Shackleton, joined the Rotary Club of Attica-Williamsport, IN (USA) in1937. Both parents (H.J./"Shack" and Wilma) have served as club presidents. Mary and her mother were serving Assistant Governors at the same time. Her paternal aunt (Suzann Shackleton) also remains an active Rotarian.
Mary enjoys photography, reading, baking when she can, travel, exploring NYC, all water sports, dancing, and especially meeting Rotarians. She is a life-long fan of the Purdue Boilermakers, Chicago Cubs, and most sports.


text:
Serviceplan Group: Balance 2012/2013
The Serviceplan Group closes the 2012/2013 financial year successfully with an increase in sales of 7.4 per cent and agency fees of EUR 218 million
The Serviceplan Group has closed the 2012/2013 financial year with an increase in sales of 7.4 per cent and generated agency fees of EUR 218 million. This means that Europe's largest independent communications agency was well above the industry average again this year. In total 120 new jobs have been created over the past year: the Serviceplan Group currently has around 1,480 employees. As in the previous year, in addition to the Group's core disciplines, growth in the international markets - at 37 per cent - has again proved to be the key driving force behind this success.
Munich, 18 July 2013 — In the 2013 Spring Monitor, Germany's advertising agencies viewed the future with optimism. According to GWA (the German association of advertising agencies), advertising and communications agencies were expecting sales to increase by 5.6 per cent. The Serviceplan Group again posted growth above the industry average this year and is today presenting figures for 2012/2013 – its 42nd financial year – which ran from 1 July 2012 to 30 June 2013. The balance sheet shows single-digit growth of 7.4 per cent. The Group recorded gross income (fees and commission) of EUR 218 million (2011/2012: EUR 203 million). Billings (volume of advertising accounts managed excluding media purchasing) rose to EUR 1.45 billion (2011/2012: EUR 1.35 billion), once again passing the one-billion mark. Staffing levels were also further increased over the past financial year: the agency currently has 1,480 employees – just under nine per cent (8.8%) more than the 1,360 employees on its books in the previous year. Sales per head came in at EUR 147,000, down slightly by 1.3 per cent on the previous year (2011/2012: EUR 149,000). In the past financial year, international sales amounted to EUR 16.9 million - up 37 per cent on the previous year's EUR 12.3 million.
Florian Haller, CEO of the Serviceplan Group, comments on the result: "In the past financial year, we took further key steps towards our vision of becoming the world's first integrated and innovative agency group. I am delighted that we are not only enjoying continued success in Germany but that we are also achieving steady growth abroad, in particular. This result confirms the Serviceplan Group's position as the top owner-managed agency in Germany.
The results in detail
All divisions within the agency group recorded above-average growth rates. The agencies managed under the Serviceplan brand – integrated campaigns and the special disciplines of merchandising, dialogue, sponsoring and life as well as PR – remain the main contributors to the Group's total sales at 31.7 per cent (EUR 69 million). (2011/2012: 32%. Serviceplan Solutions, which was spun off in the last financial year, posted significant growth of 21.5 per cent to EUR 17 million. In total, the Serviceplan brand therefore accounts for just under 40 per cent of total sales (39.5%). The second most significant pillar is the agency group for digital communication under the Plan.Net brand, which it is also the second-largest digital agency in Germany. It grew by 8.2 per cent and contributed EUR 66 million, or 30.3 per cent, to the Group's total sales. The media agency managed under the Mediaplus brand, which contributed almost a quarter (21.6%) to the Group's total sales, increased its sales by just under five per cent to EUR 47 million. The two independently operating brands Facit – the market research subsidiary of the Serviceplan Group – and the agency group Saint Elmo's also made gains within the Serviceplan Group. Together they posted growth of almost six per cent, representing just under nine per cent – EUR 19 million – of the Serviceplan Group's total sales.
The impressive growth was due largely to the expansion of existing client business and the acquisition of a number of new clients and new accounts across all the various brands, agencies and international locations of the Serviceplan Group – including the accounts of Lufthansa, OBI, Deichmann, Redcoon, Sky, Gerolsteiner, O2, Senseo, Auchan and Berentzen. The accounts of ZDF, AOK and LfA Förderbank were also retained successfully. The offices abroad also made a respectable and steadily increasing contribution to total sales of some 8 per cent in the past financial year.
Serviceplan ranked second among the world's independent agencies for creativity in Cannes; Alex Schill among the world's top 3 creative directors
This year, the 60th "International Festival of Creativity", the world's biggest communications and advertising festival, was held in Cannes. The Serviceplan Group was again extremely successful, scooping a total of eleven Lions – the Oscars of the advertising industry – including the competition's most sought-after prize, the Grand Prix in the "Design" category, for the second consecutive year. No other agency in the history of the festival has achieved this feat. The prize was won by Auchan's "Selfscan Report", which demonstrates just how sustainable a sustainability report can be.
Serviceplan was the most creative independent German agency in Cannes this year, winning two gold, three silver and five bronze Lions alongside the Grand Prix. The Serviceplan Group is also ranked second on the list of the world's most creative independent agencies.
Alex Schill, CCO of the Serviceplan Group: "This year, we again demonstrated that we can hold our own among the top three agencies in the world. Yet again, we received awards for wonderful work in Cannes and in other places and are proud of our creative and innovative teams in all our offices. To be ranked second among the world's independent agencies is a fantastic affirmation of what we have achieved and an incentive to do even better!"
Serviceplan came home from the New York Festivals (NYF) in May 2013 with ten awards: one gold, five silver, and four bronze. This ensured Serviceplan retained its 2012 title as the most successful German agency at the NYF.
Serviceplan also did very well at the Art Directors Club (ADC): this year, the Serviceplan Group won a total of 14 Nails at the ADC 2013 - one gold, four silver and nine bronze. Serviceplan received a gold award in the "Print: Innovative Use of Print" category for its "The Daily Abuse" campaign:
Serviceplan Hamburg also achieved another extraordinary success with the idea "Be here - Be there". The idea was chosen by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation from among 900 submissions and will receive funding of USD 100,000. If implemented successfully, a further USD 1 million will be awarded. All the money will go into the development of the idea and will be used solely for charitable purposes.
The Serviceplan Group holds first and second place in the creative rankings run by the two most relevant specialist magazines for marketing and communications in Germany, namely horizont and Werben & Verkaufen (W&V). According to the W&V rankings, Serviceplan is the most creative agency in Germany by a margin of 114 points.
Last year, the Serviceplan Group rose to ninth place in global creative rankings The Big Won for the first time. Within the space of only one year, Europe's largest owner-managed agency has shot up the rankings and now occupies third place in these global agency rankings. Alex Schill also retained his position and remains the best creative director in Germany and the third best in the world.
The other global ranking PIAFYS also regards Alex Schill as the best German creative director and the third best in the world. No fewer than another three Serviceplaners also appear there among the 50 best creative minds.
Dr Peter Haller, founder and Managing Director of the Serviceplan Group, and Florian Haller also received a special prize in March 2013. They were accepted into the German Advertising Hall of Fame, which was established by WirtschaftsWoche in 2001, at a prestigious event in Berlin's Museum of Communication. Its members - who now total 30 - are drawn from all areas of traditional communication and have had a sustained impact on German advertising with their lifelong achievements and work.
Mediaplus was also honoured yet again, taking home three accolades at the Deutscher Mediapreis 2013 award ceremony – for Best Media Idea in the Radio and Ambient categories, as well as the prize for Best Media Strategy. The media agency from the Serviceplan Group defended its leading position as the most successful agency of the evening and in the history of the awards: with 25 Deutscher Mediapreis awards in total, Mediaplus took home twice as many prizes as its nearest challenger.
Serviceplan opens offices in Switzerland, China and Frankfurt; Mediaplus grows regionally and internationally; Plan.Net acquires the mobile marketing pioneer 12snap
At the end of 2012, Serviceplan Suisse with its two managing directors Christian Baertschi and Sacha Moser opened for business. The Serviceplan Group therefore took another important step in its internationalisation strategy and is focusing on its main strengths of creation, digital and media in Switzerland as in all its other offices. Plan.Net Suisse was launched in 2008 as a digital communication specialist combining digital creation and media. In addition to online and media experts, specialists in classic communication will therefore be working in the Swiss branch of Europe's largest owner-managed agency from now on. In July 2013, Serviceplan PR Suisse was added to the range of services.
Serviceplan China also started operating in Beijing in July 2013, headed by Managing Directors Kathrin Güthoff and Roger Strack. In Managing Director Kathrin Güthoff, Serviceplan is bringing in an expert with many years of experience in China. Most recently, during an eight-year period as Executive Creative Director of BBDO Interone China, she was jointly responsible for setting up the agency. The second Managing Director is Roger Strack, Managing Director of Serviceplan Sales since 2005. Carl-Philipp Mauve will take over his position in Munich with immediate effect. Our partner at the new location is the MCON Group, an international IT service provider that focuses on the automotive industry and its marketing, sales and aftersales sectors. The agency group, which has been operating in China for many years, also focuses on the professional services industry, the financial industry and telecommunications.
Serviceplan One has opened an office in Frankfurt with over 30 employees for its new client Lufthansa. The office will be run by Sandro Götz, Managing Director of Service Plan One, in Munich.
Mediaplus took the next step in its development plan in the last financial year. Following the successful restructuring of the Mediaplus Group in 2012, efforts will be focused on internationalisation. With this in mind, the Group has reorganised its corporate and management structure. Volker Helm has been responsible for internationalisation since March 2013. Andrea Malgara, who is also in charge of purchasing, media and research, is acting as spokesperson for the Mediaplus Group.
Business in Germany was also expanded, with the significance of regional media set to increase further in future. The Mediaplus Group reacted to the growing trend in media planning by forming a specialist agency – "Mediaplus Regio" – together with Planus Media. This agency, based in Cologne, is now serving this growing business segment with nine staff, headed by Thomas Bathelt, Volker Helm and Gerd Himmels. WEFRA Werbeagentur Frankfurt® and the Munich-based Serviceplan Group also set up a joint enterprise known as WEFRA Mediaplus GmbH & Co. KG in May 2013. The joint venture is a subsidiary of WEFRA Media GmbH and the Mediaplus Group. The idea is to make the business an important player in the field of B2C healthcare media and establish it as one of the top three agencies in the B2C healthcare segment.
The Plan.Net Group expanded its portfolio in the past financial year with the acquisition of 12snap, one of the most highly regarded agencies in the mobile marketing sector, gaining 40 new staff in the process. In addition to its office in Munich, 12snap's two other offices in Helsinki, which employs five staff, and in Timisoara (Romania), which employs 15, were also acquired by Plan.Net. The Plan.net Group ranked second for the first time in the "Internet Agency Ranking 2013" published by the Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft (BVDW) e.V.
Serviceplan Group steps up partnership with Steinbeis University
The Serviceplan Group will start the second year of its collaboration with Steinbeis University Berlin with more participants. Eight Serviceplan employees will embark on the Best Brands Master course this year, a Master's degree programme enabling participants to study alongside their usual work. This offer is still the only one of its kind in the communications industry.
The Serviceplan Group is making its staff more mobile and has launched an innovative, easy to use and sustainable, internal car sharing service "weDrive" in cooperation with the fleet management and leasing service provider Alphabet. A fleet of seven black Serviceplan cars – BMWs and MINIs – has been available to employees in Munich and Hamburg for both private and business use since September 2012. weDrive is the latest addition to the services the Serviceplan Group provides to its employees alongside offerings such as weSport, weCare and weTravel.
Sustainability in focus: SIS 2013 and Green Tec Award
With the "Sustainability Image Score", the Serviceplan Group has this year rated the sustainability efforts of companies from the point of view of the consumer for the third time. HiPP, Miele, dm Drogeriemarkt, Alete, Milupa, Toyota, Bärenmarke, Coppenrath & Wiese, BMW and Audi are the ten companies that currently operate most sustainably from the point of view of German consumers. This is the result of this year's representative sustainability study of more than 8,000 participants, carried out by Facit Research on behalf of the Serviceplan Group.
The Group has also entered into a new partnership in the field of sustainability: Europe's largest owner-managed communications agency and Europe's largest environmental technology award, the Green Tec Award, have been partners since September 2012.
Florian Haller is looking forward to the next steps in the Serviceplan vision: "We are looking towards the future and the next financial year with confidence. In this phase of our internationalisation programme, we are not planning any new offices but rather steady expansion and rapid growth, particularly outside Germany."
Claudia Kirchmair
Corporate Communication & PR
c.kirchmair@serviceplan.com


