text
stringlengths 201
1.04M
| meta
dict |
|---|---|
In A Few Years China Will Likely Be the Second-Most Important Country for Israel
There is a remarkable amount of interest in China about Israel and Jews, as I discovered during a trip to China sponsored by SIGNAL, the Sino-Israel Global Network and Academic Leadership.
The most obvious reason is that the Chinese–one important official called it the “little superpower–perceive that Israel in particular and the Jewish people in general have been success stories. Ten or twenty years ago this would have been less unique in the world. But now, sad to say, it stands out more because the United States and Europe, perhaps only temporarily, are not working very well.
Of course, on a strategic level, Israel and China have some differing interests but these are less important than they may appear to be. China wants to have commerce with everyone, including Iran, and is protecting Syria in the international framework.
Yet China has significantly reduced energy imports from Iran in order to show support for the international efforts against Iran’s nuclear drive and clear signals have been sent to Tehran. Clearly, Chinese interests don’t benefit from Tehran having a nuclear arsenal and being a destabilizing force in the region. As for Syria, Israel’s position on whether the current regime should be overthrown has not been unambiguous. The Chinese argue that a radical Islamist government worse than the current one in Damascus may well come to power. That is not clear but the concern is a reasonable one, especially because U.S. policy is supporting the Islamists in Syria.
Israel and China also have many parallel interests, among them the desire for stability in the Middle East and the hope that revolutionary Islamism doesn’t spread. And China’s policy of dealing with all other countries has another side, since it will not let its relationships with Israel be interfered with by any possible Arab or Iranian demands. Indeed, if China decides to become the main customer for Israeli natural gas and oil exports, the Jerusalem-Beijing relationship may be Israel’s most important link, second only to the one with the United States.
Another factor which should not be underestimated is the lack of Chinese prejudice toward Jews and prejudgment against Israel that has become such a huge obstacle for Israel’s dealing with the West.
Most important of all, is China’s emphasis on economic and social development, the priority on raising living standards and achieving national success rather than such typically regrettable goals of expanding their territory, getting revenge for past grievances, and preferring pragmatic solutions to imposing ideological rigidity on problems.
There is a huge amount of cooperation, far more than many people realize, on joint projects. While hi-technology is the most obvious area of such activity, there are many others as well. Energy issues are equally paramount. China shares with Israel a great interest in finding alternative energy sources, not so much due to environmental considerations but to financial and security ones. Some impressive ideas and pilot programs are underway that seem more imaginative and likely to succeed than what I’ve seen in the American debate.
Several Israel and Jewish programs have opened in different universities; students are studying Hebrew and other relevant topics; Chinese bookstores contain multiple volumes about Jewish and Israeli achievements without—unlike some other Asian countries–exhibiting antisemitism. Obviously, those interested in these things is proportionately tiny in the world’s most populous country. But this sector has reached a size significant enough to sustain itself and to influence the broader society.
On a humorous level, when a Chinese colleague told me, whether accurately or otherwise, that his people’s culture entailed always being optimistic and believing in a better future, I responded that the Israeli and Jewish characteristic was to be pessimistic and then make jokes about it.
Seriously, though, there are a number of important points—certainly seen as such by those Chinese who think about it—in common. Among the points that figure on this list are a mutual experience of a long history of civilization, wide dispersion, emphasis on the importance of education, readiness to work hard, focus on family, and suffering of persecution. If contemporary Jews and Israelis have lost some of these values, perhaps renewing them might learn something from China.
Of course, we can have criticisms of contemporary Chinese politics and policies but it is also important not to cling to outdated notions. I certainly don’t claim to be an expert on China—though I once thought seriously of pursuing that career path—but my visits to the country go back to 1974, when the word totalitarian could accurately have been applied.
But China is no longer the country of the Cultural Revolution and the time of great repression. It has turned toward capitalism and opened up a much wider margin of freedom. The real power of personal initiative has been unleashed and the results have been awesome. I doubt whether any country has made such rapid progress in social and economic development so fast in history.
But here’s an equally important point. While these changes are theoretically reversible, I—and a lot of Chinese people—don’t think this is going to happen. A course seems set in which freedoms will continue to expand in the decades to come. Equally, there seems to be a genuine appreciation—as there has been in the West but there certainly hasn’t been in the Middle East—that the old strategies of war to seize territory and empire-building abroad are obsolete.
An Egyptian friend visited China a few years ago and asked a counterpart, “China has been the victim of so much oppression and imperialism. How do you deal with that?”
The response was, “We got over it.” The Egyptian was astonished, but as a liberal Arab he realized that his own society would be far better off if it eschewed the politics of revenge, bitter hatred, and the angry assertion of superiority on the basis of an inferiority complex. Of course, the Arabic-speaking world has unfortunately been moving in the opposite direction with predictably terrible results. In contrast, Israel and China focus on positive national construction, raising living standards, and seeking peace.
What’s important for Israel, then, is to work with this process of events in China rather than to underestimate it isn’t happening or focus only on a negative side that is becoming smaller over time. Given Europe’s regrettable decline and hostility—which should not be overestimated but must be seriously evaluated—looking east seems the sensible global strategy for Israel in the coming decades.
About Barry Rubin
Prof. Barry Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center, editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA) Journal, and a featured columnist for PajamasMedia at http://pajamasmedia.com/barryrubin/. His latest books are The Israel-Arab Reader (seventh edition), The Long War for Freedom: The Arab Struggle for Democracy in the Middle East (Wiley), and The Truth About Syria (Palgrave-Macmillan)
MERIA Journal
Middle East Review of International Affairs
The Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA) Journal is the world's largest journal on the region, published quarterly by the Rubin Center with a global audience.
More about MERIA
Current Issue:
MERIA Current Issue
The Islamic State having lost its entire caliphate, save for a few strips of land in southern and eastern Syria, does not mean it is on the verge of defeat. Instead, it has learned the lesson from its … [Read More...]
Click here for PDF
The Kurdistan region’s decision to hold an independence referendum on September 25, 2017, created a new area of conflict in the Middle East. The international players and countries … [Read More...]
Click here for PDF
The United States has engaged in several years of war in Iraq against the Islamic State (IS) since launching Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve in October 2014. … [Read More...]
Support Our Work
We depend on your contributions. Donations from the U.S., Canada, UK, and Israel are tax-deductible. Please click the “Donate” button for instructions for donation via PayPal, credit card, or check. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Here we have young Mat Peot holding up a 27 in. Channel Catfish he recently wrestled in while fishing on the Minnesota River near Henderson. Rumor has it that he was using a 3 oz Water Gremlin Egg Sinker to get that bait down to where the big cats are! Great picture Mat! | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
at DotNetNuke.Framework.DefaultPage.OnLoad(EventArgs e) in e:\websites\tvtechnology.com\public_html\Default.aspx.cs:line 791
Del Bryant to Receive 2014 Golden Mike Award
Will be honored by Broadcasters Foundation of America at black-tie fundraiser October 14, 2013
NEW YORK— The Broadcasters Foundation of America has named Del Bryant, president of Broadcast Music, Inc., as the recipient of the 2014 Golden Mike Award. The Golden Mike will be presented Feb. 24, 2014, at a black-tie fundraising gala at the Plaza Hotel in New York City to benefit the foundation’s mission of helping broadcasters in need.
“I have always felt strongly about giving back to the community, both from a professional and personal standpoint,” said Bryant. “It has been a privilege to support the Foundation and to collaborate with them throughout the years. I commend them for the exceptional work they do for broadcasters and the sweet and understanding attitude with which they do it.”
Bryant is the son of Boudleaux and Felice Bryant, the songwriters who penned “Bye, Bye Love,” “Wake Up Little Susie,” All I Have To Do Is Dream” and “Rocky Top,” and his musical heritage is crediting with inspiring his passion for the business. Bryant joined BMI in 1972, and worked in numerous areas of the company before rising to president and CEO in 2004.
Bryant helped to re-engineer and modernize BMI’s royalty distribution system and spearheaded several successful initiatives, including revitalizing BMI’s Film & Television department and directing the establishment of the Latin Music and R&B/Hip-Hop divisions.
Bryant also serves on the boards of the International Confederation of Authors and Composers Societies and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and is the past chairman of FastTrack. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Hazard Communications
Hazard Communication | Hazard MSDS Documentation
Premierís audit and assessment of your facility will include evaluation of labeling and work practices relating to archiving and retrieval of MSDS and distribution of documentation to employees. Our Factory Solutions™ software enables managers to quickly and easily store and retrieve MSDS data for all hazardous materials in the facility, and maximize the quality of all information available to plant employees. Control measures, work practices, emergency procedures and personal protective equipment are incorporated into appropriate signage within all work areas containing hazard risks. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Financial Fundamentals
Right now, the financial world is focused on the breathtaking stock market crash in China, but don’t forget to keep an eye on what is happening in Europe. Collectively, the European Union has a larger population than the United States, a larger economy than either the U.S. or China, and the banking system in Europe is the biggest on the planet by far. So what happens in Europe really matters, and at this point the European economy is absolutely primed for a meltdown. European debt levels have never been higher, European banks are absolutely loaded with non-performing loans and high-risk derivatives, and the unemployment rate in the eurozone is currently more than double the unemployment rate in the United States. In all the euphoria surrounding the “deal” that temporarily kept Greece in the eurozone, I think that people have forgotten that the economic and financial fundamentals in Europe have continued to deteriorate. Whether Greece ultimately leaves the eurozone or not, a great financial crisis is inevitably coming to Europe. It is just a matter of time. (Read More...) | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
New Balance Sneakers
Find the perfect New Balance Sneakers online
New Balance Sneakers are an excellent choice when you are looking for footwear that is comfortable and stylish at the same time. Searchin helps you find the shoes you are looking for fast and easy. You don't have to browse through several online stores in order to buy the Balance Sneakers you want. With the sneaker search engine the shoes of your dream are just one mouse click away.
New Balance Sneaker for the whole family
When you shop for New Balance Sneaker you will find a wide variety of styles for men and women and also for kids. The Sneaker are available in different colors and designs so that you can always find the perfect match for your outfit. The big "N" is the logo for New Balance and is integrated in the design of each shoe lending the sneakers an individual look that sets them apart from other sneakers. With fashion colors of each season and trendy textures these sneakers always capture the attention of fashion lovers. Sneakers from New Balance offer you the perfect opportunity to be fashionable and at the same time walk comfortably in ergonomically designed shoes.
Spoil your feet with New Balance Sneaker
New Balance Sneaker have all the elements you need to create ultimate comfort for your feet. Light weight material that allows your feet to breathe and an ergonomically designed upper make walking in these sneakers s true delight. This is the reason why people not only wear their sneakers from New Balance for outdoor activities. When you workday is demanding and includes many hours of standing or walking New Balance provides you with a possibility of wearing a trendy shoe that helps your feet feel comfortable during the day. The New Balance Sneaker have even found their way into more formal environments. Foot comfort ranks high on the list of requirements for a successful day for most people and New Balance provides exactly that with their innovative line of sneakers.
Buy New Balance Sneaker online
Buying you new sneakers online is always a practical option. The new styles are offered online long before they become available
in stores so you can always be the first among you friends to wear the latest models. You can choose your favorite styles from the comfort of your home, rather than having to browse through several stores in town. One search engine will make it fast and easy to find exactly the New Balance Sneaker you are looking for in a matter of minutes. If you buy a New Balance model for the first time, you can find size charts so you can guarantee a perfect fit. That way you can order sneakers not only for yourself but for other members of your family as well. The comfortable and trendy sneakers are always a favorite with the kids. Online you can select your preferred payment method and have the shoes delivered to your house or office within just a few days. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Siro’s bash to benefit Saratoga Bridges
A benefit called Get Your Motor Running will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 18, at Siro’s restaurant in Saratoga Springs, with proceeds going to Saratoga Bridges, a nonprofit that provides services to individuals with disabilities.
There will be a pig roast with all the fixin’s, open bar and live and silent auctions. Goldy McJohn, formerly of Steppenwolf, and his band will perform. Attire is cocktail, casual or biker, and guests with motorcycles are encouraged to arrive on them.
The cost is $150 per person ($125 for younger than 35). Reserve online or by calling 587-0723. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Two Second Ginger, Cream & Grape Dessert
You can literally throw this together in 2 seconds and it is ever so good. If you want to sweeten the sour cream you may use a bit of brown sugar or Sweet & Low Brown sugar substitiute. I prefer it without sugar added there is sugar on the crystallized ginger | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Here's an in place C solution that runs in O(n) time and O(1) space. Also, this solution only uses character pointers and pointer arithmetic; i.e., the length of string is not calculated and the string is not accessed via array indexing. This allows for very few local variables (two char pointers and an int flag.)
The general algorithm used is:
Eliminate excess whitespace in the string on one pass.
Reverse the entire string by swapping the ith and ith to last characters.
Reverse each word in the string using the same swapping method, but only on each word.
String reversal is implemented using the XOR swapping trick.
void reverse(char *s, char *e) {
// Swap characters *s and *e until s >= e (i.e., until the
// pointers meet in the middle of the string.)
// We swap using three successive XORs.
for (; s < e; ++s, --e) {
*s = *s ^ *e;
*e = *s ^ *e;
*s = *s ^ *e;
}
}
void reverseWords(char *s) {
char *c, *r;
// Flag indicating whether previous character was non-space character.
int nonspace_flag = 0;
// Consume excess whitespace in string by shifting characters to
// the beginning of the string, replacing the excess whitespace.
for (c = s, r = s; *r != '\0'; ++r) {
if (isspace(*r)) {
// Only shift space character if previous character was not
// a whitespace character.
if (nonspace_flag) {
*c++ = ' ';
nonspace_flag = 0;
}
}
else {
*c++ = *r;
nonspace_flag = 1;
}
}
// If s has at least one non-whitespace character and the nonspace_flag
// is still set after removing whitespace, then the final character that is
// pointed to by c is a space character. In such a case, we replace this
// space character with the null terminating character.
c = (c != s && nonspace_flag == 0) ? c - 1 : c;
*c = '\0'; // Terminate the string.
// Reverse the entire string.
reverse(s, c - 1);
c = s;
// Reverse each word in the string.
while (*c != '\0') {
++c;
// If at word boundary, reverse word.
if (*c == '\0' || isspace(*c)) {
reverse(s, c - 1);
// Set s to the start of the next word.
// NOTE: This might set s to point to the byte of memory immediately
// following the end of the string. However, this won't matter
// since, in such a case, *c == '\0', so this loop will exit
// before the next iteration, hence before s can be dereferenced.
s = c + 1;
}
}
} | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
ok. i thought i'd start a build thread of sorts for my ramp. it started out as a simple 8' wide qp to pass the time in the winter. well that idea quickly became a mini ramp. i built another tatching qp and tied them together with the top sheets as there was no framing for a flat bottom. basically it rode right on the garage pad. we diagonal mased it and i put some parking blocks on it for something different.
that's where the name came from. everyone that came over to skate was intimidated by the big block and like we all know, everything in skating comes down to a mental thing, so the name stuck. "The Mental Block".
i moved about 5 months after the original qp build and due to the ease of dis-assembly, i split the 2 qp's and moved them to my new house, where last month, i joined them back up.
my new garage is 24'x26' so naturally, we must build bigger!! since it's still built on the pad floor, i decided that i would just start adding to the width, the same way as the original. i will eventually overlap the plys to give it strength and rigidity, but as it sits now, it's solid as fuck! my friend Rob and i have done all the work so far.
thanks bailgun!!! fortunately, my dog wasn't much of a distraction lol! i went to vegas for xmas so we took a week off working but we built the end qp and started on the corner over new years. here's some more progress pics.
feels like we've really made some progress. the corner is finished. we added a few extra braces for support to it and it's not going anywhere. should have a good top to deck it out.
tonite we attacked the other corner. i told you guys that i've got something else in store for it. we built a flat bank.
the tall side make for a nice grind into the bank and we also made it so the lower side coping flows right into the flat bank.
still waiting to find out about the steel coping and we are going to make some molds for the rest of the coping. should be getting on to the sheeting tomorrow. then i'm gonna have a masonite party where everyone pitches for a sheet and brings a drill. then we shred it.
fuck i'm stoked to be updating this on the daily lol! not much longer. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Application forms and further details are available online by clicking on the 'Apply now' button or by telephoning the Personnel Unit on 01895 837287 (24-hour answer phone), e-mail: personnel@southbucks.gov.uk or by writing to: The Personnel Unit, South Bucks District Council, Capswood, Oxford Road, Denham UB9 4LH.
Closing date for applications: 11 May 2012. Interview date: TBC.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY AND WELCOME APPLICATIONS FROM
ALL SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Gov. Bob Riley, on trade mission, sees Alabama-made rugs in China
Gov. Bob Riley is getting an up-close look at Alabama-made products while on a trade mission to China this week.
The governor and First Lady Patsy Riley toured the Xiaojiao Guest House, a Shanghai hotel that uses carpets and rugs made in Saraland with yarn from Roanoke, according to a news release from Riley's office.
Robert Munisteri, director of international sales for Saraland's Masland Carpets and Rugs and a part of the delegation traveling with Riley, also toured the hotel. In addition to the Xiaojiao Guest House, Masland's carpets and rugs are in other locations in China, including the Beijing International Airport and the Dalian Convention Center.
"Alabama has truly become an international state. Today you can go all over the world and find Alabama-made products, " Riley said in the release. "But we can't sit back and wait for these export opportunities to come to us. We've got to continually pursue them, like Masland Carpets is doing. Their aggressive export strategy is creating jobs back home and boosting our state's economy."
Masland currently exports its products from Alabama to more than 40 countries worldwide. The company has been exporting its carpets and rugs to China since 1995.
Also this week, Riley is promoting ways to improve public health and food safety by linking Huntsville scientists with Chinese health agencies.
The governor and Dr. Jian Han of the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology have met with leaders of public health agencies in Shanghai and Nanjing about establishing joint venture laboratories.
Dawn Kent | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Termination of Rift Valley Railways concession agreed
The termination of Rift Valley Railways’ concession to operate the Kenyan section of the metre gauge Kenya – Uganda railway network has been agreed ‘by joint consent’ after the high court in Nairobi backed Kenya Railways’ attempts to end the contract.
KR had sought to end the concession in the belief that RVR had not complied with the terms of the 25-year contract, which was signed in January 2006 and restructured in 2011. Discussions between RVR and KR had been underway since January this year in an attempt to resolve the dispute.
The metre-gauge network also faces competition from the Chinese-backed Standard Gauge Railway which was inaugurated between Mombasa and Nairobi in May.
‘RVR defaulted in its payment of concession fees, rent and other key performance indicators under the concession agreement’, KR Managing Director Atanas K Maina told local media. ‘The government will not be paying them anything since they are the ones in default.’
Following the court’s decision, Maina and RVR Chief Executive Isaiah Okoth issued a joint statement on July 31 announcing the formation of a committee to engage with stakeholders to ensure service continuity and to manage the ‘seamless’ handover of operations and the concession’s assets. The handover was expected within 30 days.
The majority shareholder in RVR is Qalaa Holdings, formerly known as Citadel Capital. The Egypt-based energy and infrastructure group has classified RVR as a discontinued operation since the first quarter of 2016, and said the transfer of the concession would therefore not have a negative impact on its consolidated financial statements.
RVR said it wanted to assure employees, customers and stakeholders of its ‘commitment to ensure a smooth transition and continue operations’ as the process ‘moves forward to its logical conclusion.’ | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
article description
Show More Hide
AbstractA 60-year-old female presented to us with a 5-year history of progressive right sided nasal obstruction and recurrent epistaxis. On examination lesion was seen in the right nostril which was firm and bled on probing. CT-scan paranasal sinuses showed a right sided lesion of nose and naso-pharnyx obstructing posterior nasal choanae. Dimensions were reported to be 9×4.1×3.8 cm. A punch biopsy was taken in operating room under general anaesthesia which resulted in profuse bleeding. Suction cautery was used to control bleeding and the nose was packed. The mass was firm to hard and provided resistance during the time of biopsy. On second post-operative day, the mass visibly changed its colour and became blackish in appearance. Patient had an episode of cough in the evening and expelled out the entire mass orally. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
News
Political activist Frank Mejia, better known as “Commander Maya,” reads a manifest in support of teachers protesting to demand months of unpaid salaries outside Congress in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Teachers have been demonstrating almost every day because they haven’t been paid in six months, while doctors complain about the shortage of essential medicines, gauze, needles and latex gloves. (AP Photo/Alberto Arce)
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — Street surveillance cameras in one of the world’s most dangerous cities were turned off last week because Honduras’ government hasn’t paid millions of dollars it owes. The operator that runs them is now threatening to suspend police radio service as well.
Teachers have been demonstrating almost every day because they haven’t been paid in six months, while doctors complain about the shortage of essential medicines, gauze, needles and latex gloves.
This Central American country has been on the brink of bankruptcy for months, as lawmakers put off passing a budget necessary to pay for basic government services. Honduras is also grappling with $5 billion in foreign debt, a figure equivalent to last year’s entire government budget.
“There are definitely patients who haven’t been able to get better because of this problem,” said Dr. Lilian Discua, a pediatrician. “An epileptic who doesn’t take his medicine will have a crisis. This is happening.”
The financial problems add to a general sense that Honduras is a country in meltdown, as homicides soar, drug trafficking overruns cities and coasts and the nation’s highest court has been embattled in a constitutional fight with the Congress.
Many streets are riddled with potholes, and cities aren’t replacing stolen manhole covers. Soldiers aren’t receiving their regular salaries, while the education secretary says 96 percent of schools close several days every week or month because of teacher strikes.
Some government offices must close because they don’t have ink to take fingerprints. The country’s national registration agency has been shuttered for 10 days because of unpaid salaries.
“In many ways, the state is no longer functioning,” said Robert Naiman, policy director of Just Foreign Policy, a Washington D.C.-based organization aimed at reforming U.S. foreign policy. “If they keep not paying their soldiers, those soldiers are probably going to stop being soldiers and maybe take some other action.”
Experts say a mix of government corruption, election-year politics and a struggling economy has fueled the crisis.
The local chapter of the international watchdog group Transparency International issued a study in December that alleged some lawmakers had spent money on plane tickets to a tennis tournament in Spain, Mother’s Day gifts and other personal expenses, the report found.
The study’s author, Ludin Ayala, said the country’s Congress is the most expensive in Central America, although Honduras is the poorest country the region.
“The Congress doesn’t have rules for making these expenses, which are at the discretion of the (legislative) president,” Ayala said. “I don’t know if it’s shameful, sad or disgusting that in the National Congress, there isn’t any transparency.”
Former presidential candidate and legislator Olban Valladares charged that much of the public money has indeed gone into campaigns ahead of November’s elections, in which the president, mayors and 128 congressional representatives will be elected.
“Sadly, we have a great number of candidates who are state officials and their tendency is to abuse state resources that they control to fund their campaigns,” Valladares said.
Congress President Juan Orlando Hernandez said that ousted former President Manuel Zelaya and his allies created much of the current mess.
“They are the ones who have left us today with an enormous debt … leaving us a country that’s unsafe, indebted and isolated in the world,” Hernandez said in a news release.
Although Congress goes on recess Friday, lawmakers have only partially passed a budget to pay some of state employees and contractors. That leaves undecided the budgets of autonomous institutions such as utilities and the port authority.
Instead, lawmakers are discussing proposals already declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court and don’t deal with the immediate financial problems. On Tuesday, for example, Congress approved a law that would allow any elected official to be impeached.
Hugo Noe Pino, an economist at Honduras’ Central American Institute for Fiscal Studies, noted that Congress approved the sale of an additional $750 million in bonds last November without resolving any of the core budget issues.
“In this political year, the state resources can be used for political campaigns,” Pino said. “If they haven’t discussed the budget, why are they approving the financing (through bonds) of a budget that doesn’t exist?”
Financial fraud isn’t limited to the government. Tax evasion, for example, is widespread, with the government missing out on an estimated 43 percent of revenue due, said Mario Lopez Steiner, Honduras’s tax director.
“The culture of tax evasion is incredible in Honduras,” he said.
The institutional paralysis has also spread to the justice system. The Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court has not met for a month and a half because President Porfirio Lobo accused the magistrates of being part of a conspiracy to overthrow him.
Congress, whose majority belongs to Lobo’s party, dismissed several judges without an impeachment trial. Meanwhile, the fired judges continue to enjoy the use of their offices and cars with drivers, even as other government employees go unpaid.
Because Congress hasn’t replaced the dismissed judges, no one can rule on their appeal to be reinstated because the court’s other justices have recused themselves from the case.
“Public power has been turned upside down in a brazen way,” said Oscar Cruz, a former prosecutor in charge of defending the constitution.
The government and the ruling bloc have at least one idea to solve the fiscal crunch: They’ve introduced a bill that would create the country’s first sales tax while eliminating tax breaks for companies that import goods.
The bill’s supporters predict it will generate an additional $1.2 billion in revenue, which would double the government’s yearly tax intake.
Businesses such as fast food franchises have long been exempt from taxes because they supposedly promote tourism even though many of them “are neither in tourist zones nor do they attract tourism,” said Lopez Steiner.
Such tax breaks have been “approved as payments for political favors and as a result of the financing of election campaigns, which are always linked to tax favors,” he said.
Legislators have so far suspended all tax exemptions for 60 days while a commission reviews whether to reinstate them.
Some families have survived the government vacuum with remittances sent by some of the 1 million Hondurans living in the United States. Their money equals 19 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, according to the World Bank.
Yet it isn’t enough for government workers such as teacher Daniel Espunda, who have lost paychecks to the political crisis.
“Now they owe me five months of salary. January will be the sixth I haven’t been paid,” Espunda said. “No one says anything about when the payday will come.” | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Originally from Lyons, onion soup was made popular during the 19th Century by Parisian market workers in Les Halles. Traditionally served after a nuit blanche (sleepless night) because of its supposed ability to quickly dissipate the effects of alcohol, it is an invigorating and revitalising soup.
On my first visit to Bangkok, it was a hot and sticky night when we arrived and this was the dish we tucked into after wandering the streets. The rather interesting addition, to what would otherwise be an ordinary beef dish, is the toasted ground rice, which adds both texture and a surprisingly smoky, nutty flavour. The original dish doesn’t feature the extra leaves, but I think it makes a wonderful healthy salad. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Unions used to be the leading source of organizational political contributions. A quick look at the Opensecrets list of “heavy hitters”—the top outside donors since 1989—shows that of the top 15 donor organizations, 10 are still labor unions. And Opensecrets only counts federal PAC contributions (which are opt-in); unions also maintain sophisticated state- and local-level political operations funded (at least in part) with general dues money. Unfortunately for union members, these contributions can only be avoided through a complicated, opt-out process that varies by state and union. The Employee Rights Act, a proposed federal legislation, would require that all union political spending be opt-in, a policy supported by 83 percent of union households in recent national polling.
Citizens United v. FEC changed the restrictions. Now, unions, nonprofits (within limits), and for-profit companies have the same rights to speak about politicians and political issues in election season as individuals, meaning unions can use dues money to make “un-coordinated independent expenditures” that weigh in on elections without input from particular candidates’ campaigns. In unions’ case, this allows them to spend even more money pushing the union leaderships’ preferred candidates, even though exit polls show that roughly 40 percent of union members vote Republican at the federal level nationwide, while the overwhelming amount of union donations go to Democrats.
And how might that benefit unions? An op-ed in The Wall Street Journal illustrates how unions manipulate the decisions of New York City’s Campaign Finance Board through political favor trades and get help from “questionable” rulings:
The CFB has developed decidedly undemocratic habits. Most recently, the board cleared the Democratic primary field for new New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. Having shut out private money while opening the floodgates to unions, along the way it also has played favorites with millions of dollars of taxpayer money. […]
New York City’s campaign finance law also contains a vast carve-out for unions. In 2005, the CFB attempted to codify its practice of treating local union contributions as “single source” contributions. That is, each union was subject to the $4,950 contribution limit per candidate that applies to individuals.
Labor pushed back and got a bill through the City Council in 2005 that allows for nearly unlimited campaign contributions by unions. Each of many local union chapters now has the ability to make the maximum $4,950 donations as a separate entity—even though they all remain firmly under the umbrella of a single union. Frederick A.O. Schwarz Jr. , then the chairman of the Campaign Finance Board, trashed the bill as a “poorly conceived measure” and “retrogressive.”
So unions get favorable rulings to clear the field for their chosen candidates, and they get a carve-out that lets them evade donation caps. No wonder unions like the SEIU’s New York locals and the Communications Workers of America want to replicate their successful City scheme statewide.
Without “paycheck protection” like in the ERA, the rights of employees who dissent from union political preferences will be infringed even more under this or a similar scheme that restores unions’ effectively unopposed political playing field. It’s past time for Congress to come together, advance the interest of America’s employees, and pass the Employee Rights Act. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
8 Sleeping Positions That Couples Should Not Do In The Bedroom!
The sleeping position has an important role in keeping our mind free from stress and keeping us fit, because in that way the physical and mental stress are reduced. You will not receive the proper rest if you don’t sleep properly, so your body won’t have the ability to function normal. Another important thing is the position you sleep in together with your partner. Here are some sleeping positions which should be avoided when you sleep with your partner:
1. The first position on our list is the so called The Medusa and it can be really uncomfortable for your partner.
2. The second position is known as the headlock. You are maybe not aware what are you doing during sleeping, but try your best to avoid this position.
3. The third position is known as the BOA constructor, and with this position you will leave your partner without sleep, as well as without oxygen.
4. The fourth position is called the fugitive position and it is one of the most common sleeping positions which many of the couples face with. You should try sticking to your side of the bed.
5. Try to keep your pets away from your bed, or you should also try to not let them to be the leaders in your bed. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Together, this significant partnership will help ensure that the voice-of-the-patient is the most important voice in healthcare by operationalizing patient-generated data from the over three million patients pCare serves annually. The single platform will allow organizations to view data across their IPS and their rounding initiatives within their hospitals as well as in clinic and straight-to-mobile communication.
“This integrated solution will work seamlessly to capture data across all points-of-care,” states Keith Washington, CEO of TVR Communications. “We are excited about the opportunity to help providers achieve success with tools that measure patient satisfaction and analyze patient interactions resulting in meaningful and actionable insights.”
“We are excited to be chosen by TVR Communications to integrate our IntegratedRN™ digital rounding platform as well as our CRMD™ patient engagement platform into their KLAS Category Leading pCare solution,” states Gautam Mahtani, Founder and CEO of Care Experience. “To partner with a recognized leader will exponentially impact our ability to engage patients in a meaningful way.”
pCare by TVR Communications is an Interactive Patient System (IPS) that enhances the patient experience across the continuum of care, with an array of entertainment, education, and care management features that can be customized for each patient. The pCare platform seamlessly integrates with a variety of clinical systems at key touch points throughout the care journey, with an unmatched degree of interoperability and personalization to help organizations achieve safety, quality, and service level improvements.
Care Experience is a Software as Service (SaaS) platform leveraging the voice-of-the-patient and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve the patient experience, drive patient engagement, and deliver better outcomes.
Care Experience exists because clinical communication is broken, the voice of the patient is not incorporated into care, and patients are being lost in a fractured system. We improve communications to help drive patient outcomes by capturing the voice-of-the-patient across the care continuum. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
They're 4-4 midway through the season, the defense is carrying them and the offense is struggling. Is it 2012 all over again? Nope, not in the least.
Despite having the same mark at the halfway point of the 2013 season, this year’s Cardinals can feel a different vibe in the locker room than a year ago.
“This year there’s been less [of a] roller coaster of emotions,” offensive lineman Nate Potter said. “It’s been more back-and-forth, roll a couple off, lose one, get another one. So that just feels a lot more consistent.”
Before the wheels fell off in 2012 and Arizona lost nine straight, the Cards were the talk of the NFL. They started 4-0 despite sending out two starting quarterbacks. Throughout the team, the feeling that they were on the verge of something special permeated.
Then the first loss led to a second, which led to the third and the fourth and by time they were done -- nine straight. But at 4-4, Potter said there was still hope last season. Gunner Justin Bethel could feel the tension after four straight losses a year ago. Everybody was starting to get tight. Guys were pushing. Coaches and players were scrambling to figure out how to win a game.
This year, however, the overall feeling has changed.
“Losing here and there is a lot different,” Bethel said. “This year we’re 4-4 in the same position in the same part of the season. This year I feel like we got a better chance of making things happen.”
Of course, anything can happen at this point, with the exception of a nine-game losing streak. That’s mathematically impossible coming off a win with eight games left in the season. But nobody is sitting around resting on their laurels.
And nobody is forgetting about what happened a year ago.
“Definitely a different team and a different mentality,” noseguard Dan Williams said. “I think as far as the guys who did go through that last year, we keep that in the back of my mind. Our goal this year is to make it to the playoffs.
“I mean, you can definitely tell it’s a different feeling in the locker room. We want to be playing in January.” | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Michelangelo - Giant Among Giants
Michelangelo For Me
The Giant Among Giants -- 1475-1564
That's a self-portrait on our left of Signor Buonarotti -- Signor
Michelangelo Buronarotti -- a detail from his great monumental sculpture The
Florentine Pieta. Michelangelo portrayed himself as Nicodemus in the act of
lowering Christ from the cross, this Deposition begun before the year 1550. In
that same year, the French traveler Blaise de Vigenere saw the artist at work
and wrote: "He had passed his sixtieth year, and although he was not very
strong, yet in a quarter of an hour he caused more splinters to fall from a very
heavy block of marble than three young masons in twice or thrice the time. No
one can believe it who has not seen it with his own eyes. And he attacked the
work with such energy and fire that I thought it would fly into pieces. With one
blow he brought down fragments three or four fingers in breadth, and so exactly
at the point marked, that if only a tiny piece of marble more had fallen, he
would have been in danger of ruining the whole work." It is a quotation by a
contemporary which for me perhaps best expresses the passion I see behind all of
Michelangelo's work.
Though I've stood and studied, on many occasions, all of Michelangelo's four
Pietas -- the most famous one, and most known and loved by the public, at
St Peter's Basilica, Rome, executed when he was 24 years old; the Florentine
Pieta now at the Museo del Duomo, Forence; the Palestrina
Pieta, after 1555, in the Accademia di Belli Arti, Florence; and the
Pieta Rondanini, 1555-1564, at Milan's Castello Sforza -- my
favorite has always been the Florentine Pieta.
I first saw the Florentine Pieta in 1950 while living as a graduate
student in Firenze. The monthly subsistence check from the Veterans
Administration (under the GI Bill of Rights for World War II vets) did not go
very far, and during that time of La Miseria in Italy, most buildings,
including the impoverished pensione where I lived, were without heat. When not
at school, I did what the Italians did to keep warm -- went into the streets,
walked the city, lingered in sunny piazzas.Most days, on return from these
long hikes, I stopped at the Duomo, that great Cathedral of Santa
Maria del Fiore, only two short blocks from my room in Via Ginori. I could
rest, delay return to the room (even colder than the Cathedral), and of course,
look again on the great treasures of art within that architectural marvel. For
me, the finest treasure was Michelangelo's Deposition or Pieta, at that
time standing in a dark side chapel. Visitors could not enter the chapel, the
light was very poor, but even restricted viewing revealed the strength and
sorrow of the masterful composition. Denied access to the chapel, I could not
study the marble from the side or back, but came to know every line, contour,
expression of its front. Some days, by tricks of light entering the chapel or
the reflection of candles, I detected golden rays moving over its surface. On
rare occasions, these rays would touch the face of the dead Christ, or of
Nicodemus lowering Him from the cross. Eventually, daily visits to the
Pieta became something I had to do -- even when Spring arrived and the
weather turned warm. If anything kept me from it, the day was somehow not
complete.
Firenze, of course, provided the finest opportunity for familiarity with
other Michelangelo works. The Accademia housed the great David and the
unfinished Prisoners (sometimes referred to as Slaves) struggling to free
themselves from the marble. In the same hall with the Prisoners was the
Palestrina Pieta, compelling, infinitely sad. During breaks from classes,
I could go to the Rotunda, look again on these marvels. Five minutes from my
pensione was the Medici Chapel with its magnificent sculptures of Lorenzo and
Giuliano de Medici, the Medicean Madonna and the great tomb groupings of Day and
Night, Dawn and Evening. My treks about the city took me to the Bargello,
where several of Michelangelo's youthful works -- the Faun's Mask, a smaller and
softer David, the imposing Head of Brutus, the bas-relief tondo Madonna
with Book, and a drunken Bacchus -- display the genius which Lorenzo de Medici
recognized while the artist was still a teenager. And there was Casa
Buonarotti, where Michelangelo once lived, and which still today shelters
his reliefs The Battle of the Centaurs and the Madonna on the Steps. At the
Uffizi Gallery, one could study the only existing easel painting ever finished
by the master, his Holy Family.
Limited funds prohibited extensive travel during my year of graduate study in
Firenze, and I saw little of Italy other than the city and, occasionally, nearby
Tuscan towns. But subsequent visits to Italy have always led me, intentionally
or not, to more works of Michelangelo. Once in Bologna, visiting a friend at the
monastery of San Domenico, I was surprised to find in the chapel, statues of
Proculus and Petronius, and the Kneeling Angel with a Candlestick, previously
known only through reproductions in art books. I also "happened across" the four
statues of the Piccolomini altar, attributed to Michelangelo and assistants, in
the Siena Cathedral. At Castello Sforza in Milan, I saw the Rondanini
Pieta, unfinished, abstract, tortuous, a testament to the fact that he was
working on it in the days before his death during his 89th year. In Rome, I
sought out the Risten Christ in Santa Maria Sopra Minerva -- poorly
stationed and lit, but the strong and expressive face of the Savior was
luminescent in the darkness. And in Rome, of course, one goes again and again to
the Vatican, and -- despite the crowds -- always stops before that first and
most acclaimed, most loved of the four Pietas. I've seen strong men weep
in its presence.The Sistine frescoes today -- after the long-term meticulous
cleaning, freed from centuries of dirt and grime -- are newly glowing glories,
even to those of us who've gazed on them countless times over half a century.
For me, more than ever, Michelangelo's figures and forms on ceiling and
altarpiece, though masterfully painted, are sculptural, endorsing his lifelong
insistence that he was not a painter but a sculptor.In Paris, I went to the
Louvre to see as much as possible, in limited time, the famous masterpieces of
that renowned museum. But when I stumbled into the gallery containing
Michelangelo's The Dying Captive, I found it difficult to move on.But I
haven't seen it all yet, and particularly not one of the greatest works, the
Moses. On three different occasions on three different visits to Rome, I went to
the church of San Pietro in Vincoli determined to finally see this
celebrated marble. Each time, the church was closed. Photo reproductions
convince me it's a "must," I can't really claim knowledge of Michelangelo
without studying this monumental, significant work. If rationale is needed for
still another return to the Eternal City, that's one for me.
My love for the works of Michelangelo -- and of the man, because his works
are the man -- could be threatening to my appreciation of other painters and
sculptors, other genres of art. Could be, but isn't, as I continue to stand in
awe beore so much which other masters have given us. Perhaps another lesson from
Michelangelo, who's taught me so much. Afterall, wasn't he the first to exhalt
the work of Ghiberti, to name that artist's superb doors of the Baptistery in
Florence "The Gates of Paradise." Even so, enamored of all that's good in art, I
esteem Michelangelo above all others. My Giant of Giants.
Decades after I'd completed graduate work (sometime in the Seventies, I
think), I read that the Forentine Pieta had been moved from Santa
Maria del Fiore in Firenze to the Museo del Duomo, just behind the
cathedral, in the shadow of the great dome. Remembering my visits to the
cathedral to visit the sculpture, remembering mystical moments before it, I was
disappointed to learn of the move. But I've seen it many times in subsequent
years, and the new location is excellent. The Pieta stands on a spacious
staircase landing, brightly illuminated with natural light from an adjacent
window, imposing and arresting as you first view it from the bottom of the
staircase. And what a thrill to ascend the staircase, slowly approach that
wonder in marble. The landing is large enough to allow one to circle the
sculpture, view it closely from front, sides and back, observe the rough chisel
marks, that characteristic conclusion so often seen in his late work, the
insistence that once the form was as he wanted it, Michelangelo felt no need to
"finish," "polish" the work. And the dim golden glow I'd once observed in the
dark cathedral now floods the entire sculpture, as the stone itself is of that
hue.Italians have told me
that Michelangelo carved this Pieta for his sacophagus. True or not, his
portrait in the figure of Nicodemus shows not only tender compassion for the
dead Christ but an intense yearning for oneness with God. I can't stand before
it without contemplating the words spoken by Michelangelo on his deathbed: "I
regret that I have not done enough for the salvation of my soul and that I am
dying just as I am beginning to learn the alphabet of my profession." | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Andrew was left concussed on Thursday morning, and was suffering from elevated blood pressure. However he's expected to make a full recovery. The Tory MP for the Pudsey area of Leeds is considered one of the most friendly and amiable members of the Commons, but has been open about his intention to press charges on Joyce.
The attack was witnessed first-hand by Tory MPs Jackie-Doyle Price, Andrew Percy and Alec Shelbrooke, along with several Tory researchers who had been sitting at the table adjacent to Joyce.
A member of Thurrock MP Jackie Doyle-Price's staff was given a split lip in the incident, and in addition two male bar staff witnessed the attack. All those present gave statements to police officers at Westminster on Thursday afternoon.
Earlier on Thursday Labour suspended Joyce from the party, pending the outcome of the investigation. The Speaker of the Commons, John Bercow, told MPs he was taking the incident "very seriously" and asked MPs not to raise it on the floor of the Commons.
It is the second time this month that an MP has been charged. Former energy secretary Chris Huhne was forced to step down from the cabinet after he was charged with perverting the course of justice - a charge he denies.
It is also not the first time a MP has been involved in a fight in a House of Commons bar. Last year Labour's Paul Farrelly was involved in a brawl in the Sports and Social bar on the parliamentary estate.
Farrelly said he was acting in self defence after being confronted with a man who "took a swing" at him. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Māori Party must seek guarantees on Māori seats
Labour is calling on the Māori Party to ensure protection of the Māori seats is part of its coalition deal with National which is being considering this weekend, Labour’s Māori Affairs spokesperson Nanaia Mahuta says.
“For the third consecutive term, the Māori Party is entering into a supply and confidence arrangement which includes the ACT Party – a party that has campaigned heavily on scrapping the Māori seats.
“National has previously campaigned to get rid of Māori representation. This term it is no longer reliant on the votes of MPs holding Māori seats.
“It comes at a time when there have been calls for a referendum in the Māori seats. That fails to recognise that under the Maori electoral option there is a mechanism every five years for Māori decide whether or not they want this type of representation.
“Labour is committed to retaining the Māori seats and our commitment to our people has been recognised by Māori who elected our MPs in six of the seven Māori electorates.
“We will continue to hold the Government to account on issues that are important to whānau and Iwi. During this Parliamentary term we anticipate that further reforms of the Resource Management Act, the implementation of Te Ture Whenua Māori, Māori Language Legislation and workplace legislation will be areas of interest for Māori.
“Labour will remain vigilant on issues that will negatively affect Māori fight to retain the rights of our people,” Nanaia Mahuta says. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
The post last Thursday (Pre-adamism and Hermeneutics) focused on the methods of biblical interpretation brought to bear in considerations of Adam and pre-adamic populations, particularly on the role concordism played and the effect of the harmonizing strategies on interpretation. The discussion of concordism and harmonizing strategies developed to keep faith with both science and scripture leads quite naturally into a broader discussion of biblical inspiration, inerrancy and the authority of scripture as the Word of God. After all, the purpose of a concordist approach is to preserve the inerrancy and thus authority of the text.
What does inerrancy have to do with inspiration and/or authority? A commenter on one of Scot’s posts on Five Views of Biblical Inerrancy brought up Charles Ryrie’s statement on biblical inspiration (the commenter found it in a Study Bible, but I also find it on p. 76 of Basic Theology):
Formerly all that was necessary to affirm one’s belief in full inspiration was the statement, “I believe in the inspiration of the Bible.” But when some did not extend inspiration to the words of the text it became necessary to say, “I believe in the verbal inspiration of the Bible.” To counter the teaching that not all parts of the Bible were inspired, one had to say, “I believe in the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Bible.” Then because some did not want to ascribe total accuracy to the Bible, it was necessary to say, “I believe in the verbal, plenary, infallible, inerrant inspiration of the Bible.” But then “infallible” and “inerrant” began to be limited to matters of faith only rather than also embracing all that the Bible records (including historical facts, genealogies, accounts of Creation, etc.), so it became necessary to add the concept of “unlimited inerrancy.” Each addition to the basic statement arose because of an erroneous teaching. (emphasis added)
Ryrie continues (also p. 76) …
The doctrine of inspiration is not something theologians have to force on the Bible. Rather it is a teaching of the Bible itself, a conclusion derived from the data contained in it.
I agree with Ryrie – inspiration is not something theologians have to force on the Bible and I believe in the inspiration of the Bible. But most of the subsequent refinements (responses to what Ryrie considered erroneous teachings), that define exactly what is meant to some people by “inspiration” culminating in “unlimited inerrancy,” do have to be forced on the text. These are not really something the Bible teaches of itself as a whole or conclusions that can be derived from the data contained in it. In fact they lead to a great deal of cognitive dissonance as many come to fear (or realize) that the text does not live up to the pronouncements.
Concern with inerrancy changes our focus. There is another consequence as well. David Livingstone pointed out that the harmonizing strategies used to achieve concord between science and the Bible transform our understanding of the message of scripture. This isn’t just true for questions of science. Harmonizing strategies within scripture also tend to fall into the same trap … strategies reconciling the details of the differing accounts of creation in Genesis 1 and 2 and even Job; the histories in Samuel, Kings and Chronicles; the details in the Gospels (there are differences both between John and the synoptic gospels and between incidents within the synoptic gospels – as with the fig tree for example: Wither the Fig Tree, Whither the Wandering Saints); Paul’s account of his post Damascus journey with the account given in Acts; and this isn’t a complete list. The harmonizing strategies used transform the notions they seek to unite. At the very least harmonizing strategies draw attention away from the core message of passages they seek to defend.
Inerrancy and all the ensuing imperatives, fine-tuned definitions, and fights, with bodies thrown off the boat, churned up in the wake, seems a largely irrelevant and sometimes destructive concept. We need to take scripture seriously – but taking scripture seriously means reading it (all of it) and living it. Neither rigid literalism nor a sifting of error from truth are appropriate.
The alternatives. When it comes to scripture the alternative to inerrant isn’t errant. I do not believe the bible is errant. But “inerrant” (at least inerrant as it has come to be defined in evangelical Christianity) is simply not a useful term to describe what scripture actually is or what it testifies about itself. We have to take the bible as we have it, with poetry, story, proverbs, history, prophecy, apocalyptic imagery, satire, ancient Near Eastern myth, anachronisms, … with all of the trappings. Here we have a faithful transmission of God’s work in his world, his law, his character and more, recorded in forms shaped by experience and context of the people involved, including authors and editors. It is foolishness (the wisdom of the world) to force it into a mold (unlimited inerrancy) of our own making.
Perhaps the best alternative to inerrant is quite simply to return to Ryrie’s first statement without all the detailed baggage he wishes to encumber upon it – I believe in the inspiration of the Bible. And we can go a step further with Paul. Paul wrote to Timothy that all scripture is God-breathed (inspired) in the context of a statement that defines the purpose for scripture. It gives “wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Jesus Christ” and it is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”
When we try to define a tighter fence we will become entangled in the rusty barbed wire we have used and we add to scripture (the message of the cross) a structure of our own human construction. See the image above.
My 2¢ for what it is worth (and I realize that some will think it worth nothing or even less than nothing).
Thoughts? Disagreements? Concerns?
If you wish to contact me directly you may do so at rjs4mail[at]att.net. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Disastrous sales data from the USA (Afternoon analysis 15.05.2020)
As expected, the data on US retail sales in April were dreadful and showed a historical decline. However, the scale of the decline exceeded expectations, underlining the difficulties that economies face. The increased tension between the US and China may have a negative impact on sentiment. The zloty is depreciating slightly.
