Monthly Archives: June 2017

Amazon just acquired a training ground for retail artificial intelligence research – GeekWire

Posted: June 17, 2017 at 2:09 pm

(Whole Foods photo)

Amazon didnt acquire an iconic grocery store brand just for the quinoa: Whole Foods operates hundreds of retail data mines, and Amazon just married a world-class artificial intelligence team with one of the best sources of in-store consumer shopping data in the U.S.

There are lots of reasons, to be sure, why Amazon would want to spend $13.7 billion on Whole Foods. But the quintessential online retailer has been trying to establish a physical store presence for a few years now, and with one big check, it will now control more than 400 sources of prime data on consumer behavior.

Big-box grocery stores are easy sources of data on human purchasing behavior. Any modern retail outlet monitors activity such as customer flow through the aisles, brand affinity, and, of course, the customer loyalty cards that do as good a job of profiling a person as anything. After all, you are what you eat.

Obviously, Amazon already collects a ton of data on consumer purchasing behavior, but its relatively new to groceries and brick-and-mortar retail in general. Whole Foods instantly gives Amazon a reliable source of the purchasing habits of well-off Americans, and that data can be used to train artificial intelligence models that will allow retailers to better predict demand and someday automate much of the labor involved in grocery retailing, no matter what the company said Friday about layoffs.

As Amazons Swami Sivasubramanian explained at our GeekWire Cloud Tech Summit last week, Amazon has thousands of engineers focused on AI, and a lot of that work goes toward making Amazons fulfilment centers more efficient and toward giving Amazon Web Services customers access to cutting-edge artificial intelligence models theyd never be able to build on their own.

Amazon just acquired a company that can improve its AI models on both of those counts. The logistics of shipping fresh food around the country are not easy, and that generates a ton of specialized data that Amazon can use to improve its own distribution strategies as well as build a cloud retail AI product for AWS customers.

Investing in big data products just isnt enough any more for retailers. Artificial intelligence models are going to dictate how products are sold over the next decade, and there are only a few companies with the expertise and data sets necessary to build those models at scale.

A few years down the road, if youre an established but aging grocery brand say Safeway or Albertsons or Publix (try the subs) youll either watch Amazon and Whole Foods eat your lunch with improved efficiency and incredible reach, or youll become an AWS customer because youll need the retail AI products that could emerge from this deal to compete.

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Three barriers to artificial intelligence adoption – ModernMedicine

Posted: at 2:09 pm

Artificial intelligence (AI) will play a major role in healthcare digital transformation, according to new research.

The study, Human Amplification in the Enterprise, surveyed more than 1,000 business leaders from organizations of more than 1,000 employees, with $500 million or more annual revenue and from a range of sectors, all in the U.S.

Survey respondents from the healthcare sectorindicated that the following AI-supported activities will play a significant role in their transformations: Machine learning (77%), robotic automation (61%), institutionalization of enterprise knowledge using AI (59%), cognitive AI-led processes or tasks (50%) and automated predictive analytics (47%).

The research also found that almost half of the respondentsin healthcareindicate their organizations priorities for automation initiatives is to automate processes to:

Dalwani

This suggests that many processes in the healthcare sector are still manual-driven and produce a high volume of errors as a result, says Sanjay Dalwani, vice president and head of hospital and healthcare at Infosys.

The survey found that 73% of respondents want AI to process complete structured and unstructured data and to automate insights-led decisions. It also found that 72% want AI to provide human-like recommendations for automated customer support/advice.

More widely,healthcare sectorrespondents shared that the top three digital transformation goals of their organizations are to build an innovation culture (65%), build a mobile enterprise (63%) and become more agile and customer-centric (58%).

The findings underscore that healthcare organizations are well on their way with starting to work alongside AI to selectively use it to inform and improve patient care, Dalwani says. However, in this process, its pertinent that the industry establishes ethical standards as well as metrics to assess the performance of AI systems.

The study also indicates that as automation becomes more widely adopted in healthcare, employees will be retrained for higher-value work, according to Dalwani. Healthcare organizations can benefit from redirecting a section of this talent to managing and ensuring ethical use of AI, he says.

Even though the majority of enterprises in the healthcare and life sciences sector are undergoing digital transformation, few have fully accomplished their goals. This is due to three primary reasons, according to Dalwani:

Lack of time (64%)

Lack of collaboration amongst teams (63%)

Lack of data-led insights on demand (61%)

Furthermore, when healthcare IT professionals were asked about the challenges of adopting more AI-supported activities as component of their digital transformation initiatives, 78% of respondents indicated lack of financial resources, 78% state lack of in-house knowledge and skills around the technology and 66% say theres a lack of clarity regarding the value proposition of AI, according to the study.

This suggests that the healthcare IT sector still has a long way to go in terms of AI buy-in, Dalwani says. Until more senior level IT-decision makers are bought into the benefits of bringing AI to healthcare, teams wont have access to the proper resources to support full-scale implementations.

