text:
Michelin Guides (French: Guide Michelin [ɡid miʃ.lɛ̃]) are a series of annual guide books published by the French company Michelin for more than one hundred years. The term normally refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest European hotel and restaurant reference guide, which awards Michelin stars for excellence to a select few establishments.[1] The acquisition or loss of a star can have dramatic effects on the success of a restaurant. Michelin also publishes a series of general guides to countries.
In 1900 the tire manufacturers André Michelin and his brother Édouard published the first edition of a guide for French motorists. At the time there were fewer than 3,000 cars in France, and the Michelin guide was intended to boost the demand for cars, and thus for car tires. For the first edition of the Michelin Guide the brothers had nearly 35,000 copies printed. It was given away free of charge, and contained useful information for motorists, including maps, instructions for repairing and changing tires, and lists of car mechanics, hotels and petrol stations. In 1904 the brothers published a similar guide to Belgium.[2]
Guides were introduced for Algeria and Tunisia (1907); the Alps and the Rhine, covering northern Italy, Switzerland, Bavaria and the Netherlands (1908); Germany, Spain and Portugal (1910); the British Isles (1911); and "The Countries of the Sun" ("Les Pays du Soleil") covering northern Africa, southern Italy and Corsica (1911). In 1909, the first English-language version of the Michelin guide to France was published.[3]
During the First World War publication of the guide was suspended. After the war, revised editions of the guide continued to be given away until 1920. The company's website recounts the story that André Michelin, visiting a tire merchant, noticed copies of the guide being used to prop up a workbench. Based on the principle that "man only truly respects what he pays for," the brothers decided to charge a price for the guide. They also made several changes, notably: listing restaurants by specific categories; the debut of hotel listings (initially only for Paris); and the abandonment of advertisements in the guide.[2] Recognizing the growing popularity of the restaurant section of the guide, the brothers recruited a team of inspectors to visit and review restaurants, who were always careful in maintaining anonymity.[4]
In 1926, the guide began to award stars for fine dining establishments. Initially, there was only a single star awarded. Then, in 1931, the hierarchy of one, two, and three stars was introduced. Finally, In 1936, the criteria for the starred rankings were published:[2]
- : "A very good restaurant in its category" ("Une très bonne table dans sa catégorie")
- : "Excellent cooking, worth a detour" ("Table excellente, mérite un détour")
- : "Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey" ("Une des meilleures tables, vaut le voyage").[4]
In 1931 the cover of the guide was changed from blue to red, and has remained so in all subsequent editions.[4] During the Second World War, publication was again suspended, but in 1944, at the request of the Allied Forces, the 1939 guide to France was specially reprinted for military use; its maps were judged the best and most up-to-date available to the invading armies. Publication of the annual guide resumed on 16 May 1945, a week after V E Day.[2]
In the early post-war years the lingering effects of wartime shortages led Michelin to impose an upper limit of two stars; by 1950 the French edition listed 38 establishments judged to meet this standard.[5] The first Michelin Guide to Italy was published in 1956. It awarded no stars in the first edition. In 1974, the first guide to Britain since 1931 was published. Twenty-five stars were awarded.[6]
In November 2005 Michelin produced its first American guide, concentrating on New York, covering 500 restaurants in the city's five boroughs and 50 hotels (Manhattan only). In 2007 a Tokyo Michelin Guide was launched. In the same year the guide introduced a magazine, Étoile. In 2008 a Hong Kong and Macao volume was added to the list of Michelin Guides.[2] The Michelin website in 2013 notes that the guide is published in 14 editions covering 23 countries and sold in nearly 90 countries.[2]
In 2008 the German restaurateur Juliane Caspar was appointed editor-in-chief of the French edition of the guide. She had previously been responsible for the Michelin guides to Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. She became the first woman and first non-French national to occupy the French position. The German newspaper Die Welt commented on the appointment, "In view of the fact German cuisine is regarded as a lethal weapon in most parts of France, this decision is like Mercedes announcing that its new director of product development is a Martian."[7]
Methods and layoutEdit
Red Guides have historically listed many more restaurants than rival guides have done, relying on an extensive system of symbols to describe each establishment in as little as two lines. Reviews of starred restaurants also include two to three culinary specialities. Recently, short summaries (2–3 lines) have been added to enhance descriptions of many establishments. These summaries are written in the language of the country for which the guide is published (though the Spain and Portugal volume is in Spanish only) but the symbols are the same throughout all editions.
Michelin reviewers (commonly called "inspectors") are completely anonymous; they do not identify themselves, and their meals and expenses are paid for by the company founded by the Michelin brothers, never by a restaurant being reviewed. In 2009 The New Yorker said:
Michelin has gone to extraordinary lengths to maintain the anonymity of its inspectors. Many of the company's top executives have never met an inspector; inspectors themselves are advised not to disclose their line of work, even to their parents (who might be tempted to boast about it); and, in all the years that it has been putting out the guide, Michelin has refused to allow its inspectors to speak to journalists. The inspectors write reports that are distilled, in annual "stars meetings" at the guide's various national offices, into the ranking of three stars, two stars, or one star—or no stars. (Establishments that Michelin deems unworthy of a visit are not included in the guide.)[8]
The French chef Paul Bocuse, one of the pioneers of nouvelle cuisine in the 1960s, said, "Michelin is the only guide that counts."[9] In France, each year, at the time the guide is published, it sparks a media frenzy which has been compared to that for annual Academy Awards for films.[8] Media and others debate likely winners, speculation is rife, and TV and newspapers discuss which restaurant might lose, and who might gain, a Michelin star.[10]
The Michelin Guide also awards Rising Stars, an indication that a restaurant has the potential to qualify for a star, or an additional star.
Bib GourmandEdit
Since 1955, the guide has also highlighted restaurants offering "exceptional good food at moderate prices", a feature now called "Bib Gourmand". They must offer menu items priced below a maximum determined by local economic standards. Bib (Bibendum) is the company's nickname for the Michelin Man, its corporate logo for over a century.
|Release date
|Bib Gourmand
|2012 Edition[12]
(€29, €35 in Paris area)[13]
|>4,900 hotels and guest houses,
>4,200 restaurants
|Belgium and Luxembourg
|2012 Edition[14][15]
|140 (€35 or less)
|>700 hotels and guest houses,
>1,100 restaurants
|2012 Edition[16]
(€35 or less)
|>4,200 hotels and guest houses,
>2,100 restaurants, 4,287 hotels
|Great Britain and Ireland
|2012 Edition[17]
(£28 or €40)[18][19]
|>1,600 hotels, guest houses,
>2,000 restaurants, pubs
|2012 Edition[20]
|260 (€35)
|>3,700 hotels and guest houses,
>2,700 restaurants
|2012 Edition[21][22]
|>600 hotels and guest houses,
>700 restaurants
|Spain and Portugal
|2014 Edition (preview) [24]
(€35 or less)
|>1,775 hotels and guest houses,
>1,549 restaurants, 130 tapas bars
|2012 Edition[25][26]
|>800 hotels and guest houses,
>800 restaurants
|Release date
|Bib Gourmand
|2012 Edition[28]
|70 (€29, €35 in Paris area)
|60 hotels, 453 restaurants[13]
|2015 Edition[29]
|59 ($40)
|400 restaurants[30]
|Hong Kong and Macau
|2012 Edition[31]
|272 restaurants, 60 hotels[32]
|Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Nara
|2012 Edition[33]
(coins, ¥5000)[34]
|296 restaurants, 48 hotels, 41 ryokans
|Las Vegas (suspended)
|21 October 2008[35]
|127 restaurants, 30 hotels (2007)
|2012 Edition[36]
|45 (£28)
|450 restaurants, 50 hotels
|Los Angeles (suspended)
|21 October 2008[37]
|263 restaurants, 27 hotels (2007)
|Main Cities of Europe
|17 March 2010[38]
|1,715 restaurants, 1,542 hotels
|New York City
|2013 Edition[39]
|124 ($40)
|San Francisco and Bay Area
|23 October 2012[40]
|70 ($40)
|539 restaurants
| Tokyo, Yokohama
and Shonan
|2012 Edition[41]
(coins, ¥5000)[42]
|292 restaurants, 54 hotels and 10 ryokans
Other ratingsEdit
All listed restaurants, regardless of their star- or Bib Gourmand-status, also receive a "fork and spoon" designation, as a subjective reflection of the overall comfort and quality of the restaurant. [43] Rankings range from one to five: One fork and spoon represents a "comfortable restaurant" and five signifies a "luxurious restaurant". Forks and spoons coloured red designate a restaurant that is considered "pleasant" as well.
Restaurants, independently of their other ratings in the guide, can also receive a number of other symbols next to their listing.
- Coins indicate restaurants that serve a menu for a certain price or less, depending on the local monetary standard.[43] In 2010 France, 2011 US and Japan Red Guides, the maximum permitted "coin" prices were €19, $25, and ¥5000, respectively.
- Interesting view or Magnificent view, designated by a black or red symbol, are given to restaurants offering those features.
- Grapes, a sake set, or a cocktail glass indicate restaurants that offer, at minimum, a "somewhat interesting" selection of wines, sake, or cocktails, respectively.[43]
Green GuidesEdit
The Michelin Green Guides review and rate attractions other than restaurants. There is a Green Guide for France as a whole, and a more detailed one for each of ten regions within France. Other Green Guides cover many countries, regions, and cities outside France. Many Green Guides are published in several languages. They include background information and an alphabetical section describing points of interest. Like the Red Guides, they use a three-star system for recommending sights ranging from "worth a trip" to "worth a detour", and "interesting".
Allegations of lax inspection standards and biasEdit
Pascal Rémy, a veteran France-based Michelin inspector, and also a former Gault Millau employee, wrote a tell-all book published in 2004 entitled L'Inspecteur se Met à Table (literally, "The Inspector Sits Down at the Table"; idiomatically, "The Inspector Spills the Beans", or "The Inspector Puts It All on the Table"). Rémy's employment was terminated in December 2003 when he informed Michelin of his plans to publish his book.[44] He brought a court case for unfair dismissal, which was unsuccessful.[45]
Rémy described the French Michelin inspector's life as lonely, underpaid drudgery, driving around France for weeks on end, dining alone, under intense pressure to file detailed reports on strict deadlines. He maintained that the guide had become lax in its standards. Though Michelin states that its inspectors visited all 4,000 reviewed restaurants in France every 18 months, and all starred restaurants several times a year, Rémy said only about one visit every 3½ years was possible because there were only 11 inspectors in France when he was hired, rather than the 50 or more hinted by Michelin. That number, he said, had shrunk to five by the time he was fired in December 2003.[44]
Rémy also accused the guide of favouritism. He alleged that Michelin treated famous and influential chefs, such as Paul Bocuse and Alain Ducasse, as "untouchable" and not subject to the same rigorous standards as lesser-known chefs.[44] Michelin denied Rémy's charges, but refused to say how many inspectors it actually employed in France. In response to Rémy's claim that certain three-star chefs were sacrosanct, Michelin said, "There would be little sense in saying a restaurant was worth three stars if it weren't true, if for no other reason than that the customer would write and tell us."[46]
Allegations of bias for French cuisineEdit
Some non-French food critics have alleged that the rating system is biased in favour of French cuisine or French dining standards. In England The Guardian commented in 1997 that "some people maintain the guide's principal purpose is as a tool of Gallic cultural imperialism".[47] When Michelin published its first New York City Red Guide in 2005 Steven Kurutz of The New York Times noted that Danny Meyer's Union Square Cafe, a restaurant rated highly by The New York Times, Zagat Survey, and other prominent guides, received a no star-rating from Michelin. (He did acknowledge that the restaurant received positive mention for its ambience, and that two other restaurants owned by Meyer received stars.) Kurutz also claimed the guide appeared to favour restaurants that "emphasized formality and presentation" rather than a "casual approach to fine dining". He also claimed that over half of the restaurants that received one or two stars "could be considered French".[48]
Allegations of leniency with stars for Japanese cuisineEdit
In 2010 Michelin guides ranked Japan as the country with the most starred restaurants. This sparked grumbling over whether these high ratings were merited for Japanese restaurants, whether the Michelin guide was too generous in giving out stars to gain an acceptance with Japanese customers and to enable the parent tire-selling company to market itself in Japan.[49] The Wall Street Journal reported in 2010 that some Japanese chefs were surprised at receiving a star, and were reluctant to accept one, because the publicity caused an unmanageable jump in booking, affecting their ability to serve their traditional customers without lowering their quality.[50]
- ↑ Fairburn, Carolyn. "Fading stars – Michelin Red Guide", The Times, 29 February 1992; Beale, Victoria and James Boxell "Falling stars", The Financial Times, 16 July 2011
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "The Michelin Guide: 100 editions and over a century of history" ViaMichelin, accessed 20 May 2013
- ↑ (French) "Le guide Michelin en quelques dates", Association des Collectionneurs de Guides et Cartes Michelin, accessed 19 May 2013
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Michelin Guide History", Provence and Beyond, accessed 19 May 2013.
- ↑ "The Michelin Guide", The Manchester Guardian, 28 March 1950, p. 4
- ↑ Dawson, Helen. "British Michelin revived", The Observer 24 March 1974, p. 40
- ↑ Paterson, Tony. "French shock at Michelin guide's first foreign chief", The Independent, 18 December 2008
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Colapinta, John. "Lunch with M – Undercover with a Michelin inspector", The New Yorker, 23 November 2009
- ↑ "Taste test: Menu by three-star Michelin chef Philippe Marc", Time Out, Kuala Lumpur 20 October 2012
- ↑ "Michelin Stars Align for Seven NYC Restaurants", The Wall Street Journal, 4 October 2011; "Off the Menu", The New York Times, 4 October 2011; "Tokyo retains title as Michelin's gourmet capital", The Asahi Shimbun, 29 November 2011; and "Taking the Pop-Up Restaurant to New Heights", Spiegel Online, 19 January 2011
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 (French) "Achetez en ligne votre Guide Michelin Europe", Michelin.
- ↑ 2012 Michelin Guide France, with list of starred restaurants
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "The Michelin Guide France 2010 Selection", Michelin North America, 1 March 2010.
- ↑ Michelin guide Belgique & Luxembourg 2012
- ↑ List of Michelin starred restaurants in Belgium and Luxembourg
- ↑ "Deutschland 2012 Michelin Guide
- ↑ "Great Britain & Ireland"
- ↑ "Michelin Guide Announces Great Britain and Ireland Stars for 2010", Michelin North America, 18 January 2010.
- ↑ Harry Wallop "Michelin Guide 2010: UK has more starred restaurants than ever before", The Daily Telegraph, 15 January 2010.
- ↑ Michelin Guide Italy 2012
- ↑ Michelin Guide Netherlands 2012
- ↑ List of Michelin Starred restaurants in Netherlands 2012
- ↑ "Michelin Guide Netherlands 2011", Michelin, 26 November 2010.
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ Michelin Guide Suisse 2012
- ↑ List of Michelin starred restaurants in Switzerland 2012
- ↑ "Michelin Stars Rain Down on Switzerland", Michelin, 16 November 2010.
- ↑ Michelin Guide Paris 2012
- ↑ Michelin Guide Chicago 2015, including list of starred restaurants
- ↑ http://www.michelintravel.com/shop/michelin-guide-chicago-2015/
- ↑ Michelin Guide Hong Kong Macau 2012, with a list of starred restaurants
- ↑ (Japanese) "「ミシュランガイド香港・マカオ2011」を発行", Michelin Japan, 12 March 2010.
- ↑ Michelin Guide Kyoto Osaka Kobe Nara 2012, with list of starred restaurants
- ↑ (Japanese) "「ミシュランガイド京都・大阪・神戸2011」12 軒のレストランが三つ星 44軒のレストランと2軒の旅館 が二つ星 183軒のレストランと2軒の旅館が一つ星", Michelin Japan, 19 October 2010.
- ↑ Jinae West "Michelin: Bad economy means no 2010 guide in Las Vegas, Las Vegas Sun, 26 June 2009.
- ↑ Michelin Guide 2012 London, with a list of starred restaurants
- ↑ Phil Vettel "And the crystal ball says …", Michelin North America, 16 November 2010.
- ↑ "Michelin Guide Main Cities of Europe 2010 to go on sale on March 17", Michelin, 16 March 2010. covering Austria (Vienna, Salzburg) – Belgium (Brussels, Antwerp) – Czech Republic (Prague) – Denmark (Copenhagen) – Finland (Helsinki) – France (Paris, Lyons, Strasbourg, Toulouse) – Germany (Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart) – Greece (Athens) – Hungary (Budapest) – Ireland (Dublin) – Italy (Rome, Milan, Turin, Florence) – Luxembourg (Luxembourg) – Netherlands (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague) – Norway (Oslo) – Poland (Warsaw, Cracow) – Portugal (Lisbon) – Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia) – Sweden (Stockholm, Gothenburg) – Switzerland (Bern, Geneva, Zurich) – United Kingdom (London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow)
- ↑ New York City 2013 | Michelin Travel http://www.michelintravel.com/michelin-selection/new-york-city-2013/
- ↑ "Michelin Releases its Famed Guide to San Francisco's Best Restaurants", Michelin North America, 31 October 2012.
- ↑ Michelin Guide Tokyo Yokohama Shonan 2012, with list of starred restaurants
- ↑ (Japanese) "「ミシュランガイド東京・横浜・鎌倉2011」を発行 三つ星が14軒、二つ星が54軒、一つ星が198軒に", Michelin Japan, 24 November 2010.
- ↑ 43.0 43.1 43.2 How to Use This Guide, Michelin, accessed 20 May 2013
- ↑ 44.0 44.1 44.2 Sage, Adam. "J'Accuse: Michelin cooks the books", The Times, 31 May 2004
- ↑ Henley, John. "Michelin bean-spiller loses court battle", The Guardian, 15 December 2004
- ↑ "Michelin Man Jolts French Food World", The New York Times, 25 February 2004
- ↑ "Pass Notes", The Guardian, 23 January 1997, p. A3
- ↑ Kurutz, Steven. "She's a Belle of the City, but the French are Blasé", The New York Times, 13 November 2005
- ↑ Robinson, Gwen. "Michelin serves up stars and stirs envy in Japan", The Financial Times, 14 October 2009; and Robinson, Gwen. "Michelin sprinkles stars on Tokyo", The Financial Times, 19 November 2007
- ↑ Sanchanta, Mariko, Katy Mclaughlin and Max Colchester. "Michelin Stars Draw Shots", The Wall Street Journal, 25 October 2010
Published in the 20th centuryEdit
- "Michelin Guide to the British Isles". Michelin Tyre Company. 1913. http://openlibrary.org/books/OL14022740M/Michelin_guide_to_the_British_Isles.. (+ List of excursions)
- "Amiens before and during the war". Michelin and Cie. 1919. OCLC 887914. http://openlibrary.org/books/OL13521961M/..._Amiens_before_and_during_the_war.
- "Michelin Guide to the Battlefields of the World War". Michelin. 1919. http://openlibrary.org/books/OL24432211M/Michelin_guide_to_the_battlefields_of_the_world_war.
- "Strasbourg" (in French). Michelin & Cie. 1919. http://openlibrary.org/books/OL24638163M/Strasbourg.
- "St. Quentin-Cambrai" (in French). Michelin & cie. 1921. http://openlibrary.org/books/OL24786012M/St._Quentin--Cambrai.
Published in the 21st centuryEdit
- Trois étoiles au Michelin: Une histoire de la haute gastronomie française et européenne, by Jean-François Mesplède and Alain Ducasse, 2004. ISBN 2-7000-2468-0. Follows the 60-odd chefs who have been awarded three stars.
- The Perfectionist: Life and Death in Haute Cuisine, by Rudolph Chelminski, 2006. ISBN 978-0-14-102193-5. The story of Bernard Loiseau.
- From behind the wall: Danish Newspaper 'Berlingske' Employee 'Awards'
External linksEdit
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Guide Michelin.
|This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors).


