A Women who saves lives everyday!

A women who I have always thought was an incredible technologist is Stephanie Louise Kwolek. Kwolek has received numerous awards, including the Kilby Award and the National Medal of Technology. Most recently, in recognition of her own pioneering career and her encouragement of the next generation of innovators, Stephanie Kwolek won the 1999 Lemelson-MIT Lifetime Achievement Award.She is recipient or co-recipient of 17 US patents.
Relying on experience and instinct, Stephanie Kwolek invented one of the modern world's most readily recognized and widely used materials: Kevlar®.Kevlar® is best known to the public as the material from the which bulletproof vests are made; and in this use alone Kwolek's discovery has saved thousands of lives. In fact, Kevlar® has dozens of important applications, including radial tires and brake pads (a replacement for asbestos), racing sails, fiberoptic cable, water-, air- and spacecraft shells, and mooring and suspension bridge cables. It is now used to make skis, safety helmets, and hiking and camping gear.

Thank You Stephanie Kwolek for opening the doors for women and for saving lives!

Tomorrow is Talk Like a Pirate Day!

My pirate name is:

Dread Pirate Kidd

Like the famous Dread Pirate Roberts, you have a keen head for how to make a profit. Even though you're not always the traditional swaggering gallant, your steadiness and planning make you a fine, reliable pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

Where is Duncan?

..that is what Moira kept asking as we headed into this house this morning at 8AM.
We had to put Duncan on the bus this morning, a school bus to take him to special needs preschool. We tried to prepare him, we talked about it, we bought and read books; we went to school and met his teacher (she's awesome) and explored his new classroom. For all these things my little 4 1/2 year old held my hand, sat in my lap and hugged me. I am not sure who was comforting who...

Going to the special needs preschool is the right thing to do, my head tells me so; my heart says he your little boy - do NOT send him alone on a bus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Unfortunately or Fortunately (depending on perspective) Jamie will be sending Duncan off most mornings. I've done the drop off at daycare/preschool with both Duncan & Moira and the first day is the hardest thing to do, Until I put Duncan on the empty bus (except the driver).

Duncan is a big kid, most people think he is 6 or 7 years old - when we went to visit his new teacher we ran into a Kindergarten class (he had 2-3 inches on all of the kids). So my big boy wearing size 6 looked so small and fragile when he put on his school uniform this morning. He kept hugging me and saying "it's okay. it's alright". I am not sure who was comforting who...

He finally broke into a smile waiting outside for the bus.. it was short lived once he sat down and seatbelted in. When Moira said goodbye, it broke my heart, he realized we were not going to take this most important trip with him; that look haunts me this morning. He hugged Froggy close to him and watched us out the window. As he pulled out of view I cried... I am relying on his inner strength today, I know it's there it shines past his autism, to push forward and understand that we are here always and we love him! I hope he finds his new classroom and big adventure and makes new friends.

Autism does not keep him from adventures, it brings him to new ones. Power on Green Duncan and go forth and conquer your new school, but don't look at Mommy for a minute she is looking for her Green Lantern ring to give her strength!

.. so to answer you little Moira "Duncan is going to school today, he's riding the bus like a big boy. He'll come home later today and share his new world with you"

The passing of a wonderful person

Susan, FatCyclist's wife, passed on last night. Send positive thoughts to http://www.fatcyclist.com.

She is Gone

You can shed tears that she is gone

or you can smile because she has lived.

You can close your eyes and pray that she’ll come back

or you can open your eyes and see all she’s left.

Your heart can be empty becuase you can’t see her

or you can be full of the love you shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday

or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.

You can remember her and only that she’s gone

or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.

You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back

or you can do what she’d want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on….

Anonymous

What my Autistic Son has taught me

Autism is a part of a person it does not define a person! So in our fast paced lives, our children teach us many things, sometimes you need to stop and think about the lessons. So here are some lessons that Duncan has taught me:

1). Don't dwell on what someone has done to you...live in the present (the here and now!) - this one can be hard to do, but Duncan re -enforces every day; the least I can do is try!

2). He takes things literally - make sure you phrase your ideas, wants, appreciation in a form he understands! - take your time before saying something so your are understood.