TAMPA, Fla. February 20, 2018 – IT Authorities, announced today that CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has named IT Authorities to its 2018 Managed Service Provider (MSP) 500 list. This annual list recognizes North American solution providers with cutting-edge approaches to delivering managed services. Their offerings help companies navigate the complex and ever-changing landscape of IT, improve operational efficiencies, and maximize their return on IT investments.
"IT Authorities is honored to be named in CRN's Managed Service Provider list again this year. I thank our customers for the opportunity to support the mission critical mission applications that enable their business", said Phil LaForge, CEO of IT Authorities. "Every IT Authorities' team member plays an integral part in delivering our Cloud and Application Managed Services and we thank CRN for recognizing IT Authorities so prominently on the CRN MSP 500 list."


93 (2010 census). Less than 40 fluent speakers, same number of passive speakers (Salminen 2007). Ethnic population: 760 (2010 census).
Irkutsk province, Nizhneudinsk district, Alygdzher, Nerkha, and Verkhnyaya Gutara villages.
Seriously endangered (2000 A. Kibrik). Home. Older adults only. Neutral attitudes. Also use Russian [rus].


text:
Sivan Ben Yishai (; * 1978 in Tel Aviv) ist eine deutsch-israelische Dramatikerin und Theaterregisseurin. Sie lebt seit 2012 in Berlin.

Leben
Ben Yishai studierte Szenisches Schreiben und Theaterregie an der Universität Tel Aviv. Erste Theatererfahrungen sammelte sie am Nissan Nativ Acting Studio und im Improvisationszentrum Tel Aviv. Seit 2012 lebt sie in Berlin und arbeitet als freie Autorin und Regisseurin. 2015 inszenierte sie zwei eigene Stücke in Berlin: "3RDLND/If you know what I mean and I think you do" beim Future Forum der Stiftung Deutsch-Israelisches Zukunftsforum und "I know I'm ugly but I glitter in the dark" beim ID Festival im Radialsystem V. 2017 wurde Ben Yishais "Your very own double crisis club", der erste Teil ihrer Tetralogie "Let the blood come out to show them", zu den Autorentheatertagen eingeladen und am Deutschen Theater Berlin uraufgeführt. Es folgten Aufführungen ihrer Stücke u. a. am Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin, am Theater Konstanz, Theater Dortmund, Nationaltheater Mannheim, Münchner Kammerspiele sowie in Helsinki, Luxemburg, Tel Aviv und New York City. Sivan Ben Yishai arbeitet eng mit der Schriftstellerin Maren Kames zusammen, die ihre Stücke aus dem Englischen ins Deutsche überträgt.