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House GOP eyes default, shutdown
House Republicans are seriously entertaining dramatic steps, including default or shutting down the government, to force President Barack Obama to finally cut spending by the end of March.
The idea of allowing the country to default by refusing to increase the debt limit is getting more widespread and serious traction among House Republicans than people realize, though GOP leaders think shutting down the government is the much more likely outcome of the spending fights this winter.
Story Continued Below
"I think it is possible that we would shut down the government to make sure President Obama understands that we're serious," House Republican Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington state told us. "We always talk about whether or not we're going to kick the can down the road. I think the mood is that we've come to the end of the road."
( Also on POLITICO: House GOP's fiscal split looms large for Obama)
Republican leadership officials, in a series of private meetings and conversations this past week, warned that the White House, much less the broader public, doesn't understand how hard it will be to talk restive conservatives off the fiscal ledge. To the vast majority of House Republicans, it is far riskier long term to pile up new debt than it is to test the market and economic reaction of default or closing down the government.
GOP officials said more than half of their members are prepared to allow default unless Obama agrees to dramatic cuts he has repeatedly said he opposes. Many more members, including some party leaders, are prepared to shut down the government to make their point. House Speaker John Boehner "may need a shutdown just to get it out of their system," said a top GOP leadership adviser. "We might need to do that for member-management purposes — so they have an endgame and can show their constituents they're fighting."
The country would eventually default if House Republicans refuse to raise the debt limit, which the Treasury estimates will hit in late February or early March. The government would shut down if House Republicans instead were to refuse to extend the law funding current government operations on March 27.
( Also on POLITICO: Wall Street on D.C. drama: Zzzzz)
Boehner assumes he can ultimately talk members out of default, but he is so wounded and weakened from last month's tax-hike battle that the speaker might very well be wrong. Obama assumes Republicans would never be so foolish as to put the economy at risk to win a spending fight. Conservatives say he's definitely wrong on that score. They say he's the foolish and reckless one for piling up $6 trillion in debt on his watch.
The coming spending fights make the Christmastime tax increase battle seem like child's play. While everyone knew the tax drama would end with the rich paying more taxes, no one can telegraph how the coming spending fights will unfold. And the economic stakes are more dire.
( PHOTOS: 13 things more popular than Congress)
"For too long, the pitch was, we'll deal with it next time," said Rep. Jason Chaffetz, a conservative from Utah. He said GOP lawmakers are prepared to shut things down or even default if Obama doesn't bend on spending. "No one wants to default, but we are not going to continue to give the president a limitless credit card."
Starting Monday, Boehner will huddle with his leadership team to discuss his preliminary thinking on a spending strategy. A source who attended meetings to prepare for those private talks said GOP leaders are authentically at a loss on how to control members who don't respond to the normal incentives of wanting to help party leaders or of avoiding situations — like default — that could be public relations nightmares.

