New Windows OS

http://video.on.nytimes.com/ifr_main.jsp?nsid=b26f34614:10f91cd021a:-393c&st=1166383767299&mp=FLV&cpf=false&fvn=9&fr=120306_080803_718aabc2x10f4af7643bxw632b&rdm=999457.878991709


Proving once again that Mac's are the way to go.

The Airplane-Treadmill Dilema

Found this on David Pogue's blog at the NY Times.

OK, this one’s driving me crazy. This brain-teaser is ripping around the Internet, plus I actually overheard it THREE TIMES in airport conversations on a recent trip to Canada.

Here’s how I found it presented at http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=34 8452:

“Imagine a plane is sitting on a massive conveyor belt, as wide and as long as a runway. The conveyer belt is designed to exactly match the speed of the wheels, moving in the opposite direction. Can the plane take off?

“I say no, because the plane will not move relative the the ground and air, and thus, very little air will flow over the wings. However, other peopel are convinced that since the wheels of a plane are free spinning, and not powered by the engines, and the engines provide thrust against the air, that somehow that makes a difference and air will flow over the wing.”

The guy behind me at the airport told his buddy that, in fact, the plane WOULD take off, and his buddy seemed to agree. Do we have any physicists in the audience?

More on WWBW from MMR Magazine

 Steinway Enters Bid for Woodwind & Brasswind

 … $40.5 million offer may signal bidding war with GC

On Dec 5, Steinway Musical Instruments, parent company of Conn-Selmer Inc., said it will pay $40.5 million for South Bend, Ind.-based Woodwind & Brasswind, creating the potential for a bidding war with WW&BW’s other suitor, the Musician’s Friend division of Guitar Center.

The Steinway bid is $3.4 million more than the Nov. 22 offer from Musician’s Friend. Judge Harry Dees had scheduled a hearing yesterday (Dec 7) in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in South Bend to approve the bid rules governing the sale.

Companies trying to sell their assets under Chapter 11 protection must submit to an auction procedure even when a buyer has come forth to ensure creditors can recover as much as possible of what they are owed.

On Nov. 22, Guitar Center announced it has signed an asset purchase agreement to acquire substantially all the assets of The Woodwind & The Brasswind under section 363 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. Under the terms of the agreement, Guitar Center would acquire Woodwind & Brasswind's inventory of band and orchestra and combo instruments, accounts receivable, trade names, and certain other intangible assets.

The Woodwind & The Brasswind filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Indiana on Nov. 21. Under the agreement, only very limited trade obligations and other pre-petition liabilities of The Woodwind & The Brasswind are being assumed.

The demise of the South Bend, Ind.-based dealership, which booked 2005 sales of $136 million (down from $145 million in 2004), appeared to stem from the outcome of a lawsuit involving former minority partners Stephen and Richard Zapf. The Woodwind & The Brasswind had acquired Philadelphia-based Zapf Music Stores, Inc. in 2002, with the former brick-and-mortar business becoming the Internet-only marketer Music123.  While Music123 prospered following the deal with sales escalating from $20 million to $58 million annually over the next three years, the relationship between the Zapf brothers and Woodwind CEO Dennis Bamber soured, and both Zapfs were terminated in 2004. The Zapfs then sued, Woodwind countersued, and the court found in favor of the Zapfs in September to the tune of $9 million. In a report published in the South Bend Tribune, Bamber said the bankruptcy filing was necessitated to protect the company from the outcome of the lawsuit. The court filing also cited the costs involved with closing a New Jersey distribution facility and the opening of a new distribution center, as well as an $800,000 expense related to software licensing and upgrades.

In an article published in the Dec 7 Elkhart Truth newspaper, WW&BW founder Dennis Bamber said he anticipates a third bid for the company coming from Stephen and Richard Zapf.

The trade was taken by surprise by the Steinway bid, with some questioning whether the manufacturer would enter the band and orchestral retail arena and thus jeopardize relationships by competing head-on with its Conn-Selmer dealer network. Many in the business think the Steinway offer may simply be a move to drive the sale price up on the assets of WW&BW, giving Conn-Selmer – its largest unsecured creditors [see sidebar] -- an opportunity to recoup a greater share of its losses.

Uses for Post-It Notes

[T]he Post-it Note was more than just a practical tool — it was also a psychological one. Compared to the clunky machines of the 1980s that generated all those documents, it was a vision of high-tech minimalism. Its edges were sharp and square, with no ugly binding, no perforations, no metal rings. Its color, a subtle but attention-getting yellow, was somehow like the color of thought itself, a lightbulb going off in your head. Devoid of any other graphic elements, it had the effect of a clean, calming, blank screen. And, yet, for all its streamlined efficiency, it was playful and user-friendly. . . .

from Greag Beato’s Twenty-Five Years of Post-it Notes


1. Mark your place in a book. It seems so obvious, yet relatively few students seem to do it. When your professor picks up with the poem or short story or chapter of the day, you’ll be on the same page.

