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The most significant news to come down the pike during the week for the Gulf Coast region may have been President Barack Obama's $3.55 trillion budget. It includes $533.7 billion in fiscal year 2010 for the Defense Department and $18.7 billion for NASA. Both agencies play major roles in the economic health of the Gulf Coast, and both budgets represent increases over the previous fiscal year. More on the budget later.
First, last week we told you about the growth expected in the field of unmanned aerial systems. So it makes sense to take a look at another field of robotics that's likely to grow. In this case, think bionic man or woman.
At the Association of the United States' Army Winter Symposium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., during the week, Lockheed Martin debuted a robotic exoskeleton designed to improve a soldier's strength and endurance. It's called the Human Universal Load Carrier – not much of a name until you pronounce it as an acronym: HULC.
Under a licensing agreement with Berkeley Bionics of California, Lockheed Martin will advance the development of the HULC design to provide soldiers a powerful advantage in ground operations. Rich Russell, director of Sensors, Data Links and Advanced Programs at Lockheed Martin, said that with the company's enhancements to the HULC system, soldiers will be able to carry loads of up to 200 pounds with minimal effort.
HULC transfers the weight from heavy loads to the ground through the battery-powered, titanium legs of the lower-body exoskeleton. An advanced micro-computer ensures the exoskeleton moves with the individual. HULC hydraulic-powered anthropomorphic exoskeleton allows for deep squats, crawls and upper-body lifting with minor exertion.
Lockheed is also exploring exoskeleton for industrial and medical applications. (Story)
It was years ago that Ken Ford, director of the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition in Pensacola, Fla., told me to keep an eye on this field. IHMC is heavily involved in doing research in a range of artificial intelligence fields, including giving humans some machine-like capabilities. These systems fit the human and machine components together in ways that exploit their respective strengths and mitigate their respective weaknesses.
Now back to the budget. The Defense Department would get a baseline budget of $533.7 billion in fiscal year 2010, up from $513.3 billion appropriated by Congress in 2009, under Obama's proposed budget. The DoD budget is important to this region, which is home to military bases as well as large and small defense contractors. For an administration that has made it a key aim to keep people working, funding of DoD does just that.
- The development of the F-35 is continuing on track. Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is no doubt interested in progress of the F-35, since it will be the home of the Joint Strike Fighter training center beginning in 2010. During this past week Lockheed Martin's second short takeoff/vertical landing F-35B Lightning II accomplished its first flight. The aircraft, known as BF-2, joins a conventional takeoff and landing F-35A and another F-35B that already have logged a combined total of 84 flights.
- At Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., the base announced during the week that Brig. Gen. Greg Touhill will turn over command of the 81st Training Wing to Col. Ian Dickinson April 6. Dickinson, who reports to Keesler Air Force Base by March 31, is Joint Staff deputy chief information officer at the Pentagon. Touhill's new assignment is Chief, Office of Military Cooperation, U.S. Central Command, Kuwait.
Twice during the week Air Force officials said that the aerial tankers remain the Air Force's top priority. Gen. Duncan McNabb, commander of the U.S. Transportation Command, told a joint hearing of the seapower and air and land forces subcommittees of the House Armed Services Committee that the tanker is his No. 1 modernization priority.
And during a military conference in Orlando, Fla., sponsored by the Air Force Association, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley also said the replacement is the top priority. Defense Secretary Robert Gates expects to issue a new request for bids this spring.
Boeing is competing against a Northrop Grumman/EADS for the $40 billion project to replace the fleet of KC-135s. Northrop/EADS won the competition in February 2008 and planned to assemble them in Mobile, Ala. But a Boeing protest was upheld by the Government Accountability Office and later the Pentagon decided to wait for the new administration.
Some, most notably Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, are calling for a split buy. During his visit to Mobile, Murtha has said he was pleased to learn EADS would build cargo planes in Mobile if it won the tanker contract. EADS, parent of Airbus, said last year that it would produce a cargo version of the A330 airliner if it won the Air Force competition.
During the week Aviation Week wrote that Airbus is preparing to birth a new generation of freighter aircraft just as the industry is seeing declines in demand. But Airbus is looking beyond the immediate crisis and making a long-term bet on creating freighters that could compete with rival Boeing. This could be big for Mobile – should EADS win the Air Force contract. And if it doesn't? EADS' push with freighters could still be important to Mobile's aviation future.
At the end of the week, the Mobile Press-Register reported that Northrop Grumman and EADS North America have been asked by Mobile officials to hire Bay Haas, the retired airport authority executive director, to coordinate local support for the effort to win the contract to assemble aerial refueling tankers in Mobile.
The newspaper said the request was made in a Feb. 18 letter. A spokesman said Northrop Grumman is giving the suggestions "active consideration."
When Haas retired in November, he was expected to continue to do work for the airport authority as a consultant for $10,000 a month for 19 months. But that never happened because of questions raised about whether it was a violation of part of the state ethics law that bars agencies from hiring former executives for two years after they leave. (Story)
Extra money, especially in these hard economic times, is always welcome. And now NASA is looking at how to use some extra money coming to the agency thanks to the stimulus plan.
The agency found out during the week that the Obama Administration wants to provide NASA with a budget of $18.7 billion in the 2010 fiscal year. When combined with the $1 billion provided for NASA in the Recovery Act, the funding is more than $2.4 billion above the 2008 level.
NASA managers are looking at options for spending an extra $400 million from the stimulus. Among the possibilities: extra flight-test to speed up development of the Ares I, or advancing development work on Ares I and Orion.
- NASA during the week awarded an interim letter contract to Oceaneering International Inc. of Houston to begin work on the design, development and production of a new spacesuit system for the Constellation Program.
- At the end of the week, Boeing submitted a proposal to NASA for Altair lunar lander design support. NASA is expected to award multiple contracts this spring. The lunar lander will launch aboard the Ares V heavy-lift rocket. Recently Boeing submitted proposals for the Ares V Phase 1 Design Support Contracts.
Sci-tech parks
Northwest Florida's Santa Rosa County Commission during the week voted to use $3.1 million to buy 90 acres not far from Interstate 10 to use for industrial development. Pullum Park will join the nearby Santa Rosa County Industrial Park and the planned Whiting Aviation Park as county-owned property available for industrial development.
At another science and technology park in the region, growth seems to be at hand.
Six years after its opening, the University of South Alabama's Research and Technology Park has filled current buildings and an expansion is being considered. Ker Ferguson, the park's director, said the university is negotiating costs for new building construction and is talking with prospective tenants. The park already has land available for new construction, and now might be a good time considering lower construction costs.
The Research and Technology Park, which opened on 35 acres in 2003, is intended to give companies an opportunity to gain access to students and collaborate on research efforts with students and faculty. It now has almost 300,000 square feet of space leased to 16 different companies with more than 600 employees. (Story)
There were two contracts awarded during the week with a Gulf Coast connection. The Air Force modified a contract with Textron Systems Corp. for $9.5 million to provide additional sensor fuzed weapons. Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. The Air Force also modified a contract with Northrop Grumman for $5.8 million to provide engineering, manufacturing and development infrastructure activates in support of the Global Hawk Program. Global Hawk fuselage work is done in part in Moss Point, Miss.
Those who follow the aerospace industry already knew it, and a study by the Teal Group simply confirmed it - and gave it some numbers. The most dynamic growth sector in the aerospace industry: unmanned aerial vehicles.
A 2009 market study by the Teal Group, of Fairfax, Va., estimates spending on unmanned aerial vehicles – or if you prefer, unmanned aerial systems – will nearly double to $8.7 billion annually over the next decade. That's more than $62 billion in the next 10 years.
The 364-page study says the United States will account for 72 percent of the worldwide research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) spending on UAV technology over the next decade and some 61 percent of the procurement. Europe is the second largest market, followed by Asia-Pacific.
The study also examined UAV payloads, including electro-optic/infrared sensors, synthetic aperture radars and more. That portion of the sector is forecast to increase to nearly $5 billion in a decade from the current $2 billion. (Story)
What's striking about this field is that it has both military and commercial applications, and in addition to sensors, it involves everything from computer science to advanced materials and more. And it's not just aerospace – there are also unmanned land and sea vehicles that will likely grow.
The Gulf Coast region is fortunate to have a foot in the door.
A few years back Jackson County, Miss., started working with Northrop Grumman to get a Fire Scout helicopter drone plant in Moss Point. I recall the head economic development saying it would be hard to get residents to look beyond the immediate number of jobs and see it as a building block for the future.
But it didn't take long before Northrop decided to build Global Hawks at what it eventually named the Unmanned Systems Center. They also did some work on Hunter UAVs. The plant is capable of doing a lot more, and Northrop has said it expects to send more work to the plant. The company also has divs on another 30 acres at the Moss Point's Trent Lott Aviation Technology Park. This year Northrop will be flying Fire Scout unmanned helicopters over South Mississippi.
Santa Rosa County, Fla., is also involved in this aerospace sector. AeroVironment of Monrovia, Calif., which has developed a series of highly successful, small UAVs, including the Raven, has its training and support operations in Navarre, between Pensacola and Eglin Air Force Base. It's grown from a six-person operation in 2004 to more than 40 employees today.
There's a day in the future when pilots will find their role diminished if not eliminated. Think that unrealistic? There likely was a time in the past when people could not picture going on an elevator without someone at the controls. Maj. Lee Kloos of Eglin, chosen to become an F-35 instructor, considered it a privilege to be chosen, especially since Air Force aviation is moving toward unmanned aerial systems. "This is a unique opportunity and there won't be many more like it," he said. Perhaps prophetic words.
