I love bunnies! Our cashmere comes from GOATS!!! It is combed from the goats neck and then woven into yarn @ Todd & Duncan !! Its UVB protective, water resistant, and changes with body temperature.... it gets softer with wear and wash! The best way to wash is to use a wool safe soap and hand wash or delicate cycle, flat dry, fluff in your drier. Store with cedar, cedar hangers, cedar pouches, cedar cedar cedar. I love cedar !


I'm on my book tour, and I loved doing the Today Show because it proved that, propelled by the energy of Kathie Lee and Hoda, you can actually make an entire brunch in three minutes, which, of course, is a Crabby Cook's dream. Okay, yes, they do provide help in the form of three chefs and two prop people (none of whom could be persuaded to come back to L.A. to live with me and solve all my kitchen bitchin'), but still, this was speed cooking at it's finest.
Here is the recipe for the pumpkin pancakes I made on the Today Show, in case you missed it or the speed-of-light cooking style was too fast for you. Don't worry if you can't make both of these (along with the Acon-Bay Olls-Ray and Bloody Marys also concocted during my segment) in three minutes. It just means you will never be on national television and are pretty much a loser.
I'm making Killer Pumpkin Muffins for Christmas breakfast. I might even make my own pumpkin puree if I have the energy, although at the moment that seems unlikely.
You wake up, do the treadmill while watching the TiVo-ed Hot In Cincinnati, shower, write for a couple hours, return fifteen emails, make a chicken sandwich, yell at the dog for eating half your sandwich, install a new bathroom fixture and congratulate yourself for doing so, purchase a head scratcher online, write six emails, yell at the dog for eating your sandal, go to the grocery store to return a furry cheese, and now it's 4 p.m.. It's time for a tea break.
The last time I had afternoon tea on a regular basis was when I shot a movie in London and the whole set came to a halt at precisely 4:00 p.m. so everyone could sit down, slurp tea, nibble cakes and discuss world affairs for twenty minutes. Then they'd leap to their feet again, all caffeinated and carbed, and briskly continue with the task at hand.
My older daughter turns 21 today. She's home at the moment, so I get to indulge her every birthday wish.
With both kids at college, the holidays just ain't what they used to be. There was no trick-or-treating last Halloween, no pre-Christmas gingerbread house construction, no homemade valentines, no leprechaun pinching on St. Patrick's Day, and today, for the first time ever, there's no Easter egg hunt.
This time of year the marketplace is flooded with images of cute animals—lamby-kins and chickies and duckies and bunnies. We home cooks are expected to come up with an Easter menu that includes a slaughtered, roasted version of one of those little cute-niks, but it's hard to get your mind around it. Just try going through checkout at Ralph's with a leg of lamb in your cart while there's a stuffed, fleecy-white relative of that leg's former owner staring down at you from atop the cash register.


Four months ago I read Chad Mureta's book "App Empire." This book woke me up to the huge opportunity that currently exists in the App Industry, and since that time I have jumped into the app world, designed and developed 18 Apps, and also set up my own app company.
It hasn't been an easy road from ideas to publishing my Apps, but it has been well worth the effort. I decided to write this post because a lot of people ask me what tips I can give, that will help them setup their own App Company. While there are lots of things you need to consider, and lots of things you will learn along the way, I think the main tip I can give is; "Find a great development team to work with!" Finding the right development team, in my experience, was the toughest part of getting started, and it's something that if done wrong, can cost you a lot of money.
Today I'm going to share my experiences from working with development teams, and how you can learn from my mistakes, thereby saving yourself precious dollars in the process of finding and working with a team who may become an integral part of your future App company.
Just so you know… This post isn't a step by step process of finding developers. Read Carter's post http://www.bluecloudsolutions.com/blog/developer-hire-iphone-ninja/ if you are looking for a great step by step guide for finding developers.
This is an article, more about the best ways of working with your development team and how you can avoid some very common mistakes, which I and many other Appreneurs have made. This post will help you save money in the development process, and will reveal how you can make your life, and your developer's life, much easier in the process of bringing your app to life.
You're Hired; Let's Make an App!
I'm assuming that you have done a few interviews with developers, and that you have hired those who you feel most comfortable working with. So now what?? Do you just sit back, let them do their magic and hope to have your perfect app in the store once they are done?
This is the process of creation where your app is being brought to life, so don't take it lightly. Remember, it's easy to have a clear image in our minds of how we want our app to look and flow, but the real Appreneur skill, is communicating that mental image across to the developers.
The better you can communicate your idea to your developers, the easier your life will be, and the easier their job will be.
Clear communication is the key to making the development process run smoothly, so let's look at the best ways to communicate with your developers, and how you can avoid some disappointing Adhocs (test versions of your apps).
The best way I have found to communicate with my team, is via Skype. I will go one step further, and say there's a way to be even more productive than Video calls, and that's instant messaging.
Some of us have teams that consist of developers and designers. Some have an individual designer and developers, or other possible combinations. I personally have an independent designer, and a team of developers.
At first I thought video calling was the best way to communicate, but now I think I can be much more productive using instant messaging on Skype. The main reason I like instant messaging, is because firstly you can be more "To The Point" with what you're saying if you write it down. I know that sometimes I like to always agree and be polite when talking face to face, but when it comes to texting, or instant messaging, I find it much easier to say what needs to be said.
The second reason I like instant messaging, is because you can always look back at what you talked about, since it's written in your message feed. This also helps your developers because they won't have to remember everything you told them, they can also simply look back over the message feeds themselves.
I usually break my routine into 3 parts; reviewing my app; sending a detailed list of things to do via email; then having a quick chat, to make sure my developers understand every point in my email.
Usually after my developers have done about 25% of my apps build, which is mainly the template and a few basic functions, they send me the app to review via Testflight. I spend anywhere between 10-15 minutes reviewing the app, and then another 5 mins writing up what needs to be developed and tweaked next.
Upload videos and audio files to Exercise Instruction pages.
Change the color of the menu tabs in Workout page.
Correct the spelling of "Exersises" to Exercises on Homepage menu button.
I make sure to write the tasks as simply as possible, so there's no confusion between my developers and myself, and this also makes their job much easier. I find emails are the easiest way to notify developers of tasks and adjustments to the app, because it's easy for them to refer to.
After I have reviewed my app's latest build, written and sent a "to do" list for my developers, and enough time has passed for them to have read and gone through my email. I then log onto Skype and have a chat with them to make sure they understand everything in my email. I also answer any questions they have about adjustments to the app etc. This is an important step because it cuts out any confusion and makes things flow much more smoothly.
So once the first 25% of the app is built (generally takes less than a week or so to build), I usually repeat the above process every day until the app is complete. Of course there are times when the developers need to take a few days to complete the tasks I send in the email, but generally I like to keep the tasks small and doable within 1 day or so, before I receive a new app build to review. This may be a little annoying to the developers but it ensures the app gets created in the quickest time possible and for the least amount of money and re-developing. The developers also appreciate you working with them through the process.
7 Things That Drive Developers Nuts!
Let's have a look at some of the things, which make your developer's job harder, and what makes them annoyed. If you can understand what makes them nuts, then you will be able to ensure you are not making their job harder than it needs to be.
When you can't explain your app idea, design, and functions clearly.
When you make an un-realistic timeframe for your apps completion.
When you always change your mind about your apps features, functions etc., and make the developers re-develop certain things time and time again.
When you aren't available to answer their questions.
When you don't give them feedback.
When you don't appreciate their work and efforts.
When you don't pay on time.
Lastly, developers hate it when you don't test and review your app completely. I made the mistake of not looking at every detail of my App, as my developers where giving me new versions of it to view each day. With my first fitness App, I said in the contract, that I want iAds set up in the app. The problem was, that I forgot to draw the iAds bar in my sketches, and the developers were so busy developing the main functions and design of my app, that they forgot. It wasn't until the final adhoc that I noticed there were "no test ads". Because I didn't look into the detail enough, this cost me an extra 5 days before I could have the App in the store. This app made about $20 a day when it was first released (not bad since I didn't do any promotion or marketing), so this means that mistake cost me $100.
5 Things That Make Both Your Own and Your Developer's Job Easy!
These are simply common sense things, but often overlooked. Make sure you follow the below tips, to make things flow much easier with your apps creation.
A clear and precise app idea, understanding of functions, layout, and design.
Detailed sketches of your app. Developers love reading every little detail, so make sure you add lots of descriptions and notes to your sketches.
A realistic timeframe for completion of your app that your developers can work towards.
When you appreciate their efforts and work, make sure you take the time to give them positive feedback and praise. It's easy for people like me, who know nothing about code, to say, "Do this, this and this to the app", but most of the time, things which seem simple, are quite tough tasks for your developers to do, so try your best to appreciate their efforts.
When you pay on time, and give them ratings and comments if you hired them through online sites, such as oDesk and Elance. Your rating and recommendation gives them credibility, which will likely result in more business for them. It's simple to do and a great way of saying thanks for developing my app.
Having Trouble Finding The Right Development Team? Use Mine!
It was only 4 months ago when I was doing about 3 or more Skype interviews per day looking for a great development team, to bring my apps to life. It gave me a lot of experience in talking with developers, but it was honestly annoying and hard to tell from each interview, if they were the right team for me or not.
My first hire was a quick nightmare. We began the contract and then I didn't hear from them for 3 days because they said they were busy. I can't tell you how annoying those 3 days were. Not surprisingly I ended that contract right away.
Anyway, my third hire was a breath of fresh air. They are a team of 20, based in the U.S., India, and the U.K. From the very first interview, they walked me through every step of the process, gave me timeframes, when to expect updates, and also assigned a team of 4 developers for my project, and a team manager. Alpesh is the development team manager, and he and his team are simply fantastic to work with. They love their work, and even share their ideas and creativity, in making some of my app features even better than I designed them.
Now I have created a total of 18 Apps with them, and I also have a new range coming out soon.
These guys are not expensive compared to other companies, in fact from what I have seen, I would rate their pricing low to medium, compared to the other offers I received.
To save you the trouble of going through any bad hires, I would be happy to pass on my teams contact details to you, if that would help. Feel free to send me an email at support@imagii.net and I'll pass on their details to you, as soon as I can.
I hope this post gave you a few ideas and helpful tips for working with developers.
Hi Gerald. Great to see that you are taking action and getting into the App Industry at such an exciting time.
Great article. I sent you an email for your teams name. Thanks!
Glad you liked the article Scott. I got your email and I've sent you their details.
i think your strategy is good to guiding hired developers.most of programmers are not well in graphics editing so this is another guidance for developer.an apps is describe by their visuals and audio performance.
Great article and thanks for blogging it.
My wife and I are looking to enter the APPosphere by creating Puzzle type apps. We have no idea from a development perspective. That said, we would be most grateful if you could provide us with the details of your developers.
Further, we have the idea in our heads with nothing on paper. Is it best we express our idea with developers first or do we need to do plenty of detailed work prior to engaging with developers?
Dear Chris, the whole Bluecloud experience is a blast of fresh air (pun) and many thanks to you and Carter for your sharing! In 1981 I used Lotus 123 to run a cash flow 'tracking' plan. I have used it for years. The arrival of the app.Internet is massive and we have now done a lot of work researching Financial Apps (Android, iOS stores etc) and settled on a strategy. Perhaps and just maybe its ok!!! I have found a good Market Researcher with whom I work comfortably and who will (for a share of the equity) act as PM. We are now fishing for a Developer! The pond is huge… but our team need to know we will share equity in exchange for the app and web site development. Would your team be interested in a "little money and a lotta equity" type deal..?
Chris, I started an app development company a while ago and I am currently doing market research. How important is it for someone who is looking for a development team to hire local? In the search for clients who are looking to have apps developed, I am trying to decide if I should go with a marketing strategy that is geared toward my local area or if I should focus more worldwide? Any comments will be useful.
Also, Geoff, my email address is rob@jedmahonisgroup.com, I'd love to talk with you about your project.
Hi, it is really hard to find good coder, I would like to have your developer list if possible. Just sent email to you, thanks!!
Hi Chris, great blog post, very informative and straight to the point. I've sent you an email for your teams contact, thanks!
I paid a developer to create my app (BUSINESS INVEST) and as soon as i paid him to launch on Google play store, he used his name instead of mine and added a link to his website as advert.
Kindly advise if this is right or wrong as i am completely infuriated with his tactic and wish to pursue it legally.
Excellent article to go through.
In my opinion once you have figured the type of app that you are looking to build, the next thing is to design a job requirement for your job hunt. You should look for an iPhone app development company that has plenty of apps under their belt. You should make sure that they are working on Objective C, and they are doing object oriented programming.
When hiring, make sure that your dedicated developer who will be developing your app are capable enough to handle these kind of projects. There are applications in which multiple developers have worked on so, you need to make sure the development company you are hiring was not for the junior roles.
It hasn't been an easy road from ideas to publishing my Apps, but it has been well worth the effort.thereby saving yourself precious dollars in the process of finding and working with a team who may become an integral part of your future App company.
Great post Chris, thanks to share. Your information is really helpful for finding and Hire iPhone app Developer.


