The Original One Legged Old Fat Man's Daily Mullet Wrapper....

2011-02-19T11:52:00.001-05:00

President's Day: What's open and closed?

* The US Postal Service offices will be closed Monday.

* Alachua County Library District headquarters and district branches will be open Monday.

*Banks and credit unions will be closed Monday.

* Trash collection will be in service Monday. The Hazardous Waste Center at the Leveda Brown Environmental Park will also be open Monday.

* The Alachua County Courthouse, State Attorney's Office and Property Appraiser's Office will be open Monday.

* The Tax Collector's Office and Supervisor of Elections Office will be closed Monday.

* All city and county offices will be open Monday.

* RTS bus service will run Monday. ADA para-transit services, including transportation for dialysis appointments, will run Monday.

* The University of Florida and Santa Fe College will be open Monday. Alachua County schools will be closed Monday. Classes will resume Tuesday.

2011-02-19T11:40:00.002-05:00

Locations of the GLXP’s 29 teams. Dark green shows where teams are headquartered, and light green shows countries where team members are from.

When a couple dozen companies sign contracts containing the words “moon” and “landing,” it’s a good indication that private lunar exploration is heating up.

The X Prize Foundation on Thursday announced that 29 teams had signed contracts making them the official Google Lunar X Prize competitors, contending for more than $30 million in prizes. The competitors, headquartered in 17 different countries, have been crafting promising business plans and rolling out prototypes. One team, Astrobotic Technology, has even arranged its rocket ride to the moon already.

“We could be intimidated by that development, but it’s good for everyone who’s serious about going to the moon,” said Michael Joyce, president of team Next Giant Leap. “It shows this industry has moved beyond being an idea, that it is really going to happen.”

To claim the first-place prize of $20 million before 2015 (it drops to $5 million after that), a team must land a robot on the moon, move it at least 500 meters and beam back high-definition imagery. Additional $2 million bonuses are available for robots that can survive one bitterly cold two-week lunar night or travel 5 kilometers, among other challenges.

Google and the X Prize Foundation jointly announced the competition in September 2007, but the duo has worked with dozens of teams for years to finalize fair rules that foster progress instead of stunts.

“We want to encourage a financially sustainable era of lunar exploration. The Apollo program and Soviet programs were fantastically inspiring, but they stopped just as they really started to scratch the surface,” said planetary scientist William Pomerantz, a senior director at the X Prize Foundation. “Flags and footprints aren’t sustainable. We want the teams to trigger business much larger in value than our prize.”

ost of that value may rest in raw, untapped resources. Recent moon-surveying missions have revealed methane, ammonia andwater — useful ingredients for moon bases and rockets — arehiding on the surface. A rare isotope of helium may also be abundant, and it could fuel pollution-free (although still-theoretical) fusion reactors.

Lunar science could also get a boost from more frequent visits, as multibillion-dollar moon missions launched every decade or so by the government are too infrequent and too risky to encourage much growth in the field.

“Doctoral students who want to do lunar science shouldn’t have to gamble their Ph.D.s on one launch,” Pomerantz said. “If lunar shots can go every six months or so, we’ll see a much higher volume of scientific results as well as scientists.”

To find out who is leading the race to seed such developments, technology security consultant Michael Doornbos has spent years interviewing the competitors and tracking their progress. The result of his work is a scorecard that ranks teams based on criteria such as funding, industry connections and progress.

“No one had any way to tell where we were at in the competition, making it almost impossible to be a fan or, especially, a super fan like me. So I decided to make a visual representation,” Doornbos said. “I’m not a space industry expert, but I do talk to them to keep it updated. And a lot of people tell me they see great value in it because I’m an outsider.”

Four teams now lead Doornbos’ scorecard: Astrobotic Technology at the front, followed by Next Giant Leap, then Rocket City Space Pioneers and Part-Time Scientists tied for third place.

David Gump, president of Astrobotic, said the scorecard is helpful, but that it may be impossible to know who is actually out in front.

“Many teams are playing their hands very close to the vest,” Gump told Wired.com. “They’re not saying much.”

Whoever is leading the competition, there’s a slim chance it may not matter. Organizers of the prize aren’t happy about the prospect — they may lose rights to video and images from the first privatized lunar landing — but they may get their wish of a burgeoning moon-based industry without awarding a dollar.

Over the years, teams have made business plans with revenues projected to exceed the prize’s one-team maximum of $24 million after just one successful launch. And as the start-up lunar businesses work multimillion-dollar deals with third parties, concerns about GLXP’s contractual language have cropped up.

One clause that ruffled teams’ feathers states that GLXP will get intellectual property rights related to multimedia. Pomerantz explained it’s there to allow his organization to document and share the story of the competition with the world for free.

“We’re an educational non-profit organization. We’re here to inspire the next generation, and it’s why we’re supported by our donors and sponsors,” Pomerantz said. “On the same token, we’re not here to interfere with anyone’s ability to do business. We want to be the initial push that gets the teams over that first bump.”

Still, some teams are working big deals with cable TV providers to license content to their networks.

“They have 3-D channels on their systems, and they need something to fill them,” Gump said. “A documentary about a 3-D-seeing lunar robot would work quite well.”

Given the prestige — and cash — to be bestowed upon the winner, Pomerantz said it’s an unlikely hypothetical that anyone will withdraw, especially because such wrinkles have been ironed out, he said. If a team wants to withdraw from the competition, however, it can rip up the GLXP contract as late as 6 months before a moonshot.

Still, propulsion engineer Tim Pickens, who leads the Rocket City Space Pioneers team, says the prize isn’t the greatest of his concerns.

“If you need the prize to make your team’s business work, you’re hosed,” said Pickens, who helped build SpaceShipOne and win the Ansari X PRIZE in 2004 — a win that spawned Virgin Galactic and a nearly $1 billion private industry in suborbital flights.

“The prize money is an awesome consolation and a great way to recoup development costs, but it isn’t going to cover your mission costs,” Pickens said. “There are much, much less risky ways to make money. For the value of the prize versus the risk, you might as well be doing something else.”

2011-02-19T07:56:00.000-05:00

By Alexandra Hamilton
Correspondent, Gainesville Sun

When most people think of a scientist, a bright-eyed 17-year-old who is president of the Writer's Club at her high school and has hobbies such as photography and literature probably isn't the first image that comes to mind.

But Bhiravi Rathinasabapathi, a senior in Eastside High School's International Baccalaureate program, is in fact a young scientist with a multitude of interests, and she's recently gained some credentials to prove it.

Rathinasabapathi was named one of 300 semifinalists in the Intel Science Talent Search, a national competition sponsored by the Intel Corporation since 1998 that encourages high school students to pursue independent research in science, math, engineering and medicine. The Society for Science and the Public has coordinated the competition since 1942, and Intel recently agreed to continue its support through 2016.

"We believe that fostering math and science is imperative for America's future success," said Gail Dundas, a spokeswoman for Intel. "We are a company based on innovation, and we believe that math and science is a basis for that innovation."

Rathinasabapathi was selected based on a research project she's been conducting that involves finding ways to fortify food crops with iron to boost their nutritional value. Rathinasabapathi said she became interested in the topic when she noticed during her visits to India, where her family is from, that people living there had difficulty accessing nutritious foods.

"I was looking for something that I could do that was related to nutrition, and this was a good opportunity," Rathinasabapathi said.

She said her interests in plant biology and plant genetics stems from the enthusiasm for the fields shown by her father, Dr. Bala Rathinasabapathi, an associate professor in the horticultural sciences department at the University of Florida.

Rathinasabapathi has been involved in science fair competitions since the fourth grade and became interested in entering the Talent Search while researching science competitions online.

In addition to the Writer's Club, Rathinasabapathi is involved in a club she started at Eastside called Room to Read, which works to provide books for libraries serving underprivileged children in developing countries. She is not sure which college she will attend after high school, but she wants to work primarily in the fields of biology and technology in the future, she said.

Eastside Principal Jeff Charbonnet said he was thrilled — but not surprised — when he heard Rathinasabapathi was a semifinalist.

"We are surrounded by lots of talented students," Charbonnet said. "We have the best and the brightest."

Rathinasabapathi will receive a $1,000 award, and Eastside will also receive $1,000 to support its science, math and engineering programs.

Ten students from Florida were named Intel semifinalists this year out of nearly 1,800 entrants representing 500 high schools across the country. Though Rathinasabapathi was not selected as a finalist, two students from Florida were of the 40 chosen. They will compete for the top award and $100,000 during the final judging process, to be held in Washington, D.C., in March.