2. Mark the beginning and ending points for a reading assignment: immediate feedback on your progress.

3. Mark selected readings in an anthology.

4. Mark the notes or glossary at the back of a book for easy repeat access.

5. Mark passages in a library book.

6. Keep several Post-its on the inside cover of a datebook, planner, or notebook: now you’re prepared to leave a note anywhere.

7. When you sit down to work, make a small-scale to-do list on a Post-it and stick it to your desktop.

8. Leave a Post-it on your alarm clock or inside doorknob as a reminder.

9. Avoid fines and late fees: put Post-its with due dates on library books and DVD rentals.

10. When there’s no Scotch tape, cut the sticky edge from a Post-it to use as fake tape.

11. Use the sticky edge as a temporary label for a folder.

12. Fold the sticky edge into a hinge to hold a piece of paper or a postcard on a wall.

13. Wrap the sticky edge around a cable to identify it.

14. Use the sticky edge to clean between the keys of your computer keyboard.

15. Jot down less familiar keyboard shortcuts on a Post-it to keep by your computer.

16. Which way does the envelope go when you feed it into the printer? Draw a diagram on a Post-it and stick it on your printer.

17. If you drive an older car that doesn’t remind you that you’ve left your headlights on, use a Post-it as a reminder. When you put your lights on in the daytime, stick a Post-it note on the driver’s side window. When you leave your car, you’ll see the note and remember why it’s there.

18. Keep a Post-it on the refrigerator and jot down what you need from the supermarket.

19. When you go to the supermarket, remove the Post-it from the fridge and stick it on your wallet. At the store, stick the note to the handle of your cart and have both hands free for shopping. Toss the note when you leave the store.

20. Splurge! Use a whole pad of Post-its to make a flip book. (Thanks to my son Ben for this last tip.)

Cool Story

Check this out. I was at the Pitt Men's basketball game last night and was just totally taken away with watching this boy enjoy being the "coach" at the game.

We had great seats, but I was so enamored by this boy that I barely watched the game.

Check it out.

December is Here

For those of you who are big into Christmas, your month is here. If you're looking for some gift ideas for the musicians in your life, visit our homepage to see some gift ideas.

With December comes more performances for the woodwind ensemble at Baldwin. Catch us this Friday night in the PPG Wintergarden and then next Monday in the PPG cafeteria.

Rehearsals this week
Starting to get things ready for inventory at the end of the month
Trying to catch the Pitt hoops game Friday night
Trying to meet up with a friend from college on Saturday

Look for some more info coming soon about the SupportMusic Coalition. It's a group we have joined up with the help promote music.

Music Soothes the Savage Math Class

I found this tory courtesy of Bob Morrison's Music For All Why MusEd Newsletter. I receommend heading over to www.music-for-all.org and subscribing.

From NPR's All Things Considered


Music education is on the decline nationwide as schools struggle to meet the requirements of basic math and English literacy. But some teachers find using music to teach other subjects is effective.

NPR Story

Music for All, American Music Conference are Looking for the Best Communities for Music Education

2007 Best Communities for Music Education Survey is Underway!

For the eighth year in a row, [name of sending org] and a coalition of leading music and education organizations are searching for those communities that exemplify quality music education in America.

Is your district destined to become a Best 100 Community for Music Education?

Visiting the American Music Conference (www.amc-music.org) on the Web is the first step in finding out why the survey is important. Now through January 23 you’ll find an online survey form you can use to submit information on behalf of your community. If you prefer, you can forward this message to a school administrator or other local educator who has more of the data close at hand.

Over the years, school districts from Arizona to Illinois have reported that making the ‘Best 100’ list is both an honor and an important tool in preserving and increasing music program budgets.

In fact, the music department at North Babylon Union Free School District in Long Island, N.Y. was recently awarded a $70,000 grant by New York State Senator Owen H. Johnson due to its ‘Best 100’ distinction.

Lisa Vartanian, the creative arts supervisor at Paramus Public Schools in Paramus, N.J. said, “The American Music Conference award allowed us to start a community after-school music program that gave kids that wouldn't normally have the opportunity to play an instrument the chance to do so."

This grant and the positive testimonials from communities nationwide are remarkable victories that clearly demonstrate the importance that a ‘Best 100’ distinction has on both a political and grassroots level.