It's possible to envision armed UAVs in the future using Eglin to test some of the munitions being developed at the base. Oddly enough, the pilots flying those drone may not even be based at Eglin. Some of the UAVs may be flying autonomously, thanks to advances in computer intelligence systems. And the Gulf Coast has an operation that's a leader in artificial intelligence systems: The Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition in Pensacola, Fla.
These robots aren't just airborne. A short time ago in Panama City, Fla., engineers at Tyndall Air Force Base came up with a robot that can refuel aircraft with minimum human intervention.
During the past week Northrop Grumman's relative navigation system was selected by the Air Force for the Automated Aerial Refueling program follow-on contract. Relative navigation, the ability to measure the relative motions of two vehicles, is crucial to the aerial refueling of drones. The AAR is designed to work with the existing tanker fleet, but is there any doubt plans call for being able to adapt it to unmanned aerial tankers?
The Navy also has a keen interest in UAVs. Like the Air Force, it's interested in relative navigation. And the Navy is also interested in surface and underwater unmanned systems. An analyst from the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments recently said he's concerned the Navy's 30-year modernization plan leaves some gaps. Robert Work recommends more R&D work on smaller, manned and unmanned undersea vehicles and autonomous systems. The Gulf Coast has a group that's involved in underseas vehicle: The Undersea Vehicles Technology Center at Stennis Space Center, part of the National Institute for Undersea Science and Technology.
This is an opportunity our economic development officials need to continue to pursue.
- There was also a bit of news during the week related to Mobile, Ala., and its bid to become home to a Northrop-EADS aircraft assembly complex. You'll recall that a few weeks ago U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., toured the site in Mobile where the facility would be located. At the time he said he was impressed that EADS would also build cargo planes in Mobile if it wins the contract. He also said he's in a favor of buying some planes from Northrop-EADS, and some from competitor Boeing.
He made the same comment after touring the 767 final assembly facility in Everett, Wash. The visit was part of a fact-finding mission. Murtha, chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, was invited by Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash. Murtha also toured the 737 and P-8A Poseidon aircraft facilities in Renton.
Despite Murtha's comment, he has a long way to go to convince others. The Pentagon doesn't like the idea, and Boeing's allies may well see the current environment as more conducive to Boeing winning this next competition. But Boeing also likely understand that Northrop and EADS would not let a Boeing win go without a protest. The loser in all of this will be the warfighter who have to continue to rely on aging tankers.
For an administration that wants to save jobs in this country, a split buy would not only save jobs in Washington State and Kansas, but would create new ones as well in Alabama and the Gulf Coast region.
Just when you thought it was settled, the F-35 noise issue heated up again during the week. The City of Valparaiso, Fla., voted to sue the Air Force over the F-35 Record of Decision. Two commissioners, both of whom had opposed a previous Freedom of Information Act suit against the Air Force, were absent for the vote.
The Air Force earlier this month signed a record of decision that allows construction to begin for the Joint Strike Fighter training center. To address noise concerns, the Air Force is limiting use of one runway. But Valparaiso officials feel the noise issue will destroy home values and be the end of the city.
We'll of course keep an eye on this one.
- Brig. Gen. Greg Touhill, 81st Training Wing commander at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., has been selected for a new assignment as Chief, Office of Military Cooperation, U.S. Central Command, Kuwait. Touhill came to Keesler in October 2007. Announcement of his replacement is expected soon.
- Lt. Col. Brenda Cartier has assumed command of the 4th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla. Cartier is the first female flying squadron commander for the Air Force Special Operations Command. She replaced Lt. Col. Jim Rodriquez.
We should mention a rift that's playing out in Northwest Florida pitting Okaloosa County against Bay County. Media reports say officials from Okaloosa County accuse rivals of spreading lies that Northwest Florida Regional Airport – the former Okaloosa County Regional Airport – will close.
It apparently goes back to a January 2008 e-mail by Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce claiming the airport's lease with Eglin Air Force Base would end after 2010. At the time, the chamber was trying to get support behind the Panama City-Bay County International Airport project. Eglin, in fact, renewed the lease until 2032, and the chamber apologized for the misunderstanding. But apparently rumors have continued. (Story)
The odd part about all of this is that, yes, the airports in the region compete with their immediate neighbors for passengers and flights, but there are some real benefits having airports in New Orleans, Gulfport, Mobile, Pensacola, Okaloosa County and Panama City. While there was talk in the past about combined airports – Pensacola and Mobile, for instance, sharing an airport in Baldwin County – that thinking eventually faded away. Offering visitors the option of multiple airports has been the defacto mindset. The loss of any one of the region's airports would hurt the entire region.
- Okaloosa County Airport Director Greg Donovan presented an updated master plan for Northwest Florida Regional Airport at a public meeting during the week. The biggest news was a discussion about a six-acre site east of a new rental car and overflow parking area that has been designated for commercial development – perhaps a hotel and restaurant.
- In Pensacola, a new radar approach control facility at Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport is nearing completion. The $21 million Terminal Radar Approach Control facility is replacing the current 31-year-old building. In Milton at Whiting Field Naval Air Station, construction wrapped up on a new $4 million control tower replacing one built in 1972.
NASA signed a five-year, $45 million contract during the week with American Tank and Vessel Inc. of Mobile, Ala., for installation of a test cell diffuser and associated systems in the A-3 test stand at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The test stand will test the J-2X engine that will power the upper stage of the Ares I crew exploration vehicle and the Earth departure stage of the Ares V cargo launch vehicle. Construction began on the A-3 stand in summer 2007, with the first test scheduled for 2012.
- Boeing's Space Exploration division submitted proposals for the Ares V Phase 1 Design Support Contracts. The proposals are for design support of the Ares V cargo launch vehicle's payload shroud; the Earth-departure stage; the liquid-fueled central booster element core state; and avionics and software. The two-stage, vertically stacked Ares V will be NASA's primary rocket for delivery of large-scale hardware to space.
- NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite left California during the week for its trip to Kennedy Space Center. The satellite's mission is to search for water ice on the moon in a permanently shadowed crater near one of the lunar poles. LCROSS is a companion mission to NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO. At Kennedy the two spacecraft will be integrated with an Atlas V launch vehicle and tested for final flight worthiness. LCROSS and LRO are the first missions in NASA's plan to return humans to the moon and begin establishing a lunar outpost by 2020.
It's an intriguing question. Would the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. build an aircraft plant in the region even if it fails to win the Air Force tanker competition?
Donald Epley, director of the Mitchell College of Business Center for Real Estate Studies at the University of South Alabama, thinks so. According to the Pensacola News Journal, Epley said during the week that the exchange rate is killing EADS, and he thinks the company will bring about 1,000 jobs to the region, tanker or no tanker. He made the comment at the annual Real Estate Trends Report and Forecast Conference in Pensacola.
Epley makes a good point, and he's not alone in that thinking. This is a relatively low cost area of the country, and no doubt economic development officials from this region bend over backwards to welcome new businesses, major and minor players alike.
The Gulf Coast region between New Orleans and Northwest Florida has a wide range of aerospace capabilities, from space programs in the west portion of the corridor to weapons development in the east, and a range of activities in between. Every major aerospace company has an operation in the region, and over the past few years economic development officials have been cooperating regularly to promote not only their own area, but the broader region.
Northrop/EADS won the competition last year to build the next generation of Air Force tankers in Mobile, Ala. The decision was overturned after a Boeing protest, and a new round of competition will begin this year. And while the company would certainly like to win that tanker contest, Mobile remains a viable location for any number of EADS projects where the primary customer is in the United States. EADS has shown a good deal of interest in Mobile. It set up an EADS-CASA maintenance center and Airbus engineering center in Mobile, and it did say as far back as January 2008 that it would build cargo planes in Mobile if it won the tanker project.
Epley's comment seemed right on the mark.
- Speaking of Mobile, the Mobile Press-Register reported during the week that Teledyne Continental Motors is recalling 9,600 cylinders from piston aircraft engines because of a metal-casting problem that can cause the cylinder heads to crack. The company expects the recall to cost as much $18 million.
- The first operational Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Global Hawk is now in Southwest Asia with the Air Force's 380th Air Expeditionary Wing. In a concept of operations called remote-split operations, the Navy Global Hawks' arrival marks the culmination of more than five months of joint effort to stand up a maritime surveillance presence in the region.
Prior to arrival in Southwest Asia, the Navy Global Hawk has been in service for non-wartime missions during its test and development phase, including spying on Hurricane Ike. Fuselage work on the Global Hawk is done at the Northrop Grumman Unmanned Systems Center in Moss Point, Miss.
Aviation Week reported during the week that four defense oversight committees in Congress approved the Navy's reprogramming request in fiscal 2009 for funds to secure purchases of the first Joint Strike Fighter for carrier operations. The $40 million will pay for long lead parts for three Lockheed Martin F-35Cs.
The F-35 has three variants: a traditional version for the Air Force that takes off from runways, a carrier version for the Navy and a vertical takeoff and landing version for the Marines. Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., will be the joint training site for the F-35 program.
Eglin will see one of its own as an instructor in the F-35 program. Maj. Lee Kloos, who has nearly 2,000 flying hours, is in the initial cadre of F-35 instructors. He has worked with the Joint Strike Fighter Site Activation Task Force program.
- Eglin is scheduled to get some additional personnel because of a reorganization effort. Federal Computer World reported during the week that the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center will move about 70 personnel in the next 18 months to support its cyber operations. In addition to Eglin, other bases receiving the new personnel are Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.