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Achieving immortality through good cinema – The Navhind Times

Posted: at 2:08 pm

Danuska Da Gama I NT BUZZ

Miransha Naik looks like a teenage boy studying in college, or perhaps the more clichd guy who is enjoying his life. Looks are deceptive, but, on a serious note he is thoroughly enjoying his life, doing what he is most passionate about: making films and is very successful at it.

Juze had its world premiere at the Hong Kong international film festival and will soon have the European premiere at Karlovy Vary Film Festival which will be held from June 30 to July 8, 2017 in Czech Republic. An India-France-Netherlands co-production, the film reveals harsh social undercurrents in Goa, set around exploited migrant workers and their abusive employer cum land lord.

For Miransha, it is teamwork which is paying off and much more, for it is a Konkani film thats getting worldwide exposure. It was in November 2015 that Miransha while talking to NT BUZZ had said: Oddly we are of the belief that the only way for Konkani cinema or projects like this to be financially and commercially viable is to have a strong international (universal) appeal. It is vital for films to do good business outside India so that we do not have to compromise on quality for the sake of money.

Excerpts from an interview

Q: Youve been globetrotting various international film festivals with your debut film Juze. From the time you conceptualised the film until now, can you describe the various feelings, exciting parts and milestones of this journey for us.

Though there are lots of different feelings and exciting parts right from writing, to shooting to finally seeing the film on the big screen, the one Id like to share is when we were sitting among the audience in Hong Kong and hearing them clap for you after watching the film. Most of the filmmakers achieve that but I bet to each and everyone it is the most memorable one as the Hong Kong Film Festival is considered to be among the top 10 globally.

Q: How important was it for you to make this film; more so because its an unconventional story that is so different from the Goa perceived?

When I decided to make the movie I wasnt really thinking of anything and thats the integrity of this film. I just wanted to tell a story which excited me and was very sure it would be interesting for others too.

Q: Im sure the glory surrounded with Juze wont fade off so soon. But for a filmmaker who has a benchmark set now, whats next?

I already have my next script ready, which was part of the Three Rivers script lab in Italy last year. Its about a forced marriage where the husband cant get over the fact that his wife is not a virgin. There are a few producers who are trying to push the project and if all goes according to the plan, we will start shooting early October.

Q: Youve been described by some of your actors, as a one of a kind of a film director, whose thought process and vision is exceptional. What is it like when youre on the set? What do you look for?

I have made two short films Ram and Shezari before the feature film Juze. After every shoot, when I sit back and think about the times I have spent on the set, most of the times I feel very proud but at the same time theres slight guilt too. Proud, because I end up delivering a decent product and guilt is because I become this very cruel, selfish and a very insensitive person to each and everything, except the film. But, Ive always been blessed with a great team, especially the actors, who worked long hours in difficult conditions, got physically hurt and still gave me the shots I wanted for the film.

Q: What is your philosophy in life that influences your work or is a reflection of what you deeply believe in? How do you try to subvert, rebel or deliberately showcase something?

The sole purpose of filmmaking for me is to tell an engaging story. I never ever deliberately incorporate anything even in a single scene at the cost of flow of the film. If the philosophy I believe in belongs in the screenplay, the plot or the characters will make its own way for it.

Q: How have your roots influenced your art?

They say most of the good stories come from your personal experience and observations. All the stories Ive written have come from my surroundings. Even the happiest of the places would have darkest dramas hidden. I like to capture the entertainment, which are not always laughs and happy endings.

Q: While majority of an audience goes to watch a film for entertainment, there are also those who prefer serious, parallel cinema. As a film director what kind of films do you wish to make and how would you like to engage the audience differently?

As I said before entertainment for me is not only comedy or thriller or a beautiful love story. As far as you have the audience hooked to the story and the characters long after theyve left the cinema halls, the filmmaker has achieved immortality. Thats the kind of cinema I like and would prefer to make.

As a film director, if given a choice what would you prefer freedom or respect?

Freedom!

Q: And why?

The one who doesnt have freedom wont have respect and artists have to have respect.

Q: What makes a great film for you? Any particular qualities that make a film better for you?

The one loved by the audience. Not every film is made for the masses. Even if you have a niche market, the audiences still have to like your film. A good story acted well makes it better, while the rest is a bonus.

Q: Also, what is it that you like and dislike most about Indian cinema and the same about world cinema?

Though I prefer serious kind of cinema, I also enjoy Bollywood very much. Every now and then there are good commercial films made in Bollywood, which I dont miss out watching. As for parallel cinema, India is doing really well especially in last few years. Unfortunately for me thats not the case with America. They used to make movies, now they make McDonalds. Very rarely you get to see a good movie coming out from Hollywood studios but when it comes to a technically rich film, I dont think theres any match to them.

One nation, which has been consistently making good films, is Iran, and Im a big fan of Iranian cinema. On the other hand Europe is home for art house cinema.

Q: Lets go back to the choice of you becoming a film maker how easy or difficult was it when you decided on the choice of career?