Chris Lay reads his essay on his first experience in a float tank.
This week we're revisiting an essay our contributor Chris Lay wrote in May 2016. It's a reflection on his first experience with the growing sensory-deprivation industry right here in Madison. Give it a listen here, read by the author. Chris has been recording audio versions of more essays by himself and other Tone Madison contributors, and we hope to be able to offer you more of those soon.


text:
Life's Great Question
Discover How You Contribute To The World
by Tom Rath | Silicon Guild © 2020 · 160 pages
I'm a big fan of Tom Rath and his work. And... I'm not alone. His 10 books have sold over 10 million copies. Dan Pink (author of Drive and When) calls him "One of the most successful nonfiction writers of his generation." We featured two of his earlier books: Eat Move Sleep and Are You Fully Charged? Plus: His children's book called The Rechargeables remains one of my all-time favorites. "Life's Great Question" that beckons all of us ("What can I contribute?") is beautifully framed by the Martin Luther King, Jr. quote that kicks off the book: "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?" This book is a field manual to help us go about answering that question so we can, as per the subtitle of the book: "Discover How You Contribute to the World." Big Ideas we explore include creating a sense of urgency in life, Purpose 2.0, connecting what we do to those we serve, undivided attention (our new secret weapon), and creating the energy to be our best.
"Knowing who you are—and who you are not—is essential. But it is only the starting point. All the talent, motivation, and hard work in the world will not be valued or remembered if it does not help another human being. … Real growth is the product of following your contributions more than your passions. Simply asking, 'What can I contribute?' leads to a better path and result than starting with yourself. This applies far beyond the realm of careers.
A growing body of evidence suggests that the single greatest driver of both achievement and wellbeing is understanding how your daily efforts enhance the lives of others. Scientists have determined that we human beings are innately other-directed, which they refer to as being 'prosocial.' According to top researchers who reviewed hundreds of studies on the subject, the defining features of a meaningful life are 'connecting and contributing to something beyond the self.'
Knowing that we're making meaningful contributions to others' lives leads not only to improved work outcomes but also to enhanced health and wellbeing. Even small acts of generosity trigger changes in our brains that make us happier. With each prosocial act at work, energy is created that measurably benefits 'the giver, the receiver, and the whole organization.'
Think about that. Work can actually improve your health and wellbeing every day. Work can also be about doing something each day that improves your relationship with your family and friends. I believe that we all inherently know this—which makes the gap between what we're currently contributing and what we have the ability to contribute all the more frustrating."
~ Tom Rath from Life's Great Question
I'm a big fan of Tom Rath and his work.
And… I'm not alone. His 10 books have sold over 10 million copies. Dan Pink (author of Drive and When) calls him "One of the most successful nonfiction writers of his generation."
We featured two of his earlier books: Eat Move Sleep and Are You Fully Charged? Plus: His children's book called The Rechargeables remains one of my all-time favorites.
So… When I saw that this book was coming out, I was eagerly looking forward to reading it. Like his others, it's fantastic—super-quick reading and equally inspiring.
"Life's Great Question" that beckons all of us ("What can I contribute?") is beautifully framed by the Martin Luther King, Jr. quote that kicks off the book: "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?"
This book, of course, is a field manual to help us go about answering that question so we can, as per the subtitle of the book: "Discover How You Contribute to the World."
(btw: Note the present-tense of that statement. It's not "Discover How You CAN Contribute to the World." It's implicitly pointing to how you ALREADY ARE contributing. Helping us appreciate all the ways we're ALREADY contributing is a big part of the book.)
The book also comes with a code for a web site to help you walk through the wisdom and get more clarity on how you can make your contribution at an even deeper level. Get a copy of the book here and check out the site at contribify.com.
Of course, it's packed with Big Ideas. I'm excited to share a few of my favorites we can apply to our lives TODAY, so let's jump straight in!
Tom Rath
Researcher, advisor, and author of 6 NYT/WSJ bestsellers.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Olive Tree Hotel is a 4 Stars Luxurious Deluxe Hotel owned by O.T Hospitality Group. Located in the commercial Hub of Amman, the hotel is less than 30 km away from Queen Alia International airport and a short drive from any Mall around the city or shopping areas & commercial locations such as Abdoun, Sweifeyeh, 7th Circle...etc. as well as Touristic spots like Central Amman city.
With 124 elegant rooms, located in Amman's upscale Deir Ghabar neighborhood, ourstately, luxurious guest rooms and suites were designed to make your stay most comfortable and be your home away from home.Indulge your penchant for finer things at the Olive Tree Hotel.·All our rooms are not smoking.
Our hotel offers eight function rooms that can be configured for all your important business meetings or social gatherings. We can accommodate meetings from 5 up to 600 guests. From a lavish gala fundraiser to the intimate atmospheres for your next private business meetings. With state-of the art audio/visual equipment, complimentary Wi-Fi, stylish décor and modern amenities, panoramic views and terraces and garden, we've got everything you need to make your events shine and keep your guests energized.
Olive Tree Hotel has luxurious and spacious rooms with Free Wi-Fi, high speed internet, and 42-inch flat screen TVs. During your stay with us enjoy fine dining at our two restaurants or enjoy with Shisha on our terrace overlooking the beautiful garden . Other amenities at Olive Tree Hotel include a business Center, 24-hour room-service, same day dry cleaning and laundry, and valet parking. We can accommodate all meeting sizes in our state of the art, flexible meeting spaces with audio visuals, full screens, and high quality sound system. At Olive Tree Hotel, we want to be your home away from home. Your experience matters to us; therefore, we offer the deluxe amenities you deserve to enhance your experience in Amman.
Olive Tree Hotel wants to help you maintain your active lifestyle, which is why we offer a free 24-hour Fitness Center and Sauna. We offer a variety of cardiovascular equipment and free weights to maintain your fitness regimen while staying with us.
Dine in style at the Olivia Cafe at the Olive Tree Hotel. With elegantly designed interior, satisfy your cravings with our vast dining options including buffets, an a la carte menu, Your dining experience at Olivia Cafe will be most original and enjoyable.
Dine in style at the Rosewood Restaurant at the Olive Tree Hotel. With elegantly designed interior, satisfy your cravings with our vast dining options including buffets or a la carte menu. Enjoy at our terrace the beautiful weather with a meal and hookah (Shisha).