2019 war Sivan Ben Yishai Hausautorin am Nationaltheater Mannheim. 2022 wurde sie für "Wounds Are Forever (Selbstportrait als Nationaldichterin)" mit dem Mülheimer Dramatikerpreis ausgezeichnet und von Theater heute zur Dramatikerin des Jahres 2022 ausgewählt. 2022 und 2023 wurden ihre Stücke zum Berliner Theatertreffen eingeladen. Ihre Stücke erscheinen sowohl auf Deutsch als auch im Original (Englisch) seit 2017 im Suhrkamp Theaterverlag. 2023 wurde ihr der Theaterpreis Berlin zuerkannt. Die Dramatikerin sei laut Jury "am Firmament des deutschsprachigen Theaters erschienen wie ein Komet".

Theaterstücke

 YOUR VERY OWN DOUBLE CRISIS CLUB (UA: Deutsches Theater Berlin, 23. Juni 2017, Regie: András Dömötör)
 DIE GESCHICHTE VOM LEBEN UND STERBEN DEN NEUEN JUPPI JA JEY JUDEN (UA: Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin, 2. November 2017 Regie: Sasha Marianna Salzmann)
 PAPA LIEBT DICH (UA: UA: Maxim Gorki Theater, 16. Februar 2018, Regie: Suna Gürler)
 DIE TONIGHT, LIVE FOREVER oder DAS PRINZIP NOSFERATU (UA: Theater Lübeck, 30. November 2018, Regie: Marie Bues)
 LIEBE/ Eine argumentative Übung (UA: Nationaltheater Mannheim, 26. September 2019, Regie: Jakob Weiss)
 ODER: DU VERDIENST DEINEN KRIEG (EIGHT SOLDIERS MOONSICK) (UA: Maxim Gorki Theater, Berlin, 8. November 2019, Regie: Sasha Marianna Salzmann)
 Unsere Stadt aus Vogelaugen/ Eine Blutung im Dunkeln (UA: Theater Dortmund, 25. September 2020, Regie: Julia Wissert)
 40 GRAD IM SCHATTEN [ABER KEIN SCHATTEN HIER] (UA: Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, 3. Oktober 2020, Regie: Anna Bergmann)
 Wounds Are Forever (Selbstportrait als Nationaldichterin)(UA: Nationaltheater Mannheim, 23. Juni 2021, Regie: Marie Bues)
 Like Lovers Do (Memoiren der Medusa) (UA: Münchner Kammerspiele, 9. Oktober 2021, Regie: Pınar Karabulut)
 DAS DILEMMA MEINES VATERS (Iphigenie) (UA: Theater Münster, 30. September 2022, Regie: Elsa-Sophie Jach)
 Nora: Prolog (UA: Innerhalb der Produktion Nora. Ein Thriller von Sivan Ben Yishai, Henrik Ibsen, Gerhild Steinbuch, Ivna Žic Münchner Kammerspiele, 7. Oktober 2022, Regie: Felicitas Brucker)
 Bühnenbeschimpfung (UA: Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin, 17. Dezember 2022, Regie: Sebastian Nübling)

Auszeichnungen
 Theaterpreis Berlin 2023
 Einladung zum Berliner Theatertreffen 2023
 Dramatikerin des Jahres in der Theater heute Kritiker:innen-Umfrage 2022
 Einladung zum Berliner Theatertreffen 2022 mit Like Lovers do
 Mülheimer Dramatikpreis 2022
 Nachspielpreis des Heidelberger Stückemarkts 2022 (Nominierung)
 Mülheimer Dramatikerpreis 2020 (Nominierung)
 Friedrich-Luft-Preis 2020 (Nominierung)

Publikationen

 Like Lovers Do (Memoiren der Medusa) Suhrkamp Theater Verlag, 28. März 2022. ISBN 978-3-518-43064-4
 Wounds Are Forever (Selbstportrait als Nationaldichterin), Theater heute, 3/2021
 Bühnenbeschimpfung, Theater heute, 1/2023
 LIEBE/Eine argumentative Übung, Theater heute, 10/2019

Einzelnachweise

Deutscher
Israeli
Geboren 1978
Frau
Theaterregisseur
Autor

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Marriage: A Math Problem
Studying who's owed what, when, and how much in cases of divorce, widowing, and inheritance
By Adam Kirsch
Depiction by Giovanni Battista Venanzi of King Solomon being led astray into idolatry in his old age by his wives, 1668.(Main image: Wikipedia)
Literary critic Adam Kirsch is reading a page of Talmud a day, along with Jews around the world.
The Talmud is a famously pluralistic text. Though its subject is law, it doesn't lay down the law; rather, it records a variety of traditions and interpretations about what the law is supposed to be. When different tannaim, the rabbis of the Mishna, have different understandings of the law, all the versions are recorded, since each is taken to represent a sacred tradition. Usually, the Gemara will decide to follow just one tanna—indeed, deciding which authority is most authoritative is one of the Talmud's regular preoccupations. But the rival interpretations do not always exclude one another, and it regularly happens that legal disputes are raised but not resolved. That is one reason why Jewish law is a living organism, inspiring generation after generation of codes and commentaries.
In practice, however, it's easy to imagine that this open-ended legal system could present some problems. If two sages followed different legal traditions, rival litigants could easily engage in "sage-shopping," finding the one who would be most sympathetic to their claim. And if rabbis of equal sanctity made opposite rulings in a case, whose view would prevail? Exactly this problem came up in this week's Daf Yomi reading, in Ketubot 94b. Chapter 10 of Ketubot deals with complex issues of inheritance and debt, one of which is how to cope with rival deeds to the same property that were issued on the same date. Say that Yaakov owns a house, and he signs a deed giving it to Reuven, but later the same day he signs another deed giving it to Shimon. Who gets the house?
This is a case where different sages offer different answers, with neither prevailing over the other. Rabbi Meir, one of the earliest and most revered tannaim, says that a deed becomes valid when it is signed. And since a legal document typically does not include the hour it was signed, only the date, both Reuven and Shimon's deeds are equally valid, since they bear the same date. (To avoid this very problem, we learn in passing, courts in Jerusalem would include the exact hour of signing in a deed.) Rav, one of the first and greatest amoraim, reasons based on Meir's view that since Reuven and Shimon have an equal claim to the property, it should be divided equally between them.
But Rabbi Meir's view is not the only one to be considered here. For another great tanna, Rabbi Elazar, holds that it is not the signing of a deed that makes it effective, but actually giving it to the recipient. In accordance with this principle, Shmuel, the amora who is Rav's great partner and rival, holds that it is up to the discretion of the judges whether to award the property to Reuven or Shimon; presumably, they would rule in favor of whichever party could produce witnesses to the fact that he received his deed first. In this case, Rav and Shmuel can each rely on an authoritative tradition, so neither can impose his view on the other. And in the absence of a unified system of appeals courts, this means that Reuven and Shimon might bring their case to two different judges and get two different verdicts, each equally valid.
That is exactly what happened, we learn, to the sons of Hama, Rami, and Mar Ukva. Their mother wrote a deed in the morning transferring ownership of her property to Rami, and then in the evening she wrote another deed giving the same property to Mar Ukva. Rami brought his case to one sage, Rav Sheshet, who ruled in his favor; while Mar Ukva went to another sage, Rav Nachman, who ruled in his favor. This set up a confrontation between Sheshet and Nachman, with Nachman pulling rank: "I am a judge, and the Master is not a judge," he insisted. But the Talmud does not explain why he said this, and the commentaries disagree: Was there a dispute over local jurisdiction, or was Sheshet disqualified for some reason (for instance, because he was blind, which is a disqualification under Jewish law)? The case remains murky and leaves the reader wondering what would happen in a situation where neither judge agreed to give ground to the other.
Why, one might ask, does this dispute about the dating of legal documents find a place in Tractate Ketubot, which is supposed to be about marriage law? The reason is that, here as often before, the rabbis treat disputes over marriage contracts as special cases of more general rules regarding debt and inheritance. If a man dies and leaves a widow, their marriage contract or ketubah specifies that she can claim a certain amount of money from his estate. But what happens if, in this polygamous society, a man dies and leaves three widows, but his estate doesn't have enough money (or, more likely, land) to pay all their contracts? Whose claim gets paid first?
The law holds, sensibly enough, that the first wife to be married has the first claim on the estate, and so on chronologically. But what if the man married all three wives on the same day? (This would surely be an unlikely event, but apparently it could happen.) If they each are owed the same amount under their marriage contract, then they divide the husband's property equally. But what if each wife was owed a different sum? What happens, asks the mishna in Ketubot 93a, if "one who was married to three women died and the marriage contract of this wife was for one hundred dinars, and this wife for two hundred, and this wife for three hundred?"
There are, it would seem, two logical ways to deal with this situation. One would be for all the wives to divide the estate equally; then they would each get at least some of their contract paid. Another would be for the estate to be divided proportionally, so that, in this case, the wife owed 100 dinars would receive one-sixth of the estate, the wife owed 200 dinars would get one-third, and the wife owed 300 dinars would get one-half.
As it turns out, however, things are not so simple. As the Talmud approaches the problem, we have to imagine that each widow has a claim only up to the amount of the estate that she is owed. Each wife, then, has an equal claim to the first 100 dinars of the estate, and if the estate contains exactly 100 dinars, then each is paid an equal share, 33 and 1/3 dinars. If there are 200 dinars in the estate, then, it would seem to follow that the first 100 dinars is divided among all three wives, as in the previous example. But the second 100 dinars can be claimed only by the wife who is owed 200 dinars and the wife who is owed 300 dinars, and so they would divide it in half between them. The result would be that the first wife would get 33 and 1/3 dinars, while the other two would each get 83 and 1/3. However, what the mishna actually says is that the first wife gets 50 dinars, while the other two each get 75. Why?
This discrepancy puzzles the rabbis of the Gemara, but they manage to find an ingenious explanation. The mishna, they decide, is talking about a case where the second wife, the one owed 200 dinars, disclaimed her share of the estate owed to the first wife, the one owed 100 dinars. As a result, there were only two claimants to the first 100 dinars of the estate, and each takes 50. That explains why the first wife ended up with 50 dinars. But if this were so, then it would seem that the second wife should also end up with 50 dinars: This would be her half of the second hundred dinars, which she divides with the third wife. In that case, the third wife, the one owed 300 dinars, should get 100 dinars—half of the first hundred, split with the first wife, and half of the second hundred, split with the second wife.
Why, then, does the mishna say that the second and third wives each take 75 dinars, an equal sum? The reason, the Gemara explains, is that while the second wife disclaimed her share of the estate with regard to the first wife, she did not disclaim her share of the estate with regard to the third wife. After the first wife is paid her 50 dinars, then, the second wife has a claim against the third wife for half of her 50 dinars, as well as for half of the remaining estate of 100 dinars. For this reason, they divide the 150 dinars in half, leaving each with 75.
You can practically sense the intellectual excitement of the rabbis as they work through these hypotheticals. Things get even more complicated when they consider what to do if the estate is valued at 300 dinars; or if the estate is a creditor for amounts that are paid in installments; or if business partners invest in an asset that can't be divided, such as an ox. And that's not to mention the case, which arises near the end of the chapter, when a man dies leaving two wives, a creditor, and a piece of land, and the first wife disclaims her rights vis-a-vis the creditor, which results in a situation where the land passes from wife to wife to creditor and back again forever. This vicious "cycle," as the mishna calls it, seems like the kind of thing a well-designed legal system would preclude. But it is conundrums like this that make the study of Talmud, even in seemingly dry subjects like inheritance law, such a stimulating mental exercise.
To read Tablet's complete archive of Daf Yomi Talmud study, click here.
Adam Kirsch is a poet and literary critic, whose books include The People and the Books: 18 Classics of Jewish Literature.
Mishna
Talmud study