My love for watching movies and the urge to tell stories got me into filmmaking. Its a constant struggle but when I see a millionaire, businessman, or any professional head I never envy them.

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The confounding world of Cryonics, and the Kiwi scientists trying to make it a charitable pursuit – Stuff.co.nz

Posted: at 2:07 pm

NICOLE LAWTON

Last updated05:00, June 18 2017

CHRIS MCKEEN/FAIRFAX NZ

Stem cells, skin, red blood cells and platelets are all frozen in liquid nitrogen freezer at the New Zealand Blood Service for later use - but not whole bodies.

Cryonics, the practice of deep-freezing bodies, remains a controversial area of research with many scientists in New Zealand reluctant to wade into the freezer.

Not surprisingly, the art of filling the deceased with antifreeze, suspending them in liquid nitrogen in the vain hopes that scientific break-throughs will one day reanimate them and cure them isnot an accepted academic discipline New Zealand, and therefore isn't pursued in any official capacity.

But that hasn't stopped a few individuals from trying.

CHRIS MCKEEN/FAIRFAX NZ

Dr Richard Charlewood, is the medical director of the national tissue bank, run by the New Zealand Blood Service.

Two New Zealand foundations -The Foundation for Anti-aging Research and the Foundation for Reversal of Solid State Hypothermia - were given the cold shoulder in 2013 when applying to be considered a charity from the Charities Registration Boards (CRB).

READ MORE: Kiwi'sbody hangs upside-down in a -196C vat

The board rejected the foundations on the basis that cryonics was not an accepted academic discipline based on the lack, in mainstream science, of feasibility and benefits of the research.

This decision was then successfully appealed in october 2016 - when Justice Rebecca Ellis found cryonics research to fall squarely under the 'advancement of education' heading and therefore had 'charitable purpose'.

She said there was evidence that the proposed research was likely to lead to advances in areas such as organ transplant medicine, stem cell research, and treating a range of diseases and disorders.

The listed officers and trustees for both foundations have addresses Monaco, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Others, Saul Kent and William Faloon bought an old church in downtown Hollywood in 2013 for $880,000 and founded the Church of Perpetual Life.

The pair are big were the cryonics world and both personally signed up for their shot at eternal life.

Nothing has been heard from the foundations since the CRB appeal and all attempts to contact the trustees were unsuccessful.

The closet thing that happens to freezing humans in New Zealand is cryogenically freezing tissue through the tissue banks of the New Zealand Blood Service.

Stem cells, skin, red blood cells and platelets are all submerged in a cryoprotectant and frozen to liquid nitrogen temperatures of around negative 196 degrees Celsius - for later human use.

"The skin cells last for up to 5 years, and stem cells up to ten years," said Richard Charlewood, the national tissue bank's medical director.

"We don't like keeping it for any longer than that because most of the studies only go up as far as ten years.

"At liquid nitrogen temperatures very little is actually happening at molecular level. So it's possible that they would be fine well beyond ten years, we just don't know for sure."

Charlewood said when cryo-preserving, the key thing is to get the cryoprotectant into all the cells that you want to keep alive, otherwise the formation of ice crystals can burst the cells and kill them.

"In terms of whole body freezing, my understanding is that you have to get the cryo-protectant to all the cells in the body, so you'd have to pump it around the body really thoroughly."

Fertility specialists in New Zealand also offer cryogenic preservation of eggs, ovarian tissue, sperm and embryos for reproductively-challenged patients who wish to conceive later.

Otago University's associate professor in botany, David Burritt, also regularly employs cryopreservation in his line of study.

Ina 2016 research paper he said cryopreservation was a great method for long-term storage ofreproductive plant material - such as seeds, pollen, dormant buds, shoot tips, embryos, or isolated plant cells or tissues.

"Plant material is first preconditioned, using chemical and physical treatments, so that it remains viable when it is frozen and during ultra-low temperature storage."

"Following re-warming, seeds and embryos can germinate, buds or shoot tips can be induced to grow, and whole plants can be regenerated from cryopreserved cells or tissues."

He said the samples could, in theory, be conserved indefinitely as "no metabolic activity occurs at these ultra-low temperatures."

'Cryobanking' enables large numbers of important crops, such as wheat, potato and various fruit and forest trees, to be cryopreserved, rewarmed and then allowed to grow into complete plants.

In March, scientists in the UK succeeded in cryogenically freezing and rewarming sections of heart tissue for the first time, in an advance that could pave the way for organs to be stored for months or years.

-Sunday Star Times

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Recipes – Healthy Eats (blog)

Posted: at 2:07 pm

Incorporating more meatless meals into your diet is a great way to boost health. Research shows that eating more plant-based foods and less animal products can reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and even some cancers. However, whether you choose to eat this way part-time or all of the time, there are a few nutrients that need more planning to ensure you are getting enough. Luckily, there many whole food sources, fortified foods, and supplements to ensure you are meeting the daily nutrient requirements. If you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, or plan on switching any time soon, be mindful of these 6 nutrients.