3). Stop and view the world differently - You'll appreciate it more. When is the last time you looked at a water tower and thought - that looks like a robot!

4). Some days unpredictability is the only predictable thing!

5). I am overwhelmed please take me some place peaceful - learn to see this in yourself and to find your inner peace or place to go to gather your thoughts.

6). I want to be social, I just do not know how. - Most adults do not know how to be social. Take the time to assess the situation and identify the proper opening or angle to help you or your child enter a social situation.

7). Kids are not stupid - Duncan's school friends and other closer friends (even his soon to be 2 year old sister) know he is different and reacts/ acts differently in situations. Address his siblings, extended family, school mates, friends; embrace his uniqueness; the kids do! I watched Duncan's classmates redirect him, make sure he was involved in the group and make sure he got his tasks done... better than I some days.

I know there are more but today this is what I recall

Thoughts to both my Children

The song was playing one day shortly after Duncan's diagnosis of living with Autism. It not only applies to him but Moira as well. Thank You Josh Groban for helping me express myself:

You Are Loved (Don't Give Up) lyrics

Don't give up
It's just the weight of the world
When your heart's heavy
I...I will lift it for you

Don't give up
Because you want to be heard
If silence keeps you
I...I will break it for you

Everybody wants to be understood
Well I can hear you
Everybody wants to be loved
Don't give up
Because you are loved

Don't give up
It's just the hurt that you hide
When you're lost inside
I...I will be there to find you

Don't give up
Because you want to burn bright
If darkness blinds you
I...I will shine to guide you

Everybody wants to be understood
Well I can hear you
Everybody wants to be loved
Don't give up
Because you are loved

You are loved
Don't give up
It's just the weight of the world
Don't give up
Every one needs to be heard
You are loved

Ada Lovelace Day - Women in Technology

A brief History of Ada:

She is mainly known for having written a description of Charles Babbage's early mechanical general-purpose computer, the analytical engine. She is today appreciated as the "first programmer" since she was writing programs—that is, manipulating symbols according to rules—for a machine that Babbage had not yet built. She also foresaw the capability of computers to go beyond mere calculating or number-crunching while others, including Babbage himself, focused only on these capabilities. The computer language Ada, created by the U.S. Defense Department, was named after Lovelace. The reference manual for the language was approved on 10 December 1980, and the Department of Defense Military Standard for the language, "MIL-STD-1815", was given the number of the year of her birth. In addition Lovelace's image can be seen on the Microsoft product authenticity hologram stickers.^{[citation needed]} Since 1998, the British Computer Society has awarded a medal in her name^[26] and in 2008 initiated an annual competition for women students of computer science.

===================================================================

I could think of just one person to blog about so I decided to tell you my story and the Women in technology who influenced me. I design high end technical solutions - Data Center/ Enterprise level backups, disaster recovery, deduplication, archiving, HA solutions ... so many to list.
So probably the first woman to influence me was my BCIS College Professor Ellie Stuartson (I hope I spelled that right?) she had been in the field since the mid-fifties programming and designing uses for the computer (things like just in time delivery service programmed into the computer to keep costs down). After her it was a long time before I met another female in the technology world that I looked up to (much less ran into). My first conference in the technology world was an eye opener - In all my classes I was the only female, until the last day and the presenter was introducung clustering and everyone had trouble keeping up with her ideas and programming - I remember thinking I want to be her one day - be on the leading edge of technology! ( I am for the most part) but I rather learn than teach!

I was told once that I am not the typical women in technology (phrased "geek") - I took that as a high compliment. I hope everyone out there realizes that there are so many women who were and are in the forefont of technology, driving technology. So stop by someone's desk today and let them know that you appreciate their skills and knowledge.

ADA Lovelace Day March 24,2009

Ada Lovelace Day is an international day of blogging to draw attention to women excelling in technology. Women's contributions often go unacknowledged, their innovations seldom mentioned, their faces rarely recognised. We want you to tell the world about these unsung heroines. Whatever she does, whether she is a sysadmin or a tech entrepreneur, a programmer or a designer, developing software or hardware, a tech journalist or a tech consultant, we want to celebrate her achievements.