A team that works closely with Navy SEALs has moved into a new, $9.7 million complex at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. Special Boat Team 22, which specializes in riverine missions, has grown in the last four years. There are 400 sailors assigned to SBT 22. It also operates a training school for foreign sailors.
- The Air Force Special Operations Command has wrapped up an exercise designed to train forces in combat scenarios. Emerald Warrior took place at Hurlburt Field and Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Training included troop insertions, air-ground support and convoy active-defense scenarios.
- Eglin officials and contractors are preparing to conduct visual surface surveys on private property in Santa Rosa County to ensure former weapon test ranges are clear of old munitions. Eglin sent right of entry requests to 13 private property owners in an area that was formerly part of now defunct Range 30, where aerial gunnery testing was conducted in the 1940s-50s.
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is now at Florida's Kennedy Space Center. The spacecraft, slated to launch April 24, will spend at least one year in a low polar orbit on its primary lunar exploration mission, with the possibility of three more years to collect additional detailed scientific information about the moon and its environment. Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and Stennis Space Center in Mississippi are involved in the Constellation Program, the return of astronauts to the moon and beyond.
Passenger traffic at New Orleans' Louis Armstrong International Airport grew slightly in 2008 but still has not reached levels seen before Hurricane Katrina. Officials said that 7.9 million people passed through the Kenner airport in 2008, up 5.5 percent from 2007. Meanwhile, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that a board created by the legislature to evaluate a possible state takeover of the city-owned airport is unlikely to be ready to offer a recommendation by this year's legislative session.
F-35, training: There was a sense of relief, no doubt, in economic development circles when the Air Force sealed the deal during the week and affirmed Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., as the future home to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter training center. This is a big deal for the region, adding another piece to the substantial aerospace-related activities between New Orleans and Northwest Florida.
Back in November the Air Force decided to delay signing a "record of decision" establishing the center because residents were concerned about the noise. The city of Valparaiso, right outside the Eglin gates, feared the jet, twice as loud as an F-15, would hurt property values that have already been pounded by the housing market.
Some had been concerned that the complaints would prompt the Air Force to look elsewhere, but that was never really in the cards. The Air Force took the additional time to try to address some of those concerns, most notably by limiting the use of one runway. And the Air Force will continue to explore ways to reduce the noise impact. That makes sense, considering other Air Force, Navy and Marine bases eventually will be hosting F-35s, designated Lightning II.
The signing of the record of decision means construction can now get under way in preparation for 59 F-35s that will arrive beginning March 2010. Nine construction projects worth $170 million are in the bidding process and construction is expected to begin before October. The total value of construction is placed at $250 million.
The Eglin center is designed to train Air Force, Navy and Marine pilots who will then train other instructors and students to fly the F-35. The goal is to open the squadron in October and begin training students in 2010. The squadron's first mission will be instructing other groups of pilots assigned to be trainers. The Air Force expects to field more than 1,750 Joint Strike Fighters over the next two decades.
No doubt a lot of eyes were watching the Eglin-noise debate. In addition to the locations in the United States that hope to get the planes, a host of foreign military organizations will also be buying F-35. This next generation plane was jointly developed by the United States and foreign partners, and a lot of money has been invested in its development.
The F-35 has three variants – a traditional version for the Air Force that takes off from runways, a carrier version for the Navy and a vertical takeoff and landing version for the Marines. It can carry all its weapons and fuel inside the fuselage, creating less wind resistance than an F-16 flying with bombs, missiles and fuel tanks under its wings.
The F-35's avionics and sensors are 20 years beyond what F-16 pilots now use. An F-16 pilot spends a lot of time fusing together cockpit information collected by 1970s and '80s technology, but the F-35's avionics do much of the fusing itself, collecting and analyzing information from its digital sensors and other sources. The F-35 avionics are even more advanced than the F-22 Raptor. (The Air Force Times had a story during the week on the advanced F-35 systems)
- During the same week where the Air Force signed the deal on the training center, development of the aircraft has moved forward. The Pratt & Whitney F135 engine that will power the Marine version of the F-35 has been cleared for flight testing. Approval follows a review of design changes made to eliminate vibration that caused turbine blade failures in ground tests. Testing of aircraft BF-1, the short take-off and landing F-35, is expected to begin this month at Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth, Texas, facility.
- In another Eglin-related story during the week, three Okaloosa County men were indicted on federal charges for violations committed while working at or contracting with the Air Force Research Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base. The indictment claims one of the three, while employed as a senior engineer at the federal lab, steered programs to Schaller Engineering, or SEI, in which he had a financial interest.
- In another training-related news item during the week, Boeing won a $28.3 million contract for two Virtual Mission Training System retrofit kits that will integrate realistic radar training into the Navy T-45. The VMTS is designed for the training of flight officers who operate weapons and electronic warfare systems. The work involves T-45C aircraft and ground-station systems assigned to Training Air Wing 6, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.
Space: The Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command at Stennis Space Center, Miss., and the National Science Foundation have each entered agreements with Google Earth to provide data for the popular program.
According to NSF, a feature called "Oceans in Google Earth" enables users to dive beneath the surface of the sea and explore oceans. It includes videos, photos, diagrams and texts that illustrate glacial, geological and ocean processes influencing the behavior of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet in Antarctica.
The Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command entered a cooperative research agreement to share with Google Earth unclassified information about oceans. The CRADA allows Google to use unclassified bathymetric data sets and sea surface temperatures from the Naval Oceanographic Office as well as meteorological data from Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center, both subordinate commands of NMOC.
- A United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket successfully boosted a NOAA satellite into orbit during the week from a base in California. The satellite will be used to track fast-breaking storms and monitor climate changes. A Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RS-27A engine powered the rocket, and three Alliant Techsystems GEM-40 solid propulsion strap-on boosters ignited with the first-stage main engine. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne has a facility at Stennis Space Center, Miss.; ATK has an operation in Shalimar, Fla.
- Speaking of Alliant Techsystems, that company will expand its northeast Mississippi plant to make composite structures for commercial aircraft. The Minneapolis-based company will keep the 176 jobs it already has in Iuka. Barbour said the plant will have 800 jobs by 2017 with an average salary of about $53,000.In another Mississippi-related development, the Army awarded EADS North America a contract for five additional UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopters, bringing the total on contract to 128. The Army expects to acquire a total of 345 Lakotas, built at the American Eurocopter facility in Columbus, Miss., through 2016.
- More than 50 UH-72As have been delivered by EADS North America, and some 8,000 flight hours have been logged to date. Lakotas are in operation at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa.; Fort Eustis, Va.; Fort Polk, La.; Fort Irwin, Calif.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Morrisville, N.C.; Pineville, La.; Tupelo, Miss.; and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.
EADS is not just of interest to Mississippi. The company also has the Airbus Engineering Center and EADS CASA operation in Mobile, Ala.
Contracts: Four defense contracts of interest to the Gulf Coast region were awarded during the week. The Boeing Co. won a $19.1 million contract for AC-130U gunship operational flight and simulation software maintenance, field service support, configuration, data and obsolescence management and intermediate-level repairs. The work will be done by Boeing SOF at Hurlburt Field, Fla.; DRS C3 Systems Inc., Fort Walton Beach, Fla., was awarded a $13.9 million contract for new work modification for Driver's Vision Enhancer TWV A-Kits for the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Program and 224 DVE CV A-Kits and cable assemblies. Work will be done in Fort Walton Beach; AeroVironment, Simi Valley, Calif., was awarded a $39 million contract for contractor logistics support for the Raven RQ-11B Unmanned Aircraft System. AeroVironment has an operation in Navarre, Fla.; Concurrent Technology Corp., Johnstown, Pa., was awarded an $11.5 million contract to provide technical and engineering services for continued carriage, stream, tow, and recovery system development, test, and analysis. About 12 percent of the work will be done in Panama City, Fla. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City, was the contracting activity.
Earnings: Two companies with operations in the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor released fourth-quarter earnings reports during the week. Northrop Grumman, hurt by a $3.06 billion charge connected to past acquisitions, posted a fourth-quarter loss of $2.54 billion; Goodrich announced a 31 percent increase in net income.
Now that's a gun
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - You have your guns and then you have your guns. And one of the guns tested at Eglin Air Force Base is the GAU-8/A - a rather non-descript name for a cannon that's so big and bad, it accounts for 16 percent of an A-10's weight.
Here's some details, according to a story by Eglin's public affairs office: Mounted on an A-10 Thunderbolt II, the cannon can fire 4,000 rounds per minute with a muzzle velocity of 3,500 feet per second. The percussion is so loud that two sets of ear protection must be worn during testing, which rattles the doors of the facility.
The GAU-8/A is nearly 20 feet long and weighs about two tons – some 16 percent of the A-10's weight. It's one of the largest, heaviest and most powerful aircraft cannon in the U.S. military.
The Air Force buys the 30 mm ammunition from two vendors, which bid for each year's order. Before a purchase, a 500-round batch of the ammo must be tested to ensure there are no flaws. That's done by a team of engineers at the Gun and Ammunition test facility on Range A-22 at Eglin Air Force Base.
The team fires the weapon in bursts of 2.3 seconds, pumping out more than 150 rounds, and checks for fragmentation of the rounds with high-speed cameras. Bullet velocity and dispersion is another aspect of testing.
Once all the data is collected, the team sends the information to analysts at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Upon approval, the ammunition is then introduced to the supply system.