Vitamin B-12

Vitamin B12, found primarily in animal products, is needed for production of DNA and maintaining nerve cells. A deficiency can cause megaloblastic anemia and nerve damage, among other problems. Therefore, a reliable source of B-12 is essential, especially for vegans, in order to prevent deficiency. Since fortified foods vary greatly in the amount of B12 they supply, a daily supplement is recommended instead.

Calcium

Calcium needs can be easily met without animal products since calcium-rich foods are found in all food groups. Vegan sources include leafy greens, calcium-set tofu, soybeans, tempeh, dried figs, almonds, tahini, broccoli and chickpeas, as well as fortified foods.

Vitamin D

Also known as the sunshine vitamin, this is one nutrient that we dont need to obtain directly from our diets during summer months. When the suns UV-B rays hit the skin, a reaction takes place that triggers skin cells to manufacture vitamin D. You dont need much, as fair-skinned individuals can produce up to 10,000 IUs of the vitamin with just 10 minutes of exposure. However, depending on your skin tone, where you live and the time of year, this amount can be harder to obtain directly from sunlight. Plant-based sources of vitamin D include fortified plant-based milks, tofu, some mushrooms, fortified breakfast cereals and orange juice with calcium.

Iron

Iron is found in two forms, heme and non-heme iron. Heme iron, found predominately in meat, poultry, and fish, is well absorbed. Non-heme iron, found in plant foods like fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts is less well absorbed. As plant-based diets only contain non-heme iron, vegans especially should include foods that are high in iron and include techniques that can promote iron absorption. These include sprouting, soaking, and fermenting as well as including a Vitamin-C rich food source. Plant-based sources of iron include chickpeas, lentils, tofu, whole and enriched grain products, raisins, figs, pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds and broccoli.

Omega-3s

Omega-3 fatty acids provide the building blocks for the brain, nervous system, and cell membranes. Vegetarians and vegan may have difficulty balancing the amount of essential fatty acids and intake of omega-3 fats. Unlike omega-6 fatty acids, omega-3 fatty acids are less common in food, making it easy to be deficient in this important nutrient. Good sources of omega-3 ALAs are found flax seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, leafy greens, soybeans, and wheat germ. If these are not included regularly, supplementing with an algae-derived DHA/EPA supplement is encouraged.

Zinc

The main sources of zinc in the diet are usually animal products, followed by fortified cereals. However, many plant foods do contain zinc. Being mindful of incorporating these foods into your diet is important, especially since phytates in plant-foods can inhibit some of their absorption. However, the effects of phytates can be lowered through fermentation, soaking, and boiling root vegetables. Good sources of zinc include tofu, tempeh, pumpkin, black beans, chickpeas, lentils, oatmeal, tahini and cashews.

Alex Caspero MA, RD, RYT is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Yoga Teacher. She is the founder of Delish Knowledge (delishknowledge.com), a resource for healthy, whole-food vegetarian recipes. In her private coaching practice, she helps individuals find their Happy Weight.

*This article was written and/or reviewed by an independent registered dietitian nutritionist.

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CNO Richardson: Perry Frigates Only Inactive Hulls Navy … – USNI News

Posted: at 2:07 pm

Sailors assigned to the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate USS Elrod (FFG-55) pose for a photo in front of the ship before her decommissioning ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk in 2015. US Navy Photo

WASHINGTON, D.C. While all options are on the table in the Navys push to field a 355-ship fleet, when it comes toreactivating ships in the inactive fleet, the service is realistically only looking at seven decommissioned Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates (FFG-7), Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson told USNI News on Thursday.

Since the December reveal of the Navys new fleet size goal, calls have come from some analysts to reactivate three older Ticonderoga-class cruisers (CG-47) that have been sidelined for more than a dozen years or the conventionally powered Kitty Hawk (CV-63) aircraft carrier.

In the 1980s, the service reactivated ships from the inactive fleet as part of the Reagan Administrations drive to a 600-ship Navy most notably the four Iowa-class battleships (BB-61) from World War II.

The Navy has about 50 warships in the inactive fleet, but so far only the Perrys are seriously being studied for reactivation, Richardson said following a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He first mentioned the possibility of reactivating Perrys earlier this week during a presentation at the Naval War College.

Bringing those back were examining it and we dont want to overlook any options, but really on the face of it its going to be very complicated, he said. As a ship class comes to the end of its life, its not like were pouring a lot of money into keeping that class modernized. Although the last of the frigates were decommissioned a couple of years ago, weve really stopped modernizing far before that because we just wanted to bring it to a graceful end and there were better places to spend our money at the time.

Rather, the Navy is looking at what it could do now to extend the life of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers (DDG-51) past an expected service life of 35 years, in a more realistic bid to keep up the fleet size.

The DDG life extension plan would prompt a reexamination of key decisions the Navy has made over the last few years on the mid-life modernization of the Burke class.