The Intel Alumni Scholar and Fellow in Electrical and Computer Engineering were established by dedicated alumni working at Intel, including Mark Bohr, an Intel Senior Fellow and Director of Process Architecture and Integration. Mark joined Intel in 1978 and has been responsible for process integration and device design on a variety of logic technologies for microprocessor products, including Intel's 45 nm high-k metal gate transistor technology in 2007 and 22 nm tri-gate transistor technology in 2011.
Mark continues to be a corporate champion for ECE ILLINOIS at Intel. He received the ECE ILLINOIS Distinguished Alumni Award in 1998, and the Marcia Peterman ECE Award in 2016, and served on the ECE alumni board from 2003-06.
The Scholar and Fellow distinctions honor and support faculty that are internationally renowned researchers and educators in theoretical, computational or experimental fields related to the design, fabrication or utilization of semiconductor devices, circuits or semiconductor based computational platforms, or successive technologies. The holders demonstrate leadership in their profession as evidenced by service on a national or international level.


1:2 To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
1:17 But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me.
3:9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as their's also was.
3:11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.
3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.


We all had at least 3 flights to get to Bali and now four more flights ahead of us. I think we had a total of 7 flights and then a helicopter ride before we finally landed in Base Camp. And the journey to Base Camp (BC) is an adventure in culture and nature. I will start my story from when we landed at the island of Papua in a village named Nabire. Still in civilization with cars and restaurants alongside the beautiful beach, we had one night here and our last hot shower for a while. The next morning we started early for our last flight in to the remote villages of Enarotali. Stepping on to the bathroom scale outside one of the airport buildings to make sure the little airplane was not overloaded. In Enarotali we were welcomed by a huge bunch of locals, babies and grannies, all of them out at the airfield. The pilot had told co-pilot Chris (not legal but what is legal in Papua!) that he had to do a warning overflight to give them time to clear the airfield before we landed. Get the pigs out of the way, among others. After the warm welcome we walked down the road to our little guesthouse where we stayed for the night. We went shopping at the local market and ordered food from the local mobile street kitchen. Always with good help and some wise words from Sofyan - our Indonesian guide and friend.
And finally the next morning we were ready for our last helicopter flight into Base Camp; it is an amazing ride over the jungle with views of the mountains and also flying past the world's biggest gold mine. And finally approaching Carstensz Pyramid; a massive grey giant. The helipad and also our Base Camp is at the foot of this grey giant which we will soon climb. And here the team is finally complete with our good friends and guides Arlan and Bruri.
We do a little hike after breakfast….yes that is right; we have already experienced so much and still haven't had breakfast. So just to get used to the altitude which is about 4200m, we go for this acclimatization hike before the rain sets in and we gather around the «Lindex»bag and the dice, for one of many Yahtzee games. We really enjoy our time in BC and are really looking forward to next day's teaser of the climbing route.
Day two in BC we go through equipment and prepare for a climb up the first pitches of our route.
After this climb, we prepared for summit day; we packed our backpacks and called it a day pretty early….but not before we had multiple rounds of Yahtzee and another delicious meal prepared by Arlan for the occasion with my pink wig ... as appropriate for a good "French chef."
And then finally the summit day is here: we start the day at 1am with delicious coffee ... which has become this trip's most important morning routine. Ryan's coffee from the US is highly appreciated and has become a «must» every morning!
After a big portion of rice, we are ready to start our climb at 2am. Our headlamps create a nice little snake slowly approaching the grey giant. We have nice temperatures and a clear sky with bright stars. It is an amazing feeling to climb this great grey giant which has such good friction and makes the climb so fun. This mountain offers really fun climbing! We have breaks at some natural ledges and plateaus, and in the rocky slope before the «headwall," we can see the light appearing in the east. But right before the sun rises, it all gets covered in fog and the clouds come rolling in. But we have the light now, and at the traverse the clouds come and go, which gives us an amazing view in-between!
We climb several "steps" which are pillars, which we rappel down to and climb over and up on the other side. Airy and wonderful!
And the trip is absolutely not over yet... Tomorrow morning we start a new chapter of our adventure: we will trek five days over the mountains and through the jungle.
First we walk over the closest mountain pass and down to the old Base Camp where we stay overnight at the shore of a lake that glows turquoise from the glacier water.
The morning after we get to know our porters. They help us carry our luggage through the jungle. They are a proud, rugged and incredibly pleasant bunch from the local Dani tribe. Based on first impressions, they could appear somewhat hostile when they negotiated prices with angry faces, waving nonchalantly without their machetes and complaining about not having shoes.
It was probably only well-registered acting because they turn out to be the world's friendliest, most helpful and inclusive people who slithered barefoot through swamp and jungle with our big bags balancing on their heads. This was an experience comparable to none; to trek alongside them over another mountain pass, over hills covered with palm trees, and then trekking through jungle. When we lost our way and lost the trail, it didn't take long before one of our faithful porters shouted out a well-recognizable cry or was reaching out a helping hand when we were crossing rivers and wobbling tree trunks.
Every night we camped together with them and got to see how they prepared today's hunt: a tree-kangaroo or a giant porcupine. We learned that everything that has fur and four legs is called CousCous.
We got to sit around the campfire with them at night and see how they "adorn" themselves by painting the ash on their faces every morning.
The fifth day, we arrived at their village Surragama which consists of five cabins, countless pigs, dogs and children. It's like walking into paradise. Everyone runs around in perfect harmony, and everything is as it probably has been the last 1000 years.
We spent our last night in the wilderness here in this charming village and then the morning after we started our journey to the airfield. We are picked up by a rugged band of local boys on their motorcycles. The final leg was in full speed over sticks and rocks, through streams and not to mention all the crazy overtaking before we arrived at the airstrip at the outskirts of the small village of Suggapa in the middle of the jungle. During our time waiting at the airstrip, the only activity we noticed was a family of pigs crossing… (WHO says pigs can not fly?). The plane arrives and the pilot jumps out and says: «No seats! Okay?» Well, why not…who needs seats? We throw in our luggage and ourselves and the «tin can» takes off. We are flying back to civilization. It is with a feeling of melancholy we see all the locals, the motorcycle gang, our friends and jungle become smaller and smaller before they disappear behind us.