2011-02-19T07:54:00.000-05:00

By Lore Sjöberg

If you’re new to the United States, or to the internet, or to Earth, you might be surprised at the way some people act. From all-caps posts on web message boards to pickup trucks parked across two spaces, you’ll see people behaving as if they belong to some anointed class of people who are allowed to do whatever they want with no concern for the comfort or convenience of others.

You’ll be relieved to know that in the United States, at least, they do in fact belong to such a class. We call these people the Nimby family.

You see, back in 1850, a man named Eustace Nimby saved President Zachary Taylor’s daughter from a mountain lion, then saved the mountain lion from a rattlesnake. (The mountain lion was also the president’s.)

In honor of this man’s brave meddling, Taylor declared that from then on, Nimby and his family and all their descendants would be given “free license to act in whatsoever manner is best pleasing to them, even unto the point of great vexation among those in attendance upon their acts.”

Well, as it turns out, Nimby was a pretty fecund dude. Even at the moment of presidential daughter-saving, he had three kids by each of six sequential marriages, and seven of his children had children of their own. One in particular, John Nimby, was out in California spreading his seed with such vigor that he acquired the nickname “Johnny Johnnyseed.” With Nimbys on both coasts of the United States — and quite a few in between where John had taken rest stops — America suddenly had a new class of effective nobility.

At first, America embraced the Nimby family, celebrating them with songs like “O! Those Nimbys, or, The Finest of Us All.”

It soon became apparent, however, that the Nimbys intended to take constant advantage of their new status, and citizens throughout the nation were inconvenienced by such heretofore-unknown sights as double-parked horses and loudly shouted, ill-considered opinions in the town commons. But by then, President Taylor was dead, having nobly sacrificed himself to protect the country from a deadly bowl of cherries and milk, and America was unwilling to defy his last coherent proclamation.

Over the next 150 years, the Nimbys continued their reign of nuisance. In 1902, Greer Nimby sat in a movie theater and talked through all 44 seconds of The Mischievous Boys and the Washerwoman. In 1968, David Alan Nimby declared that he wasn’t going to learn the metric system because femto-“sounds girly.” And in 1994, Livia Charles (neé Nimby) decided to unload 200 pallets of expired kelp pills by advertising them as a “penis-enlargement treatment,” and she turned to the internet to spread the word.

Which brings us to today. Nimby descendants are everywhere, in all classes of society. If you see some guy taking up two seats at the front of the bus while a pregnant woman with a cast on her leg stands next to an 83-year-old retired soldier in full dress uniform, well, you’re looking at a Nimby. You might expect that someone would be annoyed enough to speak up, but the fact is that we cherish our traditions, and if that means that Reg Nimby’s Yoda backpack gets its own seat, then we accept it.

The internet has become a Nimby playground. While gainfully employed Nimbys are designing labyrinthine Flash interfaces for every website that will let them, the Nimbys with more free time are going through YouTube and commenting on every video they come across, sometimes without even watching them. While most of us enjoyed Chuck Norris Facts the first two or three or 16 times we heard them, Nimbys will be reciting them for decades to come.

So the next time someone sends you a message on Twitter suggesting ways to get a free iPad, or begs you to join his Facebook group “I Beg People to Join Facebook Groups,” or just sends you a big ol’ angry e-mail interpreting something you posted on the web as supporting racist-terrorist-incest rights, remember that you’re partaking in a grand tradition.

Just smile and block that Nimby from ever communicating with you again.

2011-02-19T07:51:00.001-05:00

Freedom Ride from Alachua County on Vimeo.

2011-02-19T07:50:00.002-05:00

2011-02-19T07:49:00.000-05:00

2011-02-19T07:42:00.005-05:00

"The people don't like to be conquered, sir, and so they will not be. Free men cannot start a war, but once it is started, they can fight on in defeat. Herd men, followers of a leader, cannot do that, and so it is always the herd men who win battles and the free men who win wars. You will find that is so, sir."

2011-02-19T07:42:00.002-05:00

2011-02-19T07:41:00.000-05:00

Today

Mostly sunny in the morning then becoming partly cloudy. Areas of fog early in the morning. Highs in the upper 70s. North winds 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

Partly cloudy. Patchy dense fog after midnight. Lows in the lower 50s. East winds 5 mph.

Hazardous Weather

Areas of fog are expected both Saturday and Sunday mornings and may be locally dense in a few spots.

Forecast Details

Water vapor imagery was showing a broad ridge across the Gulf Coast. Surface analysis was showing a cold front across far north Georgia and a broad ridge covering the Gulf Coast into Florida. Observation and fog imagery was indicating mostly clear skies over the area due to west winds and large temperature/dew point spreads. However as boundary layer cools there may be areas of fog that will form with best chances across the western half of the forecast area. However, no widespread fog is expected at this time.

The front to the north will sweep through the area as a dry backdoor front this afternoon and wash out just south of the area tonight and Sunday. High pressure will quickly build in from the middle Atlantic region bringing a wind shift to the northeast at the coast with cooler temperatures there both this afternoon and Sunday. Mild temperatures still expected inland. Areas of fog are expected tonight with patchy dense fog possible across the far south near the washed out front.

Today's Pollen Levels: 7.7 High Medium(on a scale to 12); Predominate Pollen: Juniper,Alder and Oak.

For additional information visit the National Weather Service in Jacksonville website on the internet at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jax/

2011-02-19T07:39:00.000-05:00

-------------------------************----------------------

2011-02-18T07:21:00.002-05:00

Alachua native and Florida Book award-winner Sudye Cauthen will be presenting her book, "The Salvation of Maggie Rider: Stories from Nokofta," this Sunday, February 20 at the Alachua Branch Library.

The event is set for 2 pm. and also will feature Lloyd Baldwin's Old Time Tunes.

Cauthen, who last performed to a full house at the library when she visited, will be giving selected readings from her new book, as well as from "Southern Comforts" and her next book, "Voices from the Place of Our Remembrance."

The event is sponsored by the North Florida Center for Documentary Studies.

For more information, visit:

http://SudyeCauthen.com

2011-02-18T07:20:00.000-05:00

After more than two years of planning, Newberry's city staff will honor what looks to be the world's largest baseball park when it's built.

On Friday, Februar. 25, a groundbreaking ceremony will be held at the intersection of US 27 and Southwest 30th Avenue with free food and speeches by state, county and local officials. The public is invited to attend this free event, which begins at 2 pm.

Although construction won't begin until April after the city accepts bids from contractors, the ceremony is intended to symbolize that the park's construction has been approved. The mayor will be given a golden spade to dig up the first soil at the site.

The park should open in October.

City Manager Keith Ashby will moderate the event.

2011-02-18T07:19:00.000-05:00

Local author Nick West, whose most recent novel is about life just prior to the Civil War, will speak at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 22 for the Alachua Historical Society.

The speech will be given at the Alachua Lions Club, across from Alachua City Hall.

The speech is free and open to the public.

West's novel is called "The Great Southern Circus" and focuses on the early summer of 1859, when an Alabama farm boy named James Johnston had no idea that his life was about to change forever.

The clouds of civil war were gathering when he met Miranda "Randi" Madderra, a beautiful young bareback rider with a small traveling circus.

West was born and grew up near Gainesville. A veteran of the United States Navy and longtime owner of a family landscape business, he now lives on his family's farm near Archer with his wife Kay.

When he was a small boy, his grandmother, Verna Simmons Goode, would regale him with stories of her great grandmother, Miranda Madderra, and her adventures with the Great Southern Circus.

These stories handed down through family history were simply too good not to pass on through written word, he said.

2011-02-18T07:17:00.001-05:00

A Gospel sing will be held this Saturday, Feb. 19 at St. Johns Methodist Church.

The sing is set for 6 pm, and a covered dish dinner will be held afterward. The church is located on County Road 239 in Alachua.

For more information, call 352-316-3059.

2011-02-18T07:16:00.002-05:00

A fish fry will be held this Saturday, Feb. 19 at Newberry United Methodist Church, located at 24845 W. Newberry Road.

The dinner is set from 4 pm to 7 pm, and the cost is $8 per person.

The meal includes tilapia fish, hush puppies, baked beans, cheese grits, slaw, a beverage and a dessert.

2011-02-18T07:15:00.002-05:00

A banquet that celebrates African American history, features people in African attire and has entertainment performed by area youth is set for this Saturday, February 19.

Called the "Celebration of African American History 365 Days a Year Banquet," the event is sponsored by the Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Open to the public, the event will be held at 6 p.m. at the St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church Christian Center in High Springs.

The cost is a donation of $10 for adults and children. Local pastors and their spouses will be admitted free.

For more information, call Mildred Brown at 386-454-1110.

