Jose Canseco: swearing into office, or testifying in court?

We recently shared the best 2012 holiday tweets with you, but here’s a sneak peek into another arena of Twitter: Canseco political tweets.

Who is Jose Canseco?

He’s a former Cuban-American Major League All-Star Baseball player who is infamous for his unashamed admittance of steroid use throughout his career (you can read all about it in his 2005 autobiography, Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ‘Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big.)

However, Canseco now has a new claim to fame. He is an All-Star in  the world of social media, tweeting about seeing Elvis in the afterlife and how global warming would have saved the Titanic.

His tweets have been compared to “spitting out a stream of bizarre koans that sometimes rise to the level of surrealist art.” But some of his more recent tweets have concerned matters of politics — both American, and Canadian. Lets take a peek!

How to Fix Public Policy in Three Easy Steps:

“first replace income tax with spending tax. we didnt even have income tax until it was to fund civil war and was to be temporary for us”

“second bring our boys back from central east. Military spendng in sandy nations is crazy we can use that monedy for schools here save $B”

Canseco Tackles the Fiscal Cliff:

“I will go to washington and slap all politicians if they dont fix the fiscal cliff. They are haters of America and deserve it. Here I come”

“Mr. Obama and Mr. Boehner I am available if you need me and can help. You can do it God bless American. hugs @BarackObama@SpeakerBoehner”

Sounds like a good deal to me! His hashtag is catchy (#YesWeCanseco), his tone is quite passionate, and he’s already established a clear plan of action. Now if only his grammar was a little better…

Still, Canseco is serious about running for political office. Although he cannot run for mayor of Toronto because he was born in Cuba, he said he will ”work out the citizen thing.” Caseco’s agent, Jose Melendez, stated in an email:

“He is serious about a run but as you know he doesn’t know the procedure for citizenship.”

If you want to see how serious he is about Toronto, check out theses tweets:

Canseco Takes on Toronto:

“Dear Torontonians tweet me what needs fixing so I can start working on things. I know the Jarvis bike path and NHL strike are key, more?”

“Thanks Toronto for a great #yeswecanseco Day 1. Got some good news on the citizen thing hope to announce in a few days. More tomorrow. Hugs”

“The hug store is open! I am trading hugs for displaying YesWeCanseco signs to get the word out on mayor run. Just tweet me pic.#yeswecanseco”

If you are wondering who inspire’s Canseco’s brilliance, try Al Gore:

“al gore was a head of his time .i miss him rest in peace buddy hug for u”

(and shortly after…)

“sorry al you need to make some more noise .Keep fighting for us i believe in your and i am with you”

Red Sammy, a Baltimore band helmed by Adam Trice ’04, English, will release its fourth album, “These Poems with Kerosene,” next month with a show at the Windup Space. We asked Trice to talk a bit about life as a musician, and how his study of literature has influenced his work.

Q:  Tell us some of the story behind your band…what type of music do you play? What influences you?

A: Red Sammy is a minor character in Flannery O’Connor’s short story, “A Good Man is Hard to Find” (1955). Our music tends to be gritty, sparse, and deeply emotional. One music reviewer noted that our music attempts to connect with a listener’s mournful regions of the heart and soul. Musically, we fall closely within the Americana/Roots Rock genre. Influences include Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Neil Young, The Pixies, Lou Reed, Alejandro Escovedo.

Q:  Tell us a little about how your educational background fits in with what you do?

A:  I earned my degree in English at UMBC and a M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing/Publishing from the University of Baltimore. Both degrees provided me with insight and resources to develop as a writer (both lyrically and poetically). Many of our songs have a strong emphasis on word content and poetic form.

Q:  What’s your favorite song and why?

A:  Our latest album titled “These Poems with Kerosene” (due out on February 17, 2013), combines music and the recorded poems of University of Baltimore poet and professor Steve Matanle. My favorite track from the album is titled, “Everything Must Go.”

Q:  What’s it like collaborating with another poet?

A:  Steve Matanle was one of my favorite professors during graduate school. I’m very fortunate to have the opportunity to collaborate with Matanle especially since his hard luck style of poetry blends very well with our music and lyrical content.

Q:  Where would you like to see Red Sammy go from here?

A:  From a songwriter’s perspective, I would like to continue to grow and collaborate with new musicians and poets. In the next few years I would like to have a stronger presence performing as part of academic readings and art performances. It’s much more interesting when collaborating across artistic mediums.

Learn more about Red Sammy and listen to music samples at their website.

THE SYMPOSIUM

http://gs.emory.edu/StemRCSymposium

This event is an exciting new opportunity for your undergraduate and graduate students to present their research, to further their professional development, and to learn about careers in the STEM disciplines. The event consists of:

·                A premier research conference for undergraduates interested in learning about PhD, MD/PhD or postbaccalaureate programs; graduate students contemplating postdoctoral training; and the advisors of these students.

·                Two days of shared research presentations, networking and mentoring. Eight students will present platform talks and the rest will present posters.

·                Professional Development workshops, campus tours, and individual meetings with potential Emory mentors.

·                Extensive interactions with Emory research faculty mentors, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows. Thursday evening will feature a mixer with bowling, pool and stimulating discussion among participants and their hosts.

PARTICIPANTS

We invite participation by research advisors, undergraduates interested in postbaccalaureate, Ph.D, or M.D./Ph.D. studies, and graduate students pursuing postdoctoral training in the STEM disciplines. We are also particularly interested in identifying students from underrepresented groups who are not currently in an organized program such as MARC, REU, RISE, or PREP and who might therefore benefit the most from this conference. 

All student participants will be expected to present a platform talk or a poster on their research. If faculty wish to attend along with their student(s), please let us know and we will inform you when your students have been accepted.  