subset: commoncrawl


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At the end of a painful retreat (about which, click here), Laurie came to pick me up.
She brought Echo, a rambunctious Samoyed, who, she informed me, was disappointingly not named Moksha.
We walked the dog around the outer grounds of Spirit Rock. Up the hills, through the winter-brown weeds and grasses. She tugged and jumped and played. She started at a tall, white marble Buddha standing in a grove of trees, was only wary of a small seated Buddha halfway up the hill, and by the time we encountered another figurine at the foot of the hill, she was
unimpressed, sniffing along the fringes of the dirt footpath.
Coming off this retreat, my heart was a bit raw, but relievedly open.
* * *
The first several days had been a painful, pain-filled retreat for me. The only relief I found was in walking meditations – under the overhanging eaves during heavy rains, under the bay laurel and live oak forest when the rains lightened. On one of the most difficult days, I found a stretch of forest trail to serve as my walking path. Fifteen slow steps from a young fir tree to a huge, head-level oak branch, covered in bright green moss and grey lichens. Then back. Then back. Then back. Then back.
The deep sound of the far-off courtyard bell signaled the return to seated meditation and the pain I was unsuccessfully struggling to overcome. I paused at the overhanging oak limb. Pressed my face against the cold, rough, damp moss. Inhaled the scent of cold, wet life. I turned my head toward the trunk, pressing my cheek against the moss. Deep in the moss-lined niche where the limb joined the trunk, sat a two-inch statue. But unlike the blissful, peaceful icons of Buddha-nature that dot the grounds of Spirit Rock, this one is rendered inexpertly in clay. Its face is more of suggestion than a rendering – eye sockets and a closed mouth. The effect is a gaunt and troubling figure.
That isn't the Buddha. It's a starved yogi.
* * *
I heed the bell and return to the meditation hall, rotely bow to the standing Buddha at the front of the room to acknowledge my effectless resolve to seek liberation, and resume my pain-filled and increasingly desperate sitting.
* * *
The next time the rains lighten, I return to the bit of trail for walking meditation. At the end of the slow slow slow walking, I look again at the clay statute. It is still gaunt. It still seems to say more of warning than of enlightenment. I walk. The distant bell sounds. I approach the tree limb end to my path.
I turn to walk away. Then I feel a slight desire well up. In the quiet, the mind turns toward the desire, and I see a want to offer something. "No. Foolishness." my mind says. I turn to follow the bell's call back to the meditation hall. The same up-welling arises. I look to the forest floor and find a bit of oak branch with tiny, ungrown acorns barely emerging from scaled caps. I place it before the gaunt little statue.
* * *
On our walk, Laurie and Echo and I approach the last statue of the Buddha from behind. As we near, we see strands of weathered mala beads hanging from the statue's neck. We round it and stand, looking. Someone has clipped a barrette to a strand of mala beads. Someone else has hung a pendant around the statue's neck. In the statue's mudra-nestled hands someone has put a piece of flint, several have put coins, another has placed a smooth, red stone. At the base of the statue are arrayed impromptu offerings – more coins, a house key, a cracked nerf football, stones, bracelets, a corroding piece of folded paper clipped with a wooden clothespin, an earring. I bow toward the statue, feeling this time in my raw, open heart, the acknowledgement of the path, of the pain I've stopped resisting. I let go of the form, and gratitude wells up. The bow offers my complete awareness.
* * *
Fetters of I, me, and mine fall away, veils of time and place pull open and the gratitude of the mala-bead offeror is present. The gratitude of the house-key offeror is present. The gratitude of the barrette offeror is present. The gratitude of the bead-purse-offeror, and rock-offerors, and the feather-offeror, and the coin-offerors, and the football offeror is present. And the gratitude of countless people who have bowed before the statue is present. And all of us in that moment without ourselves are realized in one offering, one gratitude, one bowing.
And as I've done countless times on this retreat, I weep.
Laurie unclips a tag from Echo's collar and places it gently beside someone's house key.
(Cross-posted at dovesandserpents.com, which has some of Laurie's pictures from that day)
Sunday, January 02, 2011
At the end of a painful retreat (about which, click here), Laurie came to pick me up.
Posted by greenfrog at 1:13 PM |
Labels: gratitude, offering, Spirit Rock, statue, the Buddha


text:
BACKGROUND IMAGE: iSTOCK/GETTY IMAGES
- FeatureOur view: Overstating the obvious
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iSTOCK/GETTY IMAGES
Deduplication now focusing on primary storage
| IT managers have become as obsessed with reducing the amount of redundant data in their storage as Americans are with reducing their waistlines. But this trend has been focused mainly on secondary storage--backup and archiving apps, where most of the redundant data lives in storage infrastructures.
A handful of vendors are trying to take duplicate data out of primary storage even though there's a lot less redundant data in primary (tier 1) storage than in secondary storage. So data reduction ratios in primary storage will be much lower than the 15:1 or 20:1 ratios common when deduping secondary storage. "But you'll be getting a lot more bang for the buck because tier 1 disk is more expensive," says Eric Burgener, senior analyst and consultant at Taneja Group in Hopkinton, MA.
But as the use of virtualization increases, more and more virtual machines are running on one physical server. This creates multiple instances of OSes and apps, which in turn will increase the level of redundant data on expensive primary storage.
The next question is: When data reduction is performed on primary storage, is it still dedupe or something else (usually compression)? One could claim that, at the file level, Microsoft Office offers some kind of generic dedupe functionality, according to John Matze, VP of business development at Hifn, which makes card-level data reduction accelerators. But "that's a partial dedupe that exists in Microsoft's file system," which he calls "poor man's data deduplication."
"Deduplication is well-suited for static, redundant data, but it's not well-suited for primary storage," says Peter Smails, VP of worldwide marketing at Storwize, which began shipping a primary storage data reduction appliance in 2005.
Ocarina Networks brought out the second major release of its storage optimization product in September. Ocarina's Extract, Correlate and Optimize (ECO) System combines compression, dedupe and more than 100 file-specific information extraction algorithms. But even though ECO makes some use of dedupe, "their optimizer doesn't work like a dedupe engine at all," says Burgener. "And they get some of the highest reduction ratios in primary storage."
According to Carter George, VP of products at Ocarina, primary storage data reduction is all about shrinking the size of files. "The file types driving storage growth are already compressed," he says. "You can't compress the same file twice with generic algorithms."
Ocarina offers what it calls content-aware compression. "It's easy to see the advantage of shrinking a file, but what about performance?" asks the firm's George. Application performance is far more critical in primary storage, since backup and archiving tend not to be performance oriented. George defines primary storage performance as "time to first byte," and says it differs by market and user. "You might be able to take 30 seconds to open Word, but in HPC, 1 [millisecond] latency might be death," he says.
According to Taneja Group's Burgener, anyone trying to figure out if it makes sense to do data reduction in primary storage has to answer two questions. What am I paying in terms of dollars/GB on the primary side? And how much less primary storage will I have to buy over time? "If you're buying EMC and paying $20/GB to $25/GB, you have 200TB of data and you can get a 10:1 reduction level, then it's simple to figure out if it will be worth it," he says.
George notes that shrinking files change other things in the storage equation. "The first wave of users will be people avoiding disk purchases," he says. "The second wave will be people storing things they never thought of archiving before, like transferring seismic archives from tape to disk."
Right now, the group of vendors offering capacity optimization for primary storage is small. In addition to the three vendors mentioned, NetApp bundles optimization into its Ontap GX OS; Greenbytes offers an appliance that combines the Sun Fire x4540 server and the ZFS file system; and Riverbed has announced a box that sits in the WAN pipeline. But Burgener thinks all of the major storage vendors will offer data reduction for primary storage in some way in a few years. Yet array vendors may be caught in a bit of a vise: "If they have it in their arrays," he says, "that means you buy less storage."
Related Resources
- The New Network: Software-Defined Networking Gets Real –SearchSecurity.com
- Cosmetics Giant Finds the Beauty in Backup and Saves 30 Percent –Druva Software
- Hyperconverged Infrastructure in 30 Seconds –Pivot3
- The Best Storage for Virtual Environments –SearchStorage.com


