The fallout from the global pandemic lowered occupancy and usage for some large facilities, yet energy bills didn’t necessarily decrease at the same pace to alleviate the cost burdens of maintaining base operations and systems. As the economy recovers, this makes now an ideal time to consider energy efficiency measures as a means of cost management.
Supply chain organizations are naturally focused on efficient processes, and Energy Efficiency-as-a-Service (EEaaS) is a newer approach that helps warehouses, delivery hubs and other logistics facilities reduce their energy use while making a positive impact on the health of the planet.
EEaaS also enables supply chain facilities to conserve their cash for other uses. With the economic pressures of today, most know cash is king—and cost reduction is queen. By using financing, supply chain facilities may benefit from energy efficiency upgrades while avoiding capital outlays.
Defining Energy Efficiency-as-a-Service
What is energy efficiency-as-a-service, and how does it work? EEaaS is a pay-for-performance, off balance sheet financing solution that allows facilities to implement energy, water and other efficiency projects with no upfront capital expenditure, according to the Better Buildings Financing Navigator by the U.S. Department of Energy. (U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Financing Navigator. https://betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov/financing-navigator/option/efficiency-a-service)
With EEaaS, the provider pays for project development, construction, and maintenance costs. Once a project is operational, the customer makes service payments based on actual energy savings or other equipment performance metrics, resulting in immediate reduced operating expenses.
The Energy Services Agreement (ESA) is the most common type of arrangement, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, but other models such as lumens-as-a-service and energy subscription agreements are also in use.
The EEaaS opportunity
This overview by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy outlines a list of possible benefits of EEaaS for commercial customers. (American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy’s Emerging Opportunities Series, https://www.aceee.org/sites/default/files/eo-energy-as-service.pdf)
- First-cost savings - Under an EEaaS agreement, organizations may pursue energy efficiency without using their own finances because the service provider secures third party funding to pay for all project costs. This means the customer has no upfront expenses or internal capital outlay, preserving their funds for other projects.
- Off-balance sheet financing - EEaaS offerings are often designed as an off-balance sheet financing solution. The use of service payments allows businesses to shift energy efficiency projects from an expense asset that they must buy, own, maintain and depreciate, to an operating expense, similar to a utility bill or power purchase agreement.
- Deeper operational and maintenance savings - The cost savings from energy efficiency projects are calculated and guaranteed using agreed-upon measurement and verification protocols. Because the EEaaS paradigm generally relies on the pay-for-performance model, it offers potential operational efficiencies and positive cash flow from energy, water and maintenance cost savings.
The first place to look for energy savings
Lighting is often one of the costliest budget items for a typical organization, business or facility, and LED lighting—which uses 25% to 80% less energy than conventional light bulbs—can cut energy overhead costs. (T-1 Lighting, https://www.t1-lighting.com/energy-efficient-lighting/)
When it comes to commercial buildings, the Whole Building Design Guide from the National Institute of Building Sciences estimates electric lighting accounts for 35% to 50% of the total electrical energy consumption. (Whole Building Design Guide, “Daylighting,” https://www.wbdg.org/resources/daylighting)
Inefficient lighting can represent a huge part of monthly energy bills. If tight budgets are impacting business progress, cost savings may be found by switching to LED technology.
How much can be saved? A lot. By 2027, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that LED lighting could conserve up to 348 terawatts of energy, which equates to $30 billion in savings at current pricing levels. (U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Saver consumer website. LED Lighting. https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/save-electricity-and-fuel/lighting-choices-save-you-money/led-lighting) With an energy efficiency savings strategy in place, most organizations are capable of saving 20%-40% of their total energy spend.
Supply chain facilities can estimate their own lighting savings with this interactive business estimator. (Key Equipment Finance. “Estimate your lighting savings” https://landing.keyequipmentfinance.com/estimate-your-lighting-savings-key) Organizations are encouraged, however, to seek advice from qualified professionals regarding specific business circumstances and lighting costs.
Other energy savings options
While lighting is a top focus for energy efficiency projects, facilities may find energy cost savings in other areas or add systems for power generation. For example, renewable energy assets that provide distributed generation include solar, energy storage, microgrid, fuel cells, batteries, generators, reciprocating engines, gas and steam turbines. For even great savings and environmental benefits, facilities can consider advanced energy upgrades such as air conditioning, chillers, power resiliency/redundancy, building automation systems and IoT.
Bottom line: Organizations can take a holistic approach whereby they implement a myriad of energy savings projects to meet their organization’s objectives.
These solutions can include design and implementation of energy conservation, energy infrastructure outsourcing, power generation, energy supply and risk management techniques.
Example: Fortune 100 company powers facilities with Energy Efficiency-as-a-Service
Energy efficiency upgrade projects offer plenty of challenges in their own right. But how does a supply chain operation navigate those challenges when they are presented at multiple locations— and with zero capital expenditure?
Here’s an example: A Fortune 100 technology company—which was investing heavily in wind farms and solar rooftops and aimed to power its global infrastructure with 100% renewable energy—knew it needed an innovative solution. That solution was to implement an EEaaS initiative that included new LED lighting and building management systems across their facilities nationwide.
To ensure success, the company turned to an energy efficiency provider that designed and implemented programmatic energy services agreements. These agreements allowed the company to blend the economics of different utility rates across regions to ensure that all sites are able to benefit from the efficiency upgrades. By combining sites where utility rates and operating conditions are more favorable with sites that have less favorable conditions, the projects are economically viable and provide project uniformity across sites.
The project also included an energy savings performance contractor and an equipment finance provider. The contractor provided construction, engineering, installation, measurement and verification for an LED lighting retrofit. The finance company provided a solution that enabled energy efficiency services across multiple sites in multiple states, including high-efficiency LED lights and building management systems.
Under the ESA, the energy efficiency provider would pay for all upfront costs and be paid only when the project achieved actual savings. For the Fortune 100 customer, the projects resulted in a monthly bill—an operating expense, which doesn’t require a capital expenditure. They only pay for the energy they use after the equipment is installed.
The projects were expected to reduce total electricity use by approximately 70%, thereby eliminating 29,917 tons of annual carbon dioxide.
Pandemic considerations in EEaaS
Business growth and stability pose a dilemma—especially in the midst of uncertainty around accessing desirable capital. There’s no question that leading-edge technology, timing, and scalability play key roles in the assets of a supply chain. However, the ways in which we choose to pay for new equipment may vary according to our business objectives.
Luckily, the marketplace is adapting to new and creative ways to address those objectives.
The impact of financing
More than ever before, the benefits of financing energy efficiency initiatives could have a significant, positive impact on an organization’s goals and success.
To help determine if Energy Efficiency-as-a-Service is a good fit, the U.S. Department of Energy (U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Financing Navigator. https://betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov/financing-navigator/option/efficiency-a-service) recommends companies consider whether they:
- want to pursue retrofits across their portfolios without spending capital;
- prefer off-balance sheet treatment for the delivery of efficiency services;
- want a pay-for-performance solution where a third party takes on performance risk and provides project management and maintenance;
- are looking for a financing mechanism with a contract term ranging from 5 to 15 years, with periodic buy-out options; and,
- want a new way to procure energy efficient technologies across their portfolios without the hassle of ownership.
Choosing a finance partner
Before supply chain businesses undertake an EEaaS initiative, they should seek an equipment financing professional who has clean energy solutions expertise, a proven track record in lease structuring, and a clear understanding of their unique business goals. This can help with the formation of a strategy to optimize business assets and opportunities, both today and in the future.