The Navy elected not to modernize the Aegis Combat Systems of some of the earlier Burkes as a cost-savings measure and instead just executed hull, mechanical and engineering upgrades.

The Baseline 9 combat system upgrade replaces the 1980s-era computer infrastructure of the combat system with faster and more easily upgraded commercial servers, an additional signal processor that allows the ship to fight both traditional air and ballistic missile threats, and a networking capability that allows data to flow from the upgraded destroyer to other ships and aircraft.

How extensively the Navy will take a second look at the DDG upgrade schedule or combat system modernization plan is also being evaluated, Richardson said.

Its the same cost-benefit tradeoff [as the frigates]. You take a look at how much more life might we get, and if its a significant period of time then it might be worth investing in the combat system to modernize and well take it from there, he said. Everything has to be on the table, and I want to understand the entire decision space and that entire landscape.

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The Most Intimate Symbol: Jan Swafford on Classical Music – lareviewofbooks

Posted: at 2:06 pm

JUNE 17, 2017

THE MASSACHUSETTS-BASED writer, teacher, and composer Jan Swafford is famed for his biographies of Beethoven, Brahms, and Charles Ives, as well as his beloved Vintage Guide to Classical Music. Basic Books has just published Language of the Spirit: An Introduction to Classical Music, a clear and lively book that does exactly what it promises, in a series of chapters built on historical periods and individual composers.

The following interview was conducted over email, shortly after Language of the Spirit was released.

SCOTT TIMBERG: There have been, over the decades, numerous tomes on classical music. What kind of gap does yours fill?

JAN SWAFFORD: My old Vintage Guide was aimed at adult music lovers or potential ones, and also at schools. Language of the Spirit is mainly aimed at schools, secondly at adults. I imagine there have always been books for music classes the old Joseph Machlis book, The Enjoyment of Music, went through several editions and, modified by other hands, is still around. Aaron Copland did his bit with What to Listen for in Music. I wanted to write a similarkind of thing in a more lively, humanistic, and entertaining way. At the same time, the book is written by a practicing musician and composer who looks at the profession from the inside. My basic assumption is that this music is not some grand abstraction, not an adjunct to a lifestyle, but a special and profound kind of communication among people; its main impact is not intellectual but emotional. If the book has a central message, I suppose thats it.

Decades ago, books, courses, and television programs on serious music, visual art, and the like were plentiful Leonard Bernsteins Young Peoples Concerts, Kenneth Clarks Civilisation, and so on. Has that approach dropped out of the mainstream in a world of postmodern niches, the demotion of high culture, and constant digital connection?

Ill reply with a story. My mother was a high school English teacher much involved with poetry and literature. When I was cleaning out the house after she died, I found stacks of articles on major literary figures Eliot, Frost, et al that were mostly torn out of Life and Time magazines, which, at the time, were enormously popular, omnipresent. Every week Time had a classical music piece. People like Hemingway and Eliot were regularly on the cover. Whats on the coverof magazines in print and online these days? Rock stars and movie stars. TV began in the 50s with vastly ambitious ideas about public education featuring people like Bernstein on the networks, before public television. Clark was later, on the BBC and PBS, but PBS doesnt really do things of that scope anymore. The reasons are obvious, all having to do with money.

So yeah, theres been a gigantic dumbing-down of the culture. In the United States, its moving toward the point where pop culture may be the only culture left, with everything else having to suck up to it. I think thats a bad situation, obviously. On the other side of the coin, orchestras still exist, even if they arent exactly thriving (partly because the players are getting paid better). But theyre still there. Mozart still sells out Boston Symphony Hall, there are hundreds of chamber concerts, and millions are listening to classical music on Spotify and YouTube, in unpredictable ways. Classical music is a lousy profession, but it always has been. And it has always needed some kind of subsidy to exist just like railroads.

Can you tell us about a composer who demonstrated not just a long, but a protean, multichaptered career, on the order of a Miles Davis or Bob Dylan? What personal talents and social conditions made that possible?

Somebody who had a long, strongcareer, from beginning to end Certainly Ives was multichaptered and protean, but he was largely felled by illness in his 40s. Saint-Sans was a prodigy who had a gigantic career born in 1835 and died in 1921 and I think he wrote books on science, but he was basically a brilliant second-rater. I guess the best answer is Schoenberg and Stravinsky, who both got started early, were prolific through long lives, and went through significant evolutions within them. And they both wrote first-rate stuff into old age. But maybe the champ was Bach, brilliant from his teens, writing lasting work from his early 20s, and ending with his most profound music the B-minor Mass and Art of Fugue.

By contrast, is there a major composer with a very brief heyday not someone who died young like Schubert, but someone whose genius seemed to come and go quite quickly? What happened to him?

I wonder whether the answer here isnt Mendelssohn, who wrote some of his best music in his teens and, from that point, gradually ran out of inspiration until his death, mostly from overwork, at 38.