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Read Me Old
Jensen is a sophisticated "masonry-style" portfolio template. The project detail view slides in from the right when opened. Its Index page accommodates multiple galleries, each with as many images as you want.
Special Features
Dynamic layout
Jensen dynamically and intelligently reflows your galleries based on the size of the browser window. By default, the first image in a gallery will be used as its thumbnail, but you can override that by uploading an image to Thumbnail Image in that gallery's Page Settings. When you click on a thumbnail, the images in a project are displayed vertically, and the thumbnails of all your projects are at the bottom of the page.
Index Gallery Controls
You can set the size of the gallery thumbnails in the Index with the Project Width setting under Size & Values in the Style Editor (note that this is a maximum width). Set the width of the overlay that slides in to show the project details with Project Detail Width under Sizes & Values.
Page Width, under Sizes & Values, sets the width of the blog and regular pages.
Other controls for the thumbnails include:
- Set the spacing between the thumbnails with Project Spacing, under Sizes & Values.
- Show the project title under the thumbnails with Poject Title, under Options.
- Set the transparency of the thumbnails with Project Opacity, under Sizes & Values.
- Project Title Color sets the color of the title under the thumbnails (if you have it set to Show), while Project Detail Text Color and Project Detail Headings Color set the color of the text in the Project Detail drawer that slides out.
Index Page
The Index Page consists of a series of galleries. All galleries filed under Index will be displayed in the masonry-style layout described above, rather than as individual gallery pages.
Social Icons
If you connect your social accounts (do this in the backend under Settings > Social Accounts > + Add Account), the links will appear as icons under the main site navigation. The size, color, and style of these are editable in the Style Editor under Social Icon Size, Social Icon Color, and Social Icon Style.
How to Use This Template
Jensen works best with a fairly large number of galleries in the Index. To create this, add a new gallery page under the index section rather than the main navigation. Galleries that are added as pages will appear differently to galleries under the index.
Main Navigation
One-off gallery pages, blog pages, links, folders, and empty pages can all be added to the main navigation. These pages will appear in the main navigation in the left of the Header.
Gallery Details
To add a title and description for any gallery (either a standalone gallery or a gallery in the Index), click into Page Settings at the top right corner of the Gallery View. The Navigation Title will appear as a link in the index navigation. The Page Title will appear at the top of the Project Detail view. The description will appear under the images in the Project Detail view.


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Fidelity is the most likely firm to be chosen by investors looking for somewhere to roll their 401(k) assets to.
A report released Thursday by Spectrem surveyed nearly 1,000 investors who had recently made a rollover or had the opportunity to rollover assets, and found nearly one-third chose Fidelity as their IRA provider. Vanguard was a distant second at 11%.
In many cases, there was a significant gap between the number of investors who considered a firm, and the number who actually selected that firm as their IRA provider. While one-quarter of investors considered Charles Schwab, just 7% ultimately chose to roll their assets over. Similarly, Vanguard, which was selected as the IRA provider by 11% of investors, was initially considered by 24% of investors. Fifteen percent of investors considered JPMorgan Chase, but just 4% finally decided to roll their assets to that firm.
Why did investors finally decide to go with a different firm?
Spectrem found the primary reason for investors who changed their minds about where to roll over, was their financial advisor.
"Almost 70% of investors turn to their financial advisor for advice concerning their rollover," according to the report. "Not surprisingly, in many cases, the advisory firm (i.e. Morgan Stanley, Edward Jones) offers an IRA account solution of their own."
Also important to investors are customer service and low management fees. Fully 70% of investors said they want "customer service from a person." According to Spectrem, "To the extent that an individual is relying upon their advisor to choose a provider, it is not surprising that they already feel they have a person and not a system." Almost the same percentage of investors rated low investment management fees as an important factor.
As for why Fidelity is so popular, Spectrem concludes that the firm's brand familiarity may be the largest reason.
"Once an investor is familiar with a brand name, they will go to the website and find many of the selection criteria which drive decisions," according to the report, namely, ease of opening an account, 24/7 access, help with setting up an account and availability of multiple fund types.
Another factor in how investors choose their IRA provider is whether the client already has a relationship established. The study found nearly half of 401(k) participants who rolled assets into an IRA in the past two years chose an institution they already had an account with.
"Participants making IRA decisions are proving quite loyal to the financial companies with whom they have a working relationship," George Walper Jr., president of Spectrem Group, said in a statement. "Financial services providers that want a share of this important market should make a point of cross-selling to participants and establishing strong relationships early in their life cycles."
Investors who chose an IRA provider named other factors that contributed to their decision:
- Wide range of investment choices (29%)
- Excellent customer service (28%)
- Recommended by financial advisor (27%)
- Record of strong investment performance (27%)
- Low fees (26%)


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Compact bean-to-cup machine with the possibility to customize your coffee as you prefer. Equipped with a manual adjustable cappuccino device to prepare easily a great cappuccino or hot milk, long coffee button , cup holder and water filter.
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Monday, November 11, 2013
5 Comments:
- Steve Rayson said...
What is interesting is that LMSs track data about learners in the main to monitor progress, completions etc., whereas Google, Amazon etc.,track data so they can adapt the service they provide to you and serve more relevant content. This includes ads of course but they do personalise your experience eg Google provides you with personalised search results, based on history, location and even what your friends like or plus one. It seems to me that in learning need to look at way the web is creating adaptive and personalised experiences by tracking and analysing data. Lots of potential as you have set out.
- Donald Clark said...
Exactly Steve. The Big Data revolution is not the 'bums on seats' stuff, primtive inputs and outputs, but personalised data that improves the efficacy of learning.
- AndrewJacobsLD said...
Is part of the problem the fact that L&D don't understand the small data enough yet?
The data which Steve refers to is often manipulated to show our 'learners' are happy, know 45% more than they did at the start, or that they have completed the mandatory modules.
This idea of showing 'busyness' over business will keep L&D away from any top tables and a forelock tugging provider of trainign whilst the business learns from itself and the big data it's creating.
- Donald Clark said...
Very true. There's Big Data, Wrong data & Bad data
- Juan Rico said...
Hello Donals and Steve, I am from Colombia and I'm Reading and getting to know and understand what a Mooc is, I have taken a mooc in Coursera and some others with other plataforms but, now I have realized that the so called MOOC has a lot of theory. I would like you to help me please to understand whether the C an X MOOCs are clasified within this taxonomy you discussed here or the X and Clasification is different. Thanks a lot and, please help me to understand.