Diamonds are an oil’s best friend
A mixture of diamond nanoparticles and mineral oil easily outperforms other types of fluid created for heat-transfer applications, according to new research by Rice Univ.
Rice scientists mixed very low concentrations of diamond particles (about 6 nm in diameter) with mineral oil to test the nanofluid’s thermal conductivity and how temperature would affect its viscosity. They found it to be much better than nanofluids that contain higher amounts of oxide, nitride or carbide ceramics, metals, semiconductors, carbon nanotubes and other composite materials.
The Rice results appeared this week in the American Chemical Society journal Applied Materials and Interfaces.
The work that could improve applications where control of heat is paramount was led by Pulickel Ajayan, chair of Rice’s new Materials Science and NanoEngineering Department; Rice alumnus Jaime Taha-Tijerina, now a research scientist at Viakable Technology and Research Center in Monterrey, Mexico; and a research collaborator at Carbon Sponge Solutions in Houston.
Thermal fluids are used to alleviate wear on components and tools and for machining operations like stamping and drilling, medical therapy and diagnosis, biopharmaceuticals, air conditioning, fuel cells, power transmission systems, solar cells, micro- and nanoelectronic mechanical systems and cooling systems for everything from engines to nuclear reactors.
Fluids for each application have to balance an ability to flow with thermal transport properties. Thin fluids like water and ethylene glycol flow easily but don’t conduct heat well, while traditional heat-transfer fluids can be affected by stability, viscosity, surface charge, layering, agglomeration and other factors that limit essential flow.
Researchers have been looking since the late 1990s for efficient, customizable nanofluids that offer a middle ground. They use sub-100-nm particles in low-enough concentrations that they don’t limit flow but still make efficient use of their heat-transfer and storage properties.
Nanodiamonds are proving to be the best additive yet. They carry most of the properties that make bulk diamond so outstanding for heat-transfer applications at the macro scale. Single diamond crystals can be 100 times better at thermal conductivity than copper while still acting as an efficient lubricant.
“The great properties of nanodiamond—lubricity, high thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity and stability, among others—are quite impressive,” said Taha-Tijerina. “We found we could combine very small amounts with conventional fluids and get extraordinary thermal transport without significant problems in viscosity.”
In tests, the researchers dispersed nanodiamonds in mineral oil and found that a very small concentration—one-tenth of a percent by weight—raised the thermal conductivity of the oil by 70% at 373 K (about 211 F). The same concentration of nanodiamond at a lower temperature still raised the conductivity, but to lesser effect (about 40% at 323 K).
They suggested a mechanism somewhat like percolation—but perhaps unlike anything else yet seen takes hold as oil and diamond molecules collide when heated.
“Brownian motion and nanoparticle/fluid interactions play an important role,” Taha-Tijerina said. “We observed enhancement in thermal conductivity with incremental changes in temperature and the amount of nanodiamonds used. The temperature-dependent variations told us the changes were due not just to the percolation mechanism but also to Brownian motion.”
Co-authors are former Rice postdoctoral researcher Tharangattu Narayanan, now at the CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute, Karaikundi, India; Chandra Sekhar Tiwary, who has a research appointment at Rice and is a scientist at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India; and Rice alumna Karen Lozano, a professor of mechanical engineering, and Mircea Chipara, an assistant professor of physics and geology, both of the University of Texas Pan American, Edinburg, Texas. Ajayan is Rice’s Benjamin M. and Mary Greenwood Anderson Professor in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and of chemistry.
Mexico’s National Council for Science and Technology and the Army Research Office through the Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative supported the research.
Source: Rice Univ.


Born Margaret Roberts in Grantham, Lincolnshire, Thatcher was a research chemist before she became involved in politics. After serving as a member of Britain's Parliament, Education Secretary and Leader of the Opposition, Thatcher became the first female prime minister of Britain. She served as the leader of Britain's Conservative Party from 1979 to 1990 and was nicknamed "The Iron Lady" for her uncompromising demeanor.
Thatcher retired from public life in 2002 after suffering a series of strokes and has been in relatively poor health in recent years. She is survived by her children, Mark and Carol. Her husband, Denis, died in 2003.


Understanding how to pay business taxes in the United States is essential to expanding your business. Although it is a bureaucratic function that may seem complicated, it is possible to be on top of the subject after we discuss four topics in this post: federal income tax, state income tax, sales tax, and withholding tax.
This content focuses on technology, e-commerce, and international trading companies incorporated in Delaware and Florida, where the partner is not a U.S. tax-paying resident.
One of the first things to keep in mind is that although the United States has 97 tax rates that ought to be paid annually, you won’t have to pay all of them since you are a non-resident entrepreneur who plans to have a business in the U.S.
Below, we list the most common taxes you’ll probably need to pay.
How do taxes work in the United States?
Federal taxes are paid to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and state taxes are paid to the Department of Revenue (DOR) in each state.
Unlike in Latin America, in the United States, you do not need to pay a tax on the note issued. Here, all taxes are classified as deductible income, costs, and expenses, regardless of whether your company is an LLC or CORP.
What are the most common taxes in the United States?
Federal Income Tax
The amount to be paid to the IRS for this tax varies according to your company’s earnings.
Since 2018, company profits are 21%, ceasing to be in bands like before. When distributing profits to shareholders, the amounts received are set according to the information in this table.
Companies recognized as LLCs do not have to pay this tax at a corporate level. This charge will be made only at an individual level and once the profit is shared. In this type of company, the profits are divided 100% among the partners. The brackets in this category are listed in this table.
On the other hand, a C-CORP will pay 21% corporate income tax. C-CORP shareholders pay between 10% and 37% after receiving dividends. This percentage is also valid for members of an LLC who pay taxes on profits received.
What is interesting in this regard is that, until 2017, there was an exception of approximately $4,000 for individuals. With this, the first $4,000 received from these dividends wouldn’t necessarily be declared.
However, this exception was pendent until 2025 under the “Jobs and Tax Cut Act” passed by U.S. President Donald Trump in 2017.
To ensure you do the entire tax payment process right, you need to hire an accountant or tax preparer.
State Income Tax
The United States is full of peculiarities. Some taxes vary from state to state, such as the state income tax (some states do not charge this fee).
In Florida, for example, you do not pay this tax as an individual. On the other hand, a CORP must pay 4.5% per year, except for the first $50,000 of earnings.
In California, while an individual pays between 1% and 12.3% tax, a CORP pays between 4% and 9%. In Delaware, on the other hand, you will not have to pay any state income tax if you are not a resident of the area.
Sales tax is a tax paid by the consumer at the time of the purchase of consumer goods. Because it is a state law, each of the 50 U.S. states has different rules.
For example, if you sell a $100 item to a customer, you must collect a 7% sales tax, then charge the customer $107 for the product and pass the $7 on to the state.
There are 3 factors you must consider in determining whether or not to charge Sales Tax to the customer based on their NEXUS:
- State of registration of your business: If your business is registered in Florida, for example, it must collect sales tax from all customers who have an address in the state. Delaware does not have a sales tax bill.
- Physical presence in the state: If you use a warehouse in California, for example, even if your business is in Florida, you must collect sales tax from customers located in California.
- Economic activity: After July 2018, states established the Economic Nexus, where, depending on the volume of transactions you have for a given state in 12 months, you must also collect Sales Tax in that state.
Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax Payment
In the United States, tax returns are filed annually and are due at the beginning of the next tax year, but tax collection must be done quarterly throughout the current year.
The Withholding/Estimated Tax Payment is not an additional tax and is the name given to these tax collections that occur proportionally during the year. It functions as a guarantee that, at the end of a tax year, you will file your tax return and pay the amount due or receive a refund of what you paid in addition.
This proportional withholding/payment can vary from 10% to 37% of the profit for the period, depending on the corporate structure of your company and the tax status of each member.
Learn more about US taxes
This article addresses the most common tax liabilities of a U.S. corporation and its members/shareholders. Other taxes may arise depending on the type of income, operations, and tax status.
If you are thinking of starting a business in the United States, talk to our team! We can guide you through the process and explain all the details necessary to start a business on U.S. soil.


|Antiques Digest||Browse Auctions||Appraisal||Antiques And Arts News||Home|
UNDER-GLAZE: Decoration, printed or painted, done before the glaze is applied and the piece fired. This is a more difficult process than over-glaze (q.v.), because the high temperature required for the glaze spoils almost all colors excepting cobalt blue, and was first attempted in England about 1750.
UNION PORCELAIN WORKS: Established in 1864 at Greenpoint, Long Island, by Thomas C. Smith. The porcelain made was composed of kaolin, quartz and feldspar mix, and the glaze was applied by the same process used at Sevres, Meissen and other foreign factories. Mr. Smith was probably the first potter in this country to apply decoration on hard porcelain by the under' glaze method. He also used later the over-glaze method, in order to obtain a greater variety of coloring. The work exhibits a high degree of excellence.
UNITED STATES POTTERY Co.: (Bennington, Vermont) See BENNINGTON.
URBINO (Italy) WARE: The majolica produced here was at its best about 1530'1540 and maintained its excellence for about thirty years. The style of decoration is that known as "Raffaelesque" with scrolls and grotesque ornament forming the ground work and medallions of cupids or mythological subjects in the center. Among its products were plaques, vases and drug pots, sometimes with serpentine handles and mask spouts. The large plaques are frequently decorated with Biblical or historical subjects.