It doesn't matter how new or old your blog is, what gender you are, what language you blog in, or what you normally blog about - everyone is invited to take part. All you need to do is sign up to this pledge and then publish your blog post any time on Tuesday 24th March 2009. If you're going to be away that day, feel free to write your post in advance and set your blogging system to publish it that day.

We will gather as many of the posts together on the day as we can, and we'll let you know exactly how we're going to do that nearer the time. For ongoing updates about Ada Lovelace day, please follow us on Twitter, join our mailing list or see our blog.

Happy New Year

I hope the upcoming New Year brings happiness to you all!

One of the most interesting blogs I have ever read

The blogger, Colby Buzzell is a A suburban skateboarder with punk-rock sensibilities, brings forth the actual soldier's perspective and voice.
Being a Punk Rocker, his music selections spoke volumes as does his words. Colby, hope you get to sit with Henry Rollins some time - I would love to hear that conversation!

First and Foremost - Thank You for Serving! Thank You for speaking your Mind! I can only say that "Sorry you had to be deployed, sorry you had to experience what you did. Thank You for being a voice to Soldiers, Marines and Sailors (my navy reservist brother returned home late last year). I can only hope you bring comfort to those there and to their loved ones at home.

Since leaving Iraq, Buzzell collected his wartime blog posts and journal entries into "My War," which was published in 2005. Excerpts from his Iraq blog also appeared in the Oscar-nominated documentary "Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience." - I'll be putting this on my wishlist!

Veterans Day

On Veterans Day, we pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the men and women who in defense of our freedom have bravely worn the uniform of the United States.

Thank You All, most especially my brother, we're glad you are home!!

A letter to my children

November 5, 2008

Dear Duncan and Moira,

You were unaware that you were watching history last night. Let me tell you a little about it:

As the returns became known, and Obama passed milestone after milestone, a new era in a country where just 143 years ago, Obama, as a black man, could have been owned as a slave, brought Change and Hope.

That's right, Barack Hussein Obama has been elected the 44th president of the United States, sweeping away the last racial barrier in American politics with ease as the country chose him as its first black (African-American) commander-in-chief.

About the the Election :

The people (in record numbers) got out and found their voice. People from all walks- white, black, asian, native american, latino, young, old, single, family, straight, gay, blue collar white-collar. They found their voices and wanted to be heard. What started out 22 months ago as a whisper was heard deep into last night, Loud and clear. We are Americans and we can change our nation's course. We want change! we want hope!

What it means to vote in the United States of America, we were raised on the American Dream, but rarely have a chance to participate in it so directly. We have been told, "if you dream it, you can achieve it". On this day, November 4, Election Day, every single person that walks in that booth - is granted equal say in our shared destiny.

We will vote because we know that while the president cannot save us from ourselves, he or she can be a powerful symbol of the best within us. Americans make America what it is each and every day. The choices we make about what to consume, how to treat one another, where and with whom we spend our precious time and energy -- this is what adds up to the sum of our country. The President represents our best intentions. He or she stands before the world as the voice of the American people. His or her voice is the singular chorus of our collective ideals, our country's hopes, Our Future.

I cannot tell you today that Obama's policies have changed America's course, I can hope!

One day I hope you'll whisper in the night and bring about Hope and Change.

Love,

Mom

I'm not the most political person but this article points to how I feel about the debates/ elections

Opinion

Obama the Adult Versus McCain's Economic Easter Bunny

John Nichols Wed Oct 15, 10:58 PM ET

The Nation -- Debating on a night when global markets were tanking, Barack Obama and John McCain engaged in an edgy debate about "spreading the wealth," "class warfare" and creating an economy that benefits "Joe the Plumber" more than "Ivan the Investment Banker."

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But while McCain clung to the failed fantasies of the past, Obama offered America a community rarely served up on the presidential debate stages of recent campaigns: realism.

Though they differed, at times viscerally, both men were struggling to occupy a populist high ground that suddenly appears far more attractive than the valleys of Wall Street.

The Republican kicked things off by declaring, "Americans are hurting right now, and they're angry. They're hurting, and they're angry. They're innocent victims of greed and excess on Wall Street and as well as Washington, D.C. And they're angry, and they have every reason to be angry."