Biolase (www.biolase.com) has announced a special purchase program for their ezlase diode laser. Between now and December 31, 2007, 0% interest on your purchase.
The ezlase is a diode laser that can be purchased in either 810nm or 980 nm wavelengths. It has a wireless foot control and unidose fiber tips.
In the last couple of years, many manufacturers have greatly reduced the footprint of their diodes. The ezlase is currently one of the smallest.
Denville, N.J. – November 29, 2007 – Lantis Laser Inc. (Other OTC: LLSR.PK - News) (http://www.lantislaser.com), a New Jersey-based company specializing in the commercialization of advanced dental technology, recently won a Popular Science Magazine 2007 Best of What's New award for its newly developed Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) Dental Imaging System™. Lantis' proprietary OCT System is a diagnostic aid that provides real-time, high-resolution chairside imaging of dental tissue for the early detection of tooth decay and other oral diseases.
Lantis Laser's OCT Dental Imaging System™, which is scheduled to launch in August 2008, was a winner in the Personal Health Category because it provides up to 10 times the resolution of a standard x-ray, which enables much earlier detection of tooth decay than is currently possible. Importantly, unlike x-rays, which emit harmful radiation, the OCT Dental Imaging System™ utilizes an innovative, safe, non-invasive light that is passed over the tooth surface using a small, pen-like handheld scanner to capture images of the teeth. It can be used safely on children (and pregnant women), enabling the dentist to diagnose and implement a program to safeguard the oral health of mother and child alike.
Each year, the editors of Popular Science review thousands of products in search of the top 100 tech innovations of the year; breakthrough products and technologies that represent a significant leap in their categories. The winners — the Best of What's New — are awarded inclusion in the much-anticipated December issue of Popular Science, the most widely read issue of the year since the debut of Best of What's New in 1987. Best of What's New awards are presented to 100 new products and technologies in 10 categories: Automotive, Aviation & Space, Computing, Engineering, Gadgets, Green Tech, Home Entertainment, Home Tech, Personal Health, and Recreation. Visit http://www.popsci.com/popsci/flat/bown/2007/ for more information.
Founded in 1872, Popular Science is the world's largest science and technology magazine, with a circulation of 1.3 million and 6.8 million monthly readers. Each month, Popular Science reports on the intersection of science and everyday life, with an eye toward what's new and why it matters. Popular Science is published by Bonnier Active Media, a subsidiary of Bonnier Corporation.
Lantis was formed to commercialize the application of novel technologies in the dental industry. The criteria for selected products include competitive edge, exclusivity, and large market potential. The Company plans to launch the OCT Dental Imaging System™ in the third quarter of 2008 as its first product. Lantis has exclusive rights to the application of OCT technology in the field of dentistry under its license agreements with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and LightLab Imaging. OCT was invented in the early 1990's at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is currently being commercialized by Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc. in ophthalmology and by LightLab Imaging for cardiovascular imaging. To find out more about Lantis Laser (LLSR: PK), visit their website at www.lantislaser.com.
CBCT scanners are beginning to make inroads in dentistry. The 3D volumetric images allow practitioners to see more and in much greater detail than can be done with a standard 2 dimensional radiograph.
Now Toshiba is announcing a new device for the medical field that provides similar types of images. The AquilionONE, which has received FDA clearance allows doctors to image entire organs in 3D for faster and more accurate diagnosis.
CHICAGO, OH — November 27, 2007 — Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc., a leader in diagnostic and medical imaging, today announced FDA clearance of the most advanced diagnostic imaging computed tomography (CT) equipment available — the AquilionONE™. With this clearance, Toshiba is on schedule to make the system commercially available in summer, 2008. AquilionONE, the world's first dynamic volume CT system, revolutionizes patient care because it can help reduce diagnosis time for life threatening diseases like stroke and heart disease from days and hours to mere minutes.
For the first time, physicians can see not only a three-dimensional depiction of an organ, but also the organ's blood flow and dynamic function. Unlike any other CT system, the AquilionONE can scan one organ — including heart, brain and others — in one rotation because it covers up to 16 cm of anatomy using 320 ultra high resolution 0.5mm detector elements. This reduces exam time, as well as radiation and contrast dose, and dramatically increases diagnostic confidence. With the AquilionONE, the organ or area is captured in a single rotation at one moment in time, eliminating the need to reconstruct slices from multiple points in time.
"I believe that the AquilionONE is a quantum leap in the versatility of CT to help manage patient care," said Doug Ryan, senior director, CT Business Unit, Toshiba. "Dynamic volume CT helps provide a faster, more accurate diagnosis while reducing healthcare costs."
It seems a couple of researchers in Canada may have come up with the next big thing in toothbrushes.
A brush that uses light to create a chemical reaction that destroys plaque bacteria.
Drs. Kunio Komiyama and Gerry Uswak are currently looking for 120 subjects to test the brush on. The chemical reaction is said to work so well that toothpaste is not necessary.
As expected, shareholders from both satellite companies voted to approve the proposed merger.
Sirius stated that 96% of its subscribers voted in favor of the merger while XM reported that 99.8% of its subscribers voted in favor.
This development was no surprise. Next comes the decision by the FCC which will approve or deny the proposed merger between the former satellite radio rivals.
I'm in favor of the merger. There are so many entertainment options now for consumers that this only makes sense. As an XM subscriber I can hardly wait for a combined programming menu.
A security flaw in Apple Mail that was fixed last year has returned from the grave to haunt those using the e-mail app in conjunction with the latest version of Apple's operating system, Mac OS X 10.5, otherwise known as "Leopard."
An attacker exploiting the security flaw could create an e-mail attachment that appears to be, for example, a JPEG image file, but executes malicious code when clicked on, without the warning dialogue that should be present.
"In March 2006, Apple corrected this problem," says Heise Security on its Web site. "On a current installation of the Tiger OS, Apple Mail issues a warning that the supposed image file is a program and is to be opened with Terminal. Apple apparently either did not incorporate this update into Leopard, or did not do it correctly."
Apple's Security Update 2006-001 fixed the flaw. "In Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger, when an e-mail attachment is double-clicked in Mail, Download Validation is used to warn the user if the file type is not 'safe," Apple's Security Update explains. "Certain techniques can be used to disguise the file's type so that Download Validation is bypassed. This update addresses the issue by presenting Download Validation with the entire file, providing more information for Download Validation to detect unknown or unsafe file types in attachments."
Malvern, PA (November 19, 2007) - The DentalEZ® Group, with corporate headquarters located in Malvern, PA. has expanded its presence in the dental industry with the recent purchase of Nevin Laboratories, Inc. of Chicago, IL.
Gordon Hagler, President of DentalEZ, along with Bob Nevin and Denis Sexton of Nevin, completed the transaction on November 14, 2007.
"We know our association with DentalEZ will give us the resources necessary for significant growth," remarked Nevin.
Nevin Laboratories, Inc. has been designing, building and installing modular steel cabinets and workstations for dental laboratories for over 85 years. Among Nevin's other customers are both commercial and dental office laboratories, as well as vocational schools, universities, Veterans Administration, Military hospitals and clinics. For more information about Nevin Laboratories, please logon to www.nevinlabs.com.
The DentalEZ Group, consisting of 5 well known brands, sells products for the dental operatory. StarDental manufactures dental handpieces, CustomAir manufactures wet ring pumps, DentalEZ manufactures dental chairs, units, lights, stools and operatory furniture, RAMVAC manufactures dry vacuum systems and CustomAir compressors, and Columbia Dentoform manufactures models, mannequins, teeth and other teaching aids for dentists, dental schools and veterinary practices. For more information about DentalEZ Group, please logon to www.dentalez.com.
A definite peak at the future. Behold the RTX Telehealth Monitor. The device is aimed at patients suffering from chronic diseases who require monitoring by a health professional.
The security of your patient data is important, especially when you are taking it off-site. You want to make sure your data is safe from disaster as well as from being stolen.
The device shown above is the "Cutie Bio" removable drive. This USB 2.0 drive has a fingerprint scanner built in which means only you and your fingerprint can access the data. Without the fingerprint scan, the encrypted data is unreadable.
The drive lists for $58.55 which seems incredibly reasonable, but the capacity of the drive is not yet known.
It comes with everything you need including a zippered carrying case. A couple of drawbacks are that it is Windows only at this time and the drive isn't powered through the USB bus. It actually has a power connector that connects to a separate USB so it requires 2 separate USB ports to run.
More info is available from the company website.
Although not portable enough to be removed and taken off-site as your off-site backup, this device from Sentry Safe could keep your data safe in case of an on-site disaster.
The device is listed as "the world's first and only fire resistant and waterproof hard drive". The idea being that in case of a fire and/or flood, the sealed hard drive box would survive with your data intact, much as the black box in the airline industry. The sealed box also protects the hard drive from dust and dirt.
It comes in 80GB and 160GB sizes. The drives are Maxtor so you know the quality is there. It is USB 2.0 and receives power from the USB bus so there is no need for external power.
It is rated to resist 1500 degrees Farenheit for up to 30 minutes. and is ETL verified waterproof for submersion.
Cost of the 160GB model is $319 and it is due to be available on December 1.
For more info go to the company website.
Microsoft has released the first beta of Vista Service Pack 1. The beta went out yesterday, November 16th. From what I'm reading it seems the update allows for faster networking, improved wake from sleep speeds, and better laptop battery life.