Weak data from April
Friday afternoon brought another dire macroeconomic data. The Census Bureau reported that retail sales in the USA decreased in April by 16.4% on a monthly basis, clearly more than the expected 12.0%. However, if we exclude vehicles and fuels, whose sales dropped naturally due to the restrictions, the retail sales presented in this way fell by 16.2%. This was far from market expectations, which assumed a 7.6% decrease. As in the case of many macro data from March-April, these were the biggest falls in history.
If we look deeper into the sales figures, we will notice how deeply the pandemic and the associated restrictions have affected consumers and businesses of the world's largest economy in probably its worst month. To see how far the current situation is from the norm, it is good to compare it with April last year. And although vehicle sales and petrol station sales recorded a huge drop - by 32.9% and 42.8 % respectively - they did not stand out in this gloomy statistic. The sales of clothing fell by as much as 89.3%, furniture and home appliances by 66.5% and electronics by 64.8%, respectively.
The aforementioned data are not a perfect reflection of US consumer behaviour, as they do not contain a large part of the services that represent a major part of the economy. However, they may indicate what to expect further. In fact, this expected economic picture may be worse, and the recovery may be slower than expected not long ago.
Moments after the publication of retail sales data, the Federal Reserve also published data on industrial production in April. These were slightly above expectations. Industry recorded a month-on-month decline of 11.2% (consensus: -12%), and its largest component - manufacturing - recorded its largest decline since at least 1919, a 13.7% drop.
The data from the USA practically reflected the trend of the analogues data from China published in the morning - higher than expected production rate and significantly lower retail sales. This highlights the problem that world economies will face. It will be relatively easy to start supply, but the return of demand will be much harder due to the cautious attitude of consumers.
US-China relations are more and more intense
In addition to the pandemic and its unprecedented impact on the economies, practically every day brings a further increase in trade tensions between the US and China. In a statement published today, the US Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced that it intends to "protect national security" and cut Huawei off from using US technology and software to produce its semiconductors. The US already blacklisted Huawei a year ago, but the Chinese company was sourcing from intermediary companies.
The pandemic has already strongly reduced international trade (decline in demand and supply) and additional tensions or restrictions only increase the risks of slower recovery. Besides the fact that the price of a trade war is ultimately paid by consumers in the USA, it has an economic impact on countries and regions heavily dependent on exports, including the eurozone, and potentially Germany in particular. This is probably also part of the campaign for the US presidential election in November, but it can only increase uncertainty about the potential recovery path.
Published macro data and information showing further deterioration of relations between the US and China (a retaliation in the form of restrictions on the US tech companies is also likely to be expected) have slightly increased the fluctuation range in the market, but have not made fundamental changes today. The main currency pair, i.e. the EUR/USD, moved around 1.079-1.085, although a slower-than-expected recovery combined with trade tensions may gradually strengthen the dollar in the global market.
That wouldn't be good news, at least in the short term, for the zloty. Despite the better-than-expected GDP data, the worsening of global sentiment will depreciate the zloty in relation to the main currencies. Perhaps except the pound, which is also going below in red on the global market - the GBP/USD exchange rate fell this afternoon to around 1.211, reaching its lowest level since the end of April. This also made it possible for the GBP/USD to move to ca. 5.11, even though the zloty lost slightly (about 0.1-0.2%) in relation to the euro (4.57 in the afternoon), the dollar (4.22) or the franc (4.34). The foundations for the zloty are good to strengthen when we observe the global recovery. In the short term, weakening market sentiment may increase the supply pressure on the Polish currency.
Subscribe to our currency newsletter
This commentary is not a recommendation within the meaning of Regulation of the Minister of Finance of 19 October 2005. It has been prepared for information purposes only and should not serve as a basis for making any investment decisions. Neither the author nor the publisher can be held liable for investment decisions made on the basis of information contained in this commentary. Copying or duplicating this report without the written permission from Cinkciarz.pl Sp. z o.o is prohibited.
Conotoxia Ltd. is registered in Cyprus, authorized and regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (licence no. 336/17). The company offers access to Forex and CFD trading in the European Economic Area. Office address: Chrysorroiatissis 11, 3032 Limassol, Cyprus.
Conotoxia, Inc. is registered in the United States of America (NMLS #1504617). Office address: P.O Box 81320, Chicago, IL 60681, United States of America. The company is finalizing the regulatory approval for money transfer licence in the latter states. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Chase Carey Continually Frustrated by Bernie’s Legacy
New Formula One CEO Chase Carey remains frustrated with shadows of the old firm still lurking around the paddock.
The tale continues to unfold. Then again, those that believed the story of Liberty Media’s ousting of Bernie Ecclestone would just quietly fade into the background have not been honest with themselves. New details have emerged as new F1 CEO Chase Carey dishes out new details regarding the hostile move against Ecclestone. Regardless of how one might feel about Ecclestone’s imprint on the sport, the insight does give a fascinating lens into the world of corporate management – and just how cutthroat it can be:
“I want to be saying ‘yes’ to a whole lot more. What is the value of having an idea if the answer to everything you want to do is ‘no’? All it does is create frustration.
There are an array of things that weren’t done that needed to be done. We felt it was a sport that for the last five or six years had really not been managed to its full potential or taken advantage of what was here.
All of us make mistakes and nobody is perfect. Bernie took a business from decades ago and sold it for eight billion dollars. He deserves all the credit in the world for what he has done. But in today’s world you need to market a sport. We were not marketing the sport.” – Chase Carey
Former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone (R) speaks with Ferrari’s German driver Sebastian Vettel in the garage at the Sochi Autodrom circuit in Sochi on April 27, 2017.The Formula One Russian Grand Prix will take place on April 30, 2017.
Carey’s candid remarks regarding the ordeal are a welcome breath of fresh air, as the new CEO seems to be more inclined to build bridges rather than burn them. Ecclestone has undoubtedly shaped the sport into what it is today, but when one person is the sole deciding factor in decisions that shape an entire sport… perhaps a step into the 21st century is not a bad idea.
Nikola is a carbon-based life-form residing on Earth dimension C-137. Lover of all things fast and furious. When he's not tapping away at a keyboard, he can be found aimlessly drifting in cyberspace, looking for signs of intelligent life. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Hermeneutics, also known as the ‘art of interpretation’ is a term used to describe the theory and methodology of text interpretation. Although primarily about understanding written text, it can also be applied to cultural products. It is the knowledge, ability and technology of understanding.
As our understanding is already inherent in existence, there is no understanding prior to interpretation, objective understanding does not exist.
"If language appears to come to [the child] first as receptivity, this only refers to the particular language which surrounds it; spontaneity with regard to being able to speak at all is simultaneous with that language’ (Ethik (1812-13) p. 66). The regress these ideas are intended to circumvent will be what leads Schleiermacher in [Hermeneutics and Criticism] to his notion of ‘divination’, the ability to arrive at interpretations without definitive rules, and to his terming hermeneutics an ‘art’, because it cannot be fully carried out in terms of rules. We live, then, in a world which is bound by deterministic laws that also apply to our own organism, yet are able to choose between alternative courses of action and generate new ways of understanding." (Bowie, 1998)
One who chooses to specialise in hermeneutics is a mediator, an interpreter with the capacity to improve and adapt that which is unclear into that which is comprehensible. As we understand our world through interpretation, it always takes place in the present, within our particular era (historically), which causes influential biases, prejudices and preconceptions. It is impossible for us to understand or interpret outside of such biases but through educating ourselves historically or linguistically for such a purpose, it is possible to try.
"In fact history does not belong to us but rather we to it." (Gadamer, 1975) We first understand ourselves in a self-evident way through our roles in society, the environment in which we live and through our family, traditions and culture. This happens prior to developing an understanding ourselves through self-examination. Studying one’s own motivation and behaviour must come from awareness and understanding of that which is obvious. By reading and concentrating on specific works or periods in time, we deepen our understanding and some of the biases and prejudices which come with our own present, begin to shift.
Our own prejudices are not negative in the sense that we must all start somewhere and by viewing our biases or prejudices as a starting point, we are able to base our current understanding and sense of meaning upon them. Interpretation cannot exist without a framework, so even if it were possible to remove personal biases, it would not make anything clearer. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Oh, I really like this page! It seems similar enough to a world that I'm already familiar with (i.e. the real world), which gives me a mental foothold as a reader. Curious about how this is all connected to everything that happened in chapter 1.
@Crowlet: I cannot find the words to express MY own excitement and joy in response to your comment. <3 So I'm just gonna say... Thank you! For reading the comic, and for letting me know how much you enjoyed it. It fuels me to keep going when life doesn't want me to work on the comic.
I think Haru-Sari and Chi-Min are difficult names to remember, being foreign and all.
Sorry about the little delay. This marks the end of Chapter 33: Phobia. I need to take a short break, so the next chapter will begin on June 28th. I will be updating the ask blog in the meantime, though. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Be Strong. Be Fit.
Eating in Dark Restaurant Help in Dieting?
Have you eaten in dark? No, not the romantic candlelight dinner, but in total dark. In China, the first dark restaurant in Asia started operating in Beijing. Source. Dark restaurants were set up later in Melbourne, Zurich, Paris, Montreal, London and Berlin. Other than that, Russia and the US also have similar restaurants.
Except the corridor leading to the dining hall and washrooms, its other interior was painted entirely black. Customers are dining in darkness while listening to horror story telling. The waiters are wearing night vision goggles and they will lead the customers to the tables. No camera, mobile phone, flash light or even luminous watches are allowed.
According to the restaurant owner, without seeing the food, other senses are stimulated to full alert. Therefore, one will taste the food better. Furthermore, one may eat slower. By eating slower, less food will be consumed. However, eating in the dark may backfire when comes to dieting – some people may not be aware how much they have eaten and end up eating more because many have got used to eat based on what they see, and not so much on how full they are, especially when comes to fried food or soda drink.
By the way, just wonder since nobody can see the waiter and waitress, why do they wear ties? Also, by operating in the dark, I am sure the restaurant owner is happy not to pay high electricity bill and lighting installation. In fact, no one will ever complain if it there is a hair or bug in the food.
OK, I am just kidding.
I understand that most dark restaurants hire blind or visually impaired people. So, these workers definitely deserve credit for working to earn their own livings. Hopefully, after having meals in dark restaurants, customers will appreciate their next meal which can be eaten normally, and also their valuable eyesight. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Quick CPE Search
Instructor Biography
Summary of Experience: Yvonne Clayborne is a partner in audit and attest practice of the Melbourne, Florida office of Carr, Riggs & Ingram, LLC. Yvonne has more than 20 years of experience in public practice and 4 years in private industry, serving clients in a variety of industries including local governments, not-for-profit organizations, construction, manufacturing and CIRAs, providing external audit services as well as internal audit (risk management) consulting. Yvonne has been a presenter on a variety of topics to the FICPA, the Florida Government Finance Officers Association (FGFOA), the Florida School Finance Officers Association (FSFOA) and the Florida Association of School Business Officials (FASBO). Professional Affiliations: Yvonne is an active member of the FICPA, the FGFOA, and the Space Coast Community Association. She is also a member of the AICPA and the Space Coast Chapter of the FGFOA. Community Affiliations: Raised in Brevard County, Yvonne currently holds the position of Board Chair for the Brevard Symphony Orchestra and has served as a member of the Florida Institute of Technology College of Business Advisory Board. Education: A graduate of Florida State University, Yvonne is licensed in the State of Florida as a Certified Public Accountant and a Community Association Manager. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
The office of Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) released a report [PDF] today highlighting 100 questionable projects in the stimulus bill.
My personal favorite, largely for the metaphor potential regarding the rate of stimulus spending, is number five: a turtle crossing in Florida. The “eco-passage” is an oldie but a goodie, this one clocking in at $3.4 million and counting in stimulus funds. Here’s a fun fact from the report:
The area has the highest road-kill mortality rate for turtles in the world.
But unlike many a neglected pet turtle, the project isn’t even “shovel ready.” It’s still in the design phase, according to Coburn’s report. So stimulus or no, the turtle genocide continues.
My question is if we have 3.4 Million Dollars to build a safe turtle crossing… how can California justify pulling the bulk of their shelter funds and killing thousands of healthy cats and dogs??? Hello, how about somebody in Congress or the Governor getting some stimulus funds to protect innocent animals in California? – Ask Marion/Just One More Pet
Please write/call/fax your State and Federal Congress-members, Senators, Governor Schwarzenegger, and the Stimulus Czar for aid for our helpless animal friends, and keep up the pressure until the funds come through. A quick note to Oprah would help too!!
Was it an animal shelter, or a puppy mill, or perhaps a little of both?
Whatever the case, the Thyme and Sage Ranch in Wisconsin is no more after 300 dogs were seized and owner and founder Jennifer Petkus was charged with 11 misdemeanor animal cruelty charges. The story sounds a little similar to the one we told you about earlier this week – Pendragwn Chow Rescue in Pennsylvlania.
In the Wisconsin case, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant Tuesday at the ranch, seizing the first 100 dogs, eight horses and a goat. At least six dog carcasses were discovered and a ram needed to be euthanized, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
According to a criminal complaint, Dr. Lisa Kerwin-Lucchi, a veterinarian with the Dane County Humane Society, used a hidden camera and temperature probe to record conditions at Thyme and Sage Ranch in rural Cazenovia in March, documenting dogs without access to food and unfrozen water, dogs with severely matted fur and inadequate bedding for unheated buildings.
Petkus was charged with one count of improper shelter to animals and 10 counts of intentionally mistreating animals — all misdemeanors. In addition, she faces five counts of unlawful deposit of animals carcasses.
Court records also show that Thyme and Sage, which has a contract with Richland County to serve as a shelter for lost and found animals, had already transferred 68 dogs and 10 cats to the Dane County Humane Society between Feb. 1 and March 27.
Kerwin-Lucchi started collecting the criminal evidence as early as February to obtain a search warrant and file charges “to make sure (Petkus) can’t do this again.”
She said she’s not sure what led to the conditions of her shelter because Many of the seized dogs look to be “retired breeders from puppy mills,” and the fact that she was adopting out large number of young puppies raised the suspicion she may also have been breeding, Kerwin-Lucchi said.
On Tuesday morning, May 19, the ASPCA was on hand in Cazenovia, WI, to assist in the raid of an animal sanctuary, the Thyme and Sage Ranch. The ASPCA Forensic Cruelty Investigation and Disaster Response teams, as well as our Mobile Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) Unit, are currently working alongside the Richland County Sheriff’s Department to collect evidence and evaluate the animals found at the site.
LOS ANGELES (CBS) ― Animal Shelters are supposed to care for lost pets. But we found some LA County workers caught on tape allegedly abusing dogs. CBS 2 Investigative Reporter David Goldstein obained the videos and has this exclusive report.
These surveillance videos — obtained by CBS 2 News — show what some L.A. County animal shelter employees do when they think the public’s not watching.
“How do you pull a defenseless dog through the facility like that, dragging it, and you have nothing to say at all.”We have the videos and obtained documents showing a hidden culture at the county shelters, where animals are allegedly euthanized and abused by employees, sometimes for kicks.
“There were quite a few of them who high-fived each other when they got certified to put the animals to sleep, as if it was a major coup.”
L.A. County’s Animal Care and Control claims to be one of the largest and progressive shelter systems in the nation. Their slogan is “care with compassion.”
But our investigation found that is not always the case.
Animal control officers are watched from dozens of surveillance cameras set up all around the six shelters across L.A. County, watching them when no one else may be watching.
In a video from the backroom of the Downey shelter, an animal control officer is seen putting his foot on the dog he just brought in. While it’s fully restrained on what is called a catch pole, he pins the dog down, jabbing the pole in its throat.
In this video from the Baldwin Park shelter last December, the officer drags the dog all the way down the long corridor, pulling it by a rope, as the animal spreads out on all fours. When he stops, the friendly dog wags its tail, only to be dragged along even further.
The day before at Baldwin Park, a camera catches another officer doing the exact same thing — dragging a dog by a rope down a corridor.
In March at Baldwin Park an officer is seen flinging a Chihuahua into the cage. The tiny dog is tossed in like a piece of meat.
And finally in Baldwin Park in 2006, a dog is appears unsteady on its feet, having just come back from the vet with a hip injury. But that didn’t stop the officer, who has been identified as Felix Reyes, from first pulling the dog, then dragging it by a rope.
As a family of five walks by, Reyes drags the dog across the compound.
After a short time, the dog finally succumbs to the pressure and gets up, only to have Reyes captured by another camera, as he walks it along and yanks the injured dog across the threshold and into a cage.
“Every animal has a story and they can’t talk,” said Cathy Nguyen.
Nguyen is an animal lover and frequent critic of the shelter system, who has troubled by the videos.
“The dog could be someone’s dog. They didn’t know. If this is how they treat my dog it wouldn’t be acceptable,” Nguyen said.
It was almost sadistic?
“Sadistic. Absolutely.”
“Hey Felix, I’m David Goldstein with CBS 2 News.”
I tried to question Reyes.
“You were pulling that defenseless dog down through the whole place. What were you doing that for?”
But he never said a word.
“How do you keep quiet about that? How do you live with yourself at night? You’ve got nothing to say?”
Critics of the shelter system say the videos bring to light the sometimes dark side of what goes on goes behind the cages — a culture that can breed cruelty, neglect and even torture.
These investigative reports, obtained by CBS 2 News, document dogs that were intentionally or mistakenly euthanized, killed in the shelters after being put on hold for adoption or the return to their owners.
“There were definitely people working there who didn’t even like animals.”
This former shelter employee, who would only talk if we concealed their identity, says the euthanizing of animals was sometimes a sought after position.
“They enjoyed putting the animals to sleep?”
“Yes. Some of them volunteered. They wanted to be the ones doing that.”
“What kind of person is that?”
“Narcissistic. Lack of compassion. It wasn’t uncommon at all.”
But the head of L.A. County’s shelter system says three instances is just a small amount.
“We take in 90,000 animals a year, three incidents over the numbers of thousands of animals that have come in during that period of time I think is very minor.” Reporting – David Goldstein
Hmmm… 3 incidents that were found out about. How many were not? Who lets volunteers euthenize animals? And what if it were your pet that someone Euthenized?
It is time that cruelty to animals was punished much more severely. And it is also time that we stop euthenizing healthy animals !!
If Mom or Grandma has been considering getting a dog or cat, Mother’s Day is a perfect time —not to surprise her — but take her to several shelters and see what’s out there. Use Petfinder to screen for the best candidates. That way she’ll get exactly what she was looking for and the pet has a good chance of staying put rather than being returned.
If Mom is in love with a particular breed, check Petfinder in case one is available through a shelter.
Here’s the top 10 reasons to consider adopting a homeless or shelter pet:
1. You save many lives. Not only do you save the life of the animal you adopt, you will get an animal that is spayed or neutered, which means no unwanted litters to end up at an animal control facility.
2. You won’t be supporting puppy mills. Puppy factory farms will have one less customer to feed their reprehensible business. They produce pets with expensive health issues, physical and mental, and look at pets as “products”. Female dogs are forced into a constant state of pregnancy for the duration of their lives, not cared for or let out of their cages. When you buy from a pet shop, it supports this industry.
3. You get the best deal ever. Shelter animals are fully vaccinated, spay/neutered, and more often than not, micro-chipped, and heartworm tested.
4. You become an active participant in preventing cruelty to animals. The Oprah show on puppy mills made it very clear to all that, even if unwittingly, pet shops selling pets get their animals from puppy mills. You can dismantle this practice by making different choices.
5. Shelters are not the scary places they used to be! Many provide added services. The progress that has been made over the past decade in sheltering practices means that many shelters offer their “temporary residents” basic training, so they are at least familiar with the concept of being on leash, and the concept of “sit” and “walk” Some shelters are set up so that daycare, kenneling, and grooming are available.
6. Shelters, good ones, always want their animals returned to them if there’s a problem–not to some other facility, or to another family. You won’t get any guarantees like that from a pet shop.
7. Shelters will know the dog or cat, their personalities, some of their querks and a lot of their personality. New puppies are so cute, cuddly, but they have a lot of needs. They require that someone be home all day to care for them, potty train them, feed them often and teach themeverything. If you are getting a puppy and will leave him or her in a cage more than an hour please don’t get a puppy. It is not at all advisable to cage a puppy all day long. That kind of life would be a cruelty to the dog and to you. You would not be happy with a puppy that went wild every time you let him or her out.
8. Sheltersare part of the community and work to save lives every day. They are there to serve the animals and match them to the best possible homes.
9. Shelters provide opportunities to learn through volunteering, expand your network and know more about the community you live in.
10. Adopt—it’s a matter of life, and the life you save may be your own! Studies have it that pets lower blood pressure and that pet people live longer. Just feeling good about how you contribute to solving a societal problem doesn’t hurt, either.
Hope you had a great Mother’s Day!
By: Mary Haight – Examiner.com
Then next year mom and grandma can take their friend to one of the many dog parks with free entrance, goodies and goodie bags for Mother’s Day.
Between 25-40% of abused women are unable to escape their situations because they are worried about their animals, either pets or livestock. Finally, smart, caring folks have noted this fact and change is beginning. Nationally, an increasing number of shelters for abused women have added kennels and created foster care programs in effect.
Statistics compiled by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence show that:
53% child, spouse, and elder abuse are linked to animal abandonment and neglect.
71% of pet-owning women who enter a shelter reported that their batterer threatened, injured, maimed, or killed the family pets for revenge.
68% of abused women reported abuse toward their pets.
As stated above 28-40% of abused women stay in their abuse situations because they fear for the safety of their animals.
This is a cause that hits close to home for hawaiipetphotos.com. A person who seeks to control and manipulate another human by threatening our most innocent and trusting furry friends is the lowest life-form imaginable. Kudos to those states that have begun to pass laws that protect the animals and in turn these human victims!
The current U.S. financial crisis has the potential to grow into a serious animal welfare issue, warns Executive Vice President of ASPCA Programs, Dr. Stephen Zawistowski. As households across the country are caught in the economic downturn, an estimated 500,000 to one million cats and dogs are at risk of becoming homeless.
“According to national financial estimates, approximately one in 171 homes in the U.S. is in danger of foreclosure due to the subprime mortgage crisis,” Zawistowski observes. “Considering that approximately 63 percent of U.S. households have at least one pet, hundreds of thousands are in danger of being abandoned or relinquished to animal shelters.”
To avoid or ease the heartbreak of losing an animal companion due to economic hardship, the ASPCA urges pet owners who are faced with foreclosure to think of alternatives ahead of time:
See if friends, family or neighbors can provide temporary foster care for their pet until they get back on their feet.
If they are moving into a rental property, get written permission in advance that pets are allowed.
“Everyone is being affected by the current economic crisis in some way,” says ASPCA President & CEO Ed Sayres. “Community animal shelters and rescue groups across the country may soon be seeing an increase in homeless pets or a decrease in the donations they rely on.”
We urge ASPCA News Alert readers to help in any way that you can:
Adopt a homeless pet.
Donate used blankets, towels or even tennis balls to your local animal shelter.
Foster adoptable animals until they find their forever homes.
Help community members who may be struggling to take care of their pets.
For more information on pets in the economic crisis, please visit our pressroom.
But pet advocates are worried Papi’s big-screen presence could spark an unfortunate increase in demand for the tiny canine species. Such a spike encourages puppy mills and might fill shelters with abandoned animals after the movie’s appeal wears off, advocates say.
“Unfortunately, whenever a breed becomes suddenly popular, puppy mills will try to cash in on the trend,” said Leighann McCollum, Tennessee director for the Humane Society. “Chihuahuas have already seen their own detrimental spike after the launch of Taco Bell ads featuring the breed and celebrities making them a popular ‘purse dog.'”
As a species, Chihuahuas can be aggressive, territorial and bark a lot, pet advocates say, and they tend to bond only with a single person, even in a family household. When overbred in bad conditions, some of these bad qualities can be amplified, said Guy Bilyeu, executive director of the Hamilton County Humane Educational Society.
“Small dogs, the Chihuahuas and rat terriers, are some of the more notorious biters out there,” Mr. Bilyeu said.
“Movies like this always irritate me, because they have a tendency to portray Chihuahuas as accessories rather than living creatures,” Ms. Deweese said. “People see the animals as jewelry, and they don’t think about their needs.”
That sometimes means animals that are cute at first will find a home at the shelter in a few weeks, Mr. Bilyeu said.
“The first thing people are going to do after this movie is look in the newspaper for Chihuahua pups, but our advice is to know your breeder,” he said. “If you find a breeder, ask to see their facility. Any reputable breeder will be proud to show off their operation.”
“We have a few (Chihuahuas) in our shelter right now,” he said, “and you want to make sure that these animals have been brought up with the quality you would want to have in your home.”
Disney, the company releasing “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” warns viewers on its Web site not to rush out to adopt or buy the animals.
“Owning a pet is a major responsibility. Dogs require daily care and constant attention. Before bringing a dog into your family, research the specific breed to make sure it is suitable for your particular situation,” the Disney Web site warns.
Ms. McCollum said the Humane Society helped expose a puppy mill in Hickman County, Tenn., in June. About 700 dogs were rescued from the mill southwest of Nashville, and most were Chihuahuas, she said. They were kept in small cages and were diseased, she said.
“We have seen cages of Chihuahuas living in despicable conditions during our recent puppy mill raids, including this summer in Tennessee,” said Stephanie Shain, director of the Humane Society of the United States’ Stop Puppy Mills campaign. “They are one of the most common breeds being churned out by mills due to their small size and the ease in which they can be bred in cramped cages.”
And if you are going to get a dog… decide what type of breed you want, or better yet, don’t want, and then check the shelters and rescues first. If you buy one at a pet shop, make sure you know they are reputable and do a some questioning and checking into where they get their dogs (animals). Also ask yourself if you have the ability to properly care for a pet or make arrangements for them if are gone a lot. Pets like children are a full time commitment and should be a lifetime decision.
And if you suspect pet abuse or that people are raising pets in unfit or unsanitary conditions, report them.
Save a Life…Adopt Just One More…Pet!
Everyday we read or hear another story about pets and other animals being abandoned in record numbers while at the same time we regularly hear about crazy new rules and laws being passed limiting the amount of pets that people may have, even down to one or two… or worse yet, none.
Nobody is promoting hoarding pets or animals, but at a time when there are more pets and animals of all types being abandoned or being taken to shelters already bursting at the seams, there is nothing crazier than legislating away the ability of willing adoptive families to take in just one more pet!!
Our goal is to raise awareness and help find homes for all pets and animals that need one by helping to match them with loving families and positive situations. Our goal is also to help fight the trend of unfavorable legislation and rules in an attempt to stop unnecessary Euthenization!!
“All over the world, major universities are researching the therapeutic value of pets in our society and the number of hospitals, nursing homes, prisons and mental institutions which are employing full-time pet therapists and animals is increasing daily.” ~ Betty White, American Actress, Animal Activist, and Author of Pet Love
There is always room for Just One More Pet. So if you have room in your home and room in your heart… Adopt Just One More! If you live in an area that promotes unreasonable limitations on pets… fight the good fight and help change the rules and legislation…
Save the Life of Just One More…Animal!
Recent and Seasonal Shots
As I have been fighting Cancer… A battle I am gratefully winning, my furkids have not left my side. They have been a large part of my recovery!! Ask Marion
Photos by the UCLA Shutterbug are protected by copyright, Please email at JustOneMorePet@gmail.com or find us on twitter @JustOneMorePet for permission to duplicate for commerical purposes or to purchase photos.
By JoAnn, Marion, and Tim Algier This past week, we lost our dear family member Rocky who had just outlived his “huep – na-napbdad”, Tom, by just a few months. His perspective would have been interesting!! Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been […]
By JoAnn, Marion, and Tim Algier This past week, we lost a dear family member, Rocky, who had just outlived his “human pet-dad”, Tom, by just a few months. It certainly would have been interesting to know what they thought and what experiences they had had in common!! Just this side of heaven is a […]
Bristol Palin: Fellow SixSeeds blogger Zeke Pipher has a great question: If they were dead puppy parts, or parts from homosexual babies, or babies that self-identified as adults, it’d be a different story. Meaning, it would be a story. But as it is, the fact that these fetuses don’t look like puppies, and their sexual […]
Family and friends of G.R. Gordon-Ross watch his private fireworks show at the Youth Sports Complex in Lawrence, Kan., Friday, June 28, 2013. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner) Mercury News – Originally posted on July 02, 2013: The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. Hot dogs, potato salad and, of course, fireworks. But Independence […]
Very few dogs have the experience of being parents these days and especially seeing their litters through the process of weaning and then actually being able to remain part of a pack with at least part of their family. Apachi is our Doggie Dad. He is a Chiweenie and here he is is watching his […]
By Marion Algier – Just One More Pet (JOMP) – Cross-Posted at AskMarion Anderson Cooper met Chaser, a dog who can identify over a thousand toys, and because of whom, scientists are now studying the brain of man’s best friend. Chaser is also the subject of a book: Chaser: Unlocking the Genius of the Dog […]
By Tamara – Dog Heirs – Cross-Posted at JOMP Quebec, Canada – Animals will be considered “sentient beings” instead of property in a bill tabled in the Canadian province of Quebec. The legislation states that "animals are not things. They are sentient beings and have biological needs." Agriculture Minister Pierre Paradis proposed the bill and […] […]
Flickr Photos
Meta
Great Book for Children and Pet Lovers… And a Perfect Holiday Gift
One More Pet
Emily loves animals so much that she can’t resist bringing them home. When a local farmer feels under the weather, she is only too eager to “feed the lambs, milk the cows and brush the rams.” The farmer is so grateful for Emily’s help that he gives her a giant egg... Can you guess what happens after that? The rhythmic verse begs to be read aloud, and the lively pictures will delight children as they watch Emily’s collection of pets get bigger and bigger.
If You Were Stranded On An Island…
A recent national survey revealed just how much Americans love their companion animals. When respondents were asked whether they’d like to spend life stranded on a deserted island with either their spouse or their pet, over 60% said they would prefer their dog or cat for companionship! | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Car NewsAimed at those searching for the latest automotive news delivered in a timely manner, the news category reports about new car releases and brings exclusive stories from the automotive niche. Car news are delivered every day and focused on those in need of the newest from the automotive world.
Car TechTechnology is constantly changing and evolving, from under the hood to inside the cabin. Plus, with our smartphones, there are more car related apps than ever before. Some apps track your performance and fuel economy while others help you find the best deal on a pre-owned car. We highlight these and other trends while uncovering the benefits (and drawbacks) of the latest car technology.
Car ReviewsReading our latest Car Reviews will treat you with professionally written and well executed car reviews from our experts. Extensive galleries of the newest cars and interesting reports on vehicles available are complemented with rigorous appraisement expressed in our Pros and Cons section.
Car TalkMany of our strong feelings, thoughts, and passions about automobiles are reflected here in our editorials. These editorials are based on our observations on the industry and are designed to stimulate conversation about cars and the overall car culture.
Future of TransportationNew technologies are changing the way we travel. Is it possible robot cars will chauffeur us everywhere before long? Semi-autonomous technologies are already available on some cars today – is full on autonomous driving next? We explore this bold new era, from the proponents who point to increased safety and better use of infrastructure, to the skeptics who feel there is no substitute for human intuition behind the wheel. As this new age approaches, where will you be when the future of transportation arrives? System Safety Las Vegas 2016: The first automotive event to provide a comprehensive look at safety in every component of highly automated systems. Click below to read more about the conference and use the code Automoblog-1-D87ZS2N at checkout to get 10% discount!
Jaguar XE SV Project 8 Tackles The Nürburgring Nordschleife
All right you Xbox warriors, gearheads, and grease monkeys. Yes, even the poor deluded souls who think the PlayStation counts as a driving simulator. I know what you’re thinking: 7:21 and change is an okay time, but it’s not a great time. I agree with you.
Sure, what the Jaguar XE SV Project 8 did was quick, but it’s not even in the same time zone as what the latest Porsche GT and that monster from Glickenhaus did. All of that is true. What is also true is that the Jaguar XE SV Project 8 is most definitely not a featherweight car. It’s kind of fat. But it’s also kind of fast. Oh, and it’s also a sedan.
Disclaimers & Conditions
Jaguar is being cute with all of this stuff and it gives me a chuckle. For starters, there’s a whole series of foot notes in the presser, and they are laughably entertaining if you think about the conference room discussions that lead to them. Some of the greatest hits include: “Professional driver on a closed course. Do not attempt.” And “always follow local speed limits.” Of course the funny thing here is the Nürburgring Nordschleife is a public road and you can drive on it just as fast as you care.
One could say that it’s kind of weaselly and sounds like someone is hedging their bets (if you’re a glass half empty kind of a person). Or one could say it means the XE SV Project 8 prototype used for this Nürburgring run is remarkably close to the production version, and only detail changes might be happening (if you’re a glass half full kind of a person).
Jag’s new record is 11 seconds quicker than the previous sedan time, although they do not mention who it was that set the previous record. As I recall it was a BMW M3; that one with the big, whompin’ V8.
Photo: Jaguar Land Rover.
Power & Performance
The new time was set thanks to the Jaguar XE SV Project 8’s fire-breathing 592 horsepower, 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine. It shoots the big sedan to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds and to a top speed of 200 mph. And of course the suspension and tires helped.
No mention made of the skins mounted, but if I were doing something like this, I’d get some real race rubber (let’s say Michelins) to tilt this thing as much in my favor as I could. Jag says the XE SV Project 8 is the most extreme road-legal Jaguar ever, which says a lot if you’ve ever been up close with an XJ220, cause those things are nasty, nasty machines.
The bad news is that the Jaguar XE SV Project 8 won’t be available until next year, and it starts around $187,500 in the United States. And, to make matters even worse, production is limited to 300 vehicles worldwide. If you’re interested, you can watch the XE SV Project 8 prototype’s record lap on the Nürburgring Nordschleife below. I’ve got to say, it is rather impressive.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias towards lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Perouse Lodge
Label for Popular! (property)
Λεπτομέρειες Εστίας
Modern Boutique accommodation two steps from the bustling foodies' hub 'The Spot'
Address:
6 Perouse Road, Σίδνεϊ, 2031
Απόσταση από University of New South Wales
16λεπ.
10λεπ.
9λεπ.
Facilities:
Kitchen, Furnished, Laundry
Bills included:
WiFi, Water, Electricity, Heating, Gas
Perouse Lodge is a short walk to the Prince of Wales Hospital, the Sydney Children’s Hospital and the University of NSW (UNSW). Also within walking distance is the Royal Women’s Hospital and the Nelune Cancer Centre. Popular Coogee Beach is only a 20 walk away and the property is also close to the Allianz Stadium. Public transport is on your doorstep with regular buses to the Sydney CBD and Bondi.
Fully renovated late 2015, the property offers a convenient guest-shared kitchen & dining area, a laundry and an outdoor seating area. Guestrooms include free Wi-Fi access, air-conditioning, flat screen TV, a work desk and a private ensuite bathroom with toiletries and hairdryer.
Choose your room in Perouse Lodge
Price Match Promise
Find a lower price and we'll match it!Terms & Conditions
Tooltip to request more details on PP, in English: Need a few more details? Click Request Details.
Need different dates? Click on the Live chat button on the bottom-right hand corner of this page to talk to one of our booking consultants
Δωμάτιο-2+ άτομα
Ιδιωτ. δωμάτιο
Ολόκλ. Διαμέρισμα
Category room: Shared room
This is a description of a shared room. The user could enjoy the communal feeling of a shared room with 2 or more people, in separated beds. Additional living spaces and facilities are shared with other rooms. The user can find more details in the property description.
1
Twin Room ( Must book together)Ιδιωτικό μπάνιοMore details
Move in anytime
Min stay 5 εβδομάδες
A$805/εβδομάδα
Category room: Private room
This is the description of a private room. The user should be informed that they do not need to share a private room as they can sleep and study in their own space. They will be able to meet their neighbours thanks to the shared additional living spaces and facilities. The user can find more details in the property description.
3
Queen RoomΙδιωτικό μπάνιοMore details
Move in anytime
Min stay 5 εβδομάδες
A$735/εβδομάδα
6
King RoomΙδιωτικό μπάνιοMore details
Move in anytime
Min stay 5 εβδομάδες
A$805/εβδομάδα
Room type Entire Place
This is a description of a fully rented property. The user will be able to relax in their own self-contained property. This will be their own living space with cooking and bathing facilities only for themselves. The property can be rented by friends for more place or to split the cost. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Never have so many been cut so fast — less than half of the young artists who survived the first two rounds of “American Idol” challenges will move forward in the competition to the Top 30. Malaya Watson of Southfield and Jena Irene of Farmington Hills are among the chosen few.
As “American Idol” introduces new and at times shocking elements this season, this week known as “Hollywood Week” required each artist to perform a song before having a face to face meeting with Judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr . The singers were forced to walk through a ridiculously long room, then climb into uncomfortable director’s chairs to learn their fates. Stone-faced judges played the drama card as contenders sat before them, terrified and unable to breathe. After what seemed like hours of suspense, judges delivered their verdicts: go on or go home.
Malaya Watson confidently strolled across the very long room and corrected Connick Jr.’s pronunciation of her name, pronounced “mah-LAY-ah,” which she told him means “freedom” in the Filipino language. Watson’s mother is Filipino.
Advertisement
“That name has great potential to be a star at some point,” Connick told her, adding ... wait for it ... “We want you in the Top 30.”
Watson doubted whether she would make it.
“I wasn’t sure what they were going to say, because of a problem with my performance. I sang ‘I Believe’ by Fantasia, but the band and I were in different keys,” she said. The band was the one in the wrong key. “I thought I did something wrong when Harry asked us to start over. The heel of my shoe was wobbling and about to fall off. But then I just thought that the show must go on, and I did it. It was great.”
Watson’s performance received a standing ovation from Urban and Lopez as well as a smile from Connick, a salute to a strong performance after the false start. She says she is mentally and physically exhausted, but relieved to move forward to the elite Top 30, along with Jena Irene.
A number of American Idol hopefuls chose to perform original songs to demonstrate the depth of their talent, only to find the judges — not fans of their work — handed them their tickets home. Irene says she chose to perform “Unbreakable Me” because she was more comfortable singing her own song, and she could accompany herself on the piano. She wrote it a year ago after watching a friend struggle with an eating disorder.
“The message of the song is that everyone is beautiful, just the way they are,” said Irene. “I walked out on stage, performed, then left. They needed to hear 77 people, so things were moving fast, and I really couldn’t tell what they thought about the song or my performance.”
Dressed in an outfit from Royal Oak’s Saffron boutique, she took her sunny, positive attitude along on the long walk to talk with the judges. She said her heart was pounding when Connick took his dramatic pause before telling her she would be part of the Top 30.
“He told me they had a nick name for me — the sleeper,” Irene said. “It had been an exhausting week, and I knew they caught me napping on camera a couple of times. I thought that was what he meant. Then he explained that they didn’t expect me to make it this far in the competition. He said, ‘A sleeper is a movie that no one thinks will do well, and it explodes — that’s you. That’s a compliment.’”
Irene described her walk back to the door as floating; she was on cloud nine.
“He is a genius of music, they all are, and to hear that compliment made me so happy. I’m still smiling,” she said.
Irene and Watson are now preparing for American Idol Rush Week, which is the beginning of live performances.
Long days
Both teens must not only practice for live performances, but also spend hours with a tutor to keep up their school work.
“I have pre-calculus, physics and world history that keeps me busy,” Watson said. “My mom says that if I get into the Top 10 she will buy me a new computer. Now that is incentive.”
Irene agreed that the schedule is exhausting. She said she is up daily by 5 a.m. to do her own hair and makeup, so she can be camera-ready by breakfast at 7 a.m. Reminding herself that she is doing what she loves, she adds she was told to expect curve balls and surprises constantly.
And that is good advice for all hopefuls as “American Idol” has some nasty twists and turns planned for Rush Week, when the judges will allow only singers they think are worthy of the “Idol” mantle to perform. The rest will be sent packing without an opportunity to sing.
After the live shows on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, voting lines will be open so fans can help choose the next “American Idol.” Viewers will be able to SuperVote, using americanidol.com, the “American Idol” app and Facebook. Fans will be able to submit up to 50 votes per contestant at one time. Viewers can also phone in their votes. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Duterte: No reason to 'drop' Gina
MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday again stressed his support for Environment Secretary Gina Lopez, as he slammed mining firms that are destroying the environment.
Reciting a list of firms which he said were engaged in destructive mining, Duterte said he sees no reason to withdraw support for Lopez, whose appointment has faced strong opposition from mining groups.
The president said, there is no compelling reason to drop Lopez, adding that mining firms would find it hard to justify the environmental destruction they have caused.
“Give me a redeeming factor. Give me a redeeming -- something which I can hang on to to drop Gina. Walang redeeming factor,” he said.
Duterte also said he is mulling on imposing a total ban on mining.
Lopez has ordered the closure of 23 mining companies and the suspension of 5 others, but her decision is being reviewed by an inter-agency council.
Duterte also accused some mining firms of funding the opposition to undermine his government.
“Kayong mga mining, I know you are funding the opposite side. Alam ko na ngayon kung sinong gumgastos sa kanila. I know that some of you are giving funding to the other side to destabilize me. If the police and military will allow it, it’s their problem,” Duterte said.
The Commission on Appointments is scheduled to take up her appointment this week. An executive caucus is set to be held tomorrow and a plenary session on Wednesday.
In case she is bypassed, the president would need to issue another ad interim appointment for Lopez.000 | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Publisher's Weekly Review
The supernatural horror elements in Hyman's second novel, after The Eyes of a Stranger , may not convince as thoroughly as Stephen King's but her story moves smartly. In 1992 San Paradiso, Calif., the mayor is prime suspect in a series of murders, a senator's wife receives pornographic photos of herself, an upright judge is reportedly hinting at a gubernatorial race--but all three know these ``facts'' are wrong. It's as if each has a double. Elsewhere in the world, Paris suffers earthquakes, a fanatic Ayatollah conquers Saudi Arabia and world leaders (including the U.S. president) are kidnapped at a summit meeting. In San Paradiso, reporter Laura Bennett learns that her long-dead father had been tormented by the devils in Goya's painting ``The Witches' Sabbath.'' Troubles climax in San Paradiso as these demons, who can ``echo'' anyone, turn to Laura as the Devil's potential bride. Enabled by inner strength to shrug off a fate worse than death, Laura nevertheless experiences horrors that would be even scarier as movie special effects. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Library Journal Review
Like the best of Dean Koontz's supernatural chillers, this novel forces readers to suspend disbelief--in this case, to the point of accepting the premise that demons are taking over the world. Strange, literally earthshaking events are taking place: the kidnapping and murder of several world leaders, earthquakes in France, fissures in the earth. In San Paradiso, California, several powerful people suddenly have look-alikes behaving oddly, even murderously. Political reporter Laura Bennett must fight the demons within herself to retrieve from her memory the explanation for this otherworldly invasion. Former AP editor and veteran novelist Hyman ( The Eyes of a Stranger , St. Martin's, 1987) has written a compelling tale, recommended for horror collections.-- Marylaine Block, St. Ambrose Univ. Lib., Davenport, Ia. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Wealth Dynamics 6CD set (DOWNLOAD)
Product Description
Wealth Dynamics is a revolutionary technology that will guide you on your path to wealth by matching ALL the eight paths to wealth, with personality types.
It provides the answers for anyone who has been confused or frustrated by the apparently conflicting advice of successful wealth creators.
Learn, amongst other things...
The polar opposites of wealth creation.
Value ownership vs value leverage.
The eight wealth profiles.
Three critical obstacles to wealth creation.
Finding your wealth altitude.
Wealth path vs industry path.
Why millionaires still fail.
How certainty turns failure into accelerated growth.
And Discover:1. The formula for wealth and the wealth paradox.2. How to tune into your wealth frequency.3. Your 6 step strategy to create wealth based on your wealth profile.4. The journey to "wealth beyond words".
Please note: We suggest that to get maximum value from this CD set that you first discover your own wealth profile. It only takes 15 minutes to discover your wealth profile... for just US$97, you can take your test. See our Wealth Dynamics Profile Test. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
International Hotel Management Company StayWell Hospitality Group has announced their first foray into the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, with the signing of a long-term management agreement for Leisure Inn Arion Jakarta, scheduled to open in late 2018.
This project will see StayWell Hospitality Group partner with Indonesian multi-disciplinary group PT Arion Paramita Group – a well-established organisation across transportation, property, hotel and tourism, finance and industry.
The strong relationship that StayWell Hospitality Group has developed with PT Arion Paramita Group reflects the businesses ongoing commitment to global expansion, with a Group target to build a network of 100 properties in the next 10 years.
Located in the heart of East Jakarta, in close proximity to the State University of Jakarta and corporate offices, Leisure Inn Arion will boast 50 well-appointed rooms, an all-day dining restaurant and bar and a meeting room suited to small to medium sized events.
Mr. Simon Wan, CEO of StayWell Hospitality Group, the parent company of the Leisure Inn brand, said that the signing this new development will add to the organisation’s rapidly growing international portfolio.
“This partnership signifies exciting times for the StayWell Hospitality Group, as we continue to showcase our commitment to expanding both the Leisure Inn and Park Regis brands internationally.
“With the success of Park Regis Kuta in Bali and Park Regis Seminyak currently under development, we believe Leisure Inn Arion is a positive step forward,” Mr. Wan said.
Leisure Inn Arion Property Owner and PT Arion Paramita Group Director, Mr. Febert Hutagalung, said he sees this relationship with StayWell Hospitality Group as the beginning of a partnership that will deliver Indonesia more world-class developments into the future.
“I am confident that this partnership is the beginning of a positive working relationship, offering more opportunities for international property openings in Indonesia via StayWell Hospitality Group,” Mr. Hutagalung. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Flooding Returns To South West
Council give £50,000 to help flood victims
Somerset Community Foundation will give grants to those affected Credit: ITV West
Somerset County Council has given fifty-thousand pounds towards helping people badly affected by flooding as 8 flood warnings are still in place across the South West.
The money has been given to the Somerset Community Foundation who will use it to give grants to those whose homes have been damaged. They say even more money will be needed for victims with long term needs. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Disney reveals exactly where you can stream its Disney+ provider
Disney these days revealed additional about its impending streaming support, Disney+. Particularly, we now know which units the company will be on, and to which international locations it’ll be rolling out at start.
Disney disclosed the new streaming service would be rolling out to Canada and the Netherlands on November twelve, the identical day it launches in the US. It also rolls out in Australia and New Zealand on November 19. Disney‘s CEO Bob Iger said in an earning’s phone previously this thirty day period the support would launch in two worldwide markets, so presumably this is exactly where he meant. No word but on when it’ll be coming to other nations around the world, these types of as the rest of Europe or Asia, but Iger claimed in the exact contact he expects the support to develop to additional markets about the subsequent two or 3 many years.
It also verified you are going to be able to subscribe to Disney+ either right or by way of in-app purchases.
Though that is an comprehensive listing, it does not include all the key gamers. Notably, the corporation seems to be snubbing Amazon’s gadgets, such as the Fire Television set. It is usually possible people will occur later on — Disney specifies that the firms with which it launches were being chosen thanks to “world-wide distribution agreements in area.” It is attainable they couldn’t get an agreement with Amazon settled in time for the start, which is now just a several months away.
Disney’s going all-in on the company, as it would require to in get to compete with the likes of Netflix or Amazon’s Primary Video clip. The slate of new material it’s planned for Disney+ incorporates at least 4 exhibits in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a High Faculty Musical collection, and a Monsters Inc job. The show that’ll be readily available at start, as a carrot to entice in the curious, is The Mandalorian, established in the Star Wars universe.
We previously know the company is bundling Disney+ with ESPN Moreover and Hulu — presumably to expand the enchantment to older people who could possibly not essentially be interested in the Disney catalog. The pricing ($12.99) is really aggressive, with the bundle remaining the exact price tag as Netflix and Hulu. Disney+ by alone will cost $six.99 a month.