The Democrat echoed the theme. "I think everybody understands at this point that we are experiencing the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. And the financial rescue plan that Sen. McCain and I supported is an important first step. And I pushed for some core principles: making sure that taxpayer can get their money back if they're putting money up. Making sure that CEOs are not enriching themselves through this process," explained Obama. "And I think that it's going to take some time to work itself out. But what we haven't yet seen is a rescue package for the middle class. Because the fundamentals of the economy were weak even before this latest crisis."

Not since 1912, when Democrat Woodrow Wilson, Progressive Teddy Roosevelt and even Republican William Howard Taft all tried to steal some of the thunder of Socialist Eugene Victor Debs have major-party presidential candidates scrambled so furiously to sound populist themes on the cusp of a definitional election.

But behind, beneath and beside the rhetorical flourishes were the evidences of a fundamental difference in approach.

McCain clung to the fading vision of Reaganomics as seen through the lens of George Bush, defaulting again and again to a lexicon of tax cuts for the richest, empty promises of trickle-down prosperity, fantasies of spending freezes and the certainty of deeper deficits and greater dysfunction in a federal government.

For McCain, ultimately, it was all about those tax cuts -- for plumber Joe Wurzelbacher in Ohio who wants to start a small business and, though he did not mention it, for corporations that earn more in a quarter than the GDPs of more than a few sovereign nations.

"The whole premise behind Sen. Obama's plans are class warfare, let's spread the wealth around. I want small businesses -- and by the way, the small businesses that we're talking about would receive an increase in their taxes right now," growled McCain. "Who -- why would you want to increase anybody's taxes right now?"

Obama chose to respond as an adult.

"I want to cut taxes for 95 percent of Americans. Now, it is true that my friend and supporter, Warren Buffett, for example, could afford to pay a little more in taxes... in order to give additional tax cuts to Joe the plumber before he was at the point where he could make $250,000," the Democrat began.

"Then," he continued, "Exxon Mobil, which made $12 billion, record profits, over the last several quarters, they can afford to pay a little more so that ordinary families who are hurting out there -- they're trying to figure out how they're going to afford food, how they're going to save for their kids' college education, they need a break.

"So, look, nobody likes taxes. I would prefer that none of us had to pay taxes, including myself. But ultimately, we've got to pay for the core investments that make this economy strong and somebody's got to do it."

McCain sputtered back: "Nobody likes taxes. Let's not raise anybody's taxes. OK?"

"Well," Obama replied. "I don't mind paying a little more."

In less serious times, that might have been a risky statement.

But Obama was no Walter Mondale apologizing for addressing fiscal realities.

The Democrat did make a class distinction, and in so doing he made the connection that more apologetic Democrats had failed to find in past campaigns.

"I think tax policy is a major difference between Sen. McCain and myself. And we both want to cut taxes, the difference is who we want to cut taxes for," explained the senator from Illinois.

"Now, Sen. McCain, the centerpiece of his economic proposal is to provide $200 billion in additional tax breaks to some of the wealthiest corporations in America. Exxon Mobil, and other oil companies, for example, would get an additional $4 billion in tax breaks," Obama continued. "What I've said is I want to provide a tax cut for 95 percent of working Americans, 95 percent. If you make... less than a quarter million dollars a year, then you will not see your income tax go up, your capital gains tax go up, your payroll tax. Not one dime. And 95 percent of working families, 95 percent of you out there, will get a tax cut. In fact, independent studies have looked at our respective plans and have concluded that I provide three times the amount of tax relief to middle-class families than Sen. McCain does."

The candidates displayed differences on issues that really do matter -- and, of course, on issues that didn't matter.

Obama and McCain were steered, briefly, into an empty "tone-of-the-campaign" debate by moderator Bob Schieffer.

McCain initially eschewed Schieffer's invitation to mouth the William Ayers-ACORN-appeasement blather that has been such a staple of his campaign in recent weeks. Instead, McCain accused Obama of spending "unprecedented amounts of money on negative ads about me." Obama reminded McCain that "100 percent of your ads are negative."

Finally, after a torturous back-and-forth about "hurt feelings," McCain dropped the bomb but missed the target. So the candidates wasted a few minutes on a sixties-radical-turned-college-professor named Ayers and a community-organization named ACORN.