Big and bad seems to be a favorite at Eglin. This is the same base that tested the "mother of all bombs" back in 2003. The MOAB (Massive Ordnance Air Blast) was dropped from a C-130.


The dire situation of mental health in the academy has been discussed extensively and studies show that PhD students are faring particularly poorly – in a paper published in Research Policy, Katia Levecque et al. argue that: 'one in two PhD students experiences psychological distress' whilst 'one in three is at risk of a common psychiatric disorder.' The authors also claim that: 'the prevalence of mental health problems is higher in PhD students than in the highly educated general population, highly educated employees' as well as higher education students. Whilst the issue is no longer being ignored, universities are urged to take more action to address the problem. At the same time, providing avenues for feedback and taking PhD students' concerns and opinions seriously is central if the academy is to tackle this crisis. But are there enough robust feedback mechanisms for PhD students? Moreover, are the PhD students asked to provide feedback on one of the crucial elements of the process, the PhD supervision? And if not, how can the universities and PhD supervisors know what can be improved if they don't ask the question of what they are getting wrong when it comes to supporting PhD students? It is these questions I engage with in this post.
Over the last week all teachers at the LSE100 course on which I am currently teaching could be seen walking around with big white envelopes containing printed Teaching Quality Assurance and Review Office's (TQARO) teaching surveys. These anonymous surveys were distributed diligently in classes to all present students and were then returned in sealed envelopes to the course office by student volunteers, presumably to ensure there is no interference with the results by the teachers. At LSE we certainly take students' opinions seriously; in my two years of working as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and then as a Class Teacher my teaching has been assessed through TQARO surveys eight times in total. The logic behind this is clear – we want to know what our students think not only of the courses we teach them, but also of the way in which we do so. The surveys asking students to evaluate our teaching, whilst not entirely unproblematic (consider the prevailing gender bias in how students assess their university lecturers), are an attempt to give the students a possibility to evaluate amongst other things how well we prepare, how engaging our classes are and whether our feedback is seen as helpful. Whilst there is no doubt that individually and institutionally we are concerned with the experiences of our undergraduate and master students – the National Student Survey stands as another case in support – when it comes to the PhD students the picture becomes much less clear.
My own experience has been quite striking, in the four years of my PhD I cannot recall a single instance when I was asked to give feedback on the programme, the process, or the supervisory support I received. As I pondered the paradoxical imbalance between conducting regular teaching surveys and never being asked to complete one as a PhD student, I started asking my friends and colleagues about their experiences. I also decided to conduct a short survey to see whether the many PhD students that I have in my professional, social and social media circles at LSE and beyond have had a different story to tell. I run the survey (entitled 'Experience of being asked for feedback as a PhD student') for five days. It was completed by 30 anonymous respondents who self-identified as 'PhD students, or people who have completed their PhD in the last 5 years', the respondents were recruited through my social media and professional networks and were thus predominantly based in social sciences and humanities. Although the size of the sample and the method itself are not ideal, I think that the results are a good enough indicator if not of the scale of the issue, then certainly of its prevalence. The results were unambiguous: an overwhelming majority (73%) of respondents felt they haven't had enough opportunities to give feedback on their experiences as PhD students.
Whereas the majority (66%) has had an opportunity to give feedback, in 40% of these cases the feedback was not anonymous. In addition, even when there was an opportunity to provide feedback on the overall experience, only 21% of respondents reported having had a chance to give feedback on how satisfied they were with their PhD supervision, 79% were simply never asked about this aspect of their doctoral training.
Supervision is an important element of the PhD experience, when faced with challenges, associated with the process of completing a PhD, doctoral students look to their supervisors for support. Supervision has also been identified as one of the central factors in PhD students' mental health, and overall satisfaction. It is thus crucial that PhD students have a chance to give feedback on the quality of the supervision they receive and that they can do so anonymously. Ensuring anonymity can be difficult, considering the small number of supervisees each supervisor has and the relatively small number of PhD students. Yet, it should be possible to conduct department-wide surveys without compromising anonymity. Allowing for exit-type interviews, when the unequal power relationship that might influence supervisees' feedback is less of a factor could also be a solution. So why are universities not interested in finding out what does and what does not work in PhD supervision? Are they afraid to hear the answers?
My own supervisor has been outstanding and this has had a hugely positive impact on my experience of the whole process. It is also through comparison of my own experience to that of many of my friends and colleagues at LSE and elsewhere that I realised that a) that is not always the case and b) the standards of supervision vary much more than what could be explained by different 'styles' (even if these can also influence quality of supervision). This in itself constitutes a topic worth exploring at length, a task that is beyond the scope of this post. What is however worth pointing out here is that whilst the lack of opportunities for PhD students to give feedback on their experience might potentially obscure poor quality supervision and institutional shortcomings, it also precludes the possibility of rewarding PhD supervisors who perform their roles professionally, conscientiously and with dedication. The universities should be equally interested in ensuring poor supervisory practices are identified and eliminated, as in holding individuals as examples of good practice, and using their expertise and experience to set the standards. How can this be done when we simply don't ask these questions?
This is not to claim that simply asking PhD students about their experiences and the quality of supervision they receive, would address all the issues that contribute to the desperately poor levels of mental health amongst this group. To tackle the staggering mental heath crisis amongst PhD students we need a complex approach of which ensuring good quality supervision and adequate institutional support are just one element. Still, providing PhD students with robust avenues to give feedback seems like a good place to start.
This post first appeared on the Contemporary Issues in Teaching & Learning blog on 19 March 2018 and is republished with permission.
Magdalena Mikulak completed her PhD at the Department of Gender Studies. Her doctoral project addresses the question of whether and how politics of sexuality in contemporary, postsocialist Poland are shaped and circumscribed by processes of neoliberalisation, and how differences of class, gender, and location position subjects differently within the landscape of the former. Magdalena is also a guest teacher on the interdisciplinary LSE100 course. When not working, she practices and teaches yoga, and bakes bread.


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We are hoping that the mosquito appetite for human blood has waned.
But just in case it has not, rest stops will be brief.
Use repellant, get the good stuff.
Check your bike before you ride! Air in the tires, working brakes, clean chain, ensure all quick-release levers are closed.


By Betsy on April 8, 2015 in charities + orgs., crafters + makers., why handmade.
So to follow up to last week's 5 Ways Crafters are Privileged… And What To Do About It post… Earlier today this lovely post by Pip Lincolne came up on my radar about prioritizing creativity. And truth be told, I was actually disheartened by the comments.
Because I started wondering, "How many people commenting are the sole breadwinners for their families?" And I felt like a jackass. And an effin' giant pit grew in my stomach that literally made me nauseous. Because I do believe in creativity and beautiful things and that they're important.
I also started wondering how many of the commenters have worked minimum-wage jobs. Then I checked out this survey from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which put things in perspective and made that argument kind of moot, for the most part.
And talking about this sort of thing is so difficult in the creative (especially the craft) world because it is heavily divisive. Or maybe we just don't want to check the weight of our own safety nets. Because many (I won't go as far as saying "most") of us have options. And like I said last week, we will never have to choose between the electricity bill and food.
Part of ingesting this means understanding that this is not about feeling (or being made to feel) guilty. We were all born into our unique circumstances with our own unique struggles. It's not as if we orchestrated our own births, so there's nothing to feel guilty over if we utilize what we have. If we give back. If we understand that not everyone has time to prioritize creativity. They might want to do so, but may not have the same resources or support network that we have.
We need to realize that that reality exists and then we need to give back where we can. Donate handmade (and bought, yet no longer worn) clothes of good quality to shelters and organizations so that others can wear something and shine and feel special. Donate your time to volunteering so that others (two-legged and four-legged alike) can benefit. Yarnbomb that abandoned lot so that it turns into less of an eyesore for neighbors. Make a basketball net for those empty hoops and hang it up. Speak up where others are afraid to. Share stories of how to help others within your networks.
The point here is to not demonize the craft community for having access to resources, but to realize that not everyone is in the same position. That through your/our enthusiasm to handmade things, you can show others how they can be more easily attainable by teaching them, donating supplies, and showing how being creative doesn't necessarily meaning taking hours out of your day, but can take minutes.
Because many crafters and creatives have access to resources, those terms have become ones that some people believe they can't otherwise embody. And as some people think, "being creative" doesn't equal "wasting time," because it is invaluable. We just need to help reframe it. You don't have to have a degree or a 401k or a Twitter account or whatever to be creative.
We are creative when we take a different walk home from work each day or make tidying up a fun game or heck, find a new way to lace up our shoes. We are "creative" when we bring ourselves into what we are doing, which can cost nothing and take up no extra time. We are "crafty" when we do something fun with the empty toilet paper roll or weave pine needles into something or make a daisy chain out of flowers.
Therefore, it's time to make "creative" and "crafty" more accessible again by remembering their roots. And in doing so, we can remind people that it's not about having your own craft room or website, it's about taking the time to make your day more enjoyable. But first, we need to realize our own circumstances, own that not everyone's may be the same, and come up with ways to lessen that gap.
P.S. And, ha! Be sure that when typing in frustration/bewilderment, you ALWAYS check your titles! There was some rearranging, hemming, and hawing on this, but alas, "means" even though edited to be the correct "mean" in the title, remains forevs in the actual link!
P.P.S. I decided to write a third (and final) post about craft and privilege, which you can read here.


Montenegrin writer-director Dušan Kasalica, best known for the short A Matter of Will, which picked up the Heart of Sarajevo in 2015, has started filming his highly anticipated feature-length debut, The Elegy of Laurel, in Herceg Novi and Igalo, on the Montenegrin coast, before the crew moves to a different location on the Durmitor mountain.