Meanwhile, on Twitter, Disney today “announced” it’s transferring its displays, which begun a jocular chain of tweets from all the brand names Disney owns about “packing up.” It ended with this hilarious, if relatively hypocritical tweet: | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Charles is Charles, and that's some funny stuff.. he keeps it real, and says what's on his mind.. magic does this too, but in a more politically correct way... i love that crew, can't wait for the sonics to return so i can start watching basketball again.. apparently the playoff's started already? who knew....
hawker84 wrote:Charles is Charles, and that's some funny stuff.. he keeps it real, and says what's on his mind.. magic does this too, but in a more politically correct way... i love that crew, can't wait for the sonics to return so i can start watching basketball again.. apparently the playoff's started already? who knew....
Yep, they started this past weekend and should end sometime around the 4th of July. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
USFreightways subsidiary promotes executive
USF Reddaway, a regional subsidiary of less-than-truckload conglomerate USFreightways, has promoted Edward Fitzgerald to COO and executive vp. He will report directly to Jared McArthur, who was recently promoted to president of USFreightways' western carrier group. A 20-year trucking veteran, Fitzgerald joined USF Reddaway in June of 2000 as vp-operations. Prior to joining Clackamas, OR-based USF
More About:
USF Reddaway, a regional subsidiary of less-than-truckload conglomerate USFreightways, has promoted Edward Fitzgerald to COO and executive vp. He will report directly to Jared McArthur, who was recently promoted to president of USFreightways' western carrier group.
A 20-year trucking veteran, Fitzgerald joined USF Reddaway in June of 2000 as vp-operations. Prior to joining Clackamas, OR-based USF Reddaway, Fitzgerald was senior vp-operations for Daylight Transportation. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Agassi's ground stroke shotmaking was top 2-3 all time, IMO. He had the greatest backhand in tennis history and one of the best forehands. But, he didn't have the mobility to put that shotmaking to its best use. Agassi explains that he had a congenital lumbar spine defect that affected his mobility as he got older, which can clearly be seen. It seems to me that Agassi was hitting the ball better than ever in the late 90's, early 2000's, but, his mobility decline offset that. He compensated well by standing in close and cutting off angles. But, against players like Sampras and Federer, Agassi's lack of world class mobility was exposed.
PS: I would also say that Agassi's peak level of play might have been higher than Lendl, McEnroe or Connors. But, it was too sporatic, and not sufficiently sustained, to give him full credit for that. Compare Borg, whose career was short, but, it was virtually all peak with a ridiculous winning percentage, especially at the majors with 11 titles out of 27 attempts.
That sounds probably right. He could be a bit higher or maybe lower. Let's see who is probably ahead of Agassi--Tilden, H L Doherty, Gonzalez, Rosewall, Laver, Sampras, Borg, Kramer, Nadal, Perry, Budge, Vines, Lendl, Connors, McEnroe, Hoad. Some may be somewhat arguable and some are no brainers ahead of Agassi.
Here's some that are also possibilities to be ahead of Agassi-Trabert, Djokovic (I think he's already better than Agassi at his peak but for the career, not yet), Sedgman (also probably better than Agassi at his peak and arguably for career), Emerson, Segura (I think he may be better overall if you take into account the strength of the Old Pro Tour ), Newcombe, Gimeno (was a great player but played on the Old Pro Tour), Ashe. Some of these players may be below Agassi in some ways but you can argue they were superior at top level.
For example Arthur Ashe won according to Vainqueurs 71 tournaments in his career. He probably won more. Ashe won the first US Open, Wimbledon and the Australian plus he was the 1975 WCT Championship which essentially was a major at that time. At his best Ashe was incredible with his huge flat first serve and his great wide swinging slice serve with power off both sides. Push come to shove I would pick Agassi as the overall better player but Ashe on a medium to fast court, if he was playing well in my opinion would be favored over Agassi.
In overall effect on the tennis, he'd be top 3. In shot making, I'd agree with Limpinhitter, he's top 5. Just between the lines, as a pure tennis player, he may not be top 10. He was just too up and down fitness wise, focus, etc. BTW, he was by far my favorite tennis player growing up even though I emulated my game after Sampras because I thought Sampras was the better player.
Agassi's ground stroke shotmaking was top 2-3 all time, IMO. He had the greatest backhand in tennis history and one of the best forehands. But, he didn't have the mobility to put that shotmaking to its best use. Agassi explains that he had a congenital lumbar spine defect that affected his mobility as he got older, which can clearly be seen. It seems to me that Agassi was hitting the ball better than ever in the late 90's, early 2000's, but, his mobility decline offset that. He compensated well by standing in close and cutting off angles. But, against players like Sampras and Federer, Agassi's lack of world class mobility was exposed.
PS: I would also say that Agassi's peak level of play might have been higher than Lendl, McEnroe or Connors. But, it was too sporatic, and not sufficiently sustained, to give him full credit for that. Compare Borg, whose career was short, but, it was virtually all peak with a ridiculous winning percentage, especially at the majors with 11 titles out of 27 attempts.
Click to expand...
I'd hardly take offensive to a Lavertard listing Federer as second, but you don't have Rosewall in the top ten?
In any case, my list is hardly fixed, but my top ten (with Agassi outside) shapes like this:
All time Top 20.. Open era top 10.. Hes still the only player with a "true" Grand slam IMO. Achieved it under the most polarized conditions in the history of the game.. Not like winning 3 slams on grass and one on clay, or achieving under todays slow homogenized condition where you could just be a garden variety, defender-baseline ball whacker and easily win everywheres.
Agassi's ground stroke shotmaking was top 2-3 all time, IMO. He had the greatest backhand in tennis history and one of the best forehands. But, he didn't have the mobility to put that shotmaking to its best use. Agassi explains that he had a congenital lumbar spine defect that affected his mobility as he got older, which can clearly be seen. It seems to me that Agassi was hitting the ball better than ever in the late 90's, early 2000's, but, his mobility decline offset that. He compensated well by standing in close and cutting off angles. But, against players like Sampras and Federer, Agassi's lack of world class mobility was exposed.
PS: I would also say that Agassi's peak level of play might have been higher than Lendl, McEnroe or Connors. But, it was too sporatic, and not sufficiently sustained, to give him full credit for that. Compare Borg, whose career was short, but, it was virtually all peak with a ridiculous winning percentage, especially at the majors with 11 titles out of 27 attempts.
Click to expand...
But Limpin, Agassi never had one year in which he won 90% of his matches. Lendl, McEnroe and Connors AVERAGED winning over 90% of their matches over five years. That's true dominance. And I do think for one match a guy like McEnroe's best was superior to Andre's best. Agassi had super duper groundies but his movement wasn't that good compared to other greats. He looks flashy when he hits those fantastic winners of his off service return but he also got aced more than some other great returners and a number of players like Murray would tie him for percentage of return games won. Some had higher percentages of return games won lifetime.
But I'll give you the chance that Agassi's best MAY (maybe not also) be better for one match than the ones you mentioned.
I could never leave Rosewall outside the top 10. Way too much longevity as a persistent non ending top 2 or 3 player in the World, and a period of a few years as the best player too (which someone like Agassi sadly doesnt have).
Top 5? Top 10? Top 15? Exact number would be nice but even a rough figure is fine.
I'd put him in my top 10, maybe around 7.
Click to expand...
In the top ten. I don't include pre-Open era players....I have no base for evaluating Tilden, Pancho, etc. against modern players, so with that in mind, Andre would make the top ten...probably 7-10ish. I always forget someone when I do this, but quickly, it still goes something like this:
I could never leave Rosewall outside the top 10. Way too much longevity as a persistent non ending top 2 or 3 player in the World, and a period of a few years as the best player too (which someone like Agassi sadly doesnt have).
Click to expand...
3 of those must go in: Hoad, Perry, Newcombe and Kramer in, and maybe Sedgman.Vines,Agassi and Djokovic out.rest is OK for me ( although in a slight different order).Agassi can be in the top 15 but no way Vines and Djokovic are.Becker,Wilander or Edberg eat Djokovic for breakfast,lunch and dinner respectively ( up to this moment, at least)
It hurt Andre that he had to play his entire career (aside from his final 3 years but by that time he was old and with a bad back) vs another GOAT candidate in Sampras. Perhaps the best player to ever live as far as fast surfaces are concerned. I think Pete was a big reason why Andre's career sunk after the USO in 95 and didn't really surge back until 3 years later. He lost quite a few USO titles to Pete and another wimbledon or two IMO ( not to mention a WTF or two).
Unfortunate for Andre. He was only like 1 year apart from Pete so their careers/primes intertwined with each other. He didn't have like a 5-6 age difference where perhaps he was in his prime, Pete was yet to reach his or vice versa where he could have had the opportunity to gobble more big titles.
I think if Agassi had won that 95 U.S Open final he would be a top 5 player all time today. He would be atleast where Nadal is considered today, and probably above. That changed everything for a few years, and he got things all back together starting in mid 99, but by then he was pretty old for a tennis player and his ability to dominate and win alot was very limited.
Pete didnt exactly own from 96-98 like he did from 93-95 either, well in 97 he did pretty much, but not really in 96 and 98, so it would have been an even better opportunity for Agassi. I think he felt with the tennis he played in 95 he deserved atleast 2 slams and the year end #1 and to do over Pete would have given his confidence and belief he could hold his head up high in the rivalry. I am sure he knows there is no way you do that to Pete every year, but he would also know he had already done it atleast once and could do it again. Failing to do it when he had played so well that year, had been so utterly dominant on regular hard courts especialy, and when he knows Pete started the year with emotional problems as well, and to have those tough losses at 3 different slams that year (especialy the Wimbledon and U.S Open ones) was just too much to overcome pyschologically I think.
He also could hav easily ended the year #1 but pretty much gave up already on it after the U.S Open, I dont think he felt like a real #1 with having 1 less slam title and 1 less slam final than Sampras.
I could never leave Rosewall outside the top 10. Way too much longevity as a persistent non ending top 2 or 3 player in the World, and a period of a few years as the best player too (which someone like Agassi sadly doesnt have).
Click to expand...
It's fine that you mention Rosewall's longevity as a measure for greatness.
In the top ten. I don't include pre-Open era players....I have no base for evaluating Tilden, Pancho, etc. against modern players, so with that in mind, Andre would make the top ten...probably 7-10ish. I always forget someone when I do this, but quickly, it still goes something like this:
3 of those must go in: Hoad, Perry, Newcombe and Kramer in, and maybe Sedgman.Vines,Agassi and Djokovic out.rest is OK for me ( although in a slight different order).Agassi can be in the top 15 but no way Vines and Djokovic are.Becker,Wilander or Edberg eat Djokovic for breakfast,lunch and dinner respectively ( up to this moment, at least)
Seems like tennis started off with Big Bill Tilden, which may be at some point true form the popularity POV, but there are stars like Wilding,Mc Laughlin,Sears,Brookes, Doherty and the Renshaws that, had they had more press and radio coverage, would be much more talked about right now when time comes to elaborate a top 20 all time greats list.it is a pitty.
Seems like tennis started off with Big Bill Tilden, which may be at some point true form the popularity POV, but there are stars like Wilding,Mc Laughlin,Sears,Brookes, Doherty and the Renshaws that, had they had more press and radio coverage, would be much more talked about right now when time comes to elaborate a top 20 all time greats list.it is a pitty.
Click to expand...
I again agree but perhaps the depth of the tennis fields was a bit weaker than from Tilden times onwards.
Do you want to start a discussion like my long quarrels with Lobb and Limpinhitter?
I guess I will not learn in the rest of my life that you accept that Vines won more majors than Jan Kodes and that he won on two surfaces just like Kodes did.
I'm a rather old "kind" with my 63 years.... But you make me feel a bit younger!
Click to expand...
I really don't get it. He has no problem trumping up Laver's career based on pro majors, yet totally dismisses them when it comes to Vines, who beat great players like Nüsslein, Tilden, and Perry to win them.
I really don't get it. He has no problem trumping up Laver's career based on pro majors, yet totally dismisses them when it comes to Vines, who beat great players like Nüsslein, Tilden, and Perry to win them.
Click to expand...
You are right.
It's nice that you call Nüsslein a great player and that you spell his name correctly. Maybe you are German speaking. I do know that American computers often don't know the German "ü".
I can only see putting Rosewall in the top 10 based on his consistency and longevity. However, IMO, Rosewall's best was not as high as the other players on your list. I just don't see Rosewall having a winning record against any of these other players. And, I've seen all of them play, live and up close, with the exception of Gonzales. And, notwithstanding level of play, both Lendl and Connors had more career titles, in a shorter amount of time, against deeper fields, than Rosewall.
Don't let Limpinhitter make you uncertain regarding your all-time list and Rosewall's place in it.
Rosewall was strong enough to lead 10:7 against Laver in big events.
He played many tours instead of tournaments unlike to Connors and Lendl who always played tourneys. Thus he won less tournaments but still at least 137!
Rosewall cannot have a winning head to head against many of your top ten because he did not play against 6 of them and has a negative balance only against players above him in your top ten. He only played Borg when being almost 39...
Don't let Limpinhitter make you uncertain regarding your all-time list and Rosewall's place in it
Rosewall was strong enough to lead 10:7 against Laver in big events.
He played many tours instead of tournaments unlike to Connors and Lendl who always played tourneys. Thus he won less tournaments but still at least 137!
Rosewall cannot have a winning head to head against many of your top ten because he did not play against 6 of them and has a negative balance only against players above him in your top ten. He only played Borg when being almost 39...
As you might have seen in the Limpinhitter/BobbyOne discussion, Limpinhitter tries all tricks to put down Rosewall's greatness...
Click to expand...
Didn't Rosewall defeat Vilas in 1976 on grass in a tournament I believe was called something like the Tournament of the Americas? I think Rosewall crushed Vilas losing only a few games in three sets. Rosewall was around 42.
I can only see putting Rosewall in the top 10 based on his consistency and longevity.
Click to expand...
Consistency and longevity should both be MAJOR factors in any all time list. Also consider had it been Open tennis then Rosewall would be top 3 all time in slam wins, maybe even leading the list. He would have more slams than Federer who most people have in the top 2 or 3 today. I cant see anyway he is outside the top 10.
Didn't Rosewall defeat Vilas in 1976 on grass in a tournament I believe was called something like the Tournament of the Americas? I think Rosewall crushed Vilas losing only a few games in three sets. Rosewall was around 42.
Click to expand...
pc1, Yes, Rosewall at 42 beat Vilas 6-2,6-2,6-0 in the International Challenge Australia vs. the Americas. About two weeks later Vilas reached final of the AO...
Consistency and longevity should both be MAJOR factors in any all time list. Also consider had it been Open tennis then Rosewall would be top 3 all time in slam wins, maybe even leading the list. He would have more slams than Federer who most people have in the top 2 or 3 today. I cant see anyway he is outside the top 10.
Click to expand...
Thanks, NadalAgassi for your arguments.
In my speculations regarding an always open tennis, Rosewall would have won about 25 majors, equal with Gonzalez and behind only Tilden (who probably had weaker opposition than Gonzalez, Laver and Rosewall). By the way I give Laver "only" around 20 open majors because of his shorter career than Gonzalez and Rosewall had. These four are my all-time greatest players, followed by Borg.
Not the worst list but you overrate Emerson (as many do) . His 12 major titles don't mean too much. He is the only player in your list who never was No.1!
And you should include Jack Kramer.
Click to expand...
I just can't put someone like Kramer in there and leave Emerson out. Emerson beat Laver in two of those slams finals, that's convincing enough that he's a top level player. Hoad and Kramer I find overrated, would never put them in a top 20 list.
I just can't put someone like Kramer in there and leave Emerson out. Emerson beat Laver in two of those slams finals, that's convincing enough that he's a top level player. Hoad and Kramer I find overrated, would never put them in a top 20 list.
Click to expand...
Emerson beat Laver in the amateurs and Rod became better than Emerson while still in the amateur. Laver improved immensely in the pros when he took on Rosewall, Hoad, Gonzalez, Gimeno, Sedgman among others. Emerson won all his majors during the era that pros weren't allowed to enter the majors. I doubt if he would have had 12 majors won if Open tennis was around.
Kramer was in my opinion clearly ahead of Emerson. He dominated the pros for a number of years winning tours over Riggs, Gonzalez, Sedgman, Segura. Many of the pros who played him rank him as the best or among the best they have played. These people include Gonzalez, Segura and Sedgman. Sedgman for example I believe ranked Kramer as the best player he faced and ranked Kramer's serve and Gonzalez's serve about equal. At his best Kramer was incredible.
Consistency and longevity should both be MAJOR factors in any all time list. Also consider had it been Open tennis then Rosewall would be top 3 all time in slam wins, maybe even leading the list. He would have more slams than Federer who most people have in the top 2 or 3 today. I cant see anyway he is outside the top 10.
Click to expand...
Nevertheless, I can't see Rosewall with a winning record against anyone in my top 10. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
He had a wodge of papers with him, official forms, all sorts, the bumf as the pilots called it—Jerry recognized the one you signed that named who your pension went to, and the one about what to do with your body if there was one and anyone had time to bother.
Related Words
Wordmap
Word visualization
Comments
Heh, that's a good one, thanks, Chained_Bear. Surprisingly, it isn't in my 85,000-word bilingual dictionary. It looks like I'll have get out my bulky English-Russian dictionary for a precise translation.
Colloquial (originally dialect): A bulky mass; a chunk or lump; a wad (of paper). Usages:1922 Chambers's Jrnl. Dec. 797/1 A ‘wodge’ in his left breast-pocket. 1949 D. SMITH I capture Castle II. viii. 112 You must take only one kind of food on the fork at a time; never a nice comfortable wodge of meat and vegetables together.
Earlier usages:1860 All Year Round 28 July 368/2 The unhappy children (Blue-coat boys)...are compelled...to turn their skirts up and gird them in a great hot wadge about their loins. 1862 C. A. COLLINS Cruise upon Wheels xxiv. (1863) 413 That monstrous wadge of a dressing-gown.
Usage note:"I had one last sandwich remaining in my pocket, but had been reluctant to eat it on the coach, under the curious gaze of my fellow travelers. I pulled it out and carefully unwrapped it. Peanut butter and jelly on white bread, it was considerably the worse for wear, with the purplestains of the jelly seeping through the limp bread, and the whole thing mashed into a flattenedwodge. It was delicious."Diana Gabaldon, _Voyager_, 1994.
To this day, even if my PB&J is not flattened, I always think of it as a delicious wodge. It is simply the perfect word for a squished-up PB&J sandwich. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Skull Bowling
Half fill a plastic skull on a stick(remove stick) with sand and plug hole with hot glue to seal. Save up some empty soft drink bottles put about a cup of sand in each and re apply lid. Spray outside with black paint and glue spooky cut outs to outside and bingo you have skull bowling! | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
18 Watt 600mm Fluorescent Daylight T8 tube
Quick Overview
18 Watt 600mm Fluorescent Daylight T8 tube
These daylight bulbs have a colour Temperature equivalent to Noon daylight, and produce excellent colour rendering and contrast for reading and working. Especially useful in rooms or offices with limited natural daylight. Improve your mood and productivity with these full spectrum daylight tubes every day!
Until 150 years ago most people worked outdoors, and obtained enough natural sunlight every day of the year. Windows filter out many parts of the light spectrum. Professor Dr. Fritz Hollwich, Director of the University Eye Hopsital in Munster, discovered that only around 25% of the light absorbed by our eyes is used directly for vision, the other 75% travels via the optic pathways to the brain and hypothalmus - the body's chief control system. This controls the nervous system and endocrine system, affecting amongs other things our glandular and hormone system.
Irradiation with sunlight increases the number of white blood cells, most of the lymphocytes, causing an upsurge in the defences against infectious diseases. It also stimulates the formation of Interferon, thereby preventing viruses from proliferating. Our bodies need clear information about day and night in order to regulate our waking and sleeping phases and the biorhythms associated with this. When it is dark more melatonin is produced, which signals to the body that it is time to sleep. On the other hand bright full-spectrum light suppresses the production of melatonin. If parts of the light spectrum are missing, the body can enter a twilight state, comatose, neither fully awake nor asleep. To summarise the human body has developed over millions of years with daily exposure to natural sunlight. Working indoors has removed much of this natural resource from our lives, but it can be closely replicated with full spectrum bulbs.
Details
18 Watt 600mm Fluorescent Daylight T8 tube
These daylight bulbs have a colour Temperature equivalent to Noon daylight, and produce excellent colour rendering and contrast for reading and working. Especially useful in rooms or offices with limited natural daylight. Improve your mood and productivity with these full spectrum daylight tubes every day!
Until 150 years ago most people worked outdoors, and obtained enough natural sunlight every day of the year. Windows filter out many parts of the light spectrum. Professor Dr. Fritz Hollwich, Director of the University Eye Hopsital in Munster, discovered that only around 25% of the light absorbed by our eyes is used directly for vision, the other 75% travels via the optic pathways to the brain and hypothalmus - the body's chief control system. This controls the nervous system and endocrine system, affecting amongs other things our glandular and hormone system.
Irradiation with sunlight increases the number of white blood cells, most of the lymphocytes, causing an upsurge in the defences against infectious diseases. It also stimulates the formation of Interferon, thereby preventing viruses from proliferating. Our bodies need clear information about day and night in order to regulate our waking and sleeping phases and the biorhythms associated with this. When it is dark more melatonin is produced, which signals to the body that it is time to sleep. On the other hand bright full-spectrum light suppresses the production of melatonin. If parts of the light spectrum are missing, the body can enter a twilight state, comatose, neither fully awake nor asleep. To summarise the human body has developed over millions of years with daily exposure to natural sunlight. Working indoors has removed much of this natural resource from our lives, but it can be closely replicated with full spectrum bulbs. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government
Representatives of major entertainment companies and some of the biggest internet service providers (ISPs) operating in the UK have attended a Government roundtable today.
Companies including EMI Music, Warner Bros Entertainment, Virgin and Talk Talk joined discussions on developing new, legal ways for people to access music, film and other content online.
The talks were hosted by Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Communications and Creative Industries Minister Ed Vaizey. Speaking after the meeting, Mr Hunt said: “I am pleased to hear that real progress has been made by ISPs and the music industry on developing new and attractive services for consumers. The more choice consumers have, the less attractive the unlawful alternatives will be.”
Mr Vaizey added: “The nature of the internet means the creative industries, internet service providers and others such as Google and Yahoo are completely interlinked. They need each other for sustainable future success. We have brought the industries together so they can discuss the issues facing the digital industries and I am delighted that progress is being made.
“Consumers demand choice. It is essential that new, legal methods to access films, music and other content on-line are developed, whilst enabling creators’ copyright to be properly protected.” | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Economic growth may slow further
Worldwide container handling could fall for the first time and Middle East industry growth might be curtailed sharply this year.
Worldwide container handling could fall for the first time and Middle East industry growth might be curtailed sharply this year.
Worldwide container handling could fall for the first time and Middle East industry growth might be curtailed sharply this year, according to a shipping consultancy. The worsening global economic downturn has battered international shipping lines, and the declining trade also poses challenges for global port operators. Drewry Shipping Consultants, based in the UK, said it may need to revise projections made just three months ago after new data suggested global and regional economic growth may slow further.
In December, Drewry said container handling volumes worldwide would grow by 3.1 per cent, while Middle East ports would grow 7 per cent this year and next.
But those projections may already be too optimistic, based on the latest forecasts from the IMF showing a markedly tougher environment, the consultancy said.
The IMF"s latest projections for the year, released earlier this month, show global GDP growing just 0.5 per cent, while world trade is expected to contract 2.8 per cent.
?We knew things were worsening quite quickly, but then the IMF revised its economic and trade projections downwards drastically,? said Neil Davidson, the director of ports research at Drewry. ?All ports are being affected, the slowdown is so widespread.?
The slowdown has already had a significant impact on major port operators.
DP World, which manages more than 45 ports worldwide, has imposed a hiring freeze and is reviewing all expansion plans after business slowed in the fourth quarter. Its parent company, Dubai World, shed 100 jobs this week in a cost-cutting measure.
The downturn reflects a dramatic change of direction for DP World, which as recently as six months ago was under pressure from shipping lines to expand capacity and reduce congestion at its largest port, in Jebel Ali.
There had been a decline in container volumes
Mr Davidson said there had been a decline in container volumes at some ports in the US, Europe and China. ?Sources estimate that there was at least a 5 per cent decline in global container port volumes in the fourth quarter,? he said.
The 3.1 per cent growth projection made in December suggested the lowest expansion figure in three decades. ?It may well even be worse, possibly negative for the first time ever,? Mr Davidson said.
Because freight rates are dictated by supply and demand, shipping lines are even more exposed to the downturn than ports companies, which have set rates. Ship operators have been forced to cut rates and lay up vessels in anchorages from Singapore to Fujairah to await new orders.
Sending a container from Asia to Europe one year ago might have cost US$1,500 (Dh5,509), Drewry reports. Today, shipping lines might charge between $300 and $500.
This week, Neptune Orient Lines of Singapore became the first big line to forecast losses for this year.
At United Arab Shipping Company (UASC), which is jointly owned by the UAE and other Gulf countries, nine of its 41 container vessels are idle due to low demand.
?It"s no secret the rates have come down,? said Jorn Hinge, the deputy chief executive of UASC. ?There is no law stronger than supply and demand.?
Still, analysts said ports operation was still a promising long-term industry that required infrastructure improvements. ?There is a danger of getting too preoccupied with the short term,? Mr Davidson said. ?Ports are a long-term business. The prospects for long-term growth remain good.?
Recent new orders include those at Gulftainer, the Sharjah-based ports operator, which will spend about $40m on four super-post-Panamax gantry cranes capable of handling the new generation of extra large container ships to which many lines are switching. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
I Finally Get Why Women (And Men) Of Color Might Hate Me
I was born into a very liberal family. My parents marched in civil rights marches. I’ve spent my adult life trying to broaden awareness of injustice and trying to listen. Unfortunately, at least on the listening part, I’ve been less than successful.
I’ve spent the majority of my life believing that because I considered myself an ally, I was deserving of respect by the African-American community. Sure, I understood that strangers might eye me with suspicion or even assume that I am like far too many racist white people, but once people got to know me, I thought, they would understand I was on their side.
Even as I’m typing that, I feel my white privilege pouring out of my fingertips. I am not entitled to anyone’s respect or understanding.
Believe it or not, the first time I realized good intentions might not be enough was after Patricia Arquette’s after Oscar’s speech when she talked about income inequality, which is a serious issue. Arquette said:
“So the truth is, even though we sort of feel like we have equal rights in America, right under the surface there are huge issues that are at play that really do affect women. And it’s time for all the women in America, and all the men that love women and all the gay people and all the people of color that we’ve all fought for to fight for us now!”
Arquette’s comment, as well-intentioned as it was, lit the interwebs on fire in protest, often from African-American women. I didn’t understand the controversy. We are all on the same side, fighting the same fight, right?
Despite Arquette’s claims, historically, white women’s efforts to support greater women’s equality have been directed toward greater equality for white women. For example, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and some other white suffragists supported the right to vote for white women and refused to back the 15th Amendment, which allowed U.S. citizens to vote regardless of “race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” At the Woman Suffrage Parade of 1913, African American women were told to march separately—at the end of the parade.
Nyasha Junior
My mind opened a little. For as much advancement has been made in equality, African-American women were still steps behind. Equality for women is bound to mean that white women would still be more equal. Okay, I get that part now.
I have long understood that women of color often hate it when men of color date white women. I always understood that on a very superficial level. It was like when a Jewish (now ex) friend resented me for dating a Jewish man, because only my father is Jewish. That relationship didn’t last long enough to have logically put a permanent dent in a friendship, but we were never the same after that. But I do understand that when you belong to a minority group, there are only so many people to choose from if you want to maintain your own heritage. I didn’t understand that there was much, much more to it.
The latest part of my evolution came from a very unlikely source, the mass murdering terrorist Dylann Roof, who killed nine people in a bloody shooting rampage in a South Carolina church. One of the things Roof reportedly said is:
“I have to do it. You rape our women and you’re taking over our country. And you have to go.”
When I heard those words, I understood, at last. You don’t hear a lot of people talking about black men raping white women anymore, but many, many, many black men throughout our history have been incarcerated and killed over accusations that they raped a white woman. In many of those cases, it was consensual sex and in many others, there was no sex at all, but that hasn’t stopped far too much blood being shed, all in the name of protecting white women. Too little of that has changed, unfortunately.
White women perhaps aren’t a direct physical threat to black men, but we are much worse. Even those of us who have the best intentions are a threat as long as we are even seen talking to a black man. Think about that for a moment. Our existence is responsible for the lives lost of countless men, countless sons and countless fathers. Is it a wonder that black men would shun us and black women would be angry?
Naturally, I don’t feel I need protection from white men, but that doesn’t matter. White men “protect” me whether or not I want it and whether or not I’m even in danger. That’s where white feminism comes in. It will only be when white men stop feeling that they are the protector of everything, including the status quo, that we will even begin to see equality.
Women of color have been saying these things for generations and we haven’t listened. The very fact that I might reach people that they haven’t been able to is in and of itself white privilege. You should be listening to these women, not to me.
I am not implying that all or even most African-Americans harbor overwhelming resentment toward me and toward other white women. In fact, I’ve had very few negative experiences with African-American women, but I have felt as though I’m an outsider and I’ve even been offended by it. I need to understand that it’s not my fault I’m white, but that I am white and I will never understand what it’s like to live as a woman of color.
None of this, of course, means that I will stop fighting for full equality for everyone. I still and will always consider myself an ally to people of color, but (and this is where I think I have the biggest problem with Rachel Dolezal) I can never be a civil rights leader for women of color. I can only be a civil rights follower and that’s good enough.
Like this:
Related
Wendy is one of the luckiest people on the planet. She actually gets to make a living out of two of her greatest passions, writing and politics. When she's not writing, she's hiking with her dogs, riding her bike or cooking a great meal with her friends or loved one. Follow Wendy on Facebook, Twitter or Google Plus or on Free to be liberal. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Hello Kickstarters, welcome to my 2nd project. I am super excited to be launching a CNC machined pen I call the SQ1. Machined from 6061 Anodized Aluminum, with Brass and Copper Options. Please take a moment and read about the SQ1 EDC PEN, if you like what you see be sure to check out the different reward packages I have created. -Ryan
SQ1 Non-Stylus Edition
SQ1 Stylus Edition
DESIGN:
Funny how when you use an everyday item like a pen, you really don't take much notice to it. Think about it? When was the last time you really picked up a pen and gave it a thorough inspection? Most of us just grab anything write something down then throw it back down on the table. After designing and manufacturing my first pen project, I have a tremendous amount of respect for this every day item.
I wanted to create a pen that stood out from the crowd, which doesn't mean it needed to be the craziest out of this world design using some un-obtanium material. Trust me I love exotic materials like titanium just as much as the next guy. Unfortunately titanium is crazy expensive, which in the end drives the price up for the consumer. For this version of the SQ1 I was able to keep the price point low by utilizing 6061 T6 I personally feel that a pen should be something simplistic and functional with a certain cool factor.
SPECIFICATIONS & ASSEMBLY:
Main body machined from 6061 T6 Aluminum
Stonewashed Finish or Anodized Multiple Colors
CNC Dimples Milled for Finger Grips
Fisher Space Pen (Fine) Refill (No O-Rings or Spacers Required)
Overall Length: 5"
Diameter 5/16"
Weight .9oz
2 Cap Materials Solid Brass or Solid Copper
4 Finishes Available
SQ1 Deconstructed
Load Space Pen, Insert 1/8 Set Screw, Tighten End Cap!
Fisher Space Pen (Fine Point)
CAP MATERIAL AND FINISHES:
Brushed Copper, Polished Copper, Polished Brass, Shipwrecked Copper
INSPIRATION:
As a young man, I can recall watching my dad spend hours in his shop building the coolest cars. We would take them to car shows and people would always ask "Hey Who Built that Car" and I could always see the sense of pride on my dads face when he replied "I did". One thing that always stuck out to me. Everything my dad did was complicated, but if you sat back and looked at it, you couldn't really tell. That was his secret, keep it simple. My style and designs are greatly influenced by all the imagery I was exposed to growing up and I feel the SQ1 represents that.
THE SQ1 ANODIZED ALUMINUM:
Anodized Olive Drab Green
SHIPWRECKED
Anodized Blue
SHIPWRECKED
Anodized Black
SHIPWRECKED
Anodized Red
SHIPWRECKED
ANODIZED PINK
SHIPWRECKED
THE SQ1 STONEWASHED:
Stonewashed Aluminum
Stonewashed Aluminum
SHIPWRECKED
THE SQ1 STYLUS EDITION:
Stylus Version Includes 2 caps
SQ1 STYLUS EDITION
SQ1 STYLUS EDITION
SQ1 STYLUS EDITION
SQ1 STYLUS EDITION
SQ1 STYLUS EDITION
SQ1 STYLUS EDITION
FEEDBACK:
As I mentioned before this is my 2nd Kickstarter Project. Take a look at some of the feedback from my first project. The EDC Bullet Lanyard Bead! This community rocks and the support and feedback makes my day!
SHOUTOUTS:
@Tacticalkeychains
Brad has been around the Kickstarter Community for years, not only as a popular creator, but an avid backer. This pen project truly would not have come to life without some encouraging words and solid advice from Brad. Since this was my first venture into the world of pens, I wanted to create a pen that was simple, affordable, worked well and most of all, STOOD OUT FROM THE CROWD! you can definitely see some of my design inspiration in the SQ1. Thanks again for the help Brad, I am really proud of this pen. This pen turned out just as I had pictured it in my head 4 months ago!
George SteinHeimer
Sometimes it's easy to forget where you came from. I always try to stay humble in everything I do. I am a very competitive person and passionate about the things I do. Lucky for me, I met George when I purchased my first CNC lathe. George has been in the machining industry for over 30 years and has been an invaluable resource, mentor and friend of mine. Pressing the green button on the CNC machine is the easy part, it's the path we take to get there that most don't see. I just wanted to say thank you George for all the help you have given me, I wouldn't be making the things I create in my head without your help!
MEDIA:
You'll need an HTML5 capable browser to see this content.
Replay with sound
Play with sound
00:00
00:00
You'll need an HTML5 capable browser to see this content.
Replay with sound
Play with sound
00:00
00:00
You'll need an HTML5 capable browser to see this content.
Replay with sound
Play with sound
00:00
00:00
You'll need an HTML5 capable browser to see this content.
Replay with sound
Play with sound
00:00
00:00
SaveSave
Risks and challenges
RNG Products LLC Is an Owner Operator Start-Up.
* I 100% Design and Manufacture all of my products.
* I eliminate the middle man and lengthy delays from machine shops that tend to over charge and overpromise.
* I control Quality Control - and Strive to ship rewards On-Time or Early when possible.
* I have successfully created, funded and shipped a product on Kickstarter.
My KickStarter Projects Begin well before you see it offered. I design and create working prototypes and make necessary changes that come up during the manufacturing process. Although a pen looks like a very simple product, it's actually quite a little complex item. If you are anything like me, you probably have no patience and can't wait to get a new item in your hands. By following all of the above, this is what allows me to offer a very unique and affordable pen to you the consumer in a timely manner.
Depending on the amount of Pledges I receive, that will dictate how long it will take to manufacture and ship the SQ1. Just to be no the safe side, I estimate the pens will ship in Oct of 2016 at the Latest, and more then likely they will ship much sooner. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Shelley Sekula Gibbs Defeated In TX 22 Runoff :(
After a valiant and hard-fought campaign, former pretend Congresswoman and full-time nutbag Shelley Sekula Gibbs lost to some joker named Pete Olson last night in a primary runoff for Texas' 22nd Congressional district. Thus marks the close of another chapter in the fascinating political saga of a woman so beloved by her would-be consituents that one voter called her "DraculaCunt."
Let's review some highlights from the magical career of Dr. Sekula Gibbs:
Her staff quit almost immediately after she came into Congress in 2006 for her seven-week reign of terror as Tom DeLay's replacement.
She vowed to overhaul the tax code and fix the Iraq war during that time, too.
Voters in her heavily Republican district opted for Democrat Nick Lampson that year rather than suffer the agonies of spelling her name correctly on a write-in ballot.
In this most recent humiliating episode, Senator John Cornyn and pretty much every other Republican in the state endorsed Pete Olson, a former Senate aide. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Meet and Fuck: Hitomi Senpai
The game takes place in the kyudo archery school. Sharp-eyed Hitomi-senpai is in a bit of a slump this year. Seems it's because of her suddenly grown big boobs which balanced her out. Help her to overcome this problem and take a lot of please :) | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
IMO, if you have an IDS program on your box it goes hand in hand with intrusion prevention. With the IDS installed and properly configured, it should prevent intrusion.
I don't have a paper I can attach to this post but if you go to this address
you can find what your looking for :
intrusion prevention can be a broad term..technically a firewall can be considered intrusion prevention right? The way I look at it is every piece of security you add to your network makes it harder for an attacker to get in....thus it is all intrusion prevention.
The real decision IMO is NIDS vs HIDS....but you can read my breakdown in the post in this forum located here:
yes.....you guys are right..but what actually intrusion prevention system (IPS) does??
can someone provides me the definition of IPS...
below is my definition of IPS
"IPS are software specifically designed to recognize security weaknesses, prioritize the
vulnerabilities and help admins correct the situation. Some IPS report a vulnerability while
others prevent the vulnerability from being exploided."
This should sum things up about IDS. This definition was taken from webopedia.
Intrusion Detection System
Last modified: February 5, 2002
An intrusion detection system (IDS) inspects all inbound and outbound network activity and identifies suspicious patterns that may indicate a network or system attack from someone attempting to break into or compromise a system.
There are several ways to categorize an IDS:
Misuse detection vs. Anomaly detection: In misuse detection, the IDS analyzes the information it gathers and compares it to large databases of attack signatures. Essentially, the IDS looks for a specific attack that has already been documented. Like a virus detection system, misuse detection software is only as good as the database of attack signatures that it uses to compare packets against. In anomaly detection, the system administrator defines the baseline, or normal, state of the network’s traffic load, breakdown, protocol, and typical packet size. The anomaly detector monitors network segments to compare their state to the normal baseline and look for anomalies.
Network-based vs. Host-based systems: In a network-based system, or NIDS, the individual packets flowing through a network are analyzed. The NIDS can detect malicious packets that are designed to be overlooked by a firewall’s simplistic filtering rules. In a host-based system, the IDS examines at the activity on each individual computer or host.
Passive system vs. Reactive system: In a passive system, the IDS detects a potential security breach, logs the information and signals an alert. In a reactive system, the IDS responds to the suspicious activity by logging off a user or by reprogramming the firewall to block network traffic from the suspected malicious source.
Though they both relate to network security, an IDS differs from a firewall in that a firewall looks out for intrusions in order to stop them from happening. The firewall limits the access between networks in order to prevent intrusion and does not signal an attack from inside the network. An IDS evaluates a suspected intrusion once it has taken place and signals an alarm. An IDS also watches for attacks that originate from within a system.
IDS will NOT prevent intrusion
IDS = Intrusion Detection System... I emphasize DETECTION... NOT prevention. An IDS is going to let you know an intrusion took place (Past tense), if you had an IDS alert, and of that intrusion was sucessful, you'll already be screwed and your corporate ass was skinned already. Only by careful correlating with the logs (provided that THESE weren't meddled with), would be the ONLY way you could tell.
You would need a Proactive system. Like what our Crunchbox can do. http://shopip.com has a link that allows you to play with such a system. What this means, is that when the IDS is "triggered", only the ATTACKER is instantly blocked, so their attempt will be un-sucessful.
An IDS coupled with an automatically configurable firewall is going to stop most attacks. But most IDS sytsems do NOT communicate with the firewall and take instant action.
I have seen the article about your CrunchBox in a security magazine "Information Security" maybe?....can't remember. I am very excited about getting to try it. I work for a consulting company and we are looking for a good NIDS box to market. Let me know if you are interested in giving us some info on it....I will email you my contact info.
BTW...i loved your tv special about "hackers" with Woz and Mitnick.... | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Buy together
and save
even more
Description
Part cookbook, part memoir, part travelogue, and wholly original, F*ck,
That's Delicious is rapper Action Bronson's comprehensive guide to the food,
chefs, food makers, regions, neighborhoods, and restaurants that every food
obsessive should know. Organised as a full-colour illustrated guide with
100 entries, the book captures all the foods that get to him: When his mama
makes him a good ol' bagel and cheese with scrambled eggs. The tacos in LA.
Dominican chimis. Jamaican jerk. Hand-rolled pasta from Mario Batali and Michael
White. The best Chinese red-pork char siu buns in the world, found in London.
And more, lots more. F*ck, That's Delicious also includes 40 recipes inspired
by Action's childhood, family, tours, and travels-like the Arslani Family
Baklava and Bronson's Original Lamb Burger-and adapted from name-brand chefs
and street cooks he's met on his show. Richly visual, the book is layered with
illustrations and photographs of Action's childhood, food excursions, tours,
lyric notebooks, and more.
Author Biography
Action Bronson is a rapper, chef, and the television host of Vice F*ck,
That's Delicious. He lives in New York City. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
On March 7th, 2012, I announced the launch of Pushover, a simple mobile notification service with device clients available for Android and iOS. I kept some notes during the development process, which mostly occurred in the evenings and weekends around my other work.
January 12: The Product
I had been using Notifo for a year or so to receive push notifications on my phone from my custom network monitor, but last year the free service announced it was shutting down. When I switched back to my Android phone a few months ago, I was unable to download Notifo's Android app which never made it out of beta.
I asked the lazyweb for suggestions on what to use to replace Notifo. I had used Prowl in the past, but it was iOS-only and focused on integrating with the (now non-free) Growl system. My question on Twitter didn't get any responses, so I started thinking about creating a new solution. The product was already pretty clearly defined: an iOS client, an Android client, an HTTP API, a website, and some plugins to make adoption easier. I would charge a few dollars for the iOS and Android apps to support the cost of operating the service. API usage would be free for most use cases, but if any large companies or websites wanted to use it, their high-volume use would cost a monthly fee.
January 13: What's in a Name
The first step of the project was to come up with a name. My initial idea was "Knowtify" but I thought about telling someone about the product and having to say "Knowtify... er, k-n-o-w, like, know, then..." and scrapped it pretty quickly. The name "Pushover" came to mind soon after, as a distinctive name that played on the service's basic functionality of push notifications.
Satisfied with the name "Pushover", I found that pushover.com and pushover.net were both taken and squatted on. pushover.net was available at a domain resale service for $688 but pushover.com was behind a whois privacy service with no website. I sent a message to the owner of pushover.com but figured that even if it were for sale, it would be pretty expensive.
After a quick live-chat negotiation with the sales team of the company owning the .net, I purchased the domain pushover.net for $500. (A few weeks later, the owner of the .com domain finally responded that he had put it on Sedo with an initial asking price of $25,000.)
January 13: Beginning Android Development
With the name picked out and the domain name secured, I started work on the Android application. I was pretty familiar with Android internals due to my work with Blandroid, but my only major work on applications was the low-level encryption key handler and hacking up the CMUpdater app that would be Blandroid's System Updater. Writing a modern application from scratch to be compatible with Android 4 and 2.3 was new to me.
Wanting to stay away from Eclipse and with Android's emulator being painfully slow, I chose to do all application development in Vim and deploy to my Nexus S from the command line:
adbWireless made it easy to use adb over a wireless connection to avoid having to be plugged into my laptop all the time. Having 3 Android phones made it easy to test among different Android versions and screen sizes, with my main Nexus S running Blandroid 4.0.3p0, my Nexus S 4G test device running Blandroid 2.3.7p0, and my smaller-screened Nexus One running 2.3.7p0.
Android development tip: registration for and use of Google's C2DM service is tied to one's Google account, the password of which has to be stored in your server code to be able to establish a login cookie and send C2DM messages. Create a new Google account that will be used only for this service to avoid having your main Google account password stored in plaintext somewhere.
January 18: Branding
While developing the Android application and waiting for the domain to transfer, I started working on the logo. I needed a wordmark for the website as well as a simple icon for the iOS and Android apps.
Having just paid $500 for the domain name, I was reluctant to pay for a designer to create a logo, so I worked on it myself. Using Google's Web Fonts site, I found the Lobster Two font which was freely available for download and modification. I edited it in a font editing application, tweaking it to be more italicized to make "Pushover" look more "pushed over".
Since the icon would just use the capital "P" from the modified font over a circle or square, I had to pick a distinctive color. Path and Pinterest were two things that came to mind that also had an icon with a "P" that I wanted to avoid confusion with, but since they were both red, I opted for a turquoise color. I created a 512x512 icon in Gimp that would be used for the Android Market site and could scale down to the iOS sizes 114x114, 72x72, 57x57, and a 16x16 favicon for the website.
January 19: Android Application Working
After a flurry of commits, I had the basic functionality of the application finished, including C2DM receiving. Google's Android development documentation and a quick compilation/deployment/test cycle on a real device made it easy to develop the application in a comfortable feedback loop.
January 20: API Development and Rails 3
My initial work on the Android application used a simple script to send test messages directly to the Google C2DM servers. Since Pushover's basic premise was using an HTTP API to queue and send messages, it was time to start working on it.
I've been developing in Ruby on Rails since 2005 (before version 1.0, I think) but everything I had been reading about Rails 3 had kept me using 2.3 for my apps. A lot of things had changed like the asset pipeline and its dependencies on Ruby 1.9, bundler, V8 (for JavaScript minification), and Java (for CSS minification) had scared me off of using it. However, starting a new application on 2.3 seemed kind of futile, so I finally bit the bullet and dove into Rails 3.
After installing Ruby 1.9, fighting with integrating RVM into tcsh, figuring out how to disable CSS and JavaScript minification (to avoid installing V8 and friends), and getting a matching deployment setup on my OpenBSD server, I was finally able to work on the actual API code. Rather than use a fancy queue setup like Active/ZeroMQ or a NoSQL storage solution, I went with a boring-but-reliable MySQL setup. Messages are written to a queue table and a separate process polls the queue table every second and dispatches them to Google's C2DM (and later, Apple's APNS) server. As Pushover grows, I'll work on threading the message dispatching and maybe switching to a different queue once the need arises.
The basic API functionality was easily completed, including user and device registration needed by the Android application. I wrote a small daemon to read the message queue and push out messages every second. The pushover.net domain finally finished transferring so I was able to request a free SSL certificate from StartCom for api.pushover.net with pushover.net as an alias. I setup the DNS, mail, and Apache/Rails app on one of my OpenBSD servers to start making the Android application talk to api.pushover.net over SSL.
January 20: Venturing Into iOS Development
My prior experience with Xcode was limited to doing xcodebuild from the command line for things like Adium plugins, and while I opted to do Android development from the command line, iOS development seemed to require the Xcode IDE for a bunch of things. I'm usually not a fan of IDEs because the editors are terrible, but iOS development with Xcode is pretty well integrated.
Unlike Google, which allows C2DM use without an Android Market account, Apple requires a full iOS developer account for access to its APNS servers for push notifications. I registered for an iOS developer account which cost $100, and would subsequently cost $100 every year to keep my app in the App Store.
Since I had recently sold my iPhone 4S and gone back to Android (which started this whole thing), and the iOS simulator was much faster than Android's emulator, I was planning to do all development work in the iOS simulator. Though as I soon found out, push notifications only work on real devices, so I walked down to Radio Shack and picked up the cheapest iPod Touch for $218.99. The iPod Touch does not have a vibration motor so I would not be able to test that part of the alerts, but would otherwise work fine.
January 21: iOS Changes My Plans
On Android, when a C2DM push notification is received by the operating system, the corresponding app is woken up and is passed the message to do whatever it needs to, which may be handling it internally or turned into an audible/visual notification to show the user. My (naive) plan for Pushover was to send a message to Google's and Apple's servers and let them handle queuing, then store the alert in the app's local database once it got the notification. As I soon discovered, this is completely different from how iOS handles APNS notifications and would require a change in infrastructure.