Windows NT Challenge/Response Authentication is an authentication scheme used in Microsoft Windows NT–based networks that enables users to be authenticated without the transmission of actual account information or passwords across the network. Windows NT Challenge/Response Authentication is one of three authentication schemes supported by Internet Information Services (IIS). It is also sometimes known as NTLM, which stands for Windows NT LAN Manager authentication. On the Microsoft Windows 2000 platform, this authentication scheme is now known as Integrated Windows Authentication.
When a Web browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer attempts to connect to an IIS server configured for Windows NT Challenge/Response Authentication, the IIS server challenges the browser to perform a complex mathematical calculation on the password of the logged-on user who is using the browser and to return the result of this calculation to the server. The server also performs the calculation on the user’s password obtained from a domain controller’s Security Account Manager (SAM) database. If the two calculations agree, the client is considered authenticated. If they differ, the user is prompted for a valid Windows NT username and password. If the user provides invalid credentials, the server sends a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) status code to the client browser indicating that access is denied unless some other authentication scheme is enabled.
Internet Explorer 2 and later are the only Web browsers that currently support Windows NT Challenge/Response Authentication.
You can configure IIS 4 so that basic authentication and Windows NT Challenge/Response Authentication are both available. When a browser that supports both methods makes a request to IIS 4 for authentication, Windows NT Challenge/Response Authentication takes precedence.


Are you having trouble starting your computer in the aftermath of a power outage? If your computer was plugged in during a lightning strike or when electricity returned after a power outage you may have fallen victim to a power surge.
What is a Power Surge?
In a typical household setting, a power surge is a phenomenon where the voltage or current delivered to the residence increases briefly and rapidly. In the United States, the standard voltage supplied is around 120 volts, with a maximum threshold of 169 volts. While in other places such as the European Union, the standard supplied voltage is between 110 and 240 volts with a maximum threshold of around 320 volts.
Power surges occur when that maximum threshold is breached by the excess strain placed on electrical circuits by either human error, natural causes, or a combination of the two. To illustrate, lightning strikes, which are natural events, may cause a power surge when lightning comes in contact with electric lines, power grids, or simply the building you happen to be in. High powered machineries such as air conditioning units, microwave ovens and welding machines can also cause a power surge when not properly set up. Overloading electrical outlets and misusing extension cords can leave you far more vulnerable to power surges in your home.
A strong indicator that a power surge may be imminent is when your residence and possibly even your entire block experience a power outage Sensitive electronics like televisions, personal computers (PC), and associated electronic equipment are all vulnerable to damage when power first returns to your residence. The Data Savers LLC team strongly encourages our readers to unplug any important electronics when you experience a power outage or become aware that there may be lightning.
Data Recovery After a Power Surge
The prospect of getting your data back after a power surge will depend on your preparation and, to an extent. luck. You can mitigate the risk of data loss by adequately preparing your house’s electrical circuits. Preparation will significantly increase the odds of getting your files back after a power surge. However, there will be scenarios where even the most well prepared house will still sustain damages to equipment after a spike in voltage or current. When a device has been severely damaged by a power surge, a skilled data recovery technician is your best hope for restoring any files that were lost.
Owing to the complex and sensitive nature of servicing electronics that were damaged by power surges, this is not a data loss scenario where an individual can do much on their own. Fortunately, the data recovery professionals at Data Savers LLC have specialized equipment and nearly two decades of experience with such situations.
Request an Estimate from Data Savers LLC Today!
Can a Power Surge Damage a PC?
Yes. A substantial power surge can damage a Personal Computer (PC). Modern electronic devices and storage appliances likely have some variety of built-in protection from power surges. However, those built-in surge protections can only handle over-voltages that exceed certain thresholds. In thunderstorms, where lightning discharges on average, around 300 million volts, it is essentially guaranteed that your electronic devices are nonfunctional. In the event that your PC and / or hard drive was damaged after a power surge, then it is advised to immediately unplug all your PC components and make sure that there is no visible smoke or sparks coming from the device.
Does a Power Surge Happen with Every Power Outage?
No. A power surge does not always happen with every power outage. Power surges may only affect certain portions of your house, everything in the house, or nothing in the house. A power outage that is not accompanied by a power surge may either be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how well your electrical wiring was made. For instance, a homeowner who was able to integrate certain proactive initiatives may experience a power outage that does not affect their appliances. Rather the power outage becomes a preventive measure that protects the entire household from excessive voltage spikes.
How to Protect your Electronics from Power Surges
Protection of electronic devices from power surges should not be disregarded if you have a stable and reliable supply of electricity, or even when you are living in an area where lightning strikes and thunderstorms rarely occur. The best remedy is always adequate and substantial preparation. If you value the data stored on your computer, it’s worth putting in extra effort to limit the chance of a power surge damaging your electronic devices. Below is a list of some of the best practices you can apply in protecting your electronic devices from damage due to power surges:
- Consider investing in surge protectors for your house. A proper grounding rod may also be a prudent investment. A grounding rod can divert excess voltage from lightning strikes or transmission switching.
- Consult an electrician on how to properly set up high powered appliances. These professionals will be able to advise you on where to install circuit breakers, the correct wire gauge for the corresponding electrical outlet, etc.
- Use automatic voltage regulators (AVRs) on your computers or desktops to provide a steady source of voltage supply and protect your PCs from voltage fluctuations.
- Avoid overloading your extension cords or electrical outlets. Only plug in devices with low power consumption on extension cords.
- If an advisory regarding thunderstorms occurring in your area was broadcasted, limit the use of high powered appliances. To really exercise caution, unplug devices that are not critically important (probably all of them. Read a book).
- When you observe that a power outage is likely to occur due to blinking or fading lights, properly turn off your computer(s) and un-plug the device(s) from electrical outlets.


801 Echinops ritroCommon Names: small globe thistle Family: Asteraceae (aster/daisy Family)
Small globe thistle is a clump forming herbaceous perennial with coarse, prickly leaves to 8 in (20.3 cm) long, and rigid, usually branched, flowering stems 2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m) tall. The leaves are stiff and deeply dissected into spine tipped lobes, gray-green, patterned with cobweb like markings on top, and densely white-wooly beneath. The basal leaves are much larger than the stem leaves. The spherical flowerheads are 1-2 in (2.5-5.1 cm) in diameter, silvery blue at first and maturing to bright blue. Within the flowerhead, the tiny tubular flowers are each surrounded by bristly silverish bracts that extend beyond the actual flowers, giving the head a spiny texture. The flower stems branch 2-6 times and each branch bears a single flowerhead. There are several species of globe thistles available in the horticultural trade; most are larger than small globe thistle, but pretty similar otherwise. 'Taplow Blue' has metallic blue flowers on vigorous 3-4 ft (0.9-1.2 m) stems. 'Veitch's Blue' blooms repeatedly with vivid dark blue flowers on 2 ft (0.6 m) stems.
Small globe thistle, Echinops ritro, is native to western Asia and eastern Europe from Russia to southern France and Spain.
CultureThe globe thistles are best grown on poor, sandy soils. In richer organic soils, with plenty of watering, they may grow so much as to require staking. If you cut flowerheads for dried arrangements early in the season the plants may bloom again. Light: Full sun. Moisture: Water regularly. Once established, small globe thistle is moderately drought tolerant. Hardiness: USDA Zones 3 - 10. Small globe thistle is very tolerant of hot weather, but cool nights result in more intense flower colors. Propagation: Divide root clumps in winter, or sow seed in spring.
The globe thistles are bold and rewarding perennials for herbaceous borders. Small globe thistle is especially useful in smaller gardens and in mixed flower plantings. The basal leaves tend to deteriorate, so conceal them with smaller plants that allow the colorful flowerheads to stand above. Globe thistle is valued for dried arrangements, but the flowerheads must be cut just before the tiny flowers are fully open. Dry quickly upside-down in a warm, airy environment, and they will retain their blue color. The repeat-blooming 'Veitch's Blue' is especially desirable for the cut flower garden. Bumblebees, moths and butterflies find the flowers irresistible.
Undemanding and well behaved, globe thistles are reliable performers in full sun and poor soils in virtually any climate.
Soft hands and feet could be cut by the leaves and mace-like flowerheads.
Steve Christman 9/16/00; updated 10/31/03