2011-02-18T07:13:00.000-05:00

Kat Bein, Alligator Staff Writer

While some students choose are spending their Spring Break soaking in the debauchery of sun-kissed tourist destinations, David Ames is asking Gainesville residents to spend their break making a difference in the world.

Ames is the founder of humanitarian group From Gainesville With Love, which partners with Jacmel, Haiti, to revitalize its population since the 2010 earthquake.

Before founding the group, Ames worked in the admissions and marketing department of the Florida School of Massage. He has since given up that job to organize FGWL’s efforts full-time.

He graduated from UF with a psychology degree and combines those skills with his background in marketing to reach out and recruit potential volunteers. It’s his job to help them discover how their skills and interests can help the people of Jacmel in a fulfilling way.

“We don’t like telling people what to do,” he said. “We like asking people how they want to help and being able to help them find an opportunity.”

Ames became involved with Haiti after last year’s earthquake. After hosting an aid benefit at the Florida School of Massage, he and his colleagues were left with about $3,000, and they were wondering what they could do with it.

Ames decided it would be best to spend it on the Haitian people directly. A completely volunteer-based organization, FGWL has successfully organized four trips to Jacmel and have helped build partnerships between local churches, businesses and artists with they’re counterparts in the Caribbean.

“We’re not an aid organization,” he said. “We believe that relationships in the real world are a two-way street and to get out of that trap of fostering long term dependencies … there’s got to be a two-way street.”

They’ll make their fifth trip March 5 to March 13. During their visit, volunteers will help build homes for the displaced and host medical clinics, educational workshops and community events.

The trip costs $360, which includes hotel accommodations and food expenses as well as excursions to beautiful Haitian landmarks.

Anyone interested in volunteering for the trip, lending a hand or seeking future internship opportunities with the group can learn more by visiting fromgainesvillewithlove.org or looking up FGWL on Facebook. Ames can frequently be found tabling for the group on the Reitz Union colonnade.

“Watching everything fall into place … it’s kind of a dream come true,” he said.

2011-02-18T07:11:00.002-05:00

2011-02-18T07:10:00.000-05:00

2011-02-18T07:08:00.002-05:00

2011-02-18T07:07:00.002-05:00

2011-02-18T07:06:00.002-05:00

"With hurricanes, tornadoes, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"

2011-02-18T07:05:00.002-05:00

2011-02-18T07:04:00.000-05:00

Today

Partly cloudy in the morning then clearing. Areas of dense fog early in the morning. Visibility one quarter mile or less at times early in the morning. Highs in the upper 70s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

Mostly clear. Patchy fog in the evening, then areas of fog after midnight. Lows in the upper 40s. West winds 5 mph.

Hazardous Weather

Across northeast Florida, patches of dense are forecast through mid morning. The visibility may be reduced to a quarter of a mile or less at times in a few spots.

Forecast Details

Water vapor imagery was showing a broad ridge across the eastern Gulf and southeast US. At the surface a ridge of high pressure was across north central Florida and moving south. Surface observation and fog imagery indicated dense fog was across much of coastal and inland southeast Georgia and have a dense fog advisory there until 10 am this morning. Elsewhere skies partly cloudy with areas of fog forming which may get locally dense in a few areas early in the morning.

A dry forecast through Saturday as strong high aloft builds across the Gulf of Mexico and surface high remains over Florida. High temperatures much above normal reaching near 80 inland and middle 70s coast. Lows in the 40s and 50s. Main concern will be fog potential. Have issued a dense fog advisory for coastal and inland southeast Georgia until 10 am. There may be patchy fog along the coast this afternoon and evening with the East Coast sea breeze and have continued previous forecast with patchy fog there. Areas of fog are expected late at night through Sunday which may be locally dense in a couple of spots. A backdoor front moves through the area late Saturday bringing in cloudiness and cooler temperatures (especially along the coast) but no precipitation expected.

Today's Pollen Levels: 7.1 Medium(on a scale to 12); Predominate Pollen: Juniper,Alder and Oak.

For additional information visit the National Weather Service in Jacksonville website on the internet at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jax/

2011-02-18T07:03:00.001-05:00

-------------------------************----------------------

2011-02-17T09:40:00.000-05:00

Meredith Rutland, Alligator Writer

A dispute over the amount of meals Gainesville soup kitchens can serve may come to an end — in about four months.

Kent Vann, executive director of the St. Francis House, requested last week to reword a permit that limits the amount of meals Gainesville soup kitchens can serve in a day to 130. He’s asking for a three-hour time frame instead of a meal limit.

Max Tipping, executive director of the Alachua County Coalition for the Homeless and Hungry, said more people can eat at the St. Francis House if the permit is reworded.

“If they’re not in the first 130, they won’t miss out,” he said.

Although rewording the permit won’t fix all the problems soup kitchens face, such as complaints that homeless people gather around the St. Francis House, he said it will make things easier.

If the permit is changed, Vann said he wants to have the St. Francis House serve meals from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm. It cost him about $300 to file the paperwork.

Vann is asking to change a permit that affects all Gainesville soup kitchens. Currently, the St. Francis House is the only soup kitchen in Gainesville that is affected by the meal limit because it is the only one that was established after the meal limit was put into place.

The paperwork will go to the Gainesville Planning Board in March or April, depending on how busy the board is, he said. It may go to the City Commission a month or two after that.

Joe Cenker, a member of the Coalition to End the Meal Limit Now!, said having a time frame instead of a meal limit will be a positive change, but the best change would be to not have a limit at all.

“What we’d like to see, in a perfect scenario, is the ordinance is repealed totally,” he said.

Since the process will take about four months, he said the coalition will continue to work toward the elimination of all limits on feeding.

2011-02-17T09:38:00.000-05:00

1982 BAR: 919 W. University Ave., Gainesville. Tonight: The Chariot, Nausicaa, Feast the Remains, Titanic. Friday: Bowtie Killer, The Ladies of Great Britain, Yo! Banana Boy!, Guilty Conscience, 8 Track Automatic. Saturday: Yip Deceiver, The Haps, Young Hookers, Ghost Fields. Sunday: Daikaiju.

ATLANTIC: 15 N. Main St. Friday: Morningbell, Levek, The Boswellians. Saturday: Micah Shalom and the Babylonians.

BACKSTAGE LOUNGE: 1315 S. Main St. 373-0281. Tonight: Lullwater, Under Matter. Friday: Big Boat, Tickle Switch, Not Tonight Josephine. Saturday: Mythos, Impurity, Feast the Remains, Validus. Sunday: Brand New Sin, Beneath me. Monday and Tuesday: Karaoke.

BEEF ‘O’ BRADY’S: 1999 NW 43rd St. 338-7771. Wednesday: Moondog.

BLUE WATER BAY: 319 State Road 26, Melrose. 475-1928. Tuesday: Killer B’s.

BOOKS GALLERY WEST: 4121 NW 16th Blvd., Gainesville, 371-1234. Friday: Open mic night.

COMMON GROUNDS: 210 SW Second Ave. Tonight: Pilly Wete, The Young Hookers. Friday: Chiodos, Emarosa, Go Radio, Decoder, Paint Me Irrational. Saturday: Neil Hamburger, JP Inc. Sunday: Hollow Leg, Shroud Eater, Consular. Tuesday: Jonathan Richman. Wednesday: ZOSO, J2K.

DIRTY BAR: 2441 NW 43rd St. 373-1141. Tonight: Wolfgang. Friday and Saturday: Jimocracy. Tuesday: Karaoke. Wednesday: DJ Pacman.

DURTY NELLY’S: 208 W. University Ave. 374-9567. Friday: Paleface.

EAGLES LANDING: 7118 W. University Ave. 332-4454. Friday: Karaoke.

EMILIANO’S CAFE: 7 SE First Ave. 375-7381. Wednesday: Karl Weismantel Duo.

FARAH’S ON THE AVENUE: 1120 W. University Ave. 378-5179. Tonight: Alan Stowell and C.P. Heaton.

FRANCESCA’S TRATTORIA: 4410 NW 25th Place, 378-7152. Sunday: Karl Weismantel Duo.

GATOR TALES: 5112 NW 34th St. 376-9500. Tonight: Karaoke. Friday: Terraplane. Wednesday: Jimmy Winn.

GREAT OUTDOORS RESTAURANT: 65 N. Main St. (386) 454-1288. Friday: County Road. Saturday: Other Voices.

KAZBOR’S GRILL: 4860 NW 39th Ave. 562-7773. Friday: Barry Sides and Kenny Shore.

KICKIN’ DEVIL CAFE: 2017 NE 27th Ave. 505-6660. Tonight: Ed Barker, open mic. Friday: Walter Belmont, Hepzidah Jones. Saturday: Roy Fitzgerald’s Spinning Soul. Sunday: Bobby Lee, NCF Blues Society Blues Jam. Tuesday: Progressive Madness. Wednesday: Karaoke, DJ Converse.