On iOS, a notification is only passed to an application if it is running in the foreground. If it isn't, the OS handles the alert natively and the app is never woken up. If the user taps on that notification, it is passed to the application but if the application is started directly, that notification cannot be seen by the app. This meant that the app would not be able to reliably receive and store all notifications.
This difference in design meant that I had to switch to a synchronization system, where messages would stay on the server and only be deleted once the application downloaded all of them over HTTP and synched its local database. Since the iOS application could not intercept all notifications, I would also not be able to implement message encryption, a feature I thought about implementing at a later date that could differentiate Pushover from other push notification apps.
After adding the message synchronization calls to the Rails API and modifying the message sending daemon, I implemented message synchronization over SSL in the iOS app and modified the Android app to do the same.
January 21: An Adium Plugin
I use Adium for instant messaging on my laptop with a Jabber account on my server. Since I often wander away from my desk, I like receiving messages on my phone while I'm away. Long ago, I did this with Prowl by integrating with Adium's Growl notifications, but that resulted in messages being forwarded while I was still at the computer. I later switched to Notifo and wrote a plugin for Adium to pipe messages to a Ruby script, which would selectively forward messages.
For Pushover, I created a native plugin that can forward messages when away and/or when the screen is locked (I am frequently "away" even though I am here, so I consider my screen being locked as really being away). Creating the plugin was pretty easy since I was able to use my pipe-event plugin code as a base.
While this plugin was mostly for my own use case, it would also increase the visibility of Pushover and attract potential users that discover the plugin through the Adium site.
January 23: Android Market Account and iOS Progress
I paid the $25 one-time fee for an Android Market account. The Android app is not ready for release yet, but if there was any paperwork involved, I wanted to get an early start. There was no paperwork.
The iOS app is looking more polished. Using a UITableView view with custom cell heights (due to messages being of different lengths and expanding/contracting when tapped on) was challenging and had a bunch of quirks, but I've got it working.
January 26: A Custom Alert Tone
While the iOS app may not be able to control the display of messages, it can control the sound that is played. I thought about having a custom, distinctive tone made that I could use as the default sound on the Android and iOS apps to unify them. While I probably would not have sprung for the cost of it otherwise, I have a few friends that are music producers, so I met up with one of them over dinner to discuss making a custom tone for the project. He was enthusiastic about it and explained to me the differences in various phone speakers that can affect the way a particular tone sounds on them.
January 29: Website Work
Since the Android and iOS apps were approaching a releasable state and I was waiting for the custom tone to be made, I started building the website with Twitter Bootstrap. I've previously criticized the over-use of Bootstrap due to it making websites look the same, but Bootstrap does make it quite easy to get a structured cross-browser layout.
I worked on the splash page and the logged-in functionality, such as enabling/disabling devices, creating new apps, sending messages from the site, and writing up the API documentation.
February 11: Restarting iOS Development
I had not been able to work on the project much lately, but now something is broken with my iOS app. Reverting to older versions of the code didn't fix it, and I'm frustrated. My notes say something about "Cannot create an NSPersistentStoreCoordinator with a nil model" errors. I started clean with a new Xcode project and added most of my old code to it and magically it all worked again. While restarting, I opt for a master/detail split controller to work better on the iPad, but later scrap it in favor of matching the Android behavior of expanding messages inline.
February 19: Custom Tone is Done
After some back-and-forth e-mails about the direction of the custom alert sound, I pick the one that I like the most and add it to the apps running on my test devices. After using it for a few days and hearing the alert at random times, I am happy with the final version.
February 25: Pushed to Android Market
While I continued working on the iOS code, fixing crashes and diagnosing random iOS/Xcode error messages that apparently plagued other developers according to StackOverflow, the Android version was pretty much done. I pushed it to the Android Market with no fanfare, just to get it out there and stay focused on the iOS app. Good developers ship, right?
February 26: iOS 4 Compatibility
My iPod Touch is running iOS 5, but to stay at least partially backward compatible to support more users, I opted to support iOS 4 in my Xcode project. This can be a bit tricky as iOS 4 doesn't support things like JSON and Objective C's Automatic Reference Counting, which was not only new, but being turned on by default for new Xcode projects. It took me a while to track down a bug in communicating with Pushover's API from an iOS 4 device, where response messages were not parsed correctly. As it turns out, doing JSON decoding on iOS 4 didn't cause an error or even a warning, it just silently did nothing. I had to import JSONKit for backward compatibility, but JSONKit didn't support ARC, which meant it didn't build for iOS 5.
There would ultimately be a few more of these situations, where backward compatibility was needed so some 3rd party code had to be imported (properly licensed, of course) to support it, but that code didn't support newer build settings in the iOS 5 SDK.
February 27: Submitted to Apple App Store
The iOS app was finally finished, so after going through all of Apple's ridiculous legalese and distribution procedures, I finally submitted the first version of the app to the App Store and prepared for a long wait.
Using Bootstrap's responsive functionality, I was also able to make the Pushover website look nicer on mobile phones without many changes.
February 28: Load Testing and Monitoring
I wanted to be sure the Rails site would handle the load if it were announced anywhere popular, so I played with blitz.io. Since most traffic would be hitting the static splash homepage, I added a simple step to the deployment process to fetch the splash page from Rails (which would change every deployment due to the asset pipeline stuff) and cache it to a static file that Apache would look at.
However, since the "/" URL would need to show differently for logged-in users, I needed a way to avoid having Apache serve that static file in those cases. A cookie-based mod_rewrite rule was used so that if the request has no cookie, Apache serves the static HTML file directly. If the cookie is present, the request is passed to Rails which can then verify the cookie and show the logged-in view or just present a dynamically generated splash page. With this caching setup, I was able to handle a respectable amount of traffic.
I also setup some monitoring, adding an authenticated API call that returns the amount of messages in the queue. My network monitor was setup to poll that value, in addition to polling the static and API sites to check for failures. Ironically, the entire reason I started making Pushover was to use it with my network monitor, but now that my network monitor is actually monitoring Pushover itself, I couldn't use Pushover to receive alerts. For the Pushover-specific components, I made the monitor fall back to sending me text messages. I also added some SNMP hooks to export the amount of messages received through the API per minute to be graphed on my desktop monitor.
March 5: A Response From Apple
After waiting a week in App Store purgatory, Apple's reviewers finally responded... and rejected the application.
The reviewer didn't understand what the application did, and had some questions about whether there was a fee for using the API (you know, so Apple could get its cut). I responded to their questions and the app went back into pending state.
March 6: Rejected Again
The iOS app was rejected again, this time for:
3.3
We found that your Application Description includes information that is not relevant to the application content and functionality, and is therefore not in compliance with the App Store Review Guidelines.
It would be appropriate to remove or revise the following content:\
transmission entry in screenshots for a torrent application.
Please refer to the attached screenshot.
The app was rejected because one of the screenshots showed an example message from Transmission, with a (lame attempt at a joke) filename "Not illegal copyright infringement in any way.mkv". Despite a notification from Transmission actually being "information [..] relevant to the application content and functionality", I figured the soulless app store reviewer just didn't find copyright infringement funny, so I edited the screenshot image to make the entry just show "Download complete" and resubmitted the app.
March 6: Still Not Funny
The app was rejected a 3rd time with the note "transmission is still in the screenshots". Apparently just mentioning BitTorrent is against App Store policies, regardless of whether it's encouraging copyright infringement.
I removed the Transmission alert completely from the screenshot and re-submitted it, and it was approved shortly after.
March 7: Announcement Time
With both apps live in their respective app stores, the website completed, and the Adium plugin completed, I announced the project on Twitter. I submitted the site to Hacker News, but either due to the iPad announcement that happened that day, or just submitting with a title that didn't have enough linkbait, the announcement quickly moved off the /newest page with only one upvote, so I deleted the link to be able to resubmit it later.
March 8: iOS Bugs Found
After some feedback from Pushover users, I found and fixed some bugs in the iOS app, as well as adding a "delete all messages" button in the settings. I submitted the new version to the App Store, but it will take another week to get approved.
March 9: Suddenly, a Wild Competitor Appears
14:20:26 sma: did you happen to see that airgram app on hacker news?
14:21:03 me: heh
14:21:20 sma: is that pretty much like pushover?
14:21:24 me: yeah
14:21:30 sma: oh noes
14:21:45 sma: what horrible timing
14:35:54 me: oh well
As (bad) luck would have it, between my initial announcement and waiting to resubmit it, another app was announced on Hacker News that did basically the same thing as Pushover: Android and iOS clients and an HTTP API. (Side note: maybe submitting to Hacker News with "Show HN" is the key to getting something upvoted.)
While their app looks more targeted towards general users that want Twitter notifications and RSS feeds, it's still pretty similar to Pushover in functionality. I replied to the creator of the app, trying not to come off as spamming for my app in their thread, but I wanted to know how they thought they were going to end up different than Notifo since they weren't charging for their apps or their API. As other users pointed out in that thread, their app and target audience is not much different than Boxcar's (though it does have the ability to "Geo-target and geo-fence your notifications to be hyper-relevant to users", whatever that means). Since Pushover has an actual business plan to sustain itself (which users prefer), I'm not too worried about it.
March 13: Resetting the Wait Period
I rejected my previous iOS app update before it was reviewed due to another bug found and fixed, which unfortunately means it goes to the back of the line for reviewing. While trying to prepare for a new binary to be uploaded on iTunes Connect, I kept getting a generic error from the site. Fun tip: if you ever get these errors on Apple's website, look at the HTML source code, there is a ridiculously long Java-looking stack trace in an HTML comment in the code which shows all kinds of neat things about the underlying app. In my case, the error was about not being able to create a directory in /tmp. It took a day for Apple to clear this out, but I was finally able to submit a new binary and will have to wait another week for a review.
March 16: Summary
The costs for the development and publishing of Pushover were $500 for the domain, $0 for the SSL certificate, $218.99 for the iPod Touch, $0 for the already-owned Nexus S, $25 for the Android Market account, $100 for the Apple App Store account, and a small amount for the custom alert tone. The server and development laptop were already owned.
As of right now, there have been 21 purchases of the app on the two app stores. The iOS app update is still pending review, which is frustrating and it makes me anxious to have new users downloading an old version of the app that has known bugs. I have received positive feedback and feature requests from users, which I will work on incorporating over time. As Pushover grows, it will probably be moved to a new server and maybe a multi-threaded message dispatch daemon, but for now it is handling the user load without blinking.
First off, well done!! Pushover is exactly what i was looking for! A push notification service with a proper REST api and a clean app interface.
As a home automation enthusiast, this was the missing piece in my notification system. I have written a Pushover plugin for my home automation software (Indigo) that sends alerts to my phone when certain events happen (doorbell rings, garage door opens, etc.)
I had previously used Boxcar, but had become fed up with its unreliability. i also did not like having to pass the alerts through growl as it just felt kludgy.
Either way, as a fellow developer and satisfied customer, I wanted to commend you on a very well written piece of software that is affordable, does exactly what it promises and is very well documented!
I do have a few small features that I'd like to suggest, do you have a preferred method for submissions?
This was an excellent read! Lots of great info and well laid out. I am a customer and fellow developer.
Could you maybe do a 6 month update with how things have gone since March? I'd like to hear about your current user base, how you integrated with ifttt.com, new server, new message dispatch daemon, etc.
Leave a Comment
A valid e-mail address, which won't be displayed, is required to confirm or
later delete your comment. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
These pieces are fun to play and conjure up a variety of scences and pictures to fire the young player's imagination. They have also ben cleverly written to practise basic fingering patterns and simple technical problems. The tunes range from the simplest to about Grade 1.
These pieces are fun to play and conjure up a variety of scenes and pictures to fire the young player's imagination. They have been cleverly arranged to practise fingering patterns and simple technical problems, and are arranged in progressive order of difficulty. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
The Watson Family invite you to join us at Lamont's in Cottesloe for lunch or dinner this coming Sunday.Both the lunch and dinner include five courses paired with eight wines, with a focus on the 2016 vintage....
Woodlands Wines will be participating in a number of events in Singapore this month as part of the inaugural Margaret River On Tour, including Liquid Gold, an Icon Chardonnay Degustation – We hope to see you there!...
Woodlands invite you to join us to mark the release of our 2017 ‘Chloe’ and 2016 ‘Margaret’ at Cook and Mason. Located in East Fremantle, Cook & Mason is focused on high quality, seasonal and locally sourced produce.... | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Tag Archive: pi
Andromeda, or the next-door neighbor who NEVER remembers to shut off the porch light.
LONDON, England (CNN) — God did not create the universe, world-famous physicist Stephen Hawking argues in a new book that aims to banish a divine creator from physics. Hawking says in his book “The Grand Design” that, given the existence of gravity, “the universe can and will create itself from nothing,” according to an excerpt published Thursday in The Times of London.
“Spontaneous creation is the reason why there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist,” he writes in the excerpt.
“It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper [fuse] and set the universe going,” he writes.
Well, I won’t be drawn into the argument…it could go on for…..infinity. But I do think it would be intreresting to look for “God” in physics. Not that I was ever any good at math. This is the way I solved “pi squared over 6”: | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Archive for the ‘Sports Illustrated’ tag
* The autoblogosphere went a little nuts this week when photos and video of Kim Jong Il’s funeral procession were released, showing the North Korean dictator being hauled to his final rest in a Lincoln hearse. Mike Davis over at The Detroit Bureau wondered exactly how the Lincoln got to the isolated country, and came up with what he believes to be the answer.
* Axis of Oversteer this week posted a brief story about one particular Ferrari 857S, chassis number 0588, which had a colorful history that didn’t include much of the racing it was built for.
* Back in April 1961, Sports Illustrated took some time to look into this whole hot-rodding craze sweeping the country, and as we learned this week from Ryan at The Jalopy Journal, the entirety of that article is now online.
* When we took a look at the Besasie X-3 earlier this year, we went through our Mechanix Illustrated collection looking for the earlier article that MI had done on the Besasie X-2. It didn’t turn up in our collection, but it did turn up in the collection of Charlie from Modern Mechanix, who posted the article this week. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Site Mobile Navigation
For a Sweeter Passover, Old and New Sephardic Delights
DESSERT ADAPTATIONS Olive oil replaces butter and cream in chocolate mousse.Credit
Francesco Tonelli for The New York Times
ON the 500th anniversary of Spain’s expulsion of Jews, King Juan Carlos went to a synagogue in Madrid and said, in essence, mistakes were made, welcome back.
A little late, but Ana Benarroch de Bensadón appreciated it. She hadn’t felt very warmly welcomed in 1963 when she and her husband moved to Madrid from Tangiers, in Morocco, where their families had lived for centuries until the instability following Morocco’s independence forced them out.
But since the king’s pronouncement in 1992, she said, “We are applauded, and everyone is curious about our culture.”
That curiosity included a greater interest in Jewish food, one reason her book of Sephardic dessert recipes gathered over several decades has been so popular. “Dulce lo vivas: La Repostería Sefardí,” it is called, “May Your Life Be Sweet: The Sephardic Pastry Kitchen” (Ediciones Martínez Roca, 2006).
“Mrs. Bensadón carries with her the somehow forgotten recipes,” said the Spanish chef José Andrés, an owner of Café Atlántico and other highly regarded restaurants in Washington, and a fan of her work. “Many dishes didn’t belong only to one but to all — Jews, Christians and Muslims, who were living together in the important towns of Spain before the 15th century.”
Photo
Chocolate and olive oil mousse.Credit
Francesco Tonelli for The New York Times
An animated 63-year-old with short-cropped gray hair, Ms. Bensadón spoke over coffee at her daughter’s home in northern Miami, which she visits each year to help prepare the Passover seder.
She shifted into Spanish, French and Haketía (sometimes spelled Haquetía), a Sephardic dialect, as she searched for words to describe sweets like hojuelas (fijuelas) en almíbar, a flowerlike fritter dipped in honey, and tortitas cribadas, a savory lacelike cracker that I tasted recently at the home of one of Mrs. Bensadón’s friends in Tangiers.
These are recipes of home and of exile with deep roots in Jewish, Spanish and North African culture, some hundreds of years old and some contemporary.
No dish is as Spanish as a creamy flan. But hers is made with oranges, almonds and sugar, with no cream or condensed milk that would keep it from sharing a kosher table with meat dishes. Dishes like these were also cooked by Jews who stayed in Spain after the expulsion and pretended to convert to Christianity.
“To prove that they were like Christians, the Jews made flans, but used orange juice, sugar water and almonds so they could eat the flan with a meat meal,” she said.
“This is a contemporary dessert from Tangiers, a city with a blend of cultures,” she said. “Originally this recipe included butter and cream, but we replaced it with olive oil, making it ‘parve’ or neutral.”
Almendrados, which date from the 15th century or earlier, are cookies made of ground blanched almonds, lemon zest, egg and sugar. They are left out to dry for a day before baking. (In the recipe given here, I’ve called for 12 hours in the refrigerator.) I have tasted this type of cookie in many guises, and often the dough spreads out too thinly. But with Mrs. Bensadón’s method it kept its shape perfectly.
An error has occurred. Please try again later.
You are already subscribed to this email.
“We have found examples of these cookies from 1491,” said David M. Gitlitz, professor of Hispanic culture at the University of Rhode Island. After the expulsion, he said, a Jew who was passing as a Christian “was accused by the Inquisition of buying almond cookies from the Jewish quarter in Barbastri in Aragón.”
Mrs. Bensadón began gathering recipes at 17, when her mother died. “I realized then that I wanted my mother’s recipes,” she said. “But they weren’t written down.”
So she visited her grandmother and aunts and carefully transcribed the art of making sweets like letuarios, candied eggplants, squash and tomatoes that she describes in her book.
Photo
Almond cookies that Columbus may have eaten.Credit
Francesco Tonelli for The New York Times
She gathered more recipes from the tight-knit Jewish community in Tangiers. She wrote to an in-law in Bulgaria, who sent back recipes written in Ladino, a language of Sephardic Jews. Then her search spread around the world to Jewish cooks in Colombia, Montreal, Venezuela and Israel who traced their roots to Spain.
Testing was hard, she said: “People sent recipes with instructions like ‘take butter the size of a real’ ” — a Spanish coin — “How can cooks outside of Spain measure a real of butter?” And since the real no longer exists, that’s hard also for cooks in Spain.
Still, there are pitfalls in the book. Mrs. Bensadón takes certain terms and techniques for granted, as when she says in her flan recipe to “make a caramel,” without saying how.
She called her work an act of history and nostalgia.
“My idea is to leave a legacy for the young women,” she said. “It is very important to maintain fidelity to our traditions and to transmit them to the new generation.”
Her daughter Deborah Singer, the mother of two small children, agrees.
“I love that my mother and father come,” Mrs. Singer said. “My kids are able to taste the foods I ate when I was small and my mother ate when she was small.”
Mrs. Bensadón is helping many Spaniards taste the foods of her youth too.
She recently appeared on Mr. Andrés’s television show in Spain, meeting him at a kosher bakery. She brought him a Sephardic beef and barley stew called horisa (orisa) and two tins of cookies — almendrados and reventones, made with almonds and walnuts.
“I love avant-garde cooking,” said Mr. Andrés, a practitioner of cutting-edge cuisine, “but Sephardic is one of the examples of cooking we need to know more about it.”
A version of this article appears in print on , on Page F5 of the New York edition with the headline: For a Sweeter Passover, Old and New Sephardic Delights. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Description
1934 World Wide Gum Uncut Sheet of Seventy-Two Cards.
Discouraged by taunts that they were behind the times, the Canadian
World Wide Gum manufacturers abandoned the design of the 1933
Goudey issue at the midway point, offering the contemporary '34
style from card number forty-nine to ninety-six. And so our
neighbors to the north became the beneficiaries of the "Lou Gehrig
says..." advice, in both French and English, on the verso, the only
way that these cards vary from the American issue. On the face,
this incredible sheet is a dead ringer for the 1934 Goudey. And
while we'd be thrilled to have just that second forty-eight in a
single sheet, this one repeats seventy-three to ninety-six,
offering duplicates of every card from John "Blondy" Ryan through
John Allen. Happily, this range includes Hall of Famers Hafey,
Lombardi, Appling, Earnshaw and Lou Gehrig himself, so that each of
these pre-war legends appears twice on the sheet. Lest we forget
those who appear only once, we should note that cards forty-nine
through seventy-two feature Terry, Grove, Dizzy Dean, Klein,
Gehringer, Foxx, Cochrane, Frisch, Paul Waner, Manush, Durocher,
Vaughan and Hubbell. That's twenty-three Hall of Fame cards total!
A masterful color and paper restoration job has diminished the
signs of wear almost to the point of invisibility, but if you look
very closely you can spot a seam that runs the length of the second
column of cards, and various other scattered wrinkles throughout.
But again, like cards one through forty-eight offered in the
previous lot, the bright coloring of the cards leaves the
impression of a factory-fresh sheet from any reasonable distance.
Learn about consigning with us
From the outset and my initial contact with you at Heritage I have been treated courteously. You have taken extra care in assuring me that the experience would be a positive one.
Samuel Finz,Philomont, VA | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
You say you love the Eagles but your team-related footwear options are limited? Boom– NFL Draft Pack. Simply, Nike chose eight signature sneakers, either classics from the past or noteworthy current shoes, assigning one to each division, then laying out a custom colorway for each team within each division. Luckily, Nike chose one of their all-time best designs, the Air Max 95, for the NFC East.
Two notes: (1) nitpickers will notice these are actually the Air Max 95 No-Sews which, well, don’t have the color panels sewn together as on the original design from 1995, (2) The Air Max 95 is my favorite sneaker of all time—yes, people have such things—so I’m not the fairest judge. Heck, I wear Air Max 95s on an almost a daily basis (thank you job with minimal dress code). But come on, with both Midnight Green and Kelly Green present and prominent, what isn’t to like? (well, the list price is $150, so that’s something to not like…)
Here are the rest of the NFC East Air Max 95s (No-Sews). The Redskins version is fantastic. I’m not sure I’d be able to pull off actually wearing them, but it just proves how well their color palette comes together. The Cowboys and Giants aren’t quite as interesting, but I can’t really find fault with either of them, with the Giants, well, “Big Blue” approach working quite well, though I wouldn’t have minded some silver on the Cowboys [editor’s note: I see purple?].
I’m really, really surprised Kyle managed to not open his earlier article with one of his patented, lengthy comparisons between some sports-related event and some (hypothetical) relationship or “girl” story with expectations as high as they were. It would’ve practically written itself.
Of course, the high expectations were generated completely by Nike (and some widely circulated fan renderings made in the style of Nike’s “Pro Combat” NCAA uniforms which were frequently and erroneously reported as “the 2012 Nike uniforms” well after they were confirmed to be fanmade), as there’s simply too much money in the NFL to rock the boat. Patting myself on the back, I’ll point out that I predicted the uniforms generally wouldn’t change.
For what you care about, as far as we know from what we’ve seen so far, the Eagles uniforms aren’t changing at all this season. Being that Nike only showed the green over white combination (more on this below) and it didn’t change anything on that combo (in fact, according to Nike Corporate write-up for the Eagles, they “have chosen to stay with their traditional design aesthetic as well as their former uniform fabrication this year,” it’s safe to assume the Eagles other components (white jerseys, green pants, black alternates, assuming those ever make an appearance again) aren’t changing either. That’s it. End of story.
The best way to analyze today’s event is to figure out what it wasn’t.
Yesterday’s event was not for football fans. Every fan wanted to know what their team’s “new” uniforms looked like. Nike only showed one combination for each team. Of course, the reason for that is twofold.
1) With 32 teams and multiple jersey/pants combos for each team, there are simply too many combos to show in-person (the Rams have seven combos which they regularly trot out, for example), but even the Nike website and store show only the primary/color jersey for each. OK, maybe the merchandise/material isn’t available yet (these are two of the largest brands in the world, get your stuff together), but computer renderings could have been made for publishing on the Internet, a la an official style guide. Oddly, there are some substantial uniform updates for 2012 which weren’t even mentioned on the 3rd. The Jaguars will be adding a black alternate to their current set for the 2012 season, so there could be other notable updates for which teams want to control the release as opposed to Nike or the NFL.
2) There was nothing “new” about the uniforms from a fan’s perspective (other than for Seahawks fans, of course). If recaps of the event included lines like, “And after showing the Rams 5th effectively unchanged combination of 7, this reporter’s eyes began glazing over,” it’d ruin the coverage. Instead, we get reporting(?) on how these uniforms will “usher in [a] new era of sportswear” (note: they won’t).
Yesterday’s event was not for the NFL. The event was a Nike commercial where they could push their brand values of performance, etc. in exchange for the $1.1billion they (reportedly) spent for the NFL license. That’s all well and good (capitalism!), but that’s all it was. Fans don’t care that the new fabric is however many percent lighter or better at wicking moisture (unless they’re materials science engineers). It’s simply means to an end for associating all of Nike’s products with “faster, lighter, stronger.” Again, that’s fine, but the “new” uniforms aren’t a big deal to anyone other than Nike (or Seahawks fans). To talk about this “changing everything” or “the game never being the same”…geez, slow down, Nike.
Speaking of the Seahawks and their new design… they actually did post a complete set of pictures showing all combinations. Generally, the new uniform is an evolution of the current design, not a throwback-inspired 0r clean sheet redesign (don’t tell Nike that). They did add a grey alternate jersey (as well as pants), but the Seahawks generally wore monochrome White or Blue in the last few years in the current uniform, so let’s see if the actually exercise all of their combinations. BUT, with 3 pants and 3 jerseys, that’s 9 combos, so we could see an Oregon-typeeffect where they’re in something different almost every week (though the alternate is worn at most twice a year per NFL rules), especially if Nike pushes for it (and they probably will – fans seem generally supportive of Oregon’s non-uniform uniforms. For the record, I actually like the Oregon uniforms, though I wouldn’t mind if they stuck to an NFL-like Color/Home/Alternate, but I guess I’m old-fashioned. Note: this is slightly sarcasm. The NFL didn’t have predictable alternates until 2002.) The new Seahawks uniform is not awful, but in terms of emotional statements that can’t easily be refuted, it doesn’t look like an NFL uniform. In some big picture (let’s say 10+ years), it will look as dated as the current Bengals set, which was also a “product of the [2004] times” type of design, lots of black, inexplicable paneling, non-white monochrome combinations, you name it.
My prediction (UniDiction?) for the Seahawks is that the trendy grey alternate will survive for three or four seasons, then be replaced with a throwback from this style (or similar), which will become a fan favorite and eventually replace the “this smells like 2012” design that was unveiled today. (note: if the Seahawks somehow become a dynasty in the next few years, fans will latch onto the new 2012 design, similar to how Boston fans like the generally ugly Patriots uniforms in which they won all those Super Bowls. Note: The Seahawks are not going to become a dynasty.)
And a quick word about the grey alternates: this was obviously a push from Nike to which the Seahawks did not say “no.” I say “obviously” because it’s the new “trend” color Nike’s been pushing. Look at this year’s special NCAA basketball uniforms… all made by Nike. Look at their Lunaracer sneaker. Look at the Kentucky NCAA Basketball Championship gear (made by Nike – you’d think Kentucky’s color was blue. Hmm…) This fad will die, and someone in the Seahawks marketing department will say, “Wait a minute. These grey jerseys and pants just look like slightly dirty versions of the white uniforms.” Really. Look at the grey over white combo. There’s so little contrast that it’s useless. There is no reason for this to exist other than Nike’s push for grey to be the next big thing, like the late 90s/early 00s black boom (which is beginning to finally fade away, though maybe just “fading” to grey…)
And finally, another pattern seen on the new Nike uniforms is the swapping of grey for silver for some teams. Nike claims this is due to limitations of the new fabric, but, not so coincidentally, look at Nike’s high profile “Pro Combat” NCAA uniforms. Nike loves matte colors. Not to get all conspiracy theory-ish, but if they’re billing the new fabric as the greatest thing ever, they couldn’t have figured out a way to keep the Patriots and Lions in silver instead of matte grey? (It looks like the Raiders are still in silver, so…conspiracy!)
On top of both of those reasons, grey has no place on a sports uniform other than “away” uniforms for baseball teams. It’s why I always complain when the Eagles play the Giants, and that’s not coming from a place of Giants-hate, if they wore white pants, I wouldn’t complain as loudly.
During an odd time in last year’s Eagles season, Kyle wrote a multi-step plan for how to fix the Eagles, one of which included the uniforms. In the next week or so, I’ll be looking at a few strategies for how that could’ve/should’ve taken place, and what changes would have helped the Eagles’ look
Follow me on twitter for a variety of uniform related updates during today’s NFL games (@dancfuller).
Click to enlarge.
First off, Happy New Year! What’s even less inconsequential than a regular unidiction? One for a game taking place after the Eagles have been mathematically elimated from the playoffs! (OK, let me first brag about predicting last week’s Eagles win, then move on to the round-up and this week’s unidiction.)
Week 16 Round-Up
Actually, last week was a little more eventful than was expected. The Bengals wore their orange alternates over their white pants, keeping the everyone safe another year from the “world’s worst Halloween costume” orange over black combo (last seen in 2005, so consider that one likely retired). The Bengals get A LOT of hate from the internet sports uniform community (yep, it’s a thing), but their whole get-up is just uncaringly, unredeemingly goofy, and, especially in orange, it just works in it’s own, well, goofy way.
Though it’s not an alternate jersey, the Ravens paired their (normal) purple jersey with their black pants, something they did in 1996, then out that combo in their current uniform set for one game last year. It’s a great trivia answer, but it’s an awful uniform combination. It combines the issues of dark/black pants which don’t have any contrasting features (off-color socks, stripes, etc.) with a dark jersey. It’s all the issues of the Seahawks standard monochrome blue uniforms made even worse due to the black/purple combo. Blech.
The Redskins have deceptively nice uniforms. I say “deceptively” because they’re almost always forgotten in “best of” lists because they’re neither stuck in an “old timey” football aesthetic (Colts, Browns) nor do they have a whole “heritage of winning” in a specific uniform set (Packers). They’ve just been quietly wearing one of the best uniforms in the leage for a while. Last year, they added yellow pants, solidifying their status as having one of the best looks in the league.
[note: I apparently can’t read a football schedule, and I thought they were playing in Washington. Oh well, I like the graphic I put together, so I’ll go with it…]The Redskins usually pair their yellow pants with the maroon jersey at home, but they don’t always. There seems to be neither rhyme nor reason, so I’m assuming they’re going with their best combo, maroon over yellow. I’m feeling particularly spiteful, so I was harsher than usual on their helmet and intangibles this week.
Being that the Redskins are actually visiting and in white over maroon, let’s call that combo…18 points. Not loving the dark pants, but still a good look, better than white over yellow.
The Eagles will be in their best combo, “midnight” green over white (OK, so the Eagles only have two possible regular season combos this year, but it’s obviously the best one). Let’s say it’s worth 22 points.
EAGLES 22
REDSKINS 18
Relevant Redskins-related Uniform Trivia
Yellow pants have come and gone (mostly “gone” during the lifespans of the majority of the readers of this site) throughout the Redskins uniform history.
In my picture above, I called out the “double headdress” effect on the helmet. I think that’s a product of keeping the ’70-71 helmet logo motif, but adding the head for the ’72 uniform update.
They were generally a White at Home team until they added the yellow pants in 2010. Since then, they’ve exclusively worn their maroon jerseys at home.
The maroon color is called “burgundy” by the team. Too bad. It’s not burgundy. It’s maroon.
Same as previous except “gold” is actually yellow.
The addition of the yellow pants in 2010 (temporarily?) retired the great white over white combo. (and also the not-so-great maroon over maroon combo).
Each pair of pants has its own, unique socks.
This is the last UniDiction of the season! Look for a 2011 baseball uniform/logo round-up sometime during Spring Training, as well as write-ups if anything else noteworthy from a uniform perspective pops up in Philadelphia.
A little more uniform action in Week 15 than we’ve seen in a while. The Chargers wore their powder blue throwbacks, which are better than the normal Chargers uniforms, but like some of the other (loud) throwbacks (Bucs, I’m looking at you), they’re best as a “two games per year” sort of combo.
The Cardinals wore solid red again (three weeks in a row). Repeating myself, these look awful, though the red pants mean that the rare, trivia-riffic white over red combo may yet make an appearance.
Finally, the Rams, the team with a bajillion uniform combos (and that actually pretty much all of them, unlike the Titans), brought out their throwbacks last week. They’re nice, but loud enough that they’re best as a (say it with me) “twice a year kind of alternate.”
Week 16 UniDiction – Cowboys vs. Eagles
Of course, this game will be visual deja vu to week 8, as the Cowboys are a White at Home team. Of course, I hadn’t unveiled my snazzy new UniDiction format back then, so I’ll let the picture speak for itself. Even though I dislike (hate?) the Cowboys, I have to begrudgingly admit their uniforms are pretty nice.
Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that the Cowboys blue uniform set is almost completely incongruous with their normal white uniform set, and I’ll gladly point out the issues at great detail below.
The Eagles will be in their best combo, green over white, which is a 22 point sort of uniform.
I’ll also point out that games like this are the reason it’s stupid that the Eagles chose not to wear an alternate jersey this year (whether black or last year’s throwback). It’s like they’re not interested in making money.
Predicted Score
Cowboys 18
Eagles 22
Merry Christmas! (for the record, I’m not above commentary on Santa Claus’ uniform if there’s a desire from the readership….ha!)
The Buccaneers wore their Creamsicle throwbacks against the Panthers, which are ugly, but in that “so bad it’s good, but no more than twice a season, please” sort of way.
In less positive news, both the Texans and Cardinals went monochrome in their respective games, navy over navy for the Texans and red over red for the Cardinals. Neither is a good look, but it means that the Cardinals may trot out their rare (though not particularly appealing) white over red combo now that their red pants are available this season.
Finally, for trivia lovers, the Redskins and Jets mixed it up by having the Redskins wear their maroon over white (instead of yellow) combo at home and the Jets in their, again, rare (and, again, unappealing) white over green.
Eagles vs. Dolphins UniDiction
Lots of details in the picture, but the main take-away is that the Dolphins are an “almost always” White at Home team. Every now and then, they pull out their orange alternates for home, night games, but the Eagles announced they’d be in green this week, so the Dolphins are in white. Though not rigidly defined, the Dolphins generally wear white pants with the white jersey for home games and break out aqua pants for away games when they wear White jerseys (meaning: almost any away games).
Check out the Dolphins Uniform history on the Gridiron Uniform Database, and notice the 1997 “tweaking” which changed the shade of Aqua and added the 90s-riffic drop-shadows on the numbers. Generally, their uniforms have been adjusted numerous times (striping and logo tweaks, mainly), but no significant changes since 1966. Pretty impressive for a design to last that long and still look good.
The Eagles are in their typical home combination, Green over White. I’ll omit the full break-down, but in short, it’s their best combo of the current uniform set, and worth, let’s say, 22 points (generally, the Midnight Green is simply too dark).
Dolphins – 21
Eagles – 22
It’s actually going to be an unexpectedly great uniform match-up. Let’s hope the game is OK, too.
Well, I was wrong for last week’s game, too. 3-8. Of course, there was nothing right about the Eagles on-field performance, either.
There’s an all-new format for the UniDiction section which I think you’ll like, so let me know what you think in the comments.
Week 12 Round-Up
The Chargers wore their very nice Powder Blue throwbacks. I think the color’s odd enough that it shouldn’t necessarily be their primary uniform (and the Titans use light Blue, though in a very different way), but the Chargers normal uniforms are among the least notable in the league (neither good nor bad…they just…are), helmet with electricity on the sides notwithstanding, so file the “should the powder blues be the Chargers’ normal uniforms” under “let me think about it.” I covered the Thanksgiving uniform happenings in last week’s article.
Eagles vs Seahawks UniDiction (new format!)
click to enlarge
No full write-up for the Eagles this week because of the new format, but they’re in White over Midnight Green, and that looks awful and needs to be removed from their locker room. BUT, the Seahawks uniforms are awful.
Seahawks – 12
Eagles – 13
Some random Seahawks uniform info:
They’re strongly rumored (with the Panthers) to get more than just a tailoring and template update when Nike gets the NFL contract next year. My money’s on it looking like their pre-2002 uniforms.
Their current uniform set includes two combos which have only been worn for one game ever (Blue over White and Green over Navy). See above.
I don’t hate the Neon Green (derisively called “Neon Snot” by much of the online uniform community – yes, there is such a thing), mainly because it’s only used on the uniforms as a trim color… except on those unfortunate alternates.
The Muppets have always been a big inspiration to me. I grew up watching reruns of The Muppet Show, the 9 episodes of The Jim Henson Hour that aired before it was cancelled, the movies, Muppet Babies, Fraggle Rock, Sesame Street and countless other productions. Muppet Christmas Carol is one of my favorite movies ever, and a yearly staple, as is the classic “A Christmas Together” album with John Denver.
This special that was made for The Jim Henson hour but didn’t air until much later on Nickelodeon was one of the first “behind-the-scenes” videos (now a ubiquitous DVD feature) of any kind I had ever seen, and I found it endlessly fascinating. I watched it every time that I came across it on TV. I might venture to say that it has had a profound impact on where my life has taken me.
I’ve taken puppeteering and puppet-building classes, walked around the Muppet Studio in L.A., briefly met some of the current puppeteers, and last year got to make a piece of puppet magic myself.
But enough about me. The reason that I’m throwing this out there is that there are other people out there like me. I would venture to say that I’m at the tail end of this multi-generational fascination with these characters. The last great piece of entertainment produced with Kermit, Fozzie, etc., was Chrismas Carol in 1992, nearly 20 years ago.
This lengthy period of brand failure is exactly what the new movie is commenting on, and it does so in such a marvelous way that all cause for concern about how it treats the franchise’s history should be thrown out the window.
Briefly, the movie’s about a two superfans (Jason Segel and Walter, a new muppet performed fantastically by Peter Linz) who travel from Smalltown, USA to L.A. with Segel’s character’s girlfriend (Amy Adams) and visit the Muppet studios, finding it decrepit and more-or-less closed. Walter finds out that an evil corporation has taken control over the studio, theatre and Muppets name and plans to run all of them into the ground. It’s up to the three of them to get everyone back together to save the Muppets legacy. To say that this bears some resemblance to the current state of affairs with the company is quite the understatement.
I watched the original Muppet Movie the night before seeing this, and I’d recommend you do the same. In addition to being able to recognize a few callback references to the original movie, rewatching “The Muppet Movie” puts things in the new film in such an interesting mindset. Kermit was once an idealistic leader, inspiring friends to uproot their lives and travel to Hollywood to become “rich and famous”. Now though, all these years later, Kermit has become sort of an out-of-touch recluse, living in a mansion with only his 1980s robot butler to keep him company. Any object that could remind him of the past, and the never-detailed, but often inferred event that caused them all to split up, is draped off. (As a side note, I would love to see this dark chapter in the Muppets history. It would be the most depressing scene ever — even more than this and the [i’m not kidding] attempted suicide scene that came immediately before it, which I can’t find now — but it would be so compelling. Side side note: this is the world where Kermit was never born.) He’s not cynical or bitter — Kermit could never be that — but he’s deeply saddened by how much he believes he let everyone down, which is a burden he’s put on himself since the first movie. Now, years after the split, he views his life’s work as a failure and sees getting everyone together as a fool’s errand, but is talked into it.
The rest of the movie parallels the original’s structure, in the “getting the band back together” sense, but it’s almost a flipped perspective. Instead of it being about the hope of becoming entertainers and being able to make people happy, it’s about the notion of losing your friends to infighting, and your legacy to years of inactivity and a company bent on ruining your name and replacing you with other people/characters. While Walter brings new energy and hopeful naivety, the rest of the Muppets seem like old souls. They’ve aged in spirit and seem a little weary. Fozzy looks a little grey. Everyone else has moved on with their lives, and it’s quite the effectively sad portion of the movie.
But the movie is greatly funny. The music is mostly fantastic, especially if you like Flight of the Conchords, whose Bret McKenzie wrote four original songs (and a reprise), and served as Music Supervisor. I didn’t really care for the Amy Adams/Miss Piggy splitscreen duet, but the Jason Segel/Walter duet, “Man or Muppet” is both catchy and hilarious. The direction (by “Conchords” TV show co-creator and director) is great, with extremely minimal CG work and many, many “How’d they do that?” moments. Segel and Adams are cute and bring great likeable human energy, even if their story feels a bit too much in the forefront.
The Muppet performers don’t seem to miss a beat at all. Considering the only original performer still involved is Gonzo originator Dave Goelz, it’s amazing that all of these characters can still “live” and “breathe” when being performed by other people. It has taken me a number of years to get used to Steve Whitmire’s slightly higher-pitched Kermit, but the range of emotion he was able to wring out of that puppet was remarkable. Eric Jacobson (Fozzy, Piggy, Animal, Sam Eagle) and Bill Barretta (Rowlf, Dr. Teeth, Bobo, Pepe, Swedish Chef) are incredible apers of the original Frank Oz and Henson voices and master puppeteers to boot. There is really no difference in the Muppet characters noticeable enough to be a distraction, as in some past productions.
The woman sitting in front of me at the screening and her hippie husband left the theatre complaining about the “Disneyfication” of the franchise. Granted, she was also complaining prior to the movie about bottled water being a scam, but she does have a valid point about the movie, to a limited extent. Yes, everything is slick, polished, and sanitized. There are overhead shots of the Muppet Theatre (Disney’s Hollywood Boulevard El Capitan Theatre repurposed for the exteriors) that show a “Cars 2” billboard prominently in the background. The three new principal roles (Segel’s “Gary”, Adams’ “Mary”, and Walter) do get a little bit too much focus.
But here is why all of those complaints are wrong. Every joke or type of joke in this movie that seemed out of place actually had a precedent set for it in some prior movie or project: breaking the fourth wall, presenting a popular song in a ridiculous way (the muppet show did this every week), the over-top bad guy bent on bringing them down (Chris Cooper, doing a great job in limited screentime), even the ridiculous method by which they travel long distances.
No matter what Frank Oz says, I don’t feel that the characters were ever disrespected, with one possible exception, which I’ll get to later. In fact, I’d say the opposite. The newer characters were either never used (Clifford, Johnny Fiama and Sal Manella were completely absent), or, like Pepe, were pushed to the background entirely. Even lesser-known, older characters like Uncle Deadly, and Wayne and Wanda make appearances.
Oz points to the ubiquitous “fart shoes” joke in the ads as something Fozzie would never do, but in the context of the movie, I think it works. The characters are out of touch and desperate to figure out what people want, and I don’t think Fozzie is below pandering for a laugh. I’d say this movie is truer to the characters than the “World Where Kermit was Never Born” business.
Gary, Mary, and Walter serve as an audience proxy for younger people unfamiliar with “The Muppet Show”. And without Segel’s Gary and Walter there is no real impetus for the characters to reconcile at all, in a not-so-subtle parallel to real-life. Walter and Gary’s storylines are also so simple that they work without being too off-putting, and they’ve found great ways to parallel other character’s stories (the two duets for example).
For me though, and this comes as a side-note, and probably just a personal gripe, but considering he’s the only original performer left, Dave Goelz didn’t have much for Gonzo to do.
I know the last movie, way back when, focused on him entirely, but in re-watching material recently, I’ve realized the hidden layer of soul and sadness that Gonzo can bring, that few others have. The emotion that comes across in this song…
… is something that Miss Piggy and Fozzy are never tasked with. Most of the other characters are just one dimensional, though Rowlf has on occasion brought the emotion in his Muppet Show performances. Because of this, Kermit is left to carry that burden, but his sadness comes from his failures to live up to his ridiculously high expectations of himself as the leader and guy who manages these ridiculous personalities. Gonzo’s pathos has always stemmed from not fitting in, being weird, and not knowing exactly what he is.
Since these characteristics are basically the entirety of Walter’s personality, and his character arc, this brooding side of Gonzo gets pushed to the backburner, and even his comical side does as well. I’d be interested to see his number of lines compared to other characters. I get that not everyone can be properly serviced, but as a member of what I consider to be the core four characters, he feels like an afterthought. You can sense the regret in Fozzie and Piggy, but Gonzo has just seemed to move on. And this overlooking of him is even sadder considering Goelz is the longest-tenured performer here.
I have some mixed feelings about the end, but I have to talk about it in vague ideas. Basically, I feel like it glosses over a majorly important plot point, but the way in which it does this seems to render it fairly unimportant in the overall scheme of things. It sort of takes their literal goal and says their figurative one is more important, which is a great idea, but leaves the main plot as almost a side story.
On the whole though, I felt every emotion I was supposed to, including my normal disinterest in Miss Piggy. I welled up a few times, laughed a lot, and left with a smile on my face, and no feelings of contempt in my heart. I never once thought that they ruined a good thing here, and that’s all I could ask for.
The crux of this movie is whether or not The Muppets are a viable entertainment in today’s pop culture landscape, and I’d say that with the right material (and this is great material… mostly fleece and foam… wocka, wocka), they can be. Let’s hope that the kids that are getting their first taste of these characters feel the same way.
Well, they may have blasted apart my uniform-generated spread (25-15), but a win (real life: 34-7) is a win. I’m 3-4, the Eagles are 3-4. Not too shabby after a dicey start for both of us.
We had a surprisingly lively debate in the comments section for a review of the Marlins new logo on Tuesday, and the uniforms will be officially and fully unveiled on Friday 11/11, so check back next weekend for a full review. But, we’re hear to talk about the NFL today, so let’s start this footbal thing by looking at last week’s NFL uniform action with the help of the always-greatGridiron Uniform Database.
For Halloween (?), the Broncos wore their Orange alternates. I’m not a big fan, but they’re going with Orange as their primary color jersey color next year, so get used to it. Of course, the kicker is that they’re rumored to be changing uniforms completely next year with the arrival of the Nike contract, so it’s anyone’s guess what they’ll look like next year. Unfortunately (due to lack of being the home team and general non-funness in the NFL), none of the Bengals, Dolphins, nor Bears wore their Orange alternates. So close, yet so far.
Sporting their Blue over Yellow throwbacks, the Rams showed that their “heritage” look is as interesting as their current uniform, though had they chosen to wear their standard uniforms, there’s a chance we could’ve seen Gold pants vs. Gold pants, as the Saints showed up in White over Gold (their best White jersey combo).
Rounding out the throwbacks/alternates were the Panthers in their Blue alternates for the second week in a row. The less that’s said about those 90s disasters, the better.
And, finally, in terms of trivia, the Redskins wore their new-for-2010 White jersey over Yellow pants combo against the Bills, creating a bit of an “old school” type match-up.
Writing these articles has shown me that there’s much less diversity in the NFL schedule than I expected, with inexplicable* repeat opponents such as the 49ers, Cardinals, Falcons, and Bears (*note: I am fully aware that NFL scheduling is actually rather scientific, thank you very much, but how often do I really want to write-up the Cardinals uniforms?). Because the Eagles played the Bears last year (though in Chicago), I’ll borrow from the 2010 write-up as needed.
As a quick primer on the Bears uniforms, their standard color jersey combination is Navy over White. For their White jersey, they usually pair it with Navy pants. An Orange alternate appears every now and then (always with White pants). In recent history, they’ve worn White over White (the double set of stripes on each leg is against the uniform rules, so he has probably fined) as well as Navy over Navy as well as a Throwback in 2010 in place of the Orange alternates.
The Bears have one of the classic “This is the NFL”-type uniforms, so let’s find out how they’ll do against the Eagles.
The UniDiction
Either 2, 3, 6, or 7 points awarded for each category (safety, field goal, touchdown, touchdown+point after, of course)
Helmet
Eagles: 7 — Same as always. Definitely one of the best helmet designs in the league. I’m a sucker for “functional” helmet designs, and the wings fit the bill.
Bears: 6 — In terms of design details, the wishbone “C” logo has just enough going for it to not look like a plain letter cop-out. But, they really need something to break up the two halves of the helmet. Maybe a White or Orange stripe (or a combination of those). The helmet is just slightly a bit more “old” than “classic.”