The movie features Croatian star Frano Lasić in the role of Filip, a sophisticated university professor who goes to a spa hotel on the coast with his wife. After a couple of days spent lounging in the comfy, monotonous ambiance of the hotel, their seemingly perfect marriage is over. Filip is left by his wife, and he returns to the city. A series of situations seems to indicate that his life is collapsing, but Filip, a refined man bristling with confidence, faces up to each new circumstance in his life with surprising ease. While fleeing from his problems, he ends up in a small mountain village deep in the forest, stepping foot in a fantasy world that will break him down and change him, but also give him a chance for a new beginning.
fiche film]) will edit it. Both crew members also worked on A Matter of Will. Jelena Angelovski, of Meander Film, is producing.
The Elegy of Laurel was developed through the Berlinale Script Station and Sarajevo's CineLink, and is being supported by the Film Centre of Montenegro.


This tofu "meatloaf" holds together nicely. If you do not have a food processor, chop the vegetables finely and blend well for best results. Makes great sandwiches the next day!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and generously butter an 8 or 9 inch loaf pan.
Place tofu, bread, eggs, carrots, onion, jalapeno, 1/2 cup of the ketchup, mustard, molasses, peanut butter, flour, salt and pepper in large food processor and pulse until well blended and no large chunks are left.
Spoon mixture into a large bowl and fold in the oats. Mix well.
Transfer mixture to prepared loaf pan and press down. Bake 30 minutes. Mix remaining quarter-cup of ketchup with an equal amount of water and pour evenly over the top. Return to oven for another 30 minutes.
Allow to cool 15 minutes, before slicing and serving with extra ketchup or barbecue sauce.


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Hold Thursday evening, June 16, 2011, to hear Joe Sestak, previously Congressman from Delaware County, before that a vice-Admiral, and an ultimate insider, at the JSPAN 2011 Annual Meeting.
Women's health is under attack here in Pennsylvania and on the federal level. Here, in response to the tragic events that took place at Kermit Gosnell's office in Philadelphia and his subsequent indictment, the Pennsylvania legislature has introduced multiple bills aimed at further regulating abortion providers. Abortion providers are already regulated under a number of different laws in Pennsylvania and undergo inspections by the Department of Health.
House Bill 574, which passed out of the PA House last week and now moves to the PA Senate, would force free-standing abortion providers to be regulated under Ambulatory Surgical Facility regulations – potentially causing the price of a procedure to skyrocket or even forcing providers to close their doors.
Unfortunately, rather than deterring providers like Gosnell who were acting unlawfully, or protecting women and ensuring patient safety, House Bill 574 bill threatens providers who are acting within the law and providing safe abortion care to women throughout the state.
Senate Bill 732 is also moving with a potential vote next week. Sponsored by Senator Pat Vance, this bill would alter the inspection process currently in place and establish a complaint system. This bill is certainly the better of the two.
On a different but very relevant note, Senate Bill 3, unrelated to the Gosnell indictment, may come up for a full Senate vote next week. It would ban abortion coverage in the yet-to-be established state health insurance exchange, forcing women to pay out of pocket for an abortion. Luckily, two supportive Senators are offering amendments that would add a health exception and ensure that the bill complies with federal law.
Since it is expected that these bills will be heard in the Senate as early as next week, it is time for constituents to weigh in by voicing their concerns through calls to State Senators and letters to the editor.
Vote NO on Senate Bill 3 as is, but vote YES on the McIlhinney health exception amendment and the Earll federal law compliance amendment on Senate Bill 3.
On the federal level, in early May, the US House of Representatives voted to pass H.R. 3, "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act." Following the House vote, Senator Wicker of Mississippi introduced S. 906, the Senate companion bill to H.R. 3. The bills would enforce tax penalties on women and small businesses for subscribing to or providing insurance plans that cover abortion. It would apply to public and private insurance plans.
While President Obama has promised to veto H.R. 3 (and S. 906 is identical), it is still important to urge Senators Casey and Toomey to vote against S. 906 and to protect the full range of comprehensive women's health care. "Congress is on recess, so visit your representatives' local offices or call in to express your distaste with S. 906.
With attacks on both the state and federal levels, it is more important than ever to take action to protect women's health and safeguard a women's right to choose.
[T]he Jewish state is a cause for rejoicing and thanksgiving. It has restored the Jewish people to national sovereignty after 2000 years. It has returned us to history. And it has given our embattled people the means to control our destiny. This involves - let's be clear - exercising power, mastering the gun, and sometimes, tragically, misusing power. But it is far better to have power than to be powerless in a dangerous world, because in the absence of power, all other Jewish values can be turned to dust.
My concerns about Israel do not disappear on Independence Day. Not for a second. While Palestinian rejectionism is the primary reason that there is no peace, it is not the only reason. I know that without dignity for Palestinians, there will be no dignity for Israelis. I know that by persisting in the building of settlements, Israel is endangering her democratic character. And I know that when Israelis leave religious affairs in the hands of the chief rabbinate, they are guilty of a giant failure of imagination; only by creating a religious "free market" will the creative genius of the Jewish people be able to thrive in the Jewish state.
While these concerns are weighty and remain with us always, I see Yom Ha'atzma'ut as a day to proclaim our love for Israel and to celebrate Israel's achievements. … I believe that Israel is a good country in a bad neighborhood and that her cause is just. I believe in the totality and the interdependence of the Jewish people, and that in the absence of Israel, Jewish life is truncated and incomplete.
We, the Jewish people, have just observed Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. It is a time not just for Jews, but for all people to remember and reflect on how blind hatred gives rise to a shattering violence and separates us from our humanity.
We must stand united and firm in the face of wanton terrorist violence. We must recommit ourselves to confronting those who breed intolerance and cultivate hatred. And so we ask you to join us in expressing appreciation to President Obama, to former President George W. Bush for efforts undertaken during his administration, to the members of our country's armed services and security agencies, and to all those who--often at great personal risk and loss--continue to stand up against these threats in order to protect life and pursue justice.
At its board meeting on May 9 JSPAN joined a coalition of organizations seeking to hold a redistricting contest in Pennsylvania. All state Congressional districts are being redrawn, coast-to-coast, along with state legislative districts and city wards. Citizens who wish to propose redistricting plans face serious difficulties, however: without an adequate computer program, mapping districts that meet legal requirements can be all but impossible.
In several other states this problem has been addressed by private entities raising the funds to make a suitable computer program available. In order to generate interest, these private groups are offering prizes for the best redistricting plans submitted by citizens.
JSPAN has pledged its support and a donation to such a project being initiated for Pennsylvania by Dan Loeb, publisher of the Philadelphia Jewish Voice. Ask your civic organization to join us in this effort!
The Pennsylvania Bar Association Constitutional Review Commission concluded hearings across the state earlier this month on a number of topics including the need for reform of the manner in which election districts are drawn (colloquially, the "gerrymander"). JSPAN was there.
Jeffrey Albert, Esq., testified and submitted a paper drafted jointly with JSPAN Vice President Ken Myers, urging that the present method lacks checks and balances, and requires more opportunity for public input and oversight and closer judicial supervision. Otherwise, instead of fairly drawn, compact and contiguous election districts, we will continue to have uncompetitive sprawling election districts that assure thee reelection of incumbent legislators and their political parties.
Albert is one of a few Pennsylvania lawyers with experience in the decennial redistricting process. He litigated against the present election districts established in the last decennial reapportionment, culminating in a legal argument before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2002. Members of the PBA Review Commission present at the recent hearing listened attentively and engaged in serious discussion of methods to improve our redistricting process in the current year.
To read JSPAN's paper on redistricting submitted to the PBA, click here.
Those of You who read the Jewish Exponent may wonder what the front page story of the May 12 issue [ "Anti-Sharia Laws Stir Concerns that Halachah Could Be the Next"] is all about. "Conservative lawmakers across the United States trying to outlaw Sharia," says the story, suggesting some major anti-Muslim groundswell. What is happening?
In last Fall's election, the Oklahoma ballot carried a proposition to forbid state courts from considering either international or Sharia law. The proposition carried handily with 70% of the vote. But within days, a Muslim brought a challenge to the proposition and a federal district court enjoined enforcement of the proposition pending trial. There the matter remains today.
It is reported that the Oklahoma government lawyer assigned to defend the anti-Sharia proposition before the court could provide no example of any Oklahoma case in which a court applied Sharia law.
Judge Vicki Miles-Lagrange, Chief Judge of the Federal Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, ruled that freedom of worship and assembly and other fundamental constitutional rights cannot be subjected to a referendum vote, they are simply guaranteed to us. The Oklahoma ballot proposition, by singling out Sharia law, conveys an official government message of disapproval and hostility toward one set of religious beliefs, and sends a clear message that Muslems are outsiders.
So the one known instance of an attempt to adopt an anti-Sharia law stood for less than three weeks.
Going beyond Torah scrolls and etrogs, the Exponent sees danger for a New York State law requiring parties in a divorce to cut all ties - a law that protects divorced Jewish women from becoming agunot, chained to recalcitrant husbands who refuse to grant a religious divorce, or get. But this helpful New York law does not enforce a Biet din ruling, it cuts off a religious right, and so it would not be threatened by the possibility of anti-Sharia or Halachah legislation. Vigilance is the price of our constitutional rights and freedoms, and the JSPAN fights vigorously in court and through public education – not through scare tactics - to protect those rights.