Anticipating the Cascading Impact of Marine Hydrocarbon Transport Disaster Stories Upon Canadian Coastal Hazard and Risk Communities
By: Shona L. van Zijll de Jong, Dept. of Earth Sciences, Laurentian University,Ontario
Twenty-seven countries responded to the 2010 Deep Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico and offered assistance to the United States of America. By June 2010, the U.S.had accepted assistance from twelve countries and international bodies to manage this “black swan” oil spill (the largest accidental marine oil disaster in the history of the petroleum industry): Canada contributed 3000 metres of containment boom.
Importantly, this evidence indicates that the petroleum industry’s black swan oil disaster story rapidly circled the globe. Many oil and petroleum producing nations took lessons from the event and applied them to national contexts. For example, cognizant that the global hydrocarbon supply chain had been anticipating growth in Canada’s oil and gas exploration, exploitation and transportation, the Canadian government began to tackle the local- global issue of marine hydrocarbon transportation. Tellingly, the Transport Canada 2010 report is entitled: Ship Source Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS) Incident Preparedness and Response Regime.
More recently, nongovernmental organizations, academic institutions, industry, government agencies, and other stakeholders have published a number of key marine hydrocarbon transport hazard and risk reports. Many reports focus on the potential and actual impacts of marine disasters/accidents from ships in Canadian waters. Taken together, these reports suggest that Canadian stakeholders are raising important questions about the anticipated consequences of proposed hydrocarbon transportation upon Canadian coastal communities. Canada is a coastal nation-state with 56% of the world’s coastlines (over 200,000 kilometers). Investigation has tended to focus on three themes:
- offshore conservation in the marine environment;
- expansion of the renewable energy developments/schemes; and
- mineral resource exploration/exploitation
Our study differs from the standard coastal risk reports and literature. Our research focuses on the cascading impact of marine hydrocarbon transport disaster stories in popular culture, policy circles, and national and international marine safety standards. It seeks to discover how coastal hazard risk assessments have become milestones in Canadian’s coastal hazard risk management strategy and how these assessments have helped to guide the discussion required to reduce hazard risk at the municipal level. Thus, a large amount of literature has been collated and thematically analyzed to determine how Canada has advanced a coastal risk communication strategy, focused on its Northern, Western, and Eastern coastlines, to best prepare communities, industry, and government sectors for marine disaster risk.
This five-phase research project began in 2014. The first phase was an in-depth review of over 200 peer reviewed journal articles detailing how socioeconomic vulnerability to specific coastal hazards has been qualified and quantified. The second phase involved reviewing over 100 Canadian local and regional coastal vulnerability studies (peer reviewed articles, Canadian graduate student theses, government reports and other “grey” literature) to determine how coastal zone hazard and risk research has been advanced by Canadian coastal hazard/risk and vulnerability research initiatives. Over the next two years, several more phases of research will be initiated.
We are seeking Coastal Risk Management Analysts** who would like to work on this project.
This will include:
- providing evidence of coastal risk reduction initiatives that have become milestones in Canadian’s coastal risk communication strategy;
- identifying several key gaps in Canadian approaches to the study of coastal vulnerability; and
- highlighting how oil spill disaster stories are changing research and coordination partnerships among industry, government, risk reduction organizations, and academics, as well as driving new research and development investment into specific business continuity plans.
The results of this project will reveal how black swan oil spill disaster stories change research and coordination partnerships among industry, government, risk reduction organizations, and academics. The goal is to show evidence of coastal risk reduction initiatives that have become milestones in Canadian’s coastal risk communication strategy with the following end result: Increase emergency response capacity and capability in local, regional, national, and international networks.
The anticipated outcome of this research is the identification of how relevant parties and stakeholders communicate and cooperate. The findings will be useful for stakeholders in academia, industry, nongovernmental organizations, and government.
Bio: Recently, Shona received awards from the United Way and the Hollyhock Social Venture Institute. She volunteers with the Geological Survey of Canada and the Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences.
**For more information please contact: firstname.lastname@example.org