Jersey
Eagles: 6 — When fans think of the “post-Cunningham” Eagles, they’re picturing the Midnight Green jerseys. A unique, bold color, with detailed strokes on the numbers, and nice use of logos on the sleeves and collar. I’ll remove a point due to the use of drop shadows.
Bears: 6 — This is a classic NFL template. No yokes (Titans), framing features (Jaguars, Cardinals), drop-shadows (Eagles). Orange stroke around Navy fill on the typography makes the letters and numbers visually interesting, and the Blue-Orange-Blue stripes on the shoulders keeps them from looking like an unfinished field of White (Colts and Giants, I’m looking at you). Nothing I’d change on these except that Navy Blue looks Black-ish (like the Eagles “Midnight Green”) in poor lighting, such as a night game. Like this week.
Pants + Socks
Eagles: 6 — The White pants provide nice contrast with the solid green of the jersey, and instead of plain white, the thick Black ad Green stripes (with the pencil thin grey stripe) on the side of the pants gives them a slightly modern touch. Black over White socks also break up the White from the pants. I wouldn’t mind if they swapped the Black socks for Green, though.
Bears: 3 — Again, a classic design with an Orange-White-Orange sandwich stripe and no frills. Here’s what isn’t so clear about the uniform’s details. Why are the stripes spaced on the jersey and socks, but flush on the pants? Also, the Navy and Orange jerseys and Navy socks (which are paired with White pants) use triple stripes of the same color with strokes, while the White jerseys and socks use spaced Navy-Orange-Navy. Consistency people!
Intangibles
Eagles: 6 — Obviously the best combo from the current uniform set. The Green needs to be a few shades lighter (if they wouldn’t do a straight return to Kelly Green) for it to really work in the poor lighting of a night game, though.
Bears: 6 — Well, I normally complain when the Eagles wear Green pants due to how dark they are, so the Bears in Navy pants are definitely not any better here, especially for a night game, even if they have bold, obvious stripes on the side (unlike the Eagles with Graphite and Black). But, Bears fans, these are still nice uniforms. For “classic” uniforms, I prefer the Packers in Green over Yellow, but the Bears in any combo (except Navy over Navy) give them a run for the money. If they show up in White over White (they probably won’t), bump this to a full 7 for outside-the-box thinking.
Follow me on twitter (@dancfuller) for uniform updates during Sunday’s games. If you have any questions or want to have a uniform-related argument, whether fact-based or opinion-oriented, just send something @ me.
OK, let’s all agree that it was good to see the Eagles win one. But can we also agree that the Redskins looked a whole lot better in losing than the Eagles did in winning? I’ll take the UniDiction loss (2-4, same as the Eagles, by the way), but I won’t back down about the Redskins Maroon over Yellow being up there as probably the best combo in the NFL and the Eagles White over Green… just making me mad.
Week 7 saw the Vikings excellent throwbacks (which should be the normal uniforms, of course) and the Panthers in their “I Love the 90s” Electric Blue (er, “Carolina Blue”) alternates. The Panthers are rarely on TV in the Philadelphia era, so my guess is few readers even know those alternates exist, so let me devote an additional sentence to just how unfortunate those jerseys are. The Panthers alternates are woefully ugly. Noted. Moving on. (Sadly, they wore them today against the Vikings, so that’s two weekends in a row).
Against the Cowboys, there aren’t many unknowns going into the game; the Eagles chose not to wear their White jerseys to try to invoke the Cowboys’ “Blue Jersey Curse,” so it’s Green over White vs. White over Silver. As a divisional rival, I’ve already written-up this match-up twice(Cowboys are “White at Home,” so it’s the same uniform match-up whether at Dallas or in Philadelphia — for trivia’s sake, the Cowboys have a rather nice throwback, but it won’t be seen this weekend), so I’ll borrow liberally from my previous efforts.
And, in the interest of completeness, the Cowboys rarely seen (though worn two weeks ago) Blue jerseys are an interesting item, not just a color-swapped version of the White over Silver uniforms. Check out this graphic I made detailing all of the mismatched items. You’d think that in the age of HD the Cowboys would at least address the Silver mismatch issue (at least making the helmets match one of the pants; it’s not like they wear the “true” Silver pants from the Blue jersey set all that often), but I guess it’s not too important down there in Texas. BUT, choosing Navy Blue or Royal Blue would at least be nice.
The Cowboys uniforms are a tough nut to crack; as an Eagles fan I feel as if I must hate them, but they’re actually pretty nice. They’re “classic” without looking too plain (Colts and Giants, that’s you) or old-for-old’s-sake (Packers throwbacks).
The (slightly anti-Cowboys biased) UniDiction is after the jump.
The UniDiction
Either 2, 3, 6, or 7 points awarded for each category (safety, field goal, touchdown, touchdown+point after, of course)
Helmet
Eagles: 7 — Same as always. Definitely one of the best helmet designs in the league. I’m a sucker for “functional” helmet designs.
Cowboys: 6 — It’s iconic and, oddly, rather understated element considering just how prevalent it is in the US. One point is removed because the shade of Silver doesn’t match the Silver pants… either of them. (note: for color professionals out there, please spare me the “it’s difficult to match colors on different substrates, especially shades of grey or silver when metal fleck is a component.” I know, but they’ve had 40+ years to get it right!
Jersey
Eagles: 6 — When fans think of the “post-Cunningham” Eagles, they’re picturing the Midnight Green jerseys. A unique, bold color, with detailed strokes on the numbers, and nice use of logos on the sleeves and collar. I’ll remove a point due to the use of drop shadows.
Cowboys: 3 — There are few things Eagles fans hate more than the sight of a Cowboys jersey, especially if it’s White. Objectively, it’s a 6 (the shoulder stripes break up the plain-ness of it, though the Black strokes on the sleeve stripes don’t match the stroke-less numbers), but subjectively, we’re giving it a 3, because it’s, you know, the Cowboys.
Pants + Socks
Eagles: 6 — The White pants provide nice contrast with the solid green of the jersey, and instead of plain white, the thick Black ad Green stripes (with the pencil thin grey stripe) on the side of the pants gives them a slightly modern touch. Black over White socks also break up the White from the pants
Intangibles (no Pink adjustment this week – it looks like most teams have really dialed it back this week. It’s still October, so I bet there’s a lot more to this story which will never get reported. Pink was shamelessly poured over everything for the first two weeks of October, and now it’s practically missing. I mean, I’m not missing it, but something’s up. It could be that this is the fifth Sunday in October, and it was designed as a four week marketing program, but, again, that story will likely never be told.)
Eagles: 6 — OK, it’s the best combo of their current uniform set, but it’d be fun to see them wear their White jerseys at home (preferably with White pants… but beggars can’t be choosers), forcing the Cowboys to wear Navy over (true) Silver.
Cowboys: 3 — Out of bringing some professional journalism to this article, I’ll say “these are nice uniforms, here are three points.” Yeah, I feel dirty doing that, but I’m being fair. I may have offered a few more points if they were in their Navy over Silver combination (obscurity=points, people), but the Eagles chose not to force the Cowboys to wear them. Naturally, I’ll blame the Cowboys for that.
Final Score
Eagles 25
Cowboys 15
[rate 4.0]
A pretty good looking game. With the Cowboys in plain colors, a brighter shade of Green (say, Kelly Green) on the Eagles would really stand out…oh, well.
For catching up’s sake, the Eagles had no uniform-related news this off-season. No throwbacks like last year (boo) or 2007 (count your blessings), so it’s likely we’ll see the Black jerseys at some point, likely around Halloween (maybe against the Cowboys on October 30, though they may wear White to invoke the Blue Jersey Curse) or late November. For non-Eagles news, the Bills have an all-new uniform set, getting rid of their CFL/XFL-inspired disasters (quick review: they’re great, but why no Blue pants?), and the Giants supposedlyhave throwbacks to the 80s era, but they’ve yet to be announced. There have been rumblings about the Giants adopting throwbacks since they eliminated their Red alternates after the 2007 season but still no (official) confirmation in that direction.
The (potentially) big news which will likely amount to very little is that 2011 is the last season of the Reebok uniform contract, and Nike gets the NFL in 2012. And, gosh, if they did this to Oregon, what will they do to my team?! Relax, it’s the NFL, not a bunch of loosely affiliated colleges trying to appeal to 16 and 17 year old recruits. Maybe some of the teams with that dreaded-for-marketing purposes combination of modern-yet-stale designs and recent futility (Broncos, Seahawks – who’ve hinted at re-designs for next year) will go the re-design route. Though there’s always the risk of a team following the 2009 Jaguars and fixing something that wasn’t broken because it will be easier to re-define the corporate brand in terms of PMS numbers and visual identity than actually creating a “tradition of winning”, don’t expect any crazy Nike NCAA silliness like “Stealth Numbers” (hint: I actually like the effect), team-branded gloves, camouflage, dye sublimation (think: anything with a gradient), or the like on an NFL team near you, especially not the Eagles, who have well-liked modern uniforms as well as a whole bunch of winning seasons within easy memory.
For uniform enthusiasts, the biggest news is perhaps the “opening” of the Gridiron Uniform Database. A simply amazing website you never knew you were missing until now. If you’ve ever gotten into an argument with someone who SWEARS the Packers had a Yellow alternate (they haven’t worn yellow jerseys since 1954) because he saw them available online (likely from a counterfeiter) or with “that guy,” who says the Saints never wore a Gold jersey in a game (they did, once in 2002), here is your argument ender. “You just got GUD’d!” Hmm, maybe not the next “Let’s Go Eat,” but it’s… something. Prepping for this season, I’m not sure how I did without the GUD last season (answer: with some inaccuracy about obscure combinations for the Falcons and Titans), but expect lots of links to their content . A great, great resource.
And finally, the UniDictions will be a little different this year. Previously, I churned out the prediction between 11:30AM and game time on game day. Why? Because in the interest of accuracy, I wanted to review what the teams would be actually wearing. Unfortunately, though the Eagles announce their uniform picks the Tuesday before a game, few other teams do this. For teams like the Giants and Cowboys, there’s no mystery as to what they will be wearing (heck, I wrote the December 2010 UniDictions for those games in China. Really!), but teams often have not just multiple jerseys but multiple pants options, too. Even staying within the division, the Redskins have three pants (the new-for-2010 yellow pants are still awesome, don’t worry). So, when the Eagles are home in the latter part of the season and the Green jersey is guaranteed, the Redskins could legitimately show up in one of three different combinations. In the interest of easing my Sunday mornings, this season’s UniDictions will be more general than last year’s, taking into account the opponents’ jersey and pants combinations as a whole.
This brings us to the Rams. The Eagles are visiting and announced they’re in White over Green. It’s unlikely the Rams would waste their throwbacks on the non-divisional-rival Eagles game, so they’ll be in Navy Blue jerseys, but, like the Redskins, they’ve got three pants to choose from. Which will they wear?
TheUniDiction
Remember, this is scored like football. 7,6,3,2, or 1 point. And, as we retroactively learned last year, to make sense with UniDiction score, the real-game score wraps back to zero every 28 points, so 59-28 is the same as 3-28. Yeah. It’s scientific.
Helmet
Eagles – 6 points. Metallic “Midnight” Green is second only to Kelly Green in the hearts of Philadelphia football fans, and the wings are the kind of “functional” detail that really adds a lot of character to a helmet, much more than simply dumping the logo up there.
Rams – 7 points.Unfortunately, when one thinks of “functional” helmet designs, the Rams’ horns are thought of, even before the Eagles, so they get the full 7 points, too.
Jersey
Eagles – 3 points.I’ve put a lot of thought into it in the off-season, but while the White jersey might have grown on me, it’s still not the Eagles best look. The trim and logo/wordmark usage is the throat and sleeves is executed just right. It’s appreciated that the only “modern” silliness is a drop-shadow on the numbers instead of useless panels, yokes, and armpit highlighting features, but… White just isn’t one of the Eagles’ colors. Combined with the Green pants, it’s not a good look.
Rams – 3 points. Like the Eagles, the Rams have a “modern-ish” jersey, but they weren’t able to avoid one of the more gimmicky “modern” features: the shoulder hoop. Oddly, this feature is echoed on the White jersey, but it’s used more as a visual break for the contrast-color “sleeves.” Odd and rather bush league (read: CFL) for the White jerseys. Initially, I thought it was meant to evoke their old jerseys where the shoulder/sleeve included the ram horn, but it doesn’t appear that way. The White stroke around the Gold numbers is a nice touch, though. I’ll also point out that their shade of Blue is just that much too dark, and doesn’t pop as much as it should.
Pants and Socks
Eagles – 2 points. In a vacuum where the Eagles pants exist in complete naiveté with respect to the final “look,” the Green pants are harmless. Black/White/Grey stripes all “go” with Midnight Green. Seems like a pretty nice pair of trousers. Until you see them on TV when it’s not a bright day, and they’re just a muddled, dark mess. Dark base material, two of three stripes are dark. No, thank you. This gives me an idea for a future article where I mock up some Midnight Green pants with a wide, White stripe. Don’t worry, I’ll include Black or Dark Grey stripes, too. I also think the socks should be Green instead of Black. Sue me.
Rams – 6 points.Here’s where it gets tricky. The Rams have 3 different pants they actively wear. Interestingly, they’re not just color swaps of each other. The Gold pants are a solid “field of Gold,” (holy Gold pants overload in that picture) with no stripes, logos, or any type of accents, while the Blue pants and White pants look like simple color swaps, not unlike Mortal Kombat’s Sub-Zero and Scorpion. Oddly, they actually aren’t. The Blue pants’ striping actually goes White-Gold-Blue-Gold-White, and the White pants are a simpler Blue-Gold-Blue. Using a contrasting color for that super-wide stripe, as on the White pants, definitely looks better than hiding the center stripe in the base color of the pants. So, big thumbs-up for the White pants, indifferent but appreciating the use of the color for the Gold pants, and “meh” for the Blue pants.
Intangibles
Eagles – 3 points.At least they still look respectable in a rather unfortunate uniform combination, something some teams can’t say. I’ve moved from “not feeling it” to outright “a little pitchy dog” “I don’t like this” for the White over Green combination, so until/unless the pre-season White over White combination shows up in the regular season (like last year against the Jaguars), the Eagles aren’t going to have a lot of (sartorial) success per my system in their White jersey this season.
Rams – 6 points. If the Rams choose to wear their Blue over Blue clownsuits, I’ll regret granting so many points, but the Rams’ signature look is the unique Blue over Gold, so expect to see that on Sunday afternoon. If they choose the rarer Blue over White, the Eagles are really looking for some hurt, because that is a really, really sharp look. Yes, I realize I sound like a grandmother using that terminology… but I’ll stand by it. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
For the first time in over a decade, the XBFL saw two rookies take the stage for a clash between two juggernaut teams. One was coming in to the final game with tremendous momentum, while the other slid through to the final without their starting quarterback.
KingDong444 took his 14-2 Washington Redskins through the playoffs with ease, including a major upset win over the 15-1 Atlanta Falcons coached by former XBFL Champion LOCKNLOAD WEEZ. Without the help of league MVP Derrius Guice who was injured going into the playoffs, the combination of Alex Smith and Adrian Peterson turned out to be more than sufficient in helping the Redskins down the Falcons, winning the NFC title game in convincing fashion 52-21.
Fellow league rookie, TheDuke2119 shared the best record this season at 15-1. In the Conference Championship against the Jacksonville Jaguars (TheJames), the Chargers got off to a screaming start of 21-0 at the end of the first half, however Jacksonville scored 21 of their own points in the second half to the Chargers’ three. Down by only a field goal, the Jags worked their way down the field in the final few minutes of the game, largely in part from big plays by tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins who got the Jacksonville offense to the one yard line with only five seconds on the clock and the final time out taken.
Jacksonville could opt for the tie off an easy chip shot field goal, or go for the win with a touchdown. One play was all that time would allow.
Jacksonville opted for the chance to win outright in regulation time but fell just short of the goal line on a pass play that saw TJ Yeldon come back towards the ball, out of the end zone, and get tackled mere inches from the goal line. While it was a nail-biter of a game and while a huge relief for Los Angeles, the win came at a hefty price: Field commander Phillip Rivers went down late in the third with a torn biceps. It was revealed afterwards that Rivers would not be available for the Super Bowl. In his absence, quarterback Geno Smith would captain the Chargers’ offensive unit. Seeing Smith’s performance during the final quarter and a half of the Jacksonville game, the odds that Washington would win increased exponentially
The Super Bowl had action right out of the gate with the Redskins scoring 10 unanswered points in the first quarter. The Chargers closed the gap 10-7 with a score from Melvin Gordon who was initially leaned on heavily both on the ground and in the air. Washington then countered with a field goal to bring the score to 13-7 going into the half.
Coaching adjustments were apparently made in the locker room during half-time, because the Redskins went on to score 39 points in the second half of the game to only 14 by the Chargers. Alex Smith had an impressive day throwing for 268 yards and four touchdowns to only one interception. Adrian Peterson had a conservative effort of 11 carries but maximized those opportunities by netting 127 yards and a score on the ground. On defense, Ryan Kerrigan had a monster game with four solo sacks.
The mobile Geno Smith had 37 yards on the ground for the Chargers, but was sacked eight times overall. Melvin Gordon was a dominant force early on but the Chargers had to abandon the ground attack in the second half as the game was becoming out of hand.
Melvin Gordon finished with 138 rushing yards and a touchdown off of 16 carries, and had another 42 yards from seven receptions. League receptions leader Keenan Allen had 12 catches for 193 yards and two touchdowns, but it was Geno Smith’s inaccurate arm that led to three interceptions that turned the tide in favor of Washington.
The final score was the most lopsided in league history at 52-21 in favor of the Washington Redskins.
Season 36 Super Bowl Notes:
Total yards between the two teams was comparable: 530 for LA and 538 for Washington.
There were four turnovers by the Chargers and two by the Redskins.
Washington was perfect in Red Zone Scoring while Los Angeles was at 66%.
Los Angeles had 23 penalty yards to Washington’s 7.
Time of Possession was also fairly close between the two teams: LA Chargers: 15:50, Washington: 12:10.
Congrats to KingDong444 on his success throughout the regular season, MVP status for his running back Derrius Guice and The XBFL’s Madden 19 Super Bowl Championship! | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Yes, we’re seasoned world travelers, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t occasionally enamored with kitschy roadside attractions. Be they weird landmarks, supernatural places, wonky museums or crazy theme parks, there are lots of curiosities that appeal to our roving sense of wonder.
Take, for instance, this sampling of some of the oddest homes we’ve found, both in the United States and abroad. Perhaps you’ll feel like making a pit stop on your next journey.
Beer Can House: Houston, TX
Former owner John Milkovisch began inlaying rocks, marbles and aluminum on his front and back yards in 1968 after claiming he was tired of taking care of the lawn. Aluminum roofing and siding followed over an 18-year period. The strangest part? The aluminum is all made of beer cans — including the beer-can-lid garland that hangs from the roof. It gets a bit noisy when the wind blows, but the material evidently cuts down on energy costs. After Milkovisch’s death in 1988, the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art took it on as a restoration project, and it’s open to visitors on weekend afternoons.
Nautilus House: Mexico City, Mexico
A couple in Mexico City hired an architect to aid them in building themselves a home — a home that just happens to look like a giant seashell. Complete with a giant stained-glass window and several other porthole-like openings, the home is bit reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland, boasting tiny vegetation-lined paths that wend between rooms, all of which are furnished with cartoonish furniture that’s fit for a hobbit.
Whimzeyland: Safety Harbor, FL
This home, purchased in 1985 as a plain-looking dwelling by current occupants (and artists) Todd Ramquist and Kiaralinda, is cheerfully decorated with bright colors and knickknacks galore. Among bottle trees and other whimsical found objects are the dozens of bowling balls that can be seen throughout the grounds’ landscaping. Years ago, the pair obtained bowling balls for free at a local flea market and used them to liven up the place, painting more dismally colored ones for an even more happy effect.
Upside-Down House: Szymbark, Poland
At this dizzying property, visitors can walk around inside the structure’s upside-down rooms, which allegedly mess with the equilibria of many. Designed by Daniel Czapiewski to represent the fall of communism, it was reportedly cumbersome for builders to complete, due to the topsy-turvy nature of, well, just about everything. Bonus: If you turn your camera upside down before snapping a selfie, it’ll look like you’re hanging from the ceiling.
Winchester Mystery House: San Jose, CA
Built by Sarah Winchester, the wife of William Wirt Winchester (as in Winchester rifles), the mansion cost $5.5 million to build and contains 160 rooms. Construction went on for years as Sarah claimed she needed to accommodate the spirits of those who died at the hands of the guns her husband helped to produce. It’s now a major tourist attraction that features a museum, a restaurant and expensive tours. Hours vary seasonally.
What do Cape Town, Christchurch and Calgary have in common … besides all starting with the letter “C”?
They’re all on the New York Times’ annual Places to Go list. This year the much-anticipated list numbers 52 places, up from last year’s 46 recommended destinations. And they’re all pretty phenomenal.
Examples include the Albanian Coast, which the Times says combines the rugged beauty of the Dalmatian Coast with Greece’s ancient ruins and the easygoing nature of rural Italy (No. 4 on the list); Fernando de Noronha, a 21-island archipelago 330 miles off the coast of Recife, Brazil, that boasts 250-foot black cliffs and peach-sand beaches and to which only 246 visitors are allowed per day (No. 14 on the list); and Chennai, one of India’s cultural capitals, home to several dance and music schools that offer regular performances around the city (No. 26 on the list).
Several of the places on the list matched up with IndependentTraveler.com’s Top 9 Destinations for 2014, including two exactly: Nepal (No. 45) and Iceland (No. 30). Others fell within broader destinations we picked for 2014. The New York Times, for instance, includes the Arctic Circle (No. 38), while IndependentTraveler.com chose the Far North (defined by us as anywhere you can see the Northern Lights).
The Places to Go list is a great resource for discovering new must-visit destinations — I added five items to my bucket list including the Albanian Coast; Krabi, Thailand (No. 28); the North Coast of California (No. 3); Varazdin, Croatia (No. 48); and Xishuangbanna, China (No. 32) — and reaffirming that several places already on my bucket list really are worth visiting, like Namibia, the Seychelles and the Arctic Circle.
Another thing I love about the Places to Go list is ticking off places I’ve already been. Of the 52 places suggested for 2014, I’ve already visited seven, though I’m dying to go back to Cape Town (No. 1), Perth (No. 9) and Scotland (No. 16).
Now that we’re well into the winter doldrums, it’s time to warm yourself up by planning out all your trips for the year — and a travel trade show can help. These expos are gathering places for destination experts that can give you first-hand advice and recommendations. In some cases, you can even enter to win a free trip! Travel shows also feature cultural performances, talks by travel pros such as Rick Steves and Arthur Frommer, and plenty of fun freebies.
Here’s something fun to kick off your weekend. It’s a travel-themed picture puzzle. You just have to tie the photos together to make words. For example, a photo of an eye, combined with a photo of a full glass of water would be eye + full = Eiffel. Get it? (For another example, check out last week’s puzzle.)
This week’s puzzle is two words and represents a North American attraction that offers a glimpse into the past.
Once you think you know the answer, post it below. You have until Monday, January 13, at 11:59 p.m. ET to post your response. We’ll keep all comments private until then. On Tuesday morning we’ll choose one winner at random to receive an IndependentTraveler.com travel mug. Note: Although all are welcome to play, we can only ship prizes to the Continental U.S.
Editor’s Note: This contest has ended. The winner is Aileen Greenberg-Kriner, who correctly guessed that the pictogram spelled “Mesa Verde.” Aileen has won an IndependentTraveler.com travel mug. Congratulations! Stay tuned for further opportunities to win.
The next time you reach out to your travel advisor for help with planning your next trip, you may want to rein in any diva behavior, lest a caricature of you appear in an Off-Broadway play.
Though the 30 travelers depicted in the new two-person play “Craving for Travel” are fictional, many of their requests — at turns unreasonable, sweet and shortsighted — are based on the real-life customers of travel agent Jim Strong of Strong Travel Services in Dallas.
“The play is a comedy that finds its roots in the extremes of truth,” co-playwright Andy Sandberg explained to IndependentTraveler.com.
So what kind of crazy antics can a bunch of travel agent customers get up to?
Well, there’s the American senator booted out of his hotel in Sydney after making some offensive comments about an Australian icon. And then there’s the man who tried to plan his trip sans help but found himself badly in need of a bail-out. Another unique request the two travel agents in the play try to accommodate comes from an elderly couple hoping to relive their first meeting.
“Craving for Travel” is open for a four-week run at the Peter J. Sharp Theater on 42nd Street in New York City. I’m hoping to get tickets to see the show, so in preparation I’ve decided to let my imagination run wild and concoct my own ridiculously impossible travel request.
I want to plan a one-week England trip. During that time I’d like to visit Stonehenge, but not with any other tourists. Instead I want a private tour of the site at dusk, accompanied by a practicing druid. Also, I want to play billiards with Prince Harry, sup with Elton John and pet the Queen’s corgis.
A few months ago, Virgin America jazzed up its in-flight safety presentation with an up-tempo music video featuring a young, limber cast of flight attendants, businesspeople and even a nun(!) singing and dancing their way around a virtual aircraft cabin. But one Virgin America flight attendant thought that just wasn’t quite entertaining enough — and added a live performance to go along with the video on a recent flight.
Below you can watch the flight attendant strutting down the aisle, lip-synching to the lyrics of the song and generally getting his groove on, much to the amusement of his passengers. Check it out:
Props to this flight attendant for pretty much guaranteeing that his passengers will pay attention to the safety demonstration!
Once I became old enough to plan my own independent travel adventures, I fancied that if I were smart enough, I could blend in. In Paris, I emulated Audrey Hepburn’s outfits in “Funny Face” and lingered over coffee and croissants like a pro. In Athens, I ordered train tickets with such gusto that I received an enthusiastic response — and had to smile and nod knowingly, because anything not in my phrasebook was all Greek to me. In Tokyo, I confidently boarded each bullet train like a transplant and did my best not to gawk at the sheer number of people, and lights, and people.
Of course, I was fooling no one but myself, but the attempt to be an American incognito was — and remains — important to me. Why? Tourists are loud. Tourists are paparazzi. Tourists are rude. That’s because, worst of all, tourists are ignorant.
On one level, “tourist” is just a word that could be used to describe anyone, like myself, who travels to places other than their own for enjoyment. As travel writer Rolf Potts once eloquently put it: “It certainly can’t hurt to retain a sense of perspective as we indulge ourselves in haughty little pissing contests over who qualifies as a ‘traveler’ instead of a ‘tourist’.'” After all, he says, “Regardless of one’s budget, itinerary and choice of luggage — the act of travel is still, at its essence, a consumer experience.”
To an extent, I agree. I understand it may seem like a silly case of semantics to say my skin crawls when asked to define myself by the “tourist” moniker. But that’s because to me, the word has come to mean something negative, even amateur. Beyond the cliche fashion faux pas (do a Google image search on the word “tourist” and you’ll see what I mean), tourists are a breed, a sect of travelers, who refuse to buy into the place they’re currently in, and to accept that it is … different.
In my view, there is a distinct difference between being new to a country or culture, and clinging to “I don’t know any better” as a mentality and as an excuse. I’m neither Cambodian nor Buddhist, but respect and reverence for a monks’ religious ceremony is something I’d assume would go without saying — and I cringe when I realize my instincts aren’t always shared by other “travelers.” (You know them: the ones with the flashing cameras and flapping jaws.)
It’s easy to pick up a camera or phone these days and capture everything secondhand — and I’ve been guilty of this in the past — but you become removed from what’s happening. I’ll never forget a group tour of an impoverished Cape Town township in South Africa. I was glad to be exposed to a local way of life, and many of my companions began to take pictures of the children there. I followed suit until it felt so bizarre that I finally had to stop. They were people, not just points of interest on a sightseeing tour. I could never learn what their life was really like in mere hours, but I didn’t want to waste that time by just photographing them. That’s when many of us decided to hand the cameras over and let the children take their own pictures.
While voyeurism is inherent to leisure travel, I’m also aiming to lose myself (and that includes my one-sided perspective). Despite the vulnerable position of being in a foreign land, I still find faking it (even if you don’t make it) outweighs the doe-eyed sponge you become when you stick to the “I’m just a tourist” routine. You can be more! It doesn’t take any extra time, money or resources. The secret is a little effort: a few words of the language, understanding the currency, adhering to any regional religious restrictions or even stretching your own culinary comforts.
To me, the debate is less about word choice and more a state of mind. Don’t be a patron at the global zoo — join the wild and wonderful things. Don’t be a tourist — be a traveler.
Here’s something fun to kick off your weekend. It’s a travel-themed picture puzzle. You just have to tie the photos together to make words. For example, a photo of an eye, combined with a photo of a full glass of water would be eye + full = Eiffel. Get it? (For another example, check out last week’s puzzle.)
This week’s puzzle is three words and represents one of South America’s most beautiful natural attractions.
Once you think you know the answer, post it below. You have until Monday, January 6, at 11:59 p.m. ET to post your response. We’ll keep all comments private until then. On Tuesday morning we’ll choose one winner at random to receive an IndependentTraveler.com travel mug. Note: Although all are welcome to play, we can only ship prizes to the Continental U.S.
Editor’s Note: This contest has ended. The winner is Gwen M, who correctly guessed that the pictogram spelled “Torres del Paine.” Gwen has won an IndependentTraveler.com travel mug. Congratulations! Stay tuned for further opportunities to win. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
These fantastic recycled paper wine bags make an excellent addition to any gift or wine related promotion. These eco-friendly paper wine bags have room for two wine bottles and are made from 100% recycled post consumer paper.
These fantastic Kraft paper wine bags make an excellent addition to any gift or wine related promotion. They feature twisted fiber handles, room for one bottle of wine, and a natural Kraft brown paper.
Watch your business bloom with Custom Seeded Wine Bags. No one will ever think of throwing away this beautiful wine bag. These printed wine bags are made with plantable Seeded paper that can bloom into your choice of Wildflower Marigold or Basil. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Virbhadra sends out warning to bureaucracy
Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee chief Virbhadra Singh on Friday sent out a warning to the bureaucracy in the state. Singh called officers on re-employment to quit voluntarily.
Singh expressed concern over the role a few bureaucrats played during the regime of Prem Kumar Dhumal's government. "Bureaucrats have been politicised, some of them played active part in fulfilling the political designs of Prem Kumar Dhumal beyond the cause of duty," said Singh, adding that he had reports pertaining to role of certain bureaucrats during the Dhumal regime. I have complaints about certain officers who exceeded their limits of duty," said Singh, adding that he would not only go solely by the complaints but will make self-assessment.
"I will not go by hearsay but will test their conduct," he said. "Bureaucracy is like horse. If the rider is good, it performance better. If the rider is inexperienced, he falls from the horse," said Singh.
He said that he would recall officers who are currently on central deputation. "Officers who are on long leave will be called back to the state," he said.
Singh stemmed out a warning to the officers who have been re-employed during the BJP regime. "Those on re-employment should voluntary quit," said Singh, hinting that the Congress government will not make immediate changes in the administration. If there is need only then changes will be made," he said.
Singh was reticent about becoming the chief minister for sixth time. "The final decision will be taken by the AICC. I hope that sentiments of legislators and the mass public support will be taken into consideration," he said.
"What is visible doesn't need to be demonstrated," said Singh when asked whether he would demonstrate his support. Virbhadra also attempted to defend the defeat of the some of his staunch loyalists. "It happens in democracy," Singh said and feigned ignorance over his rivals' camping in New Delhi. "It's the beauty of democracy that everyone can aspire to become the chief minister," said Singh.
Virbhadra clarified that if he takes over the reign of the state, he will not follow the politics of vendetta. "Unlike my predecessor I will not follow the politics of vendetta. I will not concoct cases against anybody," said Singh, reiterating that the Congress government will set up a special investigative team to look into the corruption cases that took place during the regime of Prem Kumar Dhumal government. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Fun and Exciting Crafts Ideas For Children
With school holidays and public holidays seeming to roll around every few months it can be hard to think of new ways to keep the kids entertained long enough that you don't end up pulling your hair out. So it's a good idea to have some fun crafts ideas for children handy, just in case.
But if you're like most parents, the ideas extend to making play-doh, painting eggs and not much else. Kids might find these fun once or twice but doing them time and again they'll soon get bored and start running amok. Children need to be stimulated in what they do and feel enthusiastic. They need to understand what it is they are creating and what they'll have at the end of the project.
A good crafts book is a great way to keep ideas fresh and new for kids. Most good crafts books these days have simple step-by-step instructional guides with pictures so that even kids themselves can take the book and create something without constant supervision from mum or dad. But of course, it's always better to be involved with your kids, and making crafts together is a good way to bond and find some time to get to know each other a little better with a lot of laughs along the way.
The better crafts books also split into sections such as summer crafts, winter crafts and rainy day crafts to suite specific times. You don't want to be making Easter eggs in summer or trying to fly a paper kite on a rainy day! Splitting into sections also helps save disappointment for your kids if they see something they want to make that just won't work, for example, on a wet and windy day. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Bindass Bar @ Bangalore
Enjoy an ice cold beer, expertly crafted cocktail or choose from our extensive wine list. Which are complemented by our indian Tapas menu.
Perfect for after work.
More Information...
Bangalore Express City
Tucked away in the heart of the city, we offer fast and friendly service with a twist on the ‘traditional Indian’. In a rush? Try our take away lunch service.
If you have a booking for a large group we have a large downstairs dinning room that can accommodate most group sizes.
More Information...
Meet Our Chef
Yogesh Datta is one of the UK’s top Indian chefs. Having trained in classical Indian cooking, Yogesh worked his cooking magic for the Taj Group and Sheraton Hotels in India. He began to experiment and develop his innovative techniques whilst at Tabla in Canary Wharf.
The results are in and Bangalore Express was selected again for the OpenTable Diners' Choice Awards. From cocktails to dessert, our customers were impressed!
"Welcome to Bangalore Express, for award winning, modern Indian cuisine" Yogesh Datta our head chef has been voted best Indian chef 2013 by the Good Curry Guide.
Private Dining and Events
Bangalore Express City and the Painted Heron are the perfect place for your private event. Whether it is a wedding, corporate event or party we have capacity for up to 300 people. Find out more
Come and Visit Us!
Bangalore Express City
Opening Times
1 Corbet Court 3 - 6 Gracechurch Street London EC3V 0AT
Tel: 020 7220 9195 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Fuck Buddy in South Ascot
The Fuck Buddy in South Ascot is much like the Open Relationship, but there is one differentiation. You're also saying the woman in that relationship is your Girlfriend when classifying a connection as a mLTR. In this version, you have a minumum of one Principal Girlfriend, your Girlfriend both in role and title, and several secondary girlfriends - girls who share might be the title but not the role of Girlfriend. MLTR in this model and the difference between OR is important because of one thing: this model doesn't deal with managing Primaries - buddies and FBs you have sex with. In the event you are involved in a mLTR and have a Primary, the rules of the structure will change since your Primary (probably) will be more important to you than your secondaries.
Many Fuck Buddy in South Ascot try to take a shortcut through physical relationships, which always results in failure to closeness. The first step to true closeness in a relationship is developing a oneness of spirit. The relationship does not ensure fellowship. Living does not guarantee togetherness. There's no closeness if two individuals are close together in physical proximity but miles apart in spirit. They may be in the exact same room but entirely different planets.
The typical time for a male to orgasm during intercourse is 3-5 minutes according to data. The average time for a female is around 15. After an orgasm the degree of melatonin - a sleep-inducing hormone - is elevated in the body that is male while the female gets an energy boost by endorphins which are released in her body from sex. (Ever needed to go to sleep after sex but your female counterpart wouldn't quit talking? There is an example of how that works!)
The standards for successful Fuck Buddy in South Ascot are the same as those for a successful marriage. According to the majority of marriage counselors, among the very typical reasons for the breakup of unions at any given period is a deficiency of intimacy. Most people connect physical or sexual connections and intimacy, but it is a lot deeper than that. People who believe that having sex brings them intimacy are only scratching the surface. Intimacy isn't an action. Intimacy is a state of existence in which both partners in a relationship trust more and the other more with their innermost thoughts. They trust each other more and more with their innermost wishes, dreams, and desires. They trust each other more and more with their innermost emotions. Intimacy is the key to any successful relationship. Most modern relationships, marriage or otherwise, fall far short of achieving genuine familiarity. One reason for this is because, in our twisted period of romanticism, manipulation, microwave speed and 30-second sound bites, we expect immediate closeness. This can be fatal to a relationship and is a false anticipation. Accurate intimacy takes the time.
A woman who discover each other while walking on the road to the Kingdom of God plus a guy have a distinct edge in their own relationship with people who enter associations born in the alleys and byways. Because they are moving in exactly the same direction with a similar passion for God and hunger for His righteousness, waiting and dating they are already aligned in a manner that allows them easily to walk in agreement with each other. This really is an important concern for individuals who are preparing to date.
Where To Get Casual Sex in South Ascot
Now, in earlier times when humans lived in tribes, we can easily picture this scenario: A man and a female have sex, the man reaches his orgasm and delivers his fertilizer (sperm) within 3-5 minutes, after which he is content and falls asleep after a release of melatonin. The female, on the flip side, has not reached her cumming yet, energized and is still turned on. So what does she do? She moves on to another male, and the next, and the next, until she's had her fill (pun intended) as well as a satisfactory amount of stimulation to fill her 15 minutes or so, and has her climax.
Why is it called a "honeymoon", and why did the first honeymoons last for one moon - one month - wherein the husband would be alone with his wife for a full cycle? So he be certain that when she, following the honeymoon, became pregnant and could keep her from other men for at least one fertile period, it was sure to be his child. Why is it that the firstborn in families were the one that were to inherit the farm? Because that was the only child that the father of the family could be sure was his own! This signifies that people consistently have been very aware of the reality that humans are not monogamous by nature, and certainly will sleep with other than their partner when and if given the opportunity.
If it was in our nature to meet Fuck Buddy in Berkshire and hook up with that person eternally - Why would we have to sign a contract on it? Why would we need to mark our land by putting a ring on a finger? Would we feel the need to truly have a ceremony with witnesses to proclaim that we were going to spend our lives together? It's not complex. We wouldn't. We'd merely meet, hook up, and stay for the remainder of our own lives. The whole idea of marriage will be to protect our property. In any culture that has marriages or the likes we can discover this one likeness: Property is important, and at the time of the development of marriage these societies were mainly patriarchal (commanded by guys), and it absolutely was significant for these guys to deem the women they fertilized as their property, so that no other men would "snitch" and/or fertilize these women. Why was the worth of virginity significant when a girl was to be married away? It demonstrated that no other men could have had the chance to fertilize her before he obligated himself to take care of her and her offspring for the remainder of their lives.
Few people realize that the seeds of either success or failure in union are shown during the dating period. Customs, attitudes, and thought processes that define a man's dating relationships will carry over into that person's marriage. As you are dating as a single, if you want to ensure success in your future marriage, the time to plan and prepare for that success is now. That is the reason why it's equally as important to prepare yourself as it is to prepare yourself for marriage, for dating.
The Fuck Buddy in South Ascot, Berkshire true closeness in a relationship is developing a oneness of spirit. Ultimately, preparing to date means understanding that the primary objective of serious dating is to develop a oneness of spirit--between a man plus a girl to true intimacy. Once realized, this religious relationship becomes the basis of a growing third and fourth -degree friendship, which then becomes the basis for engagement and marriage. I always say to folks, "Do Not marry your lover, marry your friend," because physical and mental love are 100 percent compound. You are basing your marriage on chemical reactions, which transform such as the weather, if you marry your lover. Concentrate on the religious instead of the physical when you date. Take advantage of your dating time not to groom a lover but to grow a friend. Genuine friendship--not a casual acquaintance, but individuals that are joined in soul and heart --is the basis for most successful long-term relationships. The issue is the fact that too a lot of individuals neither comprehend what true friendship is nor have any real clue the way to be a pal or just how to make friends. If you would like a buddy instead of a to be a buddy instead of to be a lover, and a lover, then you are prepared to date. The following thing to do is to analyze what friendship is really all around and find out the way to get friends by truly being a friend.
Best Place To Find An Escort in Berkshire
The Fuck Buddy in Berkshire is simple, platonic and uncomplicated. The lady you call up at 3 am when you've struck out at the club, or visit now and then just for sex is your Fuck Buddy. There is no deep emotional connection, you don't socialize with eachother outside the bedroom (or wherever you hook up), there are just sexual interest and actions. (This is also often known as a Booty Call)mOR: The multiple Open Relationship is the buddy you have sex with. In the open relationship, you've got an emotional as well as a mental connection with your partner(s). Your relationship isn't just about sex, it's additionally based on friendship, there is more emotional trust, and you share your bodily fluids as well as your life with each other. You might spend time together you meet with one another's friends and in a few events each others families. You're, on the other hand, NOT boyfriend/girlfriend - you are only good buddies, who occasionally give each other orgasms.
When reading this section, remember this: We are dealing with folks here, not machines or applications, and so their position on this particular scale might change over time or even from meeting to meeting. Calibrate from that point and it's up to you to find out where her center lies at any given time in your relationship. The girls divided into distinct stereotype classes, when I first began working out this model, and I 'd a whole system worked out to help you with your calibration. The trouble with this, naturally, is that no one fits any stereotype absolutely, and there are too many groups out there to make it an easy-to-recall construction. So I redid it. The following sketch is a scale that stretches from the far left - the woman THAT MAY fall in love with you forthwith, to the far right - the girl who just sees you as a playmate/boy toy and will never be interested in an exclusive relationship alongside you.
In Fuck Buddy in South Ascot, these terms are not sufficient to describe all the different types of relationships you can have with women. As for me, I refer to my relationships with women as "open relationships", simply because that is really what they're, and I can not be bothered to define the relationships or the girls in any other manner. When I speak of girls, I sleep with I either refer to them as "girls I see" or simply as friends. Not one of the girls I see are Girlfriends of mine; they're simply female friends of mine whom I have sex with on either a routine or non-routine basis. My camaraderie with the majority of them do not differ from my friendships with other people with whom I do not have sex. Nevertheless, in this book, you will find that I 've named different kinds of relationships, together with various kinds of girls. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Beginning in 2005, The African Queen and I enjoyed Section 320 at RFK Stadium. Our Washington Nationals and the Nats320 Blog came to life for us there. Since 2008-we've sat in Section 218 at Nationals Park, but our blog name has not changed. Our roots are in Nats320-and we will never forget those good times. But, as always, we will attempt to provide fun, information and commentary about Our Washington Nationals. All photos, unless otherwise attributed-COPYRIGHT Nats320--ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Jesus Flores--Looking To Make Up For Lost Time
From the day Jesus Flores made the big league roster for Our Washington Nationals as a Rule 5 draftee from The New York Mets in 2007, he's been considered an All-Star Catcher in waiting. All that promise though vanished over the past two seasons when Flores couldn't get healthy and remain on the field to play.
On May 9th, 2009, Jesus suffered a stress fracture in his right shoulder thanks to a freak accident. D.C.'s starting catcher took the brunt of a fouled off pitch behind the plate in Phoenix directly to his right shoulder bone. Despite expecting to only miss three months of action, Flores has now missed nearly two consecutive years. His recovery was set back further when he hurt his throwing arm in rehab. Only now--21 months after the original incident is Jesus Flores back playing again--looking to make up for lost time.
This past off-season Flores played Winter Ball, full time, in his native Venezuela. His manager was Nationals First Base Coach Dan Radison. Nats320 caught up with Radison and Flores over the past two days to gauge Jesus' progress.
Nats320: How did Flores play in Venezuela this past winter?
Dan Radison: He played real strong. He played tough, just like the player we all know he can be here for us. He showed a lot of durability and that was important. A lot of people are worried about him because of his health—especially with his throwing arm. But he was very durable. There were even a few tough games where we played 13 and 14 innings, one run ball games, and he played all the way and he played great.
He’s always been a good hitter. He had a strong season for us down there. So I was real happy with what he did.
Nats320: Throwing has been his biggest issue since he got injured in Phoenix a few years back. You feel he is 100%?
Radison: Well, I can’t speak for him. But he played a lot of ball games down there and he was fine. He never complained about his arm. So yeah, I would say he’s over the hump that way. I think he’s ready to go get them.
Jesus Flores: My arm is feeling very well. I feel great and I am just very excited to be back on the field and actually participating with my teammates in this spring training. It’s been far too long.
Nats320: Being out from playing for such a long time, how good was it to actually play in Venezuela this past winter?
Flores: A relief. It was very good for me just to get out there playing. Mentally, it really helped me regain my confidence and know I can still play and play well. It helped me understand that I was healthy to play baseball again.
Nats320: So whether we are talking throwing, hitting, fielding--you feel all your skills that you bring to the table are back?
Flores: All of them, in fact, even better than before. I am stronger and in better shape. But I am blessed that baseball and God has given me another chance to get back on the field. I really feel good about everything for the first time in a long time. My arm, my hitting, defense—everything is coming together. Everything is working very well. Not only do I feel I am a stronger player, but I am a smarter player. So I am just thinking about making the team.
Nats320: Clearly though it was tough being out for such a long time.
Flores: Yes, it was tough--really, really tough. There were some bad times when I had doubts, but now it is different. Since this season is now underway, I’ve said to myself, I am going to stop thinking about the past. I am going to stop thinking about the negative stuff. I am going to feel happy for myself. I overcame all those troubles. I feel great because of that. I am healthy again and it’s time to just move on.
Nats320: Positive attitude always helps.
Flores: It also makes me more comfortable and relaxed. In the batting cage, on the field, everything is going my way again. I am going to prove to the team that my arm is 100% and I ready to compete again in the big leagues. That’s all I can do. If I give my best everything will work out for itself. I need to take away whatever doubt they might still have in me. In practice, in games this spring, I need to prove to them I can still throw out those runners. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Sister of missing veteran: 'I'm going to keep looking for her'
Lucero "Lucy" Gonzalez, 30, has become the family spokesperson during the search for her missing sister Maribel Manriquez Ramos, 36, in photo left. Gonzalez is very close to her sister and has interviewed with television stations and newspapers to get the story out that Ramos has been missing since last Thursday. BRUCE CHAMBERS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Description of Maribel Ramos
•Authorities described Maribel Ramos as a Latina, 5-foot-2, 130 pounds, with brown, shoulder-length hair, a tattoo of a star on her left shoulder and an
"Aztec/tribal symbol" tattooed on her lower back.
•Police ask anyone with information to contact detective Joey Ramirez at 714-936-4501 or the Orange Police Department at 714-744-7403.
Source: Orange Police Department
Maribel Ramos' family sensed something was wrong when the 36-year-old Cal State Fullerton student was not at her apartment Friday after missing a baseball game.
"She was supposed to get there and play, and she didn't show up," said her sister Lucero Gonzalez, 30, from her Santa Ana home. "They played the game, and then they went to her house. Nobody answered, and they called the cops right away."
"There was no question about it ... that was just way out of the ordinary for her," Gonzalez added.
It's been six days since Ramos was last seen Thursday about 8:30 p.m., and authorities believe the circumstances behind her disappearance are suspicious, Orange police Sgt. Fred Lopez said. Investigators reportedly found no signs of violence at her home.
Her car was left in the apartment complex, but her keys, cellphone and purse are missing, Gonzalez said.
Ramos is a criminal justice major who served in South Korea and Iraq as an Army sergeant from 2001 to 2008, the Cal State Fullerton website said.
She was listed among the veteran graduates to be recognized at the university's annual Veterans Appreciation Night on Saturday, the day after she was reported missing.
Ramos, who has been described as a top student and works at the university's veterans center, is due to graduate May 26.
Gonzalez said she heard from her sister Thursday evening after she had returned from a trip to Chicago. Ramos, along with another veteran student and an alumna, had taken part in a May 1 panel in Chicago that focused on transitioning from the military to the university, the Cal Sate Fullerton website said.
"She went to work on Thursday. They sent her home because she was tired. She came in from Chicago the night before," Gonzalez said.
It was 5:48 p.m. Thursday when Gonzalez said she received a text from Ramos, telling her she was resting.