THE LABORATORY: 818 W. University Ave. 505-5337. Friday: Fick, The Young Hookers, Holy Umbrellas, New World Status. Saturday: Killer Robots!, Waylon Thornton and the Heavy Hands.

LEONARDO’S 706: 706 W. University Ave. 378-2001. Tonight: The Marty Liquori Jazztet.

LIGHTNIN’ SALVAGE: 1800 NE 23rd Ave. 395-6622. Tonight: The Sterling Shuck Cavalcade of Stars. Friday: John Emil and his Amazing Slide Guitar. Saturday: John Rogers. Tuesday: Gypsy Camp. Wednesday: Eastside Jazz.

LILLIAN’S: 112 SE First St. 372-1010. Tonight through Saturday: All Systems Go. Sunday: Jam Night. Tuesday: Zach and Dave. Wednesday: Karaoke.

NAPOLATANO’S: 606 NW 75th St. 332-6671. Friday: Karaoke. Sunday: Sixth Street Rhythm and Blues.

RED ONION: 3885 NW 24th Blvd. 505-0088. Friday: Moondog. Saturday: Mercury’s Refrain. Wednesday: Chris and James.

SANTA FE BAR: 23731 S. U.S. 441, High Springs, 386-454-9461. Friday and Saturday: Black Creek.

SPINDRIFTER LOUNGE: 16130 NW U.S. 441, Alachua, (386) 462-9081. Friday and Saturday: Local Traffic. Wednesday: DJ Wildman.

SUNSHINE EAGLES @ DUBS: 4562 NW 13th St. 335-4518. Tonight: Karaoke. Friday and Saturday: Area Code.

2011-02-17T09:35:00.002-05:00

Applications are now being taken for the Altrusa International of Gainesville's scholarship fund, which provides up to five scholarships to Santa Fe College women from Alachua or Bradford counties.

Applications will be accepted through March 2, and the $1,300 scholarships will be awarded for the 2011-2012 academic year. Past recipients are encouraged to reapply for the following year.

To qualify, recipients must be at least 25 years old, a U.S. citizen and a resident of Alachua County or Bradford County, and have a definite plan for improving their career, whether through advancement, training, or a new career, or entering or re-entering the job market.

Recipients must also be a Santa Fe College student or accepted at Santa Fe College and demonstrate scholastic ability and financial need.

Scholarship recipients must enroll full-time, seek a degree and maintain a 2.5 grade point average.

For more information and to apply, go to:

http://TinyUrl.com/4fhkb8

2011-02-17T09:33:00.002-05:00

Alachua County Animal Services

Hey all you animal lovers, our next volunteer orientation is this Saturday, February 19th, from 9:30-11:30 am at the Shelter, 3400 NE 53rd Ave. The volunteers greatly improve the lives of the dogs and cats while they're at the Shelter and it's extremely rewarding.

If you want to make a difference in an animal's life, please come join us on Saturday.

2011-02-17T07:41:00.003-05:00

Alachua County Feed & Seed

The chicks are here a day early! We have Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpingtons and Black Australorps, come get them!

2011-02-17T07:41:00.000-05:00

The Pledge 5 Foundation, a Gainesville nonprofit group that organizes charity drives for other nonprofits, is seeking contestants for its Apprentice program.

A open call for contestants will be held today from 7:20 pm to 9 pm at the University of Florida in Rinker Hall Room 110.

The program follows the format of NBC’s “The Apprentice.” Each week, participants are given a project to complete relating to Pledge 5 charity drives and events and contestants face weekly elimination based on their performance.

The winner will become the next executive director of Pledge 5 and win a $40,000+ compensation package that includes $30,500 in cash, housing and restaurant allowance, among other prizes.

A film crew will follow contestants as they complete each project for 30-minute web episodes. Participants must be able to commit 10 to 15 hours a week for 10 weeks, and be available for filming.

Interested parties should bring their resume and cover letter to the open call. The competition runs from Feb. 21 to April 30.

For more information, go to http://pledge5.org/apprentice

2011-02-17T07:39:00.003-05:00

2011-02-17T07:39:00.000-05:00

2011-02-17T07:38:00.000-05:00

“Imagine if every Thursday your shoes exploded if you tied them the usual way. This happens to us all the time with computers, and nobody thinks of complaining.”

2011-02-17T07:36:00.002-05:00

2011-02-17T07:35:00.000-05:00

...Mild Days And Foggy Nights Expected Through The End Of The Week...

Now

Through 10 am... widespread dense fog will reduce the visibility to a quarter of a mile or less. Motorists should exercise caution and use low beam headlights. Dense fog advisory in effect until 10 am EST this morning.

Today

Partly cloudy in the morning then clearing. Widespread dense fog early in the morning. Visibility one quarter mile or less at times early in the morning. Highs in the mid 70s. South winds 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

Mostly clear. Patchy fog in the evening, then patchy dense fog after midnight. Lows around 50. Southeast winds 5 mph.

Hazardous Weather

Widespread dense fog has developed along the coastal areas of northeast Florida and has spread inland across much of northeast Florida and inland southeast Georgia. A dense fog advisories have been posted. Visibilities less than one quarter of a mile can be expected. the fog should lift during the mid-morning hours.

Forecast Details

Early this morning...weak coastal trough lingers over the coastal waters with scattered light rain and drizzle. Otherwise low clouds and patchy dense fog has developed on the back side of coastal trough over the land areas and will be tough to pinpoint any certain area for a dense fog advisory with all of the abundant cloudiness. Temperatures will generally hang out in the 50s through the remainder of the night.

Today...low clouds and fog in the morning will slowly dissipate and make for partly to mostly sunny skies in the afternoon as coastal trough breaks down and flow becomes more uniform out of the southeast. This flow will pump up maximum temperatures well into the 70s this afternoon.

Tonight...high pressure ridge from the western Atlantic will build west over the forecast area and expect mostly clear skies to help set the stage for a possible more widespread dense fog event with advisory conditions likely over inland areas. Lows generally in the lower 50s.

Today's Pollen Levels: 7.3 High Medium(on a scale to 12); Predominate Pollen: Juniper,Alder and Oak.

... Dense Fog Advisory In Effect Until 10 AM EST This Morning...

The National Weather Service in Jacksonville has issued a dense fog advisory, which is in effect until 10 am EST this morning.

Widespread dense fog has developed across northeast Florida early this morning and is spreading northwest. Widespread visibilities less than one quarter of a mile can be expected. The dense fog should lift during the mid- morning hours.

For additional information visit the National Weather Service in Jacksonville website on the internet at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jax/

2011-02-17T07:33:00.002-05:00

-------------------------************----------------------

2011-02-16T07:37:00.000-05:00

1978: Ward Christensen and Randy Suess launch the first public dial-up bulletin board system. The two unleash the kernel of what would eventually spawn the world wide web, countless online messaging systems and, arguably, Twitter.

It was several decades before the hardware or the network caught up to Christensen and Suess’ imaginations, but all the basic seeds of today’s online communities were in place when the two launched the first bulletin board, dubbed CBBS for computerized bulletin board system. The two developers announced their creation to the world in the November 1978 issue of Byte magazine.

The article created a stir among hobbyists and hackers, and it wasn’t long before others begin building clones of CBBS. By the mid-1980s, BBSs supported an active community with no less than three magazines devoted to covering the latest in the proto-online world.

Reportedly conceived when Christensen was trapped in his Chicago home during the Great Blizzard of 1978, BBS took its basic premise from the community bulletin boards that once adorned the entrance of public places like libraries, schools and supermarkets.

The notion of digital meeting place in mind, Christensen and Suess set out to create the software and managed to go from idea to working bulletin board in just a month. In fact, some evidence suggests it actually took them even less time — a mere two weeks — and that Christensen and Suess extended the time frame to make the results sound more impressive.

Whatever the case, the results were definitely impressive. The original home-brewed internet, BBS was primitive but quickly proved revolutionary.

Sure, connecting to someone on BBS meant dialing into a phone line through your Trash-80 PC, typing a message in your monochromatic terminal and waiting days — sometimes even weeks — before you repeated the process to (hopefully) find a reply, but holy cow, look! You’ve got digital friends.

Unlike today’s web, BBS used traditional phone lines to log in to remote computers, meaning that if you wanted to dial in to a BBS out of your area, you’d be looking at long-distance charges from the phone company. Consequently, early BBSs were very locally oriented systems, but before too long the limitations gave birth to phone phreaking and other hacks.