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Home > The Museum > Blog > 2014 > January
The Dreams of Martha
Tags: extinct, extant, ivory-billed woodpecker, carolina parakeet, passenger pigeon
We've asked watercolor artist Kristina Knowski to tell us about her inspiration for depicting the beauty of birds. Currently, our exhibit, The Dreams of Martha, features Knowski's artwork and connects us to the Nature Museum's year of the Passenger Pigeon, which commemorates the 100th anniversary of the extinction of what was once the most abundant bird in North America. Keep reading to learn more about Knowski's creative process and her love for nature!
Kristina Knowski, Tenebrous Flight, 2013, Passenger Pigeon, Ectopistes migratorius, Extinct 1914, Watercolor on paper adhered to canvas, 3 panels of 25.5 X 37.5 in
There was always that unsettling footnote at the bottom of the books picturing some of my favorite bird species. My most memorable was just after I had fallen in love with the Ivory-Billed and what would have been the largest woodpecker in North America. It was a beautiful image: a rich black bird contrasting with large white primaries and a thin streak of feathers trailing from its chin to its back. To top it off, a long pointed crest streamlined its head, the male of its species wearing his in a brilliant crimson. Yet the footnote was there, the disclaimer at the bottom, stating that this species was most likely extinct.
Kristina Knowski, He prayeth well, who loveth well, 2012, Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Campephilus principalis, Believed to have gone extinct in the 1950's, Watercolor on paper adhered to canvas, 41.5 X 31.5 in
Since I have discovered my passion for birds, extinct species have always been a main focus for me as an artist. Birds represent something natural, fragile, and beautiful. Extinct birds represent those same things, but also something that has been lost. I enjoy creating work that questions our ideas of reality and sense of existence, and extinct birds have become a personal element in my work in conjunction with other nonexistent beings. The paintings included in The Dreams of Martha exhibit focus on both extinct and extant birds of North America, some which can be found in your backyard, while others haunt their old habitats with empty skies. I wanted to create for the viewer a sense of compassion for these animals. While the images are mostly identifiable with some level of detail, those details become more and more, faded like an old memory. The bird seems to vanish into the background, losing its sense of physicality and wholeness. Ivory-Billed Woodpeckers, Carolina Parakeets, Passenger Pigeons, Ryukyu Kingfishers, Bush Wrens, and other extinct birds are now inhabitants of my theoretical world where nonexistence reigns supreme and "nothing" is everywhere.
Kristina Knowski, Lady Jane and Incas, Close again, 2012, Carolina Parakeet, Conuropsis carolinensis, Extinct 1918, Watercolor on paper adhered to canvas, 21.5 X 17.5 in
September 1, 2014 marks 100 years since the death of the last recorded living Passenger Pigeon, Martha. While this is a tragic reminder of the destruction humanity is capable of, it is also a remembrance to a vast and unique species that we will never encounter again. This day should serve as a severe warning to not repeat history and to treasure the species we are still sharing this planet with. A seemingly limitless species, such as the Passenger Pigeon, can be wiped out within less than a century. I humbly paint to aim as a reminder of this tragedy and hope for a less tragic future.
We hope you have a chance to see her exhibit, which is located on the Museum's second floor south gallery. You can also view more of Kristina's work at: kristinaknowski.com
Tags: project passenger pigeon, year of the passenger pigeon, joel greenberg, passenger pigeon, extinct
2014 is the centenary of the extinction of the Passenger Pigeon. It was almost three years ago that thirty or so people convened at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum from around the country to discuss this poignant milestone. They represented a range of institutions including Smithsonian Institution, Cornell University, Michigan State University, the Indiana State Museum, Wesleyan University, University of Wisconsin, University of Louisiana, National Council for Science and the Environment, and the Illinois Natural History. We were there to formulate plans to mark the 2014 anniversary of the pigeon's extinction. What emerged was Project Passenger Pigeon (soon given the shorthand moniker "P3") with the 3 part mission of familiarizing people with the passenger pigeon as a species and a phenomenon, using that story as a portal into consideration as current issues related to extinction and humanity's connections nature, and the need to create sustainable relations with other organisms.
Project Passenger Pigeon Logo
A lot has happened since that first meeting. Over 160 organizations have formally joined P3 with many contributing content to our website, passengerpigeon.org and planning for public activities throughout 2014. In addition to these institutional members, many individuals are planning commemorative activities. Joel Greenberg and Steve Sullivan have talked to a wide range of special interest and professional groups over the last year, ranging from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to the Illinois Science Teachers Association and many individuals in such groups have let us know that they intend to spread the message of P3 through their own activities like newsletters, art projects, and even library story time.
Passenger Pigeon Specimen
Other far-reaching P3 projects that are nearing completion include the documentary From Billions to None: The Passenger Pigeon's Flight to Extinction directed by David Mrazek. This documentary will likely air on public TV stations across the US. In addition to a compelling depiction of the passenger pigeon story, it features some Academy passenger pigeon specimens. Also, Stan Temple has been working with students at the University of Wisconsin to digitize all known sightings of the passenger pigeon. This data set should be of interest both to people with a casual interest in extinct species as well as scientist looking to better understand how such a wide-ranging and numerous species could have gone extinct so quickly. School teachers will also be able to use these data in classroom lessons that use the interesting stories of biology to teach mathematical concepts.
Joel Greenberg's new book
At the Nature Museum we will begin the year's activities on January 23 with a reception for the new book A Feathered River Across the Sky: The Passenger Pigeon's Flight to Extinction. by renown Chicagoland author, Joel Greenberg. You can hear stories about his journey to gather information for the book and learn about his most important discovery—that of a previously undocumented specimen of passenger pigeon. This specimen was right here in Illinois at Millikin University. We are fortunate to also have David Horn from Millikin to show this well-preserved specimen to the audience. Not only is it a beautifully preserved mount, it is now the last known wild bird. Following the brief presentation, visitors will be able to view the bird and Joel will sign his book. If you've never read a Greenberg book, don't take our word for it that he's a great writer, you can read reviews in places like The New York Review of Books, The New Yorker, The Reader, and Maclean's or listen to interviews ranging from local (The Mike Nowak Show) to international (the Diane Rehm Show) and international (Newstalk Ireland).
Todd McGrain Sculpture
Later we will post details about some of our other P3 activities including a new exhibit in March Nature's Struggle: Survival and Extinction, a large art installation by Todd McGrain, and a weekend symposium in May Why Prevent Extinction? that will feature exciting speakers like entomologist May Berenbaum and ecologist Joel Brown. In the meantime, stop by to see some beautiful watercolors by Kristina Knowski that depict passenger pigeons as well as ivory-billed woodpeckers and Carolina parakeets.
Founder's Week: Timeline Part III; 1958 - 2014
Tags: timeline, Chicago Academy of Sciences, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, founder's week, Archives, collections
Chicago native and ornithologist Dr. William Beecher becomes the Academy's Director. He holds this position for 24 years.
Dr. William Beecher works on background for a diorama.
From the Chicago Academy of Sciences Archives, Photography Collection.
Junior Academy of Sciences formed for middle and high school children, to provide additional learning opportunities for young people in science studies and research.
Beecher implements redesign of exhibit spaces, including opening of the third floor of the Laflin building to the public.
Paul G. Heltne, PhD, zoologist and primatologist, is appointed Director of the Academy. He holds this position until 1999.
An Education Department is formally established at the Academy, although education has been a primary focus of the institution since the 1910s.
Museum sponsors "Understanding Chimpanzees Symposium," welcoming primatologists from all over the world, including well-known Jane Goodall, and providing public attendance to portions of the symposium as well.
For the first time since 1951, the endangered Peregrine Falcon, Falco peregrines, successfully produces eggs that hatch on a ledge of a downtown Chicago office building. Mary Hennen, Collections Manager/Assistant with the Academy, worked on the Peregrine Falcon Monitoring Program while at the Academy and conducted research. She took this project with her, when she left the Academy to work at the Field Museum of Natural History.
Juvenile Peregrine falcon
Fall - Pilot programs for Science on the Go! began. This program, still active today, provides training and resources for kindergarten through eighth grade educators in teaching science through more hands-on lessons and cooperative learning.
Jon D. Miller, Vice President of the Academy, establishes the Center for the Advancement of Scientific Literacy under the auspices of the Academy.
The Academy initiated plans for an addition at the Laflin building to expand and modify it to provide more room for exhibition, collections storage, and office space. The Chicago Park District who owns the land on which the Laflin building rests, disallowed expansion, citing the need to limit construction in park areas to ensure the continuation of park lands for future generations as dictated by their original charter. At the same time, the Lincoln Park Zoo also began looking to expand their operations. The Chicago Park District offered the Academy the opportunity to build a new museum building on the site of the Park District's North Shops Maintenance Facilities in exchange for transferring the Academy's Laflin building to the Lincoln Park Zoo. Today the Laflin Building is used by the Lincoln Park Zoo as administration offices.
June 4 - Academy closed to the public to begin move out of the Matthew Laflin Memorial Building at Armitage and Clark Street in Lincoln Park, where the institution had resided for 102 years. Staff offices, the museum collections, the archives, and the scientific library, were moved to another building on Clark Street owned at that time by the museum and to additional space on Ravenswood. The second facility is now the Ravenswood Collections Facility. To maintain a public face for the Academy during construction, the museum had a temporary facility on the third floor of North Pier on Illinois Street which was open to the public.
The Chicago Academy of Sciences breaks ground for a new building in Lincoln Park. In recognition of the donation made to the Academy by Mr. and Mrs. Notebaert, the building was named the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.
Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network, a citizen science program dedicated to "collecting quantitative data on butterfly populations" moved under the auspices of the Academy through Doug Taron, Curator of Biology and Vice President of Conservation and Research.
Summer – Museum begins partnership with El Valor, a multi-cultural and multi-purpose organization whose, "…mission is to support and challenge urban families to achieve excellence and participate fully in community life," through a summer camp for children. The partnership has expanded today to programs for adults with disabilities, conductive education, family field trips to the Museum, after school programs, and professional development for Head Start teachers including visits to their classrooms.
October - The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum building opens to the public. The Academy's collections and Collections Department staff offices remain at the Ravenswood Collections Facility, where they are still housed today.
Education Department began onsite workshops. To date this initiative has reached 20,000 students.
Joe Schactner appointed President and CEO of the Academy.
Butterfly Restoration Program started with funding from the BP Leaders Award. The Swamp Metalmark, Calephelis muticum, and Silver-bordered Fritillary, Bolaria selene, were the first imperiled species added to the program.
Fall - Teacher Leadership Center opened at the Museum.
Laureen Von Klan appointed President and CEO of the Academy.
Education department revamps its Science Teaching Network (STN). Started in the early 1990s the program provides training for teachers through an intensive summer institute that is followed by classroom support in the fall. Since this year, 300 teachers have been through the program.
Nature Museum Summer Camps began.
Summer – Museum opens its first self-curated exhibit, "Lawn Nation" since its move into the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.
Collections Department begins to inventory all of the natural history holdings within the Academy's collection with grant support from the Institute for Museum and Library Sciences. The initiative took 5 years to complete and over 280,000 specimens and objects were verified.
Museum began participation in Blanding's Turtle Recovery Program, a conservation effort spearheaded by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, to rear and release endangered Blanding's Turtles, Emydoidea blandingii, into their natural environment. Sub-Adult Blanding's Turtles put on display at the Museum. Celeste Troon, Director of Living Collections, heads the museum effort.
Butterfly Conservation Lab opened at the Museum, a permanent research lab for the Butterfly Restoration Program.
An expanded version of Project Squirrel, a citizen-science program, moved under auspices of the Academy through Steve Sullivan, Senior Curator of Urban Ecology. The program was created in 1997 by Joel Brown and Wendy Jackson both professors at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Collections Department begins two-year project to process about 250 linear feet of materials in their Manuscript Collection in the Archive with grant support from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation.
Participation in Blanding's Turtle Recovery Program expands. Museum helps head start hatchlings for two years, release two year old head starters with radio transmitters in the fall, track them in the spring to replace radio transmitters, track females to see if they are gravid, collect females when they are, release them after they have laid, and track the head starters again in late summer to put on their winter transmitters.
July 1 - Deborah Lahey appointed President and CEO of the Chicago Academy of Sciences and its Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. She had previously served on the Board of Trustees and then as Chief Operations Officer (Dec 2009 to June 2010).
February – First meeting of what would become Project Passenger Pigeon (P3) occurred at Museum. Initial participants included representatives from Smithsonian Institution, Cornell University, Michigan State University, the Indiana State Museum, Wesleyan University, University of Wisconsin, University of Louisiana, National Council for Science and the Environment, and the Illinois Natural History. Project has expanded to include over 160 organizations from all over the United States and will culminate in various events throughout 2014.