But it was such a deviation that even McCain veered out of a convoluted riff on Ayers -- "it's not the fact that Sen. Obama chooses to associate with a guy who in 2001 said that he wished he had have bombed more, and he had a long association with him. It's the fact that... all of the details need to be known about Sen. Obama's relationship with them and with ACORN and the American people will make a judgment" -- to essentially acknowledge the absurdity of the discussion.

"And my campaign is about getting this economy back on track, about creating jobs, about a brighter future for America," McCain suddenly declared, pulling the brakes on the associated-with-terrorists talk. "And that's what my campaign is about and I'm not going to raise taxes the way Sen. Obama wants to raise taxes in a tough economy. And that's really what this campaign is going to be about.

The debate was back on the economic track -- and headed in a direction that allowed Obama to be the adult.

As the candidates sparred over health care, education, funding for programs for children with special needs and a host of other essential issues, the Democrat kept steering the discussion toward reality.

Both candidates talked about what they wanted to do.

While McCain imagined a world of tax cuts and free money, Obama allowed as how the economic Easter Bunny that Reagan and Bush promised was just around the corner might not be coming.

When McCain hailed his vice president running-mate's commitment to helping children with special needs and promised to help them, Obama responded, "I think it's very commendable the work she's done on behalf of special needs. I agree with that, John."

But, he added, "I do want to just point out that (children with) autism, for example, or other special needs will require some additional funding, if we're going to get serious in terms of research. That is something that every family that advocates on behalf of disabled children talk about. And if we have an across-the-board spending freeze, we're not going to be able to do it. That's an example of, I think, the kind of use of the scalpel that we want to make sure that we're funding some of those programs."

McCain offered America an old fantasy now discredited.

Obama offered America the promise of realism and a warning that, "(The) biggest risk we could take right now is to adopt the same failed policies and the same failed politics that we've seen over the last eight years and somehow expect a different result."

That was not the happy talk of the past.

But these are not happy times.

For those who want to wait around for the Easter Bunny, McCain made the proper appeal.

For those who figure it's time to get real, Obama was the only serious candidate on the stage.

Lessons Taught By FDR

FDR is by in far one of my favorite Political people:

Lessons Taught By FDR

By David Ignatius

Sunday, October 5, 2008; Page B07

"Piece by piece, the nation's credit structure was becoming paralyzed. Crisis was in the air, but it was a strange, numbing crisis. . . . It was worse than an invading army; it was everywhere and nowhere, for it was in the minds of men. It was fear."

-- James MacGregor Burns, "Roosevelt: The Lion and the Fox."

It may be the end of an economic era on Wall Street, as commentators have noted over the past few weeks. But it is not yet the beginning of a new political era in Washington. In that gap lies the opportunity for Barack Obama to explain to the nation how he proposes to make a new start.

The frantic debate over the $700 billion bailout plan has obscured the reality that a new framework for recovery will have to be built by the next administration. The crisis package is important, but it's the political equivalent of an overnight loan, a short-term fix to keep the system functioning. The definition of the new era -- the post-crash era -- hasn't really begun.

To win, Obama will need to give voters a clearer sense of how he will govern in this new era. He still talks like a lawyer, making debating points and rebutting arguments but not explaining how he will rebuild a shaken and traumatized country. This "vision thing" will become all the more important in coming weeks, as the economic crunch moves from Wall Street to Main Street and the country begins to feel real pain.

Franklin D. Roosevelt is the obvious model for a new president taking office amid severe economic difficulty. But what are the lessons that FDR teaches?

A first FDR decision, before he took office, was that he wouldn't get caught up in the flailing rescue measures of the lame-duck Hoover administration. Then, as now, the problem was a paralyzing credit crisis. A desperate Hoover sent Roosevelt a handwritten note on Feb. 18, 1933, pleading with him to endorse a common program to restore confidence: "The major difficulty is the state of the public mind, for which there is steadily decreasing confidence in the future."

Roosevelt ignored the plea. He felt that working with the discredited Hoover would undermine public support for his own recovery program when he took office a few weeks later.