Because of the complexity, limitations and slowness of BBS, the early system was largely populated by computer enthusiasts willing to shell out big bucks for the fastest modems. Given the audience, it’s hardly surprising that — like the early web that came after it — early BBSs often consisted of very technical postings, software downloads and primitive online games.

But you can also thank the BBS for some of the world’s first flame wars, as enthusiasts traded barbs battling over the superiority of Ataris to Amigas.

Eventually, the early world wide web supplanted the bulletin boards, but even today the humble BBS isn’t completely gone. In fact, BBSs thrive in Taiwan, where it’s an extremely popular form of communication for young people.

Projects like Jason Scott’s textfiles.com — which seeks to preserve and chronicle those early BBSs — many of the remnants of the BBSs themselves are still available as well. Also worth seeing for an even more in-depth look at the history of the BBS is Scott’s film, BBS: The Documentary.

2011-02-16T07:12:00.000-05:00

Morgan Watkins, Alligator Writer

For 40 years, local artists have had a home in Gainesville.

The home is mobile, an art gallery that has been moved six times and displayed the work of dozens of artists since it was formed in October 1970.

It is a microcosm of North Florida culture, a gallery filled with art created by locals and often inspired by local scenery.

This is the Artisans’ Guild Gallery, a shop sandwiched between stores in Millhopper Square Shopping Center on Northwest 16th Boulevard.

Last October, the guild celebrated its 40th anniversary. It has survived the Vietnam War, eight U.S. presidents and the boy-band craze of the 1990s.

Within the walls of the gallery today, shoppers will find the diverse work of the guild’s more than 50 member artists.

Drawings of cartoon alligators created by debOrah Cohen-Crown, who makes her living as an artist, line the back of one wall. In the middle of the store, bright shawls crafted by Malgorzata Deyrup, a retired UF chemistry professor, hang on a stand.

“We have blown glass. We have metalwork. We have stained glass. We have stuffed animals…” Deyrup said. “It’s exciting to be in a group like this and show [your work] around town and get your name out there.”

The gallery is an artist cooperative, operated by the guild members who create the displayed art.

It is a labor of love, held together for 40 years by the commitment of its members.

Few of the original guild members from 1970 remain. Some have died. Others have moved away and could no longer be part of the co-op because it only accepts members who live within an hour of the gallery.

Christa Kallenbach, who creates stuffed animals for the gallery, joined the guild in 1971 shortly after it was formed.

Kallenbach often sees people buy her stuffed animals for their children or grandchildren.

She continues to work with the guild because even after 40 years, she still loves her art.

“I’d rather do this than my housework,” she said.

The co-op has high standards for its members. To become a member of the guild, artists must submit their work for review. Only the most skilled and inventive applicants are invited to join.

The gallery is not funded by the government, as some customers initially believe, so it is up to member artists to keep its doors open and its floors swept.

Each member works a four-hour shift at the store once a month, Cohen-Crown said. If they don’t show up, the art doesn’t get sold, so there is a $50 no-show fee for members who miss their shifts.

Artists are also on committees, such as publicity, that keep the co-op running smoothly.

Artists receive about 65 percent of the proceeds from the pieces sold in the gallery, while 35 percent of sales are used for guild expenses.

A drawing in one corner of the gallery might cost $15, while a painting on the other end of the store costs $300. The price ranges can accommodate all shoppers, Cohen-Crown said.

Whether a member earns all his or her income from art or does it only as a hobby, the guild provides a way for them to profit from their work.

“It’s hard to do this out of the back of your car,” said Peter Senesac, who creates silver jewelry pieces and has been a member of the guild for more than 30 years. “We’re all partners.”

2011-02-16T07:08:00.002-05:00

Free Family Health Fair & Treasure Hunt at Shands Rehab for Kids Saturday, March 5 · 10:00 am – 1:00 pm at Shands Rehab Center At Magnolia Parke.

•UF and Shands tours

•face painting and bounce house

•educational information

•health screenings

• games, prizes, free zumba and

hip hop classes & fun!

Call 352-265-5200 for more information or visit shandsrehab.com!

Shands Rehab Center At Magnolia Parke.

4740 NW 39th Place

2011-02-16T07:07:00.000-05:00

Heart Disease: What All Women Should Know , Thursday, February 24 · 11:00 am – 12:00 pm at Shands Cancer Hospital at the University of Florida.

Anthony Bavry, MD, MPH, FACC, Interventional Cardiologist, Assistant Professor UF College of Medicine.

Rhonda Cooper-Dehoff, Pharm D, MS, FACC, FAHA, Associate Professor, Clinical Research Programs UF Colleges of Pharmacy and Medicine.

FREE Valet Parking for seminar at front entrance.

Refreshments provided. Reservations required. Space is limited.

For reservations, call 352-265-0943 or go to http://Shands.org/WAA

Thursday, February 24 · 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Shands Cancer Hospital at the University of Florida.

1515 SW Archer Road

Gainesville, FL

2011-02-16T07:05:00.000-05:00

The City of Gainesville's are currently accepting registrations for the spring 2011 sessions. The next series of sessions will begin on Wednesday, March, 16 2011 and will be held for six consecutive Wednesdays (through April 20) from 9 am-12 noon.

Learn how Gainesville became the #1 ranked city in North America at Gainesville 101, the City of Gainesville's Citizens' Academy - where you meet your local government in person.

Go behind the scenes at Gainesville's Police Department, Fire Rescue Department and Gainesville Regional Utilities. Learn the structure of city government at City Hall and more. You already live in the best city in America , now you can learn how it works, and make it even better!

Classes are limited to 40 citizens and registrations are taken on a first-come basis. If space is unavailable, you will be notified and placed on a waiting list for the next session.

For more information, contact:

Citizens' Academy
Attn: Communications Office
Email:gainesvillepio@cityofgainesville.org

2011-02-16T07:02:00.000-05:00

Alachua County Emergency Management is enrolling citizens for its Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program. The seven classes are free and are on Tuesday evenings. Classes begin March 8th, and run through April 19th. Each session runs from 6 pm to 8:30 pm Classes are held at the Alachua County Emergency Operations Center (1100 SE 27th Street, Gainesville). Registration deadline is March 7, 2011.

The seven week class covers the following topics:

· Disaster Preparedness

· Fire Safety

· Disaster Medical Operations

· Light Search and Rescue Operations

· CERT Organization and Disaster Psychology

· Terrorism and CERT

If you miss the deadline, or can’t make it to the classes listed above, there are three more scheduled classes this year, beginning May 3, July 5, and September 6.

"It is never too early to begin preparing for the 2010 Hurricane Season, and there’s no better way than to attend the CERT program." said Ebbin Spellman, Alachua County Emergency Management Coordinator. "CERT teaches citizens how to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters."

To register, or for more information click here, or call the Alachua County Emergency Management Office at 352-264-6500.

2011-02-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

No matter where you live, if you're experienced in the medical field or computer technology, there's a new career within your reach in just six months via an online training program at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Fla.

The all-online Health Information Technology (HIT) Workforce Training Program (www.sfcollege.edu/hit) is a six-month certificate program at an accredited public community college. Santa Fe was selected for a grant by the US government to provide electronic medical records training to individuals in a total of 50 counties, including 38 in Florida and 12 in Alabama.

"Health Information Technology (HIT) training is needed everywhere, even in less populated areas, as medical offices switch over to electronic medical records," explained Tracy L. Jones, coordinator of the HIT program at Santa Fe.

"People experienced in health care settings from front office staff to nurses and medical assistants are encouraged to apply. Also, anyone with an IT background or good computer skills is also encouraged to apply."

There are no pre-requisites and admission is based on an individual's previous work experience. The program has a rolling admission policy and new classes of HIT students start each month.

"We're going to celebrate our first class to complete the training in March," said Jones. "Our grant requires us to train 300 students by April 2012. We have 50 students who will complete their studies in the spring. And we're working with various employers in our service area -- Jacksonville, Tallahassee, even in Mobile, Alabama -- to assist students in job placement."

HIT is considered one of the fastest growing fields, and nationally certified professionals can work anywhere. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics is estimating demand for 50,000 HIT professionals by 2014.

Starting salaries average about $45,000 annually. And best of all, there are a lot of options for where and how one works, from hospitals and doctor's offices to serving as a traveling trainer. Students can train in one of five workforce roles: implementation specialist, implementation manager, technical support staff, trainer, and information management redesign specialist.

Tuition averages a total of about $800 and there is no cost for books since all the training is delivered online. (There are also no out-of-state tuition fees.) Students who complete the program in six months and begin working in relevant jobs may be reimbursed for about half of what they paid.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information issued a first-of-its-kind workforce training grant for HIT in fall 2010, and Santa Fe College was one of three Florida schools to receive this federal funding. Throughout the country, a total of five consortia of colleges exist with an aim of training 10,500 people a year. Santa Fe is included as part of the Southeast Region D Consortium, comprising 13 colleges from New Mexico eastward, all with HIT training of their own.