April 11 – Self-curated exhibit "Nature's Architects" opened.
Museum began head starting more Blanding's Turtles.
Working with Chicago Film Archives, Collections Department began assessment and re-housing of their motion picture film collection, about 1370 individual reels, with grant support from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation. Collection composed of original nature studies to some commercially produced reels. Project to be completed in early 2014.
Museum became the home for the Chicago Conservation Corps.
Butterfly Restoration Program released lab-reared Regal Fritillary, Speyeria idalia, butterflies into natural habitat.
Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network takes a national leadership role serving as a model for similar programs in states all over the United States. A collective database for information from networks all over the country is developed to provide easier access to information.
February 10 – First Annual Chicago Volunteer Expo held at Museum. Over 60 local nonprofit institutions participated, providing information on volunteer opportunities in one convenient location.
March 23 – Self-curated exhibit "Food: The Nature of Eating" opened.
Butterfly Restoration Program released lab-reared Swamp Metalmark, Calephelis muticum, butterflies into natural habitat.
Project Squirrel released smartphone app.
Blanding's Turtle Conservation Lab constructed to accommodate the 42 hatchlings entrusted to the Museum for head starting as part of the Blanding's Turtle Recovery Program.
Amber King
Assistant Collections Manager
Founder's Week: Timeline Part II; 1895 - 1957
Tags: timeline, Chicago Academy of Sciences, Archives, photography, director, founder's week
The Academy re-emphasizes its commitment to education in the natural sciences. Its programming is not only for young students, but also continuing education and certification for teachers that focuses on understanding and interpreting the natural sciences. In addition the Academy starts offering regular free lectures on various scientific subjects to the public.
Laflin Memorial Building, Chicago Academy of Sciences, ca. 1915
From Chicago Academy of Sciences Archive, Photography Collection, 8x10 Glass Plate Negatives
Academy establishes a Children's Library to "promote science education and engage young people in the study of the natural sciences."
Children reading in the Children's Library of the Chicago Academy of Sciences
From the Chicago Academy of Sciences Archive, Photography Collection
May-June - Academy participates in city-wide Child-Welfare Exhibit, promoting education and highlighting institutions that already have programs established.
Work starts on developing new exhibit displays to better represent the natural flora and fauna of the area. Work completed by Frank C. Baker, Curator and Malacologist, and Frank Woodruff, Curator, Taxidermist, and Ornithologist, under initial guidance of Wallace Atwood, Acting Director and Secretary of the Board of Trustees.
June - The Atwood Celestial Sphere opens at the Academy. It is the first planetarium in the United States and was designed by Wallace W. Atwood, Acting Director of the Academy. The Sphere is now a part of the Adler Planetarium's collections.
(left) Atwood Celestial Sphere as seen from the outside. (right) Atwood stands inside his completed Sphere. From Chicago Academy of Sciences Archive, Photography Collection
Frank Woodruff made Director of the Academy and completed his first life-size diorama depicting the dunes ecosystem and the Calumet River.
Photographic print of compiled image for Calumet River diorama background made up of four shots. From Chicago Academy of Sciences Archive, Photography Collection, 8x10 Glass Plate Negatives.
Alfred M. Bailey, Ornithologist, appointed Director of the Academy.
Bailey makes trips to Louisiana to conduct still and motion picture photography of birds migrating along the coast. Bailey had worked at the Louisiana Academy of Sciences earlier in his career and had formed relationships with other ornithologists and bird enthusiasts in the area.
Seguard and Bailey (with camera) filming birds in Louisiana.
Bailey, working with collectors in Alaska, starts collecting birds and birds eggs, culminating in the publication in the Academy's Program of Activities, "Birds of the region of Point Barrow, Alaska" in 1933. Bailey had worked in southeastern Alaska from 1919-1921 on a survey for the Bureau of Biological Survey, so again had contacts and interest in the area before coming to the Academy.
Academy, with University of Chicago, sends field team to Great Smoky Mountains where a new subspecies of rock vole, Microtus chrotorrhinus carolinensis is discovered.
Academy co-sponsors further field research in Great Smoky Mountains in cooperation with the U.S. National Park Service. Specimens from this survey still reside in Academy's collections, and trip resulted in publication, "Mammals of the Great Smoky Mountains," part of the Bulletin series published by the Academy in 1938.
A Northern Short-tailed Shrew, Blarina brevicauda, collected during the Faunal Survey of the Great Smoky Mountains. Chicago Academy of Sciences Mammalogy Collection.
Dr. Howard Gloyd appointed Director of the Academy.
Howard K. Gloyd, standing in Arizona desert.
From Chicago Academy of Sciences Archives, Photography Collection.
Additional activities while Director of the Academy (1936-1957) were the expansion of the Academy's scientific publications, the continued additions to the public lecture series historically offered by the Academy, and Gloyd's personal research on snakes with an emphasis on rattlesnakes.
Dr. Gloyd, a rattlesnake expert, organizes expeditions to Arizona. The specimens he collected are still in the Academy's scientific collections today. The first expedition was in 1937, the second in 1940, and the third in 1946.
Founder's Week: Then and Now - Re-Using Display Mounts
Tags: diorama, display mount, Chicago Academy of Sciences, taxidermy
The display mounts on exhibit at the Nature Museum almost all come from previous exhibits and dioramas that were on display in the Matthew Laflin Memorial Building. Good taxidermy creates specimens and display mounts that will last for years if care is taken. Mounts that have been displayed before often have evidence of that past use. The most obvious are shadows of things that were a part of another diorama or exhibit, like a fern leaf or a tree branch. The whole point of a diorama is to create a "realistic" situation and if you put a display mount in an area surrounded by greenery and trees, shadows should occur. In most cases, this is achieved using specialty lighting today, but that was not available in the 1890s, the 1910s or even the 1940s, so the Academy's artists added them. Here are some comparisons between display mounts in some of the dioramas exhibited in 1938 and how those mounts are displayed today.
1938: Female cougar, Puma concolor, reclines in a rocky alcove with her two cubs.
From the Photography Collection, Chicago Academy of Sciences Archives, photographer: W.J.A. Pemmingsdorf
Female cougar, Puma concolor, mounted to be free-standing, on display in "Hunters of the Prairie."
1938: Female coyote, Canis latrans, stands outside her den with her four pups.
Female coyote, Canis latrans, stands above her den with three pups. Part of the prairie diorama in the "Wilderness Walk."
1938: Bald eagle perches on rock in a sand dune with freshly caught fish in talons.
Bald eagle perches on a sand dune with freshly caught fish in talons with a crow with an eye to the catch. Part of the dunes diorama in the "Wilderness Walk."
1938: Pair of lynx, Lynx canadensis, standing on log with river in background.
The lynx are now displayed individually, but are located near one another. The mount shown on the left is outside the savannah diorama in the "Wilderness Walk" and the mount shown on the right is in the display cabinets that surround the "Beecher Collections Laboratory"
Founder's Week: Chicago Academy of Sciences Timeline Part 1
Tags: Chicago Academy of Sciences, timeline, hitsory, collections, founder's week, robert kennicott, william stimpson
Group of men interested in natural sciences begins to meet in offices of fellow member, Dr. Edmund Andrews. Other original members were: Dr. James V.Z. Blaney, Dr. Nathan S. Davis, Sr., James W. Freer, C.A. Helmuth, Dr. Hosmer A. Johnson, Henry Parker, J. Young Scammon, Dr. Franklin Scammon, Richard K. Swift, Joseph D. Webster, Eliphalet W. Blatchford, and Henry W. Zimmerman.
"Chicago Academy of Natural Sciences" officially founded only eleven years after the Smithsonian Institution and 36 years before the Field Museum of Natural History.
"A definite organization was completed at a meeting held January 13, 1857…[and] officers elected".
Academy incorporated into Illinois state law as "The Chicago Academy of Sciences."
"A majority of the members of the Academy, acting in accordance with a vote of the Academy, have incorporated themselves under the title of The Chicago Academy of Sciences…."
February 22 - Meeting held to discuss creation of natural history museum with Robert Kennicott's specimens as the "core collection"; resolution adopted by attendees to create a museum and to appoint a committee to act as trustee of any funds raised.
March 23 - Robert Kennicott appointed "Curator of the Museum" by the Board of Trustees.
Robert Kennicott
April 13 - Committee appointed on February 22 turned into the Board of Trustees through an amendment to the Academy's constitution.
January 1 - The Academy opened as a museum to the public in rooms in the Metropolitan Block located at 134 North LaSalle Street.
February 16 - Act of Incorporation passed by the Illinois House and Senate for the Academy.
William Stimpson became the Curator and Secretary of the Academy replacing Robert Kennicott who was leaving Chicago on an expedition to Alaska. Kennicott met Stimpson while working in Washington, D.C. as both men worked for the Smithsonian Institution.
William Stimpson
April 7 - Board of Trustees elects Robert Kennicott to the office of "Director of the Academy" while he is in Alaska on his exploration trip.
May 13 - Robert Kennicott dies in Alaska on the Nulato River.
June 7 - Fire in the Metropolitan Block where the Academy rented space for exhibits damaged the museum's holdings, including specimens and library materials.
November 12 - William Stimpson elected as Director of the Academy.
Land is purchased on the corner of Wabash and Van Buren streets for a new museum building.
Academy opens in new rented spaces on Thirtieth Street between Indiana and Prairie Avenues.
Chicago Microscopical Club (State Microscopical Society of Illinois) is organized as an independent organization but maintains close affiliation with Chicago Academy of Sciences through 1950s, using Academy spaces for meetings and education programs. Many of the founders of the Club are also founders of Academy, such as Dr. Hosmer A. Johnson and Dr. Edmund Andrews..
The Academy's collection is estimated to be the fourth largest in the country.
October 8-10 - The Great Chicago Fire destroys much of Chicago; the Academy's building and holdings are decimated, including materials housed in a special "fire-proof" vault. Apparently a keystone fell through the top of the vault during the fire, thus creating an opening and allowing the fire into the vault.
May 26 - Director, Dr. William Stimpson, dies nine months after the Great Fire. It is thought that he died of heartbreak as he lost his life's work in the fire, stored in the Academy's "fire-proof" vault.
Academy moved into the Interstate Exposition Building on the lake front. This was a temporary structure that later was demolished to build the Chicago Art Institute.
Real estate tycoon, Matthew Laflin, donated $75,000 to construct a new museum. The building was to be named the "Matthew Laflin Memorial." Total funds available for the new building were $100,000; the Laflin donation represented 75% of the total costs of the building. $25,000 received from the Board of Commissioners of Lincoln Park.
October 10 - The cornerstone for the Academy's new building is laid.
October 30 - The World's Columbian Exposition closes and many exhibits of plants, fossils, and animals originally displayed at the Exposition remain. Academy Board of Trustee, Edward Ayer, proposes accepting and incorporating these specimens into the Academy's collection, but other Trustees are wary, citing the need to quickly launch the massive fund drive needed to quickly finish the building as well as transporting and finding housing for the specimens. Ayer resigns from the Board and turns to Marshall Field for the funds to build a new museum with Field's name, ultimately becoming the Field Museum of Natural History.
October 31 - The Academy's new building is dedicated and opens in Lincoln Park. The institution's name, "Chicago Academy of Sciences," was engraved on the front arch accompanied by the dedication of the building, "Matthew Laflin Memorial." This building was referred to internally as the "Laflin Building." The building was originally intended to be the north wing of a larger museum building with additions to be constructed in the future.
Chicago Academy of Sciences circa 1894
Founder's Week: Academy Publications
Tags: Chicago Academy of Sciences, publications, scientific papers, Archives, Illinois
Sharing scientific knowledge and initiating discussions about nature and science are important facets of the work we do at the Chicago Academy of Sciences and its Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. This happens through our educational activities, exhibits, talks given by our staff, and our citizen science programs, to name a few. Up until the mid 1990s, the Academy also published several of its own periodical series with original research.
The Academy began its endeavor into publishing in the mid 1860s, which helped establish the Academy as a scientific institution. Our first publications were the Proceedings (1866) to and Transactions (1867 to 1870) series, which provided information to members about museum meetings, descriptions of new species, guides to regional species, and scientific papers. There are few actual hard copies of these remaining.
The series Bulletin of the Natural History Survey (1896 to 1927) contained scientific papers on topics specifically about the Chicago area, including "The Higher Fungi of the Chicago Region" by William Moffatt and "The Paleontology of the Niagraran Limestone in the Chicago Area" by Stuart Weller. "An Annotated Flora of the Chicago Area" by Herman Silas Pepoon, published in 1927, was a major reference for local plants for decades.
The Bulletin, started in the 1880s, was a venue for scientific papers for any location and included authors such as William Higley (botany), Frank Baker (malacology), Orlando Park (entomology), and Howard Gloyd (herpetology). This is the Academy's longest running periodical, with its last issue released in 1995.
The Special Publications series (1902 to 1959) reflected longer research papers and scientific papers. Howard Gloyd, a herpetologist and director of the Academy, authored "The Rattlesnakes, genera Sistrurus and Crotalus: A study in zoogeography and evolution" in 1940. "William Dreuth's Study of Bird Migration in Lincoln Park, Chicago" was completed by Charles Clark and Margaret Nice in 1950; the Academy's archives contain Dreuth's original field notes of his thirty years of bird observations.
The Chicago Naturalist (1938 to 1948) and the Natural History Miscellanea series (1946 to 1982) provided shorter articles on natural history topics such as scientific collecting, wave erosion, ornithology, and naturalist biographies and served as a venue for sharing the Academy's field activities and museum programs with its membership. Science Notes (1959 to 1966) were short pamphlet-style publications; "How weather affects bird migration" and "Ancient beaches and dunes in Lincoln Park" are just a couple of the titles in this series.