Vision Therapy Controversy
When Student Doesn't Qualify
Vision Tests & Tools
Interpreting the Eye Report
Structure & Function of the Eye
Common Visual Impairments
Cortical Visual Impairment
What is the FVE
Assessment Kit Materials
Near Vision Acuities
Distance Acuities & Fields
Learning Media Assessment
Writing the F.V.E. Report
Sample FVE Reports
Clinical Low Vision Evaluation
Assistive Technology Assessment
Orientation & Mobility Evaluation
Impact on Development
Unique Visual Needs
ECC Annual Needs
Writing SMART Goals
Overview of AT
Accommodations vs. Modification
Role of Classroom Teacher
Service Delivery Models
Least Restrictive Environment
Schools for the Blind
Student Led IEPs
This page provides a collection of pamphlets, handouts, and forms available for download to support your district's visual impairment program.
Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind is a residential school that also provides statewide services. In addition to information about the school, AIDB provides wonderful resources on their "Reference Desk" page.
Arkansas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired offers statewide educational programs and resources to students who are blind or visually impaired, birth through twenty-one, enabling them to become productive, self-sufficient citizens through the involvement of all students, staff, parents and the community.
Arizona State School for the Deaf and the Blind is a residential school that also provides statewide services.
The Los Angeles Blind Children's Center is an organization which serves children birth through second grade who are blind or visually impaired and their families in an inclusive setting.
The Braille Institute is a nonprofit organization offers a variety of free programs, classes and services and outreach locations throughout Southern California.
California School for the Blind provides intensive, disability specific educational services for students enrolled in the school as well as statewide resources.
Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind provides comprehensive direct educational services for children, birth to age 21 as well as outreach programs for students, staff, and families in communities throughout Colorado.
The Concordia Learning Center at St. Joseph's School for the Blind provides comprehensive services to students with visual impairments and/or multiple disabilities from birth to age 21 years of age in New Jersey.
Florida School for the Deaf & the Blind In addition to information on their residential program and outreach program, the FSDB site provides resources specific to visual impairments.
Georgia Academy for the Blind provides educational services to students and families throughout Georgia including day and residential programs on campus and outreach services.
The Governor Morehead School for the Blind educates, advocates for, and provides resources for all North Carolina students with visual impairment, their families, and professionals who serve them.
The Hadley School for the Blind promotes independent living through lifelong, distance education programs for people who are blind or visually impaired, their families and blindness service providers.
The Idaho School for the Deaf and the Blind provides a full continuum of services for children who are Blind and Visually Impaired including a residential campus, education centers and clinical services for children age 3 to age 21.
The Indiana School for the Blind & Visually Impaired provides residential as well as outreach services to children and young adults throughout the state who are blind or have low vision.
Illinois School for the Visually Impaired provides statewide educational resources as well as a comprehensive educational program.
The Iowa Educational Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired provides residential and outreach programs and resources to students who are blind or visually impaired.
The Kansas State School for the Blind is a special purpose school for students aged 3-21 years of age who are visually impaired. KSSB also provides statewide outreach services.
The Kentucky School for the Blind offers a residential and day program as well as outreach services throughout the state of Kentucky.
Junior Blind of America offers educational programs as well as recreation and rehabilitation services.
The Lavelle School for the Blind, located in the Bronx in New York, integrates students who are blind and have multiple disabilities using a combination of developmental and functional strategies.
The Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired offers residential and day programs as well as outreach services throughout the state of Louisiana.
The Maryland School for the Blind (MSB) is a private, statewide resource center providing outreach, school and residential programs to children and youth from infancy to age 21 who are blind or visually impaired.
The Michigan Department of Education, Low Incidence Outreach provides technical assistance and resources to local service providers.
The Mississippi School for the Blind is designed to focus on the unique learning needs of children and youth with visual impairments or blindness, including those with additional disabilities. They offer residential and day programs as well as outreach services throughout the state of Mississippi.
The Minnesota State Academy for the Blind provides educational services to blind and visually impaired students who range in age from birth to 21. It offers residential and day programs.
The Missouri School for the Blind offers educational and outreach services for legally blind Missouri children from birth through age 21 and their families.
The Montana School for the Deaf & Blind provides comprehensive educational opportunities for Montana's deaf, hard of hearing, blind, and visually impaired children. They offer a residential or day students on the Great Falls campus as well as outreach services.
The Nebraska Center for the Education of Children who are Blind or Visually Impaired provides services to children from birth to age 21. NCECBVI provides center-based and residential services along with an outreach program.
The New Mexico School for the Blind & Visually Impaired offers a continuum of services for children throughout New Mexico. It offers a residential program, family-Infant-toddler program, and outreach program.
The New York Institute for special Education is a private, nonprofit educational facility which provides programs for children who are blind or visually impaired.
North Dakota Vision Services/ School for the Blind provides center based programming and regionalized outreach services.
The Ohio State School for the Blind provides services to children from birth to age 21 throughout Ohio. They offer a residential or day program as well as an outreach program.
The Oklahoma School for the Blind provides instruction to Oklahoma students in the residential and day program as well as outreach services.
The Overbrook School for the Blind offers a variety of programs for children of different ages and abilities including residential and day programs.
The Perkins School for the Blind provides a wide range of services including both residential and day programs, community programs and international programs. They also provide a wide range of teaching resources that include interactive webinars, educational activities, professional development credits, online workshops and more.
The South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind is a specialized school for students who are deaf or blind. The main campus is located in Spartanburg, but the school serves students throughout the state through its campus and outreach programs.
The South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired has been designated to provide a variety of services to meet the individual needs of students in South Dakota who are visually impaired, blind, or deaf-blind.
The Tennessee School for the Blind provides a residential program as well as an outreach program for students within the state of Tennessee.
The Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired provides a continuum of statewide placements for students who are blind or visually impaired ages 6 through 21. It also provides statewide resource to parents and professionals through transition from school. TSBVI publishes a number of resources a wide range of topics.
The Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind provides a variety of educational services and options to meet the needs of students throughout Utah including residential and day programs and outreach services.
The Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind provides an array of specialized services including residential and day options as well as outreach services.
The Washington State School for the Blind provides specialized educational services to visually impaired and blind youth ages birth to 21 within the state of Washington.
The Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children provides residential services to students who are blind or visually impaired as well as outreach services and programs to babies, toddlers and school-age students with visual impairments attending thier local schools.
The West Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind provides students with specialized programs including residential programs and outreach programs.
The Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired is a residential school and also provides outreach services to students throughout Wisconsin.
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Our world is so fast-paced and demanding that we never take time to stop and reflect. As an introvert, I need reflection to recharge. As a teacher, I know that reflection is a crucial part of the learning process. That’s why I put my unit plans aside on the first day back from break, and started 2019 with poetry, personal writing, and time to talk with friends. Even if you’re not a teacher, you might like to participate in this mini English lesson as a way to ground yourself for 2019!
Step 1: Poetry
I am a firm believer in enjoying poetry, not killing it via dissection. For this lesson, I only needed the poetry piece to get them started on reflecting. I don’t need an intensive analysis that will only make them shut down.
When we read “Burning the Old Year” by Naomi Shihab Nye, these were the only comprehension questions I gave them:
- Summarize this poem in your own words.
- What are the things that burn?
- What does she mean by “so little is a stone”?
- What does she mean by “an absence shouts, celebrates, leaves a space”?
- What remains “crackling?
After some small group discussion and some big group checks for comprehension, we moved on to reflection questions. Students wrote for about a minute for each prompt:
- If you could burn all of 2018, what would be the things that would wither away and vanish? Although Nye implied that these were just the menial and meaningless memories, you can also think of this as a cathartic burning of bad memories.
- What is “a stone” for you? This would be the people/memories/things that would remain after the burning, that you could lift up out of the ashes of 2018 and carry with you into 2019.
- What is still “crackling” for you? What are the actions that are left undone, that you didn’t fully complete or carry through to the end? Do you want to continue pursuing them in 2019, or let them go?
Step 2: Whiteboard Gallery Walk
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about high schoolers, it’s that they love writing on walls and whiteboards. I filled up my walls with as many whiteboards as I could. To prep, the kids individually brainstormed through the following prompts:
- What is one thing from 2018 that made you happy, proud of yourself, or feel inspired?
- What is the greatest lesson you learned in 2018?
- What is your favorite memory from Winter Break 2018?
- What is one goal you have for 2019?
- What motivates you?
- What is one challenge you will have to face in 2019?
- How do you move forward from setbacks to your goal?
Then, I gave the kids two 90s pop songs’ worth of time to walk through the class at their leisure and write a thought at each of the boards. Be aware: this is about 8-10 minutes of unstructured “fun” time, so be ready to let go of some control and let your kids be kids.
Recommended guidelines so the kids are kind to themselves and each other:
- No pressure to write anything personal on the boards that they’re not comfortable with sharing. Let them know ahead of time, and allow them to write something fun instead.
- No editing or erasing others’ thoughts. Teacher can make it clear that only she will erase, and that’s only to keep things appropriate in class.
- Reminders to be mindful of varying perspectives and beliefs.
- Have fun!
Step 3: Share
Once everyone was back at their desks, we all shared ONE thought from the whiteboard walls that we were OK with sharing. I started my telling the kids about my potty training adventures over break, and they continued with their favorite memories and their new goals. It was a fun way to get to know each other again after a stressful end to 2018!
Step 4: Deeper Reflection
I asked the kids to pick ONE idea from the day, anything from their warm-up to “Burning the Old Year” to any of their whiteboard prompts. They had about five minutes to elaborate on the idea in the form of a paragraph. I took it up as an ungraded writing practice. I read their reflection, left a comment for each kids, gave them a sticker (because EVERYONE loves stickers, no matter what the age), and gave it back to them the next day.
I absolutely loved this way of getting to know my students better. It was also a much more pleasant start to the year than diving right back into literary analysis. It’s great to see their insightful sides come out, as well as their senses of humor.
To my fellow empath teachers out there: be ready to be completely exhausted after you read their personal reflections. I was worn out at the end of the day, after reading about all their anxieties, fears, and goals. It’s good to know it all, but it wears on you if you read 150 of them in 24 hours.
What are your thoughts on New Year’s? Do you begin with reflection? How do you begin the new school year?
2 thoughts on “Lesson Plan: Encouraging Reflection at the Start of the New Year”
LOVE this! Nice work, teach!


Because you have diabetes, it is very possible
that circulation of blood to your legs and feet is slower and more
sluggish. If you are a newly diagnosed diabetic, this is a future
possibility. This problem could be a factor in your ability
to fight infection. A little sore or cut on your foot or lower
leg, if not properly treated, might lead to serious complications.
Therefore, it is important that you prevent any injury to your feet
and follow a very careful plan of foot hygiene. I have listed
some very basic steps that all diabetics should consider. You
must always remember that if you have a question or concern; you should
call your referring doctor or my office and just ask!
Bathe your feet daily in lukewarm soapy water
and rinse thoroughly. Make sure the water is NOT HOT.
Test temperature with your hand, thermometer or another person.
Diabetes affects sensation and your temperature sensation
may not be true. This will prevent burns. Carefully
and gently pat your feet dry after soaking, do not rub.
Use a soft towel and remember to dry gently between all toes.
Wear clean socks, change them daily and discard
when worn out. Inspect the socks daily for signs
of drainage from an open sore that you do not know you have
or can feel.
Wear shoes that fit snugly, but not tight.
To help assure dryness, rotate your shoes every day
and keep your shoes in good condition. Break in new
shoes gradually. Wear only a few hours at first to
prevent blisters and sore spots.
Keep your toenails trimmed. Since you
are a diabetic, it is not recommended that you cut your own
toe nails because you could cause an infection. Visit
your podiatrist regularly for routine care, examination and
Do not attempt to trim your own corns and calluses.
Do not use commercial corn or wart remedies. These contain
harmful acids that are very dangerous to diabetics.
Always wear shoes or slippers around the house,
especially outside of the house, in your yard or at the beach.
Remember, bare feet invite injuries!
Avoid wearing anything tight around your legs
or ankle that might in any way reduce of cut off the blood
supply to your feet. Avoid extremes of cold or heat.
Never use hot water bottles or heating pads to warm your feet
as you may get a burn. Use warm socks if feet are cold.
DO NOT SMOKE !! Smoking constricts blood
vessels and directly affects the blood supply to your feet.
Nicotine gum does the same.
Examine your feet daily. If you find
any sores, cuts, redness, swelling, pus, blisters (EVEN IF
YOU HAVE NO PAIN !!) report this to Dr. Brandeisky's
Office IMMEDIATELY. Tell the answering
service or receptionist that it is a diabetic emergency.
If you have questions about foot care or
would like to receive more information, you can reach my office at
(732) 308-1090 or E-mail me at email@example.com.
Back to njfootdoc.com Home Page


1. Q: What is a stove used for?
A: It’s used for cooking.
A: It’s used to cook things.
A: A stove is used to heat food.
2. Q: How many burners are on this stove?
A: There are four burners. / It has four burners.
3. Q: Is it gas or electric?
A: It’s electric.
4. Q: What will happen if you leave something on the stove for too long?
A: If you leave something on the stove for too long, it will burn.
5. Q: What’s below the stove?
A: Below the stove is the oven.
Click here for more Think in English exercises.