The need for these programs has been prompted by the Obama administration's mandate that by 2015 all paper health records must be transferred to electronic media as part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Santa Fe's HIT workforce training program received $1,070,000 in stimulus money to initiate the first two years of its program.

The transition to electronic records is expected to improve access among healthcare professionals, thus reducing healthcare costs. With the current paper system, different doctors often run redundant tests on the same patient, but with electronic medical records, practitioners could instantly access a patient's history and avoid repeating the same tests. Also, the Institute of Medicine in 1999 approximates that 98,000 people die annually from medical errors, a figure which could be reduced with the improved communication facilitated by electronic records.

Fore more information about the HIT Workforce Training Program at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Fla., please email to Tracy Jones at tracy.l.jones@sfcollege.edu or call 352-381-3730.

2011-02-16T06:59:00.000-05:00

University of Florida researchers say their supercomputer, named Novo-G, is the world’s fastest reconfigurable supercomputer and is able to perform some important science applications faster than the Chinese supercomputer touted as the world’s most powerful.

In November, the TOP 500 list of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, for the first time ever, named the Chinese Tianhe-1A system at the National Computer Center in Tainjin, China as No. 1.

In his state of the union speech, President Barack Obama noted, “Just recently, China became home of the world’s largest solar research facility, and the world’s fastest computer.”

But that list does not include reconfigurable supercomputers such as Novo-G, built and developed at the University of Florida, said Alan George, professor of electrical and computer engineering, and director of the National Science Foundation’s Center for High-Performance Reconfigurable Computing, known as CHREC.

“Novo-G is believed to be the most powerful reconfigurable machine on the planet and, for some applications, it is the most powerful computer of any kind on the planet,” George said.

“It is very difficult to accurately rank supercomputers because it depends upon what you want them to do,” George said, adding that the TOP 500 list ranks supercomputers by their performance on a few basic routines in linear algebra using 64-bit, floating-point arithmetic.

However, a significant number of the most important applications in the world do not adhere to that standard, including a growing list of vital applications in health and life sciences, signal and image processing, financial science, and more under study with Novo-G at Florida.

Most of the world’s computers, from smart-phones to laptops to Tianhe-1A, feature microprocessors with fixed-logic hardware structures. All software applications for these systems must conform to these fixed structures, which can lead to a significant loss in speed and increase in energy consumption.

By contrast, with reconfigurable machines, a relatively new and highly innovative form of computing, the architecture can adapt to match the unique needs of each application, which can lead to much faster speed and less wasted energy due to adaptive hardware customization.

Novo-G uses 192 reconfigurable processors and “can rival the speed of the world’s largest supercomputers at a tiny fraction of their cost, size, power, and cooling,” the researchers noted in a new article on Novo-G published in the January-February edition of the IEEE Computing in Science and Engineering magazine.

Conventional supercomputers, some the size of a large building, can consume up to millions of watts of electrical power, generating massive amounts of heat, whereas Novo-G is about the size of two home refrigerators and consumes less than 8,000 watts

Later this year, researchers will double the reconfigurable capacity of Novo-G, an upgrade only requiring a modest increase in size, power, and cooling, unlike upgrades with conventional supercomputers.

In their article, the researchers discuss Novo-G and its obvious advantages for use in certain applications such as genome research, cancer diagnosis, plant science, and the ability to analyze large data sets.

Herman Lam, an electrical and computer engineering professor and co-investigator on Novo-G, said some vital science applications that can take months or years to run on a personal computer can run in minutes or hours on the Novo-G, such as applications for DNA sequence alignment at UF’s Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research.

CHREC is comprised of research sites at four universities including Florida, Brigham Young, George Washington and Virginia Tech. In addition, there are more than 30 partners in CHREC, such as the US Air Force, Army, and Navy, NASA, National Security Agency, Boeing, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, Monsanto, Northrop Grumman, and the Los Alamos, Oak Ridge and Sandia National Labs.

2011-02-16T06:53:00.002-05:00

see more Funny Graphs

2011-02-16T06:52:00.000-05:00

2011-02-16T06:51:00.002-05:00

2011-02-16T06:49:00.002-05:00

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

2011-02-16T06:48:00.000-05:00

2011-02-16T06:46:00.000-05:00

Today

Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly cloudy. A 20 % chance of rain and drizzle. Highs in the lower 70s. East winds 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

Partly cloudy. Patchy fog in the evening, then areas of dense fog after midnight. Lows in the upper 40s. East winds 5 to 10 mph.

Hazardous Weather

Areas of dense fog will be possible late tonight and early Thursday morning. Local visibilities less than one quarter of a mile will be possible.

Forecast Details

Early this morning...isentropic lift already evident as light/rain and drizzle showing up on the radar from dab northwest into the St Johns River basin. This will continue to develop and lift northward through sunrise.

Today...with high parked just east of the Carolinas, low level flow will remain easterly with southerly flow at 850 MB lifting over top of the shallow moisture layer. This will continue the weak isentropic lift event with light rain and drizzle possible, mainly along the coastal counties, but will spread enough inland to impact most of the forecast area with 10-30% measurable rain chances. Maximum temperatures will range from the 60s along the coastal counties to the lower 70s well inland along the I-75 corridor under mostly cloudy skies.

Tonight...isentropic up-glide will continue over the forecast area during the evening hours before fading and pushing offshore during the overnight hours. Increase in low level moisture and partial clearing skies overnight will lead to a good chance of dense fog with advisory conditions possible by morning. Mild overnight lows generally in the 50s.

Today's Pollen Levels: 7.3 High Medium(on a scale to 12); Predominate Pollen: Juniper,Alder and Oak.

For additional information visit the National Weather Service in Jacksonville website on the internet at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jax/

2011-02-16T06:45:00.002-05:00

-------------------------************----------------------

2011-02-15T09:17:00.002-05:00

"The philosophy of gun control: Teenagers are roaring through town at 90MPH, where the speed limit is 25. Your solution is to lower the speed limit to 20."

2011-02-15T09:16:00.000-05:00

2011-02-15T09:15:00.000-05:00

Today

Mostly clear. Patchy fog early in the morning. Highs in the upper 60s. Northwest winds 5 mph increasing to northeast 10 to 15 mph.

Tonight

Partly cloudy. Patchy fog after midnight. Lows in the mid 40s. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph.

Forecast Details

Early this morning...some light west southwest flow off the northeast Gulf of Mexico has allowed some patchy fog to develop along the I-75 corridor south of Gainesville, mainly in the Ocala/Marion County vicinity.

Today a back door cold front currently over the Carolinas pushing southward and will cross the forecast area this morning. This will veer the winds to the northeast and expect breezy conditions along the coast with sustained winds at 15-20 miles per hour with gusts to 25 miles per hour at times. Will be very close to Lake Wind Advisory criteria at times but not enough to warrant issuance at this time. Maximum temperatures a bit cooler than yesterday topping out only in the 60s today.

Tonight winds veer to the east overnight off the Atlantic and with some isentropic upglide developing in the low levels along with shallow moisture, some sprinkles will start to develop along the coastal areas. Mild overnight lows in the 50s along the coast and 40s further inland.

Today's Pollen Levels: 7.2 Medium(on a scale to 12); Predominate Pollen: Juniper,Alder and Oak.

For additional information visit the National Weather Service in Jacksonville website on the internet at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jax/

2011-02-15T09:11:00.001-05:00

-------------------------************----------------------

2011-02-14T10:28:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentines Day!

2011-02-14T10:26:00.001-05:00

Norman Augustine, one of the nation’s premier technology leaders, will speak at 10 am Thursday, February 17, in a seminar titled “Technology and Innovation in America’s Competitive Future.”

Presented by the University of Florida Engineering Leadership Institute and the Bob Graham Center for Public Service, the lecture starts at 10 a.m. in Pugh Hall Room 170.

Following his lecture, Augustine will participate in a panel discussion focused on the topic of fostering university-industry collaborations to enhance economic development through expansion of the knowledge economy. Panelists range from distinguished UF leaders to entrepreneurs and nationally renowned business leaders.

Augustine has served in both the private and public sectors, as CEO and chairman of Martin Marietta and later Lockheed Martin, as well as Under Secretary of the Army, and later Acting Secretary of the Army. He has been recognized for his outstanding contributions with the National Medal of Technology and the Joint Chiefs of Staff Distinguished Public Service Award.