"There's no question there's something going on here," Gonzalez said. "My sister's missing. I know that it's not because she wants to be missing."
Gonzalez said her sister was not depressed and did not suffer from a mental illness. She did recall a Disneyland trip where the fireworks threw her sister off into a "whole other mode."
"She has things that trigger certain things but not to the point of depression and her leaving and just wandering off or harming herself or thinking of harming herself."
Ramos is dating a man who was at the baseball game Friday, Gonzalez said.
Since finding out about her sister's disappearance, Gonzalez's life has been turned upside-down. She's taken days off work to field numerous television news interviews and has distributed fliers announcing her sister's disappearance.
"I don't want to go back to work until I know that I'm doing what I can to find her ... nothing else matters," she said.
As Gonzalez logged on to her email account Wednesday, the news story of the missing women found in Cleveland popped up on her screen. It helped remind her to not lose hope, she said.
Lucero "Lucy" Gonzalez, 30, has become the family spokesperson during the search for her missing sister Maribel Manriquez Ramos, 36, in photo left. Gonzalez is very close to her sister and has interviewed with television stations and newspapers to get the story out that Ramos has been missing since last Thursday. BRUCE CHAMBERS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Lucero "Lucy" Gonzalez, 30, has become the family spokesperson during the search for her missing sister Maribel Manriquez Ramos, 36. Gonzalez is very close to her sister and has interviewed with television stations and newspapers to get the story out that Ramos has been missing since last Thursday. BRUCE CHAMBERS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Lucero "Lucy" Gonzalez, 30, created flyers to ask the public's help in find her missing sister, Maribel Manriquez Ramos, 36. BRUCE CHAMBERS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Lucero "Lucy" Gonzalez, 30, has become the family spokesperson during the search for her missing sister Maribel Manriquez Ramos, 36. Gonzalez is very close to her sister and has interviewed with television stations and newspapers to get the story out that Ramos has been missing since last Thursday. BRUCE CHAMBERS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A tiny statue that says "Best Sister" is a treasured memento of Lucero "Lucy" Gonzalez, 30. It was given to Gonzalez by her sister, Maribel Manriquez Ramos, 36, who is the subject of a missing person search by the Orange Police Department. BRUCE CHAMBERS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Lucero "Lucy" Gonzalez, 30, has become the family spokesperson during the search for her missing sister Maribel Manriquez Ramos, 36. Gonzalez is very close to her sister and has interviewed with television stations and newspapers to get the story out that Ramos has been missing since last Thursday. Here she reacts during an interview with Noticias 62. BRUCE CHAMBERS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Lucero "Lucy" Gonzalez, 30, has become the family spokesperson during the search for her missing sister Maribel Manriquez Ramos, 36. Gonzalez is very close to her sister and has interviewed with television stations and newspapers to get the story out that Ramos has been missing since last Thursday. Here she conducts an interview with television station Noticias 62. BRUCE CHAMBERS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Authorities believe that the circumstances behind the disappearance of Maribel Manriquez Ramos, 36, are suspicious, Orange police Sgt. Fred Lopez said. Ramos' family called police after she failed to show up to some "professional and personal commitments she had made to a variety of people," Lopez said. She hasn't been in contact with family members she is close to, he said. Family looked for her last Thursday night at her apartment, right, in Orange. BRUCE CHAMBERS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Police on Tuesday continued to seek the public's help in locating a Cal State Fullerton student from Orange who was reported missing Friday. Authorities believe that the circumstances behind the disappearance of Maribel Manriquez Ramos, 36, are suspicious, Orange police Sgt. Fred Lopez said. Ramos' family called police after she failed to show up to some "professional and personal commitments she had made to a variety of people," Lopez said. She hasn't been in contact with family members she is close to, he said PHOTO COURTESY OF LUCERO GONZALEZ
A personal photo of Maribel Manriquez Ramos, 36, who served in South Korea and Iraq as an Army sergeant from 2001 to 2008. PHOTO COURTESY OF LUCERO GONZALEZ
A personal photo of Maribel Manriquez Ramos, 36, who served in South Korea and Iraq as an Army sergeant from 2001 to 2008. PHOTO COURTESY OF LUCERO GONZALEZ
A personal photo of Maribel Manriquez Ramos, 36, who served in South Korea and Iraq as an Army sergeant from 2001 to 2008. PHOTO COURTESY OF LUCERO GONZALEZ
A personal photo of Maribel Manriquez Ramos, 36, who served in South Korea and Iraq as an Army sergeant from 2001 to 2008. PHOTO COURTESY OF LUCERO GONZALEZ
A personal collage of photos of Maribel Manriquez Ramos, 36, and her sister Lucero Gonzalez, 30, shows the sisters enjoying a previous CSUF Veteran's Appreciation Night. Ramos was listed among the veteran graduates to be recognized at the university's annual Veterans Appreciation Night on Saturday, May 4, the day after she was reported missing. PHOTO COURTESY OF LUCERO GONZALEZ
1 of
User Agreement
Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Eurosluts gang bang
All of our lovely Eurosluts are still getting a proper creaming in this hump day update, and they're loving the facial attention! Rihanna Samuel is still getting fucked like a champ while Bibi Fox and two of her friends line up for that much loved cumshot, and that's a small sample of all the fucking and cum blasting going down! | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
In vitro multi-cellular 3D cultures can provide tremendous insight into pathologies arising from dysregulation of extracellular communication by recapitulating key features of the microenvironment, such as ECM-cytokine ...
Methylating agents are ubiquitous in our internal and external environments and can cause damage to all cellular components, including our DNA. If left unrepaired, methylated DNA can cause mutations, cell death, and disease, ...
Materials that can interact with and transit membranes without toxic bilayer disruption or poration are of great interest in the drug delivery field. These materials can presumably bypass endocytosis to directly enter the ...
The identification and quantification of high-dimensional relationships is a major challenge in the analysis of both biological and chemical systems. To address this challenge, a variety of experimental and computational ...
Oxidatively damaged DNA has been strongly associated with cancer, chronic degenerative diseases and aging. Guanine is the most frequently oxidized base in the DNA, and generation of a guanine radical cation (G'") as an ...
The procession of helix-tracking enzymes along a DNA molecule results in the formation of supercoils in the DNA, with positive supercoiling (overwinding) generated ahead of the enzyme, and negative supercoiling (underwinding) ...
Inspired by the toxicity mechanism of cisplatin in testicular cancer, a series of bi-functional genotoxicants has been designed that supplement their DNA damaging properties with the ability to interact with tumor specific ...
CD8+ T cells are the main adaptive immune system cell type responding to intracellular pathogens, particularly viruses, and tumor antigens. In the case of influenza, activated T cells migrate from the mediastinal (draining) ...
The cardiac ventricular muscle cell (myocyte) is a key experimental system for exploring the mechanical properties of the diseased and healthy heart. The myocyte experimental model provides a higher level of physiological ...
Articular cartilage is avascular, and defects have limited capacity for spontaneous healing. Angiogenesis may interfere with maturation of naturally avascular tissues. Our rationale is that the use of endostatin, a potent ...
Comb polymer, which consists of a hydrophobic poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) backbone with hydrophilic hydroxy-poly(ethylene oxide) (HPOEM) side chains, is a tool that has many possible applications for the study of liver ...
The genome holds the blueprint of life and heredity. In the case of the mammalian genome it is comprised of billions of DNA bases grouped into elements that we are beginning to understand (ie genes) and others we know ...
The aim of this thesis is to consider how fundamental engineering principles might best be applied to the design and construction of engineered biological systems. I begin by applying these principles to a key application ...
In adoptive cell therapy (ACT), autologous tumor-specific T-cells isolated from cancer patients or genetically engineered lymphocytes are activated and expanded ex vivo, then infused back into the individual to eliminate ...
The tongue is an intricately configured muscular organ, which undergoes a series of rapid shape changes intended to first configure and then transport the bolus from the oral cavity to the pharynx during swallowing. In ...
One of the most marvelous features of microbial life is its ability to thrive in such diverse and dynamic environments. My scientific interest lies in the variety of modes by which microbial life accomplishes this feat. ...
Cells communicate with other cells, and process cues from their environment, via signaling pathways, in which extracellular cues trigger a cascade of information flow, causing signaling molecules to become chemically, ...
The intestinal crypt is a highly dynamic system, as the entire epithelium is constantly turned over and renewed by the proliferative stem cells located at the bottom of the crypt. While this system is crucial for nutrient ... | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Natural Breakthrough Drug Companies Hope You’ll NEVER DISCOVER!
Ultimate Prostate Remedy That Allows You To ….
CLIMAX at FULL SURGING POWER
SLEEP through the night
and PEE like a BABY….
What would happen if you secretly gave cancer patients four of the healthiest foods?
Subscribe to Dr. Greger’s free nutrition newsletter at and get a free recipe from his new HOW NOT TO DIE COOKBOOK. (All proceeds Dr. Greger receives from his books, DVDs, and speaking directly support NutritionFacts.org).
I love that study! You and I both know why those studies aren’t performed more often. Who’s going to profit? (Other than, of course, the millions of people suffering and dying from cancer).
The pomegranate extract video I opened with can be found here: Pomegranate vs. Placebo for Prostate Cancer ( ). And the note I ended on, the landmark Ornish study, is detailed here: Cancer Reversal through Diet ( ). For those unwilling or unable to make such significant dietary changes, there’s still something you can do. See Prostate Cancer Survival: The A/V Ratio ( ). Changing a Man’s Diet After a Prostate Cancer Diagnosis ( ) isn’t easy!
For more on the 2 + 2 is greater than 4 concept, see Food Synergy ( ).
What about preventing prostate cancer in the first place? You can check our videos like Prostate Cancer and Organic Milk vs. Almond Milk ( ) and Eggs, Choline, and Cancer ( ) to get a sense of what you might want to avoid, but in terms of what to eat, I’ve got two videos coming up soon: The Role of Soy Foods in Prostate Cancer Prevention ( ) and Fermented or Unfermented Soy Foods for Prostate Cancer Prevention? ( ). But first, a video series on the heavy metal lead, up next.
Have a question about this video? Leave it in the comment section at and someone on the NutritionFacts.org team will try to answer it.
Want to get a list of links to all the scientific sources used in this video? Click on Sources Cited at . You’ll also find a transcript and acknowledgements for the video, my blog and speaking tour schedule, and an easy way to search (by translated language even) through our videos spanning more than 2,000 health topics.
If you’d rather watch these videos on YouTube, subscribe to my YouTube Channel here:
Andrei if you try some of the tricks (water, beating them with a wooden spoon… check you tube. there’s even specialty bowls) or just carefully by hand, but get in the habit of doing the whole thing at once, very quickly the speed improves and it’s no longer annoying. I prefer by hand myself but some people are really skilled with fancier methods
This guy is GREAT. Really. He gives so rich and high quality information that everyone has to wait impatiently for the next video. I learned a lot from you Dr.Greger. Many many thanks for all the endeavors – you are doing GREAT work.
I’ve read that dietary diversity is among the official dietary guidelines of the Japanese government and that one ad campaign advised citizens to ‘Consume Thirty Different Food Items Each Day’. Does anyone know if this policy arose entirely from scientific evidence or has variety always been considered healthful as part of traditional Japanese folk wisdom.
Dexter Williams cultural diversity never works. as evident from what’s happening around us. also, why is cultural diversity forced on rich and mostly white Nations? why not poor third world countries where if you suggest cultural enrichment people would prosecute you ?
But be careful, that does not mean that all extracts don’t work. For example penicillin which is extracted from fungi, another example is vitamin C which cure scurvy as effective as lemons, so the idea is finding the effective component which can be more than one…
For a great in-depth understanding of how the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts, read T. Colin Campbell’s excellent book, “Whole.” I’m not scientifically inclined, but it taught me a lot (just as Dr. Greger does each week!)
I had my prostate removed by robotic surgery in 2013. In two months my PSA was at 2.03. It continued to double every month for the next couple of months. My doctor said I had an aggressive form of it and there wasn’t a lot more they could do. My best friend discovered a company, through some friends of his with prostate cancer, in Thailand and Hong Kong who had been forced out of the United States. (Pharmaceuticals and Oncologists didn’t want any competition.) I contacted them and got on their program. I have been on it now for over 4 years. My PSA now runs between 0.25 and 1.25. My blood work would rival that of a 30 year old. I am 70. It does drop my testosterone dramatically but that is part of what feeds the cancer and it doesn’t seem to affect me to any large degree. My Primary physician is so impressed by it that he started recommending them to his other prostate cancer patients he thought might be willing to consider it. My Urologist doesn’t like it and tells me, “After 100 years of treating prostate cancer we know best how to deal with it.” Right. All they know after 100 years is to cut, burn or poison. I’ll never go back to western medicine for my prostate cancer treatment. The company has testimonials on its website with names and phone numbers clear across the United States that you can contact and they will tell you their own stories. By having them there and the ability to contact them you know the testimonials are not some BS that the company wrote but real, true prostate cancer survivors. I called a couple of them myself who were friends of my best friend and they removed any doubt I may have had. The company is now working to get their treatment approved in the United States and even though the US forced them out under threat of arrest, are now having to reconsider because of the enormous success they have had world wide. You can find them on their website at “Nutrition 2000”. I have taken to calling them N2K for short. Give them a try. You will not be disappointed.
food for medicine…fantastic…everyone should learn this before antibiotics stop working…garlic, turmeric, ginger, cayenne pepper black pepper, black cumin oil, tomatoes, grapes, pomegranates, oregano, olive, raw honey, raw apple cider vinegar, apples. not even to mention the green veggies and algies and fish and the thousands of herbs which benefit the human body in a powerful way…what do they all do ?…medicine is food…
If you're following a gluten-free, vegan, Paleo, or low-carb diet, listen up: You may be putting yourself at risk... The post Gone Vego, low-carb or gluten-free? Listen up. appeared first on Men's Fitness Magazine.
Looking for Strength Training Tips. You’ve come to the right place. Strength is the foundation of everyday acts of athleticism (like hitting a 300-metre drive in golf) and not-so-human feats (like J.J. Watt’s 5’1″ box jump). Strength isn’t limited to muscle size and capacity. When you get stronger, you’re better able to lose weight, run […]
Use circuit training to whip your lower half into shape. Don't neglect your legs in favour of more chest and arm workouts! The post Build Your Legs with Leg Workout appeared first on Men's Fitness Magazine.
If you could make every day like this one, you’d be a lean beast in a few weeks or months. The road to a thinner waistline and a deflated spare tire is plagued with pitfalls, diet mishaps, and false supplement claims. Whereas many guys have likely tried one particular weight-loss method in the past, most […]
The only way to make one of the best upper-body exercises better, is to do more or them Pullups are hands down one of the best exercises for developing your back and increasing your overall fitness level. They’re old-school, basic, and a natural movement pattern of human beings. Instead of hitting the gym week after […]
To create a more dominant frame that’s masculine, imposing, and—let’s admit it—irresistible to women, you need to train smart. Trashing your body in the gym may give you the size you’re looking for, but injuries and imbalances are always threatening. To ensure you’re making the most of your back workouts, Joel Seedman, Ph.D., exercise physiologist, athletic […]
Are you an avid runner that wants to change up the scenery? Here are 5 Asian marathons you need to do! With the Australian winter nearly, running enthusiasts are lucky enough to be able to head north to race in some incredible marathons across Asia. Still, there are marathons that happen all year, with courses […]
The nutty paste is back in fashion, but is its healthy reputation justified? At first glance, peanut butter’s place in the pantheon of healthy foods seems somewhat questionable, since it’s high in both fat and calories. However, take a step back and the wider picture reveals peanut butter’s merits, especially for anyone with an active […]
Follow these commandments my son, and abs you shall have. While fitness models make being ripped look easy, in all honesty it’s really tough, well unless you follow these 5 everyday rules for ripped abs. It’s hard, it takes time and it demands an unwavering degree of discipline. In our on-going efforts to assist you […] | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Not everyone should get screened for lung cancer using CT scans.
CT Scam
Don't believe the hype about lung-cancer screenings.
November is Lung Cancer Awareness month. In Atlanta this week you may have heard a dulcet-voiced doctor on the radio announcing that "anybody can develop lung cancer," and the alarming factoid that women who have never smoked are the fastest-growing segment of people getting the diagnosis. In California, a press release announced that anyone who has smoked for more than 10 years is a "patient at risk" for lung cancer, and another advised that "prior smokers over 50 years of age"would benefit from screening.
But these are not public-service announcements intended to raise awareness of the No. 1 cancer-killer. They are advertisements promoting computed tomography lung cancer screening from St. Joseph's Hospital in Atlanta, Wilshire Radiology Associates in Beverly Hills, Calif., and the Bonnie Addario Lung Cancer Foundation (which sponsors a CT screening program at Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City, Calif.). There are more examples, too—coming from hospital Web sites and physicians' groups. And they are all dangerously misleading.
On Nov. 4, the National Cancer Institute held a press conference announcing that a large randomized trial of CT screening had shown an astounding 20 percent reduction in the risk of death from lung cancer among participants. This is a huge step forward in lung-cancer prevention, no doubt. But the Institute said little about who should be screened, or the risks that are involved.
Advertisement
They should have. Cancer screening is fundamentally inefficient: Hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of people must be screened to help just one or two. Each person who undergoes the test may suffer consequences from it, even though most will never get any counterbalancing benefit. This is why the recent study—called the National Lung Screening Trial—focused on a narrow, "high-risk" subgroup of the adult population who ranged from 55 to 74 years old and had smoked at least a pack a day for 30 years. If they had quit, it was within the past 15 years.
These are strict criteria, and they ensured that the patients had a meaningful chance of developing lung cancer during the course of the decadelong study—and thus an opportunity to benefit from being screened. But people who are younger or have smoked less than the test subjects are at much lower risk for the disease (although no one is entirely safe from it).
If you have a lower risk of lung cancer, there's less of a chance that screening will help you, as you can't prevent something that wasn't going to happen. But that doesn't mean there's less of a chance you'll be harmed by the procedure. Taking a CT scan of the chest can uncover something that looks abnormal but ends up being nothing. Along the way there are more scans, biopsies and, sometimes, unnecessary surgeries. In the NCI study one in four people had these false positives. A prior study from the University of Pittsburgh pegged the rate at around two out of five, and in that study one in 100 subjects had parts of their lung removed for no good reason.
CT screening can also uncover small lung cancers that you'd be better off not knowing about, because they would be unlikely to progress and make you sick. This problem of overdiagnosis is familiar in prostate cancer—many cancers found by the PSA test are not dangerous. A study from 2007 showed that CT screening may uncover one overdiagnosed cancer for each real cancer it turns up. The NCI has not yet released the equivalent numbers from its new trial, but the data we do have suggest that the ratio is about the same—about one in 70 patients is told he has lung cancer when the condition might end up being harmless.
Leaving aside false positives and overdiagnoses, screening is not a panacea. Not even close. The NCI study showed that regular scans prevented one in five lung cancer deaths, which means that four out of five sneaked through. It's amazing to save even one in five people, but it also means that the number who benefit from screening is a lot smaller than the number who test positive. All told, a death from lung cancer was prevented in one out of every 300 people in the study.
The potential harms listed here are more than offset by this one important benefit. But that calculation changes if we stop focusing on those patients at very high risk of disease. For everyone else, the risks may outweigh the gains, and the overall cost in dollars would be prohibitive.
But the new round of CT scan advertisements released following the Nov. 4 press conference target a much larger population for screening. The Bonnie Addario Foundation's criteria suggest that some 46 million people should be screened at a cost of between $14 billion and $84 billion (about the budget of the U.S. Department of Education). Beverly Hills Radiologists? It says 77 million people and $23 billion to $138 billion (similar to the numbers for the Department of Labor). And if you go with St. Joseph's in Atlanta, which encourages screening for nonsmoking women and all men with any smoking exposure whatsoever, that's 166 million people—about half the U.S. population, at a cost of around $50 billion to $300 billion (half the Medicare program).
All of this would be for the first scan. Then there are the follow-up tests associated with false positives. If we stick to screening the high-risk people it will probably be worth it. Researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston reported that it would cost around $150,000 for each quality-adjusted life year saved if we focused on screening those particular people. That's much more costly than, say, mammography, but it's in the neighborhood of many other cancer treatments. Still, these researchers noted that more could be gained at lower cost by getting people to stop smoking. Those who quit their habits reduce their risk of getting lung cancer by about 50 percent, which is more than double the benefit of being screened, without any of the radiation, false positives, overdiagnoses, and unnecessary surgeries.
Some day CT screening will save lives—hopefully a lot of them. It will harm some people, too. We can stay ahead in this tradeoff if we are circumspect about whom we screen, and if we don't believe every radio ad we hear.
March 3 2015 1:39 PMThe “Most Pleasurable Portrayal of Libertarianism“ Bonus SegmentDavid, Emily, and John discuss what Parks and Recreation got right about government.Emily Bazelon, David Plotz, and John Dickerson | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Latin Priests and the Anglican Rite
Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy and dean of theology at the Regina Apostolorum university.
Q: Is it permissible for a Latin-rite priest to celebrate the Anglican rite privately? — R.B., Syracuse, New York
A: We are speaking about the recent version of “Divine Worship: The Missal,” approved by the Holy See for the personal ordinariates established under the auspices of the apostolic constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus, which gave a path for Anglican groups to become Catholic. This missal has been in use since the first Sunday of Advent 2015.
The missal is drawn from various Anglican sources and the third edition of the Roman Missal, and thus is an authoritative adaptation of the Roman Rite. Over a five-year period an interdicasterial panel of the Holy See, the Anglicanae Traditiones Commission, reviewed and winnowed centuries of the great poetic language of Anglican texts dating back to 1549, then assembled the best of them together, in accordance with the Roman Rite.
This is in conformity with the desire of Anglicanorum Coetibus, which asked the ordinariates to maintain “elements of their liturgical, spiritual and pastoral traditions” as a “treasure to be shared” with the wider Church. This missal marks the first time that the Catholic Church has sanctioned liturgical texts deriving from the Protestant Reformation.
However, the members of the ordinariate have stressed that this new missal is not an Anglican liturgy or Anglican-use rite separate and distinct from the Roman rite of the Catholic Church. Dr. Clint Brand, a member of the advisory commission, said of the missal: “It does not reflect Anglican eucharistic theology. It is not a Protestant service dressed up as a Catholic Mass. It is the Catholic Mass of the Western rite, filtered through the Anglican experience, corrected and expressed in an Anglican voice.”
Although the missal is fully Catholic, this does not mean that any priest may celebrate Mass according to Divine Worship: The Missal — notwithstanding the beauty of the language that might be tempting for some.
This question was put to one of the ordinariates itself, and a reply was published on its web page.
The answer to the question was the following:
“No. Public liturgical celebration according to Divine Worship is restricted to the parishes and communities of the Personal Ordinariates established under the auspices of the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus.
“Any priest incardinated in such a Personal Ordinariate may also publicly celebrate the Mass according to Divine Worship outside the parishes of the Ordinariate with the permission of the rector/pastor of the corresponding church or parish. Priests of the Ordinariate may always celebrate Mass without a congregation according to Divine Worship.
“In cases of pastoral necessity or in the absence of a priest incardinated in an Ordinariate, any Catholic priest in good standing may celebrate the Holy Eucharist according to Divine Worship for members of the Ordinariate who request it. For example, since the parishes of the Ordinariate are often spread out over a large geographic territory, the pastor of an Ordinariate parish may ask a priest at a nearby diocesan parish to fill in during illness or vacation leave.
“Can any priest concelebrate Mass according to Divine Worship?
“Yes. Any Catholic priest may concelebrate Mass according to Divine Worship.”
In this respect, the norms are like the situation with regard to other particular Latin rites, although the others are historically far older and are confined to geographical territories.
Thus, the Ambrosian rite which is based in the Archdiocese of Milan and some other dioceses tied to this diocese has, as a basic rule of thumb, that a Roman-rite priest celebrates publicly in the Ambrosian rite when in Ambrosian territory, and an Ambrosian priest celebrates in the Roman rite when outside his base. The head of the rite, in this case, the Archbishop of Milan, can grant exceptions to this general rule and allow the celebration of the Roman rite in Milan and the Ambrosian rite beyond these boundaries, albeit in agreement with the local ordinary.
Except with these special permissions, and for pastoral reasons, a Roman-rite priest cannot celebrate in Ambrosian rite outside of its liturgical territory.
Likewise, in Spain, we have the Hispanic-Mozarabic rite. This ancient rite, which before the year 711 was celebrated in the entire Iberian Peninsula, was gradually reduced to a splendid chapel of the cathedral of Toledo where Mass and Divine Office are offered daily.
Since the year 2000, the Holy See granted permission for its celebration throughout Spain with express permission of the archbishop of Toledo, as head of the rite, as well as that of the local bishop.
Thus, some dioceses now have an occasional or yearly celebration in this rite, especially of Spanish saints who lived while the rite was still extant.
Otherwise, only those priests explicitly authorized may celebrate according to the Hispanic-Mozarabic rite.
Of course, all Catholic priests may celebrate the extraordinary form of the Roman rite in accordance with the norms issued by Pope Benedict XVI in the letter Summorum Pontificum and subsequent clarifications in the instruction Universae Ecclesiae.
* * *
Follow-up: Parameters for Extraordinary Ministers
With regard to our October 31 piece on extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, a reader from Idaho commended: “It is my understanding that EMHC can function only when two conditions are met simultaneously: 1) a shortage of available priests and deacons, and 2) an unusually large number of communicants. I understand condition No. 1 to mean that ALL priests/deacons in a parish are to assist with Communion even when they are not concelebrating/assisting at Mass. Only then can the non-ordained administer the Eucharist. That would also apply to bringing Communion to the sick/homebound. Is my understanding correct?”
The law, in this case, is the following from the instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum:
“[157.] If there is usually present a sufficient number of sacred ministers for the distribution of Holy Communion, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion may not be appointed. Indeed, in such circumstances, those who may have already been appointed to this ministry should not exercise it. The practice of those Priests is reprobated who, even though present at the celebration, abstain from distributing Communion and hand this function over to laypersons.
“[158.] Indeed, the extraordinary minister of Holy Communion may administer Communion only when the Priest and Deacon are lacking, when the Priest is prevented by weakness or advanced age or some other genuine reason, or when the number of faithful coming to Communion is so great that the very celebration of Mass would be unduly prolonged. This, however, is to be understood in such a way that a brief prolongation, considering the circumstances and culture of the place, is not at all a sufficient reason.”
I would respond that while these are the conditions in general terms, it is up to the pastor to make the judgment calls.
I would also be loath to second-guess the reasons why a priest who is present in the parish might not assist at giving Communion. The law does not strictly oblige him to distribute Communion if not a celebrant, and he may have very valid reasons for not doing so.
Even at the Vatican, seminarians are sometimes called upon to act as extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion even though there are hundreds of priest concelebrants. The logistics make it simply impossible for the priests to consume both species and distribute Communion in a reasonable time.
Also, the law refers both to the number of communicants and the time required to distribute Communion. It is not just a case of an unusual influx of worshippers. A priest might require help even at regular Mass if the time required to distribute Communion would unduly extend the Mass. Again, what constitutes an undue delay is a pastoral call. A parish with only one morning Mass could easily handle an extra five minutes. A parish with multiple Masses and with a need to calculate the use of its parking space might need to set precise time limits to the duration of Mass.
Therefore, while not encouraging an unnecessary use of extraordinary ministers, I think we can presume in the good faith and common sense of most priests to make proper decisions.
* * *
Readers may send questions to [email protected]. Please put the word “Liturgy” in the subject field. The text should include your initials, your city and your state, province or country. Father McNamara can only answer a small selection of the great number of questions that arrive. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Zombies are set to rise from the dead on Halloween, which is why we sent Blair Butler to the New York Comic-Con to catch up with the cast and producers of AMC's highly anticipated series, The Walking Dead. Based on what we've seen, this could be the best show in television history! | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Disclaimers
NOT AN OFFER TO SOLICIT SECURITIES AND RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH INT
AND THE INTUITON FABRIC APPLICATION
This document is for informational purposes only and does not constitute
an offer or solicitation to sell shares or securities in Intuition Machine Inc.
or any related or associated company. Any such offer or solicitation would only
be made by a confidential offering memorandum and in accordance with applicable
securities and other laws. None of the information or analyses presented are
intended to form the basis for any investment decision, and no specific
recommendations are intended. Accordingly, this document does not constitute
investment advice or counsel or solicitation for investment in any security.
This document does not constitute or form part of, and should not be construed
as, any offer for sale or subscription of, or any invitation to offer to buy or
subscribe for, any securities, nor should it or any part of it form the basis
of, or be relied on in any connection with, any contract or commitment
whatsoever. Intuition Machine expressly disclaims any and all responsibility
for any direct or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever arising
directly or indirectly from: (i) reliance on any information contained in this
document, (ii) any error, omission or inaccuracy in any such information or
(iii) any action resulting therefrom.
The Intuiton Fabirc (iFab) token, or INT, is a cryptographic token used by the iFab
application INT is not a cryptocurrency.
At the time of this writing, (i) with the exception of being used to
place ads on the iFab platform, INT cannot be exchanged for goods or services,
(ii) INT has no known uses outside the iFab application, and (iii) INT cannot
be traded on any known exchanges.
INT is not an investment.
There is no guarantee – indeed there is no reason to believe
– that the INT you purchase will increase in value. It may – and
probably will at some point – decrease in value. Those who do not
actually use their INT honestly and fairly may lose their right to use INT and
may lose their INT to those that do use INT honestly and fairly.
INT is not evidence of ownership or right to control.
Controlling INT does not grant its controller ownership or equity in
Intuition Machine, or the iFab application. INT does not grant any right to
participate in the control, direction or decision making of Intuition Machine
or the iFab application.
RISK DISCLOSURES
1) Risk of Losing Access to INT Due to Loss of Credentials
The purchaser's INT may be associated with a iFab account until they are
distributed to the purchaser. The iFab account can only be accessed with login
credentials selected by the purchaser. The loss of these credentials will
result in the loss of INT. Best practices dictate that purchasers safely store
credentials in one or more backup locations geographically separated from the
working location.
2) Risks Associated with the Ethereum Protocol
INT and the iFab application are based on the Ethereum protocol. As
such, any malfunction, unintended function, unexpected functioning of or attack
on the Ethereum protocol may cause the iFab application or INT to malfunction
or function in an unexpected or unintended manner. Ether, the native unit of
account of the Ethereum protocol may itself lose value in ways similar to INT,
and also other ways. More information about the Ethereum protocol is available
at http://www.ethereum.org.
3) Risks Associated with Purchaser Credentials
Any third party that gains access to or learns of the purchaser's login
credentials or private keys may be able to dispose of the purchaser's INT. To
minimize this risk, the purchaser should guard against unauthorized access to
their electronic devices.
4) Risk of Unfavorable Regulatory Action in One or More Jurisdictions
Blockchain technologies have been the subject of scrutiny by various
regulatory bodies around the world. The functioning of the iFab application and
INT could be impacted by one or more regulatory inquiries or actions, including
the licensing of or restrictions on the use, sale, or possession of digital
tokens like INT, which could impede, limit or end the development of the iFab
application.
5) Risk of Alternative, Unofficial iFab Application
Following the Crowdsale and the development of the initial version of
the INT platform, it is possible that alternative applications could be established,
which use the same open source code and protocol underlying the iFab
application. The official iFab application may compete with these alternative,
unofficial INT -based applications, which could potentially negatively impact
the Lunyr application and INT, including its value.
6) Risk of Insufficient Interest in the iFab Application or Distributed
Applications
It is possible that the iFab application will not be used by a large
number of businesses, individuals, and other organizations and that there will
be limited public interest in the creation and development of distributed
applications. Such a lack of interest could negatively impact INT and the iFab
application.
7) Risk that the iFab Application, As Developed, Will Not Meet the
Expectations of iFab or the Purchaser
The iFab application is presently under development and may undergo
significant changes before release. Any expectations or assumptions regarding
the form and functionality of the iFab application or INT (including
participant behavior) held by Intuition Machine or the purchaser may not be met
upon release, for any number of reasons including mistaken assumptions or
analysis, a change in the design and implementation plans and execution of the iFab
application.
8) Risk of Theft and Hacking
Hackers or other groups or organizations or countries may attempt to
interfere with the iFab application or the availability of INT in any number of
ways, including service attacks, Sybil attacks, spoofing, smurfing, malware
attacks, or consensus based attacks.
The iFab application consists of open source software that is based on
other open source software. There is a risk that the Intuition Machine team, or
other third parties may intentionally or unintentionally introduce weaknesses
or bugs into the core infrastructural elements of the iFab application
interfering with the use of or causing the loss of INT.
10) Risk of Weaknesses or Exploitable Breakthroughs in the Field of
Cryptography
Advances in cryptography, or technical advances such as the development
of quantum computers, could present risks to cryptocurrencies and the iFab
platform, which could result in the theft or loss of INT.
11) Risk of INT Mining Attacks
As with other decentralized cryptographic tokens and cryptocurrencies,
the blockchain used for the iFab application is susceptible to mining attacks,
including double- spend attacks, majority mining power attacks, selfish
-mining attacks, and race condition attacks. Any successful attacks present a
risk to the iFab application, INT, and expected proper execution and sequencing
of Ethereum contract computations. Despite the efforts of the Intuition Machine
team, the risk of known or novel mining attacks exists.
12) Risk of Lack of Adoption or Use of the iFab Application
While INT should not be viewed as an investment, it may have value over
time. That value may be limited if the iFab application lacks use and adoption.
If this becomes the case, there may be few or no markets following the launch
of the platform, potentially having an adverse impact on INT.
13) Risk of an Illiquid Market for INT
There very well may never be a secondary market for INT. There are
currently no exchanges upon which INT would trade. If ever exchanges do
develop, they will likely be relatively new and subject to poorly understood
regulatory oversight. They may therefore be more exposed to fraud and failure
than established, regulated exchanges for other products and have a negative
impact on INT.
14) Risk of Uninsured Losses
Unlike bank accounts or accounts at some other financial institutions,
funds held using the iFab application or Ethereum network are generally
uninsured. In the event of any loss, there is no public insurer, such as the
FDIC, or private insurer, to offer recourse to the purchaser.
15) Risk of Dissolution of the iFab Project
It is possible that, due to any number of reasons, including an
unfavorable fluctuation in the value of Ether, development issues with the iFab
application, the failure of business relationships, or competing intellectual
property claims, the iFab project may no longer be viable as a business or
otherwise and may dissolve or fail to launch.
16) Risk of Malfunction in the iFab Application
It is possible that the iFab application malfunctions in an unfavorable
way, including one that results in the loss of INT.
17) Unanticipated Risks
Cryptographic tokens are a new and untested technology. In addition to
the risks discussed in this White Paper, there are risks that the iFab team
cannot anticipate.
Further risks may materialize as unanticipated combinations or
variations of the discussed risks or the emergence of new risk. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Racing to Zero: documentary review
Encouraging and inspiring, the film Racing to Zero documents the great work in which the city of San Francisco is engaged (see trailer below). By the year 2020, San Francisco hopes to have achieved zero waste leaving their city destined for a landfill. At the making of the film they had already reached an 80% reduction in waste since 2000. Through a combination of creative entrepreneurship, city oversight, and passionate initiative of many community members, the entire culture of the city is in the process of transformation. Instead of seeing leftover and discarded items as garbage, this city sees them as resources. Watching this city tackle its waste problems with innovative versions of “reduce, reuse, and recycle” offers hope that even Americans are able to do this kind of work when we put our minds to it.
How do they do it, you might ask? They implemented curbside compost, as well as trash and recycling. The trash goes directly to the landfill. It is not sorted. But the compost and recycling go to their respective facilities, and the compost heads just outside of town to be turned into dirt with the help of some local worms and farmers. It is then used to grow food for the city. They have also set up a program to combine and compost the agricultural waste from nearby farms, including tomato skins and hazelnut shells. On their own, these do not compost well, but when combined they are able to add a diversity of nutrients back into the soil of all the participating farms. The city encourages individuals to use compostable plastic bags to reduce the presence of “urban tumbleweeds” in their city, and especially in the compost.
Robert Haley, San Francisco’s Zero Waste Manager
San Francisco’s recycling system is broad and exciting. They can recycle most kinds of plastic, as well as glass, metal, and paper. Their plastic recycling facility is able to separate the plastic specifically enough to melt it down in the appropriate grade and type, then create new plastic beads for sale to manufacturers. This requires a number of dedicated individuals who have created a processing plant for this purpose.
They also have an excellent system for recycling electronic waste. Rather than shipping e-waste to foreign countries, where the useful scraps are dismantled but much of them are burned, releasing toxic chemicals into the air, e-waste is carefully attended to so that some of it is refurbished and sold and others are carefully dismantled into recyclable components and every piece possible is melted down for use in new products. Again, a group of committed individuals have been instrumental in making this possible.
James Kao, Founder, President, CEO of Green Citizen
San Francisco encourages people to reuse products prior to recycling them, of course. The film showed a Goodwill donation center, and discussed the life of a textile product, reused and reused until it is threadbare and then created into new thread.
The city even emphasizes the safe disposal of biohazards and toxic chemicals, from chemotherapy waste to expired medications to household cleaners. San Francisco emphasizes education, ease for the citizens to know where and how to recycle or dispose of their waste, and volunteer or entrepreneurial energy to passionately implement the goals that the city set for itself. City personnel happily go about their jobs with a sense of dignity and joy. They are making it possible for people to do what they already want to do: to responsibly use their resources.
I appreciated that this film shows many regular, everyday workers doing the job of dealing with waste or recycling, and we see their care for their work and the sense of dignity and respect with which the city treats them. Garbage, compost, and recycling collectors are not second class citizens, but are performing an important and valued service for the community. Rather than the enemy, the city officials are shown collaborating with entrepreneurs to create jobs and opportunities, and to keep the local economy strong, and to work with those who use toxic, unsafe chemicals to find alternatives that are healthier for them and for the land.
Sushma Bhatia, San Francisco Toxics Director
The documentary is not visually very exciting, but the information and ideas are well worth watching. I recommend this film for city planners and other officials thinking about implementing sustainability goals, for entrepreneurs wanting ideas of how to turn recycling into a career path, and activists who want to activate new ideas and energy for their organizations. It may also work well for student groups in a university setting. I can see it being quite helpful for business, economy, or political science students who want to know whether sustainability can be an effective and economical policy.
Racing to Zero encourages us to transform the way we think about trash, and, as one individual in the film said, instead of “making mountains out of trash, we can live in a way that’s less trashy.” We can remember that each of the things we use is a precious resource with a long and respectable lifespan, working alongside us to create a thriving world.
Educational and community groups can host screenings or show the film in their classrooms by securing rights through Bullfrog Films. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Beskrivelse
Spend you Lisbon trip in the centre of the action in one of the most desirable Lisbon's neighbourhood, Bairro Alto.
The apartment is a fantastic duplex with two bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, a living room with all the comfort you want, including a led TV and a dining table, a complete bathroom and best of all is to be exposed to the sun during the whole day which means it has lots of light. Sleeps two people in each room plus two in the living room it has a great sofa bed.
The beds are amazingly comfortable. The apartment has crisps quality sheets and soft towels. Has a fully equipped kitchen for you to prepare delicious meals during your stay, Has internet and wireless service and a large flat screen TV with cable service.
At your arrival, you will have the guarantee of a friendly welcome by our representative that makes the check-in who fluently speaks English and French, and is ready to help you, providing all needed information, hints and tips of Lisbon for a perfect stay.
The apartment is situated in the heart of the Bairro Alto, one of the most typical neighborhoods of the capital of Portugal and certainly the most well situated as it is between Chiado, which is the most glamorous neighborhood of the city, where are the best shops, coffees and restaurants, but also because it is ten minutes walk from the neighborhood of the Sé, Castelo and Alfama, which you can visit all the historic part without having to use the car.
The area is also well served with public transportation. A metro station is about 5 minutes walking in Chiado, from where you can explore the rest of the city. There are also 24H taxi stands in Chiado. You are 5 minutes from the city center, so you will be able to enjoy most of Lisbon´s attractions by foot! You have however buses, trams and metro nearby running every minute.
TRAM: Famous Tram 28 takes you to the city center and most picturesque Lisbon districts runs in this street. It has a stop 5 minutes from the apartment! METRO:Baixa/Chiado Station Green and Blue Lines
Husregler
Check-in is after 3:00 p.m. and need to be arranged before the day of arrival. Please call or send us a message after collecting your luggage at the Lisbon airport, or train/bus station, to let us know you are already in Lisbon. Our representative will give you a friendly welcome and answer any questions you may have.
Check-in after 23:00 is subject to a 25 EUR fee.
Check in on the 24th of December and 31 of December after 6 pm are not allowed..
We will provide you with our contact details after your reservation is confirmed. The apartment will be ready and cleaned for you before your arrival. Fresh towels and bed clothing are also provided and all is included in the total price. You will be given a set of towels per person. Keys delivery: In the apartment. Cleaning: On departure.
Please note that from the 1st of January 2016 a city tax of EUR 1 per person, per night is not included in the total price and should be paid on site. This tax is charged to guests aged 13 and older. It is subject to a maximum amount of EUR 7 per guest.
Anmeldelser af denne værts andre boliger
We really enjoyed our time in Lisbon. The studio was great and in a central location. Everything looked exactly like the pictures; you will not be disappointed.
We were nicely welcomed by Tiago who gave us tips and a map of the city which was a great help.
The tram is literally 10s away from the front door and it takes you to the best places in Lisbon.
I would recommend this place to anyone and would happily book it again.
It's a bit small for 3 people but just perfect for 2 people.
It's a bit noisy in the morning but you should not waste your time sleeping in Lisbon there is so much to discover!
This flat is a really nice flat near to the tram 28 station and near to a mini super market. The people who where responsible fir the flat where really friendly and helped in every matter. The only thing which annoyed us were the noise around the flat. The flights from outside, the dog from above and always the door to the street. It doesn't matters if you have a tight sleep but if not you should bring somethibg for your ears with you. Nevertheless the stay was great and we would come again!!!
We had a very pleasant stay in Lisbon. The host was very nice and helpful. The appartment was spacious and clean. The beds were good and the kitchen was fully equipped. The only downsides were the ants inside in the appartment (so put out the garbage immediately) and that we had to get up 187 steps to get to the appartment because it is located quite high in the city. Nevertheless this was a good excercise and we didn't really mind it. We would definitely recommend the appartment!
We had a lovely stay in this appartment, is has a top location, very pleasant neigborhood where ordinary people live their lives, quiet, and yet in the middle of vibrant Lisbon, with tramway 28 at 1 min, nice restaurants all around. Don't forget to have a bite at the restaurant of the Belgium lady, when you walk up the street, it is opposit the big white public building. Very comfy bed, cool and charming, the communication with our host was easy and pleasant, thanks Margarida for our lovely stay in Lisbon? We would certainly recommend your appartment!
Trudy and Martin
Clean and tidy apartment, a small minus would be that it is because of poorly insulated door is heard very much from the stairwell, but on the other hand, there are not many others who live in the building. If you don't mind walking around, the location is perfect, in the older part of Lisbon. The host was very nice and helpful, we would definitely recommend this apartment.
The apartement was brilliant - rustic and cosy.. and situated in a nice area. We loved the coolness on the very hot days. The beds were good as well.
We could have wished a little more equipment in the kitchen - but we managed fine nevertheless.
Nice, clean and modern flat in between tiny roads not far away from Bairro Alto (when you know the right way, its less than 10 min to walk...). A Metro station as well as a supermarket are only a 10 minutes walk away. But sadly we couldn`t get any information about the location of the supermarket or any nearby helpful shops at the keyexchange from the responsible person.
Nevertheless the flat is equipped with many usefull things like hairdryer, hot iron, TV and free WIFI and it is located in a relatively quiet area of lisbon. The flat is in the second floor without elevator. The kitchen provides most of the needed cooking tools like pans, knives etc., but unfortunately we had to buy salt, oil vinegar and all the basic ingredients for cooking. There was no dish soap or cloth for cleaning the dishes or a regular soap in the bathroom. This was the only critics we have, thats why we give 4 out of 5 stars. Apart from that the flat is excellent.
Very friendly contact and easy communication in english with the contact person per email or message.
This is definitively a nice way to stay in Lisbon for a couple of days and a good chance to explore the city. thanks, alex and annette | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Staff
Executive Director
Deborah Curran is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law and the School of Environmental Studies. Focusing primarily on land use law, Deborah has significant experience in analyzing and making recommendations on how local governments approach regulation and planning for environmental protection, particularly in the context of smart growth and ecosystem integrity. For real estate, land use and sustainability law news, follow Deborah on Twitter @DeborahLCurran. (See Deborah’s UVic Law Biography.)
Contact: dlc [at] uvic.ca
Legal Director
Calvin Sandborn, Q.C. is one of BC’s most experienced public interest environmental lawyers. Former counsel to West Coast Environmental Law Association and the Forest Practices Board, Calvin was Associate to the historic Commission on Resources and Environment. He has successfully litigated many high profile cases (particularly in the areas of forestry and endangered species) and instigated broad law reform. In 2011, Calvin was named an Honourary Citizen of the City of Victoria and received the Andrew Thompson Award, BC’s top prize for Environmental Advocacy. He was appointed as Queen’s Counsel in 2017. (UVic Law Biography )
Contact: csandbor [at] uvic.ca
Director of Operations and Communications
Holly Pattison joined the ELC in 2006 after years of working in law firms and working as a freelance writer and photographer. As the hub of the ELC wheel, she teaches file management in the clinic, manages day-to-day operations and communications, maintains the Society’s records, organizes events, and edits and desktops various reports, publications and applications. Part of her role is to share information about public interest environmental law issues with the general public, which she especially likes to do through writing, photography and film.
Contact: elc [at] uvic.ca
Administrative Assistant
Megan Webber joined the ELC in April 2018. While studying history, Megan developed her interest in philanthropy and charitable organizations. She is eager to support collaborative work between UVic Faculty of Law and public organizations and communities and has herself participated in several community projects and volunteer initiatives. Megan is delighted to be back at UVic after having graduated from the university.
Contact: elc.adminassistant [at] uvic.ca
Articled Student
Ruben Tillman graduated from UVic Law in 2019. At UVic, he worked on mining law reform at the ELC clinic, was active in the Environmental Law Club and briefly served as President of the Indigenous Law Club. He is currently on the board of the Action Committee of People with Disabilities and a regular volunteer at Our Place Society. Before coming to the ELC he articled at The Law Centre. Ruben hopes to work in public interest law once he becomes a real lawyer. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Wednesday’s ominous skies couldn’t keep the Corky Kell Classic logo from being stenciled onto the Walter Cantrell Stadium turf. It’s just part of a great deal of preparation that’s gone into the Classic’s one-year move from the Georgia Dome.
For the first time in its 23-year history, the Corky Kell Classic will be held over two days — Friday and Saturday. And, unlike most of its previous years at the Georgia Dome, this 2014 Classic will take place entirely at McEachern’s Walter Cantrell Stadium.
A record 14 teams will participate in the event, with all seven games — two Friday and five Saturday — broadcast by Fox Sports South and on radio by 92.9 the Game.
A conflict with the Atlanta Falcons’ preseason schedule forced the Classic to move from the Dome to McEachern. Roof damage in 1997 also forced games out of the Dome and into the stadiums at Brookwood and McEachern.
The event’s relocation presented several challenges for McEachern’s staff, but the biggest tests will involve getting people in and out of the area smoothly.
“Just the logistical part of people coming and going all day has been the big thing for us. Not just fans, but also buses,” said McEachern athletic director Jimmy Dorsey, one of the Classic’s primary organizers since the event started. “One time, we figured out there’s a chance we could have 60 buses on our campus at one time, when you think about four teams being there at these transitions at the same time.
“So, just trying to come up with plans to get everybody on and off campus, from fans, to bands to cheerleaders to football players, and then having some plan to get them off campus in an orderly fashion has probably been one of our biggest challenges.”