Redmond yet on what the final release date will be though.
Midmark corporation, a manufacturer of dental and medical equipment has purchased dental cabinetry maker European Design as of November 9th.
Plans are for "business as usual" for European Design for at least the next 2 years.
DAYTON, OH — Medical equipment manufacturer Midmark Corp. has acquired Glasgow, Kentucky-based European Design, a designed-cabinetry manufacturer for the dental industry, according to the Dayton Business Journal. Midmark is based out of Versailles, OH, and makes a full line of products for the medical, dental, veterinary and digital diagnostic markets. European Design was recently rated the 12th fastest growing company in the wood industry by Wood & Wood Products magazine. John and Deborah Brinkerhoff, the company's former owners and founders will remain with Midmark as consultants.
I was at the open house for Goetze Dental here in KC today. They are the supply house that has been helping with the equipment in my new facility. One of the highlights of the day was getting to see some of my new equipment which is being stored in their warehouse.
This is the Air Techniques AirStar 50 which is a special pink model in support of Air Technique's (and my) fight against breast cancer.
Both this compressor and my new Air Tech vacuum system are painted pink!
I just completed the update to Leopard using "Software Update" and all went well. The update for my particular system was only about 38MB which only took a minute or so over my broadband connection. After the update download, the MacBook Pro required a reboot and during the boot process the update was installed. Overall it took about 5 minutes to complete.
I've only been using the system for about 10 minutes as of this posting and so far so good. If any problems present themselves, I'll be sure and let you know about it here.
Ivoclar Vivadent Announces Investment in Sirona Dental Systems, Inc.
Ivoclar Vivadent AG announced today that it has made an investment in Sirona Dental Systems, Inc., one of the world's leading manufacturers of high-technology dental equipment. Sirona's CEREC System today is the world's only CAD/CAM system for chairside dentistry, and their inLab technology is a market leader with dental laboratories. Ivoclar Vivadent is the market leader in all ceramic metal free materials for esthetic dentistry and is a material partner for Sirona's CEREC System and inLab Technology.
"This investment represents our commitment to the growth of CAD/CAM systems and our belief that this technology provides benefits to the dental industry, the dental profession and to the patient", said Robert A. Ganley, Chief Executive Officer of Ivoclar Vivadent AG. "Sirona has been a very valuable partner with Ivoclar Vivadent and we look forward to building the growth of CAD/CAM together in the future." CAD/CAM dentistry represents one of the fastest growing sectors of dentistry with expectations for continued rapid growth.
"We have had a long lasting relationship with Ivoclar Vivadent and we are very excited about this investment and our mutual success in the future. This year we are celebrating our 20 year anniversary of CEREC and this investment is further evidence of our established success and growth potential", said Jost Fischer, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sirona Dental Systems, Inc.
Taking a cue from the people at Sirius, XM has announced that they now have an "All Led Zeppelin" channel. Until May 2008, XM channel 59 will be known as XM Led and features nothing but music by Led Zeppelin.
The channel features all of the songs that Zeppelin has released over the years as well as snippets of interviews recorded from different times since the band was formed.
As a committed Zep fan, I'm loving it. Rock on!
Well we can all hope, I suppose. As you know, I'm not a fan of Vista at this point in time, especially for running your business. However, if you're one of the people who have a machine (or several machines) running Vista, today is a big day. MS is releasing a patch that they hope will solve many Vista problems.
This update should help improve wireless connectivity (especially the stability of the connection), extend battery life, help with compatibility problems with some antivirus programs, and shorten recovery time from the sleep and hibernation modes.
There is also an update to Windows Media Player and a fix for some USB problems. Enjoy!
GLEN BURNIE, Md. ; LEUVEN, Belgium (November 12, 2007) --- Materialise N.V. and Materialise Dental N.V., manufacturer of 3D implant planning systems for accurate and predictable treatment planning of dental implants, have launched a U.S. patent infringement lawsuit in the Central District of California against Nobel Biocare, AB and its U.S. subsidiary Nobel Biocare USA. LLC.
Specifically, Materialise contends that Nobel Biocare's manufacture of "NobelGuide" drilling template violates a Materialise U.S. patent that was issued in 1998 relating to Materialise's "SurgiGuide" techniques.
The lawsuit in the U.S. is effectively an extension of a similar action in Europe where this past August the District Court of Dusseldorf ordered Nobel Biocare AB and Nobel Biocare Deutschland GmbH to stop offering the NobelGuide drilling templates in Germany, finding that they infringed Materialise's analogous European Patent No. 0 756 735. This decision, which is preliminarily enforceable, is subject to an appeal of Nobel Biocare pending at the Düsseldorf Court of Appeals. Materialise's U.S. lawsuit is also a response to a recent Nobel Biocare civil action (also filed in the Central District Court of California) that seeks declaratory judgments that Materialise's U.S. patent is both not infringed by Nobel Biocare's products and is invalid.
"With this lawsuit, we are protecting our technology. Our "SimPlant" software was launched in 1991, and was followed by our "SurgiGuide" drill guides in 1999. The introduction of NobelGuide by Nobel Biocare, on the other hand, did not occur until 2005. "
Materialise Dental has been promoting Computer Guided Implantology for many years, and our products, based on extensive Research & Development, have greatly contributed to the success of the implant dentistry field.
Fortunately, the German court agreed that Nobel Biocare was infringing on our European patent, and we're now hopeful that the U.S. courts will follow suit.
Dental drill guides transfer surgical implant planning to the actual surgery. The litigations in the U.S. and in Germany concern methods for making medical models, including guides for dental surgery, which involve the use of grey value images and rapid prototyping.
Over the last decade, Materialise Dental has gathered considerable clinical experience in this area. Research yielded groundbreaking results leading to the 1999 introduction of the first (bone-supported) version of SurgiGuide. This was followed in 2001 by a SurgiGuide version for zygomatic implants, in 2002 by a mucosa-supported SurgiGuide, and in 2003 by a tooth-supported SurgiGuide version. Dental experts and opinion leaders in the industry were well aware of the development of the SurgiGuide drill guides, which were presented at open conferences for clinicians.
* April 19, 1994 – Materialise files its first patent application (in Belgium) for a "Method for Making a Perfected Medical Model on the Basis of Digital Image Information of a Part of the Body," followed in April, 1995, by patent applications in the European Patent Office and the United States. Materialise Dental subsequently releases SurgiGuide drill guides in 1999.
* June 16, 1998 – Materialise is awarded a U.S. Patent (No. 5,768,134) for same method as above.
* August 5, 1998 – Materialise is awarded a European Patent (No. 0.756,735) for the same method as above.
* June 5, 2005 – Nobel Biocare launches its NobelGuide product.
* November 23, 2006 – Materialise files a patent infringement action asserting its European patent No. 0 756 735 against Nobel Biocare in the Dusseldorf District Court (Germany).
* July 24, 2007 – Nobel Biocare files a request to stay the German infringement action. The Dusseldorf Court denies this request.
* August 3, 2007 – Nobel Biocare files a declaratory judgment civil action in the Central District of California seeking a declaration of patent non-infringement and/or invalidity of Materialise's U.S. patent, and a declaration of authorization to produce by a patent licensee.
* August 14, 2007 – The District Court of Dusseldorf rules that Nobel Biocare is indeed infringing on Materialise's European patent No. 756 735 by its unauthorized use of a method for producing guides for dental implant surgery.
* October 15, 2007 – Materialise files a counterclaim for U.S. patent infringement against Nobel Biocare AB and Nobel Biocare USA in the Central District Court of California.
Materialise Dental focuses on 3D Digital Dentistry and offers a range of products and services to aid dental professionals in the treatment of their patients. Materialise Dental is the manufacturer of SimPlant and SurgiGuide internationally. SimPlant software, one of the most recognized names in computer guided surgery, is the world's first interactive 3D implant planning system for the most accurate and predictable treatment planning of dental Implants. As the industry leader, SimPlant software is available in six different languages and is utilized by thousands of clinicians all over the world.
Materialise Dental is one of the independent market leaders in dental implantology simulation software and one of the worldwide leaders in medical modeling technology. Materialise Dental provides surgeons with the most detailed and precise virtual 3D models available. Clinicians around the world use medical models and templates created by Materialise Dental software to assist them in the most complex surgical cases. Materialise Dental is a trusted partner worldwide for the largest hospitals and research institutions.
Materialise Dental is based in Leuven, Belgium, with its U.S. operation headquartered in Glen Burnie, Md.
For the last month or so I've been testing and working with the Genius BT-03A Bluetooth headphones. One of the biggest problems with patient entertainment is when someone needs headphones to give themselves that extra bit of isolation to what's going on in the clinical environment. Often, a patient can bring in ear buds, but where to plug them in? Some monitors in an over the patient layout have headphone jacks, so that can be one way to solve the problem, but that means the patient is tethered to the monitor.
To the rescue comes the Genius BT-03A. The kit contains everything you need and is a snap to set up. You charge the headphones and transmitter, plug the transmitter into a headphone jack, pair the devices, and they are ready to go! Since they are Bluetooth, the headphones are wireless with a 10 meter (30 foot range). No more being tethered with a cord!
The sound quality is excellent, and the over the ear style means that patients can still hear you if necessary.
The device comes with everything you need and is highly recommended!
I've been using lasers in my clinical practice for almost 10 years now and there is no way I would ever go back to practicing without them. They are efficient, fast, and the lack of post-op discomfort, even on aggressive soft tissue surgery is amazing.