He has also served as chairman of the National Academy of Engineering and is a former president of the Boy Scouts of America. He is a regent of the University System of Maryland, trustee emeritus of Johns Hopkins and a former member of the board of trustees of Princeton and MIT. He is an internationally recognized expert in the area of technology workforce development and led the 2005 National Academies commission that produced the landmark report “Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future”.

2011-02-14T10:24:00.000-05:00

Today is the last day to register to vote for the March 15, 2011, City of Gainesville Election.

Voters must be a City of Gainesville resident to vote in the Gainesville City Election. Voters are encouraged to verify and update their registration status online at www.VoteAlachua.com by clicking on “My Voter Information Page (My VIP)”.

The Supervisor of Elections Office will be open from 8:30 am until 5 pm to accept voter registration applications. The office at 111 SE 1st Ave. has an after-hours mail drop at the main entrance. Voter registration applications received through the mail drop will be accepted until midnight on Febuary 14.

City residents may use the on-line application form at www.VoteAlachua.com to register to vote, update their voter information, or update their signature. They will then need to print the application form, sign it and return it to the Elections Office. They may also register to vote in person at the Supervisor of Elections Office or by mail.

For a list of other facilities in the county where voter registration application forms may be obtained, please visit the office’s website or call 352-374-5252. To vote in the City of Gainesville Election, mail-in applications must be postmarked no later than the Febuary 14th deadline.

All City of Gainesville voters may vote in the At-Large 2 race. Only City of Gainesville voters living in District 2 may vote in the District 2 race. Only City of Gainesville voters living in District 3 may vote in the District 3 race.

For more information, visit www.VoteAlachua.com or contact the Supervisor of Elections Office at 352-374-5252.

2011-02-14T10:22:00.003-05:00

Field Trip--Gum Root Park by the Alachua Audubon Society Saturday, February 19 · 6:00 am – 10:00 am.

From Waldo Rd (SR 24) go E on NW 39th Ave (CR 222) 2.5 mi to NE 27th Ave, turn right, and go 0.8 mi to the parking lot on your left, just before the blinking red light.

Note the early start time! This trip begins early in hopes of seeing the display flight of the American Woodcock, but the variety of habitats in the park may yield glimpses of many other resident and wintering birds.

As always, everyone is welcome!

2011-02-14T10:22:00.000-05:00

Don't forget: tickets are now on sale for the Wildlife-Friendly Yards Tour, February 26! http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/aud/yardtour.pdf for more info.

Alachua Audubon Society, Inc Wildlife-Friendly Yards Tour , February 26, 2011 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Interested in making your yard more attractive to birds and other wildlife? The Alachua Audubon Society invites you to take a self‐guided tour of several local yards that are wildlife havens. Tickets are $10 per person and will be available for purchase beginning February 1^st at Wild Birds Unlimited. Ticket holders will receive addresses and maps to each location at the time of purchase.

Each yard has unique features to attract a variety of birds and other wildlife such as possible wintering hummingbirds, orioles, finches , wintering sparrows, and other unexpected winged visitors, as well as our year‐round residents. You will be inspired to maintain your own yard or green space for wildlife, whether it is one bird feeder, one nest box, one wildflower bed, one garden path, or one natural area. Make a difference for wildlife, one yard at a time!

Join us for our first annual Wildlife‐Friendly Yards Tour and fundraiser to benefit Alachua Audubon Society. http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/aud/

For more information contact: Ron Robinson 352‐332‐4867

INFORMATION FOR DAY OF TOUR

 Please wear or show wrist band for admission to yards.

 Please do not block driveways.

 Please walk only in designated areas.

 Less noise and motion in the bird feeding areas will result in more wildlife viewing.

 Sorry no public restrooms will be available.

 Additional tickets may be purchased on the day of the tour at sales locations. Exact cash

or check payable to Alachua Audubon Society needed.

 Rain or shine. Dress for weather. Bring binoculars.

 Self‐tour may be conducted in any order.

Wild Birds Unlimited Shop

4215 NW 16th Blvd.

Gainesville, FL 32605

www.wbu.com/gainesville

2011-02-14T10:12:00.000-05:00

1989: The first of 24 satellites that will make up the global positioning system is put into orbit.

GPS revolutionized navigation, both at sea and on land, by providing position reports with unprecedented, pinpoint accuracy. Each satellite is placed in a specific orbit at a specific altitude to ensure that four or five satellites are always within range from any point on the planet. A GPS receiver picks up signals from the satellites and trilaterates the data to fix the position.

This satellite system is so valuable — besides navigation, GPS has applications in mapmaking, land-surveying and the accurate telling of time — that even though it was developed and is maintained by the U.S. Department of Defense, it’s been available since 1993 without charge to anyone, anywhere on Earth.

Although GPS has eliminated the need for determining a ship’s position by shooting the sun or stars, no sailor worthy of the name would put to sea, even now, without the ability to use a sextant. Electronic navigation devices fail, and even GPS isn’t immune to the odd glitch, and the open ocean is a lonely place to be if you don’t know where you are.

2011-02-14T09:42:00.004-05:00

2011-02-14T09:42:00.001-05:00

2011-02-14T09:40:00.001-05:00

2011-02-14T09:39:00.002-05:00

2011-02-14T09:39:00.000-05:00

2011-02-14T09:38:00.000-05:00

2011-02-14T09:37:00.000-05:00

"Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act."

2011-02-14T09:36:00.000-05:00

2011-02-14T09:34:00.003-05:00

Today

Sunny. Highs around 70. West winds 10 to 15 mph.

Tonight

Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 30s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.

Hazardous Weather

Dry conditions and increasing winds will produce an elevated fire danger this afternoon.

Forecast Details

.A sheared upper level short wave trough was approaching the lower Mississippi River Valley with a weakening surface front. Surface high pressure dominated the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Peninsula with a light west-southwest flow across the JAX County Warning Area. Temperatures were in the upper 30s inland to middle 40s coast under clear skies. Temperatures were generally on track for a light freeze inland this morning with areas of frost, provided the winds remain light.

The weak cold front to our north will approach today as the surface ridge retrogrades slightly. The pressure gradient will increase this afternoon in advance of the front, with breezy winds across our Georgia zones with gusts of 25-30 miles per hour possible. Warm westerly surface flow and height rises aloft support warmer highs today near 70 degree all the way to the coast since East Coast sea breeze will be pinned offshore. May see an increase in a few cumulus and cirrus this afternoon as the trough nears, otherwise sunny skies will prevail.

Tonight the front will push south of the area as winds shift north-northeast. Onshore flow will develop by sunrise with warmer lows in the upper 30s inland to 40s coast.

Today's Pollen Levels: 7.2 Medium(on a scale to 12); Predominate Pollen: Juniper,Alder and Oak.

... Red Flag Warning Now In Effect From 11 AM This Morning To 7 PM EST This Evening...

The red flag warning is now in effect from 11 am this morning to 7 PM EST this evening.

West to southwest winds will increase to 10 to 15 mph with gusts to 15 to 20 mph at times. This will combine with minimum relative humidity values in the 25 to 30 % range this afternoon. Durations below 35 % relative humidity of 5 to 7 hours are expected. Thus, a red flag warning has been issued.

For additional information visit the National Weather Service in Jacksonville website on the internet at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jax/

2011-02-14T09:33:00.001-05:00

-------------------------************----------------------

2011-02-12T12:12:00.002-05:00

Groups want panther back in North Florida, South Georgia

2011-02-12T12:10:00.000-05:00

Environmental groups are asking federal wildlife officials to reintroduce panthers into North Florida and South Georgia to help save the endangered species.

Panthers once ranged across the southeast but are now limited to South Florida, where there are fewer than 130 living in the wild. Threats to their survival habitat loss, highways, lack of genetic diversity and human population growth.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission introduced western cougars into the Okefenokee in the 1990s and recaptured them at the end of the study. Biologists said the area could support panthers but there were protests from some Columbia County residents who said they feared predator's reintroduction.

Environmental groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity, said Thursday that scientists have identified the Greater Okefenokee Swamp ecosystem in South Georgia and North Florida, with an abundance of deer and feral hogs for prey, and a top prospect for reintroduction. Panthers also would aid regeneration of the region’s diminished longleaf pine forests by preying on feral hogs that eat pine saplings and seed cones.

“For the Florida panther to have any chance at long-term survival it needs more than one population in South Florida,” said Michael Robinson of the Center for Biological Diversity, the primary author of the petition. “Reintroduction of Florida panthers will aid their recovery and help restore the natural balance in some of the ecosystems in which panthers lived for thousands of years.”

A U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokesman said the Florida Panther Recovery Plan recommends exploring the potential for reintroducing panthers into parts of their historic range but suggests no timetable. The government would have to work with states and the public to determine if reintroduction makes sense, said Ken Warren a public affairs officer in Vero Beach.