Through the Academy's publications, readers learned about nature in Illinois – such as glacial markings found in areas throughout Illinois, amphibians and reptiles of the Chicago region, and how to identify local birds – but they were also exposed to information about ecosystems in Texas, New Jersey, and Florida, giving readers the chance to learn about other regions of the nation.
In 2008, we began our Publications Scanning Project to preserve these documents and broaden their accessibility. Each of the Academy's publications are scanned and the digital file cleaned and run through an optical character recognition (OCR) program to create a searchable PDF. For more information about this project or a PDF copy of a publication that has been scanned, please contact the Museum Collections & Archives. Hard copies of some publications are still available as well; contact Collections staff for more information. For a complete listing of Academy publications, click here.
Who are the Founders?
Tags: founding, founder's week, Chicago Academy of Sciences, kennicott, robert kennicott, laflin building, chicago fire
In 1856 a group of like-minded men enthusiastic about the natural sciences began to meet in Chicago. The original group consisted of Dr. James V.Z. Blaney, Dr. Nathan S. Davis, Sr., James W. Freer, C.A. Helmuth, Dr. Hosmer A. Johnson, Dr. Edmund Andrews, Henry Parker, J. Young Scammon, Dr. Franklin Scammon, Richard K. Swift, Joseph D. Webster, Eliphalet W. Blatchford, and Henry W. Zimmerman. The group began adding other names immediately to their list of members and formally became "The Chicago Academy of Natural Sciences" on January 13, 1857, "The Chicago Academy of Sciences" by 1859, and in 1999, "The Chicago Academy of Sciences and its Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum." The dedication and labor of many people ensured that the Academy continued to serve the public throughout its 157 year history, and will continue to do so in the future.
The men who strived to establish the Academy in the early years faced many obstacles almost from the beginning. The financial "Panic of 1857" turned many of the promised financial subscriptions into useless bits of paper. Two fires impacted the collections, the first on June 7, 1866 in their rented spaces that decimated over half of the collection and then again during the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 that destroyed the Academy's building and almost all of its holdings. A second financial panic effected the economy from 1873-1879, that hampered efforts to raise funds to pay off debt incurred to rebuild after the fire. When the Academy rebuilt their structure after the Great Chicago Fire, they also paid to erect an additional structure for business purposes designed to generate income for the Academy through the rents to be charged, but business expansion did not return aggressively to the area, so few were interested in the property and the Academy ultimately went into foreclosure. In spite of these early challenges, the Academy's members and trustees never lost their dedication to establishing a permanent museum of the natural sciences and finally succeeded in 1894 with the completion of the Matthew Laflin Memorial Building which served the Academy until 1994. Here is a brief overview of just a few of the individuals who helped bring about this outcome.
Edmund Andrews
It was in the offices of the Dr. Edmund Andrews (1824-1904) that the original members began meeting in 1856. Dr. Andrews was a practicing surgeon and also a teacher of anatomy and helped to form the Chicago Medical College. He developed and maintained an avid interest in geology, particularly in glacial history, publishing some of his findings in the Transactions of the Chicago Academy of Sciences. At the formalization of the Academy in 1857, Dr. Andrews was appointed the first Curator of the Academy and held that position until Robert Kennicott took over in 1863. Later he served as President of the Board of Trustees for a number of terms, the longest from 1883-1891.
Robert Kennicott (1835-1866) was encouraged from an early age to learn about nature from first-hand experience. He began his more formal training when his father sent him to study with Dr. Jared Kirtland, a well known and respected naturalist. Through this connection, Kennicott met Spencer Fullerton Baird, assistant secretary of the Smithsonian, and in 1853 moved to Washington, D.C. to assist and collect for that institution. Kennicott's participation in an exploratory expedition into northwestern Canada that was funded by the Hudson Bay Company, the Smithsonian, and individual Chicago patrons, provided the final spark for the impetus to find and open the museum to the public on January 1, 1865, since the Academy would have access to a sizeable collection almost immediately.
George C. Walker (1835-1905) was a benefactor and life-time member of the Academy. He served on the Board of Trustees as Secretary and President as well as numerous terms as Treasurer. He owned various companies but the bulk of his wealth was made in local real estate. Walker became friends with Robert Kennicott and adopted the passion for the creation of a museum heralded by the latter. Walker committed the funding necessary to ship the specimens intended for the Academy and collected by Kennicott in his 1859 expedition to the Yukon and Arctic tundra from Washington, D.C. to Chicago. He then became the chairman of a ten man committee formed in February 1864 whose sole purposes was to obtain the money necessary to make cases and obtain the space necessary to display the collection.
Jacob Velie
Dr. Jacob W. Velie (1829-1908) trained as doctor in Hammondsport, New York, worked as a dentist in Rock Hill, IL, and a druggist in Bath, NY. During this time, he was an active naturalist, developing his own collection and participating in expeditions. For example, in 1864 he worked for five months with Dr. C.C. Parry, the noted botanist, in the Rocky Mountains. He became associated with the Academy in 1870 when he became assistant curator under Dr. William Stimpson. After the Great Chicago Fire, Dr. Velie and Dr. Stimpson traveled to Florida, Cuba and the Yucatan on a collecting trip of which many specimens were donated to the Academy, helping to start the rebuilding of the collections. Velie served as curator for the Academy until 1893, constantly adding to the Academy's collections during that time.
Matthew Laflin
Matthew Laflin (1803-1897) was a prominent Chicago businessman. He built the Bull's Head Tavern (then at Madison and Ogden) which became the city's first stockyard as it provided pens for the cattle drivers. It was through his son George Laflin that Matthew Laflin offered $75,000 to the Academy if an agreement could be reached with the Lincoln Park Commissioners to provide the land to build the structure and an additional $25,000 toward its completion. An agreement was reached and the work began in 1893 with the final completion in 1894.
Laflin Building
Scientist Q&A Roundtable with Karen Kramer Wilson
Tags: scientists, citizen science, roundtable, career, science, science education
This blog post is part 1 of a 3 part series, divided up seperately by scientist. Part 2 with Dr. Doug Taron and part 3 with Steve Sullivan will be published at a later date.
Before Doug Taron, Steve Sullivan and Karen Kramer Wilson were scientists at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, they were like many of our young guests. They loved immersing themselves in nature, visiting museums and asking questions.
Decades later, after studying science and nature in college, the trio have made nature their laboratory. They work at the Nature Museum and answer questions from colleagues and guests. But that love of nature and spirit of inquiry has never left. In fact, they ask just as many questions today as they did when they were children.
We sat down with Doug, Steve and Karen for a wide-ranging conversation on why they fell in love with nature and science as children, what it's like to work at a Museum and why it is critical for people to maintain a connection with nature. The following is the interview with Karen Kramer Wilson, Living Invertebrate Specialist.
Karen Kramer Wilson
How do you describe your job to families at the Museum?
I tell people I work with the things that people are most creeped out about, but that are also the most numerous species on the planet and among the most interesting. There are so many compelling stories and information to discover. Even the things we think we know about entomology we don't fully understand.
What fascinated you about nature growing up? What experiences stand out?
We had a dense garden, and some of my earliest memories were of mucking about in the gardens. Across the street, there was a vacant lot with a stream and we spent almost all of our summers there. I vividly remember when I was in seventh grade they fenced in the lot for some kind of development and we lost the sounds of the frogs every night.
How did your college experience prepare you for the Museum?
As a freshman in college, I took an environmental science class, and it struck me that one of the biggest sources of pollution was agricultural chemicals. I found that interesting. Instead of strapping myself to a tree, I decided to see how the industry worked from the inside and how we could pollute less. As part of that, I ended up taking an entomology class that started at 7 a.m.. My classmates in the program were from farming families in the surrounding communities and really had a grip on their farming knowledge. But the Entomology came more naturally to me. So I ended up tutoring them in that class. I was hooked.
Working on the Nature Museum's rooftop beehives.
Why is there a growing sense of disconnect from the natural world, especially among children?
For many kids, exposure to the natural world consists of the mowed grass of a football or softball field. They don't have the opportunities we used to enjoy of simply hanging out and exploring; many parents don't consider that to be a good use of time and I think that's incredibly unfortunate. Some kids are now afraid of nature. Our challenge is to turn that fear into curiosity so that curiosity can become amazement.
What is the significance of the rising popularity of citizen science?
It's fantastic. We like to say the natural world needs citizens, and citizens need this natural world. This gives people a structure and a chance to realize the power of their own observations. It should be
empowering for citizen scientists to realize how much professional scientists need and value their input.
Scientist Q&A Roundtable with Dr. Doug Taron
This blog post is part 2 of a 3 part series, divided up seperately by scientist. Part 3 with Steve Sullivan will be published on a later date.
Before Doug Taron, Steve Sullivan and Karen Kramer Wilson were scientists at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, they were like many of our young guests. They loved immersing themselves in nature,visiting Museums and asking questions.
The Nature Museum News sat down with Doug, Steve and Karen for a wide-ranging conversation on why they fell in love with nature and science as children, what it's like to work at a Museum and why it is critical for people to maintain a connection with nature. The following is the interview with Dr. Doug Taron, curator of biology, vice president of conservation and research.
Dr. Doug Taron
A lot of what I do is overseeing the live animals and plants, and helping to manage and take care of the Academy's collection. My own research focuses on imperiled butterflies in the Midwest, particularly butterflies of the wetlands. I also lead the Museum's work with Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network, which engages citizen scientists to collect data on butterfly populations. This allows land managers to evaluate longterm trends in a changing landscape.
My siblings and I learned from a young age that when you passed a brown sign on the highway, something cool was nearby. We enjoyed feeding the birds and doing all sorts of things that kept us in touch with the natural world. I got my first butterfly net from the Easter Bunny when I was seven years old. In middle school, I started taking shoe boxes and cutting the fronts and back out and making a cage to keep butterflies. It was a mini-butterfly haven. I had no way of knowing what I was doing would presage a future career.
Dr. Doug Taron working in our butterfly receiving room.
In high school, I discovered chemistry and ended up majoring in biochemistry in college. When I was at graduate school at Northwestern and living in Evanston, I started to feel disconnected from the natural world. That's when I discovered the prairie restoration projects in the Chicago area. Then in 1982 I began volunteering at Bluff Spring Fen. That was very important in my ultimate career trajectory.
It's puzzling and troubling that so many people feel disconnected. So much of the news on the environment is dire. One way to get people to care and forge a bond with the natural world is to describe the wonder of the natural world and hook them on it. All we need is the opportunity to make "nature's case." The subject material is so wonderful that it sells itself.
Citizen Science empowers people and gives them the opportunity to contribute directly to scientific research. The citizen scientists of the Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network have not only gathered important data, but the Network is now a model for the rest of the nation.
Scientist Q&A Roundtable with Steve Sullivan
This blog post is part 3 of a 3 part series, divided up seperately by scientist.
The Nature Museum News sat down with Doug, Steve and Karen for a wide-ranging conversation on why they fell in love with nature and science as children, what it's like to work at a Museum and why it is critical for people to maintain a connection with nature. The following is the interview with Steve Sullivan, senior curator of urban ecology.
Steve Sullivan and friend.
I work at a bigger version of the room I built when I was in junior high called Steve's Museum. It was my systematic collection of natural history specimens and regionally-themed vivaria. Now, I spend a good part of my day learning about animals and teaching people about why nature and science are so interesting and have direct application to their own lives - things I would do for fun anyway.
One story I always remember is that my grandpa told me he saw snakes in his garden. I had never seen one and I challenged him to bring me one. In the end, he brought me a male and a female garder snake. He put them in a paper bag by the door and all of a sudden I had to figure out how to care for them. When you start to look at the details of a species, there are so many questions to answer. You can learn so much just from watching them; you never get bored.
Pets were not allowed in the dorm rooms but we would keep praying mantises anyway. We loved to feed them katydids because these insects are large enough for us to easily see muscles and organs as the mantid dissected it. We invited people to watch the feedings, which had ancillary benefits because people we might enjoy hanging out with would watch with real interest; boring people would stay home.
Steve preparing a bird specimen in the Beecher Lab.
We have isolated ourselves from nature in a way that our perception of what "nature" is has changed and been simplified. In fact, nature is a complex and amazing system of plants and animals, and many
other kingdoms of life that we are just beginning to figure out. It also includes interactions between living and non-living things like water and air. Nature includes us and is around us, on us, and in us constantly. As we remind people about how fascinating nature really is, they get excited about it and make more sustainable decisions. At the Nature Museum, we are always describing to people how they are connected to nature and trying to interest them in the natural world.
When people have the opportunity to contribute to a citizen science project such as Project Squirrel, it connects them to an issue in a way they weren't before. Project Squirrel has had more than 6,000
observations and counting. The data we have access to would literally be impossible to have accumulated without the work of citizen scientists of all ages and from all across the country.