Now, we may be entering a new era of laser usage in medicine. Researchers at Arizona State University have announced they have developed a laser that kills viruses. Lasers have been able to kill viruses before this discovery, but what these researchers have developed is a laser that accomplishes this without the use of heat. This allows the laser to kill the virus without any collateral damage of surrounding healthy cells.
The laser emits Fento-second pulses that, instead of creating heat, create a vibration that basically shatters the protein coat of the target and destroys it while leaving surrounding healthy structures in tact.
The laser may be in the dermatology market in 18 months and be used to remove cancers and moles. Researchers are hoping to also use it to kill HIV viruses as well.
Western Digital 1 TB drive for $329 at Sam's Club!
East Windsor, NJ (November 8, 2007) – Conair, a leading manufacturer of nation-wide branded personal and healthcare items, is pleased to announce a special offer on its latest power toothbrush. For a limited time, dental professionals who order the Interplak™ DPI9R Electric Toothbrush through the Interplak hotline can purchase it at a special low price of $35 (regularly $64.99).
Conair introduced its Interplak DPI9R Electric Toothbrush back in 2006. The latest in Conair's line of preventative oral care products, the Interplak DPI9R Electric Toothbrush features a state-of-the-art design engineered for simple user-friendly operation, making sparkling clean teeth and healthy gums virtually effortless.
Select among two speeds for rapid or gentle cleaning: slow speed is excellent for sensitive areas, while the rapid option is ideal for an overall deep clean. A built-in two-minute timer helps the user complete a thorough brushing and features an automatic shut off feature when done to conserve battery power.
polishing bristles help clean, polish, and massage teeth and gums. A whitening brush head is also available with flat-topped pads to polish tooth surface for a sparkling white shade.
The plug-in rechargeable DPI9R power toothbrush plugs directly into any standard AC electric outlet to charge its internal battery, eliminating counter clutter and the need for an additional charger base. The cordless operation of the DPI9 allows for hassle-free, limitless maneuvering of the brush to efficiently clean teeth and gums at many angles.
The Conair DPI9R Interplak™ Electric Toothbrush includes a convenient travel case which is ideal for easy on-the-go oral care or storage. Additionally, the Conair DPI9R Interplak™ Electric Toothbrush comes equipped with a limited one year warranty.
Regular use of the Interplak DPI9R helps remove plaque, control gingivitis, prevent cavities, and reduce the onset of gum disease.
For more information or to order the Conair DPI9R Interplak Electric Toothbrush, please call the Interplak hotline at 1-800-633-6363.
Conair is engaged in the development, manufacturing and marketing of health and beauty products and kitchen and electronic appliances. Since its founding in 1959, the company has become a leading manufacturer of nationally branded personal and healthcare small appliances.
The company's divisions offer a diversified mix of professional and consumer products under their own brand names as well as for private labels.
Conair's sales offices are in Stamford, Connecticut, with large distribution centers in East Windsor, New Jersey, Phoenix, Arizona and a manufacturing facility in Rantoul, Illinois.
The Interplak™ Division of Conair features electric toothbrushes with rotary and counter-rotational cleaning systems, battery-operated and rechargeable brushes, and powerful water jets to provide the tools for excellent oral care at home.
You can access Epocrates' free drug and formulary information on most BlackBerry devices, including the Pearl, Curve, 8700 and 8800 series. So if you have one of these BlackBerry models, down load ePocrates now!!!
Current BlackBerry device owners can start downloading Epocrates today. Simply point the browser to http://get.epocrates.com and log in.
Eatontown, NJ – (November 9, 2007) – Lanmark Group, a full-service, business-to-business, advertising, marketing, and communications agency specializing in brand empowerment for the healthcare industry recently earned six coveted MarCom Creative Awards - an international competition for marketing and communication professionals.
Out of the 5,000 entries from throughout the United States and several foreign countries, Lanmark Group was honored with two Platinum, three Gold and one Honorable Mention.
One Platinum MarCom Award was presented to the agency for a brochure design prepared by Lanmark for Sirona Dental Systems' CEREC dental CAD/CAM system. An additional Platinum MarCom Award was presented for a micro web site Lanmark developed for the launch of Milestone Scientific's Single Tooth Anesthesia (STA™) System.
The prestigious Marcom Platinum Awards are presented to those entries judged to be the most outstanding entries in the competition. Only approximately 15% of the entries won this award. Platinum winners were recognized for their excellence in terms of quality, creativity, and resourcefulness.
Lanmark Group also received three Gold MarCom Awards. One Gold Award recognized a unique invitation created by the agency for Orapharma Inc.'s 2007 American Dental Association networking reception entitled, "Uncork the Excitement". The winning invitation featured an actual wine cork, and requested the presence of invitees to attend Orapharma's exclusive event which featured a wine-tasting.
The agency received another Gold MarCom Award for a recruitment brochure created and distributed on behalf of Darby Dental Supply entitled, "Keep Moving Forward by Joining Our Unique Team" The brochure explained the company's corporate culture and targeted prospective employees, explaining the benefits of employment within the company.
An additional Gold Award was presented to Lanmark for a technical article developed with industry leading cosmetic dentist Dr. Joel Benk for Milestone Scientific that ran in the publication Contemporary Esthetics Entitled "The Dental Syringe: Past and Present: A Historical Perspective" the piece positioned Milestone as a break-through leader in dental syringe technology based on the benefits of its innovative Single Tooth Anesthesia (STA™) System.
The Gold Award is presented to those entries judged to exceed the high standards of the industry norm. Approximately 16% of the entries received this award.
Lanmark Group also received an Honorable Mention Certificate for a technical article created with nationally known dentist Larry Lopez for the DentalEZ® Group that ran in Contemporary Esthetics entitled "Handpieces Then and Now: A Historical Perspective..." By-lined by Larry Lopez, DDS, an esteemed leader in the dental industry, the feature article detailed the dental handpiece evolution from a historical perspective.
Honorable Mention certificates are granted to those entries that meet the expectations of the judges. Approximately 10% of entries were Honorable Mention winners.
The MarCom Creative Awards is an international competition for marketing and communication professionals involved in the concept, writing, and design of marketing and communication programs and print, visual, and audio materials.
Entries come from corporate marketing and communication departments, advertising agencies, PR firms, graphic design shops, and freelancers.
Part of the Communicator Awards, the Mission of the MarCom Creative Awards is to honor excellence and recognize the creativity and hard work of marketing and communication professionals.
The judges for MarCom are experienced professionals who have handled projects similar to anything that is submitted. The judges are cognizant of what an entrant has to work with, and make their evaluations accordingly.
Founded in 1977 and located in Eatontown, New Jersey, Lanmark Group is an award-winning, full-service advertising, marketing, and communications agency specializing in the healthcare fields. The company's client roster includes Darby Dental Supply, DentalEZ Group, Johnson & Johnson Oral Health Products, OraPharma, Sirona Dental Systems, and Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. Accolades include (but are not limited to) three 2007 JASPER awards, five 2006 MarCom Creative Awards, four 2006 Jasper Awards,. Lanmark also ranked 12th in NJBiz Magazine's "Best Places to Work in New Jersey" survey in 2006. For more information, visit www.lanmarkgroup.com.
manufacturer of consumer and prosumer networking and connectivity products, is pleased to announce its entrée into the security solution arena with the launch of the Zonet Internet Protocol (IP) cameras, initially introducing model 7630 and model 7630W(wireless version).
to be placed almost anywhere. With their own IP address and built-in web server, they connect directly to the user's network and can be remotely accessed from a standard Web browser. The security cameras feature superior image quality in three different resolutions, up to VGA (640x480), with transfer rates of 30 frames-per-second. With the built-in omni-directional microphone, users can not only see but also hear what's transpiring; and with the included night-vision capabilities, users can even see in the dark! Both models offer the ability to record streaming video with sound to a hard drive,or schedule and upload images to FTP or send over email – making these a complete, yet affordable video security system. In addition, both models feature motion detection and customizable automated alert notifications. Debuting in the US in November, the new security cameras from Zonet will be offered for a suggested retail price of $220(ZVC7630) and $320 (ZVC7630W - wireless).
The night-vision IP cameras are perfect for retail stores, offices, hospitals, hotels,restaurants or even for a little extra security at home. With its easy to access browser interface, users can keep a remote eye and ear on locations, even when traveling on the other side of the world. The IP cameras make an ideal solution for reception areas,entrances and exits or anywhere a little extra visibility is needed. In addition, users can easily broadcast video activities to viewers in real-time over a local network or the Internet.
authorized Zonet distributors, resellers and online retailers. For detailed information on availability please visit www.zonetusa.com and check the "Where to Buy" section.
Zonet was founded by a group of Ethernet Professionals to develop and supply to the Network Connectivity industry. With leverages in R&D and manufacturing capabilities Zonet is aggressively developing new and user-friendly products for the ever changing world of connectivity. Our strategic alliances with component suppliers allows us to provide the highest quality products at affordable prices. Zonet's product line is positioned to be a niche player in the SOHO and Connectivity markets.
Welcome everyone to my new blog location.
I've made the move for a couple of reasons.
Blogger allows me more freedom to post on the fly and keep things up to date from a mobile Internet point of view. This will be especially good when I'm at meetings on the show floor scouting for new products.
Yahoo has been less than a stellar blog hosting site and I've simply had enough.
So thanks for making the move with me. I think you'll find that this is a good thing for all of us.