Bongeunsa is a Buddhist temple in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea.
12 Aug 2007, by HongSang Lee
Bongeunsa is a Buddhist temple in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It was founded in 794 during the reign of King Wonseong by the monk Yeon-hoe, then the highest ranking monk of Silla, and originally named Kyongseoungsa. It is located on the slope of Sudo Mountain in Samseong-dong, across the street from the COEX Mall.
During the Joseon Dynasty, Buddhism in Korea was severely repressed. However, Bongeunsa was reconstructed in 1498 under the patronage of a Joseon Queen. With the support of Queen Munjeong, who revived Buddhism in Korea for a short time in the mid-16th century, it became the main temple of the Korean Seon (Zen) sect of Buddhism from 1551 through 1936. Monk Bo-wu was appointed head of the temple in 1548 by Queen Munjeong but was killed soon afterwards as the anti-Buddhist factions regained dominance in Korea towards the end of Queen Munjeong's rule. From 1552-1564 it was the center of the Buddhist National Exam.
A fire in 1939 destroyed most of the buildings, and other parts of the temple were destroyed during the Korean War. Fortunately, one of the very few halls which escaped destruction during the Korean War continues to hold the woodblock carvings of the Flower Garland Sutra, Ã«Â´Âcompleted in 1855 by monk Young-ki The temple has undergone many repairs and renovations, and is now once again a large, thriving complex. The reconstruction efforts are being waged even today.
The temple is also a notable tourist destination, offering a "Temple Stay Program" in which visitors can lead the life of a monk for a few hours.
ROTOPAN PANORAMIC TRIPOD HEAD
Location & Nearby - Korea, Republic of
|This panorama was shot here.||One panorama here - click to view|
|Many panoramas here - click for details/zoom|


Business freedom is an overall indicator of the efficiency of government regulation of business. The quantitative score is derived from an array of measurements of the difficulty of starting, operating, and closing a business. The business freedom score for each country is a number between 0 and 100, with 100 equaling the freest business environment. The score is based on 10 factors, all weighted equally, using data from the World Bank’s Doing Business study:
- Starting a business—procedures (number);
- Starting a business—time (days);
- Starting a business—cost (% of income per capita);
- Starting a business—minimum capital (% of income per capita);
- Obtaining a license—procedures (number);
- Obtaining a license—time (days);
- Obtaining a license—cost (% of income per capita);
- Closing a business—time (years);
- Closing a business—cost (% of estate); and
- Closing a business—recovery rate (cents on the dollar).
Each of these raw factors is converted to a scale of 0 to 100, after which the average of the converted values is computed. The result represents the country’s business freedom score. For example, even if a country requires the highest number of procedures for starting a business, which yields a score of zero in that factor, it could still receive a score as high as 90 based on scores in the other nine factors. Canada, for instance, receives scores of 100 in nine of these 10 factors, but the 14 licensing procedures required by the government equate to a score of 64.5 for that factor.
Each factor is converted to a scale of 0 to 100 using the following equation:
Factor Scorei = 50 factoraverage/factori
which is based on the ratio of the country data for each factor relative to the world average, multiplied by 50. For example, on average worldwide, it takes 18 procedures to get necessary licenses. Canada’s 14 licensing procedures are a factor value better than the average, resulting in a ratio of 1.29. That ratio multiplied by 50 equals the final factor score of 64.5.
For the six countries that are not covered by the World Bank’s Doing Business report, business freedom is scored by analyzing business regulations based on qualitative information from reliable and internationally recognized sources.
Sources. Unless otherwise noted, the Index relies on the following sources in determining business freedom scores, in order of priority: World Bank, Doing Business 2013; Economist Intelligence Unit, Country Commerce, 2009–2012; U.S. Department of Commerce, Country Commercial Guide, 2009–2012; and official government publications of each country.


Also known as Dark-barred Pipefish, Fijian-banded Pipefish, Red-banded Pipefish, White-faced Pipefish.
Found singly, pairs or in groups over rock and sand areas of lagoons and seaward reefs.
They feed on tiny swimming invertebrates which they suck whole into their mouths.
Length - 10cm
Depth - 0-30m
Widespread Indo-West Pacific
Pipefish are like seahorses in that the male gives birth!
The female deposits their eggs after fertilisation into the males pouch located under their tail to incubate the eggs for one month before giving birth. Ref: https://www.fishbase.se/summary/6659


Sawkill Creek is located in Greene and Ulster Counties, in the glaciated Allegheny Plateau physiographic province of New York State. Sawkill Creek is a tributary to Esopus Creek, a subwatershed to the Hudson
River. The watershed covers approximately 42 square miles (26,810 acres) and is located in the Towns of Hunter, Woodstock, Saugerties, Ulster and Kingston.
The main stem of Sawkill Creek is approximately 19.5 miles long, and falls approximately 1950 feet through its course. The headwaters originate at Echo Lake on the border of the Towns of Hunter and Woodstock at an elevation of 2,075 feet above mean sea level. The creek joins with two first-order tributaries before reaching an unnamed second-order tributary, combining to form a third-order stream. The stream meanders through the Village of Woodstock before flowing into the Town of Kingston near River Mile 12. Sawkill Creek terminates at Esopus Creek, at a base elevation of 135 feet above mean sea level.
The valley landform ranges from a moderately sloping to gradually sloping convex ridges with dendritic patterned drainages of varied densities and spacing. The valley bottom ranges in width from as little as a few feet in the headwaters to hundreds of feet in the middle and lower portions of the watershed. The morphology of Sawkill Creek and its tributaries varies depending on the watershed area, valley confinement, valley slope, bedrock structural controls, and anthropogenic features such as road encroachments and bridge structures. The predominant stream types along the mainstem include Rosgen Types C and B.
The stream substrate varies throughout the mainstem, changing from larger cobble and boulder in the headwaters to predominantly gravel through the majority of its length. Significant exposures of bedrock are present both in the headwaters and in the lower valley. Glacial till is the most extensive source of parent material in the watershed. Significant amounts of glacial till, outwash, and clay materials are present in varying depths throughout the basin.
excerpted from Sawkill Creek Stream Corridor Assessment Report, May 2007, prepared by Integrated River Solutions, Inc. for the Sawkill Watershed Alliance, Town of Woodstock, Town of Kingston, & Town of Ulster


NOVEMBER IS AMERICAN DIABETES MONTH
At Spectrum Eyecare in Peachtree City, Dr. John Henahan considers educating diabetic patients one of his most important missions. That is because diabetes is the single leading cause of irreversible vision loss in Americans under 70 years of age. During this month, please visit stopdiabetes.org to learn more about this disease. As for preserving your vision, below are Dr. Henahan’s top tips to prevent vision loss if you are diabetic.
1) Annual Eye Exams
Seeing well into the future is no big trick — as long as you have regular vision and eye health examinations. There are many disorders and diseases that can have long lasting affects on your eyes if not diagnosed early. One disease that can be detected during a thorough eye examination is diabetic eye disease. Yet, less than 50% of diabetics have an annual diabetic eye examination. That is unfortunate, as early detection and treatment can prevent vision loss in the majority of people suffering from diabetic eye disease. Studies have repeatedly shown that early detection of diabetic eye disease is essential for the prevention of vision loss. Once vision loss occurs, it is unlikely that full function can be recovered.
2) Retinal Photography
Be sure that your eye examination includes a dilated eye examination and photography of the retina (the part of the eye where most vision loss in diabetes occurs). Retinal photography has been shown to detect diabetic eye disease in more people than an eye examination alone.
3) Control Blood Sugar
The two main risk factors for diabetic eye disease are how long you have been diabetic and how well you control your blood sugar. Since you cannot control how long you have been diabetic, it is imperative that you control your blood sugar. The most important measure of control is a blood test called an “A-1-C” test. This test measures how well you have controlled your blood sugar for the past 90 days or so. “I often tell my patients that this test is the best way to know if you are winning or losing your battle with diabetes”, says Dr. Henahan. It is critical to have this test done by your doctor as directed (typically every three months). Also you need to know your doctor’s goal for your score (typically in the 6.0-7.0 range). If you don’t know your score, you need to find out.
Dr. Henahan and Spectrum Eyecare are emphasizing the importance of annual dilated eye examinations during American Diabetes Month in November. As a diabetic, or a person at risk, seeing your optometrist is as important as visiting your physician regularly and following instructions about proper diet, exercise, and medication.
Remember, if you are diabetic your medical insurance will cover an eye examination, so you do not need vision insurance to have an exam (you may still have a deductible or co-pay, check with your insurance company).
Schedule an annual eye examination today if it has been more than a year or if your blood sugar control has been deteriorating. Dr. Henahan is a resident of Peachtree City and founder of Spectrum Eyecare. You may reach his office at 770-487-0667 or on the web at SpecEye.com.