From your perch amid the ancient forests and verdant river valleys of New England, how vital does the classical music in Southern California and on the West Coast seem in the 21st century?

Dont know much about the SoCal scene, except that I had a gig with the LA Phil last year and they sounded splendid. I dont actually, as it were, like Disney Hall, or any other Gehry, but the Halls acoustics are fabulous. And there were good crowds for the all-Beethoven series. Besides that, Disney Hall began a massive upscaling of the neighborhood around it, which Im told was a dump but now has museums, schools, restaurants, et cetera.

Your writing is known for the parallels you draw between classical music and other fields, especially art, architecture, and intellectual history. Why do you find these metaphors useful?

Theyre not metaphors to me theyre direct connections. I believe theres such a thing as a zeitgeist, which is a matter of something in the air that affects everybody, and artists in whatever discipline are part of the zeitgeist. Im not particularly mystical about it, but a time has a character. Freud influenced everything, helped create the Austro-German fin-de-sicle zeitgeist, even for the people who never read him. I think Faulkner was influenced by Einsteinian relativity, though he could not have read Einstein, and by Freud, though he never read Freud.

In my early 20s, I imagined a choral piece based on vowels and their connection to the names of gods which came to pass, not in a piece of mine but in Karlheinz Stockhausens Stimmung, which Id never heard. It was an idea in the air. So again, the connections between the arts and intellectual and political and religious history are real, not metaphorical. Art comes from life and returns to life, and music is no exception.

In your teaching and dealing with civilians, does there seem to be a composer or historical period that serves as a gateway drug to the larger world of classical music?

No. I tend to pick out irresistible works from any period and play those everything from Carissimis Jephte to Bachs Sheep May Safely Graze to Mozarts Elvira Madigan slow movement to Mussorgskys Great Gate of Kiev to The Rite of Spring to Ivess Psalm 67.

What writers on music, or on the arts in general, do you admire and suspect may have shaped your style and approach?

When I was first doing music journalism I primed myself with G. B. Shaws music criticism, which is the best inspiration I know. Hes the main reason I cant call myself the best music writer in English. (There are other reasons.) At the moment I cant think of much else. And when Id developed a voice as a writer, I didnt need to read Shaw anymore.

I read a lot of James Agees film criticism, too, which helped: The picture deserves, like four out of five other movies, to walk alone, tinkle a little bell, and cry Unclean, Unclean. Agee showed me the value of a zinger line. Likewise, Anthony Lane. The best zinger I know is from Thoreau: The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. That line went through some eight drafts, all of which said the same thing, but only of them said it for the ages.

Is there a composer or piece that, rather than growing stale or familiar over the decades, retains and deepens its fascination?

My first choice is Bachs B-minor Mass, because, for about 50 years, Ive found it incomparable from beginning to end. Meanwhile, as these things do, its changed for me as Ive changed. Also the Beethoven Missa solemnis, which I first got to know in high school (maybe the first score I ever owned), and is enormously complex and multifaceted, hard to take in at first, but sublime when youve managed to get a handle on it. Ivess Fourth Symphony fascinated me from the beginning and has only grown since (while Ive burned out on some other Ives pieces).

Lets start where it all began, with the origins of music: What does it tell us that every human society, past and present, East and West, has some kind of music? (And most, I think, use something resembling the pentatonic scale.) Do you have any hunches as to why this practice, which has no clear evolutionary or territorial benefit, would arise and persist?

As Ive said in print, I think humans are innately musical, and that music evolved with us, alongside language and at first there may have been little difference between music and words and religion. But as I also write, single-celled animals respond to sound, so the idea that sound in itself is meaningful begins at the cellular level, and, from there, goes up to the highest brain functions. And also heart and soul functions. Its built into us.

If Susanne Langer is right, symbolic responses are built into us too, so we innately respond to all sound, including music, as if it were a symbol of something. That means, among other things, that instrumental music, without words, is the most intimate and personal kind of symbol, because what you bring to it is what you, in particular, are. Thats true of all art, but I think more so of abstract music, which we dont perceive as abstract at all.

Scott Timberg is the editor of The Misread City: New Literary Los Angeles and author of Culture Crash: The Killing of the Creative Class.

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Summit County leaders pass resolution supporting public lands and national monuments – The Park Record

Posted: at 2:05 pm

Wednesday, Summit County Council members agreed to join Salt Lake City and Castle Valley in passing a resolution urging Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and state legislators to stop using taxpayers' money to fund the transfer of control of public lands to the state.

The council unanimously approved the resolution, which recognizes the "value of federal public lands to Summit County's economy, recreation, heritage and quality of life." Nine people cheered and applauded the decision, including Becky Yih, a Kimball Junction-area resident and volunteer with the campaign "Keep Public Lands in Public Hands."

"It's a statement in favor of preserving the land as it is and listening to the native voices," Yih said. "I think it will bolster efforts in other areas and might trigger other cities and counties to take the same stance."