To read the full Jewish Exponent article click here.
One in seven Americans – 44 million, half of whom are children – now receive SNAP/Food Stamps, according to USDA. "This is a record number of Americans who are voluntarily seeking emergency food assistance," said Kevin Concannon, USDA undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, which administers 15 federal nutrition programs. "Not since the Great Depression has this kind of assistance been as urgently needed as now." Still, many middle class families, struggling financially, aren't aware they could be eligible. Only one-third of those eligible for a federal nutrition program are receiving the benefit, notes USDA. However, food insecurity numbers have been rising. The government defines its term "food insecurity" as an individual's ability to access adequate amounts of nutritious food at times during the year. While some food insecure households are able to avoid actual hunger, they do so at a price. "Some are able to head off hunger by reducing the quality and variety of their diets," said Mark Nord, a sociologist with USDA's Economic Research Service.
If you are going to read only one Israeli book this year, David Grossman's most recent accomplishment is the one you should choose. In striking, almost poetic prose, Grossman interweaves the personal, the political, and the historical to create a complex, nuanced picture of Israelis undergoing the stress of war and insecurity. The impact of these stresses on personal, domestic life is presented both directly and by implication.
Grossman creates an unforgettable heroine in Ora, tracing her life in Israel between 1967 and 2000. We experience both her self-absorption and her selflessness, as she matures from a teenager to the mother of two sons of army age. When her younger son, Ofer, has completed his military service, her relief is palpable. But Ofer volunteers to rejoin his unit when an outbreak of violence occurs, and his mother again faces the fear that the army "notifiers" will appear to deliver bad news.
To avoid this potential visit, Ora decides to leave her home and go on a long hike through northern Israel, a hike which she and Ofer had planned to do together. With her husband and older son out of the country, Ora persuades Avram, Ofer's father, to accompany her.
As they hike, descriptions of the land, the plants, the birds, the animals they encounter are presented in loving detail. And Ora uses this time to describe Ofer to Avram. Thus the domestic life of her family and of Avram's years of suffering come together, meshed in the sweep of the history through which they have lived. The author is particularly adept at describing Ora's emotions and the details of family life; the relationships between parents and children, and between the two sons, are written with eloquence and occasionally, humor.
Grossman's love of the land itself is almost palpable, and his concern for Israel's future permeates every page of the book. You can read the novel as an anti-war statement, as a beautiful, tragic story, as a history lesson, or as a love story. Its depth and complexity make all of this possible.
To become a voting JSPAN member, please go to www.JSPAN.org. On the right side of your screen you will be able to start a secure transaction and become a voting member.
The newsletter contains articles and links to articles that we think will be of interest to JSPAN members. They are included for informational purposes, but unless otherwise stated, they do not necessarily reflect official JSPAN policy.
As an organization for change, JSPAN strives to advance progressive social policies on the critical issues of our time. Help spread the news about us by forwarding this email and the link to our website http://www.jspan.org to your family, friends, and colleagues who might have an interest in joining JSPAN or serving on any of JSPAN's projects. If you haven't joined JSPAN, please join now!


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By theprairiesbookreview on June 4, 2022 • ( Leave a comment )
BookView Interview with Author Claire Youmans
Recently, we interviewed author Claire Youmans, author of The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy series, an intoxicating mix of history, fantasy, and Japanese folklore, about her writing and her recently released The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy, Book 8: The Shadows of War, the eighth book in the series. (Read the review here.).
Claire Youmans first went to Japan in 1992 and was immediately captivated. After years of travel and study, she continues to be charmed and amazed by a fascinating history and a culture that's both endearingly quirky and entirely unique.
In 2014, she started Tales of the Meiji Era with The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy's unparalleled blend of magical realism and historical fantasy in the first book of the series, Coming Home. Succeeding books continue exploring the combination of history and folklore to share Youmans' love and fascination with a very different country and culture.
Exciting adventures continue in this delightful fantastical yet historical world. Follow these at http://www.tokigirlandsparrowboy.com, http://www.facebook.com/tokigirlandsparrowboy/ and on Twitter @tokigirlsparrow, and http://claireyoumansauthor.blogspot.com, instagram tokigirlandsparrowboy, all places where she frequently shares poetry, updates and her tales of living in modern Japan.
Japan is very much misunderstood by western people who simply do not have an accurate conception of the culture. Japanese people aren't just Gaijin in funny clothes! Yet most western writers and observers impose their own values on Japanese culture and characters, never questioning their interpretations of Japan, its people and culture.
Japan went from a decaying feudalism to a first-world power in around fifty years! How'd they do that? Japan is a strong presence on the world stage. It's not going anywhere. If you're going to deal with Japan–and everyone else in the world has to–it's important to learn about how Japan really works. But Japan won't tell you. That's their secret weapon.
I wanted to give an accurate portrayal of Japan's culture and people, making it accessible, fun and exciting at the same time. Japan is quirky, unique and endlessly fascinating. It's probably the oldest continuous human culture on earth. That's why I write The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy series. Come, meet my interesting, dedicated and delightful friends! You'll be as captivated as I am!
Do you Google yourself?
Writers are supposed to web-search themselves occasionally to make sure they aren't being pirated. My bonus is that I have discovered two name-sisters in the world, and like them both!
How does your faith life/ethical outlook inform your writing?
I'm a Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist with connections to Japan dating back to my childhood. This gives me both the impetus and the ability to study Japan and learn to understand and enjoy its singular culture in ways that I don't think most westerners view as even possible.
Books. Always books. If the TV is on, I'll read a book at the same time!
Were your parents interested in literature? Did they read a lot? What books did you have in the house?
I grew up in a family of readers. My parents read everything and belonged to several book clubs. They also bought books separately. We had The Great Books, a huge set of classic and important books, and the Durant's multi-volume histories. I read them all! We had "Stacks" in the basement, vast shelves full of intriguing hard and soft-cover books. These were always fascinating to explore on rainy days, of which there are plenty in Seattle. I never had a chance to get bored. My parents never censored reading material. They figured if you weren't old enough to understand it, it would fly right over your head. As I grew up, I realized they were right and I did the same thing as a parent.
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
I publish a novel a year, about. I will research for two to three months. Then I will write a first draft; that will take about three months. Then the whole revision process starts, with development, betas, editors, proofreaders and rests and revisions in between. That takes another few months. And then the publishing portion of our program begins, the latter two often overlapping research for the next. At various points I have to attend to the business of life, but not during first draft. I need to be totally absorbed in the story when I am writing first draft.
How do you select the names of your characters?
In Meiji-era Japan, few people had surnames. Then, in a keep-up-with-the-West move, suddenly everybody had to have one. One of my characters remembered that he did have a family name, that had previously only been used on official records. Others had to invent them by going through the process that many people followed. Easy – like using a place or a job? Hard – using a character attribute or aspiration? You'll have to read the books to see how that worked out!
I like to match the meanings of names to the people, if I can. This is often possible through the kanji. In The Oni's Shamisen, new parents go through this process in naming children. Just like I did!
How often you read?
I read everything, all the time. My Japanese reading study is mostly reading ads on buses and trains. I have two enormous non-fiction research books going now, plus my "fun" reading. I read constantly!
Writing formulaic genre books appeals to many people. Many people love to read them, too. That's not something that appeals to me. It feels too much like a job. If I wanted a job, I could find one that pays better.
What are common traps for aspiring writers?
Perfectionism is a real trap for any writer. Write it all down. Revise it later. The other side of the same coin is failing to demand as much perfection as you can achieve by failing to let a manuscript rest before rereading, rewriting, getting feedback from others, rewriting, getting feedback. In other words, don't publish too soon.
There are many books on the market now that were published long before they were finished. It's only in the last five years or so that I have cast aside books unfinished because they have been so unsatisfactory, and, sadly, I do it more and more frequently.
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
I have two unpublished mystery novels, one cookbook, and one unproduced screenplay. The files are gone by now as this was a while ago. The mysteries and the screenplay were contemporary and would be dated now. The joy of historical material is that it stays current.
The cookbook I'd love to publish. I have a printout, but it was actually on floppy discs and those are long gone over several moves. Sadly, it would be hard to resurrect. It's called Good Galley, for vegetarian/vegan cooking on cruising boats. The galley on my cruising sailboat was bigger than my kitchen in my Tokyo apartment, so I could use it now.
The amount of research I do depends on the kind of book. The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy series is historical fantasy. It's very important to me to accurately present the history and culture of Meiji-era Japan, using folkloric and other preternatural beings to question and clarify in ways those who live in a culture do it. My research is extensive and often extremely academic. That doesn't show in the books, but it grounds me in the history and the culture. It's often fun, too. I recently got back from a boat trip to Okinawa, plus time on the ground, for the next book, tentatively titled The Reluctant Dragon.
Tagged as: amreading, amwriting, author interview, authors, book review, indie books, indiebooks, reading, writing
BookView Review: The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy, Book 8: The Shadows of War by Claire Youmans
BookView Review: The Oni's Shamisen Book 9: The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow Boy by Claire Youmans

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Groupon has the 2nd generation refurbished Google Nexus 7 32GB 4G LTE Unlocked Gen 2 Tablet Sale for $199.99, Free Shipping. Pickup available at some stores. Ends soon. Activation fees not included.
This tablet runs the latest version of Android, 4.3, Jelly Bean. It features a high quality 7" screen using the high quality IPS technology.
How is this different from the Nexus 7 (Gen 1)?
What does this tablet lack?