McEachern will have some help in that area. The Cobb County Department of Transportation developed a traffic management plan, and Dorsey said the Cobb DOT will also have a website for people to see live traffic updates.
The Cobb County School District is also providing buses to shuttle fans from nearby parking lots, some of which are within walking distance to the stadium.
“It’s been kind of an amazing thing to see all the different facets from our county government stepping up,” Dorsey said. “It’s going to make the difference between this being a disaster and this being successful and we’ve been especially appreciative of that because we need all the help we can get. It’s a big relief to have their help and expertise in that kind of thing.”
Another challenge will be dealing with the heat, as temperatures are forecasted to reach the mid-90s Saturday afternoon.
“With the heat factor in those middle games, we’re not going to do anything that’s not going to be safe for the kids,” Dorsey said. “If we have to give them extra water breaks or whatever, then we just have to do that. We’ve arranged to have fogging fans on the sidelines, like you’d see at college games. We have a big 26-foot ice truck coming in that’s going to have about 300 to 400 bags of ice on it.
“We’re trying to think of everything we can to make sure that the players are safe and rehydrating and staying as safe as they can.”
Dorsey said close to 400 volunteers will be involved with the event at some point, working in parking lots, concession stands, being team hosts or having some other duty.
“It’s been a big team effort,” he said. “As stressful as it’s been to figure all of this out, to see our community come together and rally around this event and offer their support has been great to see.
“Everything that we’ve thought of we think we have a plan and, hopefully, it’s a good enough plan to make it go as smoothly as it can.”
Total attendance Saturday could reach 25,000 to 30,000, with Dorsey expecting the walk-up traffic to range from 5,000 to 7,000.
“The thing that worries me the most is that somebody will come and then not go home, because it’s not like you can spread out and find a seat at the Dome,” he quipped. “If nobody goes home, we’re in some deep trouble. It will be hot, so maybe they won’t stay so long.”
Teams will conduct pre-game warm-ups on an adjacent practice field. Dorsey hopes this will speed up the time between games to help keep things on schedule.
McEachern has hosted several events in the past, including the “Battle of I-75” the last two years, which helped towards planning for the relocated Classic.
“It showed us some things that we can do better, which is going to help us in this game,” Dorsey said. “One thing we do at McEachern is we can throw a party, so we have some experience under our belt. Certainly, nothing to this magnitude, so we’ll find out what we’re made of.”
*We welcome your comments on the stories and issues of the day and seek to provide a forum for the community to voice opinions. All comments are subject to moderator approval before being made visible on the website but are not edited. The use of profanity, obscene and vulgar language, hate speech, and racial slurs is strictly prohibited. Advertisements, promotions, and spam will also be rejected. Please read our terms of service for full guides | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Opportunities to study abroad in Europe, the USA, Australia and elsewhere
Distinctive interdisciplinary approach with philosophers, sociologists and anthropologists working together in teaching and research
Flexibility to tailor your degree around your own interests
About us
Sociology is a fascinating subject providing a critical understanding of all aspects of society and social life. Few other disciplines offer so much variety. Sociologists are interested in a huge range of social activities including intimate personal relationships, family life, crowds, religious groups, political parties, businesses and state bureaucracies. Our programmes have been designed to help you develop an understanding of how societies, institutions and practices of all kinds came into being, how they work now and how they might change.
Student experience
If you study Sociology at Exeter you’ll enjoy a student-friendly environment which encourages personal and professional development as well as academic performance. You’ll be expected to develop good organisational and time management skills and we’ll help you acquire further employability skills (such as proficiencies in data analysis, communication, research, presentation and IT) and work experience. Sociology is taught and studied in the department of Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology. The department is a small, ambitious and highly successful unit and you’ll benefit from a friendly atmosphere and exposure to the latest inspirational advances in social science research. Sociology can be studied either as Single Honours, or in combination with several other arts and social science subjects, including philosophy, anthropology and criminology.
Approach to teaching
Our academic staff have a wide range of research interests in sociology, anthropology, criminology and philosophy. Our research was ranked 9th in the UK in the latest Research Excellence Framework (2014), and is particularly noted for the contributions it makes to the sociology and anthropology of culture (science and technology, religion, the arts, sport and the military) and the sociology of knowledge and social theory. This research excellence is of direct benefit to you, as your teachers will be contributing to current debates and integrating this within their teaching. Our undergraduates have established a popular Sociology Society which meets several times a year and organises a seminar series with members of staff to provide an arena outside the formal teaching structure in which staff and students can discuss sociological issues. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Robins Haulage
Account type
Our aim is to provide a high class service to all our customers regardless of the size of the job at affordable rates
No order is too large or small and the scope of our operation allows us to meet almost any customers need. Flexibility is key and whether your products are bulky or heavy, whether it is a full load or a part load, we have the solution to your transport needs
We operate a fleet of vehicles on our long distance fleet and offer short distance work as well
The vehicles we operate from our site is maintained to meticulous standards and has the reliability our 24/7 operation and customers demand | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Common Questions
What is an ophthalmologist?
An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment, including surgery, of all eye disorders. Ophthalmologists are qualified by lengthy medical education, training and experience to diagnose, treat and manage all eye and visual systems. Ophthalmologists are licensed by a state regulatory board to practice medicine and surgery.
Can cataracts be prevented?
Unfortunately, there is no known way to keep cataracts from emerging or to stop them from growing once they have developed.
How do you treat cataracts?
The key to treating cataracts before they have already formed is through regular eye exams. Whether or not you have good vision, if you are 65-years-old or older, you should get a complete eye exam every one or two years.
If you already have cataracts, focus on treating blurry vision symptoms. Simply fitting you for glasses or contact lenses can do this. It is common for people with cataracts to frequently change glasses as their cataract continues to grow.
When is cataract surgery necessary?
Cataracts tend to develop slowly, and usually do not need to be surgically removed in the early stages. You may need to have your eyeglass prescription changed, and you may need to use more light for reading. When cataracts affect your abilities to read, drive, or participate in your normal activities, it may be time to consider surgery.
What is cataract surgery?
Cataract surgery is a quick and simple procedure in which the surgeon places a tiny incision at the edge of the cornea, removes the clouded lens of the eye, and then replaces it with a new intraocular lens (IOL). With a standard lens implant, glasses or contacts may still be needed following surgery. However, with new, premium IOL implants, only reading glasses, or sometimes no glasses at all, may be needed after cataract surgery. These premium lenses also help to simultaneously correct vision at near, intermediate and distant ranges.
Schedule An Appointment
The material contained on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Facilities
Our College offers an educational environment designed to nurture the intellectual, physical, social and emotional development of our students. Dulwich College Beijing has two campuses: Legend Garden, which is the main campus, and Riviera, which hosts about half our Early Years students.
Legend Campus
The Legend Garden campus provides outstanding facilities, including two sports domes, a multi-purpose sports hall, six tennis courts, a FIFA two-star rated football pitch, a natural grass rugby pitch and Beijing's only cricket pitch. The school building houses the 602–seat Wodehouse Theatre, 300-seat Edward Alleyn Theatre, two Black Box theatres (offering more intimate spaces for performance), spacious music rooms, two ICT suites (including one specifically for music production), a fully equipped radio studio, light and airy art rooms and two libraries with access to over 70,000 resources.
Riviera Campus
The Riviera campus consists of Riviera Main Campus and Little Riviera ("Little Riv," as it is affectionately known). Riviera Main Campus has two large sports fields and well-developed outdoor learning areas. Little Riv is for Toddler and Nursery students, and as such has a far more intimate feel than the big campuses. Every class at Little Riv has its own dedicated outdoor learning space in addition to a well-resourced classroom.
At Dulwich College Beiing, we believe that ‘students come first’, and apply this philosophy to everything we do. Recognising that outdoor air quality can sometimes be challenging in Beijing, we were the first school to install a filtered sports dome in 2011 and continually strive to improve our amazing facilities. We now have advanced, primary fresh air filtration in our sports halls, classrooms, theatres and common areas, backed up by computer-controlled secondary filtration in the ceilings of our classrooms and common areas as well as now having not one, but two filtered domes. As well as ensuring our systems routinely remove over 90% of pollution and achieve PM2.5 levels of less than 15 ug/m3 in every classroom, we have also set demanding targets for CO2 levels, well in excess of the required building code, ensuring that our air is always fresh and that students are alert and able to fully focus on their learning. Since August 2016, we now also have air filtration in all of our school buses, ensuring our students have cleaner air when travelling to and from the College. To ensure our air is always the very best it can be, our trained operations staff take outdoor and indoor readings across 50 test points every day, using TSI (Trading Standards Institute) approved, calibrated monitors. To provide more detailed data, we also have 22 DST (Department of Science and Technology) monitors that provide us with live data every five minutes and which allow us to track air quality online across the entire school day. We also share data for our parents to see via our public website. We would encourage parents to look at the data to see for themselves just how good the air quality actually is.
Dulwich College Beijing tracks air quality throughout the day by reference to our own AQI monitor, the live Air Quality Index (AQI) feed from the US Embassy in Chaoyang, District, and the Shunyi reading on this site. The reading on our own monitor determines our response. Our Early Years and Junior School response to the AQI is slightly more restrictive than that for Senior School because medical evidence indicates that very young children are more vulnerable to the effects of particulate pollution than older children and adults. When the AQI is over 200, all Early Years and Junior School students will be kept indoors. Where the AQI is between 150 and 199, consideration will be given to allowing the children a shortened period of outdoor play, not to exceed 15 minutes for Early Years and 20 minutes for Junior School. The threshold for Senior School students is 250. Where the AQI is between 200 and 249, consideration will be given to allowing pupils a shortened period of outdoor play, not to exceed 20 minutes. Thresholds for students with respiratory problems are 150 for Early Years and Junior School, and 200 for Senior School. It is therefore absolutely crucial that parents inform the classroom teacher or form tutor if their children have respiratory problems, and that parents reiterate these thresholds with their children. Readings are taken at least 3 times every day around our campuses and the information supplied to the leadership teams in each school, in order that decisions can be made informed by current circumstances. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Description-Forward
Platform that allows the performance of the registry, signature, centralized and electronic custody of the forward contracts subscribed by DCV participants. The service allows for the signing of these electronically through the use of the advanced electronic signature: make modifications, revocations (cancellations) and extentions, in addition to the flexible access to specific information, oriented to the needs of each client.
The contracts that may be subscribed are exchange rate and inflation insurance forward contracts, specifically: | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Ralph Wayne Fairchild, Sr., age 73, of Marietta, GA passed away on Sunday, June 2, 2013. The family will receive friends Thursday evening from 5pm until 7pm at West Cobb Funeral Home and Crematory in Marietta. A native of Tennessee, Mr. Fairchild lived in the Atlanta area for the past 30 years. He retired from Delta after over 30 years of employment, and was a member of Macland Baptist Church. He also enjoyed playing the saxophone, and served as a minister of music at various churches. He was an avid fisherman and enjoyed fishing with his family. Survivors: Wife: Joyce C. Fairchild, Marietta, GA 3 Children: Wayne Fairchild, Marietta, GA. Billy Joe (Lana) Fairchild, Marietta, GA. Melanie (Jim) Hawke, Dallas, GA. 3 Brothers: Everett Fairchild, Hixson, TN. Doyle Fairchild, Hixson, TN. Leonard Fairchild, Florida. 5 Grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to WellStar Community Hospice, the American Cancer Society, or to Emory University or WellStar Kennestone Hospital for cancer research. Online guestbook @: www.westcobbfuneralhome.com
*We welcome your comments on the stories and issues of the day and seek to provide a forum for the community to voice opinions. All comments are subject to moderator approval before being made visible on the website but are not edited. The use of profanity, obscene and vulgar language, hate speech, and racial slurs is strictly prohibited. Advertisements, promotions, and spam will also be rejected. Please read our terms of service for full guides | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Binsey
Summary
Binsey is an isolated dome-shaped hill on the northwestern fringe of Lakeland. Its summit is marked by an ancient burial tumulus and is a fine viewpoint.
There are 822 Walkhighlanders who have climbed Binsey.
They have contributed 18 public walk reports including this summit. These are ordered below with the most popular ones first. The rightmost column shows how many summits were included in their report, which may help you to find the most relevant reports. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
To both you and the Doctor, Malcolm is …
To both you and the Doctor, Malcolm is about right. ROC wind subsidies to Scotland are running at £400m pa. Your figure of value per ROC is wrong (there are 2 components which vary but are typically £50 per MWhr in total) and your 0.1 ROC? I can’t understand where that figure comes from. Other than the 2 Robin Rigg farms which together receive over £40m in ROC, there are no other offshore farms in Scotland.
HansBlix also commented
I’m finding it quite difficult to get the replies to correspond …
Doc DM: ROC’s are, of course, bought and sold. I was away wandering …
The important point with UK demand is that it is falling. A 3% drop is 2 big power stations knocked off peak demand. More than one Scottish gov minister has assumed that rUK would need our power but that can not be taken for granted.
Tim M: It isn’t only “some” windfarms that are experiencing trouble. More than half have grout problems and half (6 out of 15) have Siemens 3.6MW turbines which have corroded bearings. There are about 200 of these in the field and it can not be coincidence that the Gunfleet farms produced virtually nothing last year. The loss for just these two is £60m. SSE are suing Fluor for £300m over Gabbard’s mono-piles and that farm has still not produced anything. For perspective, the banks have all but taken over Vestas for Euro 300m to keep them afloat so the financial and reputational damage done to Siemens is considerable in a market which doesn’t have far to seek its troubles.
That destroys the business case for scaling up.
The one bright spot is the Beatrice Demonstrator Project. 2 x 5MW Siemens’ turbines on completely conventional 4 leg jackets – just looks like a drilling platform – in 40mtrs on the Smith Bank in the North Sea. 4 piles hammered into each leg of a jacket made in Methil with the Siemen’s turbine and pillar put together at Nigg in 2007. Nice sandy bottom … 42m cost with some saving from using the Beatrice AP platform for routeing the power ashore.
Other than SSE planning a 1GW farm near Smith Bank using either 3.5 or 7MW turbines instead of 5MW, the Demonstrator Project seems a success from beginning to end … a bit expensive maybe.
I’ve not heard of it as a ‘nominal’ price before. It is the actual and is rather important.
What I thought you were saying was that the value of ROC in Scotland was negligible when compared with, say, the recently delayed fuel escalator. This is patently not true in the future when the subsidy will rise very rapidly. If this is not what you were saying, you might like to do some elucidating yourself.
You misrepresent the position of offshore farms. It isn’t a market failure. It is a technical failure. They aren’t reliable.
You have (at least) 2 problems with Scottish demand and supply: firstly the average temperature of the UK has risen and electricity consumption dropped 3% last year and secondly, to be relevant, you have to turn on the wind supply between 4 and 6pm; any other time, forget it. The rise in temperature is also, I presume, occurring in Europe and is bound to impact gas prices and even those coupled to oil prices must be dropping – or should.
If you’re experienced in International law and believe that then I can’t argue the matter but ROCs aren’t bought so I’m not sure there either.
We would make a dreadful mistake if we were to trust he power companies to even tell the correct time of day. SSE have publicly made their position clear and you can safely assume that applies to all others. There are 2 ways of looking at what they’re saying; the easy and I believe incorrect view is that they’re taking a swipe at Salmond and independence. This misunderstands what drives them. For example, the regulated side of SSE’s business is huge. They intend that the uncertainties over Scottish independence be used to extract a higher price for their regulated business from Ofgem. Investment in their liberalised business will continue, why shouldn’t it, but not for the long haul stuff like offshore.
For one who has written so much on the subject, you seem to know remarkably little. The ROC value in 2010/11 was £51.34 and is the sum of 2 components: the government buy out price of £36.99 and the non-payment or recycle payment of £14.35.
Your context is wrong, completely so. Fuel consumption will never increase in the way that generation of electricity by wind farms is planned to. The Tiree Array alone would add £400m in ROC subsidy. You will get to well over £1.5bn in Scottish ROC wind subsidy quite quickly.
Fortunately, none of this will happen. Nobody, not even the clowns in the City of London, will invest in offshore wind given the problems that beset more than half of the current wind farms which are half the (turbine) capacity of future installation.
Your other context, post-independence, is another ‘aspiration’. There is every reason to suppose the UK consumer will oppose having to pay for constrained wind power in Scotland whilst paying for rUK wind power. You are asking them to pay twice for heavily subsidised electricity. Nor is there any reason for Scotland’s surplus wind power to be purchased at anything greater than at the margin.
It’s the bit at the end of that piece which suggests ALL the UK consumers will happily pay for all this wind nonsense.
By the way, re the subsidy. When the first gov climate change levy was announced in 2000, I asked Scottish Hydro from whom we were buying more than £m of power how they felt about being a tax collector (especially as it appeared to be the fossil fuel levy by another name). We agreed that there was sod all we could do about it.
Negative? The wind industry is doing that fine themselves without any help from anyone on here.
And the airport’s in the centre of he island with the main runway aligned NE SW almost directly downstream of the wind farm
Recent comments by HansBlix
Why has Scottish Government let Ferguson’s shipyard go down?Rob, I too am astonished at this nonsense. To get container ship business you have to compete with Rotterdam’s transshipment business, mostly from the Far East. This was the Achilles heel of the Dibden Bay (Southampton) planning application. Now we are being asked to go all the way north to Scapa?
Tiree takes its wholly unable power situation straight to governmentThe first half a mile from Coll, the cable is in very shallow water, might even be exposed on a spring low water. The remaining 1.5 m is deeper but only 10 metres or so. In actual fact there are at least three cables from Coll to Tiree, more than provide electricity to the UK, almost. All of them must be now dead. And it’s a rock bottom.
The Trust probably realise that the cost of maintaining the grid connection far exceeds the benefit and are looking for support.
Post war, the UK poured millions into hydro electricity. It was astonishing that a country crippled with debt and living on rations spent so much. The political force of Shinwell, the Minister of Power, and Johnson, the CEO of NSHEB, gave the highlands what they had never had, electricity. By the late fifties, interest rates were increasing and coal was within a whisker of hydro’s 0.8p/KWhr. The treasury were understandably unwilling to invest further money when a 10% increase in price was required to secure just a 1% return on capital. But the solution, the planned merger with SSEB in 1964 was thwarted. The political fallout of the Central belt subsidising the highlands or, what would have happened, a substantial increase in cost to highland consumers was too great.
My message is that it required the whole of the UK’s financial clout to get Scotland electrified. The economics were a nonsense but preventing the depopulation of the highlands was deemed a price worth paying.
We can’t afford the Beauly-Denny overhead power without UK support and if the HV line from Cruachan into Glasgow is anything to go by, I’d bet that the line from Inverness failed last week because the redundant conductors (if there were any) which were spare in the event of an emergency are now live load carriers.
Perhaps I should have been less concise. The article contains the evident truth that, under certain specific conditions of temperature, humidity and wind speed, visible condensation trails can form in the wake of physical obstructions including wind turbines (and aircraft for that matter).
Hi. Within the overlaying exclusion/investegation zones pertaining to the placement of the Argyll aka Tiree array is an approach corridor(plus Basking Shark Hotspot/Plus the UK’s primary Great Northern Diver wintering ground etcetera) that SPR and the CAA are investigating…this I am told is in regards to collision. In regards to turbulence there are real “reasons” to expect wind shear…generated in much the same way as any high building/structure or geographical features can and do create. One would hope that an exclusion zone would be extended if this proved to be right…currently given that the information on the type and height of the proposed turbines and their number is not yet decided (for numerous reasons)…we are told however/and have seen by the images finally drawn out of SPR that the turbines will be higher than our land massess higest point.
Of new concern is the fact that the NATS radar station would be de-commissioned and most likely re-instated at the original proposed location in N. Ireland (it was shelved because of the past security issues)…this fact would reduce the direct employment on ythe island by at least 4 directly and have a knock on effect for service industries… My brother inlaw is the chief engineer at the “Golf Ball”. SPR could recommission the establishment as the control centre for the Array (god knows they would have a good view of it !)
The aviation matters are hopefully yet another nail in the coffin of this “test case” array proposal…and will at a later date be addressed or rather exposed by NTA.
But the above also links in nicely with the admission by SPR that micro-climate change caused down wind of the Array (ie:Tiree to the NE of the array) is a real possibility…SPR have stated they will investegate the matter…what this quite means NTA are not yet party too.
But there is plenty of research saying we could easily see a change in our weather via atmospheric mixing and condensing…this can go several ways…wet/warm/cold/dry…all of these have implications to our agricultural sector and our onshore flora and fauna…onshore SSSI’s and our internationally protected machair grasslands.
We have all seen a vapor/mist trail caused by condensation on mountain tops (Table mountain SA is a good example) One thing is totally sure…we will see some form of climate change on Tiree caused directly by this Array in it’s current guise.
How SPR plan to research it we I say again, are trying to ascertain…sense dictates a pre-construction study generating real control measures, economics will very likely have them saying they will do a base line study and monitor the situation…this will not be acceptable to anybody either for or against the array who lives on Tiree.
It is quite easy for anybody to do a search of the Horns Rev images and see just what is happening in and around the atmosphere of a mega array…
Tiree could quite easily become the first island in the Atlantic directly affected by preventable mico-climate change caused by an industry and government who are only too aware of the implications for our isle.
I would like to expand on the Micro-climate issues at a later date…but they really do have the possibility to substantially change our local climate.
NTA are fighting this proposal now on an environmental footing…SPR have had to swallow the bullet on this one…there is much going on behined the scenes in Scotland to streamline the application process for such projects…but a broad stroke rather than a specific case by case approach to both development and planning in regards to environmental concerns is wrong. You end up with average effects to the environment over large areas been taken into consideration rather than specific localities. This means poorer less important bio-diverse large areas get the same amount of Cherry pie as the smaller gems….
Windfarms undoubtedly affect the air around them. Just the fact that they remove energy means there is a possibility of wind shear that could affect aircraft.
People who know more about aviation and aerodynamics than newsroomn are looking into this – here’s one study. Where there iks a possible conflict the area of concern will be delineated on the charts and aircraft will avoid it, just as they avoid hills and buildings and keep a 2-minute separation from aircraft in front of them in case of wake turbulence.
This constant desperate search by Newsroom and others on here for something negative to say about wind energy is a little tiresome. This is another non-issue – and certainly one that is hardly likely to affect flights into Tiree, where the airport is situated on the south east coast of the island well away from the proposed turbines.
Correction Webcraft (but I will let you off as you know Tiree has some specific and genuine concerns): The Airport is on the Reef…in the centre of the Isle. and is affected by condensed air/mist from the hills to the SW…the same direction as our prevailing winds.
The approach path to the SW/NE runway (the newly re-surfaced main runway…is in certain conditions directly over/through the array area…this direction is obviously used if we have NE winds and the cloud base is around 300m…google earth has a good image. I also hasten to add you can see the corridor in green the image on: http://www.no-tiree-array.org.uk/page_id=2198 the deep purple is the location of Great Northern Divers (Proposed SPA) and incidently the entire area is also overlaid by the proposed MPA for Scotlands premier Basking Shark hotspot…
“Large windfarms can increase local night time temperatures by fanning warmer air onto the ground, new research has revealed. The study used satellite data to show that the building of huge windfarms in west Texas over the last decade has warmed the nights by up to 0.72C.”
“The scientists say the effect is due to the gentle turbulence caused by the wind turbines. After the sun has set, the land cools down more quickly than the air, leaving a cold blanket of air just above the ground. But the turbine wakes mix this cold layer with the warmer air above, raising the temperature”
“The result looks pretty solid to me,” said Steven Sherwood at the climate change research centre at the University of New South Wales, Australia.
I am not sure if they cause global warming…and strongly doubt it ! Hydro-carbons/fossil fuels are the cause…renewables/wind included have their part to play in slowing mans part in the global warming process…
We are talking about Tiree’s specific geographical interaction with the proposed Argyll Array…the developer Scottish Power Renewables acknowledge the problem but do not know to what extent it will affect us. Picking a subjective example: the Machair is an alkali based grassland…additional rainfall could cause acidification of the shell sands…this would destroy the grasslands and everything that goes with it.
The jury is out until SPR come up with some form of study…I can get my head around the condensing of moist air caused bu atmospheric mixing/cold dry + warm moist….but we could I suppose just as likely see the reverse if rain is forced to fall further off shore…either scenario has implications…there is much info arround the average seems to be a +/-2c shift…and generally this takes place during the hours of darkness in steady wind streams. The affects are obviously expedential to the size of the array…Horn’s Rev and a couple of locations in the states have recorded noticable changes 20+ km away…and I seem to remember a location in China that has the local farmers up in arms…on a local scale this is not scare mongering, it is another item on the list that needs solid research. Given the vast variations in our planets local micro-climates; it is not something that can, to any relevant extent, be researched in a lab…it needs field work…how the developer intendv to do this pre-deployment is beyond me…SPR said they will get back to us in due course. It has certainly got the local crofters attention … Incidently and from a local perspective: when the wind blows from the SW and through an arc of about +/-15o either side…if we have had cold weather we often get a condensing line of cloud running from the high ground of Bienn Gott/Hough across the length of the island….yet the skies can be can be pretty clear else where…this often leads to a bit of drizzle, so I can quite easily see what the affects of placing an array 3 times the size of the island and only 5km out could cause….you only have to look at how lush the plant life is on the down windside of our miles of garden wind fencing is to know there are obviously going to be affects. This is as far as I can ascertain a very special case…relevant, again, as far as I have managed to chase the issue, to the unique placing of a mega array next to a remote island…. that has a full on maritime climate and is generally accepted to be virtually a flat as a pan-cake grassy sward on a reef and set out in the briney blue.
It is unlikely that the Tiree Array would have much of an effect on the micro-climate (at least in terms of mixing vertical masses of air) for the same reasons that it is a good place to situate wind turbines: it is pretty windy!
Basically, the localised micro-climate effects of wind turbines are most noticeable where there is good stratification of the atmosphere around the turbine. In highly energetic areas such as Tiree, turbulence is likely to prevent any great degree of stratification and so there is no great differential for the wind turbines to effect.
I qualify the above statement by saying that it obviously depends on the height of the base towers and on prevailing weather conditions – though the conditions that would lead to stratification (ie settled weather) are also the conditions under which the turbines will be least active.
I am more intrigued by the possibility that a turbine array could cause increased cloud cover and precipitation behind the array. I’ll go and have a think about this.
The formation of clouds by mountains (or indeed hills) is not the same effect as clouds being formed by turbines. The former is orographic lift and is basically the warm air being forced upwards by the obstruction then condensing as it hits the cooler air.
The air stream around turbines is not being forced upwards by the towers or the blades but it is being formed into a vortex. If the vortex is producing a cooling effect then you could get cloud formation. However, I would have thought that the turbine blades would heat rather than cool the air through friction (not by much). Energy is clearly being extracted by the turbine from the air stream but this is in the form of kinetic energy (which turns the blades and thus the turbine). The kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy but this process isn’t 100% efficient so some energy is converted into more heat and into sound energy. Net heat should be a small rise rather than a fall.
On the Horns farm photo, the Aeolus site says that the cloud formation was because of “unique” atmospheric conditions implying that this sort of cloud formation is uncommon.
So could it happen on Tiree? Yes, I guess so when a warm (wet) front moves in. Of course, the whole island may have this effect and the array would only add to it. How influential this effect would be is an interesting question.
I should have said that the condensation that is seen at the Horns site may be because the whole turbine structure is cooler than the incoming air stream (so the condensation is caused by the structures rather than the action of the turbine blades). What the condensation did reveal were the vortices.
Karl, you say that “additional rainfall could cause acidification of the shell sands…this would destroy the grasslands and everything that goes with it.” I’d be particularly interested to learn why additional rainfall would be any more acidic than the current rainfall.
In reply to Alex: I said ‘could’ not ‘will’ as the jury is out until SPR finish their studies…increased precipitation is inclined to leach certain minerals out of the soil (base cations) calcium, magnesium and the likes…water logging also can cause break down of organic matter again assisting acidification (I am digging deep into my agricultural years here)…there is I suppose just as much chance of less precipitation…this could lead to a change in the sward type and can cause to dune loss…machair is associated with dunes…Machair takes thousands of years to develop…and one would assume that the plant species evolve over time to their conditions…a sudden change in this environment would cause fast changes in the plant species…
If we get a wet winter on Tiree (last is a good example) you can see a change…generally due to poaching by cattle…but also later in the year due to more leatherjackets(cranefly larvae) these eat the roots, the grass dies…and we get blow outs in the machair (holes and sand deposition) I suppose this can be seen as what happens short term…
Please remember that these comments only point at possibilities…and are subjective…and again I defer to SPR’s planned studies..and again I state that Tiree and its interaction with a mega-windfarm like the planned Argyll Array only 5 km from it’s shores is unique…if anybody knows of a similar completed venture I know of a lot of stakeholders who would like to see their environmental impact assessment. One thing is for certain…large turbine arrays cause changes to their nearby environment…this is obviously going to happen given that they take energy from the wind…whether these affects can be classed as detrimental would take research…if they are offshore 20 km or more then the affects should be, I would presume not noticed onshore…much like the location of the horns Rev photographs mentioned.
Anyhow it’s up to the scientists and environmentalists to allay fears…and up to Scottish Power Renewable to tell us how they will facilitate this.
It may be a bunch of BS to you…It is certainly not BS to the developer Scottish Power Renewables, or more importantly to the 850 or so souls who live on Tiree. The planned Tiree Array is different in it’s geographical placing to anything that has gone before. I suggest you research a little before you come up with such statements…after all the world is no longer flat..
Karl………….every airport I know is in some way affected by turbulence, air currents, downdraughts, etc We are talking about turbulence here, are we not ? call them vortices or whatever. Are you a pilot ?
It’s the bit at the end of that piece which suggests ALL the UK consumers will happily pay for all this wind nonsense.
By the way, re the subsidy. When the first gov climate change levy was announced in 2000, I asked Scottish Hydro from whom we were buying more than £m of power how they felt about being a tax collector (especially as it appeared to be the fossil fuel levy by another name). We agreed that there was sod all we could do about it.
The wind industry and it’s supporters often tell fibs – but to multiply reality by 1000 is even for them, not acceptable. How could all the so called experts ( including here) and all the media who used it, not realise that the figures issued this morning by some learned numpty in the renewables business were for MWh’s not GWh’s, a difference of several decimal points. Is there nobody in that industry who is competent to tell the truth rather than just issue nonsense propaganda. Again from this morning’s media: – The committee on climate change said greenhouse gas emissions fell by 7% last year,but only 0.8% of the drop was due to climate change measures. Emissions fell apparently due to milder weather and higher energy prices. On the basis of the apparent increase in potential wind farm output,the £400 million annual subsidy referred to in my video – “Scottish Wind Farms – the real cost” should now be increased to somewhere in excess of £475 million per annum. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-bjoI9Mhko
Karl would it not be cheaper to increase the effort into saving .8% of our energy usage, rather than spending – in Scotland alone – £475 million per annum on wind farms, plus umpteen millions more on ridiculously expensive solar panels etc. How many new homes could be built from scratch with all the latest technology for saving power and heat, with that sort on money ? Taking it further this Government wants to multiply that renewables figure by four times. Over a few years at that expenditure you could rehouse much of Scotland and end being the most energy efficient/environmentally friendly country in the world and thus satisfying certain overweight MSP’s personal egos in the eyes of the world. At least you would have bricks and mortar to show for your efforts and rental income to put back in the kitty.
Hi, I feel we have to do two major things…replace existing carbon based energy…by gradually embracing renewables… and we also need to quickly learn to save what we are wasting.
I do not agree with large commercial wind ventures driven by companies that are more interested in making a buck (and generally have a foot in both camps) than realistically helping us change our ways…
Amongst all of this the governments of the planet have to stop the support rhetoric and actually sign up to realistic targets: It is paramount that China/US/India etc…do something otherwise we in the UK are just spitting into the wind…knowing this though should not make us stop what we are doing…I do fear that in a lifetime or less we will be wearing the t-shirt saying we told you so when the final straw breaks the camels back.
Perhaps surprisingly, I partly agree with you here Malcolm. A massive investment into a house building programme would have hugely desirable consequences. Not only would it replace a lot of frankly useless housing (from an energy perspective – thus reducing energy demand)but it is the fastest way to kick start the economy, providing employment throughout the UK.
However, the immediate problem is how to finance this? The various subsidy programmes used to stimulate renewable uptake (and for nuclear if we get round to building any) comes not from the taxpayer but from the electricity consumer. It is thus not Government expenditure. There is some Government expenditure in the system but much of the system is effectively self-funded without Government expenditure. The governments of the UK and Scotland could directly fund a housing programme by making a massive investment into social sector housing (and that would also have lots of other beneficial consequences) but the funding would need to come from direct taxation.
One last point though is to remind everyone that domestic electricity consumption is only a component of national demand and industry along with the public sector uses a large amount. Industry use of electricity is already fairly lean so there is less scope for reducing the amounts used (though plenty still for shunting them onto renewables). Bottom line is that even with a very successful conservation programme we will still need to be pursuing renewables to reduce our CO2 emissions (and that’s another area you need to watch your figures Malcolm – you cannot look at emissions without also looking at energy output. Increased energy output will mask significant gains in reducing carbon dioxide emissions as a percentage of total emissions).
Malcolm: sometimes it is wise to check your facts before sounding off in case you end up looking foolish. The BBC report is quite correct in what they are reporting and the figures are indeed GWh not MWh (which would be rather pathetic if it were the case). And the figures were not coming from some “learned numpty” but from DECC (whose documents come from the Office of National Statistics). It may be that you yourself are mixing up MW and MWh? The whole UK production of renewable electricity in Q1 was just over 11 TWh (and yes that’s terawatt hours). The full report on the UK quarterly results can be found here:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/stats/publications/energy-trends/5627-energy-trends-june-2012.pdf. It is full of interesting facts such as the subsidies for small scale renewables (FITs) are almost entirely going into solar PV (meaning that wind is being subsidised almost entirely from ROCs). I suppose this isn’t surprising when you think about it (most houses can fit solar PV but few people have the space or the water source for mini-hydro or a wind turbine and the rest of the renewable technologies that qualify are a bit esoteric for domestic use).
Malcolm: you didn’t answer my question before as to where you get this £400M subsidy figure from. You assure me it is correct but you don’t give the source or your working.
To both you and the Doctor, Malcolm is about right. ROC wind subsidies to Scotland are running at £400m pa. Your figure of value per ROC is wrong (there are 2 components which vary but are typically £50 per MWhr in total) and your 0.1 ROC? I can’t understand where that figure comes from. Other than the 2 Robin Rigg farms which together receive over £40m in ROC, there are no other offshore farms in Scotland.
Malcolm: thank you for the working, Can you please tell us what the different values are? I recognise 365 as days but it would help if you could tell us what the other measures are (without us having to look at the video).
ref: original article.”The future scenarios featured in MindBullets are purely fictitious and intended to be an exercise in strategic thinking only”..
There are genuine fact based concerns on Tiree about localised weather change caused by the placing of the large Argyll aka Tiree array so close to the island…and these are reflected in Scottish Power Renewables assurances that they will include this amongst other matters in their EIA…we do not need the support of ficticious articles… There are plenty of real issues out there in regards to all forms of energy generation and we should always listen to objective input…and as far as I am concerned treat each wind farm development on a case by case basis…(and thats coming from a guy who does not like the methodology implemented by big wind/energy companies…lets stay local and support community renewables)
Henri: I think the problem with that is that pretty much everyone on here (regardless of persuasion) just doesn’t rate wind turbines as a serious threat to aviation. So there’s not much point discussing it.
HansBlix – We decided on 45, that being about the average price at the time. The figures were supplied by – or my calculations were confirmed by – honest, knowledgeably, dedicated people who give much of their time to trying to stop wind farms destroying the Scottish countryside and economy.
HB: Thanks for your input. Malcolm is nearer the ballpark with £45 as the value of ROCS: Here is a list of their trading values over the past few years:http://www.e-roc.co.uk/trackrecord.htm
They are currently trading at £42 each. These are for auctions and they can be sold other ways so the prices will vary. The buyout price is lower than what is being obtained at auction (£36) while the nominal value is indeed at just over £52 (but I don’t know how that figure is reached)
In any case, we can agree that they are trading at somewhere between £40 and £50 each.
you can see that there is a conversion factor that is applied to convert MWh to ROCS and that is a variable. However, on looking at this in more detail I think I’ve misinterpreted this and it shouldn’t be applied in my calculation. There is a conversion factor that is applied depending on the fuel type, so not all MWh = 1 ROC but this is quite complex. So ignore my earlier calculation. (I’ll go back and edit it for accuracy).
If you look at the table we can see that there was a total of 13M ROCS issued for wind (onshore and offshore combined) so that would have a value of somewhere between £520M and £650M but that is for the UK as a whole. I’m not sure what the ratio of Scottish wind to UK total is but the Scottish figure will be lower and especially so as we don’t have a lot of offshore wind (which attracts a much higher ROC value per MWh). That would suggest Malcolm’s figure is a bit high but not extraordinarily so.
Another way to approach it is to look at how much the total cost of the ROCS system is and work out what contribution Scottish wind is making to this. DECC figures say the total renewables ROCs came to £1.3 billion for last year. The last quarter figures were that the UK as a whole produced 11,1 terawatts of renewable power and the Scottish component of that was 4.5 terawatts. If we assume that the division of finance is evenly distributed then Scotland’s “share” would be approximately 40% ie £520M. This is for all renewables (including hydro). I’ve still not uncovered the ratio of hydro to wind for Scotland yet but applying the 3/4 guess I used earlier then this would give a value of £390M – not far off Malcolm’s original figure.
However not all MWh are equal. Onshore wind is 1:1; hydro is not always eligible for ROCS (and I guess much of the Scottish hydro plant is ineligible but does count towards the renewables target. Biomass is 2 ROCS per MWh. Because Scottish renewables are predominantly wind and hydro then we probably get a lower “share” of ROCS than generation elsewhere.
Anyway, sum total of all of this is that working out exactly the Scottish Wind sector receives in subsidy is quite complex. I was never challenging Malcolm’s figure, I just want to know how he arrived at it.
However, it has to be remembered that even if the figure of £400 M ROCS subsidy to Scottish wind per annum is accurate, this is not borne entirely by Scottish consumers. ROCS are traded throughout the UK and so the cost of the system is borne throughout the UK regardless of where the ROCS originate. Scottish electricity consumers (domestic, public sector and industry) will pay a share of the ROCS based on their percentage share of total electricity demand. Presuming that is in line with the population then Scottish consumers will pay approximately £110M for the ROCS scheme with a wind component of approximately 50% of this, so £55M.
And to forestall the inevitable comment, there is no reason to expect this situation not to continue post-independence as the ROCS are already issued on national obligation targets but traded throughout the UK.
To put the £1.3 billion a year ROCS system into context: if the Chancellor had gone ahead with the 3p a litre price increase in fuel duty then this would have cost consumers an extra £1.5 billion a year.
For one who has written so much on the subject, you seem to know remarkably little. The ROC value in 2010/11 was £51.34 and is the sum of 2 components: the government buy out price of £36.99 and the non-payment or recycle payment of £14.35.
Your context is wrong, completely so. Fuel consumption will never increase in the way that generation of electricity by wind farms is planned to. The Tiree Array alone would add £400m in ROC subsidy. You will get to well over £1.5bn in Scottish ROC wind subsidy quite quickly.
Fortunately, none of this will happen. Nobody, not even the clowns in the City of London, will invest in offshore wind given the problems that beset more than half of the current wind farms which are half the (turbine) capacity of future installation.
Your other context, post-independence, is another ‘aspiration’. There is every reason to suppose the UK consumer will oppose having to pay for constrained wind power in Scotland whilst paying for rUK wind power. You are asking them to pay twice for heavily subsidised electricity. Nor is there any reason for Scotland’s surplus wind power to be purchased at anything greater than at the margin.
With regard to the value of individual ROCS (and we are perhaps arguing about the numbers of angels on a pin here) I gave you links to the relevant sites which show the traded value of ROCS as well as the nominal value. You are just quoting the nominal value (though thank you for an explanation of how this is calculated). As the calculations I gave are now based on the total value of ROCS, the individual value is not particularly important. I’m not sure what you are driving at with your second point. Renewables are intended to displace fossil fuel use. In that sense it doesn’t matter what the overall growth of electricity consumption is. Perhaps you could elucidate your point further?
I agree that funding offshore wind is much more problematic than onshore and may find it difficult to attract sufficient investment to meet UK and Scottish Government targets. In this it is no different from new nuclear plant or indeed new refinery capacity. This market failure is why you need government intervention in the energy markets to ensure that sufficient energy is produced and at affordable values. Energy (like food) is just too important to leave to the vagrancies of laissez faire capitalism (if only people had realised that about banking). Your last point would presume that the rUK government would alter its targets for renewables – otherwise how would they realistically meet them without the contribution of Scottish renewables? The UK consumer already buys electricity from France so why not Scotland? Spite? While the ROCS system is in place and an interconnector between Scotland and rUK there will be a market for renewable energy produced in Scotland in the wider rUK. I strongly suspect it would be against EU law for electricity suppliers in rUK to refuse to buy ROCS from Scottish suppliers while favouring the rUK ROCS suppliers. Post ROCS, who knows but given the yawning gaps in projected demand and supply in the UK I would have thought that there would be plenty of demand for renewables even at a premium. A lot of that does, however, depend on the availability and price of gas but with carbon taxes about to bite deeply into fossil fuel generation, the probability is that renewables will in any case be cheaper than fossil fuel production by that point.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18641136 Ensuring a coherent electricity market post-independence is of course a concern of the major power companies but their continued investment into Scotland suggests that they are not too worried about the probability that this will be achieved.
As to my expertise: I don’t claim any, just what I read and I am always happy for people to point me towards a greater understanding. That doesn’t mean that I swallow meekly propaganda from any direction.
Everybody who supports industrial wind spouts figures like leaves in a gale…the basic fact is the consumer is sponsoring development…and so is the TAX payer. Whether it is one quid or a million I should have a chice in where my taxes and surcharges are spent…It would not be commercial large scale wind ! show me one large commercial wind development that can stand on its feet without handouts…
I’ve not heard of it as a ‘nominal’ price before. It is the actual and is rather important.
What I thought you were saying was that the value of ROC in Scotland was negligible when compared with, say, the recently delayed fuel escalator. This is patently not true in the future when the subsidy will rise very rapidly. If this is not what you were saying, you might like to do some elucidating yourself.
You misrepresent the position of offshore farms. It isn’t a market failure. It is a technical failure. They aren’t reliable.
You have (at least) 2 problems with Scottish demand and supply: firstly the average temperature of the UK has risen and electricity consumption dropped 3% last year and secondly, to be relevant, you have to turn on the wind supply between 4 and 6pm; any other time, forget it. The rise in temperature is also, I presume, occurring in Europe and is bound to impact gas prices and even those coupled to oil prices must be dropping – or should.
If you’re experienced in International law and believe that then I can’t argue the matter but ROCs aren’t bought so I’m not sure there either.
We would make a dreadful mistake if we were to trust he power companies to even tell the correct time of day. SSE have publicly made their position clear and you can safely assume that applies to all others. There are 2 ways of looking at what they’re saying; the easy and I believe incorrect view is that they’re taking a swipe at Salmond and independence. This misunderstands what drives them. For example, the regulated side of SSE’s business is huge. They intend that the uncertainties over Scottish independence be used to extract a higher price for their regulated business from Ofgem. Investment in their liberalised business will continue, why shouldn’t it, but not for the long haul stuff like offshore.
I’m not getting involved in the discussion of figures – that’s for yourselves to scratch your heads over – but surely the statement that ‘…the average temperature of the UK has risen and electricity consumption dropped 3% last year..’ might be misleading because – though I’m not a global warming denier – it depends when the year was measured, as we’d just come out of the second of two much colder than usual winters, and our relatively badly insulated houses are one of the biggest energy users.
HB: I’m beginning to think it is yourself who doesn’t understand ROCS. Here is how DECC explain the system:
“The scheme is administered by Ofgem who issue Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) to renewable electricity generators for every megawatt hour (MWh) of eligible renewable electricity they generate. Generators sell their ROCs to suppliers or traders which allows them to receive a premium in addition to the wholesale electricity price.
Suppliers present ROCs to Ofgem to demonstrate their compliance with the obligation. Where they do not present sufficient ROCs, suppliers have to pay a penalty known as the buy-out price. This is set at £38.69 per ROC for 2011/12 (linked to RPI). The money collected by Ofgem in the buy-out fund is recycled on a pro-rata basis to suppliers who presented ROCs. Suppliers that do not present ROCs pay into the buy-out fund at the buy-out price, but do not receive any portion of the recycled fund.”
Note the word “sell”.
I’m afraid your conclusion that warmer temperatures mean lower electricity usage doesn’t really hold water. Heating in the UK is mainly through gas, oil or wood with electricity making a smaller contribution. So a mild winter will depress gas prices but won’t have much of an impact on electricity usage. Higher summer temperatures will, however, drive up electricity usage as about the only technologies that can cool are all electric. I suspect the recent drop in electricity demand has been down to the recession rather than average temperatures.
I wasn’t suggesting that ROCS payments are trivial but it is important they are put into perspective. A new nuclear power station will cost (probably) £5 billion. The 3p fuel escalator was worth a larger but similar amount to ROCS. Scrapping Trident would save £87 billion; sorting out the banks…priceless.
Energy is huge and so are the numbers involved in it. Malcolm puts up a big number to scare people without putting that number into perspective and that’s what I object to.
HanxBlix: “You misrepresent the position of offshore farms. It isn’t a market failure. It is a technical failure. They aren’t reliable.”
It is true that there have been reliability problems with some of these offshore turbines, but surely that’s a reflection of the fact that offshore wind is still in transition between the “R&D/demonstration” and “deployment” stages, rather than any inherent problem with harnessing offshore wind.
My understanding is that test facilities such as the EOWDC (so objected to by Mr Trump) are urgently sought by the industry precisely to allow further field testing to overcome these problems.
The important point with UK demand is that it is falling. A 3% drop is 2 big power stations knocked off peak demand. More than one Scottish gov minister has assumed that rUK would need our power but that can not be taken for granted.
Tim M: It isn’t only “some” windfarms that are experiencing trouble. More than half have grout problems and half (6 out of 15) have Siemens 3.6MW turbines which have corroded bearings. There are about 200 of these in the field and it can not be coincidence that the Gunfleet farms produced virtually nothing last year. The loss for just these two is £60m. SSE are suing Fluor for £300m over Gabbard’s mono-piles and that farm has still not produced anything. For perspective, the banks have all but taken over Vestas for Euro 300m to keep them afloat so the financial and reputational damage done to Siemens is considerable in a market which doesn’t have far to seek its troubles.
That destroys the business case for scaling up.
The one bright spot is the Beatrice Demonstrator Project. 2 x 5MW Siemens’ turbines on completely conventional 4 leg jackets – just looks like a drilling platform – in 40mtrs on the Smith Bank in the North Sea. 4 piles hammered into each leg of a jacket made in Methil with the Siemen’s turbine and pillar put together at Nigg in 2007. Nice sandy bottom … 42m cost with some saving from using the Beatrice AP platform for routeing the power ashore.
Other than SSE planning a 1GW farm near Smith Bank using either 3.5 or 7MW turbines instead of 5MW, the Demonstrator Project seems a success from beginning to end … a bit expensive maybe.
Nice to know that the commercial wind supporters here support the above content.
I am off to the glens next break, to show my kids what you are supporting…Pylons/turbines & hydro…all of a size that will dwarf our landscape…I am afraid they won’t remember the way is was. It’s an immoral and samefull episode in the history of this nation…nothing to be proud of…!
Karl: I think we would all like more say in how our taxes are paid but railing against development incentives for wind (and other renewable technologies) seems misplaced.
As I have said oft before, ALL forms of electrical generation are subsidised to some extent or another. Some of the current “conventional” technologies received generous support during their development. This is most obvious with nuclear but is also true of other generating technologies *remember that all electrical generation in the UK was publicly funded until the Tories privatised it in the 90′s.