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Archive | March 2022
in Practice, Research
How a Disruption in Gas Imports From Russia Could Affect Global Supply Chains
A few days ago, the G7 countries rejected Russian demands to pay for future gas supply in rubles. Robert Habeck, Germany's Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, therefore activated the early warning stage of the country's gas emergency plan yesterday. Today, Russian President Putin signed a decree halting gas supplies unless paid for in rubles. It is not yet clear what the consequences of this decree will be, as it also contains loopholes. However, what would happen if Russia really stopped exporting energy to Europe? A study conducted by leading economists, entitled What If? The Economic Effects for Germany of a Stop of Energy Imports From Russia, examines the economic impact on Germany. The authors are cautiously optimistic, but the effect will certainly ripple through numerous industrial supply chains. One can hardly imagine the global supply chain consequences if, for example, the world's largest chemical company BASF had to stop its processes due to a lack of gas. It is now becoming apparent how dependent Germany has become as a result of its focus on Russia as the single source of supply and how urgent it is to switch to renewable energies even faster in order to minimize this dependency.
in Methodology, Research
Writing Skills: The Paragraph
The paragraph is probably the most important unit of a well-written academic text. It has a specific structure and standards that make it effective and enjoyable to read. This video demonstrates how to construct good paragraphs and improve writing with better clarity and flow.
A War in the Middle of Europe
The world is shocked by the Putin regime's war of aggression against Ukraine – a war in the middle of Europe. It almost seems to me that our species has climbed back into the trees. This war already has many impacts on supply chains, and further implications will only become apparent with a time lag. Instead of taking the long necessary step to expand renewable energies, many EU countries have relied on cheap oil and gas supplies from Russia for too many years. This omission is now taking its revenge by restricting the scope for sanctioning the aggressor. High-tech products also depend on raw materials (e.g., palladium and neon) from Russia and Ukraine. This certainly adds to the current shortage of chips. The effects of this war on food supply chains could be particularly dramatic. Russia supplies important potash fertilizers and many countries around the world are urgently dependent on wheat harvests from Ukraine. But the fields will remain fallow this year.