Note: If you desire HDMI output, use Chromecast a $35 add-on to connect to your HDMI HDTV/Monitor.
We figure that if you use an iPhone, you will probably stick with the iPad. Android Smartphone users would probably opt for the Nexus 7. Few people would cross both sides to have to learn another operating system.
For new users, the Nexus 7 has a surprisingly good system of tutorials and suggestions.


Creative Salvage Designs is a sustainable wholesale business. We sell reclaimed items that would otherwise be discarded (sometimes at auctions and sometimes people pay us to make their unwanted items go away). We recycle, restore, reclaim, scrap and salvage every bit.


Boys Varsity Track - Varsity/JV · Jun 8 5-27-2017 MITCA (Team) Championships Top 3!
Boys Varsity Track - Varsity/JV · Jun 7 05-24-2017 We won – TVC East Champions!!
Boys track places first, girls take third in home Marco Marcet Invitational today!


December's coffee is a fine Ethiopian Washed Gedeo Yirga-Cheffe, likely one of the best of that region this year (I say region, because being an exchange coffee, its not possible to nail down a specific co-op). Frankly, as long as it's kept relatively light, it's a hard coffee to screw up. There is a cornucopia of flavor attributes in the cup, wonderfully structured acidity that isn't anywhere near the sour side of the spectrum. I only wish I bought more while it lasted.
We're going to follow on with the same basic structure that Dave and I had aimed for initially, with only one small add-on for clarity sake, and to make these long threads easier to digest. In each members post who wishes to profile and dialogue, we ask that you name your roaster, and your charge weight in the first sentence or thereabouts of the post. In addition, I'd strongly urge members to consider consolidating their updates as far as cupping goes, in the same post. It will make for a much easier to read thread, that won't run on quite as long. I don't want to spend 45 minutes bouncing between 15 different pages of posts, just so I can get a picture of what you're talking about. Simply starting your cupping notes by date post roast and your updates will communicate more linearly. So, please go back and edit your main post with cupping updates and that way, we'll all know exactly where to look. Any other comments or questions, whatnot, can of course be dialogued separately wherever you like. I will redo a few more profiles and update this post as well.
Artisan graphs are useful to ourselves, and less so, to others. I only share mine for charge temp and overall time, and a bit of a glimpse of the whole profile, but they don't serve well to be dissected and over analyzed due to the endless variables affecting each individual roaster.
With that said, here's my second profile, using 180g charge weight on my modified Quest M3. The coffee from this profile is long since gone, but from my notes, it's front loaded with the most incredible peach nectar sweetness I've seen in a very long time. It's likely the sweetest cup I've had since the Cera Azul AAA Geisha. It cups quite complex with many other notes balancing out the peach, plenty of soft tea and jasmine. I only made notes on 24 hours out, and then 3 days out. The rested coffee finishes longer, lingers well. Don't be afraid to let this coffee sit anywhere from 4-9 days, it will improve until about 9 or so.
As to a general approach for this coffee, it's a perfect candidate for a slow start-fast finish at slightly lower overall temps. I allowed plenty more time than normal from the beginning of dry, thru the yellow, yellow gold stage on thru the ramp to 1C. I see little to be gained by letting this coffee drag beyond the end of 1C.
This coffee certainly fades very slowly. This latest batch still exhibits are the clear, resonant, delicate retro-nasal aromatics as well as peach tea sweetness. I remember my previous batch having a more syrupy sweetness whereas this batch is a bit lighter. I'd judge my latest version a tad underdeveloped. Certainly no rich caramelization notes or cocoa. The ever so slight sour enveloping tanginess might be able to be nudged out with just a tad more p1C development time.
I find this coffee an interesting detour of many of my other Ethiopians on hand, in that, it's not a coffee dominated by berries of any kind. There's stone fruit, but it's extremely clean.
I was surprised to see this coffee turn significantly more sour and undrinkable. The sourness overwhelmed all the other fine aromatics and the peach tea notes. Like I mentioned on the 8th, it needs more p1C dev time.
Roaster: I use a PID'ed 4 inch pipe gas-fired fluid bed. Charge is usually 1lb, but can go from 100g to 1kg. Drop in temp is usually room temperature.
Goal: I roast mostly for espresso.
Plan: This month I'd like to optimize the way I do things to nail a profile faster. In the November thread I did a fast and slow roast, found out the November bean does well on fast roasts, then did a fast roast with sampling at various roast levels. With this December bean I'll try it the other way around. Start with a 10 minute sampling roast (neither fast, nor slow, for my fluid bed), dropping samples near end of 1C, and every 2 degrees from there on till Full City. Once I find the best roast level I like, I'll reach it fast, slow, extended, gentle 1C entry and aggressive 1C entry, with small batch roasts to hopefully nail the best possible profile. Would love to hear others' strategy on how to optimize the workload in nailing a roast.
First roast: Dec 3rd., 1 lb. cupping/sampling roast, 1C in 7 minutes, end of 1C at 9 min, dropped half the charge at end of 1C for brewing and cupping and continued dropping samples every 2C degrees for espresso. This will gives me 6 roast levels to cup next day, and shots to pull after 4 days.
Dec. 4th (next day). So I had 6 samples, the darker 3 samples are all at the same temp, because I accidentally forgot the exit chute open.
S1: honey fragrance, very strong citric acidity, lemon.
S3: honey. spice, lemon, lavender, very sweet, medium acidity, more complex and pronounced flavours.
S1 reminds me of good cascara, sweet very tangy. Interesting brew, but overpowers other flavours.
S2 was very aromatic and floral, more balanced acidity vs. sweetness and may work for both brewing and espresso.
S3 lost nothing of the S2 aromatics, lost some acidity and added more sweetness. Added some cocoa, and hints of rose water. Looking forward to pulling some shots.
I'm guessing city+ to full city for SO espresso. But due to not getting more samples, and screwing up the darker samples, might do another small roast to fill the gap between S2 and S3 and get a darker S4, so I can then pick a roast level and start profiling it.
S1: Great first sip, sweet lemonade, when it cooled down, it was harsh, sink shot.
S2: Had only enough for one shot, no room to change temperature, also a sink shot. The acids were just harsh.
S1. S2, S3 all had plenty of sweetness, the acids were just harsh, unpleasant, unbalanced and overpowering anything else found while cupping.
1. Repeat sampling roast, with a much slower profile, I'll particularly extend the ramp to at least 4 minutes, drying to 5 minutes, extend 1c to 3 minutes.
2. Practice my routine of pulling samples, cooling them and logging them. The fast pace of pulling close samples while coordinating everything can be overwhelming. Actually thinking of writing down a procedure on the wall in front of me and the numbered sampling cups lined up in the correct order!
Dec 11th, 4 days after second sampling roast: (shots pulled as 17.5 grams dose, giving 25-30g espresso in about 30 seconds.
Started with S5 (darkest sample, dropped at 223C): Not bad at all, may need more rest, and dialing in, but it was good, sweet, mild acidity, medium body. Drinkable as SO.
Dec 13th: Pulled a shot with S3, and this one made a very good espresso. I'm thinking more rest will make it great. It was sweet, comfortably bright with medium body and quite fruity.
Will wait a day or two for further sampling, but I'm now optimistic about the Gedeo for espresso.
Dec 20th: S1 and S2 are even better, 10 days pas roast.
A slower roast for this bean is much better than a faster roast, but still more work is needed to fine-tune the profile. Might do several alterations in small batches to see if I can nail it before the end of December.
Dec 22nd: Pulled all remaining samples. The slower profile produced a good espresso, bright and sweet, my favorite is S2, but it muted other flavors. So while good as espresso, it's waste of good coffee to use for SO espresso, and I'll now focus on it for brewing, and may test it for blending.
Roasting Notes:This is the first time roasting since painting the drum black. My drying time and 1C time were faster, substantially in the scheme of things. This is perfect, because I was hoping to gain some flexibility, and that is exactly what this mod did. I believe I can easily achieve 3-6 min dry times now. Before, ~5 min dry times seemed to be my limitation. The energy storage is pretty impressive now. My MET was so low during my second roast, but I still hit my timings as I intended. The recorded MET would have resulted in a completely stalled roast pre painted drum. I tried a different drying method for my second batch. I kinda winged the new drying settings (7.5A:6F). I think I used to much fan. I hit drying around 6:00, which was my goal. However, the color was slightly more pale than it should have been at the drying temp, so I think the roast will be noticeably bad. I really like using smell to determine when drying is over and I could not do that with the new drying routine. I went back to normal operations for batch 3. I'll revisit new drying methods when I've researched them more.
I understand it's likely due to my lack of tasting talent, but I've never found the standard cupping procedure to bring out a coffee's potential. I don't have a way to make multiple pour overs at one time, but I do have a few small french presses. That is how I did my "cupping." I'm not big on FP either, but I did find it better than traditional cupping. I didn't mention all this just to waste your time, but because I didn't pick up on clear distinct flavors in the cup. I believe, actually I know this is due to the preparation and not the coffee. At least I was able to determine which I liked the most.
While I don't like FP, the prepared coffee was enjoyable. I wouldn't mind drinking this coffee as a FP, and that in itself should say something about this coffee. My girlfriend and I cupped the coffees blind and we placed the three roasts exactly the same way. Roast 3, 1, than 2. This was really splinting hairs. Obviously, because it's the same coffee roasted the the same degree. Diffrent profiles though, which does make a diffrence. This was more so true with roast 3 and 1. The coffees were allowed to cool and we tasted them again. No defects detected at all. The cool coffee had a nice sweetness, no bitterness still bright. Roast 3 edged out the others due to a more pleasing body, slightly more complex, better finish, and linger. I pretty much guessed it was roast 3 because this was the only roast that had any kind of development after 1C. Roast 2 was flat compared to the others. My girlfriend, a much better taster, mentioned maple syrup, citrus and fruity notes during the cupping session.