My second point is about putting things in context: people have differing views about the merits of wind both as a technology and in terms of its strategic deployment. This is fine. As we know the current subsidy costs of renewables is some £1.3 billion a year for ROCS and then there is some millions of FITS to add to this. In return we are able to produce larger amounts of electricity through renewables that will improve fuel security and make it possible to meet our carbon reduction targets. Longer term, we should have cheaper electricity than if we go with a fossil fuel generation fixation.
The cost of upgrading Trident seems a very moveable feast but a recent and influential report suggested savings of £83.5 billion if it is scrapped: over £80 billion for a weapon system that can never be used.
City of London bankers’ bonuses: over £4 billion a year – money basically coming from our pensions.
I think we are winning Karl – he recently has been changing the subject or making excuses all to often – the signs of a man on the defensive ! I am sure he will come up with a further umpteen paragraphs on how this is not true – but ! And as sure as anything SR and Wakeman will join in with their denigration of your truly.
As to winning, win what? In case you haven’t noticed, Karl isn’t on your “side”. He isn’t a climate change denier, isn’t keen on burning fossil fuels ad nauseum and doesn’t mind wind but doesn’t like industrial wind. If the three of us were in a room together and we totted up all of the things we agreed on and disagreed on then I suspect we would find that Karl is closer to my world view than yours.
As to changing the subject or making excuses, just what is it that you think I’m ducking?
Having read the article in the Telegraph today…I think it is shamefull that anybody can support commercial wind power stations, the system that supports them, the people who build them, the folk who take share bonuses from them…there will be a reconing at some later date…will you willingly then to be honest, to be the people who put your hands up and say “we were responsible for that….”
Shamefull….madness…you have sold our wild places and our national heritage down the river…
I am neither Malcolms man or yours Doctor… As I have pointed out here a couple of times I think that anybody who supports the current COMMERCIAL multi-national rapeing of our wild places is by association no better that the people building these monstrosities in our wild places… I think it is shamefull to support such antic’s and niave to boot !
I don’t think anyone on here is in favour of irresponsible wind development and each site has to be taken on its merits. However, you aren’t doing your case any good by such an outburst of hyperbole as it just alienates all of us who believe in a responsible approach to our energy needs, our communities and our country (including the natural world that forms such an important part of it).
Dr it’s not an outburst…there is nothing responsible about commercial wind…it is even less responsible to support it!.. Since when has the case by case revision of such powerstations been applied in deference to the local communities who have to put up with them ? and since when have local habitats and environments realistically had a say from an environmental level ? Commercial wind is based on economics first… not saving the environment. Surely, and educated man like you should be able to see past the spin…? How much difference to global warming is Scotland going to achieve by covering its self in these parasitic tributes to corprate greed..please tell us all…how much ?….I will answer for you..ZERO. They will not make the slightest bit of difference given that the worlds larger nations and our selves included, want more on an energy on an hourly basis.
Just spotted your invitation to comment, Halcolh, and I’m too polite to refuse. The times I’ve criticised you it’s because I’ve been quite sure that your pronouncements were half-baked, and it’s rather worrying that you really do seem to believe you speak with great authority, and when others pick holes in what you’e said you sometimes resort to the sort of rudeness that’s really rather childish. Over to you, SR.
“you really do seem to believe you speak with great authority, and when others pick holes in what you’e said you sometimes resort to the sort of rudeness that’s really rather childish”. My God – talk about pots and kettles!!!!
No Bill – there’s been quite a lot of intolerance amongst a few commentators on the Dunoon ferry saga on the the views of others, and I don’t apologise for arguing my corner in the face of boorishness.
Malcolm…This is not a tag team I am anti-the commercial hijacking of wind…by multi-nationals…always have been. I am not anti-wind, far from it. I feel that governments should push wind…but not in the current manner. Widespread small scale wind (and other renewables) could work and does in fact make rational sense…it can also feasibly be deployed globally…it can be self sustaining but would take major changes in energy related generation/network and end-user legislation (in the uk at least). By the time commercial wind “globally” is self sustaining we will be up the environmental destruction creek without a paddle…wishing we had embraced solar/bio fuels/hydrogen/wave and tide/hydro…leaving the big Carbon fuels for aviation and heavy industry… Thoughts that have been running through my grey matter: Folks who use less electricity…use less oil based diesel/petrol…should pay a fixed rate. Incrementaly a heavy surcharge (tens of %) should be paid by those who go over assessed usage.. This also leaves a safety net for those been pushed into energy poverty. Taxation of CO2 emissions directly…Industry would also be assessed and industry would be open to subsidy if they genuinly invest in carbon offset programs. (this is a simplification of what could be possible at least in the moden world) Developing economies and the US should be involved in mass re-aforestation projects of the temeprate and rainforest zones…an area the size of Wales is cut down each year…to offset their CO2 footprint…this is attainable without stopping global development. 60% of forests cut down in tropical areas (for agriculture and fuel) are left fallow within 3 years…they become over grown scrub land.
No Solar panels…which is crazy…and maybe 100 or so high pressure gas flares burning of noxious gas 24/7/365…oh, and power cuts daily All sat on the 3rd largest oil reserve in the world…and while we are at it, a daily onshore/offshore wind N to S/ S to N…
This shows your level of concern for the environment Webcraft…it is all very well to spout figures/numbers and statistics…the real fact is folks who support multi-national commercial wind ventures…can cover the page with these numbers..the other fact is they are quite willing to put a commercial price on our least spoilt/most natural places…this is the one constant in supporters of commercial wind…they are willing to hang a price tag on the areas destroyed. What price the Glens and Mountains of Scotland ? Priceless. What price the wilderness coasts of Scotland ? priceless. I have sat before me on the table this morning copys from FOI of transcripts between departments within SNH…it highlights the pressure Scottish Power Renewables is and was placing on SNH to drop JNCC recommended SPA’s and MPA location in the waters of Tiree….Since when has it been acceptable for the tail to wag the dog. These are not environmental management companies…they are like the nuclear industry and the Oil and Gas industry energy companies in the business to make money…generate cash…and they do not care where they put these hideously large power plants as long as sombody else is paying…
My understanding the in thing is having a matrix of social, economic and environmental factors. I am waiting for FOI from SEPA on the new River Awe Flow rates. I may be wrong but those government bodies are generating so much regulations so that they can juggle the rules to fit the required outcome. Now who sets the required outcome, I say money, power and greed.
The hydro schemes of the fifties and sixties and their associated pylons that brought power to the glens changed huge areas of the Highlands. These developments are nothing new, and in fact there is virtually no ‘natural’ landscape left in Scotland – it is almost all man-made.
Shame on you both… Webcraft/Dr you are both saying it is ok to flood the glens/cover the tops in Turbines…webcraft, you state “virtually no ‘natural’ landscape left in Scotland” total rubbish.JNCC/SNH state…use the term” most natural/least damaged” in regards to National Parks/SPA’s/MPA’s/SSSI/NIMA/Natura 2000/AOB…of which there are many,… and many of which are now at risk, for the very same reasons you support large scale industrial wind power stations…you see $$$ first and not protection of the environment, total Hypocrisy. Anybody who has to continually drag up the Clearences as a defence for the current industrial wind drive trend is still living in the 1800′s…..!
Maybe if you both put your heads together you can give the commenters the true facts here…you both have plenty of figures and stats….: On a Global basis how much CO2 will be reduced from the atmosphere when Scotland is covered in turbines…? Globally, name one industrial wind powerstation that can stand on its own fiscal feet and say it is not subsidised. ?
Karl: I can’t speak for SR but I have never advocated “flooding the glens/covering the tops in turbines”. Nor will you find in much of what I have written that espouses “industrial” as a good thing. I just don’t see it as the terrible thing that you do but I am also firmly in favour of community control of renewable assets and a sensitive approach to our deployment of renewables.
I think what both SR and myself are reacting to though is your emotive language and in particular your premise that the West of Scotland (in particular) is some sort of pristine wilderness. Both of us are making the reasonable point that pretty much all of Scotland has been shaped by the hand of man. The big stuff – the mountains, the glens that make up the topography – is geology that has been shaped by climate but everything else – the vegetation, wildlife, land use and distribution of settlements – is man made and this has a profound effects on our scenery.
I’m certainly not suggesting that because Scotland’s scenery can be considered artificial that this means that it should have no bearing on the deployment of renewables. I’m as proud and protective of our landscape as you evidently are but I do have a keen sense of its origins and an understanding that what we see is not the natural state. nor indeed is it necessarily what we should leave it as.
You are too quick to presume on what others think and you are certainly misrepresenting my position. I feel that this thread and indeed this whole topic has gone on too long (and I’m as guilty as anyone of being the cause of this) but here are some parting thoughts that actually represent my views rather than the box you seem so keen to put me in:
1: Hydro is an excellent renewable energy source but it does have large scale environmental impacts; Scotland has already used up the best locations for large scale hydro deployment so further acceptable development is likely to be incremental.
2: Onshore wind is the most versatile and easily deployed renewable technology available; it has limited environmental impact but is visually intrusive; Scotland has excellent wind resources and there is scope for increasing the contribution of onshore wind to our renewable mix; further expansion, however, needs to be balanced against the need to maintain the air of “wilderness” in the more remote areas of Scotland and in areas of scenic beauty. Organisations such as the John Muir Trust are right to be concerned over the loss of “wildness” and there needs to be a national debate and stronger policy formation around how to strike the balance between visual amenity and energy generation.
3: Offshore wind has the greatest potential for making a major impact on renewable generation; Scotland has some of the best wind resources in the world ; offshore wind is, however, very expensive compared to onshore wind and there are concerns that project financing may be difficult to find for all of the planned installations; offshore should mean just that – the proposed array for Tiree strikes me as unacceptably intrusive and not in keeping with the scenic beauty of the area and it may also have an unacceptable impact on the marine life in the area (at least in the short term); offshore wind that can use floating structures rather than rely on shallow reefs would be a much more satisfactory solution.
4: Biomass should be prioritised for domestic and light industrial heating (and CHP) rather than large scale electricity production. Importing wood to fuel biomass plant is just silly.
5: Solar PV is currently expensive and not particularly appropriate for northern latitudes; solar PV generating costs are, however, falling significantly and the technology is also advancing rapidly so that it may become the primary renewable technology in temperate and tropical latitudes; even more than other renewable technologies (other than biomass) it urgently needs a complementary storage method as the technology is useless at night.
6: wave power is still in its infancy but offers a useful source of electricity; wave power generators will require considerable areas of sea to be devoted to them if they are to make any significant impact; though this is not likely to pose much of a visual intrusion it may cause concerns to other marine industries.
7: Tidal power is an excellent renewable because of its complete predictability; Scotland has excellent tidal resources and these can probably be tapped into without unacceptable environmental impacts though these require more study; the technology is, however, likely to be expensive.
8: Anaerobic Digestion (AD) and waste to power plants are useful but not likely to be significant players in renewable generation in Scotland though they may have more impact elsewhere.
9: Nuclear remains the only mainstream, non-fossil fuel source that has a high power density suitable for providing secure base load; it has good levels of operational safety but carries with it the risk of catastrophic failure and the unsolved problem of radioactive waste; there are severe doubts over the availability of project finance for new nuclear plants without significant subsidies that will likely make nuclear a more expensive option (certainly to the consumer) than many of the renewable technologies.
10: Gas remains the fossil fuel of choice and will become increasingly important globally for electricity generation; it is more environmentally acceptable than coal but is still a major CO2 producer; while global reserves methane are enormous, extraction methods are controversial and may pose unacceptable demands on water resources; energy security is a major issue with gas supplies; fuel price fluctuations limit its usefulness from a national perspective and high demand is likely to push prices up beyond many forms of renewables within this decade.
11: Coal should be phased out as a power source because of its unacceptable environmental impacts. CCS is unlikely to be cost effective and in any case does not mitigate the direct environmental impacts of coal mining.
12: Energy conservation should remain the priority focus but it needs to be recognised that much of the UK’s housing stock is unsuitable for practical energy conservation; while new housing will have excellent energy conservation this comes at the price of higher building costs. Deployment of technologies that will significantly increase electricity demand (such as electric cars) are not prudent until we have solved the problems of generating enough clean electricity.
13: Power transmission by overhead power lines has major impacts on visual amenity; where possible, sub sea transmission should be used in preference to overland; transmission lines should, where practical, be underground even when this means higher utility charges; the Beauly-Denny line was a missed opportunity in this regard.
I hope this clarifies my own position in regards to energy development. It is a complicated area and we are faced with many difficult choices. What I would hope is that people can debate these them without the need to personalise the issues, resorting to unhelpful and misleading hyperbole or lack respect for other people’s positions and thinking.
The clearances are mentioned because that was a human activity that dramatically altered the countryside for many generations.
Re. hydro – I am sure you would prefer that they had never brought ‘power to the glens’ – but do you not think it is a little selfish to expect Highlanders to still be using oil lamps? We are all used to the ‘new’ landscape aesthetics brought into existence by hydro schemes.
Dr/Webcraft: The protection of emotive land & seascapes deserves emotive language…and for pity sake please do not go back to industrial wind saving the planet…it’s a non-sustainable argument. Please answer the two fundemental questions I have asked. “Re. hydro – I am sure you would prefer that they had never brought ‘power to the glens’ – but do you not think it is a little selfish to expect Highlanders to still be using oil lamps?” The power to the Glens is not used in the Glens, what nonsense. we are talking pumped storage here…as I direct concequence of industrial wind…Hydro back then was stand alone…you simply do not grasp the consequences to the environment do you? (rhetorical) “We are all used to the ‘new’ landscape aesthetics brought into existence by hydro schemes” PUMPED STORAGE Who is the “We” you refering to ? The folks displaced, the wildlife destroyed…again you simply do not grasp the consequences do you? (again rhetorical) As for your reference to National Parks being exempt from Turbines…what about power cables and pumped storage… yet again you simply do not grasp the consequences do you? (again rhetorical and now monotonous) The landscape man has created on the tops and in the Glens, along our coasts is the outcome of many thousands of years of occupation and use…the remaining flora and fauna/farming methology has reached a status quo…you can go multiple generations back in time and it has not changes To quote:”The developers lie. They are here to make a profit. Windfarms produce little and intermittent electricity. Most of the time they do not work. They serve no local need, not even for the farms and homes here where, in 2012, there is still no mains electricity.(Galloway) How can the blade of a bulldozer ripping up 6000 years of beautifully preserved archaeology from the interaction of man and grazing animals – 6000 years beautifully preserved by hill grazing due to our climate – be saving the environment? How can the massive industrial infrastructure and millions of tons of concrete on peatland, aided by forestry clearances serve the few local people left in the culture of agriculture to cherish the iconic landscape where they live and work?” Anyhow… I will leave you both to it. It shouldn’t take too long for you both to come up with an honest answer to my two questions….
I cannot comment in detail directly on either scheme but on first glance I don’t think either will have much impact on wildlife nor will they displace people. One uses an existing lochan. There was a proposal for a scheme on Ben Lomond but that was buried decades ago. Beyond these two schemes, I’m not aware of any other plans for pump storage schemes in Scotland. A recent report concluded that the cost of pump storage was marginally higher than the cost of just putting in the necessary additional generating capacity and that better interconnectivity and demand restraints were more cost effective.
In conclusion, there is unlikely to be any major increase in hydro, including pumped storage in Scotland beyond small, localised schemes. Your concerns over an environmentally damaging increase in hydro thus seem misplaced.
I’m beginning to find your repeated accusations that I don’t understand the environmental consequences of renewables a bit irksome and perhaps a bit rich coming from someone who makes his living from an industry that really does cause gross environmental damage.
I take it there will not be an answer to the two questions I have asked. Note: I work for any industry that is trying to reduce it’s impact on the planet. I have worked for renewables/oil and Gas/minerals…I am often recommended by NGO’s…I was recommended for this contract followiing work at Mt Nimba UN “world heritage closed reserve”. Guinea West Africa…by the UN. Actions I find speak louder than words…and that is why I am here in Iraq. In regards to your coments on hydro…pumped storage. The repercussions are not simply restrained to Scotland…ref: North Sea HVDC link. Watch this space. as ever best regards Karl
In reference to the original post: pilots concerned on wind farm impact on air turbulence…well ForArgyll have certainly put the cat amongst the pigeons amongst the turbines…good on them.
Malcolm, including your links…(and one wonders who if anybody will bail out VESTA now ?) it is obvious that the blind minions are not willing to look at the bigger picture…they cannot actually see the “problems for the turbines”…thankfully the ‘anti-commercial’ wind groups work real time, case by case…the discontent of the Scottish people affected by Alex’s dream… is now only too apparent, these are folk who genuinely care about the Scottish environment, folks who are watching the destruction real-time, citizens who live out with our major conurbations…not urbanites…the obvious comparison here is provided by using the Dr oft used analogy…”the clearances”…this times the uber shakers and movers in Scottish Government/British Government are not moving folk off, but moving industry in…
The lack of environmental sensibility shown by the pro-lobby on these pages is shocking…again $$$ signs cloud their vision.
I am not in the business of converting or saving the fallen…I simply do not have to, common sense and foresight are now prevailing at a national as well as local level…support, both fiscal and moral, for commercial wind is going into freefall…whereas on the other hand, support for anti commercial wind campaigns has gone ballistic…
Who said I approved…you again jump to the blinkered conclusion. I believe that mankinds actions have and are contributing to changes in our atmosphere…a smiley can quite as easily mean I am laughing at the site…I will edit my post. cheers… Anyhow back to real issues: I don’t suppose you could dig deep for an answer to my previous two questions could you ? To refresh and simplified: On a Global % basis how much CO2 will be reduced from the atmosphere if Scotland meets the 2020 targets? Globally, name one industrial wind powerstation that can stand on its own fiscal feet or foot and say it is not subsidised. ? Edit: Ok..just had a quick look at the site Webcraft…they are “sceptics”, which means they are in want of more proof, far more not “anti- anything” than you are pro-industrial wind. Some of the articles are quite funny.
What is wrong with the below ? it is their mandate.
“We are sceptical. This doesn’t mean we are “anti” anything; it means we are in favour of basing policy on evidence and not on the viewpoint of any individual or group. All real scientists are sceptics, or as the Royal Society motto puts it, we “take no one’s word for it”. So, we are neither pro, nor anti man made global warming, just as we are neither pro nor anti wind, nuclear or any other climate or energy issue. instead we want all the evidence to be available government policy based on the evidence”.
I don’t think that your comment is much use, Malcolm, as he seems to be comparing just Australia’s ‘man made’ contribution to world Co2 production with the whole lot – and while this is seemingly intended to reassure a small and reportedly very co2 profligate population in a big country, it’s not representative of the world picture.
You might say that we in Scotland / Britain aren’t, either, but it’s the overall world picture that counts, it’s the whole world that sinks or swims depending on how the population behaves, and nether we nor the Australians can really afford to play the ‘we’re too small to count’ game.
Agreed…but we also have to change in a sustainable manner…like you say, we are a small, in geographical terms, nation…and as such, we are far less able to absorb large physical changes (industrialisation) in the way we deploy instruments of change industrial wind power stations Local up is the obvious answer…not state down…and definately not state sponsored commercialism down. This methodology has a proven track record in some developing nation,,,for example, many of the rural areas of Western Africa…even her in Scotland…
We can lead by example…but deployment of large scale industrial wind power stations is a plinian victory in the face of massive and ever increasing energy use and co2 release related to China, India and the US, etcetera…seriously, what do we gain except empty moral high ground, the destruction or damage of our own environment…for the sake of $$$$$$$$$$ in foreign pockets.
The ‘logic’ in that is absurdly flawed – a total non-argument I’m afraid. If you can’t see why the guy in the video is speaking nonsense then you really shouldn’t be commenting on climate change issues Malcolm.
The whole point is not the absolute quantity, it is the dramatic rise in the percentage of CO2 in the atmosphere. If you can’t understand that then I’m sorry.
Even most rational climate change ‘sceptics’ believe that a doubling of CO2 as a percentage of the atmosphere will result in one degree of warming.
And its ‘little us’ who are paying out near enough £475 million pounds per annum at the moment to subsidise useless windmills – a figure which thanks to the SNP will be trebled or quadrupled within a few years. Global warming is not that bad that’ little us’ have to be sacrificed. If Scotland didn’t have any wind farms do you really think the rest of world would be worse off ? You will of course say yes – but there is a gathering majority that are realising the obvious and will say NO ! For Scottish politicians to put the the rest of the world before the well being of their own people, their finances, their country side, is absolutely disgraceful.The world is not about to end because of what is mainly happening naturally in the atmosphere. Global Warming is being bandied about by mouths looking for a cause, and that includes the so called professionals who continually try and talk down to their elders and betters.
Webcraft: You call yourself ScotsRenewables as such can you now answer the following: On a Global % basis how much CO2 will be reduced from the atmosphere if Scotland meets the 2020 targets? Globally, name one industrial wind powerstation that can stand on its own fiscal feet or foot and say it is not subsidised. ? Or are you happy to go with the “ZERO” option.
China at 89,243 metric tonnes of CO2 has a long way to go to catch up with the West, and in fact may well never do so.
So – our focus on emissions reductions is an acknowledgement of the historic burden we have placed on the planet, and of course pour encourager les autres.
Of all the reasons for not doing anything this one is the worst. We create a problem then blame it on China – fantastic show of responsibility there Karl.
I don’t intend to enter into a discussion with you about subsidies, except to say that most authorities agree that onshore wind will be competitive without subsidy by 2016. It seems strange to me that you and your fellow travellers want to scrap a new technology just before it becomes competitive.
When does picking a fight equate to asking for an answer from a supporter of industrial wind power ? “Scotland’s overall global contribution to CO2 reduction will be a very small number as a percentage. It will however be disproportionately large compared to her population.”
Yes I agree, out of scale in comparison with both it’s land mass and population…the problem is even though we may meet our targets…the global CO2 emmissions still rise. As a further break down you might want to take other renewables out of the pot..and focus solely on wind…after all is this not what this discussion is about.
In regards to China…please get your facts right…they are the fastest growing producers of CO2 and are expected to over take the USA’s emissions within a 10 year period. The USA will also continue to produce more CO2..(trends up in both cases)
“I don’t intend to enter into a discussion with you about subsidies, except to say that most authorities agree that onshore wind will be competitive without subsidy by 2016. It seems strange to me that you and your fellow travellers want to scrap a new technology just before it becomes competitive.”
It is not like industrial wind has just appeared ! go take a look at a time line. There we go…ZERO. and also you revert again to the economist spin of “competitive”…and have the gall to seperate onshore and offshore wind…they are the same industrial/commercial beast.
Please do not tell un-truths, it does nothing for your credibility…. I have never mentioned scrapping a new technology “wind” (not that wind is that new eh ) I have always and always will support community wind/renewables ventures…I suggest you re-read all of my posts..and note that common thread.
ZERO/ZERO.
I will revisit the issue in 2016…I think you will find that this, if not before, will be the year in which the coffin nail will finally be driven home…
Glad to know you are bang up to date webcraft/SR – we bow to your superior knowledge – well at least up to 2004. The rest of us however are aware of China’s massive expansion since then – at one point they were reported to be building a new coal fired power station every week – and may very well still be doing so. Please try and avoid your usual personal abuse if replying – or actually at this stage you could just exit stage left – just like the doc.
Thanks..saved me the trouble…note China V USA webcraft. QED Aye webcraft…”excellent data” for the case against industrialisation of our “least damaged most natural places” I would say… I suggest you print this out and place it above your laptop. Errr where is Scotlands co2 out-put…oh there it is… that misplaced pixel off out towards the Iceland ! As for historic data…excuse me but there seems to be something at odds here…are we not trying to reverse current trends to gat back to pastures once green… Webcraft ? or is the entire renewables campaign and search for alternative power sources wrong in your books…f Anyhow there I go again wasting another nano-second.. off to pastures new , Take 2 Rgds Karl
The Scottish Climate & Energy Forum is an Association which aims “to support government, communities and the people of Scotland to make the best decisions on climate and energy for the benefit of us all.”
As a refreshing demonstration of its willingness to listen to all sides of the debate it even provides a link to the pro-wind scotsrenewables website.
The link to Scots Renewables seems no more than a sop. Almost all the links are to usual-suspect anti-wind and climate-denial websites. It’s SCEF’s website, so that’s their prerogative, but it does slightly stretch the credibility of their statement “we are neither pro, nor anti man made global warming, just as we are neither pro nor anti wind”
“Another place, another argument with a Scottish anti-wind activist who wants to know how much CO2, on a global percentage basis, will be removed from the atmosphere if Scotland meets her 2020 targets”… I simply can’t let this go…you are the author of spurious mis-information on your website. Now this can either be down to your inability to accept an individual does not agree with commercial wind, and is yet at the same time able quite easily to actively supports community wind; to the point where he was actively involved in building a turbine…(come to Tiree, it’s the large grey structure with 3 blades)…or a blatant lie brought about by your inability to tell the truth…. On this basis alone you have no credibility as a useful or indeed honest source of objective information. If anything your website is totally counterproductive to the renewables cause. The article you have written then continues to be riddled with mis-information that the ill informed could be fooled into actually thinking is objective fact. Is this the way you expect to be able to change the current problems we find the world in Webcraft…who are your mentors ? it certainly is not the renewables industry, they show far more intellect in their arguments. In future and free of charge would you like to forward me such articles and I ensure you they will become objective/informative/ and above all truthful and indeed useful. Your are also lacking a total for your cumulative emissions what happened to the other 28+%…oh, don’t answer that…it’s too blatantly obvious ! Take care karl
I presume you don’t like being referred to as an ‘anti-wind activist’ – but that is what essentially you are, as demonstrated by your support for CATS and Trump and your gleeful participation in every anti-wind thread on this blog.
As I didn’t mention you by name I don’t see what you are getting your knickers in a twist about anyway, but to spare your sensibilities the phrase ‘Scottish anti-wind activist’ has been replaced by the word ‘someone’.
As for ‘the article is riddled with mis-information‘ – why not prove it instead of resorting to throwing mud in the hope that some will stick. The source of the figures in the article is quoted and there are plenty of other sources which show that to date the cumulative responsibility for the post-industrial rise in atmospheric CO2 concentration rests squarely with the developed nations.
I understand that you don’t like the article because it contains an argument that undermines your frequently re-iterated ‘no point in doing anything, it’s all China’s fault’ argument. However, you need to accept that you are not going to convince everyone that you are right about everything. If you are going to resort to slagging me off with a flood of unsupported allegations whenever I publish something you disagree with then I have to conclude that you have indeed joined Malcolm’s tag team.
Perhaps what we need is a well informed and diligent anti-bullshit activist – I recollect there used to be one, a good one, but he seems to have bailed out in exasperation but maybe one day he’ll be back…
China has a very large population, and the UK has quite a small population (well, by comparison at least), so the ongoing comparison between the two in respect of CO2 emissions has always seemed to me a bit ridiculous. Even more ridiculous is the attempt to compare China with Scotland.
Our emissions may be but a pixel in the corner of the map, but they are still around 40% higher than China’s on a per-person basis. And that is before you look at the historical position (as SR has done). The West will never get anywhere lecturing China and other developing nations on their increasing emissions while we are individually still producing more than them, and continuing to enjoy the long-term economic wealth arising from our past use of fossil fuels.
We led the way with the development of the industrial carbon-based economy, now we have to lead the way with the low-carbon transition. We should be viewing it as an opportunity, not bleating about how insignificant we are in the world CO2 stakes.
Tim rewind:this was the catalyst Karl Hughes says: July 2, 2012 at 7:04 pm Agreed…but we also have to change in a sustainable manner…like you say, we are a small, in geographical terms, nation…and as such, we are far less able to absorb large physical changes (industrialisation) in the way we deploy instruments of change industrial wind power stations Local up is the obvious answer…not state down…and definately not state sponsored commercialism down. This methodology has a proven track record in some developing nation,,,for example, many of the rural areas of Western Africa…even her in Scotland… We can lead by example…but deployment of large scale industrial wind power stations is a plinian victory in the face of massive and ever increasing energy use and co2 release related to China, India and the US, etcetera…seriously, what do we gain except empty moral high ground, the destruction or damage of our own environment…for the sake of $$$$$$$$$$ in foreign pockets.
Update:
Is this so wrong ? We are leading the way in a reduced hydrocarbon use and thats admirable…and we can go back historically and say sorry we did not know an industrial revolution would kick off global warming and accelerated climate change…much the same as we can say sorry for slavery…it gives some close-out to historic events, but does not achieve anything if developing nations are not willing or unable to stop themselves doing the same
…it’s cyclic driven by want rather than need.China and the US etc may not have been the big poluters in the past…but they are now, and they will be in the future…1.3billion Chinese are looking to have the same lifestyle as we have in the west…and why not…the big difference is they have already noted the cyclic elements of development = pollution
” between 1791 and 1831 the population of England and Wales grew at an unprecedented rate: from about 7.7 million to 13.2 million and it was to double again to around 25 million by the 1860s. The Scottish population grew much more slowly doubling from around 2 million to 4 million during the whole period from the 1780s to the 1860s.” now put this into the contex of growing industrialisation in for example: China… http://www.ehs.org.uk/industrialrevolution/PH_index.htm
If the commercial giants of wind want to make a change…they should look further a field…and make a real change. Using Scotland as a Shop window is wrong for Scotland (and I refer in total only to commercial windustrial wind)
China is already doing it’s own thing (state owned in entirety of course)…so why do folks feel we will lead the world by example…they already accept we messed up.
Do you mean that, pompous, over bearing, self obsessed,self opinionated, chap who can’t resist telling everyone else exactly why they are in the wrong – do you mean that chap ? Maybe he bailed out because he was losing – that’s the usual reason.
I stopped contributing because it was becoming very repetitive and more than a little self indulgent of little interest to anyone other than those contributing (as indicated by the rather few thumbs up/down). | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Hole 18
The last is a Par 3 of 151m to the backdrop of the club house, again another well bunkered hole that requires an accurate tee shot. The hole offers you the chance to be a star as the club house bar over looks this hole. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
After a surprising, disappointing, exciting, and depressing 2017-18 that both began and ended in typical Mizzou fashion, the Tigers begin the offseason with several holes in the roster and one major recruiting target remaining.
Transfer:
He will sit out the entire season, but will have 3 years to play 3 beginning in 2019-2020
Mark Smith (former **** recruit), SG, Illinois
2018 Commitments:
Not a lot to get too excited about at this point. The success or failure of the current recruits in his class will be based upon their development rather than their Day 1 skills.
Torrence Watson, SG, **** St. Louis, MO
Javon Pickett, SG, ***, Wichita, KS
KJ Santos, SF, ***, Tallahassee FL
Xavier Pinson, PG, ***, Chicago, IL
Next year is a rebuilding year. Jontay leaving was a possibility, but not a certainty. That, combined with losing two freshman PGs to transfer and a junior shitbag PG to Cosby means that Mizzou will be bereft of experienced playmakers and ballhandlers anywhere in the backcourt, and no one with the rare ability to create in the half-court like Jontay showed. It's probably a 14 win team next year.
5/30 Edit: Jontay Porter is returning, making this team a fringe NCAA contender.
Pretty much most of the info available has him headed to them. One parent wants Mizzou one OSU. In the end I don't think that Martin is going to have the sway to get this done.
Still not enough to definitively say he's going there. Nobody knows anything for sure beyond speculation. There's also a tendency to project that prospects will always go to the bigger name school. Dorial Green Beckham was at one point"projected" and rumored to either be picking Oklahoma or Arkansas over Missouri. There's nothing concrete out there to know for sure how he is leaning, and it's possible he hasn't even made up his mind yet.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by PAChiefsGuy
Good article. Just as I suspected everything is Smitty's fault. Hope he burns in hell for all of eternity.
Evidently the team also thinks there's a decent chance Dru Smith gets a waiver and is eligible this season.
Jackson is a huge get if they can hang onto him. They need a replacement 4 in a big way. I think he was probably waiting to see how the Liddell decision went and when that playing time opened up, he made the switch...
Evidently the team also thinks there's a decent chance Dru Smith gets a waiver and is eligible this season.
Jackson is a huge get if they can hang onto him. They need a replacement 4 in a big way. I think he was probably waiting to see how the Liddell decision went and when that playing time opened up, he made the switch...
Dru Smith being eligible would be huge. I think this squad would be better than last year’s version if that’s the case.
__________________
"When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read 'all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics.' When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty – to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.”--Abraham Lincoln | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
TMCNET eNEWSLETTER SIGNUP
(Baltimore Sun (MD) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) April 05--As Maryland prepares for a major overhaul of its troubled health exchange -- switching out its buggy software for Connecticut's proven technology -- lawmakers and information technology experts are raising new concerns about whether there is enough oversight to prevent a second failure.
State legislators from both parties said building a successful site will take more than plugging in new software -- a view echoed by technology experts. While cautiously optimistic about the switch, lawmakers don't want to see the same management problems and potential waste of taxpayer money that plagued the creation of the exchange.
"Software is the core of the exchange, but how you manage the development, implementation and testing of the software is as critical as the software itself," said Dan Schuyler, senior director of the exchange practice of Leavitt Partners, a health intelligence and health care consulting firm.
Several lawmakers also said their confidence in the exchange leadership is shaky. They want more transparency in decision-making and spending on the exchange, which has cost $129 million so far.
Del. Mary-Dulany James of Harford County, chairwoman of a key House subcommittee that oversees spending on the exchange, said there are "huge budgetary implications" in switching to the Connecticut model.
Maryland officials have been "opaque" about how much it would cost, said James, a Democrat. Without clear evidence of major staffing changes at the exchange, James said, there continues to be "an issue of confidence in the people that were there before the rollout. And it's a question mark about the competency of those same people."
While acknowledging that she is not a technology expert, James said the shift to technology used by Connecticut is likely more complicated than is being portrayed.
"I don't think it's as simple as flipping a switch," James said. "We just can't make this mistake going forward."
The Maryland exchange crashed Oct. 1, the day it was launched, and has been riddled with technical problems such as frozen screens and locked accounts throughout the enrollment period that ended March 31. The troubles became a hot political issue, and as the state struggled to right the project, it cut ties with the exchange's executive director and Noridian Healthcare Solutions, the prime contractor.
Officials said they exceeded the total enrollment goal of 260,000, with more than 295,000 Maryland residents signing up for coverage, mostly through Medicaid, during the enrollment period.
State officials also had hoped to enroll 150,000 Marylanders in private insurance plans but changed that goal to 70,000 in February, blaming a mistake by researchers. They missed that goal as 63,002 Marylanders enrolled in private health plans through the exchange.
Concerns about the possibility of continued problems arose even before the board overseeing Maryland's health exchange voted unanimously Tuesday to ask federal officials for their approval -- and $40 million to $50 million more in funding -- to hire Deloitte Consulting to replicate its work on the exchange in Connecticut.
"In essence, our team is starting over again," said Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, a Democrat from Calvert County who has offered blunt assessments of the exchange's shortcomings. He said the Connecticut system's success gives him optimism about improving on Maryland's first attempt to build an exchange. "Obviously, everyone was let down, in terms of the outcome, including the taxpayers."
Experts said successful exchange sites have strong oversight, focus on core needs and employ appropriate, high-quality technology.
Failures in Maryland and other states can be attributed to many factors, said Rick Howard, a research director at Gartner, an information technology research and advisory company. When combined, they "exponentially add risk," he said. He pointed to software engineering skills and technology that were not up to the task, failure to manage the project's scope or accurately assess progress so problems could be fixed early.
Gov. Martin O'Malley and members of his administration say more safeguards are in place now. Whether that is enough to satisfy lawmakers remains to be seen.
O'Malley said Friday that the state is hiring a company to do independent audits of how the Connecticut fix would be implemented. Maryland Health Secretary Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, chairman of the state exchange board, said that unlike the first effort, this one will be overseen by the state's top IT professional, Isabel FitzGerald, secretary of the Department of Information Technology.
In testimony before lawmakers last week, FitzGerald said technical changes are necessary to make the Connecticut platform work with Maryland's, but "the only things we are changing are very small, and we're only doing retrofitting."
Connecticut's exchange has been lauded as one of the success stories of health reform, signing up close to 200,000 people. That system worked better because it was simple and well-managed, experts said. Deloitte, which built the technology for Connecticut, has worked on other successful sites around the country, including those in Washington, Rhode Island and Kentucky.
IT companies will try to sell all the latest technologies, and it is up to the state to choose the right products and provide oversight, Schuyler said.
"It's very seductive when you hear what fancy technology can do," said Kevin Counihan, CEO of the Connecticut exchange. "We didn't think the contractors could get done everything they said they could get done. The time frame was so tight. We though we were better off doing fewer things well."
Like Maryland, Connecticut had a quasi-governmental agency with an appointed board and executive director structure to create and run its exchange. It used some software code written by IBM -- the same company that provided key software for Maryland's system.
Connecticut officials said they decided what features were essential to have in place from the start and what could wait. They also quickly addressed problems, such as adding agents when consumers complained about long waits at the call center.
Sharfstein, O'Malley and others have heavily criticized the technology used by Maryland's prime contractor, Noridian Healthcare Solutions, which included software to determine eligibility that was written by IBM. Sharfstein said the "off-the-shelf" technology did not perform as promised and was not easily altered.
In testimony before Congress last week, Sharfstein said Maryland plans to sue contractors and would reimburse the federal government for some of the money spent to build the first exchange if the state recoups.
In turn, IBM and Noridian have blamed state managers and government regulators for many of the problems.
IBM has said that it has worked above its contractual obligations to "overcome the state's failure to properly manage the implementation of the exchange." The Deloitte technology includes IBM software that was customized for the exchanges.
Noridian said in a lengthy statement released Friday that many of its problems stemmed from requirements dictated by state and federal regulations. For instance, federal regulations required users to be locked out of the system after three unsuccessful log-in attempts. Account lockouts were one of the biggest problems with the site.
"With the adoption of the Connecticut exchange platform, Maryland is now pursuing a simpler, streamlined system that does not contain the enhanced capabilities and features that the State demanded of Noridian after contract award, and that led to many of the system problems," Noridian's statement said.
Despite assurances from the O'Malley administration that the Connecticut fix would work, several lawmakers remain concerned that they were not included in the decision-making.
"We've been completely cut out of the loop," said Del. Kathy Szeliga, a Republican from Baltimore County.
She said the O'Malley administration will have "to own this decision. They haven't asked for any input or advice. Clearly, it's not an issue of partisanship. They've cut everybody out of the exchange."
Del. Susan W. Krebs, a Republican from Carroll County, said she doesn't have full confidence the state will succeed in light of how the first exchange crashed.
"They tried to do too much too fast," she said. "They keep talking about the contractors, but there's a lot of blame to go around."
Some legislative leaders and administration officials were briefed about potential problems with Maryland's exchange months before it launched, through a consultant's reports. But major changes in the exchange did not come until after the disastrous launch.
Howard said buying into Connecticut's "exchange-in-a-box" proposal would be the fastest way to get a new website up and running in Maryland. But Maryland declined the offer to have that state develop and run its exchange from Connecticut's servers.
"Technology is just one differentiator among the states that had a greater relative success in implementing their marketplaces versus those that did not," he said. "The clock is ticking. Nov. 15 is fast approaching, and Maryland has no margin for error."
Others agreed that Maryland has to do more than adopt new software to make the exchange work properly.
The keys are good products, good vendors and the less "intangible issue of leadership and oversight," said Sabrina Corlette, senior research fellow and project director at the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute's Center on Health Insurance Reforms.
She added, "I don't want to minimize the value of just plain dumb luck."
Del. Peter A. Hammen, a Baltimore Democrat and chairman of the Health and Government Operations Committee, said regular updates or discussion about the decision the state would make to replace the exchange "would have been helpful." But at this point, Hammen said, he's looking forward to making sure the state's system works when the next open enrollment period begins in November.
Since the crash in October, the state has made changes that bode well for ensuring that the Connecticut model will be up and running by November, said Sen. Thomas "Mac" Middleton, chairman of the Finance Committee and one of the lawmakers overseeing a panel looking into the exchange.
"They've got somebody who knows this stuff to advise them," the Democrat said, referring to Optum/QSSI, the contractor that took over in December.
The state has also transferred authority over the day-to-day technology decisions to FitzGerald. Those two major changes, Middleton said, resolve what he found to be the key problem with the exchange before the rollout.
"This has been a management issue," he said.
FitzGerald told state lawmakers last week: "We are going to be ready on Nov. 15."
"That's a promise?" Middleton asked.
FitzGerald said there are a lot of reasons to expect that to happen, but "I never make promises."
meredith.cohn@baltsun.com
andrea.walker@baltsun.com
ecox@baltsun.com
___
(c)2014 The Baltimore Sun
Visit The Baltimore Sun at www.baltimoresun.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
All of our products are designed for quality, energy efficiency and reliability to deliver the total home comfort you can expect from Heil Heating & Cooling Products. Choose from the menu to learn more about our dependable products.
Cooling
Heating
Heating & Cooling
Need help deciding what kind of heating and cooling product is right for you? Take a tour around a complete heating and cooling system to discover how matched products work together for enhanced home comfort.
Get the most comfort out of your air conditioner or heat pump with an evaporator coil that matches your outdoor unit. This uncased vertical N coil supports your system efficiency and is made for upflow/downflow applications. It features durable all-aluminum construction designed to fit your system and deliver lasting performance.
Warranty
*10-Year Parts Limited Warranty: Timely registration required for 10-year parts limited warranty. Limited warranty period is 5 years if not registered within 90 days of installation. Jurisdictions where warranty benefits cannot be conditioned on registration will receive the registered limited warranty periods. Please see warranty certificate for further details and restrictions.
Find a Heil® Dealer Near You
About Heil®
When you choose a Heil® heating or cooling system, it means your home comfort is backed by 100 years of superior engineering and quality manufacturing. Each unit is 100% run tested, and we design our products to give you the best in quality, energy efficiency and reliability. It’s our tradition to deliver products that exceed your expectations. You can depend on us. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
THE METHODS OF THE RESEARCH OF ALBANIAN COMMUNITY IN SLOVAKIA - SOME ETHNOLOGICAL COMMENTS
The aim of the paper is to present remarks, observations and experiences from the ethnological research of Albanian community in Slovakia. The research was connected with work on the diploma thesis named 'Albanians in Slovakia. Forms, causes and implications of an ethnocultural conflict in the situation of immigration' (2004). The theoretical part of the work focuses on the processes of conflict and their implications connected with the different perception of cultural and social principles. The author presents methods and techniques which were useful in the process of obtaining information from the respondents during field work. Furthermore, he deals with the way of using this information in his work on the diploma thesis. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
No one plans to get hurt in an accident. When the unexpected happens, you are left with much more than just aches and pains. In many cases, accident victims must deal with time off work, property damage, emotional troubles, and even damage to personal relationships.
Accidents create a lot of stress and raises many questions.
How will you pay your bills? How will you get better? Will you ever feel well again? And insurance companies can make you feel like a victim over and over again. Even when they accept “liability,” they rarely accept “responsibility.” This can leave you wondering: should you file a lawsuit? These are the questions that can keep you up at night. You deserve answers.
We firmly believe no accident victim should have to pay for someone else’s mistake or negligence.
If you’ve been injured in an accident, you don’t deserve the burden of physical pain, medical bills, and all the other problems that go along with being hurt at the hands of another person. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Estate Agency Training Courses
With our unique focus on skills-based training, soft skills and business psychology, whatever your training and development goals we have a range of intensive 1-day courses to turbo-charge your agency’s performance & productivity.
Estate Agency Training
Property Agency Training provides professional estate agents training courses, workshops and consultancy with a simple aim – to encourage professional excellence in the property agency industry.
We do this by helping estate and letting agencies of all sizes to improve their skills and knowledge to grow their business.
Professional training courses – for both new starters and experienced estate and letting agents. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Our seamless, hi-waist thigh shaper with medium control is must-have piece underneath dresses and skirts. Lightweight and easy-to-wear style sits right below your bust to smooth and shape from your tummy to your thighs. Top band stays in place and doesn’t roll down, while the stretch fabric at the legs provides smoothing control that doesn’t ride up. Complete with moderate control on the sides and back. Soft elastic and silky fabric provide all-day comfort and allow your clothes to drape beautifully.
Item #193510
Polyester / nylon / spandex
Machine wash
Sizes 0X-5X
By Catherines® Intimates
Seamless Thigh Shaper
3.3
5
3
3
poor choice
The fabric is comfortable, but the legs roll up and the waist rolls down - so it didn't accomplish it's intended purpose. Had to return it.
February 16, 2015
No control
Super disappointed. No hold whatsoever. Super soft but def not medium control. Get a size down, good to wear under yoga clothes
May 5, 2014
Great fit and comfort!!
They were really comfortable and didn't ride up.
January 29, 2014
To qualify, purchase must total $75 or more of Catherines merchandise after any discounts have been applied and before tax and shipping charges have been added. Use promotional code CYBERCA at checkout to receive free shipping. Valid online until 11:59 P.M. PT on 11/29/11. Ground shipping only. Qualifying purchase excludes the purchase of Gift Cards and Perks memberships. Valid on in-stock merchandise only. Free shipping does not apply to international orders.
Cyber Tuesday
40% Off Everything. Excludes Clearance, Perfect Price, Spanx®, Kiyonna, IGIGI, Palm Beach Jewelry and select handbags. Use promotional code CYBERCA at checkout to receive discount. Valid on Catherines purchases only. Cannot be combined with any other promotional offer or used towards the purchase of Gift Cards or Perks memberships. Valid online only until 11:59 PM PT on 11/29/11. Valid on in-stock merchandise only. Final discount reflected at checkout.
International Orders
Pricing and promotions may vary by region. Please review the promotional disclaimers for specific details of each offer. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
HC refuses to interfere in Sarita Devi's ban
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Monday declined to interfere in the one-year ban imposed on boxer L. Sarita Devi by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) and the refusal of Boxing India (BI) to appeal against it.
L. Sarita Devi
A division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice R.S. Endlaw disposed of a plea observing that no appeal has been filed by BI against AIBA order and the court cannot direct it to file an appeal.
"As no appeal against the order passed by AIBA on Dec 17, 2014 has been filed to revoke her (Sarita Devi) suspension, court can not direct the same," said the bench.
The court was hearing a plea seeking direction for BI to appeal against the AIBA decision that banned Sarita Devi for refusing to accept her 2014 Asian Games bronze medal.
Sarita, who had refused to accept the medal to protest her controversial semi-final bout loss, has been banned retrospectively from Oct 1, 2014 to Oct 1, 2015 and fined 1,000 Swiss Francs.
The central government had earlier told the court that the ministry had written to AIBA and requested it to take a lenient view considering her humble background and controversy-free image to spare her a career-ending ban.
The PIL challenging AIBA's decision to suspend the boxer was filed by senior advocate Rajiv Dutta who told the court that BI and the government are 'killing a valuable talent by not appealing against the AIBA decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) situated in Lausanne for settling disputes'.
He further told the court that the boxer can not appeal against the decision in her individual capacity. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Biography
Born in the city of Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, USSR. After arriving to Yugoslavia she lived in Split, and since 1991 till 1999 in Priština. She worked as lecturer, and then as an assistant for Russian literature at Philology Faculty in Priština. She defended her thesis “Landscape in Russian and Serbian Epic” during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999.
She left Priština after the signing of Kumanovo Agreement (June 1999) and moved to Niš. She worked as professor of Russian literature at Philosophy Faculty in Niš and continued to work at Philosophy Faculty in Priština (with the seat in Kosovska Mitrovica). In 2002 she defended doctoral thesis „Poetics of Dirge“. She initiated opening of the Department for Slavistics with Balcanistics at Philology Faculty in Niš (since 2002 Department for Russian language and literature).
Professor of Russian literature at Philology Faculty of University in Belgrade. Member of Editorial Board of journal Gradina until 2009. Member of Editorial Board of periodical Facta universitatis until 2010. Member of Editorial Board of periodical Научный результат, Серия Социальные и гуманитарные исследования (Scientific Result, Series of Social and Humanitarian Studies). | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Subsets and Splits