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The Public Eye
Outrage in Owens Valley a century after L.A. began taking its water
By now, the story seems old. A young city, thirsty for water, deploys wealth, cunning and power to divert a river from a distant valley, safeguarding its future at the expense of others.
A century ago, Los Angeles did just that in the Owens Valley, a 75-mile-long, U-shaped cul-de-sac on the east side of the snow-capped Sierra, a place so scenic some called it an American Switzerland.
What happened next – the withering of the valley, the rise of the nation's second-largest metropolis – has been recounted so often it is a part of western lore, a parable of the promise and peril of water development.
But 100 years after the Owens River was diverted to L.A., the story is not over. Like a stone dropped into a pond, the city's action set in motion a widening circle of impacts that continue to shape conflicts and challenges.
Water, of course, is at the heart of it. But no longer is the Owens River the focal point. Now much of the controversy is about groundwater pumping that long ago dried up seeps and springs and is blamed now for harming many of the valley's lush, ecologically important meadows.
"Year after year, we watch the grasses die back. We watch the shrubs move in. We watch the weeds come in," said Sally Manning, environmental director of the Big Pine Paiute Tribe whose ancestors carved the first irrigation ditches in the valley centuries ago. "Years go by and nothing gets done."
As the land dries out, the dust blows, so intensely at times that it halts traffic on U.S. Highway 395 and triggers health advisories in communities across the valley.
This fall, April Zrelak drove through one giant dust storm from her home in Independence, the Inyo County seat (population 669) in the middle of the valley, to Big Pine, 26 miles north.
"There was a wall of dirt. You could not see the mountains," said Zrelak, who tracks air quality issues for another valley tribe, the Paiute-Shoshone. "It's a road hazard. It's a health hazard. And it's erosion. It's eroding the soil so it's going to be even harder for plants to take hold."
It's not just the valley's air and land that are hurting. Residents say the area's historical charm is also in decline, as frontier-era buildings that Los Angeles bought in the early 20th century, along with the land and water rights, slide into disrepair and are torn down. "They are chipping away at our historical district," said Independence resident Lynn Johnson. "Our cultural landscape is being turned back into this desert."
Officials with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the city's municipal utility and the agency that oversees Owens Valley operations, defend their stewardship. They say old structures are costly to maintain and that drought and other factors are often to blame for environmental woes.
"We're very protective of the valley," said Martin Adams, the utility's director of water operations. "Some will imply anything we do is the source of all the problems. There are many more factors, weather probably being the biggest one."
Utility officials also point to a recent track record of environmental gains. Seven years ago, DWP returned water to the lower Owens River, bringing a Lazarus-like, 62-mile-long stream corridor back to life. Since 2001, it has spent $1.2 billion to control dust across 42 square miles of dried-up Owens Lake. And it diverts significantly less water out of the valley than a generation ago.
"The city is like everyone else that is trying to be responsible environmentally," said DWP spokesman Chris Plakos. "Things have changed significantly over the past two, three decades."
But environmentalists say Los Angeles had to be pushed to make those changes through years of legal and regulatory conflict. "It's not voluntary," said Daniel Pritchett, a board member of the Owens Valley Committee, an environmental nonprofit based in Bishop. "It's only because they've been forced, kicking and screaming, by the courts."
Restoring water to the lower Owens River took 10 years, two environmental lawsuits and a court order fining DWP $5,000 a day for missing deadlines. In all, penalties came to more than $3 million.
At Owens Lake, DWP has fought the local air quality district with five lawsuits and filed four administrative appeals with the California Air Resources Board in disputes over air quality and fees. It also has ordered air pollution monitoring stations removed from land it controls, creating blind spots where dust levels that sometimes exceed the federal EPA health standard no longer can be measured.
"It's crazy," said Ted Schade, director of the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District in Bishop. "They're not going to make the problem go away by making the monitors go away."
The battle over groundwater, which began with an Inyo County lawsuit in 1972, is even more divisive. After four decades, it is reaching a pivotal moment as the county tries to prove in legal proceedings that pumping has harmed one especially parched part of the valley, with the ultimate aim of mitigating the damage.
"It takes a lot of patience," said Bob Harrington, director of the Inyo County Water Department. "L.A.'s got a lot of resources to pursue their interests, to do whatever they need to do to keep the water going to L.A. None of these disputes were resolved overnight."
Gift from the mountains
Too little water was not something early settlers worried about. Their memories, recorded in books and oral histories, describe the Owens Valley at the turn of the 20th century as an agricultural Eden sustained by clear, cold Sierra snowmelt.
L.A. savored that runoff, too, and acquired it amid much controversy by using bond money and other public funds to buy valley farms and ranches – and their water rights – and then build an aqueduct to L.A.
Nothing like it had been attempted in the West. More than 230 miles long, the aqueduct took thousands of workers five years to finish. When water finally tumbled down a sluiceway into the San Fernando Valley on Nov. 5, 1913, it was a moment for DWP superintendent William Mulholland and a crowd of onlookers to celebrate. "There it is. Take it," he said.
But in Owens Valley, anger began to brew. By the 1920s, as Los Angeles bought more land, passion ran so high some residents dynamited the aqueduct. The Inyo Register and the Owens Valley Herald summed up the sentiment in a 1925 headline: "Greed of City Ruins the Owens Valley."
By the 1930s, the struggle was over. The Department of Water and Power, which had acquired nearly all the farmland and most town properties, won. Since then, the region has turned increasingly to tourism for survival, serving as a gateway to the High Sierra and Mammoth Mountain Ski Area.
But with its wide-open spaces and historic small towns, the region also retains an Old West ambiance. For some, that uncluttered, little-changed landscape, so unlike other parts of California, is a positive – and under-appreciated – benefit of DWP's vast holdings.
"The only thing worse than having DWP in the valley would be not having them here," said Phil Pister, a retired state fisheries biologist who has lived in the valley for more than half a century.
"Where else in California do you find an area like this that has not been built on or destroyed ecologically?" Pister said. "Overall, DWP has been a pretty good steward of their lands. They really have."
But many others say that attitude overlooks the negative impacts of DWP's legacy, including the desiccation of valley vegetation from groundwater pumping, which ramped up in the 1970s to help fill a second aqueduct.
"There are a lot of us who feel the city of Los Angeles regards Inyo County as a resource colony to be exploited to whatever means they see fit," said Dave Wagner, a retired geologist in Independence. "They are taking all the water they possibly can. Water tables are dropping precipitously. Desertification is increasing."
Like the Owens River, groundwater is the gift of mountain snowmelt that surges out of the high country each spring and gathers itself under the valley floor. In one of the driest climates in America – an average of just 5 inches of rain falls a year in the valley, less than Phoenix – that water works miracles.
It slakes the thirst of cottonwoods and willows, waters native grasses and shrubs and fills coffee cups and cattle tanks across the valley. But with billions of gallons of valley groundwater now going to L.A. each year, that subterranean magic is in danger.
Springs that bubbled clear and cold from the valley floor dried up first in the 1970s. As shallow water tables dropped, trees began to die. Today, large swaths of ecologically unique native grasses and flowers that rely on water tables no more than 7 to 8 feet deep are struggling, too.
Known as alkalai meadows, such grassy areas are valuable to ranchers who lease land from DWP. They also are home to sensitive species found nowhere else in California, such as the Owens Valley vole, Inyo County star-tulip and Owens Valley checkerbloom, a state endangered species.
In the 1980s, one lush spot could be found east of U.S. Highway 395 near Goodale Creek where Manning, then a plant ecologist with Inyo County, studied meadow conditions. But when she visited the area recently, Manning found mostly desert.
Where wildflowers once grew, she walked through a tangle of tumbleweed and saltbush. Powdery gray dust rose from her footsteps. In places, wind had scoured soil out from under clumps of dry grass, leaving them stranded atop pedestals of dirt and roots.
"We are being dewatered to a huge extent," said Manning. "It's astonishing how much change there has been."
Contention and gridlock
Adams, director of water operations at DWP, acknowledged some meadow areas have grown drier. But he put most of the blame on natural causes, including a major drought gripping the West.
"Part of it is the fact that we had one of our lowest water years ever on record," Adams said. "Things are really depressed over the whole West. It's hard to believe the Owens Valley would be exempt from those natural impacts."
"You have wet periods and dry periods and brush fires. And in the future we'll have climate change," Adams said. "When you super-impose those conditions on L.A.'s activities, one of the challenges is always to determine what's due to what L.A. is taking and what's due to natural causes."
Adams also said that DWP data show that Owens Valley water tables have not dropped that much over the past two decades. "Anywhere you pump, you may have a little more immediate drawdown around the well," he said. "But overall, groundwater levels are not depressed."
L.A. obtains 25 percent to 30 percent of its water from the eastern Sierra, down significantly from recent decades. Its valley groundwater pumping has dropped, too, from 150,000 to 200,000 acre-feet a year in the late 1980s to 91,600 acre-feet in 2012. But that's still more than what a 1998 U.S. Geological Survey study suggested could be pumped without lowering water tables and harming vegetation.
"Ninety-one thousand is higher than we would like to see, especially after two desperately dry years," said Mike Prather, chair of the Inyo County Water Commission.
Groundwater is overseen by a 1991 agreement with Inyo County in which DWP said it would manage pumping in ways that do not dry up meadows. But critics say the agreement has flaws, including a conflict resolution process that can drag on for years.
"Too often we see this gridlock condition," said Pritchett, the Owens Valley Committee board member. "They have a hard time even getting their dispute resolution process to work because they can't agree on the wording of their disputes."
Another point of contention is the use of soil moisture levels to determine when wells must be shut off. As Harrington, the county water director, wrote in a 2005 article in the Owens Valley Monitor: "By the time soil moisture is depleted, even if pumping stops, the water table may not recover in time to prevent vegetation harm."
Nonetheless, he believes the agreement has helped the valley by keeping some farmland in irrigation and reducing pumping to an average of 73,000 acre-feet a year over the past two decades.
"There are problem areas where we think L.A.'s water management has had negative effects," he said. "There are areas in the valley that are doing pretty well, where we think the water agreement has had tremendous benefits, both for native vegetation and irrigated lands."
One problem area is an alkali meadow north of Independence near Black Rock Springs Road where Manning has documented the decline of native grasses and wildflowers and low water table conditions for more than two decades.
Not long ago, she returned to the meadow with a 1988 photo of the area in her hands. "You don't have to believe me but this is what it used to look like," she said, kneeling down and holding the photo in her hands. It showed a lush, green, shaggy carpet of native grasses that rely on groundwater for survival, along with some shrubs.
The landscape in front of her now was dry, dusty and dominated by desert shrubs that can survive on scant precipitation. "This is what the agreement was supposed to avoid," Manning said. "There was a line in the sand that there would be no further change. But that line has been crossed many times by DWP."
She resigned in frustration in 2008. "It was just heartbreaking to monitor the death of this meadow and present the data to the decision-makers and have them just shrug," said Manning. "It got to the point where it was hopeless."
The county is now trying to hold DWP accountable for the transformation – so far, unsuccessfully. In arbitration, the agency claimed Inyo County's monitoring process was flawed, making it impossible to determine whether change had occurred. This fall, arbitrators brought in by the two sides disagreed with that assessment. But the extent of the damage, and the cause, remain in dispute.
Meanwhile, pumping continues nearby at two wells that are exempt from regulation because they supply water to a state fish hatchery before it goes to L.A. – a situation that draws the ire of critics.
"Groundwater pumping tied to mitigation activities is not right," said Alan Bacock, water program coordinator for the Big Pine Paiute Tribe.
Dust from a moonscape
Thirty miles south, a larger conflict over air quality also has dragged on for years.
This one is at Owens Lake, which dried up in the mid-1920s, forming a salty-white moonscape that has become the largest man-made source of hazardous airborne dust in America.
Owens Lake dust is dangerous because its particles are so tiny, they are easily inhaled and can increase the risk of respiratory and cardiac problems. The federal health standard for such diminutive dust – know as "PM10," for particulate matter 10 microns or less in diameter – is 150 micrograms per cubic meter.
PM10 levels at Owens Lake often dwarf that. In 2011, one dust storm was measured at 13,380 micrograms – 89 times the EPA standard. In 2001, another reached 20,754 micrograms – 138 times the federal standard.
"It has a funny taste to it. It burns your eyes. It makes me cough," said Janice Aten, a member of the Paiute-Shoshone Tribe in nearby Lone Pine who has lived in Owens Valley for years.
To control that dust, DWP now spreads more than 30 billion gallons of water a year – enough to fill the Rose Bowl every day – across the lake floor. It also has re-vegetated large areas, creating habitat for eared grebes, snowy plovers and other migratory birds.
It is the largest dust control project in U.S. history, covering 42 square miles at a cost of $1.2 billion. And it has made a difference: Overall, dust levels have dropped about 90 percent to 1,000 to 1,500 micrograms per cubic meter since the early 2000s.
"We've seen a dramatic improvement," said Schade, director of the Great Basin Unified air district. "But we are still 10 times over the standard."
The district and DWP are quarreling now over an additional 3.6 square miles where Schade says more dust control measures are needed to bring pollution levels into compliance with federal law. DWP contends it's being asked to control dust it didn't cause and has fought back with state and federal lawsuits and administrative appeals. In 2012, it ordered Great Basin to remove three air quality monitors from land owned by Los Angeles, terminating the agreement that gave the air district access.
"We felt very strongly the data collected was being used incorrectly," said Adams, the DWP director. "We are in a situation where we are controlling dust that's been naturally occurring for all of history and not due to any activity by Los Angeles."
Schade disagreed. "Their water gathering activities are what caused this problem," he said. "We're asking them to clean up after themselves. It's the law."
The district is trying to install new monitors on nearby state and federal land, so far without success. At one spot, a concrete pad for a monitoring station sits on state-owned land just 110 meters from the old DWP site. But persuading DWP to supply power to the new site has been difficult.
"Unfortunately, the air polluter is also the power provider," said Schade. "We can't get DWP to get off the dime and string the wires. They could do it tomorrow."
As the fine lake dust recedes, concern is growing about the huge clouds of wind-borne soil and grit that billow off once-green alkali meadows and farm fields.
"They need water," Schade said. "You can bring the vegetation back and bring the dust down, or you can put it in swimming pools down in Southern California."
A hole in history
DWP is stirring up a different kind of conflict in Independence, the Inyo county seat, where residents say the community's historic charm is in danger.
Independence itself is tiny, just a few blocks long and wide. There is no stoplight, no grocery store, no Starbucks. And the scenery – snow-capped vistas, wide-open spaces – is stunning.
But it's the history that catches a visitor's eye: the stately 1922 Inyo County Courthouse; the Pines Cafe, a community gathering spot for decades; the "Commander's House," a 19th-century Victorian built to establish a military presence in the region.
Independence is a town "trapped in time where little of the built environment has changed since the 1920s and early 1930s," a 2000 Caltrans road-widening survey reported.
"In the present age of fast food, traffic congestion, 'old town' pretensions and 'cyber-adnauseam,' the Independence (downtown) district is an increasingly rare representation of small-town Americana " the Caltrans survey said.
But that history is fading. The Pines Cafe is boarded up. The Commander's House and other structures are in need of repair. And some have been torn down.
"We have trouble getting tourists to stop. They just drive on through," said Wagner, the retired geologist. "We need a reason to have them stop. A viable historical district would go a long way towards doing that."
For decades, L.A. owned much of Independence, which is home to a major DWP work center. In recent decades, it has sold many homes but retained other old structures and property along U.S. 395, including a century-old barbershop in poor condition that many residents wanted protected.
Nancy Masters, president of the Independence Civic Club, even submitted a plan to restore the building in 2010.
"We thought it was eminently do-able," said Masters. "This was potentially one of the oldest buildings in town. DWP's response was silence. They didn't get back to us."
Instead, DWP tore the building down while the town slept in April 2012, outraging many residents. Adams, though, defended the action.
"I never heard any real legitimate offers that would make that property viable," he said. "We couldn't just let it sit there until it fell down on its own." The work was done at night, he added, to avoid traffic problems. "We weren't trying to be sneaky," he said.
Adams also said the utility is exploring ways to sell old buildings because maintaining them is costly. "We are looking for creative ways to move on these properties," he said. "We know that tearing them down is not a good idea."
With the old barbershop gone, Independence now has one more vacant lot – one more hole in a history that Masters, the Inyo County librarian, has struggled to safeguard. She calls herself a "guerrilla archivist" and oversees a small room in the county courthouse filled with books, newspaper clippings and historical material about Inyo County and Owens Valley.
"It's not just our history," she said. "A lot of our history has created history elsewhere. It set the tone for water battles throughout the Western United States.
"The built environment is a visible archive of our history. It tells a story. And when that has been dismantled, nothing is left to continue that thread into the future."