I brewed roast three with a nel drip. There was a lemonade taste I've never gotten from another coffee with tea and honey. I like it but still enjoy a more fruit loaded DP Ethiopian more.
To my preference, I don't think a long warm-up/drying leads to the best cup for this coffee. This is based on the limited tasting from the 3 roasts, so take that inference with a large grain of salt.
Goals for next roast: Try to get the profile equally proportionate. More specifically, ensure I slow the roast down going into 1C to allow better development. Taste, tweak, roast again... After my tasting I'll be shooting for a 3-3-3 profile and a 4-4-4 to compare. I would not go over a 4 min dry time with this coffee.
I roasted close to 2.5lbs tonight (7 batches). The largest roasting session I can recall preforming. I'm leaving tomorrow for a pretty long trip, and this coffee will be used during that time. I tried ending the roast 30 secs after the end of 1C, but I didn't hit that most of the time. The roast speed up a little too fast. Two roasts likely won't be making the trip because they stalled too much in the post 1C phase. I'll brew them tomorrow morning to see if they are as bad as I think they will be. I should have some good notes when I get back.
Espresso Note: One of my roasts last night held steady (stalled) for ~2 mins after end of 1C. I figured this might take out enough brightness from the coffee to make a good espresso. I ground much finer than normal, increased my normal dose (22g), and increased the brew temp. It turned out nice. It was a bit acidic at first but mellowed out a lot when it cooled a little. Easily picked up on lemon and citrus notes. Not a lot of balance and the finish leaves something to be desired. This is not an amazing SO espresso, but it can definitely be a great blend component. I've pulled plenty SO espresso that go right down the sink. At least this was drinkable. Most likely because of the extra prepartions I took. Bottom line: This wouldn't be my go to SO, but it is passable for one. The same roast brewed is flat.
Aeropress: I hardly got a handle on this coffee. There is no doubt I haven't nailed down the perfect roast to showcase its potential. Nevertheless, I have achieve good roasts, which I can draw some conclusions on. My main take away is: This was a harder coffee to roast than November's. Perhaps this WP Ethiopian has a narrower range of acceptable roats parameters. Maybe this is partly true for most WP Ethiopians...? Based on this coffee, and another WP Ethiopian I roasted recently, I have a feeling my preference is for DP Ethiopians. I don't have enough experience with either type to have a hard line determination yet.
The coffee from the second roast session was soft and relaxed. I didn't take notes, but it was similar to the 1st roasting session. I picked up a vanilla flavor this time around. The coffee was really nice in the morning but was not quite as enjoyably later in the day or at night. I never brewed an incredibly fruit forwarded cup to date with it, which I like and have produced commonly with DP. I wish I had more time, and more importantly enough of this coffee left to try and nail down a great roast. Even if I achieved it by luck. Maybe we can start spending 2 months on a coffee?
Not much . Well I shouldn't say that. I guess "didn't improve much" is a better way to say it. I didn't do any research approaching this specific coffee. I've never actively research a specific recommended approach to any coffee I've roasted. I just try to rely on memory and recall things I've read before. I'm going to avoid that going forward.
I'm beginning to think I was way off saying, "I don't think a long warm-up/drying leads to the best cup for this coffee." I now think it really would benefit from one. My 3rd roast from the 1st roast session was the best I got out of this coffee. I thought it was because of the longer DT (development). I'm sure it help (even though it was a relative short DT). Looking back, it likely was best because it had a longer drying phase than most of my roasts for this coffee (and longer total roast time). Roast 2 is largely not being considered because the drying stage was messed up. DT can be a little tricky, but varying drying time is easy enough. Roasts from my 2nd roast session zipped threw the drying stage in 3:00-3:30. While they were far from undrinkable, they fell short of expectations.
I would not rush through drying with this coffee, or similar ones. I have a little left, so I'm going to experiment with longer drying (4:30 at a minimal).
On another note, I roasted basically the last of the Nov coffee I had. I just wish I bought more because it is killing it as a SO espresso.
*All Temps are for BT and in C.
Every time I see FC, I think of Full City - I am easily confused.
Any interest in using 1C for first crack and 2C for second crack?
Yes. That is the advantage of having a small listing of definitions and abbreviations. I will start a separate thread this week. Folks can submit recommendations/definitions.
I look forward to hearing how the espresso will turn out with your second roast. I figured this coffee would not work well as a SO. I wasn't planing on roasting any for espresso. If one of your roast samples works I'll try to pull of a similar profile for espresso.
Paul, I think you are right about it not being a great bean for SO espresso. I'll still try my best and see what I can do with it for espresso, and keep the option of using it as part of a blend, plus a few radical alternatives, like going "Nordic" on it, and trying it as a "blond" roast, let alone, obviously, brewing.
Not sure where are the rest of the participants, or the instigator of this hole thing, Dave (I need my January coffee!), but I'm greatly enjoying this project and doing things I rarely do, like cupping and sampling, or roasting WP Ethiopian coffee.
I was thinking of asking the same. Perhaps it sold out too quickly.
tamarian wrote: I'm greatly enjoying this project and doing things I rarely do, like cupping and sampling, or roasting WP Ethiopian coffee.
Same here. I kinda sunk into a groove with roasting. The problem is I'm not even close to a point where that should happen. I have too much more to learn. Unfortunately, a lack of dialog pretty much limited my motivation. This is fun though.
I must have missed the announcement for the January Coffee. Link?
Good point. Although we can still have a meaningful discussion if there's 4 or more people who actually have the coffee we're discussing, it would be good to get a head count of how many people have it. A 94 point washed Ethiopian for $6 isn't going to sit around very long in anyones warehouse.
My other thought lately, is the busy nature of the holidays will likely stymie some folks roasting oprotunities. I've only roasted 3 batches of it, and two were on the same day.
I have it, I assume Dave has it, who else?
pShoe wrote: I must have missed the announcement for the January Coffee. Link?


These charming zodiac patterns were originally designed in the 1970s. They measure 22mm in diameter, about the size of a 10p coin, and can be personalised on the reverse with a name, initials or short message.
Suitable for both men and women of all ages the pendant comes with a choice of different styles and lengths of chain. Take a look at the larger images opposite to see the full range of zodiac designs.


text:
HomeCybersecurityFDA Issue Warning on Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in Medical Devices
FDA Issue Warning on Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in Medical Devices
October 3, 2019 HIPAA News Cybersecurity Comments Off on FDA Issue Warning on Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in Medical Devices
Security expert at Armis have discovered 11 vulnerabilities in the Interpeak IPnet TCP/IP Stack, a third-party software component implemented in hospital networks and certain medical devices.
The flaws were reported to the DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) leadin to an ICS Medical Advisory and a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Safety Communication warning patients, healthcare providers, facility staff and manufacturers about the weaknesses.
The FDA alert – labelled URGENT/11 – explains that the vulnerabilities could be remotely targeted by a threat actor allowing complete control to be taken of a vulnerable medical device. An attacker could change the functions of the device, access sensitive information, cause logical flaws or denial of service attack that could stop the device from being operational.
While there have been no reports of the flaws being successfully targeted in the wild, the FDA warns that the software required to exploit the flaws is publicly available.
Interpeak IPnet TCP/IP Stack allows network communications between computers, and while it is no longer supported by the original developer, some device producers are licensed to use the component in their software applications, systems, and equipment with no support.
The FDA warns that the vulnerable component is in use in some versions of the these operating systems:
VxWorks (by Wind River)
Operating System Embedded (OSE) (by ENEA)
INTEGRITY (by Green Hills)
ThreadX (by Microsoft)
ITRON (by TRON Forum)
ZebOS (by IP Infusion)
Specific Beckton Dickinson (BD), Drager, GE Healthcare, Philips Healthcare, and Spacelabs products are also impacted by the flaws. Each of those companies has published security advisories about the affected products.
WindRiver owns the license for IPnet and has released patches to address the flaws. If it is not possible to upgrade to the most recent version of the OSE, other mitigating controls can be implemented to lessen the chance of exploitation. WindRiver should be contacted for details of possible compensating control measures.
The flaws are listed in the ICS-CERT Medical Advisory (ICSMA-19-274-01). The FDA has published recommendations for device manufacturers, healthcare providers, healthcare facility staff, patients and caregivers, which can be seen on this link.
Healthcare suppliers have been advised to work with their device manufacturers to see which devices are vulnerable and find out about the steps that need to be taken to safeguard the devices. They have also been warned to inform patients using vulnerable devices to quickly report any suspected operational or functional changes to their medical devices.
Nine of the flaws are classified as high severity with a CVSS v3 score of between 7.0 and 10, three of which have a score of 9.8. In order of extent of severity, the CVE numbers are: CVE-2019-12256, CVE-2019-12255, CVE-2019-12260, CVE-2019-12257, CVE-2019-12261, CVE-2019-12263, CVE-2019-12258, CVE-2019-12259, CVE-2019-12262, CVE-2019-12264, and CVE-2019-12265.
Sarrell Dental Ransomware Attack IMpacts 391,472 Patients
Morele.net Fined €645,000 for Lack of GDPR Compliant Security Measures