The resolution states that any loss of access to public lands would have "damaging consequences" for the county's economy, residents and visitors. Additionally, the resolution stresses how the transfer of the county's federal lands would undermine the county's ongoing investment in its open space programs.

"I want to remind you that of all the communication you have received is in support of this resolution and opposed to the transfer of public lands to the state," said Janna Young, director of intergovernmental affairs.

As part of the resolution, the county offered its support for the continued designation of the state's national monuments, including Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante.

"Summit County has a rich history of multiple use of public lands in support of an agricultural-and natural resource-based economy and more recently, a significant recreation-focused economy," the resolution stated. "Since 1998, the travel and tourism sector has steadily held approximately half of the countys total private employment and a significant portion of Summit Countys economic livelihood rests on having an active and desirable natural resources, recreation and tourism industry."

Yih said she became involved in the public lands discussion in 2016 after several state legislators wrote a column for the Salt Lake Tribune explaining their reasons for wanting to return control of federal lands to the state.

"They didn't say anything about recreation or the value of public lands. They said it is to develop commerce and that totally incensed me," Yih said. "Senators Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee don't represent me. But, I think, by the Summit County Council being willing to stand up for this, they are representing me and the rest of us who value these lands."

Yih further commended the County Council's consideration of pulling out of U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) public lands initiative, which has been heavily criticized by the groups who oppose the transfer of public lands. County Council members have not decided whether they want to maintain the county's involvement with the bill or pursue a separate piece of legislation, which will include Wednesday's resolution.

"The county had already tried to work with Rob Bishop and just say, 'OK we can give a little here if you'll give a little,' which he didn't," Yih said. "But by getting a group of entities to make a resolution similar to this, it at least lets the state know they will receive some pushback on the $14 million lawsuit and Public Lands Initiative."

County Council member Kim Carson said councilors had received approximately 75 emails supporting the resolution prior to the meeting.

"I just want to thank you for your input and thank everyone who sent in comments," Carson said.

To view the resolution, go to http://summitcounty.org/DocumentCenter/View/5697.

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Take Your Business to the Next Level with Marketing Automation Software – Small Business Trends

Posted: at 2:04 pm

Marketing your small business, whether online or off, is a time intensive process. As your business grows, managinglead capture, nurturing, converting and relationship management become too big to handle manually, which is why small business owners turn to marketing automation software to managethe load.

In general, automationbrings many benefits to your small business including:

However, because the promotion, selling, and relationship management processes involve so many steps, manyof which arerepeated for each customer, marketing isparticularly suited to automation. And thats where marketing automation software comes in.

Happily, there are many marketing automation software options for small businesses. These solutionscan handle a few, or alltypes, ofautomated marketing techniques. In other words, they include various automation features such as:

Note:Not all solutions offer every feature.

While you may be hesitantto try one becauseofeither cost orlearning curve, you should be aware that many marketing automation software vendors:

Are you considering marketing automation for your small business? If so, heres a list of marketing automation software solutions to consider.

GetResponsecalls itself the all-in-one online marketing platform to grow your business and a look down the features on their home page shows just how complete the software is.

While its oneof the most affordable solutions on this list,GetResponse brings the same, if not more,of the features and functionalityoffered by the more expensive solutions on this list. That said, the price doesincrease with use, but a small business should be able to handle the increase as it grows.

Another affordable solution, ActiveCampaign,offers everything a small business needs to automate its marketing efforts including a robust, built-in CRM system.

Calling itself a small business CRM, GreenRope is almost a small business management suite. Starting withmarketing automation, youll find website tracking, landing pages and more in this affordably-pricedsolution.

GreenRopealso offers sales and operations functionality setting the tool apart.

One of the more well-known marketing automation software options, Infusionsoftoffers everything your small business needs at a reasonable price.One feature that shows off the power of this solution is the flexibility of the campaign builder. This tool enables you to create elaborate workflows one timeand then implement them again and again. These workflows can include many types of steps including eCommerce, appointments, behaviors and actions, webinar attendance and many more.

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The only tool on the list to offer a website builder, HubSpot aims to integrateyour entire marketing effort in one place. One of the more powerful features of the tool is the ability to personalize your website with smart content based on a number of factors:

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Act-Onoffers arobust marketing automation platform.The software offers automation workflows and triggers as well as website behavior tracking, integration with many popular CRM platforms, and more.

One of the moreinteresting, and useful, featuresof Act-On is its funnel reporting. By setting up a sales funnel, you can track the effectiveness of your overall marketing efforts. Heres a sample:

AdditionalResources

Marketo offers a powerful solution with many features. One thing that stood out however was theircustomizedproduct bundling, an approach that may makethe tool attractive for small businesses that want to dip their toe in the water.

One of the most interestingaspects of Autopilot is the number of integrations it enables you to use as part of your marketing automation workflows. For example, below you can seethat the bottom right step sends an automated Slack message:

In addition, the vendor offers multi-channel marketing via emails, headsups (little pop-upnotifications) SMS messages, and even postcards. Finally, the pricing for this solution is low and scales as your business grows.