COSTS

There is no charge for this conference and all meals will be provided. Hotel accommodations are available at the Emory Conference Center (www.emoryconferencecenter.com/)at $129 plus tax per night, double occupancy.  Additional rooms MAY be available at the adjacent Emory Inn (https://bookings.ihotelier.com/Emory-Inn/bookings.jsp?hotelId=75977) for $79 plus tax per night. Because Travel Awards are limited we encourage students to seek funding from their sponsored research program or other sources.

TRAVEL AWARDS

The eight students selected to present a platform talk and their advisors will receive a travel award (if necessary). In addition, a limited number of travel awards are available for students from underrepresented groups (racial minorities, disabled students and those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds). These awards will cover travel and accommodations.

APPLICATION

http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/1071065/Symposium

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. The application deadline is January 15^th January 22^nd for students wishing to apply for travel awards. A committee of Emory training faculty will review abstracts to select participants and travel awardees.  Awardees will be notified by January 31^st. All student participants will be expected to present a platform talk or a poster on their research.

FURTHER INFORMATION

stem.symposia@emory.edu

Beginning January 9, app screenshots will be locked in iTunes Connect once your app has been approved. New screenshots may be uploaded when you submit a binary for an update to an existing app or a new app. For more information on capturing and using screenshots, read the Xcode User Guide.

Baltimore Dance Project returns to UMBC for its 30th year, featuring the creative work of professors Doug Hamby and Carol Hess, with dancer Sandra Lacy, along with music and dance performances by UMBC alumni. The show will be held on February 7 in the proscenium theatre in UMBC’s new Performing Arts and Humanities Building.

Expanding dance with visually stunning, inter-disciplinary and collaborative works, BDP brings together company alumni, new dancers, visual artists and live musicians, and features dances with interactive sound, video and spoken text.

The performance will feature two world premieres:

• “Common Axis 13,” a Hamby/Hess collaboration for ten dancers, blending movement with video images and live video feeds, created and mixed live, with sound performed professor Timothy Nohe, and featuring UMBC alumnae Renee Barger ’99, visual & performing arts, Jen Dobbins ’06, dance, and Desiree Koontz-Nachtrieb ’08, history, ’11, dance.
• “If I Told Him,” by Hamby features student Jeffrey Mensah creating a live soundscape designed by Ferdinand Maisel.

Come see Sandra Lacy perform her solo “Once Again,” and award-winning duet “Out to Play,” with Adrienne Clancy.

Jen Dobbins performs Hess’ “Persona,” with a tiny wireless surveillance camera.

Angel Chinn ’08, dance, returns to BDP to perform Hamby’s “Construction #2,” in honor of American composer, John Cage’s centennial year, performed live by percussionist Tom Goldstein and UMBC Department of Music alumni.

$20 general admission, $10 students and seniors, $7 UMBC students. To order tickets in advance by credit card, purchase online through MissionTix. Patrons who prefer to pay cash or check at will call may make a reservation by calling 410-455-6240.

Making Sense

For his master's thesis, Computer Engineering student Kirit Chatterjee worked with scientists from UMBC's Center for Advanced Sensor Technology (CAST) on an innovative temperature sensor for premature babies.

In hospitals, doctors use a thermistor probe to monitor the temperature of a premature baby. But, the glue used to attach it is harmful for the baby, whose skin is as fragile as tissue paper.

“When the probe is removed, there is a high risk of “epidermal stripping” occurring-i.e. the skin of the baby can tear, leaving it open to infection,” explains Kirit Chatterjee, a Computer Engineering graduate student. For his master’s thesis, Kirit helped develop a new temperature sensing device that avoids this problem.

It wasn’t easy. During research, other obvious options had been shot down one by one: Bluetooth sensors had batteries that leaked toxic chemicals. Wireless sensing devices emitted energy that was harmful for the baby.

The solution, supported by an NIH grant, and later commissioned by General Electric (GE), was the result of the combined brain-power of a group of UMBC scientists led by Dr. Govind Rao, Director of UMBC’s Center for Advanced Sensor Technology (CAST). Dr. Yordan Kostov (CAST), Dr. Hung Lam (CAST), and Dr. Ryan Robucci (CSEE)–Kirit’s advisor for the project–were the team’s key players.

Together they created a patch containing a unique fluorescent orange dye. “The intensity of the orange emission depends on the temperature,” explains Dr. Kostov, the senior scientist on the temperature project who also worked closely with Kirit. When the baby’s temperature rises, he explains, the orange patch becomes brighter.

Recording and translating the patch’s fluorescence into a temperature reading that a doctor could understand was Kirit's job. “My part,” explains Kirit, “was to take care of the Engineering side—namely, to build the sensing apparatus.”

Choosing the right camera to monitor the dye was another challenge. The project was bound to a strict budget since the new sensor system was slated for mass production by GE. Therefore, expensive scientific cameras were out of the question.

Instead, Kirit reverse engineered and manipulated a much more affordable camera to serve his purposes. He used a two megapixel camera–the same camera found inside an iPhone 3–to monitor the dye in the patch.

“The dye is just the target for the Computer Engineer,” he says. “To the engineer, it’s just photons being emitted which translate to analog voltage signals inside the camera which then translate to digital bits inside the FPGA and then are analyzed.”

Next, Kirit used an FPGA in order to tap into the camera and retrieve its data, and MATLAB to translate the data into a traditional temperature reading.

The result is a temperature sensing device that is affordable, accurate, and, most importantly, safe for the baby. Dr. Kostov explains that when the GE contract comes to an end this September, the patch system will undergo clinical trials and toxicology tests. If all goes well, the new system should be found in premature baby incubators across the world in as little as two years.