The Arca bag is inspired by the Moroccan architecture and its instantly recognisable layered arches that frame many walkways. With its half-moon shape echoing the distinct curve, evoking memories of the country for anyone who has travelled through its vibrant towns and cities.
Arca offers a variety of possibilities – it can be worn either over the shoulder or the strap can be detached and it can be carried as a clutch. There is also a third option – concealed loops within the frame allow a belt to be fed through, so it can be converted to a bum bag.
The real beauty of this versatility is its discretion – the back loops remain unseen unless used, while the detachable straps ensure the bag effortlessly converts to a clutch, with the front belt proving the perfect resting place for your hand.
There's a smaller version that is perfect for an evening or a weekend, and a larger design that can house all your essentials every day.


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Siemens makes European launch of digital spot mammography device
Vendor must play catch-up with Trex and FischerSiemens is hoping that technical innovation will help compensate for a late arrival on the market for digital spot mammography systems. The German vendor last month launched Opdima, a new digital spot
Vendor must play catch-up with Trex and Fischer
Siemens is hoping that technical innovation will help compensate for a late arrival on the market for digital spot mammography systems. The German vendor last month launched Opdima, a new digital spot device designed for use with its Mammomat 3000 mammography system.
Siemens rolled out Opdima at a press conference in Stockholm, Sweden, where the device is being manufactured. Opdima was displayed as a work-in-progress at the most recent meetings of the European Congress of Radiology and the Radiological Society of North America. Opdima shipments are scheduled to begin in Europe in May.
Opdima's range of applications includes digital high-resolution spot imaging, localization procedures, and digital stereotactic biopsy. It consists of a cassette that includes a 49 x 85-mm third-generation charge-coupled device (CCD) detector, and a workstation. The company has filed for Food and Drug Administration clearance for Opdima, which could be available in the U.S. by the end of June.
Opdima will encounter a crowded market in the U.S., which makes up a third of all mammography sales in the world. Fischer Imaging received FDA clearance for its digital spot mammography system in 1992, and Lorad followed a few months later, with Bennett X-Ray gaining clearance for its version in 1994. Nor will Siemens get much help from its installed base, as the company's U.S. market share is in the 6% range. Siemens is hoping that a reorganization of its U.S. sales force will lead to a doubling of mammography sales.
Opdima's prospects are brighter in Europe, however. Siemens has 20% of the European market and a worldwide total of over 5500 mammography units installed in 60 countries. The company will not disclose its sales targets for Opdima, but Bjarne Lundholm, marketing manager of the mammography division, said that he expects "tremendous interest" based on its ECR showing.
While Opdima is not the first digital spot system to arrive on the market, Siemens believes its technology is ahead of its rivals. The CCD detector allows data to be displayed at a resolution of 2048 x 3584 pixels, and the cassette is only 15 mm thick. First-generation optical systems and second-generation fiber-optic reducer or taper systems, by contrast, use smaller CCDs.
"By using the largest CCD detector available in the industry we can eliminate all components that have a negative impact on image quality," Lundholm said. "The technology also allows us to build a detector with an exceptionally compact design."
Siemens claims that Opdima's digital detector cassette avoids the loss of light that occurs through optics or tapers and provides better image quality, with a higher signal-to-noise ratio and resolution of more than 10 lp/mm. Opdima's workstation offers instant viewing, image postprocessing, magnification and filtering of images, automatic calculation of needle coordinates, and networking and archiving through the DICOM 3.0 standard.
Opdima has been beta-tested at two sites, in Sweden and the U.S. Clinical trials on digital spot mammography are under way at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, with a stereotactic biopsy evaluation to begin in May.
Early findings from the trial, which involved looking at patients who have abnormal screening mammograms, suggest that digital imaging allows earlier detection of smaller breast cancers and can prevent unnecessary biopsies, said Ellen Shaw de Paredes, a professor of radiology at the Medical College of Virginia. She believes Opdima is an improvement on competitors' systems.
"From our experience so far, the image quality is on a different level," de Paredes said.
The list price of Opdima will be around $120,000 at current exchange rates. The system will be manufactured at Siemens' mammography division in Solna, on the outskirts of Stockholm.
Opdima's launch inevitably sparked interest in Siemens' plans for full-field mammography imaging systems, which could be used for screening, clearly a far larger market than digital spot mammography. Fischer and the Trex Medical companies, Lorad and Bennett, are believed to be close to filing for FDA clearance of their full-field systems, but when such a device will reach the market is anyone's guess. Siemens displayed a panel on a full-view detector at last year's RSNA meeting.
Lundholm declined to elaborate on the company's plans for full-field digital breast imaging, other than to say that problems remain with cost and the display and storage of images.
"All the manufacturers are talking about full-field systems, but they are all works-in-progress and all use different approaches," Lundholm said. "We are investigating all these approaches but at the moment we can see no ideal solution. The industry needs at least two years to make such systems commercially available."