Salesfusion is a heavily-loaded marketing automation toolthat can help you take your small business to a new level. One standout feature? Its SEO audit featurethat helps improve your search engine rankings.

In addition to its marketing automation features, SharpSpring offers additional features includinga blog builderandVisitorID tool which attempts to identify anonymous visitors to your website.

Also, the vendor enables you to use your buyer personas to automatically offer unique, targeted content by segmenting your customers based on how closely their profiles match.

Additional Resources

While a look at SALESmanagos home page may make you run, dont let the complexity of the vendors offerings chase you away. This solution literally has it all and, if thats what you need, then its certainly worth a look.

No matter whichmarketing automation software solution you select, make sure youre getting the most out of the tool. And remember, you can automate processes beyond marketing, too, so besure to consider how leveraging other tools can helpstreamline your small business.

Automated Marketing Photo via Shutterstock

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Nokia’s Software is Key to Insight-Driven Automated Networking – SDxCentral

Posted: at 2:04 pm

SAN FRANCISCO Nokias new super-fast chipgot all the love at the companys swanky unveiling event in San Francisco this week. The company said its FP4 silicon-based routers will power the IP networks of the future. But reaching the target fully automated networking requires powerful software.

These routers will provide a high-performance network platform, which when combined withNokias Deepfield big-data analyticsand automation with ourSDN [software-defined networking] solutions will deliver to the vision of insight-driven automated networking, wrote Nokia VP Manish Gulyani on a Nokia blog the day after the event.

Nokias not there yet. Were in the process, of automated networking, said Steve Vogelsang, CTO for Nokias IP and optical business. The companys software innovations will move networks closer to self-driving status, he said.

We have the SDN control layer so we can drive changes into the network, but now there are still human beings on top of that, Vogelsang said. We havent connected it to the analytics. The first step is to get better at the analytics.

Security automation will likely happen quicker than overall network automation. This is where Deepfields technology fits in by automating the process of looking for anomalies. In DDoS [distributed denial of service] you dont have time for a human to interact and thats why weve spent a lot of money with Deepfield, making sure we minimize false positives, Vogelsang said.

Nokia acquired Deepfield earlier this year. The analytics software startup mapped billions of IP addresses, with the insight put into a database called Cloud Genome. It also collects network telemetry from routers.

This information can be used to provide network insights and prevent DDoS attacks.

We patented technology that goes out and actually builds maps of the entire Internet at scale, every day, all day, explained Craig Labovitz, GM of Nokia Deepfield. We combine that with data, with visibility into where the traffic is going, and where the traffic has come from. All of this is being done in software, at scale, in the network.

This enables real-time security as it provides instant knowledge of every application on the network.

It also helps avoid false positives these occur when DDoS prevention software detects a surge in Internet traffic and wrongly thinks its an attack. Deepfields maps of the Internet help it determine if the surge is a legitimate increase in traffic or an actual DDoS attack.

Security is really about who has the best data? Who has the best data to address false positives? Can you discriminate the attackers from the legitimate traffic?, Labovitz said. With cloud and theInternet of Things (IoT) fueling major DDoS attacks, security cant be an afterthought, he added. Security is an integral part to the next-generation network.

Nokias Network Services Platform is its SDN platform for carriers. It allows operators to automate network services across multiple network layers, both on-premise and in the cloud. It also works with equipment from multiple vendors.

It is really unleashing the ability for full centralized control of the whole network, said Sasa Nijemcevic, VP and GM for network and service management at Nokia. A product like Deepfield adds another dimension to this story. We believe that most of the building blocks to achieve that automation of the network are there.

ACG Research analyst Stephen Collins uses a slide (below) to show how the software and hardware work together to automate the network.

The FP4 chip generates the network telemetry data to provide real-time visibility into packet flows, he wrote in an email. The Deepfield software handles the big data analytics and is a key part of the complete solution for generating the intelligence (insights) that closes the feedback loop for the orchestration software, which in Nokias world is the NSP network services platform.

The next-step is identifying use cases for automated networking, such as using Deepfield software to automate the process of looking for anomalies, ACG Research analyst and CEO Ray Mota said. Nokias top SDN vendor status means service providers trust the company to run the brains of the network, Mota added.

By having the credibility of becoming an incumbent, Nokia is getting the credibility to start setting the framework for automation, Mota said. You use the term self-driving car Im not going to get in a car and take my hands off the wheel thats automated from a vendor I dont trust.

Photo: Basil Alwan, president, IP/Optical Networks at Nokia, announces the newFP4 chip.

Jessica is a Senior Editor, covering next-generation data centers and security, at SDxCentral. She has worked as an editor and reporter for more than 15 years at a number of B2B publications including Environmental Leader, Energy Manager Today, Solar Novus Today and Silicon Valley Business Journal. Jessica is based in the Silicon Valley.

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