Stephen L. Williams of White Springs, president of the Florida Panther Society, said a "limited number of small vocal interests" have prevented reintroduction in North Florida and that surveys show must people support the move.

"I'm saying people in their hearts would like to see this animal survive," Williams said. "There is good scientific reason that it must be done."

(Map by Karl Mussesr, via Wikimedia Commons. Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)

Posted by Bruce Ritchie

2011-02-12T12:05:00.000-05:00

These days, thanks to technological advancements in air and sea travel, crossing the Atlantic is usually no big deal. But crossing the Atlantic by yourself in a kayak? Now that’s still something worth celebrating.

Aleksander Doba, a 64-year-old native of Poland, took off from Dakar, capital of the west African nation of Senegal, back on Oct. 26. After 98 days, 23 hours, 42 minutes at sea, Doba and his custom 23-foot-long, 39-inch-wide human-powered kayak landed at Acaraú, a city on Brazil’s northeast coast. The trip covered some 3,320 miles in all, and Doba became only the fourth known person to accomplish such a feat, and the very first to do it nonstop.

Of course, Doba encountered his fair share of obstacles along the way — age, a broken desalination unit, 20-foot swells and stifling equatorial heat — but none of that would deter him, as he survived on dehydrated food products, candy and fish (which he caught along the way). He also made time to collect rainwater for drinking, communicate by sat phone (recharged by solar panels lining his vessel), and even send out a few tweets.

Incredibly, Doba (a former champion white-water kayaker) averaged only some 34 miles a day, and his average speed for the entire trip was only 1.4 miles per hour. That requires a lot of patience for someone with no access to help or medical aid if something happened to him. But Doba had no major health problems when he arrived in Brazil last week, having seemingly drifted in from nowhere.

And, of course, after arriving back on dry land, Doba did what any self-respecting Brazil-bound kayaker who’d been out on the ocean for 99 days would do: He had a Bohemia beer.

2011-02-12T12:02:00.001-05:00

Alachua Humane
We Moved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are in our new facility and open 10 to 6 Monday through Saturday; 1 to 6 on Sunday.
The animals have settled in nicely and we can almost find our way around.

Come see us!

2011-02-12T12:01:00.002-05:00

Waldo Farmer's and Flea Market

Valentine's Day is MONDAY!!

Come out on to the Waldo Flea Market and pick up that last minute Valentine's gift for your sweetheart!!

We have many items from puppies to clothing. Make sure and stop by and visit us!!! Sat & Sun 8 am- 4:30 pm.

2011-02-12T12:00:00.002-05:00

Alachua County Animal Services

We're so excited for our big Open House today!

We'll have tons of dogs and cats for adoption (adoptions begin at 9:30 am), adoption fees are $45 for dogs and only $5 for cats!

From 1-4 pm, we're having a bake sale, silent auction, food and beverages, vendors (including Sweet Paws Bakery, Town and Country Vet, Camp Marlin Daycare (with free day passes for newly adopted dogs), etc.), professional dog trainers, and more.

We hope to find loving new homes for the dogs and cats and earn some money for our volunteer program. Come on by!

2011-02-12T11:59:00.000-05:00

2011-02-12T11:57:00.002-05:00

2011-02-12T10:59:00.004-05:00

"If money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security that a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability."

2011-02-12T10:59:00.000-05:00

2011-02-12T10:57:00.000-05:00

Today

Sunny. Highs in the upper 50s. North winds 10 to 15 mph.

Tonight

Clear. Areas of frost after midnight. Lows in the upper 20s. Northwest winds 5 mph.

Tomorrow

Areas of frost before 8 am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 65. Wind chill values as low as 27 early. Calm wind becoming west between 5 and 8 mph.

Tomorrow Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 34. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Hazardous Weather

High pressure over the gulf coast region will result in a dry and cooler air mass over the local area this weekend. Freezing temperatures are expected across much of southeast Georgia and inland northeast Florida tonight.

A freeze watch is in effect for much of inland northeast Florida tonight west of the Saint Johns River. A few locations across the Suwanee river valley may near hard freeze conditions for a brief period early Sunday morning. widespread to areas of frost are expected.

Forecast Details

A sheared upper level trough was pressing east while still digging across the eastern Continental United States . A thin band of cirrus was over the local county warning area on the south side of the southern stream jet. In the low levels, low pressure was tracking north northeast of the Carolina coast while a surface high pressure was centered over the gulf coast states. A lee side Appalachian trough was noted in the MSAS analysis and this feature could bring some gusty and cool northerly winds across our county warning area this afternoon as it moves east southeast over the Atlantic.

Local temperatures ranged from the low/mid 30s across our western Georgia zones this hour to low 40s along the Florida Atlantic coast. winds were light and west northwest 5 kts or less. most areas were calm. Given good radiational cooling conditions and very wet grounds, expect areas to widespread frost this morning across most inland areas.

Clear skies, cool temperatures and inland freezes are expected today through Monday as surface high pressure dominates to our west. Highs will moderate from the mid 50s/low 60s today to the low/mid 60s sun. since subsidence will be stronger over the area tonight and drier air more entrenched, leaned on the cooler side of guidance and under-cut slightly across our inland zones. This yields a more widespread freeze event for our inland Florida zones tonight and have therefore expanded the freeze watch for all our inland Florida zones less St. Johns and Flagler. Probability grids suggest about a 40-50% of a marginal hard freeze event across our Suwanee valley zones tonight. A this time durations of hard freeze temperatures seem too marginal for a hard freeze watch. Areas of frost are expected once again tonight.

Update

Large high pressure ridge dominates across the southern US from Texas to Florida with a broad middle/upper trough over the eastern US and middle/upper ridge in the western Continental US. dry and stable conditions today with 12z JAX sounding showing incredibly dry conditions with precipitable water of 0.08 inches. Sunny conditions with northwest to north winds around 10-15 miles per hour expected today. Highs forecast to reach the upper 50s to near 60. No changes to the forecast other than to remove freeze warning for inland northeast Florida counties this morning. A freeze watch remains in effect for most of northeast Florida tonight as clear skies and the cold air mass promote good radiational cooling with minimums from middle 20s to near 30.

Today's Pollen Levels: 6.3 Medium(on a scale to 12); Predominate Pollen: Juniper.

... Red Flag Warning Remains In Effect From 10 AM This Morning To 7 PM EST This Evening...
... Fire Weather Watch Now In Effect From Late Sunday Morning Through Early Sunday Evening...

The Fire Weather Watch is now in effect from late Sunday morning through early Sunday evening. A red flag warning remains in effect from 10 am this morning to 7 PM EST this evening.

Today, much drier air mass settling over the region will allow minimum relative humidity values to bottom out in the 20 to 25 % range this afternoon. Relative humidity values are expected to drop below 35 % for a duration of 6 to 8 hours.

Northwest winds will increase to 10 to 15 mph with occasional gusts up to 20 mph at times.
Sunday, dry air mass over the region will allow minimum relative humidity values to bottom out around 25 % Sunday afternoon. Relative humidity values are expected to drop below 35 % for a duration of 5 to 7 hours.

... Freeze Watch Remains In Effect From Late Tonight Through Sunday Morning...

A freeze watch remains in effect from late tonight through Sunday morning.

Sub-freezing temperatures are expected for 5 to 7 hours tonight with minimum values in the upper 20s. Areas of frost are expected.

For additional information visit the National Weather Service in Jacksonville website on the internet at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jax/

2011-02-12T10:52:00.001-05:00

-------------------------************----------------------

2011-02-11T11:39:00.002-05:00

photograph of Henry Ford, Thomas Alva Edison, and Harvey Samuel Firestone- the fathers of modernity.

Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) was an American inventor, scientist, and businessman who developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb.

Dubbed "The Wizard of Menlo Park" (now Edison, New Jersey) by a newspaper reporter, he was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of mass production and large teamwork to the process of invention, and therefore is often credited with the creation of the first industrial research laboratory.

Edison is considered one of the most prolific inventors in history, holding 1,093 US patents in his name, as well as many patents in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. He is credited with numerous inventions that contributed to mass communication and, in particular, telecommunications. These included a stock ticker, a mechanical vote recorder, a battery for an electric car, electrical power, recorded music and motion pictures.

His advanced work in these fields was an outgrowth of his early career as a telegraph operator. Edison originated the concept and implementation of electric-power generation and distribution to homes, businesses, and factories – a crucial development in the modern industrialized world. His first power station was on Manhattan Island, New York.

Despite the role of scientist and inventor being largely unglamorous, Thomas Edison and his tumultuous relationship with fellow inventor Nikola Tesla have been fodder for everything from books, to comics, to movies, and video games.