By backing the Bush rescue plan, Obama has lost that complete freedom of action. But he didn't really have a choice. More worrisome is that he hasn't yet articulated a larger plan for economic reconstruction. Indeed, he ducked the issue in the first presidential debate. That's a mistake.

A second Roosevelt lesson is that the heart of the problem is psychological. As FDR wrote his March 4, 1933, inaugural address, he had open a volume of Thoreau with the passage, "nothing is so much to be feared as fear." That became the famous, ringing line: "First of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Within a few days, he had received half a million enthusiastic letters and telegrams.

A third FDR precept was to accompany his ringing words with decisive actions. Roosevelt announced a "bank holiday" his second day in office, making a virtue of the fact that panic-stricken banks had shut their doors. By the end of his first week, he had signed an emergency banking bill that reopened the banks on what the public perceived as sounder footing. The bill passed Congress in just eight hours. A GOP floor leader, Rep. Bertrand H. Snell, said simply: "The house is burning down, and the president of the United States says this is the way to put out the fire."

A final FDR lesson is that in crisis, it's sometimes better to go by instinct than to wait for a systematic plan. FDR considered sending Congress home after it passed the emergency banking bill so that he could come up with a comprehensive recovery proposal. Instead, he went piecemeal, cobbling together the package of 15 major bills that made up the famous First Hundred Days.

Roosevelt understood that it was a confidence game. He surrounded himself with smart people and good ideas. But his real success in 1933 was that he conveyed to a frightened country that he knew what he was doing and never let on that he was, as his biographer Burns says, "playing by ear." It's that sense of pitch that the public wants to see in Obama.

The writer is co-host ofPostGlobal, an online discussion of international issues

Ike's winds

Made it to Columbus intact (albeit without rain and less velocity) and did their damage. We are without power ( I am at my office - power of course!) we have water. Supplies are severely limited. We are looking for a market with food & ice that is open. Found food, no meat or produce.

The good news is people, pets and house came through in one piece. The kids think it is cool to eat by candlelight! We have talked with more neighbors than usual - that is really nice.

I have heard from most of my friends in Houston/ Galveston - better news. They are well, but obviously damage to deal with.

A Moment of Silence Today 9/11/2008

Please take a moment today to stop, pause, remember that day we lost so many!

Thank You

Olympics

So glad they are here! I'm a junkie, so is Jamie.. .so we are pretty quiet while the games are here!

Where have I been

Bo Diddley Passes Away

CNN) -- Bo Diddley, the musical pioneer whose songs, such as "Who Do You Love?" and "Bo Diddley," melded rhythm and blues and rock 'n' roll through a distinctive thumping beat, has died. He was 79.

Rock 'n' roll pioneer Bo Diddley influenced generations of guitarists.

Diddley died Monday, surrounded by family and loved ones at his home in Archer, Florida, a family spokeswoman said.

The cause was heart failure, his family said.

The world-renowned guitarist's signature beat -- usually played on an equally distinctive rectangular-bodied guitar -- laid the foundation for rock 'n' roll, and became so identified with him that it became known as the "Bo Diddley" beat. It was unlike anything else heard in pop music.

"This distinctive, African-based 5/4 rhythm pattern (which goes bomp-bomp-bomp bomp-bomp) was picked up by other artists and has been a distinctive and recurring element in rock 'n' roll through the decades," according to the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.

Guitarist George Thorogood, a Diddley disciple, put it more bluntly.

"[Chuck Berry's] 'Maybellene' is a country song sped up," Thorogood told Rolling Stone in 2005. " 'Johnny B. Goode' is blues sped up. But you listen to 'Bo Diddley,' and you say, 'What in the Jesus is that?' "

"Well, it's no different from anything else, I guess. I started sumthin'. I just happened to be the first one," he told the British magazine Uncut in 2005. "But I never thought it would turn into what it did. Somebody had to be first, and it happened to be me."

*** Love his music and most of the musicians he has influenced ***

The world has lost a good man!

Bike Commuting in Columbus Ohio

Some links you should go to:

http://bikecolumbus.blogspot.com/ - my husband's site
http://trekstorecolumbus.com/page.cfm?PageID=295
http://b2ww.considerbiking.org/events.html