- Entering the Water: Always use a feet-first entry into shallow water. If the lane is crowded, always ease in, using a feet-first entry. You may dive into the pool only from the deep end and only if the pool is completely clear ahead of you.
- Direction of Swimming: Just like on the road, stay to the right. Try to leave the middle of the lane open.
- Passing: If a swimmer knows you are behind them and that you want to pass, the best place to pass is at the wall. A light touch on the foot can also signify this. If you pass in the middle of the lane, it should be between the backstroke flags, and you should pass on the inside or middle of the lane. Make sure the way is clear; you can lightly touch the foot of the swimmer in front of you to let them know that you are passing. This will signal the swimmer that you are passing to slow down a little and “hug the lane.”
- Number of People in a Lane: Several people (as many as 8 or more), can fit in a lane if proper etiquette is observed and swimmers of like speed are together.
- Lane Speed: It is very important to swim in a lane with other swimmers of the same speed. The lanes progress with the side pool wall being the slowest and moving faster from there. Fast and slow are relative terms, so take some time to observe the swimmers in the pool and take your best guess as to where you should swim.
- Stopping/Resting: If you are resting on the wall, stay to the right side of the lane to stay away from the swimmers coming in. Stopping in the middle of the pool should be avoided. If the lane is crowded and one person stops, all will have to stop. Be aware of the swimmers around you.
- The Diplomacy of Shared Space: If someone makes a suggestion concerning any of the mentioned etiquette topics, try to make adjustments in the spirit of cooperation. If you make a suggestion to another swimmer, try to do it as diplomatically as possible. Lifeguards will intercede only if there is a problem that cannot be resolved or if there appears to be a safety concern.


Located in the southern province of Mersin, on the Mediterranean Sea, the Akkuyu nuclear plant has been controversial since it was first proposed in the 1970s.
The meltdown at the Japanese Fukushima nuclear plant last year didn’t stall Turkey’s plans to build its own nuclear reactors. Like many Middle Eastern countries, as Green Prophet reported, Turkey announced its intent to continue full-speed with its nuclear power program. Now, 3D images of the country’s first planned nuclear facility have been released — and despite some greenwashing, they don’t look pretty.
The $20 billion plant will be built and majority owned and operated by Russian atomic energy agency ROSATOM. To give it more of a “Turkish theme”, however, the general manager of the project company says the roof of the structure enclosing the reactors will be topped by a “Turkish style dome”.
Akkuyu will have a final generating capacity of 4,800 MW, or nearly one-tenth of Turkey’s total installed power generating capacity. There will be no noise pollution or waste seepage, and employees “will not have to wear any special gear” once the plant is up and running.
The plant will “have the look of a scientific research institute,” according to Turkish Hurriyet Daily News, the paper that released the 3D images. It will be the size of two football fields, and located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, whose waters it will draw from for cooling purposes.
Construction is expected to begin in 2013.
Location, location, location
Sounds pretty good so far, but the devil’s in the details. Here are the major flaws you won’t read about in the Daily News article:
– The plant is slated to be built 16 miles from an active fault line. (This piece of information caused one of the original scientists who signed off on Akkuyu’s first license in 1976 to revoke his support for the project.)
– The Akkuyu facility will supposedly be designed to withstand an earthquake rated 9.0 on the Richter scale. But the type of nuclear plant that ROSATOM is building, the VVER 1200, has never been built before — meaning its design has never been tested by an actual earthquake.
– Because of the plant’s proximity to the Mediterranean Sea, no cooling towers will be built. The plan is to use Mediterranean water as a coolant and then “redirect the water back to the sea completely uncontaminated.” But the Mediterranean Sea can reach temperatures up to 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) in the summer, meaning it will be too hot to adequately cool the reactors.
– Furthermore, the water that is returned to the sea will be much hotter than when it was retrieved, giving it the potential to seriously damage marine life in the area.
– There is no visible plan for how Akkuyu will dispose of the nuclear waste generated by the facility. The plan insists that “no radiation will be released in any form outside of the boundaries of the plant,” as though it will simply evaporate away.
– Finally, the entire project has been pitched to the Turkish public as a way for Turkey to wean itself off dependence on foreign energy imports. But a Russian state-owned company will majority own and operate the facility. That doesn’t seem very energy-independent.
Turkey hoping to have three nuclear plants in a decade
ROSATOM is looking to take over the other two nuclear plants Turkey hopes to build in the next decade, according to the article in Hurriyet.
A Korean company that had been interested in one of those projects announced that it expected Turkey to cancel its nuclear plans after the massive earthquake that rocked the country’s southeast last October, but Turkey’s government is obviously not fazed by the prospect of similar destruction occurring within a nuclear zone.
Of all countries in the Middle East, Turkey should be most aware of the risks of nuclear power: the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown in 1986 occurred just across the Black Sea from Turkey’s northern coast, ruining two seasons of crops and causing untold disease in residents.
The fact that Turkey’s government is pursuing a nuclear project as flawed and short-sighted as Akkuyu does not bode well for the future of nuclear development in the country. Turkey’s public seems aware of this — huge public protests against the plant have been taking place for the past three decades. Hopefully, the government will eventually pay attention to what its own populace is saying.
Read more about nuclear power in Turkey:
Image via Hurriyet Daily News


These spooky creatures will make your skin crawl
This is the stuff nightmares are made of.
Caterpillars have a nice life. They spend most of their time munching on leaves until they are big fat caterpillars. Then they slumber for weeks as pupae before turning into beautiful butterflies. Unless they catch a virus. Then it all goes downhill, literally.
Normally, gypsy moth caterpillars spend their nights munching leaves and their days hiding from predators underground. But when they are infected by a particular family of viruses, they develop a very odd behaviour.
They climb up a tree in broad daylight, all the way to the top, and then they literally explode, releasing millions of viral particles in the process. The virus’s plan all along.
But how does a virus manage such a scheme? It turns out that it all boils down to a single gene. According to a study, the virus is carrying a gene called egt that drives the caterpillar to develop this bizarre zombie-like behaviour. When researchers removed this gene from the virus, infected caterpillars did not turn into zombies.
Viruses are not the only ones messing with insects’ lives. Fungi are not far behind.
Is that a fungus in your head?
Several fungi species are specialised in infecting particular ant species, and they are well known for their gruesome strategies. The fungal genus Ophiocordyceps, for example, is known to infect carpenter and spiny ants.
It all starts when an ant walks into the wrong side of the forest and runs into microscopic fungal spores. As soon as the spore is attached to the ant, it secretes a powerful enzyme that digs through the ant’s exo-skeleton.
Two days later, the ant walks out of its nest, climbs up a tree and finds a cosy spot. One with the right temperature and humidity for a fungus. Then, it climbs to the underside of a leaf and bites a vein so it is firmly hanging about. Then, it dies.
Shortly afterwards, the fungus growing within the ant consumes the ant’s internal organs and sprouts out of the ant. Later on, spores are released, and the cycle starts over.
But viruses and fungi are just gentle players compared to other mind-controlling critters. Wasps are the real puppet masters.
Tales from the wasp side
Wasps can be mean little critters. Some species inject chemicals into spiders, cockroaches or caterpillars that turn them into zombies, just so they can use them as living food for their babies.
For example, a recent study found that the wasp Reclinervellus nielseni injects a paralysing venom into the spider Cyclosa argenteoalba and then proceeds to place an egg into the spider.
After the attack, the spider continues with its everyday tasks. But about four days after the egg was laid on the spider, a small larvae hatches. During the next two weeks the tiny larvae will slowly feed on the spiders inner fluids, while also releasing mind-controlling chemicals.
These chemicals will persuade the spider into building a special kind of web. This web resembles a resting web, a relatively simple web structure that is normally built by the spider when moulting.
But the web built by the parasitised spider is not exactly a resting web. It is reinforced to become a cocoon web, one that will support the wasp cocoon during its 10-day development.
Once the cocoon web is completed, the larvae has matured and will suck dry the spider over a course of 20 hours, quickly killing the spider.
Afterwards, the larvae is ready to finish its development in a nice strong web. “The wasps thus not only devour the host spider but also evoke the spider’s innate web-building behaviour for their own survival after the host vehicle died,” says Dr Keizo Takasuka at Kobe University, Japan, who led the study.
Another wasp, found in Central and North America and in New Zealand, goes the extra mile when it comes to making zombies. It not only turns a helpless caterpillar into a living food pantry, it even makes the caterpillar work as babysitter of its own parasites!
It all starts when a wasp of the genus Glyptapanteles injects its eggs into the caterpillar Thyrinteina leucocerae. About 2 weeks later, bad things start to happen to the caterpillar. First off, more than 80 little larvae start oozing out of its body, all at once, over a 1-hour period.
But to add insult to injury, after all those larvae have protruded out of its body, the caterpillar actually starts caring for them. The poor caterpillar builds a nice silky cocoon to protect the larvae from predators and other wasps. The caterpillar will even fight off potential attackers, and it continues with this behaviour until it dies of starvation.
Why would the caterpillar behave this way? According Dr Arne Janssen at the University of Amsterdam who studied this bizarre wasp, the secret may be with one or two larvae that remain inside the caterpillar. He thinks these larvae may be manipulating the behaviour of the caterpillar host.


Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Loggerhead turtles are the most abundant of all the marine turtle species in U.S. waters. But persistent population declines due to pollution, shrimp trawling, and development in their nesting areas, among other factors, have kept this wide-ranging seagoer on the threatened species list since 1978.
Their enormous range encompasses all but the most frigid waters of the world’s oceans. They seem to prefer coastal habitats, but often frequent inland water bodies and will travel hundreds of miles out to sea.
The largest of all hard-shelled turtles—leatherbacks are bigger but have soft shells—loggerheads have massive heads, strong jaws, and a reddish-brown shell, or carapace. Adult males reach about three feet (nearly one meter) in shell length and weigh about 250 pounds (113 kilograms), but large specimens of more than 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms) have been found.
They are primarily carnivores, munching jellyfish, conchs, crabs, and even fish, but will eat seaweed and sargassum occasionally.
Mature females will often return, sometimes over thousands of miles, to the beach where they hatched to lay their eggs. Worldwide population numbers are unknown, but scientists studying nesting populations are seeing marked decreases despite endangered species protections.
- Strong loggerhead sea turtle nesting in Florida (sfgate.com)
- Lawsuit targets critical habitat for loggerhead sea turtles (summitcountyvoice.com)
- 40 hypothermic sea turtles rescued on Cape Cod (boston.com)
- PHOTO RELEASE: Coast Guard, The Florida Aquarium release rehabilitated sea turtle back into the wild (uscgnews.com)


Experience the vibrant tapestry of Bengali culture in just thirteen celebrations in the picture book,“Festivals of Bengal”. The author has used the literal meaning of the phrase ‘Baaro maashe, taro pabbon’, which in her mother tongue, Bengali, means `Thirteen festivals in Twelve months’’ indicating the abundance of festivities in Bengal and other parts of India.
Evocative illustrations and vivid recollections of Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Poila Boishakh and more take you through a journey of cherished memories as we relive the author’s childhood of growing up in a proverbial “village” of “aunties” and “uncles”. Feel the palpable excitement in the air, the anticipation of new clothes, delectable flavors and the joyous coming together of communities, as these stories capture a bygone era when festivals were intertwined with the rhythm of life.
From the humble sowing of seeds to bountiful harvests, the book captures the essence of these age-old festivals, beyond their religious origins. As an added treat, the book includes some simple recipes, adding flavor and aroma to the reading experience.
Ultimately, this book is a love letter to the author’s daughter and other children around our beautiful diverse world.
“Festivals of Bengal” is an invaluable resource for parents, educators, and libraries, promoting diversity, and cultural appreciation where traditions intertwine with fond memories and the joy of celebration for readers everywhere.
Let me know when your book gets published I will be first in line to buy a copy!
The book will be immensely popular because of its simple language and colourful drawings.
Thank you so much for your encouragement!


Today, the Internet is not only a source of information from around the world but also a repository of everyone’s personal data, from social media posts to browser search history and online purchases.
All of this information creates a digital portrait of you, compromising your online security. In particular, the data can be used in fraudulent schemes or sold on black markets to cyber criminals. In order to minimize the risks of data used by hackers, first of all, it is worth finding out what the world wide web knows about you and whether there is any confidential data among those data. Although it is quite difficult to delete all information about yourself on the Internet, by following the following tips from ESET specialists, you can significantly reduce the amount of it on the network.
It is worth starting to delete information about yourself on the Internet by searching for data in a browser, in particular Google. To do this, enter your name in the search engine and check the results on the first pages, then try to match the name with a phone number or home address.
Use Google’s new tool to remove personal data from search results. In particular, thanks to the new capabilities, the company can remove government identification numbers or photos, bank details, contacts, as well as medical records. However, Google will not delete the personal information contained in the news or public databases.
By browsing social networks, fraudsters can obtain a lot of data about the user and use it later for malicious purposes. To avoid this, you should review the security and privacy settings in each application. For example, social networks Facebook and Twitter have settings that allow you to protect your data and contacts from being displayed in search engines. In addition, it is worth checking who exactly can view your posts and personal data, what information is available to them, and removing unfamiliar and suspicious accounts from your friend list.
Every day, everyone visits dozens of sites and creates new accounts on them, providing their personal information, including name, date of birth, email, and phone number. After that, most users may not use all the accounts created. To find the sites you signed up for, enter phrases like “unsubscribe” or “welcome” in the mail search and delete the ones you don’t need. In case you want to remove a specific mention on a certain web resource, send a request to the official address, which is usually located in the “Contact” section of the site.
Many users are used to sharing all the details of their lives on the Internet. To limit access to personal information for anyone, it is worth reviewing your social media pages and deleting old posts made many years ago. You should also delete all the photos in which your loved ones appear, so as not to share their personal data.
After deleting information about yourself on the Internet, you can continue your virtual life on social networks in the future. However, take care of privacy in the settings of each social network, in particular, choose the type of users who can see your posts. Also, in the future, avoid sharing unnecessary content that you may later regret.
For even more privacy, turn on a VPN, which will provide an extra layer of protection by encrypting your connection and hiding your location. First of all, it will help prevent hackers from gaining access to your personal information.
Is it possible to have complete control over the data about myself online? It depends on your internet activity. If you have a limited social media presence, you can probably remove most of your information and reduce your digital footprint.
If you’re active on many social networks and don’t keep track of entering your credentials on most sites, it becomes more difficult to remove your information from the Internet. Despite this, you can still restrict other users’ access to your personal data by following the advice above.


New feed additive significantly reduces methane emissions from dairy cows
A novel feed additive can be included in dairy cow diets to significantly reduce methane emissions. That was demonstrated by a trial at the Wageningen University & Research innovation centre Dairy Campus in Leeuwarden. The emission reductions vary from 27% up to 40% of methane per cow, depending on the diets and the amount of methane inhibitor in the feed. Royal DSM developed the Bovaer methane inhibitor.
Methane emission from ruminants represents a significant portion of anthropogenic greenhouse gases and contributes to climate change. Parties agreed in the Dutch Climate Agreement that the Dutch livestock sector should reduce greenhouse gases with 2 Megatons by 2030.
The trial was designed to deliver methane reduction results for three different ratios of grass silage and maize silage in dietary roughage, typical for Dutch circumstance in different regions, with two different dosages of Bovaer. Sixty-four Holstein-Friesian cows in mid-lactation were enrolled in the study to investigate the effect of supplementation of the methane inhibitor with the different diets.
Click here to read more details.