text:
Q: Conditional formatting in Excel for weekend/holiday work I am using an attendance tracker template to track "X" employee for sick days, late days, etc... I currently have a  "Total Working Days" as well as a "Days Worked" entry calculated using the NETWORKDAYS function as well as a custom rule for saturdays and sundays to be excluded [ OR(LEFT(C$5,1)="S" ]. We offer weekend/holiday work, and would like to add that to the total days worked if an employee works extra, but am having issues getting that specific saturday or sunday (or normal holiday) to count on that specific employees total days worked. Is there a logic statement that I can add somewhere to auto populate that day as a valid working day for the NETWORKDAYS function?calendar viewlist of attendance issues
I have tried moving different types of attendance issues to different days of the week, and can only get them to count on normal working days. I have also changed the custom rule for weekends to a normal day of the week (Fridays), which then counts the weekend work, but omits anything on any Friday. I am looking for an overlaying logic function to count any weekend work entered as a valid work day for that employee, and add it to the totals at the bottom either with a custom rule or through the NETWORKDAYS function.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Why the Best Open Source Is Community-Led Open Source
contributed,sponsor-amazon-web-services-aws,sponsored,sponsored-post-contributed,
Cloud Native Ecosystem / Cloud Services / Open Source
If you are concerned about the sustainability of open source, community-led projects offer hope. While there are, of course, excellent open source projects like MySQL that rely wholly or predominantly on a single vendor (Oracle, in MySQL's case), open source is at its most innovative and sustainable when maintained by a community.
Mar 17th, 2020 10:08am by Matt Asay
AWS sponsored this post.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) sponsored this post.
Matt Asay
Matt has been involved in open source and all that it enables (cloud, machine learning, data infrastructure, mobile, etc.) for nearly two decades, working for a variety of open source companies and writing regularly for InfoWorld and TechRepublic. You can follow him on Twitter (@mjasay).
Open source software has been growing in importance for decades, but it hit escape velocity when large web companies started to contribute code in earnest. Suddenly the world was awash in the most innovative infrastructure money didn't need to buy. Companies like Yahoo! (Apache Hadoop), Facebook (Apache Cassandra), LinkedIn (Apache Kafka) and Google (Kubernetes) released incredibly promising software, inviting a global community to help them to improve upon their creations.
The industry responded. While at times a predominant vendor arose to maintain a particular project (e.g., DataStax for Apache Cassandra), contributions to these and other such projects have tended to come from a variety of corporate and individual developers. Take Kubernetes, for example. Though Google founded the project, more than 35,000 individuals from over 2,000 companies have contributed to a project that now runs to nearly two million lines of code. Perhaps most promising is how not all of these contributors are technology vendors (e.g., Ant Financial, the highest-valued FinTech company in the world and Meituan-Dianping, a large Chinese group buying website, are both among the top-20 largest contributors) — what this means is customers increasingly shape open source software to meet their needs.
If you are concerned about the sustainability of open source, these community-led projects offer hope. While there are, of course, excellent open source projects like MySQL that rely wholly or predominantly on a single vendor (Oracle, in MySQL's case), open source is at its most innovative and sustainable when maintained by a community. Rather than a single vendor hoping to hoard the benefits of a comparatively small "pie" for itself, community-led open source development fosters abundance, creating a much bigger "pie" for all, including greater revenue potential for individual vendors.
Consider Linux, the open source operating system that powers the world's fastest supercomputers, most websites we visit and even our phones.
Learning from Linux
Linux has always been a community affair, but it wasn't necessarily predestined to be such. Linux founder Linus Torvalds originally worked for Transmeta, an early fabless semiconductor company, from 1997 until 2003, when he joined Open Source Development Labs (OSDL), which later became the Linux Foundation. Torvalds' employment with the Linux Foundation has ensured a neutrality that continues to benefit all Linux vendors and users, including Red Hat, an open source vendor that first grew to prominence by selling support for Linux.
Red Hat, though synonymous with Linux for many, has never dominated its development. According to the latest data for the 5.5 kernel, Red Hat contributes just 6.6% of Linux code (measured by changesets). In Red Hat's last full fiscal year before being acquired by IBM, that 6.6% contribution translated into $3.4 billion in revenue. Speaking of IBM, if we add in its code contributions, the Red Hat/IBM combined code contributions expand to 9.8% of all Linux kernel contributions. This, in turn, nets IBM billions more in associated revenue from Linux-powered hardware (not to mention consulting services). Importantly, if Red Hat were to magically own all of Linux development, the value of Linux would drop precipitously. Linux matters as much as it does because it's an abundant community resource.
Nor is Red Hat (IBM) alone in benefiting from this abundance. Oracle, HPE and a range of other enterprise vendors derive their own billions from selling hardware, services, or software around Linux, as do cloud vendors like AWS, Microsoft, Alibaba and Google. Many other companies (e.g., Facebook, Netflix, etc.) build on and benefit from Linux, generating their own billions in customer value. Critically, those billions would likely evaporate if a single company owned Linux; that company would capture all the value and that value would be substantially less. By some estimates, the internet as we know it simply couldn't exist without a free, community-driven Linux.
The era of a single company owning an operating system and exclusively profiting therefrom is over. This is in part because we've discovered, for example, that it's better and more profitable for all to have a Linux community that creates a large and growing pie shared by many, rather than a comparatively small, zero-sum pie consumed by one.
A 'Cloudy' Future for Open Source: Kubernetes, Firecracker and More
Does this talk of pie sound Utopian, like the sort of thing that could only work when open source software emerges from the mind of a talented individual such as Torvalds? That's not what the folks over in Kubernetes-land think. Nor does it jibe with a bevy of new cloud-oriented open source projects, like Amazon-contributed Firecracker and Lyft-created Envoy, which are foundational to some of the industry's most innovative services.
Kubernetes didn't necessarily start this cloud-oriented open source revolution, but it has certainly helped to grow it. Launched in 2014, Kubernetes has given the industry a common rallying point or standard for distributed systems. This only works as a community-oriented project, one in which Red Hat, VMware, AWS and others also pitch in to make Kubernetes bigger and better. As Redmonk analyst Steve O'Grady said, "In a world in which Kubernetes wasn't open source, it's a niche product…".
In a similar manner, Firecracker offers developers a novel way to "build container orchestration platforms or run loads of containers and need to do so with sub-second latency," Jared Short, Serverless Inc.'s head of developer relations, wrote. Firecracker sits at the heart of AWS Lambda and AWS Fargate and affords others the ability to build similar services. As with Kubernetes, Firecracker is increasingly growing a community endeavor, with developers at Weaveworks and many others expanding its utility.
Nor is this just about technology vendors.
Lyft developed Envoy, an open source edge and service proxy designed for cloud native applications and moved its governance under the Cloud Native Computing Foundation. Envoy has found its way into a number of commercial products, including HashiCorp's Consul and AWS App Mesh, with a growing community. Apache Hadoop was useful within Yahoo!, but once it was open sourced, it ignited the big data revolution. Apache Cassandra was a nice project at Facebook, but it has become the backbone of incredibly robust data infrastructures at Apple, Netflix and others, even as these companies contribute back to make it even more potent.
In these and other instances, the best open source software tends to be community-oriented, encouraging developers to contribute their particular expertise to make a project much better than any single organization could.
Open Source Abundance, Not Scarcity
Of course, not everyone agrees. Some startups have turned to proprietary licensing to protect otherwise open source code from being used as… open source code. This is understandable but, in my view, short-sighted. There is much more opportunity for all, including these vendors, in a market made bigger and more important by broad participation, both in terms of developing the software and in operationalizing it for customers.
A Google-only Kubernetes is interesting, but not market-changing. Ditto a Linux controlled by Red Hat — such an operating system never would have outpaced Microsoft Windows, UNIX and every other server operating system.
This is the promise of open source: abundance, not scarcity. As an industry, we should be careful not to squander that promise on zero-sum licensing games that leave everyone — customers and vendors — squabbling over an ever-shrinking poverty pie.
CNCF, HashiCorp, Linux Foundation, Red Hat and VMware are sponsors of The New Stack.
Matt is a principal at AWS and has been involved in open source and all that it enables (cloud, machine learning, data infrastructure, mobile, etc.) for nearly two decades, working for a variety of open source companies and writing regularly...
Read more from Matt Asay
Rethinking Java @Scheduled Tasks in Kubernetes How Donating Open Source Code Can Advance Your Career Kubernetes and Amazon Web Services How Do We Protect the Software Supply Chain? Redis Is Not Just a Cache