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Mayor's Office
The new Geographic Information System (GIS) site on the City-County Web site (lincoln.ne.gov) offers users one-stop access to local mapping information and data. Improvements include the ability to measure approximate length and area and the integration of Google Street View, which allows users to view properties from ground level.
"The integration of mapping information and the corresponding data makes the new GIS site easier to use," said Mayor Beutler. "The new application also allows users to do more in less time, and that increases efficiency for everyone. This new site provides an outstanding foundation that the City and County can continue to build on with new developments and improvements in technology."
The GIS Web debuted in 1999 and has not seen significant changes since then. City and County departments have been working on the new site for three months. The Web site enhancements were built on technology the City currently owns. No tax dollars were spent on the creation of the new site with the exception of staff time.
Mayor Beutler praised the collaboration among the local agencies involved: the Lancaster County Assessor/Register of Deeds and Engineering Department; the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District; the Lincoln Electric System; the City-County Planning Department; and the City departments of Public Works and Utilities and Building and Safety.
"This Web-based application will become a portal for citizens to locate information across the City and County," said Jeff McReynolds, City-County GIS Program Manager. "The agencies involved have put forth great effort in collaborating internally to provide more efficient updates and to maintain the data. That means more efficient transparency of this information to the public."
A link to the new GIS Web site can be found on the home page at lincoln.ne.gov. Users will eventually be able to access it using the keyword "GIS." http://ags.lincoln.ne.gov/gisviewer


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Holiday Inn Louisville East - Hurstbourne
Holiday Inn Louisville East - Hurstbourne
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Welcome to Holiday Inn Louisville East - Hurstbourne
Located in the heart of Louisville's East End, the Holiday Inn® Louisville East - Hurstbourne boasts exceptional service and quality accommodations for your trip to the greater Louisville area. The hotel's I-64 locale provides easy access to all this city has to offer.
This Louisville, KY hotel's location puts you minutes from the city's best, including the Louisville Zoo and Kentucky Derby Museum. Take a trip along the Ohio River on the Steamer Belle of Louisville. At the Louisville Slugger Museum, you can get a glimpse of an important aspect of America's favorite pastime.
On your Louisville business trip, the hotel's I-64 location offers easy access to companies and business parks, including Bluegrass Industrial Park, GE and Ford Motor. With 16,000 plus sq ft of flexible meeting space, the hotel can easily host a conference or event. The free Wi-Fi access and business center help you stay connected.
Enjoy a carefree Louisville vacation with the hotel's incredible amenities, which include an on-site restaurant and lounge. The hotel's friendly staff looks forward to welcoming you to Louisville!
Kids Stay and Eat Free
Kids ages 18 and under stay for free when sharing their parents' room. Up to four kids ages 11 and under eat free any time of the day in any Holiday Inn® on-site restaurant.
|Kids Stay Free
|Kids Eat Free
|United States, Canada, Central America, South America, Mexico, Caribbean
|18 and Under
|11 and Under
Free High-Speed Internet
Standard Wireless Internet service is included for all guests.
Shuttle/ Parking
- Car Parking Available
- Complimentary Daily Self-Parking is available
- Self-Parking Fee: 0 USD
Pet Policy
- Pets allowed
- Service Animals Allowed
- Pet Fee per Night: 25 USD
- Weight limit 50 lbs, limit of 2 dogs in room. A non refundable fee is required in the amount of 25 dollars per night. Additional fees may apply in the event damages from pet occur. Must show vaccination record at time of check in.
Languages Spoken by Staff
Credit Cards
- American Express
- Visa
- MasterCard
- Diners Club
- Carte Blanche
- Discover
- Smoke-Free Facility
- Number of Floors: 7
- Total Number of Rooms: 187
- Number of Suites: 7
- Number of Non-Smoking Rooms: 187
- Number of Accessible Rooms: 14
- Connecting Rooms Available
- Public Spaces Renovated in: 2015
- Guest Rooms Renovated in: 2015
- Public Entrance
- Guest Rooms
- Elevators
- Public Restrooms
- Registration Desk
- Exercise Facility
- Pool
- Number of Accessible Meeting Rooms: 11
Accessible Hotel Areas
- Registration Area
- Accessible Guest Rooms
- Business Center
- Meeting Room
- Exercise Facility
- Pool
Hotel Areas with Accessible Routes from Accessible Public Entrance
- Accessible Self-Parking
- Van Accessible Self Parking
- Ramp Access
- Closed Caption TVs
- Telephone with TDD
- Visual Alarm/Alert in Guest Rooms
- Visual Alarm/Alert in Public Spaces
- Communication Kits with Visual Alarms
Provided by Hotel


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A spokesman for the Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, said a security team aboard the USNS Rappahannock issued a series of warnings before resorting to lethal force near Dubai's Jebel Ali port.
"The U.S. crew repeatedly attempted to warn the vessel's operators to turn away from their deliberate approach. When those efforts failed to deter the approaching vessel, the security team on the Rappahannock fired rounds from a .50-caliber machine gun," Lt. Greg Raelson said in an emailed response to questions.
He confirmed the incident is under investigation.
The Rappahannock is an oiler used to fuel other Navy ships while they are at sea.
The United Arab Emirates, which includes the commercial hub of Dubai and the oil-rich capital Abu Dhabi, is a key American ally in the Gulf. American warships frequently visit Dubai's Jebel Ali port, a popular rest stop among U.S. sailors.
A U.S. consular official told The Associated Press that one person was killed and three wounded in the shooting.
The official gave no other details, but it appeared that U.S. personnel could have seen the boat - mistakenly or not - as a threat in Gulf waters not far from Iran's maritime boundaries.
The white-hulled boat was inspected by dozens of police and other Emirati officials after the incident in a small Dubai port used by fishermen and sailors.
The boat appeared to be a civilian vessel about 30 feet long and powered by three outboard motors. It had no obvious military markings.
Similar boats are used for fishing in the region, though Iran's Revolutionary Guard also employs relatively small, fast-moving craft in the Gulf.
Rescue workers were seen carrying one person in a body bag off the boat and placing it in an ambulance as fishermen looked on. Officials moved the boat from the harbor shortly afterward.
An Emirati rescue official at the scene confirmed the casualty toll.
Another UAE official familiar with the incident said authorities "are looking into the matter and will be issuing a report at a later stage."
Like the U.S. consular official, they spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the incident between the two allies.
U.S. military vessels routinely cross paths with Iranian ships in international waters in the Gulf without incident, but speed boats from Iran's Revolutionary Guard have passed close to U.S. ships in incidents that have raised alarm in Washington.
In early 2008, then President Bush accused Iran of a "provocative act" after five small Iranian craft buzzed around the destroyer USS Hopper.
Tensions are elevated in the Gulf after Iran last week renewed threats to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz - the route for one-fifth of the world's oil - in retaliation for tighter sanctions over Iran's nuclear program. The U.S. recently boosted its naval presence in the Gulf with additional minesweepers and other warships.
The U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi had no immediate comment, referring all questions to the Navy.
Source: AP


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iPhone 5/5s Cute Black Cat Phone Case with Ultra Slim Durable Profile
Sale price $19.99 Regular price
Protect your iPhone 5/5s with a Phone Cases To The Rescue cover. Let your inner cat lady shine with this cute and creative case. This case sports a slim profile. Just snap the case onto your phone for easy access to all your device features.
- Durable plastic cover
- Ultra slim profile
- Easy access to all ports and controls


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Where did the Lancaster brand come from?
Lancaster is a French leather goods brand. Created in the heart of Paris in the 1990's, it has developed all over France and now boasts an international presence. Its most representative figures, including the artistic director, have not changed since its creation.
What does the Lancaster brand sell?
Lancaster is a leather goods brand. We offer all types of bags (totes, satchels, rucksacks, clutch bags, etc.), small leather goods (wallets, purses, etc.), luggage for women and for men, as well as accessories (nourishing balm, cleansing milk).
Are there any Lancaster shops in France? Where?
A flagship Lancaster shop also opened in 2012 at number 422 rue Saint Honoré, in the 8th district of Paris.
Where can I buy a Lancaster bag in France?
You can find the Lancaster collections in our own shops as well as our retailers (see "Points of sale" section), and of course on the Internet thanks to our online shop.
Where can I buy a Lancaster bag abroad?
A list of all our authorised distributors abroad is available in the "Points of sale" section of our website.
Where can I see the visuals of Lancaster advertising campaigns (again)?
You can find all the latest news about Lancaster as well as the visuals for most of our campaigns on our Facebook page, as well as our press publications in our "Press" section. To view all of our makings of, visit our YouTube page.
Do I need to waterproof my full grain leather bag?
Our full grain calfskin leather is a raw, supple, high quality material. A thin layer of aniline, which guarantees suppleness and authenticity, protects it. If you want to, you can waterproof your leather bags to provide them with increased protection from external elements. In this case, we recommend that you ask a specialist shoemaker, who will advise you on the use of the most suitable products. However, this step isn't essential, as the quality of leather resides essentially in the particularity of its natural wear and evolution by your side over time. These variations in colour and texture will give it a charm highly appreciated by connoisseurs.
Are Lancaster bags made in France?
Lancaster produces some of its goods in France and has remained faithful and sensitive to the tradition of the country's leather working industry, which has become increasingly rare. However, it has also opened up to production abroad for some of its ranges. Our specifications as well as our quality assurance follow strict and set standards that do not vary according to the manufacturing location. In the interest of equity, we of course use the same quality raw materials regardless of the manufacturing location of our leather goods.
If my Lancaster bag needs repairing but is no longer under guarantee, what can I do?
Even without a guarantee, you can send your defective Lancaster item to our After Sales service (S.A.V. Lancaster - 95 rue du Parc, 93130 Noisy-le-Sec). We will then send you a quote for repairing your item. If you accept the quote, your item will be repaired and returned to you at our cost.
Do Lancaster bags ever go on sale?
Some Lancaster items may go on sale during the sale period or for other events, in shops or online, the decision being taken by our retailers or by us.
ONLINE SHOP www.lancaster.com
I can't place an order via the online shop, what can I do?
First of all, please note that you can only order from mainland France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Great Britain, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and Norway. Make sure you have a good Internet connection. If you have any other issues, please contact our web service at the following address: firstname.lastname@example.com.
How many days will it take for me to receive my Lancaster bag ordered from the online shop?
If you place your order before noon (12h), your parcel will be dispatched on the same day, otherwise it will leave our warehouse the next day. Once your order leaves our warehouse, depending on the delivery option you chose, you will receive it:
- within 48 to 72 hours with Colissimo.
Lead times apply for carrier pick-up from Monday to Friday and delivery from Monday to Friday except public holidays.
Can I return an item and get a refund? What process do I need to follow?
You have 14 days from the date of delivery of your bag(s) to exercise your right to withdraw without justification or penalty fees, except for the return postage fees. If the right to withdraw expires on a Saturday, Sunday or bank holiday, it is extended until the following working day. Returned items must not be damaged, they must be complete and returned in their original packaging. You will be refunded as soon as possible, 14 days at the latest following your claim. The refund will occur via the same method of payment which you used to purchase the item (bank transfer or PayPal) and will amount to the total cost of the returned item plus tax and delivery fees, but will not include the return postage fees of the item, which are borne by you. If the returned item is an alternative item, the return postage fees will be borne by Lancaster.
If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to contact us using one of the following:
+33 (0)9 70 72 88 90
Lancaster - 14, rue Auber
75009 Paris FRANCE


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The Obama administration has started an official petition website called "We the People," in which Americans can propose and vote on petitions for consideration by the White House. Petitions that cross a popularity threshold (originally 5,000 signatures within 30 days) get an official response from the White House.
This being the Internet, one of the first petitions focused on software patents, asking President Obama to "direct the patent office to cease issuing software patents and to void all previously issued software patents." The White House issued its official response on Tuesday. After touting the recently passed America Invents Act, Obama technology advisor Quentin Palfrey says the executive branch's hands are tied:
There's a lot we can do through the new law to improve patent quality and to ensure that only true inventions are given patent protection. But it's important to note that the executive branch doesn't set the boundaries of what is patentable all by itself. Congress has set forth broad categories of inventions that are eligible for patent protection. The courts, including the US Supreme Court, have interpreted the statute to include some software-related inventions. Even before the legislation passed, the Administration took other important steps to ensure that only high-quality patents are issued, and that we curb or invalidate overly-broad software patents. For example, the USPTO recently issued guidance to its examiners that tighten up the requirements that inventors fully describe, specify, and distinctly claim their inventions so that vague patents are not issued. We've also issued new guidance to examiners to help ensure that patents cover only "new" and "non-obvious" inventions.
There's a lot of truth to this. The rules Congress established for patent eligibility are extremely broad, so in practice decisions about what can be patented—and in particular, whether it includes software—are primarily made by the courts. The courts have been rather confused on the subject. The Supreme Court has traditionally been skeptical of software patents, but it hasn't ruled on the subject since 1981. Since then, the law has been shaped by the software-patent-friendly United States Court of Appeal for the Federal Circuit.
The USPTO is obligated to respect decisions of the Federal Circuit, so USPTO director probably couldn't invalidate all software patents—or even all new software patents—with the stroke of a pen. But the Patent Office still has a lot of influence. For one thing, it takes the decisions of the Federal Circuit and translates them into specific guidelines for patent examiners to follow, so where the Federal Circuit is ambiguous, the USPTO can err on the side of rejecting software patents—indeed it has been doing just that to a limited extent. Over time, such rejections, if upheld by the courts, could shift the law in a less software-patent-friendly direction.
The Obama administration can also influence the law in another way. When the Supreme Court is considering a patent case, it invariably invites the administration to submit a brief, and will often give the solicitor general the opportunity to participate in oral arguments. If the White House became convinced that software patents were detrimental to the American economy, it could begin filing briefs encouraging the Supreme Court to reinstate its original ban on software patents. While the Supreme Court isn't obligated to take the government's advice, it would carry a significant amount of weight.
We're not going to hold our breath, though. Before joining the USPTO, Director David Kappos was Assistant General Counsel for Intellectual Property at IBM. While we assume he's not beholden to his former employer, we're willing to bet that Big Blue's enthusiasm for software patents has rubbed off on him.
The White House statement also included a strong endorsement of open source software:
We understand that the concern about software patents stems, in part, from concerns that overly broad patents on software-based inventions may stifle the very innovative and creative open source software development community. As an Administration, we recognize the tremendous value of open source innovation and rely on it to accomplish key missions.
The statement touts a number of administration initiatives related to open source software, but doesn't mention any policies to protect open source software from patent litigation.


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Web Design& Interactive Media
I want the world to see what I can do.
As the web has become more and more a part of our lives, it's expanded far beyond desktops. And the need for creative minds with the right blend of design and technical skills is expanding too. If you're thinking of a future where you design everything from websites to mobile apps that keep people connected, explore our Web Design & Interactive Media degree programs. It's where you can learn to design content for traditional and mobile web devices, including responsive design websites, mobile apps, and e-books. We'll help you plug your creativity into the ever-changing interactive media industry. You'll be surrounded and inspired by other talented, creatively driven students. And you'll be and pushed, challenged, and, above all else, supported by experienced faculty*. It's every bit as competitive and demanding as the real world. And really, isn't that what you're looking for?
*Credentials and experience levels vary by faculty and instructors.
Degrees Offered
Associate of Applied Science in Web Design & Interactive Media
Classroom Experience
I'm ready to roll up my sleeves.
In our Web Design & Interactive Media degree program, you'll start by honing your fundamental design and user skills like drawing, design, audio, digital imaging, and web technologies. You'll apply what you've learned to such disciplines as media authoring, video technology, motion graphics, sound applications, and project management. You can learn several programming languages to create rich, interactive content for front-and back-end development. And you'll explore different approaches to create new interactive experiences, including mobile apps. You'll focus on interface design, interactivity, visual design, database design, dynamic web content design, technology, and information design and come up with creative solutions across all web-related media.
What Will I Study?
Help me connect my creativity to a dynamic industry.
Our Web Design & Interactive Media curriculum keeps pace with an exciting industry—to help you hit the ground running when you launch your career. You'll have the opportunity to build skills and understand the design principles you need to develop graphics, media, software, and programming as you study:
- Fundamentals of Design
- Color Theory
- Typography
- Image Manipulation
- Programming Logic
- Introduction to Audio
- Design Concepts
- Introduction Scripting Languages
- Design Layout
- Introduction to Authoring
- Intermediate Authoring
- Digital Illustration
- Introduction to User Centered Design
- Usability Testing
- Project Management
- Designing for Dynamic Web Sites
- Designing for Server Side Technology
- Integrated Information Design
- E-Learning Design
I'm looking for my proving ground.
At The Art Institutes system of schools, creativity is our core, our calling, our culture. Web Design & Interactive Media is built on that creative foundation. It's also built on our knowledge that a creative career is not for the faint of heart. Because it's tough out there, it's tough in here. But we temper the tough with the support you need to make your creativity marketable. We provide the mentoring and real-world experience you need to prevail, with faculty* who've worked in the field and internship possibilities at successful businesses. Here, you'll be encouraged and expected to be bold. To take risks. To push yourself and the people around you. So if your heart is telling you that you belong in a creative field, you belong here. It's the hardest thing you'll ever love.
*Credentials and experience levels vary by faculty and instructors.
Nobody is going to make it easier or harder for you. Success comes from within. You must push yourself. Adam Halberg
Culinary Arts, The Art Institute of Atlanta, 2000