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Q: geometry question-semicircle inscribed in quadrilateral. there is a line AD whose midpoint is O (AO=OD). a semicircle is drawn with centre O and any radius < AO with its straight edge being part of line AD. lines AB and CD are drawn tangent to the semicircle's arc such that BC is also a tangent to the arc. the question is to prove that $AO^2=AB·CD$

A: I have made minor changes with suitable labels making presentation easier to read. (See below.)

Adopting the result of the special case shown earlier, we have $OA^2 = AB'. XD$.
i. e. $AO^2 = x.(t + z + x) = xt + xz + x^2$ … (1)
The target is to have $AO^2 = AB.CD$
i. e. $AO^2 = (x + y).(z + x) = xz + yz + x^2 + xy $  … (2)
Comparing the two, our target becomes "is $xt = y(x + z)$"
i. e. $\frac {x}{y} = \frac {x + z}{t}$
i. e. $\frac {x + y}{y} = \frac {x + z + t}{t}$
Construction:- (1) Join B'C'. (2) Join X O. (3) Through C, draw CE // DA cutting XO at G.
Now, by similar triangles, $\frac {x + z + t}{t} = \frac {XO}{XG}$.
There are many triangles that are similar to ⊿BAH and ⊿BB' K. Examples are ⊿XEG and ⊿XAO.
From them, I am quite sure that $\frac {x + y}{y} = … = \frac {XO}{XG}$
That completes the proof.
Remark: I am also sure that there are more elegant ways of proving this fact.

A:
I hope my figure was drawn correctly according to your question. In addition, I have added the red and green circles to show the exact locations of B and T, the points of contacts of the tangents AC and DC.
It is quite obvious that the objects are symmetric about the y-axis.
$AO^2 = DO^2$
$= CD^2 – CO^2$ … [Pythagoras theorem]
$= CD^2 – CD.CT$ … [power of a point]
$= CD.(CD – CT)$
$= CD.(CA - CB)$
$= CD.AB$

A: Triangles with the same color are congruent, and at the point $O$ we have:
$2α+2ß+2\gamma=180°$
$\alpha+\beta+\gamma=90°$
In the right-Angled triangle $OMB$, we have:
$\angle OBM=\alpha+\gamma$
Therefore the two triangles $CDO$ and $OAB$ are similar:
$\dfrac{CD}{OD}=\dfrac{OA}{AB}$
$OA\times OD=AB\times CD$
Since $OA=OD$
Thus: $OA^2=AB \times CD$


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Verifi's Cardholder Dispute Resolution Network (CDRN) Achieves Record Dispute Growth in Q1; More than £34M in Chargebacks Handled
Verifi, Inc., the leading provider of payment and risk management solutions for card-not-present merchants, today announced that dispute volume within their Cardholder Dispute Resolution Network (CDRN) grew by more than 29% over the previous quarter, handling more than £34M in chargeback disputes.
Today, up to 86% of cardholders attempt to bypass the merchant and contact their issuing bank directly to dispute or question a charge on their bill. CDRN's growing service footprint covers more than 50% of US transaction volume and is expanding globally to help merchants and issuers combat this significant problem. CDRN's ongoing growth supports the heightened and industry-wide need to resolve consumer complaints collaboratively and preempt the painful chargebacks problem.
Verifi's CDRN has enjoyed year-over-year growth since its launch in 2007. CDRN's unique and patented, "closed loop" process directly integrates with top issuers, providing unmatched service quality and accuracy for merchants and issuers to resolve disputed payments and dramatically minimise chargebacks and cardholder dissatisfaction. Providing merchants visibility into both fraud and non-fraud customer disputes in near real-time, CDRN's "closed loop" process affords the highest level of true chargeback protection while avoiding false positives that result in lost sales, increased manual review time, and decreased profits.
"We continue to improve and expand our CDRN service and coverage footprint in accordance with the demands of our clients, the payments industry and forecasts by analysts," said Matthew Katz, CEO of Verifi. "We remain committed to continual innovation to ensure that Verifi customers stand at the forefront of a rapidly challenging and evolving payments industry."
CDRN has been recognised as the Best Chargeback Management Program for the last five consecutive years by the Card Not Present Expo, and as Best Chargeback Prevention Service by TopCreditCardProcessors.com.
In response to the company's growth and demand for services, Verifi commenced operations in the UK in mid-2016 and has broadened their investments in facilities and key personnel beyond the UK. The company's most recent expansion is underway in Australia and New Zealand with further expansion to other markets including APAC, France, and Germany expected later this year.
The company experienced rapid adoption after commencing operation in the UK and currently supports hundreds of merchants and recognised global brands in diverse industries ranging from digital music, information technology, entertainment, as well as top High Street and UK e-commerce clients. Verifi is on track to cover the majority of the UK market by year's end.
As part of its ongoing innovation, Verifi recently rolled out Order Insight, a revolutionary new chargeback and fraud mitigation service that enables the sharing of robust transaction details––such as merchant's name and contact information, date of purchase, name of device used in the order process, and item or service descriptions (size, colour, style)––between cardholders, merchants and issuers when a dispute arises. By provisioning this data directly into the issuing bank's online or mobile applications, a questionable charge can usually be resolved directly with the customer. This avoids a phone call to the issuer, saving the sale as well as wasted time, resources, and costs for all parties that would be incurred through the representment process. If the customer does contact their bank, call centre representatives can access the enhanced order details to address the customer's concerns, help validate the sale, and provide prompt resolution and a better customer experience. Additionally, by providing the right information to the right parties at the right time, Order Insight enables cardholders to better recall or understand their purchases and avoid filing false cases of fraud or efforts to manipulate the system by denying legitimate charges to their statement.
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