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June 12, 2001
SAN BRUNO, Calif. - Commissioner Michael Gilleran announced today that the West Coast Conference Men�s and Women�s Basketball Championships will return to San Diego in 2002. The WCC will assemble a task force to explore the possibility of holding the championships at a neutral site in subsequent years.
The University of San Diego will host the championships for the second consecutive season in the picturesque Jenny Craig Pavilion on the USD campus. "Our member institutions were impressed with USD's new facility, and the USD staff did a great job managing the event," Gilleran said.
The 2002 WCC Basketball Championships will take place February 28 through March 4, and will include all 16 men's and women's teams competing for the conference's automatic bids to the NCAA Tournaments.
The Broncos traveled to the WCC Championship for the first time in three years in 2001, as the league left the mission campus to host its annual basketball showcase at the Jenny Craig Pavilion. Renovations to the Leavey Center prompted the change in venue. While the women didn't advance as far as they would have liked this past season at San Diego, the Bronco men played for the title and were three points shy of a trip to the NCAA Tournament with an 80-77 loss to Gonzaga.
In all, the Bronco men have advance to the WCC title game on five occasions, winning the league championship in 1987 and '93. The women also have won two titles, from the 1992 and '98 seasons, and have advanced to the final on one other occasion, in 1993.


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Sodium bicarbonate, otherwise known as baking soda, is a familiar age-old product that has been around for generations. There is probably an open box of sodium bicarbonate sitting in your refrigerator right now. We use it to clean our teeth, cure hangovers and upset stomachs, cook our bread, put out fires, clean battery cables and now strip our cars to bare metal.
Remember the big hullabaloo in the 1980s about the restoration of the Statue of Liberty? Well, it was during the restoration process of Lady Liberty that sodium bicarbonate was first pioneered as a blasting agent. If baking soda was good enough to clean Lady Liberty's drawers, it's good enough to clean our cars right?
While at the '06 Grand National Roadster show in Pomona, California, we came across an informative display booth set up by a company called Anacapa Soda Blasting. Anacapa Soda Blasting has one of the larger, more sophisticated blasting booths in California. It also had several different vehicle panels on display that were media blasted. Some panels were blasted using sand while others were blasted with sodium bicarbonate. When compared side by side, the sand blasted metal substrate was not only visually different, but there was a texture difference as well. The traditional technique of sand blasting can be harmful to the substrate on which it is being used.
Sandblasting is highly abrasive and leaves a "signature" on the substrates surface; it can reduce the metal's density as well as building up heat. Heat build up can result in potential sheetmetal warping. A vehicle that has been sandblasted can also have potential problems in the paint booth as well. Just ask any painter; many of them will relate stories of the difficulty in removing sand from the cracks and crevices in a vehicle prior to painting. So, what are the advantages to using this alternate method?
Environment: The environmental factor for the shop and employees where sodium bicarbonate is being used is the biggest plus. When sand blasting, crystalline silica is present in the air. When crystalline silica is inhaled over time it can cause a respiratory disease known as silicosis, which is almost always fatal. Sodium bicarbonate is non-toxic and presents no such hazards. Still it is recommended to wear a respirator of some type when using sodium bicarbonate or any air borne particles.
Substrate protection: When using sodium bicarbonate on a vehicle, it will remove paint and light rust, while leaving no heat build up and signature on the metal. Sodium bicarbonate will not affect glass, rubber, chrome or stainless trim parts in an adverse manner. However when doing a full restoration, these parts are usually removed before blasting anyway.
Water Soluble: Unlike sandblasting, where the metal substrate needs to be painted immediately, sodium bicarbonate is non-abrasive and does not affect the surface tension of the metal. After blasting with sodium bicarbonate, a vehicle's surface can be left bare without fear of flash rusting for a few weeks after the fact. In order to neutralize the remnants of the bicarbonate on the metal, it is recommended to thoroughly rinse the vehicle down with a water/vinegar mix; however the use of vinegar can lead to flash rusting. We were told that rinsing the vehicle with water then using an auto body metal preparation solvent will work just as well.
What are the disadvantages?
Rust Removal: While sodium bicarbonate will remove paint, primer and light rust, it will not remove heavy rust and plastic body filler. A good old fashioned can of elbow grease or a dual action sander is better suited to removing filler and heavy rust.
We're not here to dissuade you from using other methods of media blasting your vehicle; we simply want to present another option when it comes to the restoration of your classic car. Anacapa Blasting invited Super Chevy for a visit to its facility in Oxnard, California. While there, Manny Vega, the owner of Anacapa, invited this author to suit up and blast a vehicle in the booth-we gave it the old college try.


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Scott Miller couldn't be happier to be back in Arkansas. He joins the 5NEWS staff as a weekend anchor and reporter.
He moved to Berryville in 1979 to work for the local radio station and he's been a fan of the Natural State and the Razorbacks ever since.
While working in Fayetteville Scott was the voice of the Arkansas Razorback baseball team during the final year the Hogs were in the Southwest Conference.
Most recently Scott worked at a television station in Lawton, Oklahoma.
Scott and his wife Judith have two adult children, Brittany and Cody.


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A Kwoon translated from Chinese to English means a school. Hence, a Chinese Kwoon is equivalent to a Karate DoJo and that is where the similarity ends. A Chinese Kwoon is rooted in the family. A Japanese Dojo is founded upon strict military discipline.
KungFu is the oldest form of eastern martial arts. It is the grandfather of all Asian martial arts. Karate, Tae Kwon Dao, and Juijitsu trace their linage back to Chinese KungFu. The Wing Chun system of KungFu is an extremely effect combat martial art.
Childhood is possibly the best time for building the block of our lives. Lack of confidence, self-respect, proper motivation and focus in this crucial period can shatter your dream of having a better-behaved child.
Private lessons are offered at the Wing Chun Kung Fu Kwoon for those students who wish to experience the power of one-on-one instruction.
As an adult, you can enjoy the physical and personal benefits in the ancient art of KungFu. Wing Chun training can help you in many areas in your life.


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Zipcar and Palo Alto have joined forces to expand car sharing in the downtown area with the addition of 10 new vehicles at four lots owned by the city.
The Cambridge, Mass.-based company currently has more than 50 vehicles at Stanford University, where it has operated since 2011, and more than 1,400 vehicles in the greater Bay Area.
Zipcar bills itself as an alternative to traditional vehicle rental and ownership. Cars can be reserved by members via a smartphone app, online or over the phone. Rates in Palo Alto start at $8.50 per hour or $74 per day and include gas, insurance and 180 free miles per day.
Vehicles available in the downtown area include a Toyota Prius, Ford Focus and Hyundai Elantra. They have designated parking spots at the Civic Center Garage, Lot H, Lot K and Lot N.
"These new locations make Zipcar even more convenient and accessible to residents and students, which help reduce demand for parking and overall congestion in the city," Zipcar San Francisco General Manager Michael Uribe said in a news release announcing the expansion.
Mayor Nancy Shepherd added that car-sharing services are an important component of the city's efforts to address traffic and parking issues.
"Our partnership with Zipcar supports our goal of reducing traffic and carbon emissions by providing an alternative to car ownership for commuters and residents," Shepherd said.
For additional information, visit www.zipcar.com/2014paloalto.
Email Jason Green at firstname.lastname@example.com; follow him at twitter.com/jgreendailynews.


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AUGUSTA - The Georgia Southwestern softball team earned a split with Augusta State in a Peach Belt Conference doubleheader on Friday afternoon at Jaguar Field. GSW rallied to get a seventh-innning win in Game 1, 4-3, while ASU took the nightcap, 8-2.
GSW finshes the day with a record of 20-22 overall and 4-8 in PBC play. Augusta State sits at 24-10 overall and 5-3 in the PBC.
The Lady Hurricanes entered the doubleheader with one win against ASU in their previous eight meetings and the Jaguars opened a 3-1 lead in Game 1 on Friday.
In the sixth inning, with a runner on base and no outs, Lyndi Duff hit her first home run of the season to tie the game at 3-3.
After GSW starter Christie Shankle retired ASU in order in the bottom of the sixth, Duff struck again, this time with a game-winning single that drove in Nichole Griffin, who had started the inning with a single.
Shankle (5-8) kept the Jaguars in check in the seventh to earn her fourth-straight win. She scattered six hits, walked one and struck out two.
Duff, Griffin and Mason Moreland finished with two hits apiece.
In the nightcap, Heather Hodge belted a solo home run in the second inning to give the Lady Hurricanes an early 1-0 advantage, but ASU scored three in the fifth and five more in the sixth to pull away for the split.
Hodge added a run for GSW in the sixth with an RBI single that drove in Gabby Buck.
Lady 'Canes starter Jessica Martin (6-6) took the loss after allowing three runs in 4 1/3 innings of work. Martin walked eight, allowed five hits and struck out two. Katie Mueller pitched the final 1 2/3 innings and was charged with five unearned runs after allowing two hits and a pair of walks.
Hodge was the lone GSW batter with multiple hits in Game 2, finishing 2-for-3.
Southwestern concludes its eight-game road trip on Saturday morning in Aiken for a PBC doubleheader with the Pacers at 11 a.m.


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Resources for Action
Resources for Action
Sun, 2009-08-02 08:16
The Women's Peace Camp at Aldermaston is a form of nonviolent direct action, occupying Ministry of Defence land and using it for a women's camp. AWPC welcomes all forms of nonviolent action at Aldermaston, including marches, vigils and other demonstrations. We also welcome nonviolent direct action which aims to hinder, halt, subvert or stop work at Aldermaston and Burghfield on the new developments and on Britain's WMD programme. This section of the site includes maps, photos, legal briefings, guides and personal reflections on taking action at AWE.